Women's Top 25 roundup: Utah works OT to hand No. 8 TCU first loss

Lani White sank a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to force overtime and finished with a team-high 25 points as Utah upset previously unbeaten and eighth-ranked TCU 87-77 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

The Utes (11-4, 2-1 Big 12) outscored the Horned Frogs 20-10 in the extra period. Utah trailed for much of the game before an 18-11 third quarter gave it a two-point edge going into the fourth. The Utes' largest lead, 10 points, came at the end.

White made 9 of 17 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and 3 of 3 at the free-throw line. Reese Ross added 15 points, Maty Wilke had 12 and Avery Hjelmstad and Brooke Walker (team-high eight rebounds) scored 10 points apiece. The Utes were 26 of 54 from the field, 13 of 23 from long range and 22 of 33 at the foul line.

Olivia Miles led TCU (14-1, 2-1 Big 12) with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the floor, but shot 3 of 12 from long range. Marta Suarez added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Clara Silva contributed 10 points and nine boards and Donovyn Hunter added 11 points. The Horned Frogs were 28 of 75 from the floor, 9 of 39 on 3-pointers and 12 of 15 at the line.

No. 1 UConn 84, Seton Hall 48

Sarah Strong recorded 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead the Huskies over the Pirates in a Big East Conference game in Hartford, Conn.

Strong played 25 minutes as UConn (15-0, 6-0 Big East) won its third straight game by at least 36 points. Teammate Azzi Fudd added 16 points and Allie Ziebell contributed 12 as the Huskies scored 35 points off 32 Seton Hall turnovers. UConn led 19-11 after one quarter, 38-18 at halftime and 67-26 after three periods.

For the Pirates (10-5, 4-2), Jordana Codio scored a team-high 12 points but committed 10 turnovers.

No. 4 UCLA 80, No. 17 Southern California 46

Lauren Betts recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Bruins pulled away by outscoring the Trojans 27-12 in the second quarter en route to their eighth consecutive victory.

UCLA (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) was tied with its crosstown rival 16-16 after the first quarter before outscoring USC 64-30 the rest of the way. Gianna Kneepkens (15 points), Kiki Rice (14) and Gabriela Jaquez (12) also scored in double figures for the Bruins, who had a 46-26 advantage on the boards.

The Trojans' high scorer was Kara Dunn with 11 points, while star freshman Jazzy Davidson had 10 on 4-of-15 shooting from the field. USC (10-4, 2-1) shot 8 of 24 from 3-point range in having its three-game winning streak snapped.

No. 21 Texas Tech 80, Arizona 49

The Lady Raiders, already off to the best start to a season in program history, improved to 16-0 and 3-0 in the Big 12 with a rout of the Wildcats.

Five players scored in double figures for Texas Tech: Denae Fritz (16), Bailey Maupin (13) and reserves Adlee Blacklock (15), Jada Malone (14) and Snudda Collins (11). Gemma Nunez contributed eight rebounds and eight assists with no turnovers.

Stephanie Okechukwu, a 7-foot-1 freshman from Nigeria, sat on the team bench while awaiting the NCAA's ruling on her eligibility. She would be the tallest player in women's college basketball history. Without her, the Lady Raiders blocked a season-high 11 shots against Arizona (9-5, 0-3). Tanyuel Welch, with game highs of 19 points and nine rebounds, was the only Wildcat to score in double figures.

No. 25 Princeton 74, Penn 68

Olivia Hutcherson scored 20 points and Fadima Tall grabbed eight rebounds as the Tigers beat the Quakers in Philadelphia in the Ivy League opener for both teams.

Madison St. Rose added 15 points as Princeton (13-1) extended its winning streak to 11 games. The Tigers have not lost since an 84-68 setback to then-No. 9 Maryland on Nov. 16.

Penn (10-4) was led by Mataya Gayle's 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The Quakers outscored the Tigers 22-19 in the fourth quarter.

--Field Level Media

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Women's Top 25 roundup: Utah works OT to hand No. 8 TCU first loss

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Amber Glenn, 26, Faced Concussions, Mental Health Crisis and Coming Out, Then Started Winning Golds: ‘I Never Gave Up’

Harry How/Getty; Steven Senne/AP Photo

NEED TO KNOW

• Figure skater Amber Glenn is hoping to qualify for her first Olympic games in Milan in February

• Glenn, who has been skating since she was 5 years old, became the U.S. junior women's champion at age 14 — but took a step back from the sport amid a mental health crisis

• She returned after receiving treatment, and has been racking up golds since 2023

Amber Glenn has just left the ice and is still peeling off her gear as she launches into a recap of her past few weeks. The 26-year-old recently recovered from a bout of the flu and is returning from the nearly non-stop travel typical for top figure skaters before the Olympics: photo shoots and commercials squeezed between competitions; interviews scheduled while her skates are still on.

On this recent afternoon she's chatty and candid despite feeling in the moment like a bit of a "mess," she tells PEOPLE. "I'm looking forward to this journey. It's been a long, very difficult road."

The 2025 women's national champion, Glenn hopes all of her work will propel her to qualify in January for her first Winter Games, in Italy the following month. She could be the only U.S. women's singles skater over the age of 25 — and the oldest in 98 years — as well as the only American woman who can land so many famously tricky triple axel jumps, her signature.

"No matter what she does," says dad Richard, 57, "she's gonna succeed."

Despite growing up in Plano, Texas, Glenn has never been a fan of the heat. At 5 years old, she found instant respite when her mom, Cathlene, took her to a local mall's skating rink. She insists she didn't stand out on the ice, not at first, but quickly began setting goals.

"Looking back, one thing I can say is I wasn't always the most graceful or talented or amazing skater, but there was determination," she says.

International Skating Union via Getty

But Cathlene, 49, tells PEOPLE her daughter reached a milestone within her first year on the ice.

"She landed her first single axel at the age of 6," she says. "That was kind of a big deal."

Her father, a police officer, took on side jobs to help fund the costs of the sport, while her mom worked at her rink and as a nanny for her coach to get discounted lessons. "We just had to kind of find ways to help finance her sport until she started getting funding," Cathlene says.

When Glenn was 14, she became the U.S. junior women's champion.

Then her path to victory veered off course. The following year she faced a mental health crisis that led a friend to raise concerns with her parents. She entered a facility and was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. (Later she learned she also has ADHD.)

It was a dark time, she says, until she found some light from her inner circle: "I thought life was done for. There was eventually a spark that kept me going, that grew from the support around me and seeking help."

In 2019, Glenn came out as pansexual — which is when someone is attracted to people regardless of their gender — when she made a casual remark about her sexuality in an interview with a local magazine.

Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via AP

"It was supposed to be a low-key little baby step, and then it was like, 'Oh, okay. All right. Guess we're doing this,' " she says, noting that while her remark "really took off," she had already ben out to her family and friends for a while at the time.

Still she braced for backlash. "There's hateful people out there, and you never know if one of those hateful people is gonna be a judge," she says.

Courtesy Amber Glenn

But the overwhelmingly positive reception felt like freedom, and she realized she can't control how others think: "Once I got past that, I felt like a weight was lifted off of me."

"I could really be me without any sort of judgment or preconceived notion of what I need to be like," she adds. "I feel like the expectations to be a pretty princess, you know, cookie cutter, was kind of taken back a little bit by stepping outside of the norm and just embracing who I am and saying, I'm gonna be me regardless of your opinions."

She started racking up golds in 2023, even amid other setbacks. She'd been in contention for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics — before a positive COVID-19 test. The next year, she suffered a severe concussion, her second. She broke her orbital bones during both concussions, which she said caused brain damage.

Maddie Meyer/Getty

She has leaned on her parents, younger sister Brooke and coach Damon Allen, who got her through a recent anxiety attack so bad she felt like she couldn't breathe. "He's really good at bringing me back to earth," she says, while Cathlene calls Allen an "amazing human being." With Allen's help she's returning to a "more passionate, performative" style.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

During downtime, Glenn relaxes with her dog Uki, plays the Magic: The Gathering card game or catches up on anime. One of her favorites, the Death Note franchise, inspired her competition makeup (which she also shows off to her many fans on social media).

Though she's still finding balance amid the highs and lows, she's not giving up. "My story is one of resilience and getting to live my life," she says, "not perfectly, but as me."

Read the original article onPeople

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Amber Glenn, 26, Faced Concussions, Mental Health Crisis and Coming Out, Then Started Winning Golds: ‘I Never Gave Up’

Harry How/Getty; Steven Senne/AP Photo NEED TO KNOW Figure skater Amber Glenn is hoping to qualify for her first Olympic games in Milan i...

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NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC bracket wild card matchups before Week 18 Sunday

The 2025 NFL regular season is entering its final act. It will wrap up on Sunday, Jan. 4, as the final 14 games of the NFL's 272-game schedule will be played.

Once the final whistle blows on the Pittsburgh Steelers vs.Baltimore Ravens"Sunday Night Football" game, the NFL's initial playoff bracket will also be in its final form.

Entering play Sunday, there is still a lot to be decided. While 12 of the league's 14 playoff berths have been clinched, three division titles have yet to be determined. Additionally, seeding across both conferences remains wide open, and the AFC's No. 1 seed won't be fully determined until theDenver Broncos' game against the Los Angeles Chargers concludes.

Here's how the NFL's playoff picture and bracket are shaping up as Week 18 unfolds.

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

NFL playoff picture

*=team has clinched a playoff berth.

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*

2. New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)

5. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*

6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*

7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

Just one AFC playoff berth is up for grabs in Week 18. The Steelers and Ravens will play for the AFC North title on "Sunday Night Football."

No other seeds in the conference have yet been clinched, so the shape of the remainder of the bracket could change early and often on Sunday.

NFC playoff picture

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)*

2. Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*

3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, NFC South leaders)

5. San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 1)*

6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*

7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt:Carolina Panthers(8-9)

The NFC South winner will be decided by Sunday's Atlanta Falcons vs.New Orleans Saintsgame. A Falcons win would send the Panthers to the playoffs, while a Saints win would allow the Buccaneers to get into the postseason. That is the last outstanding playoff berth in the NFC.

Projected NFL wild-card matchups, full bracket

Here's how the NFL's projected wild-card matchups are shaping up as Week 18 unfolds.

AFC wild-card matchups

No. 1 Denver Broncos: BYE

The Broncos need only beat the Chargers in Week 18 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Los Angeles is planning to sit some of its starters, including top quarterbackJustin Herbert, with the team locked into a wild-card berth, which should benefit Denver as it looks to earn a coveted first-round bye.

No. 2 New England Patriots vs. No. 7 Buffalo Bills

The Patriots have won the AFC East for the first time since 2019, Tom Brady's last season with the team. That puts them in the running for the conference's No. 1 seed, but they would need help from the Broncos to earn that honor.

More likely, the Patriots will be the AFC's No. 2 seed. Such a result would position them to play the conference's bottom-ranked wild-card team. That is currently the Bills, whom the Patriots have already played twice in 2025.

New England won the first meeting between the divisional rivals 23-20 in Week 5 before Buffalo bounced back with a come-from-behind 35-31 victory in Week 15. The latter contest snapped a 10-game Patriots winning streak, so Mike Vrabel's squad will be out to exact revenge should they meet in the postseason.

No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers

The Jaguars have an outside chance to catch the Broncos for the No. 1 overall seed, but they will likely be more focused on staving off the Texans for the AFC South title. So long as Jacksonville can beat the 3-13 Tennessee Titans, Liam Coen's team will have at least one home playoff game.

Meanwhile, the Chargers are set to rest their starters in Week 18, so it's unclear whether they will be able to hold onto the No. 6 seed. If they do, they will get a chance to avenge their 31-30 loss to the Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round. Los Angeles held a 27-0 lead in that game before Jacksonville came storming back to earn the narrow victory.

No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 5 Houston Texans

The Texans have a wide variety of potential outcomes in Week 18. They could be seeded as high as No. 3 overall in the conference, or slip all the way to No. 7, pending the results of the Week 18 games. Houston has a lot for which to play, as the Texans can catch the Jaguars in the AFC South race, so they will likely keep their starters in for Week 18.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are playing a winner-take-all game against the Ravens. The winner will take home the AFC North title and the conference's No. 4 overall seed. The loser will go home. Pittsburgh would make it into the postseason field in the event of a tie, but it appears to be a true 50-50 proposition for Mike Tomlin's squad to make the playoffs.

NFC wild-card matchups

No. 1 Seattle Seahawks: BYE

The Seahawks earned a victory over the 49ers in Week 18 to win the NFC West championship and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs. It marks Seattle's first division title since 2020 and its 10th overall.

No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers

The Bears will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race. Chicago coach Ben Johnson implied his team would be aggressive in pursuing the former seed, as it would give the team a chance to potentially host two playoff games.

If Chicago beats Detroit in Week 18, it would set up a date against its rival, Green Bay. The Bears and Packers split their 2025 season series, as Green Bay earned a 28-21 victory afterCaleb Williamsthrew an interception in the end zone while trying to mount a game-tying drive in the game's final minute. A couple of weeks later, Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown toDJ Moorein overtime to cap off a big-time fourth-quarter comeback that positioned the Bears to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018.

The Packers and Bears last met in the postseason in 2011. Aaron Rodgers led the No. 6-seeded Packers to a 21-14 victory en route to Green Bay winning its fourth Super Bowl title.

No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Rams

Like the Bears, the Eagles will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs. They are planning to sit their starters in Week 18 against the Commanders and need Chicago to lose to move up in the playoff standings, so they are more likely to be the No. 3 seed.

That puts the Eagles on a collision course with either the Rams or the 49ers. If Los Angeles wins in Week 18, Philadelphia would play San Francisco. A loss or a tie would position the Eagles to play the Rams, who they beat 33-26 in Week 3 thanks to Jordan Davis blocking a game-winning field goal.

The Eagles also beat the Rams twice during the 2024 NFL season and playoffs, including a 28-22 win amid snowy conditions at Lincoln Financial Field. Los Angeles nearly executed a 13-point comeback over the final five minutes before the Eagles came up with one final, game-winning stop.

No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 5 San Francisco 49ers

The NFC South title remains up for grabs. The Buccaneers currently have the edge in the divisional race, but a Falcons win over the Saints in Week 18 would allow the Panthers to sneak into the playoffs as the NFC's No. 4 seed.

The No. 5 seed also has a binary outcome. It will be either the 49ers or the Rams, depending on Los Angeles' Week 18 result against the Cardinals. Regardless of the matchup, the No. 5 seed figures to be favored, as the NFC South winner will havea losing 8-9 record.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC brackets before final Sunday

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NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC bracket wild card matchups before Week 18 Sunday

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North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader’s visit to China

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea Sunday, its neighbors said, just hours before South Korea's president left for China for talks expected to cover North Korea's nuclear program.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region around 7:50 a.m.

It said the missiles flew about 560 miles and that South Korea and US authorities were analyzing details of the launches.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is closely exchanging information with the US and Japan on the North's missile launches.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that at least two missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. "They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world," Koizumi told reporters.

North Korea ramps up weapons display ahead of political meet

The launches were the latest weapons demonstration by North Korea in recent weeks. Experts say North Korea is aiming to show off or review its achievements in the defense sector ahead of its upcoming ruling party congress, the first of its kind in five years.

Observers are watching the Workers Party congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the US and respond to its calls to resume long-stalled talks.

North Korea has been focusing on testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal since its leader Kim Jong Un's summit withUS President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019.

Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China.

Observers say Kim would believe his leverage has sharply increased to wrest concessions from Trump ifthey sit down for talks again.

North Korea hasn't announced when it will hold the congress, but South Korea's spy service said it will likely occur in January or February.

Launches comes before South Korean leader's trip to China

Sunday's launches also came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

During the four-day trip, Lee's office said he would request China, North Korea's major ally and biggest trading partner, to take "a constructive role" in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea and the US have long asked China to exercise its influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or give up its nuclear program.

But there are questions on how big of a leverage China has on its socialist neighbor.

China, together with Russia,has also repeatedly blocked the US and others' attempts to toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.

Later Sunday, South Korea convened an emergency national security council meeting where officials urged North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council resolutions.

The council reported details of the launches and unspecified South Korean steps to Lee, according to the presidential office.

North Korea hasn't commented on US operation in Venezuela

The launches followed Saturday's dramatic US military operation thatousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from powerand brought him to the US to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges.

It represented America's most assertive action to achieve regime change in a country since the nation's 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"Kim Jong Un may feel vindicated about his efforts to build a nuclear deterrent, as he likely did after Trump's strikes on Iran," said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. "However, leaders of hostile regimes will probably live with greater paranoia after seeing how quickly Maduro was extracted from his country to stand trial in the United States."

North Korea's state media hasn't commented on the US operation.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday Kim visited a weapons factory on Saturday to review multipurpose precision guided weapons produced there.

KCNA citedKim as ordering officials to expandthe current production capacity by about 2.5 times.

Last Sunday, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles.

On Dec. 25, North Korea released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.

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North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader’s visit to China

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea Sunday, its neighbors said, just hours before South Korea's president l...

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What to know about the protests now shaking Iran as tensions remain high over its nuclear program

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Widening protests in Iran sparked bythe Islamic Republic's ailing economyare putting new pressure on its theocracy.

Tehran is still reeling from a12-day war launched by Israelin June that sawthe United States bomb nuclear sitesin Iran. Economic pressure, intensified in September bythe return of United Nations sanctionson the country over its atomic program, has put Iran's rial currency into a free fall, now trading at some 1.4 million to $1.

Meanwhile, Iran's self-described"Axis of Resistance"— a coalition of countries and militant groups backed by Tehran — has been decimated in the years since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.

A new threat byU.S. President Donald Trump warning Iranthat if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the U.S. "will come to their rescue" has taken on new meaning after American troops captured Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran.

Here's what to know about the protests and the challenges facing Iran's government.

How widespread the protests are

Demonstrations have reached over 170 locations in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported early Sunday. The death toll had reached at least 15 killed, it added, with more than 580 arrests. The group, which relies on an activist network inside of Iran for its reporting, has been accurate in past unrest.

Understanding the scale of the protests has been difficult. Iranian state media has provided little information about the demonstrations. Online videos offer only brief, shaky glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire. Journalists in general in Iran also face limits on reporting such as requiring permission to travel around the country, as well as the threat of harassment or arrest by authorities.

But the protests do not appear to be stopping, even afterSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneion Saturday said "rioters must be put in their place."

Why the demonstrations started

The collapse of the rial has led to a widening economic crisis in Iran. Prices are up on meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table. The nation has been struggling with an annual inflation rate of some 40%.

In December, Iran introduceda new pricing tier for its nationally subsidized gasoline, raising the price of some of the world's cheapest gas and further pressuring the population. Tehran may seek steeper price increases in the future, as the government now will review prices every three months.

The protests began first with merchants in Tehran before spreading. While initially focused on economic issues, the demonstrations soon saw protesters chanting anti-government statements as well. Anger has been simmering over the years, particularly after the 2022 death of22-year-old Mahsa Aminiin police custody that triggered nationwide demonstrations.

Iran's alliances are weakened

Iran's "Axis of Resistance," which grew in prominence in the years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, is reeling.

Israel has crushed Hamas in the devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group in Lebanon, has seen itstop leadership killed by Israeland has been struggling since. A lightning offensive in December 2024 overthrew Iran's longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria,President Bashar Assad, after years of war there. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels also have been pounded byIsraeli and U.S. airstrikes.

China meanwhile has remained a major buyer of Iranian crude oil, but hasn't provided overt military support. Neither has Russia, which has relied on Iranian drones in its war on Ukraine.

The West worries about Iran's nuclear program

Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials haveincreasingly threatened to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels prior to the U.S. attack in June, making it the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.

Tehran also increasingly cut back its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, as tensions increased over its nuclear program in recent years. The IAEA's director-general has warnedIran could build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program.

U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so."

Iran recently said it wasno longer enriching uraniumat any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. But there's been no significant talks in the months since the June war.

Why relations between Iran and the US are so tense

Iran decades ago was one of the United States' top allies in the Mideast underShah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA fomented a1953 coup that cemented the shah's rule.

But in January 1979, the shah, fatally ill with cancer, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled against his rule. Then came theIslamic Revolutionled by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which created Iran's theocratic government.

Later that year,university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shah's extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed.

During theIran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the U.S. backed Saddam Hussein. During that conflict, the U.S. launched a one-day assault that crippled Iran at sea as part of the so-called"Tanker War,"and latershot down an Iranian commercial airlinerthat the U.S. military said it mistook for a warplane.

Iran and the U.S. have seesawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy in the years since, and relations peaked with the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw Iran greatly limit its program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. ButTrump unilaterally withdrew America from the accordin 2018, sparking tensions in the Mideast that intensified afterHamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

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What to know about the protests now shaking Iran as tensions remain high over its nuclear program

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Widening protests in Iran sparked bythe Islamic Republic's ailing economyare putti...

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Drone strike kills 1 in Russian border region ahead of Ukraine peace talks

One person was killed and two others wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a car in the Russian border region of Belgorod, local officials said Sunday, ahead of peace talks to endthe nearly 4-year-old warin Paris this week.

Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said a young child was among the wounded.

In Ukraine, three people were wounded in the Kharkiv region in drone strikes overnight into Sunday, the country's State Emergency Service said.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on Friday increased to four when two other bodies were found under the rubble of a building, Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram Sunday.

The latest attacks came after national security advisers from Europe and other allies visited Kyiv on Saturday to discuss security guarantees and economic support, as a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end thewar in Ukraineintensifies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, preparing to travel to Paris for a meeting with partners, said Saturday that work on the peace proposals could now accelerate as Ukraine has shared all documents under discussion with the 18 national security advisers, including those onsecurity guarantees.

He said representatives from Ukraine's General Staff and military sector would meet on Monday in Paris, followed by a meeting Tuesday of European leaders, where he said he hoped documents on security guarantees would be finalized. He said there also would be meetings with U.S. representatives in Paris.

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

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Drone strike kills 1 in Russian border region ahead of Ukraine peace talks

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The 49ers have been clawing uphill all season. The Seahawks made that trek much worse.

Brock Purdy was laid out.

It was late in the fourth quarter and the San Francisco 49ers quarterback had become origami on grass, rudely folded between a pair of Seattle Seahawks defenders and left staring at the sky from the flat of his back. The thumb on his throwing hand was bashed and bloody, a perfect representation of the49ers' playoff outlook. In a game that meant so much for the franchise's never-ending uphill battle, a foothold was lost that was more important to San Francisco than any other postseason team.

There would be no playoff bye week for the 49ers. Nor would there be home-field advantage that could have allowed San Francisco to awaken Sunday with the comfort of being settled into Levi's Stadium through Super Bowl 60. Instead, sunrise will serve up a different reality: Both the49ers and their postseason fortunes were thrashed by the Seahawks in a brutal 13-3 loss.

Denied the No. 1 seed in the NFC and dispatched all the way down to No. 5. And if theLos Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, San Francisco will be knocked down to the sixth seed. For the 49ers, that will mean the difference between playing their wild-card game on the road against either the Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers (both of whom finished with 8-9 records) or against the Philadelphia Eagles or Chicago Bears (both of whom enter Sunday 11-5).

"We're ready for it," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the loss. "I mean, yeah, it would have been nice to have to have a home game here — or both home games and get a bye — but it is what it is. This team's been through a lot this year. Now we got to do it the hard way, and we'll embrace the s*** out of doing it the hard way and look forward to it."

It worth noting Shanahan's 49ers just beat the Bears 42-38 in a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 17. It's also worth noting that the Eagles have struggled to string together offensive consistency over the course of the season. Both are certainly beatable in this NFC. Especially when you consider that despite getting absolutelyhandledphysically by the Seahawks on Saturday, the 49ers still had a chance until a late Purdy interception was tipped at the line of scrimmage before caroming off the hands of running back Christian McCaffrey and into the arms of Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas. The 49ers were at the Seahawks' 6-yard line and it ended San Francisco's last best chance to cut into Seattle's 13-3 lead.

"It's a play I have to make — absolutely have to make," McCaffrey said afterward. "I expect nothing less than to make that play and it's completely on me."

That's one way to look at it. Another way would be to admit that San Francisco badly missed wideout Ricky Pearsall one week after he provided an instrumental spark against the Bears. Not to mention left tackle Trent Williams, who would have been a significant anchor against a Seattle front line that battered Purdy and helped bottle up an offense that had been humming as it continued to be streamlined through McCaffrey. That's how San Francisco went from putting 42 on Chicago to matching the lowest point total (3) of Shanahan's career as a head coach. The last time that happened was 2017 and San Francisco was just starting the process of a total teardown in the first season under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

Maybe that's a sign that Seattle and its defensive wizard head coach Mike Macdonald are worthy of the No. 1 seed. Maybe it's a sign that the 49ers are starting to feel the effects of being so wildly beaten up with injuries and having to juggle inconsistent lineups. Most likely, it's a little bit of both. And the latter certainly didn't get any better on Saturday night.

Shanahan revealed that Purdy suffered a shoulder stinger on the 49ers' last offensive play — the one that left him lying on his back after getting steamrolled by two defenders on a fourth-and-6 incompletion with 1:51 left — to go along with his banged up thumb. The 49ers also saw linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune exit the game with ankle and groin injuries, respectively. If those linger, it would mean San Francisco could enter the playoffs without two starting linebackers.

When Shanahan talks about the hard way, this is what it continues to look like for San Francisco. Losing more players. Seeing Purdy take a beating. Having McCaffrey make an uncharacteristic mistake. Now going on the road for the postseason and spending Sunday hoping the Cardinals can somehow topple a Rams team that will absolutely be playing its full slate of starters to lock in that No. 5 seed and guarantee it won't be the one going to play in 30-degree weather in Chicago or facing defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia in its house.

"Obviously [the No. 1 seed] was our goal, but we can't dwell on it," Purdy told reporters. "We have a pretty quick turnaround here and we got to go win next week. Our team has been through so much adversity, guys going down, next guy up. People have counted us out and that's fine and they can say what they want, but for us to go on the road and find a way to win, we've done it before and that's going to be our goal."

After Saturday, it's the only goal left — the only trek left. And for now, it goes through Seattle.

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The 49ers have been clawing uphill all season. The Seahawks made that trek much worse.

Brock Purdy was laid out. It was late in the fourth quarter and the San Francisco 49ers quarterback had become o...

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