Live Q&A: Jesse Yomtov takes your questions about the World Cup draw

The anticipation is building for the2026 World Cupand soon we'll find out which teams are playing in the 12 groups.

Overall, there will be 48 teams in the upcomingWorld Cup,which equates to four teams in each group. What teams will be in each group?

That's an answer we'll get on Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C.,when the drawis conducted.

USA TODAY Sports'sJesse Yomtovis ready to answer your questions about the 2026 World Cup, the upcoming draw and the teams that have qualified thus far on Thursday, December 4 at 12 p.m. ET.

You can send in your questions in advance via the box below and of course come back on Dec. 4 to get your answers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chat World Cup draw, teams, tournament in live Q&A with Jesse Yomtov

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Live Q&A: Jesse Yomtov takes your questions about the World Cup draw

The anticipation is building for the2026 World Cupand soon we'll find out which teams are playing in the 12 groups...

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Where are top 100 college football recruits going? Signing day updates

The day that culminates years of recruiting efforts has finally arrived on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The early national signing day will see most of the nation's top prospects confirm their commitments with their letters of intent.

While the transfer portal has mitigated some of the importance of recruiting high school players, there's still a strong correlation to having strong freshmen classes and success on the field. So landing elite recruits still has a great importance for teams.

Who stands to be the big winners? Will there be flips or delayed decision that have become synonymous with singing day? We will keep track of the highest-rated prospects, according to the 247Sports, composite as they make official where they will be playing next fall.

Where are the top 100 high school football recruits headed?

1. Jared Curtis, QB, 6-3, 225, Nashville Christian (Nashville, Tenn.) – Committed to Vanderbilt

2. Lamar Brown, ATH, 6-4, 285, University Lab (Baton Rouge, La. ) – Committed to LSU

3. Keisean Henderson, QB, 6-3, 185, Legacy the School of Sport Sciences (Spring, Texas) – Committed to Houston

4. Jackson Cantwell, OL, 6-7, 325, Nixa (Nixa, Mo.) – Committed to Miami

5. Zion Elee, Edge, 6-3, 220, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) Committed to Maryland

6. Carter Meadows, Edge, 6-6, 225, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) - Committed to Michigan

7. Faizon Brandon, QB, 6-3, 200, Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C. ) – Committed to Tennessee

8. Savion Hiter, RB, 5-11, 200, Louisa County (Mineral, Va.) – Committed to Michigan

9. Dia Bell, QB, 6-2, 215, American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – Committed to Texas

10. Chris Henry Jr. WR, 6-5, 205, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) – Committed to Ohio State

11. Tristen Keys, WR, 6-2, 180, Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, Miss.) – Committed to Tennessee

12. Rodney Dunham, Edge, 6-4, 227, Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) – Committed to Notre Dame

13. Felix Ojo, OT, 6-6, 275, Mansfield Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) – Committed to Texas Tech

14. Ezavier Crowell, RB, 5-11, 205, Jackson (Jackson, Ala.) – Committed to Alabama

15. LaDamion Guyton, Edge, 6-3, 225, Benedictine Military School (Savannah, Ga.) – Committed to Texas Tech

16. Immanuel Iheanacho, OL, 6-6, 345, Georgetown Preparatory (North Bethesda, Md.) – Committed to Oregon

17. Xavier Griffin, LB, 6-3, 200, Gainesville (Gainesville, Ga) – Committed to Alabama

18. Kendre Harrison, TE, 6-7, 243, Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.) – Committed to Oregon

19. Kodi Greene, OT, 6-5, 320, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) – Committed to Washington

20. Tyler Atkinson, LB, 6-2, 210, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) – Committed to Texas

21. Ian Premer, TE, 6-5, 220, Great Bend (Great Bend, Kan.) – Committed to Notre Dame

22. Jalen Lott, WR, 6-0, 176, Frisco Panther Creek (Frisco, Texas) – Committed to Oregon

23. Mark Bowman, TE, 6-4, 225, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) – Committed to Southern California

24. Khary Adams, DB, 6-2, 175, Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) - Committed to Notre Dame

25. Jorden Edmonds, DB, 6-2, 175, Sprayberry (Marietta, Ga.) – Committed to Alabama

26. Anthony Jones, Edge, 6-3, 240, St. Paul's Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.) – Committed to Oregon

27. Kelvin Obot, OT, 6-5, 265, Fruitland (Fruitland, Idaho) – Committed to Utah

28. Richard Wesley, Edge, 6-5, 250, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) – Committed to Texas

29. Richard Anderson, DL, 6-4, 340, Edna Karr (New Orleans) – Committed to LSU

30. Bralan Womack, DB, 5-11, 195, Hartfield Academy (Flowood, Miss.) – Committed to Mississippi State

31. Joey O'Brien, DB, 6-3, 185, La Salle College (Glenside, Pa.) – Committed to Notre Dame

32. Jireh Edwards, DB, 6-2, 210, St. Frances Academy (Upper Marlboro, Md.) – Committed to Alabama

33. Ekene Ogboko, OL, 6-6, 280, South Garner (Durham, N.C.) – Committed to Georgia

34. Brandon Arrington, ATH, 6-2, 180, Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, Calif.) – Committed to Texas A&M

35. Kaiden Prothro, TE, 6-6, 210, Bowdon (Bowdon, Ga.) – Committed to Georgia

36. Jett Washington, DB, 6-5, 205, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) – Committed to Oregon

37. Darius Gray, OL, 6-3, 285, St. Christopher's School (Richmond, Va.) – Committed to South Carolina

38. Ryder Lyons, QB, 6-2, 220, Folsom (Folsom, Calif.) – Committed to Brigham Young

39. Ethan Feaster, WR, 6-1, 180, DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) – Committed to Southern California

40. Cederian Morgan, WR, 6-4, 210, Benjamin Russell (Alexander City, Ala.) – Committed to Alabama

41. Chauncey Kennon, DB, 6-1, 175, Booker (Sarasota, Fla.) – Committed to Florida State

42. Khary Wilder, DL, 6-4, 250, Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.) – Committed to Ohio State

43. KJ Edwards, RB, 5-10, 180, Carthage (Carthage, Texas) – Committed to Texas A&M

44. Luke Wafle, Edge, 6-5, 245, Hun School (Princeton, N.J.) – Committed to Southern Caifornia

45. Salesi Moa, ATH, 6-1, 190, Fremont (Ogden, Utah) – Committed to Tennessee

46. Elbert Hill, DB, 5-10, 175, Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) – Committed to Southern California

47. Davon Benjamin, DB, 5-11, 180 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) – Committed to Oregon

48. Jaimeon Winfield, 6-4, 310, Richardson (Richardson, Texas) – Committed to Southern California

49. Davian Groce, WR, 6-1, 190, Frisco Lone Star (Frisco, Texas) – Committed to Florida

50. Cincere Johnson, LB, 6-3, 222, Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) – Committed to Ohio State

51. Sam Greer, OL, 6-7, 315, Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) – Committed to Ohio State

52. Jamarion Matthews, DL, 6-2, 240, Gainesville (Gainesville, Ga.) – Committed to Alabama

53. Nolan Wilson, DL, 6-4, 250, Picayune Memorial (Picayune, Miss.) – Committed to Alabama

54. Deuce Geralds, DL, 6-2, 275, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) – Committed to LSU

55. TJ White, LB, 6-1, 230, Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.) – Committed to Tennessee

56. Zyan Gibson, DB, 6-0, 174, Gadsden City (Gadsden, Ala.) – Committed to Alabama

57. Tony Cumberland, DL, 6-4, 285, Willamette (Eugene, Ore.) – Committed to Oregon

58. Justice Fitzpatrick, DB, 6-0, 185, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – Committed to Georgia

59. Somourian Wingo, WR, 6-2, 180, St. Augustine (St. Augustine, Fla.) – Committed to Miami

60. Bryce Perry-Wright, DL, 6-2, 250, Buford (Buford, Ga.) – Committed to Texas A&M

61. Naeem Burroughs, WR, 5-11, 175, The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) – Committed to Clemson

62. Kevin Brown, OL, 6-5, 270, Harrisburg (Harrisburg, Pa.) – Committed to West Virginia

63. Devin Jackson, DB, 6-2, 195, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) – Committed to Oregon

64. Jay Timmons, DB, 5-11, 185, Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.) – Committed to Ohio State

65. Joel Wyatt, ATH, 6-4, 195, Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) – Committed to Tennessee

66. Jermaine Bishop, ATH, 5-11, 155, Willis (Willis, Texas) – Committed to Texas

67. Trenton Henderson, Edge, 6-4, 225, Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) – Committed to LSU

68. Bowe Bentley, QB, 6-2, 200, Celina (Celina, Texas) – Committed to Oklahoma

69. Jett Thomalla, QB, 6-3, 220, Millard South (Omaha, Neb.) – Committed to Alabama

70. Calvin Russell, WR, 6-5, 195, Northwestern (Miami) – Committed to Syracuse

71. Blaine Bradford, DB, 6-1, 207, Baton Rouge Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.) – Committed to Ohio State

72. Jake Kreul, Edge, 6-3, 230, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – Committed to Oklahoma

73. Keenyi Pepe, OL, 6-7, 320, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – Committed to Southern California

74. Jonathan Hatton Jr., RB, 6-0, 205, Cibolo Steele (Cibolo, Texas) – Committed to Oklahoma

75. Caden Harris, DB, 6-0, 160, Haywood (Brownsville, Tenn.) – Committed to Georgia

76. John Turntine III, OL, 6-4, 270, North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) – Committed to Texas

77. Brian Bonner, RB, 6-0, 185, Valencia (Valencia, Calif.) – Committed to Washington

78. Talanoa Ili, LB, 6-3, 215, Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii) – Committed to Southern Caliifornia

79. Izayia Williams, 6-1, 215, Tavares (Tavares, Fla.) – Committed to Florida State

80. Tommy Tofi, OL, 6-6, 330, Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) – Committed to Oregon

81. Ayden Pouncey, DB, 6-2, 160, Winter Park (Winter Park, Fla.) – Committed to Notre Dame

82. J'Zavien Currence, DB, 6-3, 205, South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) – Committed to South Carolina

83. Brysten Martinez, OL, 6-5, 300, East Ascension (Gonzales, La.) – Committed to LSU

84. Aaron Gregory, WR, 6-2, 177, Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) – Committed to Texas A&M

85. Kentavion Anderson, DB, 6-2, 190, Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) – Committed to Clemson

86. Brayden Rouse, LB, 6-2, 210, Kell (Marietta, Ga.) – Committed to Tennessee

87. James Johnson, DL, 6-2, 285, Northwestern (Miami) – Committed to Texas

88. Jordan Smith, DB, 6-1, 185, Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.) – Committed to Georgia

89. Jamarion Carlton, DL, 6-4, 260, Temple (Temple, Texas) – Committed to Texas

90. Gabriel Osenda, OT, 6-7, 330, Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) – Committed to Tennessee

91. Aiden Harris, DL, 6-3, 245, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) – Committed to South Carolina

92. Craig Dandridge, WR, 6-0, 172, Cambridge (Alpharetta, Ga.) – Committed to Georgia

93. Havon Finney, DB, 6-2, 170, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) – Committed to LSU

94. Chase Campbell, WR, 6-1, 180, Wolfforth Frenship (Wolfforth, Texas) – Committed to Texas Tech

95. Jase Mathews, WR, 6-1, 193, Greene County (Leakesville, Miss.) – Committed to Auburn

96. Julian Walker, Edge, 6-5, 252, Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) – Committed to Michigan

97. Jaquez Wilkes, LB, 6-4, 220, Wadley (Wadley, Ala.) – Committed to Auburn

98. Pierre Dean, Edge, 6-3, 255, West Forsyth (Clemmons, N.C.) – Committed to Georgia

99. Derrek Cooper, RB, 6-1, 205, Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) – Committed to Texas

100. Victor Singleton, DB, 5-11, Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio) – Committed to Texas A&M

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football signing day top 100 recruits destinations

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Where are top 100 college football recruits going? Signing day updates

The day that culminates years of recruiting efforts has finally arrived on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The early national signing ...

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Deion Sanders skimps on 2026 freshman recruiting class for Colorado – by design

Coloradofootball coachDeion Sandersis expected to sign a recruiting class this week of only 10 high school players after some top recruitswithdrew their commitmentto play for him recently — dropping the Buffaloes to a 69th national ranking and 14thout of 16 teams in the Big 12 Conference, according toOn3's recruiting rankings for 2026, as of Dec. 2.

But signing such a small freshman class is all part of Sanders' plan, according to him. Hedoesn't make off-campus visits to high school recruitsand was a pioneer in college football for relying on transfer players instead.

The question is whether this is the right strategy afterhis team finished 3-9 in 2025. Should he focus more on developing high school players and getting them to stick around in Boulder? Or is his strategy still sensible since players can transfer to a new school every year if they're not happy with their playing time or compensation?

Paying Prime:Colorado forecasts $27M deficit after Deion Sanders pay raise, NIL payments

The debate rages on at the start of the football signing period on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

"Just to go into the (transfer) portal, it becomes like trying to build through free agency," former Colorado and NFL linebacker Chad Brown told USA TODAY Sports recently. "You can get it done in spots if you've got a hole that you need filled, but home-grown talent is always going to be the best to coach up and get up to speed with your offense and defense.

"If every year you're trying to build a new team, you can't ever get to layer two in your playbook. You're always operating on the surface, and then these guys don't get the chance to come together as a team."

Deion Sanders sees it differently

The high school recruiting class Sanders is expected to sign includes four-star defensive back Preston Ashley and four-star linebackerCarson Crawford. But it's only a precursor to his bigger roster moves coming when the transfer portal opens Jan. 2. That's when Sanders will bring in players from other colleges, many of them backups looking for better playing time or income opportunities. Sanderspioneered the portal-heavy strategyduring his first year in 2023, when he brought in 47 scholarship transfer players from other four-year colleges to fill a roster limited to 85 scholarship players.

"You want about 15 to 17 high school kids," Sanders said at a news conference last week in Boulder.  "Why do you say that, coach?' Well, check the statistics. You get 30. Are they gonna be here in two years? Statistically, check the statistics."

USA TODAY Sports checked the statistics: He's signed 43 total high school scholarship recruits during his first three seasons at Colorado, an average of 14 per year, compared to the 25 or 30 that some schools sign. Only 21 of those 43 were still on Colorado's roster at the end of the 2025 season. The rest transferred out already or left for other reasons.

One was freshman four-star linebacker Mantrez Walker, who signed with Colorado out of high school last year and recentlyannounced his decision to transfer out.

"In Mantrez's case, he had a situation where his playing time was pretty limited this season and there were opportunities that he believes are going to be a better fit," said Jacob Piasecki, co-founder of A&P Sports, the agency that represented Walker's name, image and likeness (NIL) interests for compensation.

Piasecki told USA TODAY Sports it was more about Colorado's plan for him, not NIL money, per se, but playing time and money are intertwined. "There's definitely a correlation between how much they pay you and how much they play you," Piasecki told USA TODAY Sports.

Why didn't Deion Sanders' recruiting strategy work in 2025?

Sanders said he mostly "hit" on his high school recruits but missed on his transfer portal recruits. His most high-profile transfer recruit last year was former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter, whose record as a starter for Colorado was 3-6 in 2025.

In previous years, Colorado "hit" on transfer recruits that included his quarterback son Shedeur (Jackson State), Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (Jackson State), receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (South Florida) and receiver LaJohntay Wester (Florida Atlantic). All four were drafted into the NFL in April after leading the Buffaloes to a9-4 season in 2024.

"Nowadays, if kids aren't playing by that spring of that second go-round, they out — they jump in the portal," Deion Sanders said. "You got to figure out the strategy. What do you want to go? How do you want to get it? The strategy a year ago was the same strategy it was last year. And you hit on your portal guys. You hit on your freshman guys. This year, you hit on your freshmen, to me, some of them. And you missed on your portal. So that's why we' sitting where we sit. It's not like you didn't have a strategic plan. No, you had a strategic plan. You missed. Sometimes it happens. And I'm going to take responsibility. I'm not going to say we missed. I missed."

The risk of Deion Sanders' strategy

Sanders' teams have been up and down since his arrival: a 3-0 start in 2023 followed by a 1-8 finish, then 9-4 in 2024, followed by five straight losses to end the 2025 season at 3-9. It's arguable that trait is a symptom of the roster churn, with so many new players every year who have no prior chemistry.

By contrast, several top teams today were expected to sign around 25 to 30 high school recruits this week, including Southern California, Georgia and Ohio State. Those schools just hope they can hang on to those players beyond next year.

In Colorado's case, Sanders also hopes to hang on to his own former high school recruits, including standout offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis has said he's stayingafter redshirting in 2025. Seaton's future isn't clear.

"Buffs could have consistently brought in great players from the high school level, but instead, just don't," On3 recruiting analyst Josh Newberg recentlysaid on social media site X.  "You're not finding Jordan Seaton-type players in the portal."

But Sanders did find NFL-caliber players in the portal before. In 2025, his best defensive player was safety Tawfiq Byard, a transfer from South Florida who led the team in tackles (84). He has two more years of college eligibility but could jump in the portal Jan. 2 just like the rest after theNCAA allowed unrestricted annual player transfers last year.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer@Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Why Deion Sanders' recruiting strategy at Colorado is up for debate

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Deion Sanders skimps on 2026 freshman recruiting class for Colorado – by design

Coloradofootball coachDeion Sandersis expected to sign a recruiting class this week of only 10 high school players after ...

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Anabel's lost year illustrates the failings of Spain's breast cancer program

By Elena Rodriguez

SEVILLE, Spain, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Anabel Cano believed she was in the clear after receiving no follow-up for a breast cancer screening in 2023 at Seville's Virgen del Rocio Hospital.

But a year later, during what she assumed was another ​routine screening she began to realise something was wrong when doctors focused solely on her right breast with worried looks on their ‌faces. She had cancer, she was told. In October, after undergoing chemotherapy, she was on the operating table for a mastectomy.

Cano is one of thousands of women in the Spanish ‌southern region of Andalusia who were not properly informed about inconclusive mammogram results. The delay in diagnosis sparked protests, legal claims, and the resignation of the regional health chief.

"I accept the cancer, but what I don't accept is why they abandoned me for a year," she told Reuters.

The controversy has spilled into national politics, with Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez using it to attack his opponent, the conservative People's Party which governs in Andalusia, and the Health Ministry ⁠ordering all regions to review cancer screening protocols.

Andalusia, Spain's ‌most populous region and a former Socialist stronghold, must hold regional elections by June 2026. It is one of several regional votes that could act as a barometer for a national election expected in 2027.

PATIENTS IN THE DARK

Most ‍of the cases of delayed diagnosis were linked to the Virgen del Rocio Hospital, where follow-up protocols failed, leaving patients unaware that further tests were needed.

It is unclear whether it was due to human error, or a systems failure.

Andalusian authorities say they have implemented new guidelines to avoid similar cases in the future.

Since Spanish radio station ​Cadena Ser broke the news in late September, the regional government says it has already rescheduled tests for 2,317 women whose screenings showed ‌breast abnormalities of which they were not informed.

Most of the abnormalities are benign, the Andalusian government said. There are no official data on whether any of those women turned out to have cancer.

Breast cancer association Amama says it has been warning since 2021 that there were flaws in the screening program and believes there may be more cases yet to be uncovered, affecting a potential total of between 3,000 and 6,000 women.

Manuel Jimenez Soto, a lawyer working with Amama, is representing more than 200 women who are suing or plan to sue the regional government on negligence grounds.

Each case ⁠is different and therefore individual, although there's always the same pattern, he said.

The prosecutor's ​office is investigating whether the cancer screening program was poorly managed. On Tuesday, it dropped ​a separate inquiry into the alleged disappearance of data from the health portal, concluding that all the information was intact.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumour in women in Andalusia, Spain and Europe.

Around 1.3 million women in Andalusia are ‍part of the screening programme, and around ⁠400,000 mammograms are performed every year. Around 1,800 women were diagnosed with breast cancer last year thanks to the programme, according to official statistics.

Cano thinks she could have avoided losing her breast if the cancer had been caught earlier.

The late diagnosis shattered her life. ⁠She lost her cleaning job, had to sell her home and now lives with her sister on just 470 euros ($546) a month social benefits.

"If they had called me (before) I would ‌have a job today, I would be in my home, I would be happy," she said.

($1 = 0.8608 euros)

(Additional reporting by Emma ‌Pinedo; writing by Emma Pinedo; editing by Charlie Devereux and Sharon Singleton)

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Anabel's lost year illustrates the failings of Spain's breast cancer program

By Elena Rodriguez SEVILLE, Spain, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Anabel Cano believed she was in the clear after receiving n...

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Europeans accuse Putin of faking interest in peace after talks with US envoys

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and European officials on Wednesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of faking interest in peace efforts afterfive hours of talkswith U.S. envoys at the Kremlin produced no signs of a breakthrough, although negotiations were expected to continue.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Putin should "stop wasting the world's time."

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Russian leader "should end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table and to support a just and lasting peace" for Ukraine and in the interests of European security.

Putin met late Tuesday in Moscow with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The meeting was another step in arenewed U.S. pushto broker a peace deal that has been out of reach since Trump's return to office in January.

The Russian and American sides agreed not to disclose the substance of the talks, but at least one major hurdle to a settlement — whether Russia gets to keep the parts of Ukraine it has occupied since itsFebruary 2022 invasion— remains.

Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to Putin, told reporters that "so far, a compromise hasn't been found" on the issue of territory, without which, he said, the Kremlin sees "no resolution to the crisis."

Ukraine, too, has ruled out giving up territory that Russia has captured.

Ushakov called the conversation with the American officials "rather useful, constructive, rather substantive," but added that the framework of the U.S. peace proposal was discussed rather than "specific wording."

Ahead of the Kremlin talks, Putin delivered stinging criticism of Europe's role in the negotiations, accusing countries on the continent of wanting to sabotage a deal. He ominously added that although he doesn't want to fight Europe, "if Europe suddenly wants to wage a war with us and starts it, we are ready right away."

Those comments kept tensions high over efforts to stop the nearly four-year war.

Europeans step up assistance for Ukraine

The foreign ministers from European NATO countries, meeting in Brussels, showed little patience with Moscow.

"What we see is that Putin has not changed any course. He's pushing more aggressively on the battlefield," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. "It's pretty obvious that he doesn't want to have any kind of peace."

Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen struck the same note. "So far we haven't seen any concessions from the side of the aggressor, which is Russia, and I think the best confidence-building measure would be to start with a full ceasefire," she told reporters.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Ukraine's partners will keep sending it military aid to ensure pressure is maintained on Moscow.

"The peace talks are ongoing. That's good," Rutte said.

"But at the same time, we have to make sure that whilst they take place and we are not sure when they will end, that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to keep the fight going, to fight back against the Russians. But also in the strongest possible position when peace talks really get to a point where they sit at the table," he said.

Canada, Germany, Poland and the Netherland announced that they will spend hundreds of millions of dollars more together to buy U.S. weapons to donate to Ukraine.

In August, European allies at NATO began buying American weapons for Ukraine under afinancial arrangementknown as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL.

The war claims more lives

Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a grim war of attrition on the battlefield and are using drones and missiles for long-range strikes behind the front line.

Russian drones hit the town of Ternivka in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing two people and injuring three more, the head of the regional military administration, Vladyslav Haivanenko, said Wednesday.

Two people were in critical condition, he said, after the attack destroyed one house and damaged six more.

Overall, Russia fired 111 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said.

Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that air defenses destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Falling drone debris sparked a fire at an oil depot in the Tambov region, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Moscow, local Gov. Yegveniy Pervyshov said.

Cook reported from Brussels.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Europeans accuse Putin of faking interest in peace after talks with US envoys

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and European officials on Wednesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of faking int...

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Airbus cuts 2025 delivery target due to A320 fuselage panel issue

PARIS (AP) — Aerospace manufacturerAirbusexpects to deliver fewer planes than planned this year following anissue with fuselage panelsused on some A320 planes.

The European company said Wednesday it is targeting around 790 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2025 "in light of recent supplier quality issue on fuselage panels impacting its A320 family delivery flow."

The previous target was around 820 aircraft, the company said, explaining the projection was revised downward because the problem occurred at the end of the year, which is traditionally a very busy period.

The issue affecting a "limited number" of metal panels on the single-aisle A320 aircraft was contained and new panels meet all requirements, the company said.

Airbus sources parts and components from thousands of outside suppliers.

The quality issue with panels surfaced earlier this week, just days after the firm reported it was rushing to fix a separatesoftware problemimpacting about 6,000 of the popular planes.

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Airbus cuts 2025 delivery target due to A320 fuselage panel issue

PARIS (AP) — Aerospace manufacturerAirbusexpects to deliver fewer planes than planned this year following anissue with fu...

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No. 7 Michigan State smothers Iowa in Big Ten opener

Coen Carr scored 15 points to lead No. 7 Michigan State to a 71-52 win over Iowa in the Big Ten conference opener for both teams on Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich.

Jeremy Fears Jr. went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and scored 14 points, and Jaxon Kohler had 12 points and 11 rebounds to help Michigan State (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) stay unbeaten.

Michigan State dominated the boards, outrebounding Iowa 37-18.

The Spartans shot only 3 of 12 from 3-point range and committed 14 turnovers, but they made up for that by going 20 of 34 (58.8%) on two-point shots and 22 of 25 from the free-throw line.

Bennett Stirtz was the only player in double figures for Iowa (7-1, 0-1), scoring 14 points in 37 minutes of action. Stirtz took eight of his 10 shots from 3-point range, making three of them.

Iowa shot 37.8% from the field overall (17 of 45), 30.4% from 3-point range (7 of 23) and committed 11 turnovers.

Trailing 46-27 with 15:54 remaining in the game, Iowa chipped away, cutting Michigan State's lead to 48-35 with 14:09 left after a 3-pointer by Stirtz.

But Michigan State had an answer, using a 10-2 run to take a 62-40 lead with 6:56 left.

The Spartans then stretched their lead to 24 points, 67-43, with 4:12 remaining, effectively putting the game away.

Michigan State held a 35-21 lead at halftime, and then took a 43-23 lead with 16:45 remaining after a dunk by Carson Cooper.

Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, with Michigan State holding a 12-10 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first half.

The Spartans got going after that, using a 13-0 run over a span of 3:21 to grab a 25-10 lead with 5:42 remaining in the first half on a jumper by Fears.

Iowa couldn't bring its deficit to under double digits for the rest of the first half.

--Field Level Media

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No. 7 Michigan State smothers Iowa in Big Ten opener

Coen Carr scored 15 points to lead No. 7 Michigan State to a 71-52 win over Iowa in the Big Ten conference opener for ...

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