Eagles try to cast aside perceived Hurts-Brown relationship issues ahead of Steelers showdown
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a "fundamental act of justice" after decades of repression, but it was "a moment of risk and uncertainty" for the Mideast. Biden spoke at the White House hours after after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country after more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family. Biden said the United States was unsure of Assad's whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria's backers - Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said "for the first time" that they could no longer defend Assad's grip on power. "Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said, after a meeting with his national security team at the White House. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, "was not interested in protecting him any longer." Those comments on Trump's social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Biden said he intended those for troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted "dozens" of what he called "precision air strikes" on Islamic State camps and operations in Syria. The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. "We will remain vigilant," Biden said. "Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses." He added that the groups are "saying the right things now." "But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions," Biden said. Assad's fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia's war in Ukraine, noting that Assad's allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, "are in a weakened state right now." Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. "Many of 'the rebels' are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they've moderated. Time will tell," he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad's ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin's government "lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine" and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders. Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was "solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict." "We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria's minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement," Shapiro said. "Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad's horrific crimes, Russia's indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS," he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. "If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime," he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. "To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we're waiting for Austin," Tice's mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. "We know that when he comes out, he's going to be fairly dazed & he's going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!" Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. We've remained committed to returning him to his family," Biden said at the White House. "We believe he's alive, we think we can get him back but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable." The president added: "We have to identify where he is." ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, and AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.The Best AI Stock to Invest $500 in Right Now
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Pawar visits Markadwadi, vows to fight for ballot paper elections
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and others to immediately clear the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab where farmers are staging protests. Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. The plea, filed in the apex court by a social activist hailing from Punjab, also sought directions to the Centre and others to remove restrictions on farmers’ protests and to ensure that national highways and railway tracks are not blocked by the agitating farmers. It has alleged that farmers’ and farmer unions have blocked the entire national and state highways in Punjab permanently and for an indefinite period.As per the cause list of December 9 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is slated to hear the plea. “The alleged farmers and their farmer unions have blocked the national highway at the entry point of Punjab i.e. Shambu for more than one year and recently have blocked national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab at various locations on October 24, 2024,” the plea said. It claimed the blockage of highways was a threat to national security as the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passes through Punjab. “People of Punjab and neighbouring states are facing great difficulty as they are unable to reach hospitals on time in case of medical emergency, as even ambulances are being stopped from running on national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab,” the plea said. It said free movement on highways comes under the fundamental right of the citizen, which is being violated by the farmers by blocking them in the entire state of Punjab. “The state of Punjab is being targeted by the foreign, external and anti-national forces with the intention to use alleged farmers and farmer unions to de-stable Punjab as Punjab is the backbone of the entire country and has a history of facing many attacks from neighbouring countries,” the plea claimed.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The guy on the Philly sports talk radio station had something to say, and he started to vent about the perceived strained relationship between star quarterback Jalen Hurts and standout wide receiver A.J. Brown. Why weren’t these two Pro Bowl Eagles on the same page? Why had their personal and professional relationship changed even with Philadelphia enjoying tremendous success? It was football gossip usually ripe for a hot-take host or fed-up fan to stir up on the air — only in this instance, the temperature check came from inside the locker room. Normally respected team leader Brandon Graham, who is sidelined with a triceps injury, noted in a radio appearance that “ things have changed ” between Hurts and Brown in the wake of a stale passing game in last week’s win over Carolina. An apologetic Graham walked back his comments. Hurts and Brown both insisted their relationship was cool in front of media hordes more appropriate for the Super Bowl. As for the rest of the Eagles, they were ready to squash the so-called controversy. “We are moving on,” offensive lineman and Christmas song crooner Jordan Mailata said. “It is the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Not the A.J. Brown and Jalen Show. It is the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s it.” Oh yeah, the Steelers! Lost in the brouhaha ignited in a Philly sports bar is the fact that sitting — and winning — on the western side of Pennsylvania are the Steelers (10-3). Unlike most matchups in series history, this one Sunday at the Linc comes with the tantalizing appeal of a potential Super Bowl preview. The Steelers have won seven of eight, and the Eagles (11-2) have won nine straight and could clinch the NFC East with a win and a Washington loss or tie. It's the first time the teams — among the original eight NFL teams — will play each other when they both have a double-digit win total. Both teams are in strong position for a playoff run — the Eagles led by Saquon Barkley and his pursuit of Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record; Russell Wilson and the soft-schedule Steelers atop the AFC North in large part thanks to six wins against teams that currently have losing records. “I do like playing really good people, I think there's growth in it,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “You've got to get the job done. But man, I think there's significant growth in pitting your collective talents and skills versus big-time opponents and they're certainly that.” Will the drama out of Philly this week affect the Eagles? They certainly don't think so and neither do the oddsmakers — the Eagles are 5 1/2-point favorites, per BetMGM. “What I’ve noticed about this football team is they’re so locked in and determined to get better each day,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We don’t really want anyone else talking to us about anything other than the Pittsburgh Steelers.” Good luck with that, Coach. Maybe playing the Steelers on Sunday at home can snap the Eagles out of their offensive malaise. Hurts threw three TD passes to Brown in a 35-13 win in 2022. Barkley watch Barkley leads the NFL in rushing with 1,623 yards, 216 yards ahead of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry. He is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace, and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, which would put him just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984. Barkley doesn’t need much of a reminder from his 2020 performance when, while playing for the New York Giants, he ran into a Pittsburgh defense that seemed reminiscent of its famed Steel Curtain. The Steelers held Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries. Bye, George The Steelers will have to find a way forward against the NFL’s toughest defense without wide receiver George Pickens, who will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh survived last week against Cleveland, with Mike Williams and Scotty Miller — afterthoughts of late — coming off the bench to make an impact. While Tomlin believes “the strength of the pack is the pack,” the reality is the Steelers don’t have anyone who can stretch the field like Pickens, who leads the team in receptions (55) and yards (850) by a wide margin. It’s a challenge, but considering the way Wilson has spread the ball around — eight players caught passes against the Browns — he won’t lack for options. “Everybody in the receiver room has a different skill set, different strengths,” Calvin Austin III said. “The coaching staff knows that and they know how to put us in position to be able to show that.” Playoff preview The cross-state trip to Philadelphia, where the Steelers haven’t won in nearly 60 years, is the start of an 11-day stretch in which Pittsburgh faces three teams likely bound for the playoffs. While Tomlin is leaning into the “nameless, gray faces” mantra he uses for every opponent, his players know facing the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs in such a short period is a litmus test for what’s to come in January. “That’s why I’m in the league, period,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “When you sign up to play football, you want to play at the highest level. ... I love to play the game the right way. I think these next few games is going to show that and it starts with the Eagles.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflPolice officers found a man who appeared to be channeling his inner Santa Claus on Tuesday in Fall River, Massachusetts. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Robert Langlais, allegedly tried to evade police by jumping down into a chimney at a home in the area, News Channel 9 reported Thursday. An image shows the suspect trapped in the tiny space: Authorities were executing a search warrant when two men fled the home by climbing onto the rooftop. One of the suspects, police said, eluded them by jumping off the roof and onto a parked vehicle. In a social media post Wednesday, City of Fall River Police Department described what happened, writing that Langlais “invoked the essence of the seasonal icon and attempted to hide inside of a chimney.” The agency continued: Langlais quickly became stuck in the chimney and required the assistance of the very detectives he was previously fleeing from. With the help of the Fall River Fire Department and Fall River Emergency Medical Services, Langlais was rescued and taken into custody. Due to his Santa-antics, Langlais was transported to a local hospital out of precaution and was medically cleared. He was formally arrested for Possession of Class A drugs, Possession of Class B drugs and a slew of charges from outstanding warrants. Also present and arrested, with less theatrics, was Tanisha Ibay (age 32) for the charges of Possession of Class A drugs and Possession of Class B drugs. On the evening of December 10, 2024, Detectives of the Community Action & Suppression Team (CAST) executed a search... Posted by City of Fall River Police Department on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 Police body camera footage shows an officer talking to a neighbor who tells him, “I was walking my dog a little while ago. I heard some screaming. I looked up and that back house, a guy went down, yeah, he went down the chimney.” “He’s in the chimney?” the officer asked, to which the man replied, “He’s in the chimney.” When the officers found the suspect in the chimney, one of them told him, “You’re an idiot. Show us your hands.” However, it appears the wannabe Santa Claus is wedged tightly inside the chimney. The clip then shows the top of Langlais’ head. Moments later, the video recorded the moment firefighters broke through the brick and pulled him out to safety: As described in our earlier post, last night, December 10, 2024, Detectives of the Community Action & Suppression Team (CAST) executed a search warrant at 127 Canal Street. In that incident Robert Langlais (age 33) attempted to evade arrest by hiding inside of a chimney. Detectives unable to free him called our friends at the Fall River Fire Department and Fall River Emergency Medical Services to the scene to rescue Langlais who had become wedged in the chimney. Click on the link below for police body worn camera footage of this incident. Posted by City of Fall River Police Department on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 Social media users shared their thoughts on the incident, one person writing , “Dude was tryna deliver presents” while another user said he was on the “Naughty list.” A similar instance happened in 2019 when a naked man accused of trying to burglarize a home in Los Angeles was arrested after being found stuck in a chimney, Breitbart News reported.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Colby Rogers scored 28 points and Moussa Cisse had 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks as Memphis defeated No. 16 MIssissippi 87-70 on Saturday. PJ Haggerty finished with 17 points as Memphis (10-3) won for the third time in four games. Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss (11-2) with 13 points and four assists. Jaylen Murray scored 12 and Malik Dia 11 as the Rebels had their five-game winning streak halted. Memphis' defense caused early problems for the Rebels, and the Tigers extended their lead to double digits. But, Ole Miss made five straight field goals, including a string of 3-pointers, to get back into the game before halftime, trailing by just two points at the break. The Tigers opened the second half on a 14-4 run and extended their lead to as many as 13 points near the midway point of the second half. Ole Miss: The Rebels are 24-2 in non-conference games since Chris Beard took over last season, the only other loss to Purdue on Nov. 29. Memphis: The Tigers entered with two straight home losses, to Arkansas State and Mississippi State. From the start, Cisse played inspired. The first play was set up for a Cisse dunk, part of Memphis getting off to a good start. His inside game complemented Rogers' scoring from the outside. Ole Miss commits less than nine turnovers a game while forcing 16.7 per game for opponents. The Memphis defense caused eight Rebel miscues before halftime. While the Rebels cut down on the turnovers in the second half, Memphis defenders continued to cause problems. Ole Miss opens SEC play on Jan. 4 against Georgia. Memphis travels to Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Colby Rogers scored 28 points and Moussa Cisse had 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks as Memphis defeated No. 16 MIssissippi 87-70 on Saturday. PJ Haggerty finished with 17 points as Memphis (10-3) won for the third time in four games. Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss (11-2) with 13 points and four assists. Jaylen Murray scored 12 and Malik Dia 11 as the Rebels had their five-game winning streak halted. Memphis' defense caused early problems for the Rebels, and the Tigers extended their lead to double digits. But, Ole Miss made five straight field goals, including a string of 3-pointers, to get back into the game before halftime, trailing by just two points at the break. The Tigers opened the second half on a 14-4 run and extended their lead to as many as 13 points near the midway point of the second half. Ole Miss: The Rebels are 24-2 in non-conference games since Chris Beard took over last season, the only other loss to Purdue on Nov. 29. Memphis: The Tigers entered with two straight home losses, to Arkansas State and Mississippi State. From the start, Cisse played inspired. The first play was set up for a Cisse dunk, part of Memphis getting off to a good start. His inside game complemented Rogers' scoring from the outside. Ole Miss commits less than nine turnovers a game while forcing 16.7 per game for opponents. The Memphis defense caused eight Rebel miscues before halftime. While the Rebels cut down on the turnovers in the second half, Memphis defenders continued to cause problems. Ole Miss opens SEC play on Jan. 4 against Georgia. Memphis travels to Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and
Club América vs. Monterrey: Where to watch Liga MX Finals, 1st Leg
-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Angelina Jolie and Cynthia Erivo gave it their all this year — both on screen and off — tapping into their inner strength via the extensive work that went into pulling off their roles in " Maria " and " Wicked ," two of 2024's biggest hits which landed them Golden Globe nominations for their stunning performances. In a 30-minute "Actors on Actors" conversation for Variety , Jolie and Erivo discussed their experience with holding grace through suffering, which they can relate to as people and used to flesh out their portrayals of Maria Callas and Elphaba, respectively. Related How Angelina Jolie relates to playing opera singer Maria Callas: "I share her vulnerability" Complimenting Jolie's embodiment of an end-of-career Callas, Erivo says, "She never feels sorry for herself," which is an observation that Jolie thanks her for noticing. "That's what breaks your heart, you know? Because she's still fighting," Erivo says. "And it's really beautiful to watch that because we don't get that very often in our woman characters. We want them to falter a little." "There's a push to . . . you're a good woman if you're apologizing . . . some people see it as just strength but it's not," Jolie says. "It's holding your grace as a woman. It doesn't mean you're not suffering . . . but you're not leaning on the self-pity." Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter , Crash Course. Going more into the similarities between their two characters in relation to holding grace through suffering, Jolie and Erivo went into a touching back and forth about how both Callas and Elphaba lacked the warmth and support of a loving mother. "Maria didn't have a mother that loved her and told her that she was enough as she was," Jolie says. "Both of our characters come from being alone since they were little. Feeling a little different." "And never expecting that anyone would give anything freely . . . love freely," Erivo added to this. "Just no trust. A lot of just you and you alone," Jolie continued on the topic. "And that at the end of the day, it's only gonna be you. And so any little kindness means everything." "I think there's this wonderful comparison of understanding the loneliness they both have to experience," Erivo says. "Because of that, they somehow have a really big capacity to love. So when it comes to them, they're both really open to it, however it needs to be reciprocated." "I think it's true for a lot of strong women," Jolie adds. "I think there's the idea that we don't want care and kindness and softness and love, and it's so much the opposite. It's just that it has to be proven to be true." Elsewhere in their discussion, Jolie talks about finding her voice again while learning how to belt out Callas' music, and there's a lot in the subtext of that statement. Still dealing with a divorce from Brad Pitt that's seen her in and out of court for nearly a decade, there's the sense that owning the screen in "Maria" helped her to own herself again. Watch their full discussion here: Read more about this topic Angelina Jolie developed Bell's palsy leading up to divorce from Brad Pitt "Wicked" reminds us we'd all better be ready to defy gravity. Especially Black women "Wicked" memes have taken a nasty turn following Cynthia Erivo's poster slam By Kelly McClure Kelly McClure is Salon's Nights and Weekends Editor covering daily news, politics and culture. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes MORE FROM Kelly McClure Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Actors On Actors Angelina Jolie Cynthia Erivo Maria Wicked Related Articles Advertisement:
Ukraine is slowly losing the three-year conflict on the battlefield. Russia is slowly losing the economic conflict at a roughly equal pace. The Kremlin’s oil export revenues are too low to sustain a high-intensity war and nobody will lend Vladimir Putin a kopeck. Russia’s overheated, military-Keynesian war economy looks much like the dysfunctional German war economy of late 1917, which had run out of skilled manpower and was holed below the waterline after three years of Allied blockade – as the logistical failures of the Ludendorff offensive would later reveal. Vladimir Putin’s war has crippled Russia’s economy. Credit: AP Photos Putin’s strategic victory in Ukraine was far from inevitable a fortnight ago and it is less inevitable now after the Assad regime collapsed like a house of cards , shattering Putin’s credibility in the Middle East and the Sahel. He could do nothing to save his sole state ally in the Arab world. “The limits of Russian military power have been revealed,” said Tim Ash, a regional expert at Bluebay Asset Management and a Chatham House fellow. Turkey is now master of the region. Turkish forces had to step in to rescue stranded Russian generals. Even if Putin succeeds in holding on to his naval base at Tartus – a big if – this concession will be on Ottoman terms and sufferance. “Putin now goes into Ukraine peace talks from a position of weakness,” said Mr Ash. Loading When Trump won the US elections in 2016, corks of Golubitskoe Villa Romanov popped at the Kremlin. There were no illusions this time. Anton Barbashin from Riddle Russia says Donald Trump imposed 40 rounds of sanctions on Russia, belying his bonhomie with Putin before the cameras. He has since warned that Putin will not get all of the four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. The Kremlin had banked on a contested election outcome in the US, followed by months of disarray that would discredit US democracy across the world. The polite interregnum has been a cruel disappointment. Barbashin says Russia’s leaders expect Trump to issue ultimatums to both Kyiv and Moscow: if Volodymyr Zelensky balks at peace terms, the US will sever all military aid; if Putin drags his feet, the US will up the military ante and carpet-bomb the Russian economy.
In 2025, reposition your career or business with AI (artificial intelligence). Why? In a Logic and Philosophy class (GST 103) as an undergraduate in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Nigeria, my professor explained one of the most foundational postulations of Pythagoras: the universe is numbers. Thales, Heraclitus and other philosophers had different explanations, ranging from water to fire. But the Pythagoras’ explanation was supreme. That lecture that day reminded me what happened in my first course in Physics in senior secondary, when Mr. Aham introduced us to the study of matter in relation to energy, as a subset of Natural Philosophy, and linking all to mathematics, the beautiful science of numbers. Simply, logic rules the world and every knowledge converges in philosophy, which means if you get a PhD in Chemistry, you have simply mastered logic and philosophy (the PHD title) in chemistry! So, at the height of knowledge, it is all about philosophy. If we connect Pythagoras postulation and what AI (artificial intelligence) is doing today, we can see that AI is helping us to understand our world better, since if the world is made up of numbers, it does mean that the business of man and woman, is making sense of numbers. Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025 ) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts. Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here. Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and i nvest in Africa’s finest startups here . Hello, that is computing and now with intelligence. Is that not exciting? It has a promise to change the world, as calculating, processing, etc, has evolved from the age of abacus, slide rule, difference engine,...., to now AI. AI will change the world, and as the Igbo Nation says “uwa bu ahia” [the world is a marketplace], it does imply that AI will change the marketplace. In other words, AI will change careers and businesses. But AI is not just about coding: think of how workers transitioned to Microsoft Word from typewriters, and how knowing how to use wordpressors like Microsoft Word is expected at workplaces. Yes, understanding how to use specific AI tools for your job will be as important as using Word and Excel at work. If you have no knowledge of any, it may be seen as a weakness. In Q1 2025, get an AI tool that will help you improve productivity . Do not delay because companies by Q2 will be subtly introducing those as job requirements. AI skill is the universal blue collar skill of the 21st century worker and employers, looking for productivity, will expect you to be ready Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 10 - May 3, 2025), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here .