BEREA — The Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Friday. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL suspension and injuries with the Browns, who signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. The restructuring allows the team to spread out the salary-cap hit after the 2026 season, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not disclose contract specifics. The 29-year-old Watson has two years remaining on his contract with an average of $46 million a year, and with a salary-cap hit of $72.9 million in those seasons. The latest move adds a voidable year for 2028, giving the Browns cap flexibility following 2026, the final year on Watson’s deal. The agreement to restructure Watson's contract will not preclude the Browns from adding talent at the quarterback position in 2025, the person said. Watson played in only seven games this season before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. He's 9-10 as a starter with Cleveland. The Browns (3-12) have been a major disappointment after making it to the playoffs a year ago behind Joe Flacco, who was signed as a free agent after Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Watson had surgery in October and is expected to make a full recovery. While the team hasn't disclosed its plans at quarterback, it's assumed Watson will be in the mix to be the starter next season. It's also possible the Browns will draft a quarterback in the first round. The team hasn't had a first-round pick the past three years after trading three to the Houston Texans to acquire Watson, who was once considered one of the league's elite QBs. Watson's disappointing tenure — he hasn't thrown for 300 yards in any game — has been a sore spot with Cleveland fans, who had hoped the team had finally resolved its interminable QB issues when they signed the three-time Pro Bowler three years ago. But it hasn't worked out, and the major investment in Watson and the salary-cap ramifications of his contract — the largest fully guaranteed deal in league history — have made it difficult for the Browns to upgrade their roster. Watson has shown flashes of being a competent starting quarterback, but there have been just as many moments in which he's looked hesitant in the pocket or unable to connect with receivers down field. Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his first season in Cleveland after an independent arbiter ruled he violated the conduct policy after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Since having surgery, Watson has been rehabbing his Achilles injury. He has not spoken to reporters for months. On Thursday, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram standing without wearing a walking boot. The caption read: “Back on My Feet! MOREGLORY!” Last week, Browns defensive star Myles Garrett caused a stir by saying he did not want to be part of a rebuild in Cleveland. Garrett also made it clear he wanted to know the team's offseason plans, including what the Browns intended to do at quarterback. On Friday, Garrett said he had “a few” discussions this week with the team's front office following his surprising comments. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year didn't reveal any specifics of the talks. “They just wanted to see where my head was at and what I was thinking and just trying to keep things in house, in house,” said Garrett, who will turn 29 on Sunday. Garrett was asked if he got a favorable reaction from teammates. “They want to know what’s coming next as well,” he said. “So I haven’t really heard too many people speak up on whether they liked my comments or not. Everyone’s kind of feeling the same way. But I’m not going to assume and I’ll have my answer at the end of the year.” NOTES: TE David Njoku (knee), DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee) and WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) were ruled out for Sunday's game. ... Backup QB Jameis Winston (shoulder) is questionable. If he can't play, Bailey Zappe will be Cleveland's No. 2 QB behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson. ... Coach Jason Tarver said LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is in “good spirits” after sustaining a neck injury on Oct. 27. Owusu-Koramoah was hurt in a collision with Ravens running back Derrick Henry. The Browns have been vague about Owusu-Koramoah's injury and recovery.Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) Sarita Fadnavis, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's mother, on Saturday said her son is a "favourite" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everyone in the BJP wants him to become the next chief minister of Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur as the ruling coalition was on its way to win a massive victory in the assembly elections, she said her son, currently a deputy chief minister, knows how to overcome challenges. "Everyone in the party wants him to become the next chief minister. It is evident that others also wish that he takes on that role. He is indeed a favourite of prime minister Narendra Modi who regards him as a son," Sarita Fadnavis said. Her son's tireless work and people's love for him brought this victory, she said. Asked about the Opposition targeting her son over the last two years, she said, "This is precisely why he described himself as the Abhimanyu of modern times. He understands how to navigate his way through the challenges he faces." Fadnavis's political stock has soared after Saturday's results as the BJP has put up its best-ever performance in these elections. He was the chief minister of the state from 2014 to 2019. His father, late Gangadhar Fadnavis, was a leader of the Jan Sangh and later the BJP. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
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Article content While it appeared Nikita Kucherov lost the puck on his breakaway on Stuart Skinner Tuesday night in the win over Tampa, guess again. This was actually Kucherov’s sleight-of-hand as he tried to slide the puck through the Oilers goalie’s legs, but Skinner made an easy pad stop. Skinner refused to bite on the cheeky play because he’s seen it before. “He’s unpredictable but I knew I had to seal my ice because he’s done that play before. Everybody’s seen the highlights, the top-20 goals. I know he got Robin Lehner on a shootout with that play once,” said Skinner, who was beaten by Jake Guentzel in the 2-1 win but that was it, as he has a .947 save percentage in his last five starts. Skinner escaped the scary last few moments against Tampa when Nick Paul scored in a wild melee with nine seconds left but the goal was disallowed on a high-stick by Paul, who tipped it and the puck went off Darnell Nurse and over the line. Rule 80.3 says when an attacking player causes the puck to enter the opponent’s goal by contacting the puck over the height of the crossbar either directly or off any player, the goal shall not be allowed. “Me and Darnell fought for our lives when it was a scramble,” said Skinner. “I couldn’t even tell if the puck crossed the line. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.” He loved going head-to-head with one of his goaltending heroes, Andrei Vasilevsky, in the other net. When Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury was in town a few weeks ago, he said he had an autographed stick from Flower that he cherishes and he would like one of Vasilevsky’s too. So did he get one Tuesday? “No. I want to go and ask right now but I don’t know if it’s the right time,” said Skinner, post-game, knowing he should have asked in the morning of the game. “Mistake by me. Maybe I’ll ask when we’re in Tampa (for rematch).” Skinner is a big fan of the two-time Cup winner Vasilevsky, who faced four breakaways in the game (two by Connor McDavid , two by Leon Draisaitl). McDavid was stopped on the first and beat Vasilevsky with a quick shot on the second, after roaring past a string of Tampa defenders. Draisaitl was stopped on his first one, but Vasilevsky swept the puck off teammate Victor Hedman’s stick and into the net. “It’s kind of fun watching Connor and Vasy battle on breakaways because Vasy is so patient and smart. There’s so many reasons why he’s such a good goalie. He’s so flexible. He can go into the splits (pads) and his body stays so upright. That’s a dangerous combination,” said Skinner. WILD HAVE OILERS NUMBER With the Oilers in Minnesota Thursday, it’s clear the Wild has never been a good matchup for the Oilers. In 104 career games, the Oilers have only won 37, only 35.6 per cent of the time, no matter if it’s coach Jacques Lemaire’s suffocating defence they’re going against or John Hynes’ more wide-open offence of today. In the 104 games, the Oilers are only averaging 2.3 goals a game. Minnesota beats them about two out of every three at home (64.7 per cent). It’s the flip side of the Oilers dominance of Nashville Predators. “Every team has a team that they face off against and it’s a challenge. As long as I’ve been here, no matter where they are in the standings, it’s a tough game, tough in front of their net, hard in front of ours, and they have an element of skill,” said Nurse. The player with the most skill is Kirill Kaprizov, second in NHL scoring with 43 points. What makes him so good? “His ability to control the speed on his edges. He’s very elusive and has an eye to make plays. When (great players) see a play they do it instantly. It doesn’t take them much time to process it. Like when you look at Connor and Leon. They see a play and bang, they make it,” said Nurse. The Wild keep rolling without their No. 1 centre and Swedish 4 Nations selection Joel Eriksson Ek, their top-4 defenceman Jonas Brodin with a suspected shoulder concern, and Mats Zuccarello, who had surgery after taking a puck in the groin from a shot by teammate Brock Faber a month ago. This ‘n that: The Oilers, who claimed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers from St. Louis last month, made another Wednesday, adding big Boston farmhand right-shot defenceman Alec Regula. He’s coming off knee surgery and the Bruins wanted to get him to the AHL. He’s six-foot-four and 211 pounds and pure defender, with the best plus/minus, at plus-36, in the AHL last year with Providence. Regula, 24, was a good Blackhawks draft but they traded him to Boston in 2023 for Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall. Regula’s off to Bakersfield. ... Skinner is red-hot but Calvin Pickard might get start against the Wild with games against Vegas and Florida after that ... Former Bakesfield captain Brad Malone retired after last season, saying he wanted to give coaching a whirl. And he’s already the head coach in Oshawa after starting as an assistant when the OHL junior club shockingly fired Steve O’Rourke with the team first in the East division ... Viktor Arvidsson has now missed 12 games since he was hurt, with a suspected core muscle issue, against New York Islanders a month ago, Nov. 12, on a night when he played 14:04. He hasn’t skated with the team since then. Realistically, he misses two more games and he might return next Monday when we’ve got the Stanley Cup rematch with Florida. Arvidsson had five points in the 16 games before he was hurt but they came in three games, with three assists against Pittsburgh and goals against the Canucks and Nashville. He’s got lots of ground to make up ... One of the oddities in the first third of the season: Derek Ryan, who was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ strong sidekick on the first penalty-kill forward unit last year and through the playoffs, has only played 10:33 short-handed in 26 games this season. That’s telling for Ryan, who turns 38 right after Christmas. Adam Henrique has taken his spot with Nugent-Hopkins, with Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark second up. The third pair against Tampa Tuesday was Vasily Podkolzin and Kapanen, and Arvidsson in his 16 games, also had more short-handed work than Ryan. When Arvidsson returns, where does Kapanen, now playing right wing with Draisaitl, go? ... The Wild have the best record in the NHL but they do have one glaring weakness. They have a terrible penalty kill. It’s currently 71.6 per cent, 30th in the NHL, as it was last season. They’ve given up 19 goals on only 67 penalty-kill opportunities, so if the Oilers can get three or four power-play chances, that will help at Xcel Energy Centre.BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa says it has failed in an attempt to have Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle overturned on appeal. The 21-year-old Colombia international was sent off 32 minutes into a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League at St. James’ Park on Thursday after appearing to stamp on defender Fabian Schar, prompting a furious reaction from Villa head coach Unai Emery, who later indicated that the club would appeal. However, Villa said Friday night that its bid was unsuccessful and the forward will now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct. “Aston Villa can confirm that our decision to appeal Jhon Duran’s red card in our match with Newcastle United has been rejected," a statement on Villa’s official X account read. "The player will now miss our next three matches.” Duran will miss Premier League games against Brighton and Leicester, followed by Villa's FA Cup third-round match with West Ham on Jan. 10. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated PressInnovative AstroRad Vest Poised to Safeguard Astronauts from Space RadiationThousands of protesters marched through Barcelona on Saturday demanding lower rents in Spain's second city. Barcelona, which has already taken action to stop the spread of holiday rental apartments, is the latest Spanish city to see protests for cheaper housing. Backed by left-wing parties and unions, the demonstrators gathered in central Barcelona behind a giant banner declaring "Lower the rents". "Today a new political cycle starts concerning housing," Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Catalan Tenants Union, the main organiser, told reporters. "Investors must not be allowed to come to our cities and play with the apartments like a game of Monopoly," she added. The union would target "profiteers" who are taking "half of our salaries", Arcarazo said. The demonstrators demanded a 50 percent cut in rents, leases with an unlimited term and a ban on "speculative" sales of buildings. They threatened to start a rent strike. An estimated 22,000 people took part in a similar demonstration in Madrid on October 13. Campaigns have been launched in other cities. According to the Idealista specialised website, rental prices per square metre have risen 82 percent across Spain over the past decade. The average salary has gone up by 17 percent in that time, according to the national statistics institute. Facing pressure over a housing crisis, the government in 2023 passed legislation calling for more social housing, greater restrictions on rents in high demand areas and penalties for owners who do not occupy properties. But rents have continued to rise while the government has battled city and regional authorities to get some parts of the law applied. vid-vab/tw/jm
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It's been one month since the U.S. presidential election. And while Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have been busy setting up a new White House administration, Democrats have spent the past four weeks trying to diagnose why they lost and how to move forward as a party. One person who thinks he has an answer to that is Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. He's now running to become the new chairman of the national Democratic National Comittee because he says it's time to reassess what matters most to voters. RELATED STORY | DNC chair slams Bernie Sanders' criticism of Democratic Party "There's clearly a lot that we need to learn about what just happened, but one thing that jumps out is that a lot of voters who were taking it on the chin with high prices — frustrated by those prices — weren't hearing from either campaign and were voting for change," Wikler told Scripps News. "Well those voters, I think that we have a chance to reach out to them and say 'look, Democrats actually want to fight for an economy that works for working people and Trump wants to give multi-trillion tax cuts to billionaires at your expense. And that is a message we know can win because it's won downballot, it won in 2018, and it won in 2006 when George W. Bush tried to privatize social security." Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is currently hearing a potentially landmark case on gender affirming care for minors — which has been a big point for Democrats to campaign on. But a Scripps News/YouGov poll released early this year showed that more Americans support than oppose laws aimed at restricting transgender care for minors. RELATED STORY | Scripps News poll: Americans largely support restricting trans rights Wikler told Scripps News that if he were to be named chair of the DNC, it's a no-brainer that he'd support American's right to make their own private medical decisions without worrying about government intervention. "Republicans want to talk about trans issues and go on the attack against trans people because that is their way of trying to divide the public," he said. "People do disagree about this. Republicans want to focus on that disagreement and use attacks on trans people in order to distract folks from the big legislation that they are planning right now — which is a multi-trillion dollar tax cut for billionaires." "Democrats are always going to fight for people to have their basic personal freedom," Wikler continued. "And at the same time, we're going to fight against those who want to dismantle the federal government and the programs like social security and medicare and medicaid that people rely on for their their basic needs and health care." You can watch Scripps News' full interview with Ben Wikler in the video player above.Janet Yellen tells Congress US could hit debt limit in mid-January
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Wall Street slips as the 'Mag 7' weighs down the marketMPs will be placing the country on a “slippery slope towards death on demand” if they back legislation on assisted dying in England and Wales this week, the lord chancellor and justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said in a letter to constituents before . Mahmood has received numerous letters about the bill from people in her Birmingham Ladywood seat, which has a big Muslim population, and sent out replies saying that she was “profoundly concerned” about the legislation, not only for religious reasons but also because of what it would mean for the role of the state if one of its functions became helping people to die. “Sadly, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and the Post Office Horizon – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benign. I have always held the view that, for this reason, the state should serve a clear role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it away. The state should never offer death as a service.” She continued: “It cannot be overstated what a profound shift in our culture assisted suicide will herald. In my view, the greatest risk of all is the pressure the elderly, vulnerable, sick or disabled may place upon themselves. “Faced with expensive or insufficient care, some may feel they have become too great a burden to their family, friends and society at large. In doing so, they would not be choosing death because that is what they want for themselves but because they think that others might want it for them.” She added: “We must never accept the wrongful deaths of some in exchange for the desired deaths of others. That line, once crossed, will be crossed for ever. “The right to die, for some, will – inexorably and inevitably – become the duty to die for others. And that is why I will be voting against this bill.” Mahmood, a barrister, also criticised the lack of legal safeguards in the bill. “The provisions in relation to coercion are particularly weak. The bill seems to prevent someone being pressured into ending their life by those acting with malign intent. But it is silent as to how this should be done, setting no test by which evidence will be assessed or how a judge will be expected to carry out this work.” Mahmood has previously made clear that she will vote against the bill. But her latest, more hard-hitting attack on it will be seen as ignoring calls from Keir Starmer for his in the heat of the debate. Mahmood’s intervention means that both the justice secretary and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, now stand opposed to it. Government insiders said on Saturday night that this could create real problems if the bill were to pass into law. “We would have the justice and health secretaries – who would be key to its implementation – both opposed to a major piece of social legislation. It is difficult to see how that works.” Streeting has made clear that he is opposed to the bill, saying it could have and lead to someone with a terminal diagnosis choosing to end their life early as a way of saving the NHS money. Asked by the about Mahmood’s letter and whether she was ignoring the call by the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, for senior ministers to remain neutral, a source close to the justice secretary said: “It is the case that she has been deluged with letters and that she has replied to them.” Friends of Mahmood also said she wanted to remain in her cabinet job. even if the bill passed all its parliamentary stages and went onto the statute book. If adopted, the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill would make it legal for over-18s in England and Wales who have mental capacity and are expected to die within six months to be assisted to end their life. They would have to be assessed by two independent doctors and have the decision signed off by a high court judge. A separate bill is under discussion in Scotland.Government sources said they expected the bill to pass at second reading on Friday (29 November), after soundings by party whips on all sides of the House suggested there would be majority support. One senior government figure said: “I think the opponents have shouted louder but would expect it to go through.” If the bill is passed on Friday, it would then be considered for several weeks in committee, where any concerns about lack of safeguards would be considered. MPs would then have the chance to vote again at report stage and third reading, which will not be until April next year at the earliest. In a letter to the , a group of eminent lawyers counter Mahmood’s criticisms and come out in strong support of the bill. They include former lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice Charles Falconer, two former directors of public prosecutions, Ken Macdonald and Sir Max Hill, and Alex Goodman KC, the joint head of public law at Landmark Chambers. They state: “The bill will protect the vulnerable and the sanctity of life much more effectively than our current law. It will allow terminally ill people in the last six months of their life to make free, informed and settled decisions about their end of life through a robust process involving two doctors and a judge.” In a separate letter to the faith leaders join forces to oppose the bill. Signatories include Sarah Mullally, bishop of London, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, and the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis. They write: “Part of the role of faith leaders in communities is to provide spiritual and pastoral care for the sick and for the dying. We hold the hands of loved ones in their final days, we pray with families both before and after death. It is to this vocation that we have been called, and it is from this vocation that we write. “Our pastoral roles make us deeply concerned about the impact the bill would have on the most vulnerable, opening up the possibility of life-threatening abuse and coercion. This is a concern we know is shared by many people, with and without faith.”
The sudden fall of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad has rattled Moscow, warn Russian analysts, particularly psychologically. The Kremlin’s 2015 military intervention in Syria was Moscow’s first such post-Soviet operation outside its own region. Its perceived success drove a lot of Russia’s subsequent diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. Now it has come crashing down. The Kremlin will need to absorb the likely loss of two military bases in Syria, and accept the devastating setback it means for another ally, Iran. But this is far from the first time Moscow has faced a debacle in its Mideast relations. Soviet-sponsored Syria lost two wars with Israel in 1967 and 1973, necessitating replacement of its military arsenal. Egypt canceled a treaty of friendship with the USSR in 1971, and kicked all Soviet advisers out of the country. Moscow’s disastrous war in Afghanistan in the 1980s poisoned its relations with the Muslim world. “We’ve got a long history of dealing with these countries, and we’re quite accustomed to seeing them defeated militarily,” says Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. “So, the mood in Moscow [over the loss of Syria] is calm enough. It’s a bad setback, but we can get past this.” The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, which Moscow had helped to prop up for almost a decade, has dealt a serious setback to Russia’s global ambitions. But Russian foreign policy specialists insist it’s not a ruinous one. As they grapple with the rapid demise of Mr. Assad’s rule, Russian analysts say that the Kremlin will need to adjust to the shifting balance of power in the Middle East. That includes absorbing the likely loss of Russia’s two military bases in Syria, and accepting what analysts call the crushing defeat of Kremlin ally Iran. The psychological blow to Russia is also serious, they warn. The Kremlin’s 2015 military intervention in Syria was Moscow’s first such post-Soviet operation outside its own region. Its perceived success drove a lot of Russia’s subsequent diplomatic efforts in the Mideast, as well as its recent inroads into Africa . Igor Korotchenko, editor of National Defense, a Moscow-based security journal, says he’s still cautiously optimistic that Russian global influence can survive the loss of Syria, and perhaps the Kremlin can even forge a practical relationship with any new Syrian regime that emerges. “Let’s wait and see how things play out,” he says. “Russia is still a player in the region, maintaining good relations with countries like the UAE, Egypt, and Qatar. We never put our stakes on one person, and we have sufficient resources to pursue our goals” without a foothold in Syria. For now, the victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces have not touched the Russian Embassy or military installations – Iran’s Embassy in Damascus was trashed on the first day – even though Mr. Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow was in contact with the new Syrian authorities in an effort to safeguard Russian assets. “We need to base our actions on the realities that exist at this moment on the ground,” he said. Russia reached out to the Taliban after the United States’ failure in Afghanistan, canceling its “terrorist” designation and discussing a broader normalization of relations; experts say Moscow may wish to make a similar outreach to HTS. But it will be much harder given Russia’s staunch backing of Mr. Assad and its armed efforts to suppress the Syrian opposition over the past decade. Whatever may happen, the blame game is already in full swing in the Russian media. Some are pointing at Turkey, which allegedly sidestepped the Astana peace process and went behind Russia’s back to sponsor the HTS rebel offensive that overran Damascus last weekend. Others say Israel’s successful war against major backers like Iran and Hezbollah made Mr. Assad’s fall inevitable, even though Moscow kept providing air support to the bitter end. Some accuse Mr. Assad himself of self-isolating and refusing all attempts to find a broader social compromise. “Assad didn’t take Russian advice,” says Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. “He was told many times that he needed to initiate some real political reforms, include members of the opposition in government, reconcile with Turkey, and curb the excesses of his security forces. He didn’t listen. “So, Assad was already distanced from Russia. At the end, he was taking advice from Iran and his own family, not from us,” he says. Despite the Putin-era aura of success, this is far from the first time Moscow has faced a debacle in its Middle East relations. Soviet-sponsored Syria lost two wars with Israel in 1967 and 1973, necessitating replacement of its military arsenal. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat canceled a treaty of friendship with the USSR in 1971, and kicked all Soviet advisers out of the country. Moscow’s disastrous war in Afghanistan in the 1980s poisoned its relations with the Muslim world, and even contributed to the collapse of the Soviet state. “We’ve got a long history of dealing with these countries, and we’re quite accustomed to seeing them defeated militarily,” says Mr. Markov. “So, the mood in Moscow [over the loss of Syria] is calm enough. It’s a bad setback, but we can get past this.” Unlike the former Soviet Union, which based its foreign policy on ideological calculations, Vladimir Putin’s Russia tends to take a pragmatic and transactional approach, seeking advantage where it can, says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, a Moscow-based foreign policy journal. “The Middle East is a region where you can’t expect any lasting success,” he says. “The big loser in this turn of events is Iran, and the winners are Israel and Turkey.” As for Russian relations with Ankara, he says, “Of course Moscow is angry, because the Turks knew about the HTS offensive and didn’t say a word to us about it. But that’s how Russian-Turkish relations work in general: A very low level of trust, but we try to find common ground and work together where we can.” Moscow’s formerly good relations with Israel will grow even worse with the implosion of Russian military power in Syria. “Israel is becoming much stronger as a regional power,” says Mr. Markov. “Russia needs to think about how to deal with Israel in these new conditions, where it is a clear winner.” Mr. Lukyanov argues that the fall of Mr. Assad illustrates a completely new trend in world affairs, in which regional players take the lead and the influence of their great-power sponsors diminishes. The main actors in the Syrian drama are relatively independent ones, including Israel, Turkey, Iran, and even HTS. The U.S. and Russia are still on the stage, but are not driving events and, Mr. Lukyanov says, are increasingly irrelevant. “It’s a seismic shift, in which outside powers are steadily losing influence and local actors are taking the lead,” he says. “Russian capacities are shrinking, but so are American ones. In future, regional powers will be the most important players, formulating their priorities in a regional way.” Russia already made the choice to put its own local interests first, declining to divert any resources from its war in Ukraine to help Mr. Assad. “Moscow needs to think about the implications of this,” Mr. Lukyanov says. “Maybe the race for global influence is obsolete, and Russia needs to reformulate its ambitions in terms of being an effective regional power.”
Wake Forest keeps trying new things early in the season, even if not all of the adjustments are by design. The Demon Deacons will try to stick to the script when Detroit Mercy visits for Saturday's game in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons (5-1) will be at home for the final time prior to three consecutive road games. Detroit Mercy (3-2) already has two more victories than all of last season. After a couple of narrow wins and a loss at Xavier, Wake Forest had a smoother time earlier this week in defeating visiting Western Carolina 82-69 on Tuesday night. Yet these are games when teams have to figure where contributions are going to come from in certain situations. The experimenting took a turn for Wake Forest in the Western Carolina game. Center Efton Reid III had limited minutes because of migraines, so there was a shift in responsibilities. Normal backcourt players Cameron Hildreth and Juke Harris logged time at the power forward slot. "That's just part of it," coach Steve Forbes said. "They did a good job adjusting. We ran a lot of stuff and there are several guys learning different positions. ... I give credit to those guys for doing the best job that they could do on the fly and adjusting to the play calls that we ran and the stuff that we changed." Wake Forest could excel if both Parker Friedrichsen and Davin Cosby can be consistent 3-point threats. Friedrichsen slumped with shooting in the first few games of the season and was replaced in the starting lineup by Cosby. In Tuesday's game, Friedrichsen drained four 3-pointers, while Cosby hit two. "It was really good to see Parker and Davin both make shots together," Forbes said. Not everything was solved for the Demon Deacons. Western Carolina collected 12 offensive rebounds, and that took some of the shine off Wake Forest's defensive efforts. "We can't be a good defensive team, or a really good defensive team, unless we rebound the ball," Forbes said. "It's demoralizing to your defense to get stops and then not get the ball." In Detroit Mercy's 70-59 win at Ball State on Wednesday, Orlando Lovejoy tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "We got the ball to the shooters and playmakers," first-year Titans coach Mark Montgomery said. "You could tell by the guys' body language that we were going to get a road win. It had been a long time coming." On Saturday, the Titans will look for their second road victory since February 2023. The outcome at Ball State seemed significant to Montgomery. "We had to get over the hump," he said. "Our guys grinded it out." --Field Level Media