What used to be an intense AFC West rivalry is now a bit muted with the Chargers limping into the fourth quarter of the season and the Raiders fumbling around in the dark, having lost nine of their last 10 games.
The Chargers, who began the season with three consecutive divisional victories, have a chance to pull off their first sweep of the season. The Raiders are looking to bounce back from a humiliating loss at home by two touchdowns to Cleveland.
Despite the Raiders’ record, the home team can’t get too comfortable.
“Raiders, it’s a rivalry,” Coach Jim Harbaugh said. “And we know they’re going to bring it.”
How the Raiders can win: Get in an offensive rhythm with interim play-caller Greg Olson, cleaning up the communication issues that were a problem in Chip Kelly’s system. Establish a ground game with Ashton Jeanty and mix in more Brock Bowers at tight end. Protect Geno Smith, who has been sacked 18 times in the past three games, including 10 times by Cleveland last week. Get after Justin Herbert, especially off the edges with Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson.
How the Chargers can win: As usual, protect Herbert behind a cobbled-together and constantly-changing offensive line and get some traction with the ground game. The Raiders can bring pressure off the edge, but their linebackers struggle in coverage and they are vulnerable at corner opposite Eric Stokes. The Chargers have the receivers to get open, particularly Ladd McConkey and Oronde Gadsden II. The Raiders have some of the same offensive line problems as the Chargers. Smith could be in trouble.
There’s a reason crowds endure yearly price increases and jammed sidewalks at Disneyland each November through early January. It’s the merriest time of the year — and arguably when the resort is at its glistening, glowing best with seasonal food offerings, holiday ride makeovers and unique live entertainment options.
Disneyland, of course, is home to the long-running A Christmas Fantasy Parade, but I’d argue it’s not even the best processional happening this time of year. And this year, even Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, though not part of Disneyland’s holiday programming, is finding new ways to get festive.
Here’s a sample of some of my favorite things to do at the park this holiday season, which runs through Jan. 7. If you’re curious to check it out but looking to save a little on tickets, Disneyland has announced a new California ticket offer that goes on sale Dec. 3 and takes effect Jan. 1. The deal is for a three-day park-hopper ticket, which can be used on non-consecutive visits, and starts at $249 per person, which amounts to $83 per day.
If you go, don’t be shy, and say hi, as it’s the time of the year when I visit most often.
Don’t miss Disneyland’s best street party
The ¡Viva Navidad! street parade is one of Disney California Adventure’s most lively, diverse and dance-focused offerings.
(Disneyland Resort)
There’s one show at the Disneyland Resort that each year, without fail, brings me to tears — tears of joy, but also tears of surprise that something so lively, diverse and dance-focused exists at a Disney park. That show is California Adventure’s ¡Viva Navidad!
A boisterous celebration of Latin art and music from beginning to end, ¡Viva Navidad! uses the characters from Disney’s mid-1940s goodwill film “The Three Caballeros” as a jumping-off point to showcase folklórico dancers, mariachis and 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets (large-scale, papier mâché sculptures that dizzyingly rocket up and down a small portion of California Adventure). The show, which came from the minds of Susana Tubert and her team at Disney Live Entertainment, feels a bit like a Mexican street parade and works because it extends a hand to guests of all walks of life. Though launching with Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” it ends with the always-festive “Feliz Navidad” from José Feliciano.
Running since 2014, ¡Viva Navidad! is a blast. It’s a treasure. The only quibble is the show primarily runs on weekends only.
Embrace a cultural tradition — with stories, candles and thoughtfulness
“A Musical Christmas With Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel” is an evening performance at Disneyland that centers on a mariachi band and is inspired by Las Posadas.
(Joshua Sudock / Disneyland Resort )
Introduced last year, California Adventure’s “A Musical Christmas With Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel” features the star of Disney/Pixar film “Coco” but, like ¡Viva Navidad!, is rooted in cultural traditions. Specifically Las Posadas. Think a festive procession that travels among the community, Las Posadas are traditionally staged in Mexico between Dec. 16 and 24. In their purest form, Las Posadas depict the biblical story of Joseph and Mary and the search for shelter at the time of Jesus’ birth.
The Disney performance, which typically runs on weekdays, deviates from the religious overtunes. But some of the key touchstones — a mix of music and stories, a centering of children with candles — are present. It begins with a trot to the center of California Adventure to the tune of “El Burrito de Belén” and throughout the course of the show it will touch on such staples as “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” albeit in bilingual renditions.
The show’s narrator and singer regales guests with tales of how different Latin countries present stories of Santa Claus, or, say, the joy of unwrapping a tamale. The climax instead of the street performance is a candlelit rendition of “Silent Night,” with audience participation. What a moment ago was festive theme park fare becomes something more reflective, all while slightly nodding to the holiday’s more spiritual underpinnings.
Participate in a fantastical holiday at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Life Day is a fictional holiday exclusive to the “Star Wars” universe.
(Disneyland Resort)
OK, so this is a bit of a curve ball. It should be noted that what happens in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not part of Disneyland’s traditional holiday programming, as Life Day is not an actual holiday, unless, perhaps, your religion is “Star Wars.” It’s also lighthearted good fun. Life Day has its roots in the beloved but campy and culturally questionable “Star Wars Holiday Special” as an event that originated on the Wookie home planet of Kashyyyk.
When Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019, fans wondered if during the holiday season the land would get in on the Life Day action. Initially, fans started showing up on Nov. 17, the day the television special aired, for impromptu celebrations of their own. Credit Disneyland for embracing the guest-driven activity, so much so that the park started developing Life Day ornaments and shirts as well as offering limited time food specials.
This year, a red-robed Chewbacca holding a glowing orb — the official symbol of Life Day — will for the first time wander Galaxy’s Edge to meet with visitors. Disney hasn’t said for exactly how long this festive version of Chewbacca will be present in the land, but here’s hoping Life Day is celebrated at least until the end of Disneyland’s more conventional holiday proceedings.
After all, I enjoyed my morning paying respects to the fictional holiday, as I indulged in a limited-run anise-spiked sangria at Oga’s Cantina (the Joh Blastoh Sangria Gocola, $19.50) along with a large, fluffy slice of cinnamon toast topped with a richly sweet, cheesecake-inspired frosting and ornamental lychee pearls (Millaflower Toast, $13). The latter meant I essentially had dessert for breakfast, and while it was too sugary to finish — definitely share it — I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Disneyland has embraced one of the silliest aspects of the space fantasy the land is dedicated to.
You’ll love the gingerbread (and other tasty delights)
The Festival of Holidays in Disney California Adventure is serving up two types of mac and cheese this year. On the left is the al pastor mac and cheese and on the right is the savory kugel mac and cheese.
(David Nguyen / Disneyland Resort)
I stopped in the lobby of the Grand Californian on my way out of the park for some Mickey-shaped gingerbread cookies and balked at a line that some guests said they had spent 40 minutes standing in. But having had it in year’s past, as well as a Halloween version of the cookie just a couple weeks ago, I can vouch for the fact that it is quality, soft gingerbread. Worth the wait? Your mileage may vary, but know that the best gingerbread cookie in Disneyland is actually inside the park at the Harbor Galley, where the cookies are smaller and rounder but also spicier and chewier. And 13 of them cost just $13.79, making them one of the more budget-friendly snacks in the resort. They’re a must.
Yet there’s much to sample across Disneyland’s two parks, its shopping district and hotels, so much so that I spent much more time on Sunday eating than going on rides. The bulk of my afternoon was devoted to the food booths of Disney California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays, where most items run between $6 and $9 (or buy a passport to try six items for $49). The highlight was an al pastor mac and cheese where I slathered the cubes of pork in the finest theme park cheese slop. Don’t miss some returning favorites, such as the barbacoa tamal de res, in which the beef is pleasantly tender, or the braised pork belly adobo, one of the heartier dishes at the festival. Just know that throughout the day booths may periodically run out of items, so be prepared to pivot.
Elsewhere, I sampled the creamy, rum-forward horchata with whipped cream ($18) at Downtown Disney’s Centrico, a frosty, mid-afternoon cinnamon-focused dessert drink, and made a note to come back for the seasonal, mole tamales. It wouldn’t be the holidays without a little eggnog, so I made it over to the Disneyland Hotel’s Broken Spell Lounge for its $19 cognac and rum-spiked rendition. It’s heavily alcohol forward, so next time I may simply stick to the space’s spirit-less house-made eggnog at $9. While there, don’t miss the French dip, which, albeit pricey at $34, is an ample, filling sandwich that debuted during last year’s holidays and became so popular with guests it stuck around.
Still on my must-try list: a gingerbread-cranberry cheesecake trifle at Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and the gingerbread pancakes at River Belle Terrace.
And of course, don’t miss the holiday ride makeovers, including Haunted Mansion and It’s a Small World
The Haunted Mansion is currently themed to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” a charming, Christmas-focused makeover.
(Disneyland Resort / Christian Thompson)
In a way, Disneyland has been celebrating Christmas since August. That’s when its Haunted Mansion was remade into its “Nightmare Before Christmas” form and became a ride that largely cheers the Dec. 25 holiday.
While Disneyland’s original Haunted Mansion is the one after my heart, the overlay has its charms, namely the demented gingerbread house in the ballroom scene. This year’s rendition is filled with murderous red-eyed ravens up to no good, and in true Haunted Mansion fashion it has a pun for a name. The 13-foot gingerbread house is titled “A Murder So Fowl.” Pay close attention as you glide by, as not all these ravens and crows appear to survive a visit to the gingerbread mansion.
And while Disneyland’s early evening tree lighting tends to draw a crowd, you’ll want to make your way to Fantasyland at 5 p.m. for the nighttime illumination of the It’s a Small World facade. Here, tens of thousands of lights instantly flip on for arguably Southern California’s most memorable Christmas light display. It’s so bright, that nearby walkways will glow red and green and twinkle along with the playful piece of mid-’60s architecture.
The attraction itself remains a joy. The ride’s namesake song plays give and take with “Jingle Bells” and seasonal adornments adorably enliven the leisurely boat ride with even more cheer. The regular version is my favorite ride at Disneyland, and during the holidays it’s like riding through a giant, wintry music box.
The holidays may be one of the busier times to visit the Disneyland Resort, but it’s also a time when the theme parks are at their best.
On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the first and only time this season, the offense largely went dark.
Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua struggled to consistently make the clutch plays that they often make look routine.
But safety Kamren Kinchens and the Rams’ defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay — just barely.
Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday before 75,323 at SoFi Stadium that was not secured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
Stafford tossed touchdown passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and assumed sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year safety who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ touchdown in the first quarter and Parkinson’s in the fourth.
The Rams went into the game having scored at least 34 points in each of their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game winning streak end.
Stafford increased his league-leading total of touchdown passes to 27 and did not have a pass intercepted for the seventh consecutive game. But the 17th-year pro was not as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the conversation for NFL most valuable player. Stafford completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards.
Stafford enjoyed a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Rams’ front pressured Darnold into multiple poor decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was on pace to set an NFL record for yards receiving in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he did not score.
Cooper Kupp, the former Rams star making his return to SoFi Stadium, did not have a catch in the first three quarters but had three during a late scoring drive that trimmed the Rams’ lead to two points.
The Rams led 14-9 at halftime on Williams’ one-yard touchdown run and Stafford’s one-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
It was a satisfying situation for the Rams, whose first drive ended at the Seahawks’ eight-yard line when Stafford’s fourth-down pass to tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.
Kinchens’ 31-yard interception return, however, set up Williams’ touchdown. And after Myers kicked the first of three first-half field goals for the Seahawks, Stafford led a long drive that ended with Adams’ 1,000th career reception and his 10th touchdown catch of the season.
The Rams had an opportunity to seize control early in the third quarter when Durant returned an interception to the Seahawks’ 35-yard line. But two plays later, Nacua lost a fumble after making a catch.
Myers’ fourth field goal pulled the Seahawks to within 14-12 midway through the third. But Kinchens intercepted another pass late in the quarter, setting up Stafford’s six-yard touchdown pass to Parkinson for a 21-12 lead.
Still, the Rams struggled to put away the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III’s one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter pulled the Seahawks to within 21-19 with 2:23 left.
After Ethan Evans’ punt pinned them at the one-yard line, the Seahawks got the ball back with 1:40 left and drove 56 yards in nine plays.
But Myers could not match his career-best 61-yard field goal against the Rams in 2020. This time it went wide right.
The Rams play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) next Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
THE UK’S best budget campsite has been named and it has tonnes of amazing features as well as a great price.
Named in the Campsites.co.uk Camping and Glamping Awards, Caldbeck Camping in Cumbria can be found in the Northern Lake District, not too far from the northerly fells of High Pike and Carrock Fell.
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Caldbeck Camping in Cumbria has been named the best budget campsite in the UKCredit: Campsites.co.ukThe campsite features 13 pitches in total, including three that have an electric hookupCredit: Campsites.co.ukIf you don’t like camping though, there is a bell tent tooCredit: Campsites.co.uk
In total, the campsitefeatures 13 grass pitches, three of which have electric hook-ups.
But if putting up a tent isn’t your thing, then you can always opt for the cosy bell tent that is on site as well.
Inside the adult-only bell tent, visitors will find a cosy double bed, electrical supply, tea and coffee making facilities and a table and chairs.
Outside the tent there is also a private garden with a fire pit, seating and a sheltered bench area.
Those staying in the bell tent also have access to a private toilet.
The campsite, which also featured on Campsites.co.uk 2025 Outstanding Sites list, is directly on the Cumbrian Way footpath, making it the ideal spot for keen hikers.
Barbecues are allowed at the site, as long as they are raised from the ground – an ideal summer evening activity.
Alternatively, there are fire pits which are available to hire.
And your four-legged friend is welcome too.
One recent visitor said: “Beautiful lake running through camp, space for wild swimming at bottom.
“Fire pits on each pitch, pitches are of a very good size!
“The site was very peaceful with little to no noise in the evenings.
“Host was lovely and friendly. Would definitely return.”
If you want a tipple before settling down for the night, The Oddfellow Arms pub is just a five-minute walk away.
And there are plenty of things to do nearby including Aira Force Waterfall which is just 30 minutes away.
The staggering 20 metre waterfall is located in an 18th century pleasure ground and there are a number of woodland trails to explore.
You might even catch a glimpse of rare red squirrel.
Here, you can explore a pretty Grade I listed country house that features a mix of medieval, Tudor and Georgian architecture.
Nearby, visitors can head to Dalemain Mansion and Historic Gardens which features a Grade I listed houseCredit: AlamyOr head to Aira Force Waterfall, which towers 20 metres tallCredit: Alamy
The gardens are also award-winning.
Spread across five acres, visitors can explore a number of plants and flowers and the gardens are known for whimsical features, so keep an eye out for a dragon and a sleeping earth giant.
Pitches at the campsite for adults cost from £9 per night and kids, £5 per night.
If you wish to have a pitch with an electrical hookup, it is an additional £6 per night.
For the bell tent, it costs from £65 per night for stays between Sunday and Thursday or £75 per night for stays between Friday and Saturday.
There is also a two night minimum stay in the bell tent.
China’s major stock indexes rose on Thursday, buoyed by strong gains in the new energy sector, as investors positioned ahead of a fresh batch of economic data due Friday.
At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) gained 0.4% to 4,017.94, while the blue-chip CSI300 (.CSI300) advanced 1%, recovering earlier losses.
Sector Highlights
New energy stocks led the rally. The CSI New Energy Vehicle Index (.CSI399976) surged 6.9% to a three-year high, and the CSI New Energy Index (.CSI399808) climbed 5.5%, marking its strongest session in two weeks.
Key players posted sharp gains:
CATL (300750.SZ) jumped 8.2%, nearing record highs last seen in October.
Tianqi Lithium (002466.SZ) rose 9.9%.
The rally followed comments from a senior Ministry of Industry and Information Technology official, who said Beijing would soon unveil a comprehensive plan to boost the new energy battery industry and its supporting infrastructure.
Investor Moves
Zhikai Chen, head of Asian equities at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said domestic institutional investors may be shifting portfolios as their November fiscal year-end approaches.
Meanwhile, the artificial intelligence (.CSI930713) and semiconductor (.CSI931865) sectors edged higher, gaining 0.5% and 0.9%, respectively, after recent declines.
“There’s been a move toward booking strong year-to-date returns and rotating into dividend-paying sectors,” Chen noted, adding that the trend could continue into December.
Hong Kong Markets and Outlook
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index (.HSI) slipped 0.6% to 26,766.71, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (.HSCE) also fell 0.6%, following Wednesday’s one-month high.
Investors now await October credit data along with retail sales, industrial output, and fixed-asset investment figures due Friday, which are expected to provide clearer signals on China’s economic recovery and potential policy adjustments.
