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Georgia's ombudsman accuses police of torturing pro-EU protestersPunjab bypolls show AAP on course to big win in Delhi: KejriwalAustralians on the frontline of climate change are fighting for their vanishing ancestral home. Can a landmark lawsuit against the federal government save their way of life? Uncle Paul Kabai steps barefoot along a beach near a fallen sacred tree and onto the mud and broken coral edging his Torres Strait island home. He looks to the horizon and listens to the sea. "I can tell when it's going to rain or I can tell there will be an easterly blowing tomorrow," he says. "I can tell by the seas and the waves." The tidal flat is littered with dead sea almond trees, roots clawing at the tropical air. Others strain out of the mud and seawater, soil washed from their bases by the scouring tides. Saibai people have long buried the umbilical cords of newborns beneath these trees while whispering the names of the wind and stars as gifts to the infants. Where Uncle Paul stands, islanders once grew yams, taro, pineapples and bananas, camping on the warm sands while they tended the crops. "But you can't put anything here now," he says and points across the mud towards the sea. "Where the water is now, we used to camp there. "See the mangroves? That's where the actual beach was." He raises a hand to show how deep the water gets when the king tides surge in. With each incursion by the rising waters, with every tree, campground and farming plot reclaimed by the ocean, the people of Saibai Island feel their culture, their children's futures and their ancestral roots dissolving beneath their feet. But Uncle Paul and the other islanders are not ready to let all that slip quietly beneath the waves, out of sight and mind of the rest of Australia. He's taken the fight, and the island's existential plight, 3,000 kilometres south to the dry and formal environs of the Federal Court in Melbourne. From above, Saibai Island appears almost uninhabited — wild and remote. Mangroves, scrub and swampy estuaries cover its flat landscape. For a narrow, 2.5-kilometre stretch along the island's northern shore, colourful houses perch on stilts by the waters of the Torres Strait, or Zenadth Kes, as it's called by the traditional locals. Papua New Guinea 's coastline is less than 4 kilometres away, a visible indication of just how remote this community is from the Australian mainland. And, impossible to miss, is the 2.3-metrehigh concrete wall that runs the length of the town foreshore to keep the sea at bay, a conspicuous reminder of the threat of the ocean. During the winter months, the water laps sedately at the base of the sea wall and at low tide children venture onto the rocky mudflat to collect sea life. Parents remind them to stay away from the water's edge. After a recent death, locals are alert to crocodiles lurking beneath the surface. Shakyna Dau-Menegi, of the Samu (cassowary) clan, used to spend her spare time looking for clown shells at low tide with other kids and her elders. Now, she uses that time to collect plastic water bottles from other islanders to recycle and raise money for sandbags to protect her community and "the loved ones who are buried here". At 10, Shakyna knows more about climate change than most Australians her age. She understands the sea is rising by 6-to-8 millimetres a year in the strait, a worrying development for people who live on average just one metre above sea level. The island is only 1.7 metres above sea level at its highest point. It's even more concerning during Kuki, the monsoon season between January and April, when the usually calm Torres Strait can transform into a beast that claws at the island. "When there's storms the island shakes," Shakyna says. "A lot of waters come in and out and we see little bits and pieces of land going away one by one. "I find it very scary." King tides during Kuki can peak at just under 4 metres sending waves crashing over the sea wall built seven years ago. Estuaries and creeks fill with seawater that spreads and inundates the roads. "We used to go fishing in the night on the beach," Shakyna says, "but now there's no beach and the seas are too dangerous, the currents are too strong." She fears her people will one day no longer be able to live on the island. "Without our culture we don't know who we are and where we come from," she says. "We need the island to build our confidence, our culture and our strength." Paradise in peril Saibai has a population of about 300, many of whom are traditional owners — the Koeybuway (Ker-bu-y) and Moegibuway (Migi-bu-y) people — and others who trace their heritage to the Western Province villages of PNG. Very few tourists, if any, pass through the tiny island airport that looks more like a bus stop. A bench seat and tin roof are the only protection from tropical showers and the scorching sun. Most of the people who use the airport are residents returning home, mainlanders visiting family, or government employees flying in to provide essential services for the island. When we arrive, we are mistaken for butterfly researchers. We're told they visit the island looking for new and rare species. The town has a primary school, supermarket, health centre, community hall, church, petrol station and a new addition, a coffee shop in Conwell "Nathan" Tabuai's home. It's the northernmost cafe in Australia. And Nathan's coffee is as good as the best on the mainland. There's also a shuttered and dusty wet canteen, no longer serving alcohol but still a centre for community gatherings. With no high school on the island, teenagers travel off-country to complete their secondary education. As cars trundle along pot-holed streets at walking pace, Saibai is the definition of a sleepy island village. Palm trees bearing coconuts line the shore and Hills Hoist clotheslines rotate in well-maintained front yards, taking floral dresses for a spin as they dry in a sea breeze scented with tropical flowers. The bright houses have paintings of animals proudly representing the totems of the seven clans on the island: Saibai Koedal (crocodile), Dhoeybaw (wild yam), Thabu-burm/Katbay (snake), Sui/Saydam (bird), Umay (dog), Ait Koedal (inland crocodile) and Samu (cassowary). Dogs roam the streets. Some are pets, some are wild and have to be watched. Everything runs on "island time", as the residents call it. Conversations and consultations voiced at an agreeable pace are key to the community. But underlying this leisurely lifestyle is a growing urgency to preserve what is left — and what can still be remembered — of the languages, culture and stories of this island paradise before it is reclaimed by the sea. Legal and climate experts liken rising sea levels and climate harms to “colonisation”. The ancient language of Kalaw Kagaw Ya (KKY) remains widely and uniquely spoken on the island. It's an ancestral thread in the fabric of modern daily life. "Language is the vehicle of knowledge that we carry with us," says elder Aunty Marianna Babia, who is documenting and preserving the language. "It's everywhere, in singing, storytelling and just everyday speaking to each other." In her floral handbag she carries a notebook to scribble down words she comes across. Trying to keep up with technology, she sometimes taps them into her phone. But while new words have been created for things like planes (boethal uruy) and cars (woeylal), many old ones have been lost, much like the soil that makes up the island. The number of fluent KKY speakers continues to diminish as people leave the island or pass away, and Torres Strait creole, a combination of traditional languages and English, becomes more dominant. KKY is now a critically endangered language, according to UNESCO, the Australian government and Torres Strait communities. Aunty Marianna fears the entire language could become extinct if the people of Saibai have to leave their island. "If you are living elsewhere ... you lose the names of things that are here — plants, animals, trees ... everything," she says. Passed down for millennia Elder Sedrick Waia, of the Ait Koedal clan, spends his days listening to traditional music on a speaker as he creates crafts. Uncle Sedrick's yard is full of his masterpieces hung proudly in readiness for a market stall. Each design has a meaning. The carving on a burubur (drum) represents the seven clans and is named Nathara Kubi — the roof of a crocodile's mouth. Many of his works are used by the local Muyngu Koekoper dance group for performances about the island's unique environment or Saibai warriors' historic battles. Speaking in KKY translated for us by Saibai Islander Barbara Ibuai, Uncle Sedrick explains the meaning behind some of the artefacts and the stories handed down from Saibai ancestors and told in dance. He says he's working to preserve the old stories, songs and language that form the foundation of Koeybuway and Moegibuway culture. It's a guarantee for an uncertain future. "We're not allowed to change them. It's forbidden," Uncle Sedrick says. "If Saibai ... sinks, we can take our old ways, our old songs, our stories with us when we go so that culture can remain. "There is a responsibility to pass it on to the new generations." The youngest of the Saibai generations gathers for the local school showcase and Uncle Sedrick plays a ukulele to lead the community in traditional songs. Raindrops sizzle on the hot road as little feet dance and elders play the burubur. Laughter and joy fill the humid air. The people of Saibai are very spiritual, Uncle Paul explains, and Gogobithiay (land, sea and sky) is how the island speaks to them. The umbilical cord burial tradition is one of the ailan kastom (island custom) practices symbolising cultural identity to keep connections to country strong. Uncle Paul's wind is Kuki (west wind) and star Methakurap, which appears over the west of the island as the sun sets. Constellations also tell islanders when the seasons are changing, what to plant and when to start hunting turtles and dugongs. Now, traditional hunting grounds have changed as those culturally important foods — and important sources of protein — move to new locations. Uncle Paul's grandfather was a seafarer and could navigate by the stars. "When the stars of the Tagai constellation faced upwards, it was dry season," Uncle Paul tells us on the deck of his home. Tagai was a great fisherman and features in many creation stories across the Torres Strait Islands. When Tagai's spear faces down, it indicates the monsoon and rough seas are approaching. In the westernmost part of town is Saibai's cemetery, where the dead lay under ornate headstones. It's a place islanders visit often, not just for funerals but to commune quietly with their ancestors. "It means a lot to the community because all our loved ones are here," Uncle Paul says. "I go to the cemetery once a month to talk to them. "We are cultural and spiritual people. We believe we ask them and our message will be delivered very quickly because they are already there." Graves are not just resting places for the dead. They are homes for them in the afterlife, decorated by families with painted totems and colourful tiles. "Once we have put the headstone on, that means the house has been built and blessed. They are now living in better places," says Uncle Paul, as he leads us to the grave of one of his sisters. But king tides repeatedly flood the burial grounds, bringing waves that smash the lovingly decorated graves. Some families are now contemplating the deeply distressing act of exhuming loved ones to relocate them to higher ground. "It's not culturally appropriate," Uncle Paul says. "We don't want to disturb them. They are sleeping." As global warming exacerbates storms and tides, Uncle Paul fears the sea wall will not be enough to save this sacred place and the community will be forced to leave both the island and their ancestors. For the past four years, Uncle Paul has been working with fellow Torres Strait Islander Pabai Pabai, from Boigu Island, north-west of Saibai, on a . They have argued in the Federal Court that the government has not done enough to protect their islands from climate change, and that reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions will be too little, too late to stop what they can see happening to their home now. The federal government has acknowledged that the Torres Strait Islands are vulnerable to the effects of climate change but denies it has breached its duty of care. Australia accounts for 4.5 per cent of global fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions and is among the largest fossil fuel exporters in the world. The Climate Targets Panel, an independent group of the country's most senior climate scientists and policymakers, estimates Australia's greenhouse emissions need to be , not 2050, to avoid irreversible damage to the Torres Strait Islands. The case is a first of its kind in Australia but other significant climate-related cases have been heard around the world. This year, Europe’s highest human rights court ruled member nations must better protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change. If Uncle Paul and Uncle Pabai are successful, they will seek damages and court orders forcing the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions further and faster, which could have significant implications for Australia's mining and export industries. With the findings expected early next year, Saibai waits with nervous anticipation. "We're not going to stop. If we stop, Saibai will be under water," says Uncle Paul. "I'll have no land, I'll have no culture, I'll have nothing." Many Saibai islanders are hesitant to talk about what life could be like if they are forced to leave their ancestral home, like those who have already resettled on the Australian mainland, mostly in Bamaga and Seisia on the tip of Cape York. For some, the decision to stay or leave was made decades ago in meetings held by clan leaders after torrential rain and king tides flooded the village in the 1940s. One of the migrants to the mainland, Aunty Togiab McRose Elu, a Saibai Koedal clanswoman who goes by Aunty Rose, made the long boat journey with her father when she was a baby. "He was concerned about what the future was going to hold," she says. But for Aunty Rose, who lives in Brisbane, the children and grandchildren of those who left must be able to return. "As I get off the plane, I set my foot on the land, I know that I'm home. That's where I belong — here is the motherland," Aunty Rose tells us. "This is our land here, and the seas and the waters. The land on the mainland doesn't belong to us." The families who stayed are committed to holding on as long as they can and much of that determination revolves around the church on the foreshore. It's a neat, white building that would look unremarkable in most mainland suburbs but is the tallest building on the island. "There's only a few of us left but we have that feeling inside of us that we don't want to move until the church goes under," elder Neimeiah Dai says. Built by their forefathers from coral dragged from the seabed, it's the heart of the community, a symbol of faith, trust and belief. "It's our land we are fighting for," he says. "It is our backbone, our strength. If we lose that we lose everything." Credits Related stories Climate Change Environment Climate Change Related topics Cairns Climate Change Environmental Impact Federal Government Indigenous Australians Indigenous Culture Oceans and Reefs Torres Strait Islands
Baltimore (7-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC BetMGM NFL odds: Ravens by 3. Against the spread: Ravens 5-5-1; Chargers 7-3. Series record: Ravens lead 9-5. Last meeting: Ravens beat Chargers 20-10 in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2023. Last week: Ravens lost to Pittsburgh 18-16; Chargers beat Cincinnati 34-27. Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (2), pass (3), scoring (2). Ravens defense: overall (3), rush (26), pass (2), scoring (23). Chargers offense: overall (18), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (11), rush (11), pass (12), scoring (1). Turnover differential: Ravens plus-2; Chargers plus-8. K Justin Tucker missed two field goals last week and is under pressure after spending most of his career beyond reproach. He’s missed six field goals on the season and is 4 for 12 from 50-plus yards since the start of last season. WR Ladd McConkey had a career-high 123 yards on six receptions against Cincinnati. The rookie came up with clutch catches of 28 and 27 yards to set up the game-winning touchdown. Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins vs. Ravens’ run defense. Dobbins showed promise during his time in Baltimore, but he never was able to live up to that potential because of injuries. Now in Los Angeles on a one-year “prove it” contract, Dobbins has nearly matched his most productive season as a professional with 726 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games. After seeing Pittsburgh run the ball 34 times last week, the Chargers will be glad to copy that bruising approach with Dobbins. The Ravens are allowing 77.5 rushing yards per game, but even the sturdiest defense can buckle against that volume of work, so getting off the field will be critical. Baltimore’s defense has a couple of significant injury concerns. LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) left last weekend’s game, and S Kyle Hamilton has been nursing an ankle problem, although he played against the Steelers. ... Chargers OLB Khalil Mack (groin) didn’t play against Cincinnati. If the veteran pass rusher remains out this week, it would be a big loss to the chances of containing the Ravens' multi-faceted offense. The Ravens have won four straight over the Chargers in the regular season, but Los Angeles did earn a 23-17 AFC wild-card round upset in January 2019. ... Baltimore cruised to a 34-6 win over the Chargers in its first visit to SoFi Stadium on Oct. 17, 2021. Ravens RB Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 1,185 yards rushing and 15 total TDs (13 rushing and two receiving). He’s also run for a league-high 52 first downs. ... Henry is one rushing TD shy of the Ravens’ single-season record, set by Jamal Lewis in 2003. ... Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson is 6-2 on “Monday Night Football” with 20 TD passes and no interceptions. ... Henry is one of four players in the Super Bowl era to score a TD in each of the first 11 games of a season. The others are O.J. Simpson (1975), John Riggins (1983) and Jerry Rice (1987). ... The Ravens have scored touchdowns on a league-best 77.8% of their red zone trips. ... Jackson needs 124 yards passing and 16 yards rushing for a second consecutive season with 3,000 passing and 600 rushing. Since the AFL-NFL merger, only Randall Cunningham (1988-1990), Cam Newton (2011-12), Josh Allen (2021-22) and Jalen Hurts (2021-23) have accomplished that feat. ... Dobbins ran for two touchdowns against Cincinnati, giving him multiple scores in two of his past three games. He did it twice in 24 games as a Raven. ... OLB Tuli Tuipulotu had 1 1/2 sacks of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, his third straight game with more than one. All seven of Tuipulotu’s sacks this season have come in the past four games, and six of his eight tackles for loss have come in that span. ... The Chargers allowed a season-worst 27 points to Cincinnati after holding each of their previous nine opponents to 20 points or fewer. ... QB Justin Herbert has thrown one interception in 277 attempts this season. That lone pick came in Week 2 at Carolina. ... The Chargers lost their fifth turnover of the season when Herbert fumbled to start the fourth quarter. It was their first turnover at home. ... Los Angeles does not have a takeaway in its past two games. Herbert has heated up after a slow start in terms of fantasy production, having thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of his past four games. He is likely to keep that success going this week. Baltimore has allowed 22 scores through the air, which is tied with Houston for second most in the league, and Herbert should have plenty of chances to add to that total in what could be another high-scoring matchup. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLIT was quite distressing to read on the front page of one of the Philippine broadsheets earlier this month an article with the headline "Are you not panicking?': DepEd urged to address 24,480 schools without principals." That came from a remark from a lawmaker serving as one of the co-chairmen of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or Edcom 2. Such a story made me imagine a wide gaping hole that will stifle the efforts to reform the public education system in the country. It is a worrisome piece of news that is sure to aggravate the undesirable condition of Philippine education, which can dissipate the momentum for renewal. After enumerating the factors and needed actions to address this monumental problem, the article said: "In many schools we visited, it was clear that one of the main factors in improving the quality of education is having a good school principal." Any school depends on competent academic leadership, particularly the quality of school principalship, in order to excel, which should not only be considered "one of the main factors" but the very core factor in improving the quality of education in every school. Just like any corporation, institution or business venture, a school needs competent leadership to flourish. Aside from crafting the best policies for choosing school principals, training people to become school principals is likewise indispensable. The issue concerning school principals has once again clearly brought to mind how much I enjoyed reading this book by world-renowned educator and author Thomas Sergiovanni, titled "The Principalship: A Reflective Practice Perspective." The book, now on its sixth edition, is a must-read for those who wish to learn the ropes of being a school principal or being prepared to become one. One glowing review of the book says: "One of the best, if not the best, texts ever written for aspiring school administrators. The gentle blend of theory and practicality makes it a must-read for aspiring school administrators. I enjoyed teaching from this text more than any other." Another says: "These books began to define what I knew to be true about leadership in schools. It translates to the corporate world as well. I live by Sergiovanni's philosophy of leadership." In a nutshell, the book highlights the following: – It lays the foundation of any leadership with a moral basis as a means of navigating through contextual issues and constraints that principals routinely face. – Lessons about moral authority in the book abound. Such leadership should transcend bureaucratic leadership, which is timely for our public education to learn, as it is notoriously known to be enmeshed in too much bureaucracy. The author convinces readers that having moral leadership produces outcomes in terms of commitment and performance that far exceed expectations. – It emphasizes the technique of forming the appropriate school culture and standards and building a community of learners and teachers. Such aims are supposed to inform future principals about the decisions they make about their practice and how those decisions will affect students and teachers. The book also focuses on forming school character as an important ingredient for school effectiveness, the new definitions of school effectiveness, and a novel view of the process of change, which is demanded in the fast-evolving practices of learning institutions influenced by technology, diversity and inclusivity. In the Philippine context, preparing educators for school principalship can thrive in an environment that creates a support system for candidates' needs, such as ethical/moral leadership support amid the temptation of corruption, financial budget, well-formulated equitable policies, attractive compensation and the like. Not being mindful of these supports runs the danger of counterproductivity in preparing people for academic leadership. As William Edwards Deming, the father of quality management, once said, "A bad system will beat a good person every time." Jesus Jay Miranda, OP, is an organization and leadership studies resource person. He teaches at the Graduate School of the University of Santo Tomas and the Department of Educational Leadership and Management of the Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC–College of Education of De La Salle University in Manila. [email protected] .
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SENATOR RECOGNIZES SHARKS: The Simon Sanchez High School Sharks girls' volleyball team was presented with Certificate No. 339-37 by Sen. Chris Barnett for their 2024 ISA Girls Volleyball League Championship win at the John F. Kennedy High School gym in Tamuning on Thursday. Frank San Nicolas/The Guam Daily PostA world-renowned Haida artist and avid supporter of the victims of war in Ukraine, is pitching his talents to a Victoria non-profit that provides life-changing prosthetics. Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is the only living Indigenous artist whose work is in the permanent collection of the Modern and Contemporary Art Department at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. His works are also in the collections of the British Museum, Denver Art Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Vancouver Art Gallery and Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Originally scheduled to have an art show at the TSEKH Art Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine in the fall of 2021, Nicoll Yahgulanaas is instead using his art to raise funds and awareness for the war-torn country. One of the works that would have been displayed is called Kyiv Child, created after visiting Ukraine in 2019. “I made many friends on that trip, and now they are huddling in basements, holding their children close. They worry about food, water, and Putin's indiscriminate bombing of civilians,” Nicoll Yahgulanaas said in a statement. Yahgulanaas has raised $75,000 so far for Ukraine aid through Unicef and MSF, and the latest campaign targets $25,000 for the Victoria Hand Project. From a small lab at the University of Victoria, The Victoria Hand Project harnesses 3D printing technology to create life-altering prosthetics. The charity strives to empower individuals worldwide, particularly where accessing prosthetics is challenging. By offering affordable and sustainable solutions, they restore independence, hope, and dignity to those who have lost mobility due to limb loss. CEO Michael Peirone is grateful that the B.C. artist opted to share his talents with the Saanich-based project. Malaspina Printmakers in Vancouver is covering the costs to create the high-quality prints of Yahgulanaas’s work available for $700 online . Other donors and supporters mean the funds are 100 per cent proceeds. Each print sale, $700, would essentially cover the costs associated with a prosthetic in Ukraine, Peirone told the Saanich News. “Unfortunately from what we’ve heard from partners on the ground working in Ukraine there is such a need for prosthetic care and the resources aren’t available,” he said. “The waitlists are growing, with people who have been waiting six months to a year after losing an arm defending their country. “Even if the war ended right this moment – and we wish it would – there’s still a great need for prosthetic care.” Three Victoria Hand Project team members travelled to Ukraine in June 2023 to train locals and set up two clinics for the organization’s usual in-country solution. “That helps with the long-term sustainability and decreases wait times. Also, we found it really fosters a sense of pride in the community,” Peirone said. The non-profit has made several in-person trips there, creating fast and affordable prosthetic limb production. The organization has already provided more than 110 prosthetics for Ukrainians. Prints can be found online at malaspinaprintmakers.com . It's one campaign among several underway at the Victoria Hand Project. A Giving Tuesday event (internationally recognized as Dec. 3) aims to raise $50,000 focused on providing prosthetic arms in Ukraine. An evening of Impact features a silent auction, compelling personal stories and food and beverages. Learn more about the initiative, purchase tickets or donate online at victoriahandproject.com .
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A representative of the United States-backed faction in Syria's resurgent civil war has warned that the Islamic State militant group ( ISIS ) was poised to take advantage of the nationwide chaos brought on by a large-scale rebel offensive that has reversed years of government gains. The Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Turkey-backed Syrian National Army launched their surprise push last week and have since seized the country's second-largest city of Aleppo, Hama to the south, and appear to be closing in the strategically located Homs. Unrest has spread elsewhere in the country as well, with Syrian troops reportedly leaving their positions in the east and ISIS rapidly moving in. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which leads the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) with the support of United States troops, has mobilized to defend against both Turkey-backed rebels and ISIS on two fronts as the Syrian military's lines of control collapse. "The Syrian Democratic Forces are concerned about the social structure of the Syrian people in the areas controlled by the Authority and the factions supported by Turkey," Sinam Mohamad, the representative of the SDF-affiliated Syrian Democratic Council in Washington, told Newsweek . "This concern is also reflected in our areas." "The dramatic collapse of the regime forces creates a vacuum that will certainly be exploited by the Islamic State organization ISIS, which still poses a threat to the region as a whole," she said. The SDF and Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad and backed by Iran and Russia, have alternatively clashed and allied with one another at times. Both sides view rebels and ISIS as a threat to their respective positions. They waged largely separate offensives to defeat ISIS after it seized large parts of the country a decade ago. While these campaigns largely dismantled ISIS' self-proclaimed caliphate, the group has retained militant cells in the country and thousands of fighters and families remain held in SDF-led prisons. ISIS has also stepped up attacks abroad in recent years, particularly through its Afghanistan-based Khorasan branch. In Syria, both Syrian troops and SDF forces have operated in the northeast alongside their respective allies. However, with Syrian troops appearing to abandon their positions adjacent to SDF-held territory amid the rebel offensive in the northwest, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami announced Friday that the group had deployed fighters to secure the key eastern city of Deir Ezzor. "The developments taking place in our homeland, Syria, pose a threat to the security of our people and our Deir Ezzor region," Shami said in a statement. "In particular, Turkish occupation-backed mercenary groups and ISIS mercenaries are reactive in the Deir Ezzor desert." "Accordingly, in order to protect our people, our Deir Ezzor Military Council fighters were deployed in the Deir Ezzor city and west of the Euphrates River," he added. "Our primary objective is to protect our security and the security of our people. We are committed to fulfilling this historic mission to the fullest extent." The SDF had also attempted to secure defensive positions in majority-Kurdish areas of Aleppo, Tel Rifaat and al-Shibah, but rebels appear to have severed links between these regions and the AANES. At the same time, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's political wing, the Syrian Salvation Government, issued a statement last Saturday promising to guarantee the security of Kurdish communities. Still, large numbers of Kurdish people have evacuated toward SDF-held territory. Mohamad said the Syrian Democratic Council was aware of the rebels' vows to respect Syrian diversity but was also preparing for any outcome, including through close coordination with the U.S. "As for the other factions involved under the leadership of the Authority, we see and receive a promise for the sake of Syria for all, but we are waiting for words to turn into actions," Mohamad said. "We are ready for all scenarios, and certainly the safety of our people is at the top of our priorities," she continued. "As for Washington, it is aware of what is happening in Syria and the extent of the risks, and we have open channels with them regarding the issues of combating terrorism and terrorist organizations." She said that the SDF has opted to remain focused on the battle against ISIS. "The Syrian Democratic Forces have never fought or attacked any force in Syria except those terrorist organizations," Mohamad said. "The SDF has taken the position of defending the gains of the people in northeastern Syria and has closely monitored the latest situation in Syria. The SDF will not fight on behalf of anyone in order to achieve the political interests of others." The rebel advances mark the most dramatic shifts in years for Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 after anti-government protests and crackdowns by security forces devolved into armed conflict. Then, too, the Syrian government lost control of key cities and swathes of territory, only to reverse these losses later into the conflict. But the successive losses of Aleppo and Hama to insurgents and the imminent threat of losing Homs puts Assad in one of the most precarious positions throughout the 13-year conflict. An insurgent capture of Homs would leave Syria's western coastline, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect, isolated from the rest of the nation and allow the opposition forces to also push toward the government-held capital of Damascus to the south. Iran and factions of its Axis of Resistance coalition, particularly Iraq-based militias such as the Nujaba Movement, have pledged their support for Assad. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Hezbollah, long considered the most powerful Axis of Resistance faction that played a key role in past Syrian government offensives against rebels, is today reeling from a 14-month battle with Israel in connection with the ongoing war in Gaza. Assad's government has continued to express confidence in its ability to mount a counterattack against the rebels with the aid of its allies, including Russia, whose warplanes continue to strike insurgents. "Our valiant armed forces are carrying out a qualitative operation towards Dar al-Kabira - Talbiseh - Rastan in the northern countryside of Homs, with cover from the joint Syrian-Russian aircraft, artillery, missiles and armored forces, eliminating dozens of terrorists amidst a state of panic, confusion and mass flight in their ranks, and destroying a large number of their vehicles, equipment and weapons," the Syrian Defense Ministry in a statement said Friday. Omar Rahmoun, the spokesperson for Syria's National Reconciliation Committee, said that Moscow and Tehran remained committed to the Syrian government's defense. "The position of Russia and Iran for fourteen years and until now is a fixed position in standing by the Syrian state and supporting it against the Takfiri groups," Rahmoun told Newsweek , referring to Sunni Islamists who consider other sects of Islam such as Alawites and other Shiite Muslims to be apostates. "Both countries confirmed their position in support of Syria," he added, "especially in light of the recent developments." Rahmoun also said that the Syrian government has received "Arab support" as well in light of recent calls between Assad and the heads of Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. As for Turkey and the U.S., he argued that both nations "have a major role in arming and supporting the opposition, especially in the recent attack." "Turkish support for the factions is clear, even if Turkey denies it because Turkey has ambitions in Syrian territory," Rahmoun said. "It seeks to achieve its goals under the banner of supporting the opposition. Certainly, the recent attack will make the solution difficult, complicate matters, and reduce the chances of a political solution." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly criticized the U.S. for its support of the SDF, which Ankara considers to be an offshoot of the militant Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Turkish forces and partnered rebel groups such as the Syrian National Army have conducted attacks against SDF positions throughout the war. The U.S., which is allied to Turkey through NATO , has occasionally condemned such attacks but has largely directed its operations against ISIS and Iran-backed militias that have stepped up rocket and drone attacks against U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria throughout the conflict in Gaza. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that it had conducted strikes against weapons systems after a rocket attack against U.S. troops at a position in eastern Syria. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pentagon press secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder asserted that defeating ISIS remained the goal of the U.S. deployment in Syria and its partnership with the SDF. "Our forces are in Syria to conduct a counter-ISIS operation, right, the enduring defeat of ISIS. They have partnered with the SDF on those missions," Ryder said. "Certainly, they communicate with the SDF on a frequent basis, as partners do. But our forces in that region were threatened. We took action to mitigate that threat and will do so again." He asserted that the U.S. had "no role" in the situation in northwestern Syria and also did not actively coordinate with the SDF on its seizure of government-held positions in the east, where he said he was so far unaware of any "significant" ISIS operations. "Our forces are in Syria to conduct the enduring defeat of ISIS mission," Ryder said. "We're doing that in partnership with the SDF. And I'm just going to leave it there."Sean Payton is a big fan of Bo Nix, but his appreciation for the rookie quarterback started even before the Denver Broncos drafted him. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Payton considered flying to Nix to tell him in person that the Broncos were planning to draft him back in April. "You can't get in a conversation with Sean Payton without him bringing up how great Bo Nix is in like 0.2 seconds," Glazer said. "...Here's the thing with Bo Nix, he loved him going all the way back to March and his personal workout. We all know Sean's crazy, he comes up with this crazy idea two days before the draft. He says, 'I'm going to fly to where Bo Nix is and when he gets drafted, I'm going to knock on his door and personally tell him that we're drafting him.' That's how much he loves this dude." This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .
STILLWATER — For 11 years, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy found himself noticing Kody Walterscheid’s family on the pre-game march into Boone Pickens Stadium. “I noticed the mom's holding a baby,” Gundy said. “I'm guessing that's a grandkid. They're in the same place on The Walk, and it just happens that when I get to a certain point, that for whatever reason, I can see them. Obviously, his dad's like 6-foot-9, so it's not hard to miss them. ... That family's been a big part of our football team." Saturday’s senior day game against Texas Tech will be Walterscheid’s 61st game as a Cowboy. It will also mark the end of the 11-year streak of OSU teams including a Walterscheid that began when Kody’s older brother Cole Walterscheid joined the team in 2014. At least 20 seniors will say goodbye to Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, but the list could get much bigger. Twelve seniors have the option to return but might choose to go ahead and participate in senior day this weekend perhaps influenced by pending roster cuts following the season. Then there’s any players who might choose to declare early for the NFL Draft which Gundy expects to include running back Ollie Gordon and linebacker Nick Martin although he hadn't received official word yet. People are also reading... Sooners legend Tiare Jennings 'a game changer' as OU softball graduate assistant Bill Haisten: ‘Why would you even say that?’ OSU fund-raising was damaged by Gundy comments Berry Tramel: Kevin Wilson makes a decision for TU's future that might not be his State Department of Education bought 532 Trump Bibles, purchase order shows QB commit Jett Niu's dreams led him to OSU, but he had one question for Mike Gundy What's the latest with Michael Fasusi? An update on OU's top 2025 recruiting target Roster cuts are coming to Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy is dreading it Will Brent Venables make a solid offensive coordinator hire? Joe C believes so — and here's why POLL CLOSED: Vote for the Bill Knight Automotive high school football player of the week for Week 11 A new name coming for one of Tulsa's tallest buildings What's Brent Venables telling recruits now? Has no-visit policy for OU commits changed? Police, sheriff talk about what Trump's mass deportation plan could mean for Tulsa James Franco visits Outsiders House Museum Mike Gundy preparing to send Ollie Gordon, Nick Martin, Collin Oliver to NFL Draft Video: Stephen Colbert counts Ryan Walters among 'far-right weirdos' Trump could hire Sixteen seniors have played their entire career at OSU. Only five other teams in the nation have more this season. “Those guys have, a lot of them have been here for six years, and each year when they depart, I can't decide whether I think they just got here or if they've been here forever with all the classes that are meshing nowadays,” Gundy said. “These guys have won a lot of games. ... Their commitment to the organization has been very special, like all of them. It takes a lot, and those guys have been very successful.” At times, defensive lineman Collin Clay thought he’d never make it to this moment after tearing the same ACL in back-to-back years. “I felt like after my second one, I was ready to, you know, just hang it up,” Clay said. “But, you know, I just feel like I'm strong enough to just go out there and persevere through that stuff. And I feel like I did. I feel like that's a story for anybody else that may be going through the same thing. ... If you feel like you know your faith is there, just trust and believe God that everything will work out the way they're supposed to.” Clay said his time on the sidelines taught him that there’s more to life than football. At some point, his identity became completely wrapped up in the sport, which made things difficult when he couldn’t play. “It definitely built my character,” Clay said. Clay plans to coach high school football after his playing career wraps up, but he’s also considering another path— culinary school. “I think it's cool to just watch people cook things,” Clay said. “It's pretty entertaining just to see like the process and everything that it takes. ... It is just cool to be able to try new things.”
Hidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West
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