Four teams were left standing in the college football playoffs on Friday. Ole Miss' 39-34 upset over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl highlighted Thursday's games. Chris Vannini, senior college football writer for The Athletic, joins CBS News to discuss.

New Orleans

Ole Miss secured a 39-34 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, advancing to the college football playoff semifinals. The Rebels won with a last-second field goal and achieved this milestone despite a mid-season coaching change, as Pete Golding took over after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU. 

The current playoff lineup includes four teams that have not reached this stage in many years, with Indiana notably defeating Alabama 38-3. Increased parity in college football, driven by player compensation and transfer rules, has led to a more competitive field and new programs reaching the top.

Ole Miss upsets Georgia in 39-34 Sugar Bowl

Four teams are now left standing in the college football playoffs. Ole Miss's 39-34 upset over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl highlighted yesterday's games. The Rebels kicked off a field goal with seconds left to take the lead there. Chris Fanini joins me now with more on this. He is a senior college football writer for The Athletic. Chris, great to see you. Happy holidays. Lots to talk about here, so let's start with Ole Miss pulling off this big win without their former head coach, Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU during the season. So how were they able to do this? How could they overcome this change? Yeah, one of the most unusual stories we've had in college football in a while, Lane Kiffin taking the job at LSU at the end of the regular season. He wanted to continue to coach the team, but Ole Miss didn't want a coach of another team still leading them. So they promoted Pete Golding, the defensive coordinator and the head coach. All the other assistants are there for now to finish out the season, and they upset Georgia, a team that beat them. The only team that beat them earlier in the season, and now they're in the Final Four. Ole Miss hasn't won a national championship in more than 60 years, and now they're two games away from doing so. Okay, let's talk Indiana, Alabama, because number one ranked Indiana, of course, crushed Alabama 38-3. So what does that say about how college football is sort of changing? Is it changing? It's completely changing. We have four teams here who have never been in a position like this in a very long time. Two of them haven't won a national championship. One of them, like Ole Miss, hasn't won in 60 years. So there's no Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State. They all lost in the last round to these types of teams, and because of players getting paid and the transfer portal allowing movement, a lot of teams are now closer together at the top. It's not just a couple of teams dominating the sport now, and that's good for the sport because it gives all kinds of teams hope. I mean, Indiana was the losingest team in the history of college football until this season. Now they've had two unbelievable years, the two best seasons in school history, and they're the betting favorite now to win the national championship. Indiana football, not basketball. Indiana football just dominated Alabama, the defining program, over the last 20 years. It's unbelievable. Based on all that, it might be hard to make a prediction here, but if you had to make one for next week and for the championship, what would you say? I'm going to say Indiana beats Oregon in the semifinal. I'm going to say Miami beats Ole Miss, and I'll say Indiana wins the national championship over Miami. Okay, we'll keep our eyes peeled on those games. Chris Venini, thank you so much for that time and perspective. Happy holidays. Same to you.

A potential New Year's Eve terror attack inspired by ISIS was thwarted in North Carolina, authorities announced. A suspect is in custody, accused of planning to attack a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in the town of Mint Hill, which is located near Charlotte. Scott MacFarlane has the latest.

Charlotte

Potential terror attack thwarted in North Carolina, officials say

The blaze at Le Constellation, killing at least 40 people and injuring about 115 others, many seriously, was likely started by sparklers in champagne bottles, authorities said on Friday afternoon, as identification of those killed and injured continued.

Crans-Montana

Deadly Swiss Alps bar fire likely started by sparklers

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he is open to talks with President Trump on several issues, including drug trafficking, oil and migration.

Caracas

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro open to talks with Trump

Whenever, wherever, however - that's the Venezuelan President's offer to sell more oil to the U.S., as he pleads for diplomacy, not conflict. It comes after Washington hit five more alleged drug boats with airstrikes and reportedly struck Venezuelan soil for the first time. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard is in hot pursuit of an oil tanker which is suddenly claiming to be Russian.

Maduro open to talks with Trump over fight against drug trafficking

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday (January 2) to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.

Washington

Trump threatens Iran over protest deaths as unrest flares

Israel says more than 30 aid groups have failed to comply with new rules to register their workers and will have access to Gaza suspended. The banned organizations say the rules will have horrific consequences during deadly floods as it tries to rebuild just months into a fragile ceasefire.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel’s ban on dozens of aid groups from Gaza begins

A U.S. intelligence assessment has determined that Ukraine is not responsible for what Russia claims was a drone strike targeting Vladimir Putin’s residence. Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave year-end news conferences amid continuing discussions about a peace deal held up by key unsettled issues.

Moscow

CIA rejects Russia’s claim Ukraine tried to hit Putin’s residence

Zohran Mamdani was officially inaugurated as the mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and first immigrant in half a century to hold the position. The public ceremony at City Hall featured Senator Bernie Sanders administering the oath of office, followed by a community celebration on Broadway.

New York

Mayor Zohran Mamdani inaugurated at New York’s City Hall

Taiwan’s president has struck a defiant tone after China launched fresh military drills near the island. In a New Year’s Day speech, Lai Ching-te said 2026 would be a critical year and vowed to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Taipei City

Taiwan president signals tougher stance on Beijing

For several years, the French government has explored ways to limit teenagers’ access to social media due to its harmful impact on mental health, and new guidance from the European Commission could now make it easier for France to pass legislation on the matter.

Paris

France proposes social media ban, following Australian model

Israel will enforce a ban on 37 international NGOs in the Gaza Strip, citing failure to meet security and transparency standards.

Israel says it 'will enforce' ban on 37 NGOs in Gaza

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight on Thursday, marking a historic moment with a low-key swearing-in ceremony held deep beneath Manhattan. The Democrat, who at 34 is the city’s youngest mayor in generations, takes office as one of the most closely watched political figures in the U.S.

Mamdani becomes New York City mayor

Dozens of people have been killed and 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss officials said.

Dozens killed, 100 injured in fire in Swiss ski resort bar

President Donald Trump said his administration was removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, but he added in his social media post that federal forces will "come back" if crime rates go up.

Chicago

Trump: National Guard being removed from Chicago, LA and Portland

Finnish police have seized a cargo ship suspected of sabotaging an undersea telecom cable between Helsinki and Estonia on December 31. Authorities say the vessel was sailing from Russia to Israel when it was intercepted in the Gulf of Finland.

Helsinki

Finland seizes Russia-linked ship over suspected cable sabotage

Russia's defense ministry released video footage on Wednesday (December 31) of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried this week to attack a presidential residence and challenge Kyiv's denials that such an attack took place.

Russia releases video footage to challenge Kyiv over alleged attack

Severe humanitarian needs in Gaza are worsening as dozens of aid groups are forced to halt operations under new Israeli restrictions.
Up to 48 organizations have stopped work, leaving fewer clinics, food distributions and shelters for civilians.

Israel to block dozens of aid groups working in war-battered Gaza

The world has begun saying goodbye to 2025, with South Pacific nations first to welcome 2026.

Council of the City of Sydney

Fireworks light up the globe as nations ring in 2026

CNN, citing sources, reported that the CIA had carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs "load up."

Trump says U.S. strike hit dock in Venezuela

President Trump says the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility" last week linked to alleged drug boat operations. Unlike previous operations at sea, this strike occurred on Venezuelan territory, though the president did not disclose specific details about the timing, location, or the party responsible for the attack.

Trump says U.S. launched strike on boat dock inside Venezuela

Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy and an environmental journalist, has died at the age of 35 following a battle with cancer, the JFK Library Foundation announced Tuesday.

Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, dies at 35

The United Arab Emirates says it's withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen. The move comes after Saudi Arabia bombed a port in Yemen, saying it targeted an arms shipment intended for a UAE-backed separatist force.

Al Mukalla

Saudi Arabia bombs port in Yemen

In an overnight strike, the Saudi military hit a Yemeni port saying they were neutralising a weapons shipments arriving from UAE. The UAE has denied the shipment contained weapons and claimed the vehicles were not intended for any groups. Both countries have supported the fighting sides in the over-decade long war in Yemen, but this strike has turned this rivalry into an open dispute.

The UAE denies shipping weapons to Yemen after overnight Saudi strike

The Kremlin said Tuesday it would toughen its negotiating position in talks on ending the war in Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of attacking a Russian presidential residence — an allegation that Kyiv said was baseless and intended to prolong the conflict.

Russia will toughen negotiating stance on war in Ukraine

China fired rockets into waters off northern and southern Taiwan on Tuesday (December 30) and deployed new amphibious assault ships alongside bomber aircraft and destroyers on the second day of its most extensive war games.

China fires rockets towards Taiwan in war games simulating blockade

President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed an alleged drug-related site was targeted during a recent strike, saying, "they load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area." Trump did not say when the strike happened or exactly where.

U.S. strike hits Venezuelan port facility

The search for Malaysia Airlines flight 370 that went missing in 2014 with 239 people on board is expected to resume Tuesday (December 30). The Malaysian government and a private marine robotics company say they will use advances in technology to aid in the search.

Kuala Lumpur

Search resumes for Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014

The two countries have agreed to hold fire, freeze troop movements and allow civilians to return home under a new agreement.

Krong Poi Pet

Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire holds as 72-hour observation period ends

Head of Yemen's presidential council, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, says UAE-backed forces in the country should leave within 24 hours.

Yemen’s presidential council cancels UAE defence deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could support another major strike on Iran were it to resume rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs and warned Hamas of severe consequences if it does not disarm.

Breakdown