Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say
This Timberwolves roster is different than the one from a year ago. That much is obvious in games, as Karl-Anthony Towns’ consistent scoring and general size is missed, as is the playmaking and ball security of guys like Kyle Anderson and Jordan McLaughlin. ADVERTISEMENT But their absences have been felt in the locker room, as well. Towns was a consistent source of positivity for the team. Anderson was one of the loudest vocal leaders. The latter can be especially difficult to replace, especially because it can be uncomfortable to speak up when things are going poorly and something needs to change. That was the position Anthony Edwards has found himself in early this season. Edwards has been praised for his leadership through his first four years on Minnesota’s roster. Mostly, that all came via positivity and example. Edwards can be coached hard, which gave the greenlight for the coaches to treat everyone else the same way. Edwards was also quick to credit his teammates around him for their contributions to the cause, and was eager and willing to spend time with and talk to anyone on the roster, players No. 1-15. He’ll also stand up for any of his teammates if the occasion ever arises. That’s why he has been so beloved in the locker room and why he was viewed as such a leader, even at his young age. ADVERTISEMENT But with Anderson’s departure, Edwards was now tasked with leading even through choppy waters. And the waves have been rather large through the first quarter of the season. Minnesota’s defense has fallen off a cliff in comparison to where it was a year ago. After never even as many as three consecutive games during the 2023-24 regular season, the Wolves endured a four-game losing skid earlier this week. At that point, words were exchanged, both publicly and privately. A halftime hash out during Minnesota’s loss Wednesday to Sacramento got the conversation rolling. Mike Conley got the dialogue started, but all indications are that Edwards was a healthy participant. Edwards noted it’s difficult to know what to say in those times. “Because you look at everybody, and everybody got a different agenda. It’s like, ‘What the (heck) am I supposed to say?’ You know what I mean?” Edwards said. “I’m trying to get better in that aspect, figure out what the hell to say to get everybody on the same agenda, because everybody right now is on different agendas. I think that’s one of the main culprits of why we’re losing, because everybody out there got their own agenda. I guess their imagination of what’s supposed to be going on, and what’s really happening.” Nickeil Alexander-Walker told reporters at Friday’s shootaround that this is the most vocal Edwards has ever been. And while the intention of everyone’s messages are pure, “sometimes it’s not always worded the right way.” ADVERTISEMENT “I think we’ve crossed that line of, ‘Man, I feel like you’re not hearing the message.’ It’s tough to be called out, because you start to feel like, ‘OK, are you saying I’m the reason?’ No one wants to be at fault,” Alexander-Walker said. “But at the end of the day, I definitely think that guys are open to hearing it better. And I think it just came from a stand point of, at a point and time in the conversation, there was a comeback. It was going back and forth now, as opposed to receiving it (and saying), ‘OK, I got you.’ That’s how it’s going to be. It’s very rare that someone is just going to be able to be called out and not have anything to say. “It’s human nature to be defensive, at the end of the day. But kind of remembering what we’re here for, and if I’m being called out, chances are I’ve got to look in the mirror and be better.” It’s a delicate dance. There has to be an environment rooted in accountability, but you also have to be sure not to lose teammates, as Jimmy Butler was criticized for doing during his short stint in Minnesota a few years ago. ADVERTISEMENT And while it’s never ideal for a team to be living through a stretch of basketball the quality of which falls significantly short of the expectation, these stretches will likely lead to growth for Edwards, if not on the court, then in the locker room. You can’t steer a ship to a title if you don’t know how to navigate turbulent tides. Day by day, loss by loss, Edwards is learning how to spin the wheel. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .The best Black Friday TV deals still available(TNS) — Supremacy in the race to self-drive an electrified auto industry is harder than the masters of Detroit and Silicon Valley figured, proving that what players do is far more important than what they say. General Motors Co. showed as much this week with after pumping $10 billion into it and seeing nothing but more of the same for years to come. Talk about sunk cost: the capitulation effectively cedes an allegedly multibillion-dollar opportunity to Google parent Alphabet’s Waymo AV unit, Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. and what one industry analyst calls China EV Inc. That must rankle atop GM because it’s not how the reinvention of the mother of all legacy automakers was supposed to evolve in this allegedly post-industrial age. Under CEO Mary Barra, GM’s been pushing to reinvent its workforce, restore its product cred and recast its core identity into a next-gen digital automaker deserving a higher share price delivering more value to investors. Mission accomplished — sort of. GM’s robotaxi retreat and redeployment of precious capital feels faintly like a replay of an old, familiar melody in the Detroit automaker's history: in the mid-1990s, reminds Tu Le in his latest Sino Auto Insights newsletter, GM launched a connected vehicle service it still operates called OnStar and fielded for just a few years an EV for the masses dubbed EV1. "The ideas and the ambitions were spot on," he writes, "but either the bean counters and/or management didn't have the stomachs to see these technologies through. Cruise is likely gonna be another one of those missed opportunities for GM." Cruise's exit from its robotaxi program also is a reminder that all sides of this competitive equation — big tech, startups, legacy autos, the investor class — are finding the technological journey, the financial demands and the regulatory scrutiny far more difficult and far more expensive than they figured when they bet on the inevitability of an electrified auto industry driving itself by ... well, soon. “The announcement is also a black eye for the credibility of GM management that, as recently as last year, told investors the Cruise business could generate $50 billion in annual revenue by 2030,” wrote Garrett Nelson, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research. “We think investors were losing patience with its hefty spending (on) robotaxi development with very little to show for its investment.” Things change, such as who controls the U.S. regulatory regime. Expect presidential policy-making to soon favor an EV skeptic like President-elect Donald Trump, enamored as he is with a last-century manufacturing caricature powered by gasoline. Say goodbye to $7,500 tax subsidies on qualifying EVs and hello to tariffs on, say, Mexican-built Ford Mustang Mach-Es — Trump-driven moves that threaten to sap the profitability Detroit needs to fund its EV programs. Add persistent consumer skepticism fueled by still-spotty charging infrastructure and steep EV prices crashing headlong into the technological promise touted by Silicon Valley, Detroit and their legacy rivals. Worse, the capital demands for developing technology outside the wheelhouse of more traditional automakers like GM are totaling too much, especially when there's real money to be made on ICE vehicles in Trump World. And the fact that Detroit is trying to compete with the most technologically adept, most well-capitalized (read "richest") companies on the planet — for whose market cap $10 billion in sunk capital is almost pocket change — should crystalize the scope of the challenge GM and its legacy rivals face now and into the future. The simple fact is this: the business ecosystems colliding in the electrified AV space, where each regards the other with derision and misunderstanding, misread the complexity of their undertaking. Tech sharpies figured building vehicles to comport with safety regs and enabling them to drive themselves would be comparatively easy, and industry motorheads bet they could fund their technological odyssey into a brave new (and unfamiliar) world with profits earned on full-sized pickups and SUVs. Both sides miscalculated, misguided in part by fervor from Wall Street, the environmental lobby and a post-pandemic Biden administration. The president and his people believed a green automotive future would be nigh if only the government could offer enough tax subsidies and manufacturing grants to a) realize the vision and b) stymie China's government-backed EV behemoth. Consumer demand? Meh, they'll come around. Not enough of them have, yet, unsurprisingly preferring what they know. As much as Detroit's automakers want to divorce themselves from their "legacy" past they can't persuasively deny their history, geographic footprint and automotive heritage. And distancing themselves from their core competency in a bid to change the narrative about what they are is not without peril. GM's not alone in its conundrum. Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG bolted their autonomous vehicle gigs a few years back now. Apple Inc., the do-no-wrong heaviest of tech heavyweights, bagged its autonomous car that terrified legacy auto executives simply because it would be an Apple product. Musk endured production “hell” with the launch of his Tesla 3, demonstrating that building a car the right way is harder and less profitable than it looks. The shift to electrification and self-driving vehicles is not a destination whose arrival can be guaranteed — as GM, its industry rivals and Silicon Valley players are learning, sometimes in expensive and humbling ways. It's a journey, and it's just beginning. ©
Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and Safran Showcase Commercial Aviation and Urban Mobility to Global Aviation Industry at Marrakech Air Show 2024
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui believes that Arsenal should not have been allowed to score two of their five goals during Saturday’s resounding Premier League win. The ruthless and resurgent Gunners ran out 5-2 winners at the London Stadium, with all of their goals - plus the two from West Ham - coming in an incredible first half. Lopetegui, however, was unhappy with both Arsenal’s early opener and their fifth goal, which was their second penalty, just before half-time. The Hammers manager believes that Jurrien Timber fouled Lucas Paqueta by blocking him when Bukayo Saka swung in a corner that Gabriel headed home to give the visitors a 10th-minute lead. Lopetegui - who watched Saturday’s match from the stands as he served a one-game touchline ban - was also of the opinion that Arsenal should not have been given a second penalty when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was adjudged to have punched Gabriel when coming to clear a corner. “It was a very strange first half above all,” he said. “I think that when you see the score, 2-5, you think that it has been an incredible storm, but it wasn’t like that. “I think that it happened in a lot of little details. We didn't do well, it's true that we have to do better, but [they have scored] with two penalties, one set-piece action. “I think that it was very, very close with Paqueta [being fouled at the corner when Gabriel scored the first goal]. “We have to review all our understanding about the rules. That was very, very clear in my opinion. And that was the first goal, I think that it was tough for us. “I'm very sad, and then suddenly the second goal, I think it was an action that we had to defend better. “There was energy about us after the second goal by Emerson, thinking that with one goal more we are very close to getting back level. “And the fifth goal with one very, very soft action for the penalty, when Lukasz said he touched the ball. “I think that we were unlucky with the decisions, in my opinion, the first goal and with the fifth goal. “It’s very difficult to compete when being three goals down, but I think that the players did well in the second half.” Addressing the Gabriel goal again, Lopetegui said: “There is one player [Timber] that bumped into the back of Paqueta with the only intention that he can’t jump. The rules have to be the same for all of us. “The first was a set-piece that we prepared and, in my opinion, has been a very, very clear foul. We were unlucky with the decisions today. We asked before the match, the referee with the block, as a coach we have to know the limit.”
Saturday, November 30, 2024 Cuba continues to captivate Uruguayan tourists with its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality. As a destination rich in geography, history, and traditions, Cuba remains a top choice for travelers seeking an immersive experience. With recent advancements in travel processes and connectivity, visiting this tropical paradise has never been easier. Cuba’s tourism industry is thriving, welcoming over 2.4 million international visitors in 2023. While Canadian tourists made up the majority, the surge reflects a growing global interest, including a rising number of travelers from Uruguay. For these tourists, Cuba offers an unmatched blend of pristine beaches, cultural richness, and culinary delights, making it a top-tier destination. Varadero Beach, recently named the second-best beach in the world, remains a crown jewel for visitors. Equally alluring is Havana, celebrated as the “Latin American capital of cocktails,” where travelers can enjoy Cuba’s famed rum and indulge in its rich musical heritage as the birthplace of son music. Beyond leisure, Cuba also shines as a hub for international events and is rapidly gaining recognition in the health tourism sector. Getting to Cuba from Uruguay is now more convenient than ever. With regular flights from airlines such as Latam, Copa, Avianca, and Bolivia’s Boa, travel to the island is seamless. Excitingly, an exploratory mission by Cubana de Aviación scheduled for December 6 aims to solidify direct flights between South America and Cuba, further improving accessibility for Uruguayan tourists. In a significant step to boost tourism, Cuba recently introduced an electronic visa system, simplifying the travel process for Uruguayans. The e-visa eliminates traditional barriers, making it easier than ever to plan a trip. This innovation is expected to encourage more Uruguayan travelers to experience Cuba’s charm. The shared cultural ties between Uruguay and Cuba add another layer of appeal for Uruguayan tourists. These enhanced travel processes and connectivity improvements underscore Cuba’s commitment to fostering stronger bonds with Uruguay, ensuring an unforgettable journey for those exploring its vibrant destinations. By simplifying travel and boosting connectivity, Cuba has positioned itself as a must-visit destination for Uruguayans, offering easy access to an array of extraordinary experiences. Cuba is a vibrant blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Its cities are alive with music, color, and a unique charm that promises unforgettable experiences. Here’s your guide to the must-visit cities of Cuba: Havana is a city like no other, where old-world charm meets contemporary vibrancy. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Known for its turquoise waters and powdery sands, Varadero is the ultimate tropical getaway. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Step back in time in Trinidad, where cobblestone streets and pastel-colored buildings tell stories of the past. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Known as the cradle of the Cuban Revolution, Santiago is a hub of Afro-Cuban culture and music. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Cienfuegos boasts French-inspired architecture and a serene coastal atmosphere. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Famous for its labyrinthine streets and artistic vibe, Camagüey offers a quieter side of Cuba. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Santa Clara is the final resting place of Che Guevara and a must-visit for history buffs. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Home to Cuba’s lush tobacco fields and stunning landscapes, Pinar del Río is ideal for nature lovers. Top Attractions : Local Tips : Cuba is a destination that offers something for everyone, from history and culture to relaxation and adventure. Pack your bags and get ready to explore this enchanting island!Why Nominal Rigidity is Central to Macroeconomic StabilityResMed Inc. stock rises Thursday, outperforms marketBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona lost at home for the first time this season when the Liga leader was stunned by Las Palmas 2-1 on Saturday. Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva scored for the Canary Islands club on either side of Raphinha’s equalizer to give Las Palmas its first win at Barcelona in more than 50 years. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week