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For two years, Colorado fans have been entertained with some of the best players to come through Boulder. Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, and many others with the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2 Big 12), will wrap up their collegiate careers with a bowl game later this month and turn their focus to the NFL. Head coach Deion Sanders, his staff and Buff Nation, however, are already peeking ahead to 2025. On Wednesday, Coach Prime and his staff signed 14 high school players as the early, three-day signing period began. In the ever-changing world of college football, this is the earliest the signing period has ever been, more than two weeks earlier than last year (Dec. 20). It’s the first step in reshaping a CU roster without Shedeur at quarterback and Hunter at cornerback and receiver. According to 247Sports, the Buffs’ class, as of Wednesday, ranks 37th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Class size plays a role in those rankings and Coach Prime has never been one to build up a large class of prep recruits. In terms of average player rating (or the quality of the recruits), the Buffs lead the Big 12 and rank 21st nationally. The headliner of the class is Shedeur’s potential replacement, quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis from Carrollton (Ga.) High School. With a .9831 rating on 247Sports.com, Lewis is the highest-rated high school quarterback to ever sign with the Buffs. Lewis was verbally committed to USC for 15 months before flipping to CU last month. Prior to Wednesday, Coach Prime could not talk about specific recruits. On Nov. 21, however, the day Lewis committed, Coach Prime had his coaches’ show and spoke about the newest commit, without mentioning his name. “It’s a great thing for the program,” he said. “We know that’s been in the working for quite some time. Great kid, great talent. I like the qualities and the home structure. I like all of that and I can’t wait to be a part of his life and coach him.” In recent years, Lewis has been close with former CU great quarterback Kordell Stewart, who is also a friend of Coach Prime. While securing one of the top quarterbacks in the country, the Buffs also put an emphasis on protecting him. Of the 14 players in the class, three are offensive linemen and two are tight ends. Two four-star linemen — Chauncey Gooden (Nashville, Tenn.) and Carde Smith (Mobile, Ala.) — lead the way up front. Combined, they had 73 scholarship offers. Smith, like Lewis, was committed to USC until recently, while Gooden was projected by some to go Clemson before committing to CU last summer. Three-star Jay Gardenhire is also joining the class as a 6-foot-8, 330-pound tackle from West Bloomfield, Mich. The Buffs also landed three receivers, all from Texas high schools: four-star prospects Quanell Farrakhan Jr. and Adrian Wilson and three-star Quentin Gibson. Defensively, the Buffs have added two linemen, an edge rusher, a linebacker and a safety. The group is headlined by four-star edge London Merritt, who was committed to Ohio State before flipping to CU last week. As a new crop of Buffs prepares to come to Boulder, the outgoing seniors have expressed confidence that even with them gone, success will continue. “We definitely laid the foundation for the younger guys to come up and keep their foot on the gas pedal, keep going, keep playing, and just believe in coaching,” Hunter said recently. Senior safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig said that when he comes back to Boulder in a few years, he expects to see more trophies on display. “We’re gonna have 2025 trophies, 2026, 2027 trophies,” he said. “That’s the standard, to win, at the end of the day.” Shedeur, projected as a top-five selection in the 2025 draft, even said he’ll do his part by donating money to the NIL collective to ensure the Buffs’ success will continue. “My main thing is surround them and give them everything that I wish I could have had,” he said after the win against Oklahoma State. “So it’s basically set them up for success, and everything in my power, I personally could do, I’m gonna do. I’m gonna donate to the collective for sure. “I’ll make sure you have a super team next year. I’m just happy for the new guys coming in and that we paved away for them. They just got to take control. They just got to take over. We’re gonna make sure everything is good, how they need it.” CU did lose one commit on Wednesday, as four-star safety Alex Graham from Detroit flipped and signed with USC. He had been committed to CU since April. ... CU signed one in-state recruit, tight end Zayne DeSouza from Loveland High School. He’s just the second in-state recruit signed by Coach Prime in three recruiting cycles, with the other being current sophomore center Hank Zilinskas from the 2023 class. ... For decades, California was a recruiting hotbed for CU, but the Buffs haven’t signed any players from the Golden State in the last two classes.
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List of warming centers open across Metro Detroit for residents to stay warmCHENNAI: BJP state president K Annamalai on Sunday commended the principal opposition AIADMK's IT Wing for asking important questions in the Anna University sexual assault case. In a social media post, Annamalai stated, "Politics can never be about one-upmanship on issues that affect the common man." The sexual assault inside Anna University campus has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for swift action against the accused. Annamalai's comments come amid his criticism of the ruling DMK government's handling of the case. The development is noteworthy, given the complex history between the BJP and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The two parties had a tumultuous alliance in the past, with the AIADMK eventually breaking away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September last year. Despite their past differences, Annamalai's praise for the AIADMK suggested a possible thaw in relations between the two parties.
ED: All Schools Need Cellphone PoliciesIf you’re a Hallmarkie, you know that Andrew Walker is one of the faces of the channel. And what a face it is. It’s like The CW used an AI lab to create a leading man made of the best parts of Glen Powell , Ryan Eggold , and a young Clint Eastwood . It’s insulting really, how he just walks around with that thing out in the open, making the rest of us normies look like something out of Middle Earth. Thankfully, Walker is one of the authentically good ones. Humble, engaging, totally Canadian, and a dang workhorse. The Montreal-born actor-producer has shot six movies for Hallmark this year, including Countdown to Christmas’s Jingle Bell Run and Three Wiser Men and a Boy ! On top of that, he’s also a husband, father of two sons, and an entrepreneur, having co-founded the SkinMason skincare line ... which is clearly working, since there are zero signs of fatigue on his matinee-idol mug. “Obviously I use skincare on a daily basis, and when I wrap from set, I’m always washing my face off,” he explains of the inspiration behind SkinMason. “I have used very abrasive products that have given me skin [issues], I’ve broken out, I’ve had rashes. I used to have these little alcohol wipes to take the rest of my makeup off.” During a dinner with his friend Dr. Hussein Kanji, a heart and lung surgeon who’s “always working with different types of products for [organ] detoxification and antioxidants,” the two agreed to partner on a product line. SkinMason “He had an idea for a very simple yet effective skincare brand, ideally targeted to men to start with, because the women’s space is so massive...but women and men can use the same skincare,” Walker continues. “And I said I’d love to venture into this, first off, because my wife [Cassandra] always scolded me for using way too much of her expensive skincare products—I don’t know what to use! It’s like, there’s so many products out there.” Two years later, Walker and Kanji had the first two core products of the line, exfoliating wipes and a serum, which were soon followed by their new moisturizer. “We don’t even call it a moisturizer. It’s a bioactive cream.” Noting that Jean Carruthers, the co-innovator of Botox, has endorsed all of their products, Walker explains that their formula boasts retinoid, Vitamins C, and phospholipids that rebuild collagen. The SkinMason site is having a 40 percent off Black Friday sale and you can order each item individually or as a set, with a VIP subscription for regular refill orders at a 10 percent discount. Better yet, he laughs, “My wife has now turned on to using my products!” Andrew Walker / Instagram Speaking of his wife, how do the Walkers plan to spend the holidays? “With family,” he immediately offers. “We moved up to Vancouver for a year and it’s been amazing. It’s been quiet because we live next to a forest. So the holidays this year are just going to be family and trying to take a moment to put away the phones, put away technology, and just focus my time on my kids and my wife and each other.” Now that is a good look for everyone. Three Wiser Men and a Boy & Jingle Bell Run , Streaming Now, Hallmark+ More Headlines:
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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star Tulisa Contostavlos has reportedly gone AWOL from the Australian hotel she's been put up in. N-Dubz singer Tulisa, 36, was the third person to be evicted from the jungle, leaving the show on Tuesday. Fans immediately assumed that something was not right after she skipped out on doing a post-show interview, and wiped her Instagram of all content from the show. After crossing the red bridge, the musician joined cast and crew in a JW Marriott Hotel nearby - but soon disappeared from the luxury lodgings, reports the Mirror . "Tulisa and the two friends who came to Australia with her disappeared after she came out. No one saw her in the hotel and she wasn't talking to anyone," a source told The Sun. "Her mates were talking among themselves and were worried as no one could pin her down. They were chatting back and forth in their group chats and no one could raise her. It was total radio silence." A second source also came forward, adding: "Not having Tulisa at the hotel with the other stars has been odd, and people don't know whether or not she'll be back to film the reunion. Naturally everyone just wants her to be all right and ITV and her campmates are being supportive." OK! has approached Tulisa's reps for comment. Tulisa has opened up about her recent departure from the ITV show, revealing on Instagram that she needed to take a step back for her own well-being. In an intimate video, she shared with her followers: "I can get overwhelmed quite easily and started to feel overwhelmed. I realised I needed to take time for myself, and to chill, it's all a little bit much at the moment." The N-Dubz star then addressed why she wiped her social media, explaining that while she was away, friends managed her account in a way that didn't sit right with her. "I'm just going to archive all my stuff to do with the jungle and then, when the time is right and I've had time to process, I'm going to make my own reels of my best bits that I really like," she stated. "Because remember, I haven't been doing my Instagrams. The way it's being posted and all the random stuff is not how I would do my Insta - I would have one or two really good reels relating to the jungle and bringing my time together there." However, it has now been claimed that Tulisa had a massive row with her friend, Michelle McKenna , who came to greet her in the jungle once Tulisa was evicted. According to a source, Tulisa feels as though her friend 'took liberties' by flying to Australia to greet her. Speaking to Mail Online, a source sad: "They were only in Australia because of Tulisa. It felt like they were revelling in the situation and taking liberties on her kindness. Michelle and Daniel were there, on a trip funded by ITV and only because of Tulisa. They were there because of her and she trusted them with her social media." The insider continued: "When she got out of the jungle and saw what had been put on there, she was upset and it prompted a huge row. You can't help but think that seeing her friends living it up like that while she was roughing it in the jungle must have really annoyed her."
Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. People are also reading... The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report. That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Build your health & fitness knowledgeAn English translator and anticolonial activist who championed efforts that led to the United Nations resolution ending Algeria's war of independence from France blasted Israel's war in Gaza at a special screening of a documentary about the Algerian war in New York on Friday. Elaine Mokhtefi had a significant but behind-the-scenes role in Algeria's fight for independence working as a translator and activist to help Algerian delegates craft their messaging for addressing the U.N. when much of the world was pressured by the colonial power France and its ally, the United States. She attended the screening of organized by art historian Maura McCreight at the CUNY Graduate Center in Midtown Manhattan. Mila Turajlic, the director of the 2022 documentary, also attended with a lively crowd of viewers from North African countries like Tunisia. "What struck me watching Mila's film was how stories of revolutionary struggle, transnational solidarity, and the power of visual media remained as urgent today as ever," McCreight said. "I am referring to the 76-year-long struggle of the Palestinians, human rights, and the innate right of all human beings on Palestinian soil to self-determination." The film specifically follows the late Stevan Labudović, a Yugoslavian cameraman who was handpicked by President Josep Broz Tito in 1960 to document the Algerian war because he saw parallels between Algerian resistance and the resistance of Yugoslavians against Nazi occupation during World War II. "It was a difficult period where no one in the United States was interested and people knew little about Algeria and less about the war and were very influenced by the French," Mokhtefi said. The films Labudović made had an effect in chipping away at the tremendous influence of the French, Mokhtefi said. She noted that France released 20 colonies just to try to keep Algeria and it kept a heavy hand on those colonies when they became independent states. Mokhtefi said, "The United States backed France all the way to such a point that there was an American armament, American planes being used by the French, the French were being financed by the United States," which . To get his footage, Labudović embedded with Algerian militants-later described as terrorists by the and , much like Israel and the United States and their allies today describe Palestinian groups like Hamas. Mokhtefi noted before the film was screened that France had portrayed Algerian resistance fighters as anything but a real army, which it said doesn't exist. Israel likewise has denied Palestinians the right to a fighting force as it defines militias like Hamas as terrorists. "You'll see a real army," Mokhtefi said of how Labudović depicted the Algerians. Scenes from the film are resonant to anyone who has followed the Gaza war since it began on October 7, 2023. For example, Labudović points to the location of a refugee camp along Algeria's border with Tunisia and discusses protests and demonstrations in the streets of Algiers. The Yugoslavian cameraman was one of the few documenting the Algerian side of the conflict when French newsreels were showing pro-colonial propaganda. France engaged in efforts to remove him from the battlefield as his films were then shown within Algeria and to the United Nations to convince them to support Algerian independence. Likewise, Israel at least 135 journalists and media workers in Gaza and Lebanon since the war began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. And earlier this year, the Israeli government Al Jazeera, forcing the news broadcaster to report from outside of Israel. After the war, Labudović films were locked away in a vault in what is now Serbia upon the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Viewing them requires special permission from the Algerian government, which granted Turajlic special access because her film focused on the life of Labudović-who is considered a national hero in Algeria. The French newsreels often said the Algerian people supported French colonialism similarly to how Israel often argues that its Arab citizens have full rights and representation, though human rights groups have . And French newsreels, like Israel's where dialogues like " " abound, paint the Arab population as void of a future without their intervention. "The French also made newsreels. What did their newsreels say," Turajlic asks Labudović at one point. He responded, "Their newsreels said the opposite of what I was making. They couldn't have told the truth, of how they tortured, so they told fairy tales." And while Palestinians , Israel has . "Who would accept an occupier who tortures and maims," Labudović said in the film. Later in the film, Labudović's wife notes that France didn't consider Algeria to be a colony. It considered it a part of France. Now, Israel's far-right politicians have as the country c . And while the United States of any U.N. Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel itself has pushed back against every U.N. agency that challenges it to . "At the moment our reporter's camera filmed this event, the U.N. began a debate on 'the Algerian question.' The French government refused to participate claiming the situation was an internal problem of France," an announcer on one of Labudović's newsreel reads in the documentary like a past echo of what is happening today. Mokhtefi told the crowd that, after the war, in 1968, she was walking in the streets of Algiers and people were crying from the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War as Israel clamped down on movement in occupied Palestinian territories and began the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. "Friends of mine came to visit me and just sat on the couch and cried for Palestine and they had always had a strong feeling for them for their tragedy of the Palestinians, but they thought it was very close to their own struggle," Mokhtefi said. "I imagine that has continued today." Mokhtefi continued to work as a translator after the war and married an Algerian man who had fought in the war for independence. She also continued to be involved in elements of anticolonial activism, threading together representatives from various anti-colonial factions globally that visited Algeria for diplomatic or training purposes. Turajlic said she found correspondence between Mokhtefi and Kathleen Cleaver, a prominent leader of the Black Panther movement in the U.S. The translator helped the Black Panthers take a position on the decadeslong Palestinian conflict. In the 1970s, Labudović himself was sent to Palestine to make a documentary about Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization. "All of this footage is in Belgrade, none of it has been digitized and there is no project by the Serbian government to do so," Turajlic said of Labudović's Palestinian footage. And while students in the United States have received criticism for engaging in campus protests against the war in Gaza, Mokhtefi said that she too became involved with politics shortly after leaving high school. She blasted schools like Columbia University, near where she lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, for how they have handled the protests. "There was a really concerted strategy behind the media efforts to internationalize the question and to create a situation where it was morally untenable for France to remain in Algeria," Turajlic said after the screening. "I find it so striking that the same mechanism has been deployed today but the world isn't reacting in the way it reacted in the 1960s. Where is the world's moral outrage they managed to successfully harness in the 1960s that for some reason is missing today?"
Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report . That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!OTTAWA—The Liberal government’s decision to cleave its controversial online harms legislation into two on Wednesday was framed by the federal justice minister as the quickest way to prioritize child safety in a Parliament he says the opposition Conservatives have plunged into paralysis. The widespread calls from civil liberties, human rights and religious minority groups to split up the bill were not one of the primary reasons Arif Virani said was behind the decision, though he acknowledged that some had been “suggesting” he make the move. “What we looked at in September was a parliamentary calendar that had three months’ worth of time. In three months’ worth of time, we’ve had exactly one day of debate dedicated to this bill. Is that frustrating for me? You’re absolutely right, that’s frustrating for me,” Virani told reporters. The legislation has been fraught with controversy from its earliest stages of development over The legislation at issue is the Trudeau Liberals’ proposed solution to dangerous content on the internet: a sweeping bill that has drawn praise for its efforts to hold social media platforms accountable for the content they host, and criticism for changes to the Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) that some say polices free speech. On Wednesday, Virani announced that all four parts of the bill will be split into two groups. One legislative track will deal with the parts of the bill that mostly address harmful content directed at children. The first of those parts is the Online Harms Act, which would require social media platforms — including livestreaming and adult-content services — to minimize exposure to seven types of harmful content. Three of those categories focus on children: content used to bully a child, content that induces children to harm themselves, and content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor of child abuse. The remaining four deal with other harms: content in which intimate images (including deepfakes) are shared without consent, content that incites violent extremism or terrorism, content that incites violence and content that promotes hatred. That entire part of the legislation will be combined with another part of the original bill that proposes changes to how child pornography on the internet is reported and how those offences are handled. Those two sections of the bill have been widely viewed as the more acceptable parts of the legislation, by experts and opposition parties alike. But the decision means that the bill’s remaining two parts — proposed changes to the Criminal Code and the CHRA that have been deemed “ ” and poorly thought out — will be combined into one. The legislation had proposed creating a stand-alone hate crime offence that could be applied to every offence in the Criminal Code, and could come with a maximum penalty of life in prison. Other changes involved upping penalties for hate propaganda offences, such as increasing the maximum penalty for advocating for or promoting genocide from five years to life imprisonment. Ottawa has previously said the legislation is not intended to put people behind bars for life for expressing opinions, but instead would twin the new hate crime offence with existing Criminal Code offences already punishable by a maximum of life in prison. The new offence was partly meant, government officials have said, to improve how hate-motivated offences are tracked and prosecuted. The CHRA changes, meanwhile, would allow people to file online hate speech complaints — which could be enormous in volume — to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which could result in financial penalties or content being removed. Virani justified the split as necessary in a House of Commons that has been waylaid by debate on a single issue — whether the Liberals should pony up more unredacted documents tied to a scandal-plagued green technology funding agency — for more than two months. The original legislation was tabled in late February, missing the deadline by which the Liberals promised to initially introduce the bill by two years. Virani said the parliamentary impasse made the Liberals “rethink” how they should use their time to get parts of the bill past the legislative finish line. “I’m not going to look at the face of Canadian parents, of Canadian children, and tell them that I’m not going to do everything I can to protect those kids,” Virani said. Angus Lockhart, a senior analyst with Toronto Metropolitan University’s policy institute, the Dais, said the move is a positive step forward, even if it’s indicative of “the time pressure of a government that’s running out of time.” The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) welcomed the decision, saying in a statement that the more contentious parts of the legislation can now undergo the “focused scrutiny it deserves.” The CCLA was one of more than 20 groups and experts who , back in May, for the legislation to be split in two over free speech and other concerns. In spite of the criticism, particularly due to the Israel-Hamas war and its ripple effects in Canada, the federal government has insisted the changes on Canadians’ freedoms. Conservative justice critic Larry Brock told the Star in a statement that Virani was “desperately trying to salvage his deeply flawed legislation.” “We will repeal Trudeau’s draconian censorship laws and bring home protection of children and Canadians online while protecting the rights and freedoms of Canadians,” the statement read. It is not yet clear how the separation of a singular bill into two tracks will be handled by the House of Commons. Virani’s spokesperson said the minister was in talks with his opposition counterparts to determine how the bill already before the House, and whose text remains unchanged, could proceed through the remainder of the legislative process.
Texas, Georgia, Alabama top SEC and national recruiting rankings after early signingsJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. The warnings sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-warHallmark Fave Andrew Walker Goes Inside His Skincare Line and Shares Holiday Plans (VIDEO)The foreign ministers demanded that 'fundamental rights, including freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, must be upheld and protected as per Georgia's constitution'. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland have condemned "the disproportionate use of force" against pro-EU protesters in Georgia as the wave of unrest continues for a tenth night. In their joint statement, the three foreign ministers – Annalena Baerbock, Jean-Noël Barrot and Radosław Sikorski - called for the immediate release of opposition members. More than 400 protesters, including opposition leaders and at least 50 journalists, have been detained, while over 100 people have been treated for injuries. The ministers demanded that "fundamental rights, including freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, must be upheld and protected as per Georgia’s constitution and international commitments." Germany, France and Poland also called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to deescalate tensions and open an inclusive dialogue with all political forces and representatives of civil society. "We underscore our determination to support the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people," the statement said. The security crackdown has also drawn condemnation from the United States. Speaking at a ministerial conference of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced what he described as a brutal "repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe." The ruling Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in a disputed parliamentary election on 26 October, a vote that was widely seen as a referendum on Georgia's EU aspirations. The opposition accused the governing party of rigging the vote with the help neighbouring Russia to keep what they call the 'Moscow-friendly' Georgian Dream party in power. But the initial protests against the election took on a new dimension and spread beyond the capital Tbilisi after the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put EU accession talks on hold until at least 2028. "There is just no way that they are going to get their ends with violence because more people are going to come out, more people are going to be on our side because of it. I don't know what their plan is, to be honest, I have no idea. They are doing the opposite of what they are supposed to do," said protester, Elene Chikovani. The decision to suspend accession talks was in response to a European Parliament resolution that criticised the elections as neither free nor fair. It said the election represented another manifestation of Georgia’s continued democratic backsliding "for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible." International observers say they saw instances of violence, bribery and double voting at the polls, prompting some EU lawmakers to demand a re-run. The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that it meet the bloc's recommendations, but Brussels put that process on hold earlier this year after the passage of a controversial 'foreign influence' law, which was widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms. Critics have also accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Georgia's pro-EU president, Salome Zourabichvili, has long been at odds with the Georgian Dream and has refused to sign what she sees as some of their more contentious pieces of legislation into law. On Saturday, she met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the ceremony to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. In a post on X after that meeting, she thanked Zelenskyy for Ukraine's "steadfast and unwavering support for the Georgian people", adding there is "no alternative" to her country's future within the EU. Also on X, Zelenskyy said he supported Georgia's fight for a "dignified future" and said he would coordinate with global partners to deliver a response to support the Georgian people in their fight to "live freely and independently".
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Peter Navarro , who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will return to serve in Donald Trump’s second administration, the president-elect announced Wednesday. Navarro, a trade adviser during Trump’s first term, will be a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, Trump said on Truth Social. The position, Trump wrote, “leverages Peter’s broad range of White House experience, while harnessing his extensive Policy analytic and Media skills.” The appointment was only the first in a flurry of announcements that Trump made on Wednesday as his presidential transition faced controversy over Pete Hegseth , Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief. Hegseth faces allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement, and Trump has considered replacing him with another potential nominee. As he works to fill out his team, Trump said he wanted Paul Atkins, a financial industry veteran and an advocate for cryptocurrency, to serve as the next chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He wrote on Truth Social that Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.” Trump also said he was changing course on his choice for White House counsel. He said his original pick, William McGinley, will work with the Department of Government Efficiency, which will be run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with the goal of cutting federal spending. Now David Warrington, who has worked as Trump’s personal lawyer and a lawyer for his campaign, will serve as White House counsel. In addition, Trump announced the selections of Daniel Driscoll, an Army veteran who was a senior adviser to Vice President-elect JD Vance, as Army secretary; Jared Isaacman , a tech billionaire who conducted the first private spacewalk on Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket, as NASA administrator ; and Adam Boehler, a lead negotiator on the Abraham Accords team, as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. Navarro was held in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated Jan. 6. Sentenced to four months in prison, he described his conviction as the “partisan weaponization of the judicial system.” Hours after his release in July, Navarro spoke on stage at the Republican National Convention, where he told the crowd that “I went to prison so you won’t have to." Navarro, 75, has been a longtime critic of trade arrangements with China. After earning an economics doctorate from Harvard University, he worked as an economics and public policy professor at the University of California, Irvine. He ran for mayor of San Diego in 1992 and lost, only to launch other unsuccessful campaign efforts, including a 1996 race for Congress as a Democrat. During Trump’s initial term, Navarro pushed aggressively for tariffs while playing down the risks of triggering a broader trade war. He also focused on counterfeited imports and even helped assemble an infrastructure plan for Trump that never came to fruition. Navarro often used fiery language that upset U.S. allies. In 2018, after a dispute between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Navarro said “there’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door.” Canadians were outraged, and Navarro later apologized. Issacman, 41, has reserved two more flights with SpaceX, including as the commander of the first crew that will ride SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship, still in test flights out of Texas. He said he was honored to be nominated. “Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history,” he said via X. Trump kept rolling out positions on Wednesday afternoon. He announced Gail Slater as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector.” Slater worked for Trump’s National Economic Council during his first term, and she's been an adviser to Vance. Trump also said Michael Faulkender would serve as deputy treasury secretary. A professor at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, Faulkender was the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for economic policy during Trump’s initial term. He has also been the chief economist at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank formed to further the Trump movement’s policy agenda. Outside the White House, Trump said that he had asked Michael Whatley to remain on as chair of the Republican National Committee. Whatley ran the committee during the election along with Lara Trump, the wife of Trump’s son Eric. AP Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Josh Boak in Washington and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show— BIRTH NAME: James Earl Carter, Jr. — BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Massachusetts residents reacts to Trump's proposed tariffsLA Galaxy win record 6th MLS Cup
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. The warnings sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-warPL fairytale hits near 30-year first as former powerhouse’s bid to rediscover glory days ramps up
Schieffelin has 18 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists as Clemson hands Penn State first loss 75-67Cam Akers reached down in front of him to scoop a sinking pass from Sam Darnold, bringing it into his body as he tumbled backwards. As he did, two words ran through his mind: game over. Akers’ late catch, which came with less than two minutes left in the game on a third-and-2 pass, sealed a 27-25 win for the Vikings over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in a game at U.S. Bank Stadium that got tight late. ADVERTISEMENT “I’m blessed,” Akers said. “On my journey from where I’ve come from, to be able to be in there, crunch time, fourth quarter, the coaches trust me, the team trusts me,” Akers said. “I’m blessed.” It’s been a long journey for the running back, who has dealt with two serious Achilles injuries in previous seasons. But Akers, now in his second stint with the Vikings, has rewarded the coaching staff for its faith in him. He also caught a 9-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, one which ended up proving the difference in the win. His opportunities on Sunday came in part because Aaron Jones took a shot to the quad earlier in the game, which he played through before watching the end of the game from the sidelines. His last carry in the game came near the end of the third quarter. “Coach was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to hold you for a little bit,’ but I was good,” Jones said. “I kept warm just in case they needed me. Kept my helmet on.” They didn’t wind up needing him, thanks in large part to Akers. “Cam has something inside him that allowed him to push through the adversity of what’s happened to him over the course of his career,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “His teammates were probably the most excited all season when Cam scored on that screen and then obviously the catch late. He just brings something. He brings physicality. He brings a level of mental and physical toughness that I think makes us all better.” ADVERTISEMENT Nailor gets Vikings going Darnold aired it out and found his receiver, on the run, open in the end zone. It wasn’t Justin Jefferson, nor Jordan Addison, but Jalen Nailor, who hauled in the 31-yard pass for the Vikings’ first touchdown of the game. “I just had a post route. I’ve seen the far safety. He wasn’t there,” Nailor said. “I just took off running as fast as I could and Sam found me.” Darnold found Nailor a season-high five times on Sunday. He finished the day with 81 yards, also a season-high, and his touchdown was his first in more than a month, with the last one coming in the Vikings’ Nov. 24 win over the Bears. “It just felt good to be out there, just help the team win,” Nailor said. “That’s all I’m trying to do.” O’Connell’s belief in Reichard “sky high” Will Reichard’s first field goal attempt Sunday hit the crossbar. The rookie kicker missed a 55-yard attempt near the end of the first half, but a Green Bay penalty negated his miss and a subsequent Packers’ timeout took away a 50-yard make. He then connected from 50 yards to send the Vikings into halftime up 10. His last field goal attempt of the day went off the left upright from 43 yards. But despite a shaky day, O’Connell’s confidence in the 23-year-old, who also converted on a short kick in the second quarter, hasn’t wavered. ADVERTISEMENT “I just told him, ‘Hey, next one’s going to be the best one.’ My confidence in Will is sky high,” O’Connell said of Reichard. “If we think we’re anywhere near the range, I’m going to give him the swing. He’s a phenomenal kid, great makeup. The next kick’s going to be his best kick.” ______________________________________________________ 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 .Trimble and Mallon sanctioned DUP ministers over rotation plan
How $0.028 Could Explode to $0.25: Qubetics Tops the Best Crypto to Buy Amid Polygon’s Rally Past $0.650 and Polkadot’s 60M Transactions!By Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean prosecutors on Sunday arrested ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency said. Kim, who offered his resignation on Wednesday, was seen as a central figure in Tuesday's brief martial law declaration. A senior military official and filings to impeach Yoon by opposition members said Kim had made the proposal to Yoon. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, but the leader of his own party said the president would eventually have to step down. The prosecution's special investigative team has questioned Kim, who voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday), the report said. The office was not immediately available for comments. Three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Yoon, Kim and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of treason. Kim faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate, Yonhap said. The national police are also investigating claims of treason against Yoon and top ministers. Yoon shocked the nation on Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called "anti-state forces" and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree. Yoon's martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country's reputation as a democratic success story. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Sandra Maler)