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DAMASCUS In the Kabun neighborhood of Damascus, Syrians are struggling to rebuild their lives after the regime's devastation. The most visible scars of the 13-year civil war are found in Kabun, where Syrians fought for freedom against the Bashar Assad regime. Located 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from central Damascus, Kabun was once home to a thriving Tailors Bazaar with a population of nearly 100,000. Today, much of Kabun is reduced to rubble, with remnants of the Ba'ath regime’s oppression evident in the ruins. Some debris has even become mass graves, said residents. In the nearby Tishreen neighborhood, returnees are living without services like electricity or water, surrounded by buildings scarred by shrapnel, bullets and fires. The remnants of bombs used by Assad and his allies are found on the roofs of the few houses left standing. Amid the destruction, children playing symbolize hope for a better future. Al-Merri family holds on in last standing house The al-Merri family -- father, son and grandson -- is holding on in the last remaining house in Kabun. Samir al-Merri, 58, has lived in Kabun since the 1980s. Before the war, the neighborhood was home to people from across Syria, Iraq and Yemen, with a bustling Tailors Bazaar. "The Tailors Bazaar used to be busy. Now, nothing is left. It’s completely destroyed," Samir noted. He shared the pain of losing his son in 2012, who was detained by the regime. "I stayed here under bombardment until 2015, hoping to find him. I saw nearly 300 bodies in the streets, executed with shots to the head," he said. “In the end, I lost hope. We had four houses, but now only one remains.” Samir received confirmation that his son, Faris, died in 2016 in the Sednaya Prison, known as the “human slaughterhouse.” His other son was killed in an Israeli airstrike during mandatory military service near a base housing Iranian forces. 'I felt like a criminal in my own country' Samir's son, Ahmed, 40, fled the bombings in 2016 and returned to Kabun in 2021. Before the revolution, they avoided politics, but after the uprising, Ahmed realized the oppression they had been living under. “We were living on a farm. The regime’s men controlled everything -- our house, car, property -- they all belonged to them,” said Ahmed. Ahmed, who avoided military service, explained that after returning to Syria, the military tried to force him into the army. “I’m 40 now, what could I do in the army? I have five children. Who would take care of them? Who would I fight against? Syrians like me," he said. “I always felt like a criminal in my own country. I was constantly running, paying bribes at every checkpoint. They threatened to send me to Sednaya. My house was looted. I’m happy the regime has fallen,” he added. “I’m happy for my children. Now I can travel freely without checkpoints or questions.” 'Regime stole my childhood' Mohammed, 22, the youngest member of the al-Merri family, said his childhood was marked by “bombardments, bombs, and explosions.” “The regime stole my childhood, my youth, my life. I have nothing left. At 22, I’m starting my life from scratch,” he said. “I was a deserter, hiding at home. They tried to force me into the army for no reason.” *Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul
Arizona and TCU go into Monday's Big 12 opener at Tucson, Ariz., with the Wildcats looking to score at a fast pace and the Horned Frogs wanting to shut them down after allowing only one opponent to reach 80 points through their first 11 games. In that game -- an 83-74 loss to Vanderbilt in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 8 -- TCU (7-4) lost leading scorer Frankie Collins to a season-ending broken foot. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Navy quarterback Blake Horvath read the play perfectly and turned it into the longest in school history, a 95-yard touchdown run in the Armed Forces Bowl. “By somebody that’s not really that fast,” Horvath said after the 21-20 win over Oklahoma on Friday. The Midshipmen (10-3) fell behind by two touchdowns less than 10 minutes into the game, but Horvath's record run late in the third quarter tied the game at 14-all. He put them ahead on a 6-yard TD with 4:34 left before Navy’s defense stopped an Oklahoma 2-point conversion with six seconds left in the game. “Probably over-pursued by them,” Horvath said of the 95-yarder. “Some tendencies they showed earlier, just thought I could get a pull.” After faking a handoff on the read-option play, Horvath ran straight up the middle into the open field. Brandon Chatman cut off a pursing defender around the Sooners 20. By time another defender, cornerback Woodi Washington, was able to catch up and started to bring him down, Horvath stretched the ball over the goal line — though he was initially ruled short before a replay review resulted in the touchdown. “Brandon Chatman actually busted his tail to get his butt down the field,” Horvath said. “I can see him out of the corner of my eye busting his butt. And honestly, it’s almost not even my touchdown without him and the offensive line blocking.” The previous longest play for the Midshipmen came during the Roger Staubach era, when Johnny Sai had a 93-yard run against Duke in 1963. Horvath also had a 90-yard TD run against Memphis, making him only the second Navy player with two 90-yard runs in the same season. The other was quarterback Malcolm Perry in 2017, when he had runs of 92 and 91 yards. “That’s a play we know can hit big and it did, and definitely exciting to see,” fullback Alex Tecza said. “I was getting tired just chasing him. ... It's great. He's being doing that all year.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
No. 24 Arizona is coming off consecutive defeats for the first time in the Tommy Lloyd era when it faces undefeated Davidson on Wednesday to begin the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Arizona (2-2) lost at Wisconsin 103-88 on Nov. 15 and followed that with a home loss against Duke 69-55 on Friday. The Wildcats have dropped 15 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in two weeks. Arizona's record is .500 this early in a season for the first time since it was 3-3 to start the 2017-18 schedule. "I've got work to do, so let's get to work," said Lloyd, in his fourth year as Arizona's head coach. "Let's see where we're at in a month, and if we're still struggling, you know what I'll do? I still got work to do, but I'm gonna get to it." Arizona shot 39.6 percent from the field against Duke, and just 26.1 percent (6 of 23) from 3-point range. The Wildcats were outrebounded by 43-30 and their 15 turnovers led to 19 points. Jaden Bradley led Arizona with 18 points and KJ Lewis added 12. Preseason All-American Caleb Love had eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range. Arizona made only one field goal in the last 5:39 as Duke pulled away after its lead was trimmed to six points. "We didn't play great," Lloyd said. "Now we need to take a step back and figure out why. Are there some schematic problems? Are there some problems with how our personnel is kind of put together? "We got to figure out what our certainties are, and the things we have to have, and then over the course of the next couple of days, if there's adjustments we need to make, we need to figure out what those are." Davidson is 4-0 after a 15-17 record last season, in which it lost its last six games to put an end to postseason hopes. A 93-66 win over visiting VMI on Friday followed a 91-85 win at Bowling Green and 76-70 victory over visiting East Tennessee State. The two wins by 10 points or fewer are important because Davidson was 6-12 in such games last season. It was 4-11 in games decided by five points or fewer. "The goal (is) to get better," Davidson head coach Matt McKillop said after the season opener. "We talk about fighting to win every possession. I think we had to figure out what that really felt like with the lights on." Davidson made 13 shots from 3-point range in the win over VMI. Reed Bailey had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Bobby Durkin added 19 points, including 17 of them and a career-best five 3-pointers in the first half. Bailey leads Davidson in scoring (19 points per game) and rebounding (7.8). Durkin is shooting 57.9 percent (22 of 38) from the field and 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from 3-point range. By contrast, Arizona's Love is shooting 32 percent (16 of 50) from the field and 21.4 percent (6 of 28) from beyond the arc. Bradley leads Arizona with 15.5 points per game. He is shooting 50 percent (24 of 48) from the field and is 35.7 percent (5 of 14) from 3-point range. --Field Level MediaVeteran actor Maxwell Caulfield (“Grease 2”) chatted about playing the Governor in the new TV series “Landman” on Paramount+. Most recently, Caulfield starred in the romantic comedy “ The Merry Gentlemen ,” opposite Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson, which reached No. 1 on Netflix. The new original drama series “Landman” on Paramount+ stars Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton. It was created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace. In addition to Thornton, the series stars Ali Larter (“The Last Victim”), Michelle Randolph (“1923”), Jacob Lofland (“Joker 2”), Kayla Wallace (“When Calls the Heart”), James Jordan (“Yellowstone”), Mark Collie (“Nashville”), Paulina Chávez (“The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia”), and Demi Moore (“Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans”). Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) will star in a recurring guest role with Andy Garcia (“Expendables” franchise) and Michael Peña (“End of Watch”) also serving as guest stars. Caulfield delivers a commanding performance as the Governor opposite Jon Hamm as Monty Miller. Caulfield does the accent well, and nails the role. Hopefully, the powers that be (show’s writers) will give him an arc in a prospective future season of the drama series. The British actor praised Taylor Sheridan who “has fashioned a brilliant part for Billy Bob Thornton in ‘Landman’ on Paramount+.” “I pop up in that show in the eighth episode, and I feel very privileged to be a part of something that is so high-quality,” he said. “They gave me a very nice part, the part of the ‘Governor,’ and I hope that my character will show up in Season 2,” he noted. “I hope there is a Season 2; it would be crazy to not have a second season for this incredible show,” he added. Caulfield complimented the casting director of “Landman.” “It is well-cast by John Papsidera, who is really the No. 1 casting director in the game,” Caulfield said. “John did ‘Oppenheimer’ and he cast the new ‘Saturday Night Live’ movie called ‘Saturday Night.’ His company is called ‘Automatic Sweat’ and it is a very cool operation.” “I cannot wait for people to see Episode 8 of ‘Landman’,” he added. He shared that he is enjoying “Tulsa King,” which stars Sylvester Stallone. “‘Tulsa King’ is so good. My illustrious wife, Juliet [Mills], and I just love it. Sly Stallone is totally in his element, and he just owns the script, the character, and he drives the show,” Caulfield said. Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News.Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.
Former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter shared sons John William "Jack," James Earl "Chip," Donnel Jeffrey "Jeff" and daughter Amy Carter. Twenty-two grandkids and great-grandchildren were born to their four adult children. Since his 98th birthday in October 2022, Jimmy has been the longest-living president, and his grandkids have made sure that his legacy will endure. "It's been awe-inspiring to watch my grandfather live out his values for all these decades. My earliest memories are from his years in the White House, and I've grown up witnessing and learning from his faith and his belief in equal treatment and respect for all people," Jason Carter, grandson of Jimmy Carter told People. Here are some of Carter's grandchildren who have made a mark in their career. Jason James Carter: Born in 1975, Jason is the son of Jack Carter and Judy Langford. He was elected to the Georgia Senate in a special election held in May 2010, according to ABC News. He remained a state senator until 2015. James Earl Carter IV: Born in 1977, to Chip and Caron Carter, James also followed his family's footsteps into politics, although he has not sought for or held public office. Rather, he portrays himself as a "policy wonk" in his Twitter account and works as an opposition researcher. Joshua Jeffrey Carter: Born in 1984, to Jeff and Annette Carter, Josh claimed to be the only Carter grandchild to date to share the former president's passion for carpentry, which he inherited from his grandfather. Hugo James Wentzel: Hugo James was born on 1999, to Amy Lynn Carter and James Gregory Wentzel. Hugo had an appearance in the ABC reality show Claim to Fame in 2023. He talked about his relationship with the former president after he was eliminated (his other mates were able to figure out that he was Jimmy Carter's grandson). Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.Today's Hoda Kotb Shows Off Her Suburban Home Christmas Decorations
Last men standing: Aussie lower order fires after Bumrah show, hosts lead by 333 going into fInal day at MCG
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Brian Moore Jr. scored 33 points as Norfolk State beat High Point 77-74 on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Brian Moore Jr. scored 33 points as Norfolk State beat High Point 77-74 on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Brian Moore Jr. scored 33 points as Norfolk State beat High Point 77-74 on Sunday. Moore added five rebounds and six assists for the Spartans (9-6). Christian Ings scored 12 points, shooting 5 of 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Jalen Myers had seven points and shot 1 of 3 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. The Panthers (12-3) were led in scoring by Chase Johnston, who finished with 24 points. Kimani Hamilton added 18 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two blocks for High Point. Kezza Giffa also put up 12 points. Up next for Norfolk State is a matchup Tuesday with Tennessee on the road. High Point hosts Radford on Thursday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementNo. 24 Arizona is coming off consecutive defeats for the first time in the Tommy Lloyd era when it faces undefeated Davidson on Wednesday to begin the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Arizona (2-2) lost at Wisconsin 103-88 on Nov. 15 and followed that with a home loss against Duke 69-55 on Friday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — There’s no defending Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke. His four-year tenure has been filled with draft mistakes and free-agency blunders, and he’s among the many reasons the Jaguars (3-12) have lost 17 of their last 21 games heading into their home finale against Tennessee (3-12). Selecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021 was a no-brainer, and taking receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23 in April appears to be his best decision. Just about everything in between has devolved into a head-scratching move, a list that includes drafting Travon Walker over fellow pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson in 2022 as well as questionable early picks like left tackle Walker Little (second round, 2021) and linebacker Devin Lloyd (first round, 2022). Baalke’s low point was his latest free-agent class, which included defensive lineman Arik Armstead, cornerback Ronald Darby, receiver Gabe Davis, returner Devin Duvernay, center Mitch Morse and safety Darnell Savage. The Jaguars committed more than $130 million, including more than $75 million guaranteed, to sign those six in March. They’ve given owner Shad Khan little, if any, return on his investment. RELATED COVERAGE Titans keep losing as coach Brian Callahan tries to show some progress Commanders keep playing wild and wacky games. They’ve gotten better at winning them Cooper Rush is making a good case to stay as Dak Prescott’s backup with Cowboys Armstead, 31, has two sacks in 15 games and was flagged for being offside on consecutive plays in a 19-14 loss at Las Vegas on Sunday. Darby, one of the NFL’s worst-rated cornerbacks in coverage this season, was inactive against the Raiders after getting benched the previous week. Davis caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games before tearing the meniscus in his left knee in November and landing on injured reserve. Duvernay, who has been thrust into an expanded role following season-ending injuries to Davis and Christian Kirk, has 10 catches for 75 yards and four carries for 3 yards. He has been slightly more effective on special teams, averaging 8.9 yards on punt returns and 24.1 yards on kickoff returns. Morse has been the best of the group, although he was flagged twice against the Raiders — penalties that essentially ended drives. Still, the the 32-year-old center has done little to improve the team’s short-yardage woes. Savage played just 12 snaps Sunday before leaving with a concussion. His replacement, Andrew Wingard, broke up nearly as many passes (three) in three quarters as Savage did (four) in his last 11 games. Together, the six newcomers comprise one of the least-productive free-agent classes in franchise history and are one of the many reasons why Baalke’s future in Jacksonville remains murky at best. What’s working Getting the ball to Brian Thomas Jr. is the best thing the Jaguars have done over the last four weeks. The rookie from LSU has 31 catches for 399 yards and four touchdowns in those four games. He has been targeted 49 times, including a would-be touchdown he dropped on a deep pass against the Raiders. What needs help Jacksonville’s pass-rushing duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker has been mostly quiet the last three games. Hines-Allen has six tackles, including a sack, and one QB pressure over that span while Walker has eight tackles, no sacks and two QB pressures. It’s not the performances the Jags need from their most talented position. Stock up Rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith, a second-round pick out of LSU, had his best game as a pro in Las Vegas. The 48th overall selection, who was inactive for six games partly because of an ankle injury, notched three tackles — including two for a loss. He also batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. Stock down Running back Tank Bigsby fumbled for the second time in as many games. He also dropped a pass last week in a loss to the New York Jets. It’s been a frustrating span for the second-year pro and third-round pick. “I couldn’t even sleep last night,” Bigsby said Monday. “That’s a learning mistake, and it can’t happen no more. I’ve just got to move on from it and play confident and be who I am.” Injuries Little won’t play this week — and might be sidelined the final two games — because of a high ankle sprain. S Darnell Savage (concussion) and LB Ventrell Miller (ankle) are considered day to day. RT Anton Harrison (shoulder) and CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) should be good to go for the Titans. Key number 8 — Number of times the Jaguars have lost at least 12 games in a season. It’s happened seven times since Khan bought the team in 2012. Next steps The entire organization awaits Khan’s decisions regarding the futures of Baalke and coach Doug Pederson. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
A major fire broke out on Dindoshi Hills, opposite Infinity IT Park in Goregaon East on Sunday at 12.14 am. The blaze had spread to around 1.5 km area of the hill and was confined to the herbs, shrubs and trees. Although the fire was extinguished at midnight itself and no injuries were reported, the environmentalists are up in arms after the incident. The land where the fire erupted falls under the eco-sensitive zone and is adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Director of NGO Vanshakti, Stalin D alleged that the fire at Dindoshi Hills was not an accident or natural but was deliberately ignited to kill the vegetation near SGNP to allow the land for commercial use in the near future. The section of the land that caught fire is private land with a wall dividing it from the forest land of SGNP. Stalin on Sunday wrote to the Maharashtra Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Mumbai suburban collector and other authorities seeking an investigation into the Dindoshi fire incident. @MahaForest @mybmc @mpcb_official @moefcc massive fire seen on Dindoshi hills . This doesn't seem to be natural or accidental. This is being done to kill the vegetation on the hills. Fire will spread to notified areas of SGNP( national park). Arrest the criminals who did this. pic.twitter.com/Rwgn3d8yjs @mybmc @MumbaiPoIice Have the Dindoshi hills been set set on fire or is it pure accident? The hills lie between Sanjay Gandhi National Park & Aarey Colony. These are the city’s green lungs. Are those in authority unaffected by the smog engulfing the city? pic.twitter.com/6pukZqLsPM Alleging that the blaze was set manually by the private developers, Stalin in his email to the authorities wrote, “The last fire at Dindoshi Hill was reported in October 2022 and we had complained about the same. Just as the forests had begun reviving, yesterday night a massive fire was set off by the persons who are in the possession of the land. M/s Ferrani Hotels, M/s DB Reality and the Nusli Wadia Trust are the entities that are responsible for complying with the inherent responsibility to protect the hill range from degradation.” Stalin said that the environmental violations on the land are well documented in the joint committee report submitted to the National Green Tribunal. He stressed that there have been incidents of tree felling and fires in the past, and FIRs have been registered against unknown persons. Speaking over the issue, an officer from the Mumbai Fire Brigade who was on the site said, “The fire had confined to the shrubs in multiple sections. It is possible that due to wind the blaze was confined to the shrubs at a distance, but the possibility of the fire ignited manually cannot be denied. As per the preliminary investigation, no person was seen on the site before the incident, however, a detailed investigation will reveal the exact cause of the fire.” The officer added that as the fire engines could not reach the spot due to uneven hilly patches, the fire was extinguished manually by beating. Demanding a detailed investigation into the incident, Stalin said, “We urge officials to undertake a detailed site inspection with environmental experts and fire investigators to ascertain the factors that have resulted in yet another fire at Dindoshi Hill.” Box- A minor fire broke out at Heera Panna Shopping Centre in Haji Ali on Sunday. The blaze had engulfed two closed shops and smoke was logged in the ground-floored shopping centre. “The fire erupted around 9.09 am and four fire engines, three jumbo tankers and an ambulance were rushed to the spot. The fire was confined to electric wirings, electric installations, clothes, wooden furniture, glass cabinets, documents, shoes, stock of perfumes, mobiles, etc. in shops no. 11 & 12 on the ground floor,” the statement by BMC said. The fire was doused at 12.52 pm and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers agreed on a massive trade to send wing defender Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to Los Angeles. In exchange, the Nets land guard D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round draft picks. Read more: Lakers Land Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in Blockbuster Deal With Nets NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news on social media. BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed on a trade sending D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/V175zGtmKW Many will focus on the Lakers aspect of this trade but this is a very good deal for the Nets as well. Brooklyn has long been trying to trade Finney-Smith and his team-friendly contract made things easy here. Landing Russell again gives the Nets a true point guard to work with. However, it seems that he may not be on the team for long. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, Russell could become a buyout candidate after this deal. Brooklyn is in full tank mode and having Russell on the team could complicate those plans. Expect D'Angelo Russell to be a prime buyout candidate after being traded to the Nets. But for now, Russell returns to Brooklyn, a place where he made his only All-Star team in 2019. Russell fit in very well with the Nets at the time, helping the young squad get to the postseason. Russell was originally traded to the Nets by the Lakers ahead of the 2018-2019 season. It was the deal that sent the draft pick of Kyle Kuzma to Los Angeles. If Russell remains with the Nets, despite the buyout rumors, he could help his stock for his upcoming free agency. Russell is scheduled to enter the open market this offseason after picking up his player option with the Lakers last summer. Lewis could be a surprise addition to this deal for Brooklyn. The former second-round draft pick has shown some flashes of offensive brilliance and the Lakers were high on him at first. If he could develop into a piece for the Nets, this return for Finney-Smith and Milton could be even better than first thought. And the three second-round draft picks that the Lakers moved in the deal provide Brooklyn with more ammo going forward. All in all, this move seems like a win for both sides, which is rare for any trade. But the two organizations have been talking about a possible deal for years and they finally made it happen. More news: Kings Guard Sends Direct Message to Fans Following Mike Brown Dismissal For more on the Nets and the NBA at large, check out Newsweek Sports .Trump opposes TikTok ban, asks Supreme Court for time to resolve via negotiations
Navy QB Blake Horvath's 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl win is longest play in school historyChildren shot dead after joining pot-banging protests in Mozambique