DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. ___ Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report. Albert Aji And Matthew Lee, The Associated Press
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. ( NYSE:AEO – Free Report ) by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 354,333 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 13,155 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.18% of American Eagle Outfitters worth $7,934,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 1.9% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 52,537 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 963 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 93,000 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Alhambra Investment Management LLC now owns 15,275 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $305,000 after buying an additional 1,111 shares during the period. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Diversified Trust Co increased its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 4.3% during the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 35,395 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $792,000 after buying an additional 1,443 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.33% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other American Eagle Outfitters news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,283 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.49, for a total value of $49,061.67. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.79, for a total value of $653,700.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 200,427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,367,304.33. This trade represents a 13.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 1,050,702 shares of company stock valued at $21,148,718 over the last quarter. 7.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. American Eagle Outfitters Stock Up 2.3 % American Eagle Outfitters ( NYSE:AEO – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 29th. The apparel retailer reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.31 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 4.58% and a return on equity of 20.98%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year. American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 11th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 11th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.84%. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades AEO has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Barclays cut their target price on American Eagle Outfitters from $32.00 to $26.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded American Eagle Outfitters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $25.00. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on American Eagle Outfitters American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile ( Free Report ) American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a multi-brand specialty retailer in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men under the American Eagle brand; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections under the Aerie and OFFLINE by Aerie brands. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AEO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. ( NYSE:AEO – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for American Eagle Outfitters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Eagle Outfitters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .When we say cricket test match in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, or Gabba, what comes to the mind? Aggressive bounce and pace and turn and swing apart, there is a lingering sense of fear of the unknown. Cricket in Australia, the way it was played back in the 90s, was all about dominance of the home team against the minions. It was about sheer arrogance of pace bowling, of pitches that could kill, and a pace attack that could bring top opponents to their knees. But that was then. Today, Aussies are not a benchmark of quality, nor are countries scared of their batting strips. Has the veil behind the branding finally lifted or have teams become better equipped... we find out New Delhi: The Indian test cricket squad beat Aussies, in Perth, by a mammoth 295 runs. Now neither is this news flash, nor is it such an unbelievable feat that we keep crowing over it for this long, but there is still enough dough for us to talk about. Yes, this is our biggest win in Australia against the home team in a test match (bragging rights, eh?), yes, records were smashed (Bumrah’s fifer needs celebrations) and yes we have not only managed to get the Aussie media’s attention but we have them swooning to Jasprit Bumrah’s cleverly guised reverse swing, slower balls, bouncers or even his nipping it off the seam! While the Aussies are back to the drawing board trying to decode the “biomechanics” or “whatever” of Bumrah’s “awkward” run up and release of the ball, or discern whether their big three at the top — Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja — were “undercooked, overcooked or both” (media reports), we in India are happy that we have finally breached the SENA country. It is not the first, wont be the last. But the cricket dominance of Australia, both in terms of the team being a barometer of success and also in terms of their pitches being made in heaven, have been shattered. This deserves a piece, mate! Why Australian ego needed to be crushed The Kangaroos have held on to the adage of being the most “formidable” line-up, of being a team known for its composure and clear thinking, and of being front-runners when it came to batting, bowling and fielding (sledging too) was one that deserved to be shattered. It has been a slow process getting there but it has been conquered, and in style. The Indian cricket team has had a huge role to play in this pivot with other smaller cricketing nations contributing significantly. With as many as 10 Border-Gavaskar trophies, out of the 16 series that have been played so far, India is on the top of that chart and we are not yielding that position in a hurry. Australia, has five series wins, while one ended in a draw. It is an important series but we have achieved the feat of beating the Aussies in their own backyard many time before. Bumrah, himself, has been the architect of many such setbacks. Notably, the win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2018, where the team handed one of the most embarrassing defeats to Australia by 137 runs. It was owed to the resilience shown by Cheteshwara Pujara and the devastating pace and seam by Jasprit Bumrah back then. Today, there is a different set of heroes, but the outcome is as sweet as we have experienced before. That the Australian ego has been seriously bruised can be gauged by the way their media has reported the happenings of last week. The puns on the lagging and aging top order may seem out of place, but their criticism of some of their seasoned batters when it came to handling the pace attack of India, in a pitch that is considered home, drove in a point. Most of the headlines described the Aussie performance as ‘Perth-etic’ or lacklustre. Truly there couldn’t be a better word to describe the scenes that unfolded at Perth. The ultimate solace for a fan from the Asian sub continent was that it was the Aussies that were facing the music, and not an opposition who had been handed another humiliating defeat. Said cricketer-commentator Wasim Akram during the course of the event – “It seems like the Aussie backbone has snapped. The ego of being a barometer for performance has been crushed...” Indeed. But who gave them the pride of place anyway? Cricket in Australia was a gift of British colonisation back in the 1800s with the first match being played out in Sydney in 1803. The south-eastern colonies that had experienced the British culture the most, took a fancy to the sport and helped it evolve with time. The dominance of Cricket Australia, or as they proudly refer to it as their ‘golden period’ was during the 19th century and the turn of the 20th; when the team was being led by veteran captains Joe Darling, Monty Noble and Clem Hill, the men who went on to win eight of ten tours that the team participated in. The cherry on the top was Australia winning four consecutive World Cup tournaments and were unbeaten in the Ashes series, barring the one in 2005. This was the prime of the Waugh brothers, and a very constructive middle order. While the batters were truly but surely bursting into the scene, pace and spin attackers were scripting their own history. Shane Warne with his spin had the world at wits end, McGrath Jason Gillespie and Bret Lee were confusing the batsmen with pace, bounce and swing. This is the time when Australia became the true test of champions, from players to commentators to even sporting enthusiasts, all believed that the nation was unbeatable in every aspect of the game. How did this aura suddenly become so gigantic? Partly because of the raw talent that the team possessed and kept on churning out players who could carry on the legacy, also because at the same time, other teams were fighting with systemic challenges being borne out financial constraints. But marketing and packaging were also core focus areas for Australian cricket back then. The way their media headlined victories, to the commentators dominating the BTS with their guffaws that further demoralised the opponents, there was a lot of backend activity that propelled Australia to this fantasy status. This adoration changed into fear in no time, teams that were ill-equipped with technology and expertise to match them, felt the heavy burden. Australia meanwhile continued to pile on to their records, averages and trophies. They wore the badge of ‘undisputable favourites’ in whichever tournament they participated in. This went on for well into the early 2000s. Some blamed this on systemic limitations that teams faced. India, for instance, at one point couldn’t send teams frequently to play down under because we were reeling under a cash crunch. As the BCCI evolved into a money-spinning beast later that the Indian players too found life to be much easier. Tours to first-world countries became more frequent, which helped players on these tours calibrate their techniques to suit to the conditions. Now, the tables have turned. Not just for the players but even for Indian audieTnces who are convinced that whenever a test match is played at an Australian venue, we start as “equals”, maybe even better than the host team. Maybe Rishabh Pant had something to do with this: This author’s favourite match/turning point for Indo-Aussie rivalry: I cannot end this analysis without bringing back an emotional moment from Brisbane in 2021. It was Rishabh Pant who hit the winning runs at this venue to complete a monumental series win. This, for me, is that moment which signalled a complete transition in the way the rivalry would be spoken of for the years to come. That victory at the Gabba will still be haunting the Oz, India, meanwhile still has Rishabh Pant in the batting order waiting for a sequel on December 14... Click for more latest Opinion Analysis news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Media professional with over two decades of experience in content generation, news writing and leadership roles. Worked with some of the biggest media establishments. Sci-fi on OTT is a big stress buster. Also takes her sports very seriously; and does believe that Man Utd will be back soon...
Together We Grow: AgroLiquid + Monty's Plant Food Company logos ST. JOHNS, Mich. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AgroLiquid , a leader in high-efficiency crop liquid fertilizer solutions, today announced the acquisition of Monty's Plant Food Company , a Louisville -based specialist in soil health and plant nutrition technology. The acquisition, effective Jan. 1, 2025 , brings together two family-founded businesses that excel in agricultural innovation and share a commitment to farmer success.
NonePSG beats Toulouse 3-0 and Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest
Dave Portnoy has criticized Ohio State's players after a mass brawl took place on the field following Saturday's game with Michigan . The clash at Ohio Stadium in Columbus descended into chaos after Michigan secured a famous 13-10 victory thanks to a late field goal in the fourth quarter. Michigan's win is its fourth in-a-row against Ohio State, one of its biggest rivals, but the game will be remembered for what happened after it. A mass brawl broke out on the field after a Wolverines player planted a Michigan flag at the 50-yard line. Countless players were involved in the scrap, and the cops even resorted to using pepper spray to end the violence. Michigan discovers consequences of Bryce Underwood flip as star decommits Georgia sparks debate with escape vs Georgia Tech ahead of College Playoff Two Michigan players, thought to be on the receiving end of the pepper spray, were caught on camera in distress with tears streaming from their eyes. Portnoy, who is a Michigan fan, reacted to scrap on X. "Hey, shoutout to Ohio State after the game!" Portnoy sarcastically stated as the violence was unfolding on TV. "Putting up a big fight! Lost four in-a-row but here they go... look at Jack Sawyer (ripping down the flag)! Big (No.) 33! I think he's 0-4 now against Michigan. "Does this count? Throws the flag down! Outta boy 33! Outta boy 33! Never beat Michigan, can't beat Michigan! These seniors - see ya! 0-4! "Beat the flag, broke the flag. Listen, you don't want the flag planted at the 50 (yard line)? How about beating us you cowards?" Michigan's victory was a huge upset. The Wolverines are the defending national champions but lost coach Jim Harbaugh and star quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the NFL during the offseason. Harbaugh became the head coach of the Los Angeles Charges, while McCarthy was a first-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft. Michigan went into Saturday's game with a modest 6-5 record, while Ohio State was at 10-1. Despite their impressive form this season, the Buckeyes were forced to endure another defeat to the Wolverines. "For such a great game, you hate to see something like that after the game," said Michigan's running back Kalel Mullings after the violence unfolded. "It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. But the end of the day, some people gotta learn how to lose, man. You can't be fighting and stuff just cause you lost a game. "All that fighting, we had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting, and now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People gotta be better."
CGI expands operations in multiple U.S. metro markets with DaughertyThe United Kingdom on Wednesday indefinitely banned new prescriptions of puberty blockers to treat minors for gender dysphoria. The announcement comes a week after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case involving state bans on puberty-suppressing medication and other forms of transition-related care for minors. Puberty blockers are commonly prescribed to transgender children in countries throughout the Western world to delay the onset of puberty or pause it as it is transpiring. The medication is prescribed with the goal of giving children who are experiencing gender dysphoria more time to decide if they want to take more permanent steps to transition genders. Puberty resumes when the medication is no longer taken. The indefinite ban on the medication in Britain comes several months after an independent study commissioned by England’s National Health Service concluded that the medical evidence around transition-related care for minors is “remarkably weak” and that more research is needed. “Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led,” British Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said in a press release . “The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people.” Dr. Hilary Cass, the author of the independent study, known as the “Cass report,” said she supported the ban, according to the same release. “Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks, and that is why I recommended that they should only be prescribed following a multi-disciplinary assessment and within a research protocol,” she said. Transgender activists around the world condemned the ban. “I wouldn’t wish medical negligence on my worst enemy. Labour activists just wished it on my entire community,” Iris Duane, a former candidate for Britain’s Parliament, wrote on X . “To friends, family and community, many of us will survive, and we will remind them that hell is calling.” Trans minors in the U.K. who are already taking the medication can continue doing so, according to the government, and cisgender minors who experience puberty at an abnormally early age will still be able to receive new prescriptions for the medication. A temporary ban on new puberty-blocker prescriptions for British minors experiencing gender dysphoria was already put in place over the summer. Wednesday’s announcement extends the ban indefinitely as the government begins clinical trials on the medications starting next year. The ban will be revisited in 2027. The U.K. ban comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Tennessee is one of more than two dozen states that restrict such care in the U.S.