year of the rabbit fortune 2024
Stewart cooked critics with Superwoman strengthNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Javon Small scored five of his 31 points in overtime and Tucker DeVries added key free throws late in regulation and finished with 16 points as West Virginia beat No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. Small's layup with under 2 minutes left in OT gave West Virginia a 79-75 lead. After a Gonzaga miss, Sencire Harris hit two free throws to make it a six-point lead. With 27.1 seconds left, Harris made a steal and scored on a dunk for an eight-point lead, putting the game out of reach. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.10-man Botafogo wins its first Copa Libertadores title
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The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, calling for a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), accusing the party of inciting violence and spreading chaos across the country. According to media reports, the resolution strongly condemned PTI’s alleged attempts to disrupt peace and order in Pakistan. The text claimed that PTI, through violent protests, caused widespread destruction, including vandalism, arson, and attacks on law enforcement officers. The resolution detailed incidents where PTI supporters allegedly injured police personnel and killed three Rangers officers and two police constables during protests. Furthermore, the resolution criticised Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for allegedly leading attacks on federal institutions, where government employees were reportedly armed, and K-P police used tear gas shells and public resources in these confrontations. The text of the resolution accused PTI of violating the Constitution and law and alleges that the party attempted to recreate the violence witnessed on May 9, 2023, by inciting public sentiment against state institutions and urging citizens to rise against the federal government. According to the resolution, PTI’s actions, which disregarded orders from the Islamabad High Court, led to significant economic damage, costing the country approximately Rs190 billion daily and impacting the GDP by an estimated Rs140 billion. The resolution also highlighted the collapse of the stock market, disruptions to foreign investment, and damage to Pakistan’s reputation on the global stage, citing instances where PTI allegedly undermined international engagements, such as meetings with the Belarus delegation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The PML-N further claimed that PTI’s actions have jeopardised foreign direct investment (FDI) and created obstacles in Pakistan’s economic recovery. The resolution concluded with a demand for the federal government to take immediate action and impose a ban on PTI, asserting that Pakistan can no longer tolerate such destabilising activities.
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Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen recently took to social media to reveal his engagement with actress Hailee Steinfeld. Allen has been one of the biggest stars of the 2024 NFL season, putting together an MVP campaign with 2,543 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, along with 316 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Anthony Albanese has trumpeted the government's legislative success for making a "difference" for Australians, but denied parliament's last-week bill rush means Labor is preparing the way for an early election. The Senate passed 31 pieces of legislation on Thursday evening – and a total of 45 this week – which the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, described as "extraordinary", although not a record. After a late-night Senate sitting close to midnight approved 31 bills, the House of Representatives returned on Friday morning to finally approve 11 of those that required amendment including the Future Made in Australia package and the social media ban on under-16s. 1:19 Australia's social media ban for under-16s is now law. There's plenty we still don't know – video Albanese said that bill meant that "platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them". "We're making sure that mums and dads can have that different conversation today, and in future days," he told reporters in Canberra. "We've got your back, is our message to Australian parents." Albanese said the government knew "the real value of what happens in here is the difference that it makes to people's lives out there". He pointed to legislation "holding supermarkets to account to get fairer prices at the checkout", and housing bills increasing supply of build to rent properties by 80,000 and helping 40,000 Australians buy a home through Labor's shared equity scheme. But the prime minister acknowledged that the government had "more work to do on cost of living". Despite Labor's legislative successes, enabled by a deal on 27 bills with the Greens and a... Paul Karp
Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." Analysis: Collapse of Syria's Assad is a blow to Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — For Iran’s theocratic government, it keeps getting worse. Its decadeslong strategy of building an “Axis of Resistance” supporting militant groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. Hamas has been batttered by Israel's campaign in Gaza. In Lebanon, Israeli bombardment has crippled Iran’s most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time. And now Iran’s longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria, President Bashar Assad, is gone. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. South Korea's democracy held after a 6-hour power play. What does it say for democracies elsewhere? SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A short-lived martial law decree by South Korea's leader last week raised worries about budding authoritarianism around the world. In the end, though, democracy prevailed. President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that he was declaring martial law and giving his government sweeping powers to crack down on protesters, ban political parties and control the media. Members of the military blocked lawmakers from using the legislature's constitutional power to cancel the power grab. But the National Assembly within hours unanimously voted to do so. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.Donald Trump on Saturday appointed Jared Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, to an ambassador position, resulting in political experts and observers bringing up the appointee's past alleged criminal wrongdoings. Trump over the weekend took to Truth Social to announce the appointment of Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France. "I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to France. He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests," the former and incoming president wrote on his social media network. "Charlie is the Founder & Chairman of Kushner Companies, one of the largest & most successful privately held Real Estate firms in the Nation." ALSO READ: A dark mystery from America's past could save us from Trump's tyranny The reactions spread quickly on social media. Anti-Trump conservative Tom Nichols said on Bluesky, "Trump just nominated Charles Kushner to be AMB to France. Because, hey, screw it, let's not even pretend anymore." MSNBC executive producer Kyle Griffin reminded readers that Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020. "Kushner hatched a scheme involving a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law and eventually pleaded guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions," Griffin wrote in response. Foreign policy researcher Olga Lautman also posted a "reminder" that "Kushner is a felon who Trump pardoned." Popular satirist Mrs. Betty Bowers wrote, "Donald Trump has nominated Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France." "A convicted felon, Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, arranged to record the sexual encounter between the two, and had the tape sent to his sister," Bowers wrote. "Just absolute garbage." Artist Art Candee also added, "You know, the guy he pardoned that was convicted of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering."
Selena Gomez defends Benny Blanco after he was trolled over Sexiest Man Alive mishapNone
here are a lot of risks inherent to pregnancy, even when you're the wife of a wealthy star. A recent post by on social media caused alarm among her followers because one of her indicators . The wife of , quarterback of the , is one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL. Between her career as an entrepreneur, modeling jobs, and raising her two oldest children, Sterling and Bronze, . However, , especially if you're pregnant. In Brittany's case, she recently revealed that she was suffering from a back injury. However, what worried her friends and family the most . What did Brittany's tests say? In a recent Instagram Story, Brittany Mahomes . In the image, you can see that her . But, what most concerned the WAG and her family . The figure was even marked in red, . wrote Mahomes in her story. Besides the low indicator, what set off the alarms of her family and friends , especially considering how active she had been until now . Brittany never stops Last week, Kirsty Rae, Brittany's trainer, shared the famous WAG's on Instagram. , especially since Mahomes herself had said a few days earlier that . However, Rae captioned the video making it clear that Mahomes is not letting anything stop her. What will be the effect of her latest health setback? Only a doctor will know for sure, but hopefully, .The fifth round of the Champions League is in the bag, just three rounds remaining before we discover who is through to the last 16, who is going to endure a nervy playoff battle and whose European season is over. This week brought thrilling results: Manchester City blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord , Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal running up the goals in impressive fashion and missed penalties by superstars at both ends in Liverpool's win over Real Madrid. Here's our pick of the best players, lining up with a back three to celebrate the impressive results from Leverkusen and Inter: Not exactly a vintage week for the men between the sticks, was it? Thibaut Courtois was among the few Real Madrid players who could leave Anfield with his head held high but he might feel he could have done better for Liverpool's opener. Given that no one was both faultless and busy, we're going to have to go for a compromise candidate. An exceptional 87 minutes from Riznyk weren't undone just because his cleansheet and then Shakhtar's points were snatched away by Malik Tillman (more on whom later) and Ricardo Pepi. I mean, what do you even want him to do about those goals, which followed 10 saves, the best of which were quite excellent? Even that first goal he conceded was millimeters from an outstanding save, Riznyk hurling himself low to his left to meet Tillman's impudent low free kick. The second? There could have been two goalkeepers between the sticks and they weren't getting close. The third seemed specifically designed to ruin Rizynk's night, a PSV leg doing just enough to divert the ball in totally the opposite direction, leaving Pepi with a tap in. Sometimes goalkeepers do their bit and still end up having a bad night. In such circumstances, it's worth highlighting what they did right. Yes, we're immediately playing fast and loose with the formation. Look, there are a load of strikers and attacking midfielders I've got try to get in. Conor, you're just going to have to work it out. Given how successfully you took to dealing with the best forward on the planet (if we can still call Kylian Mbappe that), I'm pretty confident this won't be beyond you. After all, what a reducer that was in the second half. MAC ALLISTER FINISHES A LOVELY MOVE FROM LIVERPOOL TO HIT REAL MADRID EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF ⚡ pic.twitter.com/7iYRlrN9Vg And the assist. The assist! Weighted with precision, one pass took two players out of the game while ensuring that Alexis Mac Allister could take the ball in stride and squirm a shot away before Raul Asensio got across to cover. There are few better compliments you can offer in this context than to say it was an assist Trent Alexander-Arnold would have been proud of. Well, you have to have someone from Inter in your backline. The Italian giants look like they have that most vital component of Champions League contenders, an elite-level defense. A record of five cleansheets from as many games would be remarkable whoever the opponents were but the 2023 finalists have already held out against Manchester City, Arsenal and an RB Leipzig side who desperately needed anything to save their European season. Inter held them utterly at arm's length, just seven shots worth a combined 0.15 xG. Such defensive excellence is the sort of collective effort that rarely fits comfortably into a pick your best players format. So, sorry Alessandro Bastoni and Hakan Calhanoglu, but it's De Vrij for me -- his clearances and interceptions snuffing out what pressure RB Leipzig were able to apply on the Inter goal. A week where so many teams conceded three-plus goals doesn't make it easy to pick out the best defenders. Either your team were so dominant that you didn't have to do a lot of defending or, well, you conceded half a dozen goals. Then again, if anyone can be forgiven for conceding a few goals it's the Feyenoord defense, in which Hancko and his teammates got a clearing boot on a fair few of the many crosses and cutbacks that Manchester City hurled into their area. Following up 88 of the most demanding minutes you can ask of a defender with a lung-busting run into the penalty area to flick home the equalizer was all the more impressive. FEYENOORD COME BACK FROM 3-0 DOWN TO STUN MANCHESTER CITY 😱 pic.twitter.com/HWB2NGMOjN Arguably the best individual performer across this week, Llorente's dominance from right back ensured that Atletico Madrid were able to run up an almighty score in Prague, something that could count for a great deal when the final places in the top eight are handed out. Most immediately apparent were the two assists, Llorente busting a gut to be in place to one-two with Julian Alvarez before slipping the ball to Angel Correa towards the death, giving the Argentine plenty of work to do it must be said. Atletico were dominant enough that they didn't need Llorente to excel defensively but he did that too with four tackles won from four, six of seven successful duels and eight ball recoveries. Not too shabby at all for a player making his first start since late September. Pick your favorite: the audacious free kick that just had enough to kickstart the comeback or the absolute howitzer that seemed to swing one way and then the other to draw PSV level in the most thrilling game of a barnburner of a match week? For pure vision, this author's preference is for the opener, not least because a bit of guile was absolutely going to be required to defeat a goalkeeper as obdurate as Shakhtar's. Even those who thought Crvena zvezda were a fair wedge better than their record didn't see that coming! Then again, you look at their side and it's hard to see why they shouldn't be able to at least give it a go against a side like Stuttgart. On an evening where everyone in red excelled, it was hard to pick a star man but UEFA's technical panel opted for former Milan man Rade Krunic. "He made a significant impact, showcasing a clinical left-foot finish to give his side the lead, plus creating the fourth goal with a decisive line-breaking pass on the counterattack," they said. Who are we to argue? Look, we could really just hive off a spot in this XI for the remainder of this season and put Florian Wirtz's name on it. The figurehead of Bayer Leverkusen was his customarily excellent self in the 5-0 drubbing of Salzburg. You could, however, say the same about Grimaldo, as joyous a watch as there has been in European football over the last 15 or so months. Let him drift off his flank for even an instant and he is going to take a shot. By the final whistle at the BayArena, he'd taken seven of them, the pick of them a delicately lofted free-kick that Alexander Schlager swiftly concluded wasn't even worth diving for. Alejandro Grimaldo with a BEAUTY of a freekick 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5USnytTjVN With half an hour played, Grimaldo had added an assist too, a smart pass inside to Wirtz that speaks to the connection these two have on the Leverkusen left. The latter is often the one who gets the most glowing praise from their collective efforts. There's no harm shining the light on Grimaldo for once. If Arsenal didn't have Odegaard, could they have really hoped to eviscerate a much-heralded Sporting opponent in anything like the manner they just did? Whether or not the Norwegian is his side's very best player is the sort of fruitless debate Gooners can savor but after his last two games, Odegaard has the best case to be this team's ceiling raiser. "He is an unbelievable player and the day he returned, there was a big smile on my face," Bukayo Saka said of his captain. A "top three" midfielder in Europe, according to William Saliba. They know how good Odegaard is. Sporting just found out in the cruelest of fashions. There are worse times to deliver your first senior goal than a Champions League tie where your side can all but guarantee a spot in the knockout playoffs (at least). Not bad timing for the second goal either. Both spoke to qualities it tends to take much more than 20 years to develop, lurking in the right spots for a cutback while being prepared to gamble that mistakes and rebounds would fall his way. What is it about Gian Piero Gasperini and strikers? The likes of Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel and Ademola Lookman have hardly looked like superstars before arriving at Atalanta, nor did Retegui when he departed Genoa with nine goals to his name in all competitions last season. Already this term he has 14 in 19 games, two of which came as Young Boys were brushed aside at the Wankdorf Stadium. Retegui's first goal was that of an outstanding center forward, timing his run perfectly to break the Young Boys offside trap and whipping a ferocious finish across goal, the ball bending elegantly into the side-netting. The second was no less impressive, a great first touch off Charles De Ketelaere before the 25-year-old took a breath and rolled it home. This is the output of a high-grade striker. Was Retegui that before Gasperini got his hands on him?
Israel seizes Golan heights buffer zone amid Syrian power shift