For Syrians, Assad is in the past: ‘The thing we all have now is hope’
By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA and MAURICIO SAVARESE, Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police said Thursday they indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people for allegedly attempting a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections. Police said their findings were being delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which must decide whether to refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then. Police said in a brief statement that the Supreme Court had agreed to reveal the names of all 37 people who were indicted “to avoid the dissemination of incorrect news.” The 700-page police document likely will take several days for the court to review, Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes said. Dozens of former and current Bolsonaro aides also were indicted, including Gen. Walter Braga Netto, who was his running mate in the 2022 campaign; former Army commander Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party; and his veteran former adviser, Gen. Augusto Heleno. The investigation started last year. On Tuesday, four military men and one federal police agent were arrested as part of the same probe . Other investigations focus on Bolosnaro’s potential roles in smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them, and in directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses. Bolsonaro has denied any involvement in either. Another probe found that he had abused his authority to cast doubt on the country’s voting system, and judges barred him from running again until 2030. The far-reaching investigations have weakened Bolsonaro’s status as a leader of Brazil’s right wing, said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. “Bolsonaro is already barred from running in the 2026 elections,” Melo told the The Associated Press. “And if he is convicted he could also be jailed by then. To avoid being behind bars, he will have to convince Supreme Court justices that he has nothing to do with a plot that involves dozens of his aids. That’s a very tall order,” Melo said. On Tuesday, the federal police arrested four military and a federal police officer accused of plotting to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections, including alleged plans to kill Lula and other top officials.Trump cabinet picks including Matt Gaetz targeted by bomb threats and swattingUnai Emery feels confidence returning after Aston Villa end winless runTOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo , CEO: Haruo Naito , "Eisai") and Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB, Corporate headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts , CEO: Christopher A. Viehbacher , "Biogen") announced today that the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) in Mexico has approved humanized anti-soluble aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ) monoclonal antibody "LEQEMBI ® " (lecanemab) for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (AD)*. LEQEMBI selectively binds to soluble Aβ aggregates (protofibrils**), as well as insoluble Aβ aggregates (fibrils) which are a major component of Aβ plaques, thereby reducing both Aβ protofibrils and Aβ plaques in the brain. LEQEMBI is the first approved treatment shown to reduce the rate of disease progression and to slow cognitive and functional decline through this mechanism. LEQEMBI is also approved and being marketed in the U.S., Japan , China , South Korea , Hong Kong , Israel , the United Arab Emirates, and Great Britain . LEQEMBI's approval is based on the large global Phase 3 Clarity AD study. In the Clarity AD study, LEQEMBI met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant results. 1,2 Approximately 1.3 million people in Mexico are estimated to suffer from AD, accounting for 60-70% of all dementia diagnoses. 3 AD most commonly affects individuals over the age of 65. 3 Eisai serves as the lead of LEQEMBI development and regulatory submissions globally with both Eisai and Biogen co-commercializing and co-promoting the product and Eisai having final decision-making authority. Eisai and Biogen will co-commercialize and co-promote LEQEMBI in Mexico . * Collectively referred to mild cognitive impairment due to AD or mild AD dementia. ** Protofibrils are believed to contribute to the brain injury that occurs with AD and are considered to be the most toxic form of Aβ, having a primary role in the cognitive decline associated with this progressive, debilitating condition. 4 Protofibrils cause injury to neurons in the brain, which in turn, can negatively impact cognitive function via multiple mechanisms, not only increasing the development of insoluble Aβ plaques but also increasing direct damage to brain cell membranes and the connections that transmit signals between nerve cells or nerve cells and other cells. It is believed the reduction of protofibrils may prevent the progression of AD by reducing damage to neurons in the brain and cognitive dysfunction. 5 Notes to Editors 1. About lecanemab (LEQEMBI ® ) Lecanemab is the result of a strategic research alliance between Eisai and BioArctic. It is a humanized immunoglobulin gamma 1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody directed against aggregated soluble (protofibril) and insoluble forms of amyloid-beta (Aβ). Lecanemab is approved and being marketed in the U.S., Japan , China , South Korea , Hong Kong , Israel , the United Arab Emirates and Great Britain for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or mild dementia stage of disease (collectively referred to as early AD). The treatment's approvals in these countries was based on Phase 3 data from Eisai's global Clarity AD clinical trial, in which it met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant results. 1,2 The most common adverse events (>10%) in the lecanemab group were infusion reactions, ARIA-H (combined cerebral microhemorrhages, cerebral macrohemorrhages, and superficial siderosis), ARIA-E (edema/effusion), headache, and fall. Lecanemab is under regulatory review in 16 countries and regions, including the European Union. In November 2024 , the treatment received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommending approval. Since July 2020 the Phase 3 clinical study (AHEAD 3-45) for individuals with preclinical AD, meaning they are clinically normal and have intermediate or elevated levels of amyloid in their brains, is ongoing. AHEAD 3-45 is conducted as a public-private partnership between the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium that provides the infrastructure for academic clinical trials in AD and related dementias in the U.S, funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, Eisai and Biogen. Since January 2022 , the Tau NexGen clinical study for Dominantly Inherited AD (DIAD), that is conducted by Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU), led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis , is ongoing and includes lecanemab as the backbone anti-amyloid therapy. 2. About the Collaboration between Eisai and Biogen for AD Eisai and Biogen have been collaborating on the joint development and commercialization of AD treatments since 2014. Eisai serves as the lead of lecanemab development and regulatory submissions globally with Eisai and Biogen co-commercializing and co-promoting the product and Eisai having final decision-making authority. 3. About the Collaboration between Eisai and BioArctic for AD Since 2005, Eisai and BioArctic have had a long-term collaboration regarding the development and commercialization of AD treatments. Eisai obtained the global rights to study, develop, manufacture and market lecanemab for the treatment of AD pursuant to an agreement with BioArctic in December 2007 . The development and commercialization agreement on the antibody lecanemab back-up was signed in May 2015 . 4. About Eisai Co., Ltd. Eisai's Corporate Concept is "to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits that health care provides." Under this Concept (also known as human health care ( hhc ) Concept), we aim to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to create and deliver innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology. In addition, we demonstrate our commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is a target (3.3) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by working on various activities together with global partners. For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com (for global headquarters: Eisai. Co., Ltd.), us.eisai.com (for U.S. headquarters: Eisai, Inc.) or www.eisai.eu (for Europe , Middle East , Africa , Russia , Australia and New Zealand headquarters: Eisai Europe Ltd.), and connect with us on X ( global and U.S ), LinkedIn (for global , U.S. and EMEA ) and Facebook ( global ). 5. About Biogen Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading biotechnology company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform patients' lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities. We apply deep understanding of human biology and leverage different modalities to advance first-in-class treatments or therapies that deliver superior outcomes. Our approach is to take bold risks, balanced with return on investment to deliver long-term growth. The company routinely posts information that may be important to investors on its website at www.biogen.com . Follow Biogen on social media – Facebook , LinkedIn , X , YouTube . Biogen Safe Harbor This news release contains forward-looking statements, about the potential clinical effects of lecanemab; the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of lecanemab; potential regulatory discussions, submissions and approvals and the timing thereof; the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; the anticipated benefits and potential of Biogen's collaboration arrangements with Eisai; the potential of Biogen's commercial business and pipeline programs, including lecanemab; and risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization. These statements may be identified by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "possible," "potential," "will," "would" and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early-stage clinical studies may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical studies and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including without limitation unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data, analysis or results obtained during clinical studies; the occurrence of adverse safety events; risks of unexpected costs or delays; the risk of other unexpected hurdles; regulatory submissions may take longer or be more difficult to complete than expected; regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of Biogen's drug candidates, including lecanemab; actual timing and content of submissions to and decisions made by the regulatory authorities regarding lecanemab; uncertainty of success in the development and potential commercialization of lecanemab; failure to protect and enforce Biogen's data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; product liability claims; and third party collaboration risks, results of operations and financial condition. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Biogen's expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen's most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. References View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leqembi-lecanemab-approved-for-the-treatment-of-early-alzheimers-disease-in-mexico-302322515.html SOURCE Eisai Inc.
President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction
LPGA and USGA to require players to be assigned female at birth or transition before male puberty The LPGA and the USGA have updated gender policies that will require players to be assigned female at birth or to have transitioned to female before going through male puberty. The policies begin in 2025 and follow more than a year of study. The groups concluded that going through male puberty allows for competitive advantages in golf. The USGA has seven championships for females next year. The new policies rule out eligibility for Hailey Davidson. She missed U.S. Women's Open qualifying by one shot this year and tried LPGA Q-school. Davidson began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s in 2015 and in 2021 underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA’s previous gender policy. Miami's playoff hopes nosedive as Alabama rises in the latest College Football Playoff rankings Miami’s playoff hopes took a nosedive while Alabama’s got a boost in the last rankings before the College Football Playoff bracket is set next weekend. The Hurricanes moved down six spots to No. 12 after suffering their second loss of the season. They are one spot behind the Crimson Tide, who won won last week and moved up two spots to No. 11. Alabama is projected as the last team in and the fourth from the Southeastern Conference. Oregon stayed at No. 1 for the fifth straight week and will head into Saturday’s Big Ten title game as the only undefeated team in big-time college football. SEC and Big Ten powers lead the way on signing day as prospects finalize their college selections Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State are bringing in the nation's top recruiting class as high school prospects across the country finalize their college plans. The identity of the No. 1 class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports may not be determined until Friday because of the uncertainty surrounding a couple of top-10 prospects. But most top recruits already committed to a school well before the signing period arrived Wednesday. The CFP rankings — and 'data points' — have left Miami, Ole Miss and South Carolina puzzled CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami wants things reconsidered. So does South Carolina. The Big 12 is puzzled. And Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin turned toward social media to ask the College Football Playoff committee a question. “You guys actually meet for days and come up with these rankings??” Kiffin wrote. The fallout and, for some, anger stemming from the release of the latest CFP ranking — one that almost certainly means Miami (10-2), South Carolina (9-3) and Ole Miss (9-3) all have no chance of getting into the 12-team field — continued Wednesday as the schools on the outside looking in continued making their case, even though all hope for them seems to be gone. Juan Soto starting to eliminate teams from negotiations, agent Scott Boras says LOS ANGELES (AP) — Juan Soto is starting to drop teams from negotiations ahead of baseball's winter meetings next week. Likely to approach or set a record contract, the free agent slugger has met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, says the outfielder has “begun the process of eliminating teams” but he doesn't think a decision is “imminent” in the near future. A four-time All-Star, Soto finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year to help the Yankees reach the World Series. He has a .285 career batting average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks. Falcons QB Cousins is looking to avoid interceptions, have bounce-back game in Minnesota homecoming FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Kirk Cousins is set for his return on Sunday to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018 through 2023. The homecoming comes as he is hearing speculation about his job security in Atlanta. Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns in the Falcons’ three-game losing streak. That includes four picks in last week’s 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, his most in a decade. A vote of confidence from coach Raheem Morris can’t silence suggestions that it’s time to give rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. a chance to jump-start the Falcons’ struggling offense. Lindsey Vonn to make her comeback to downhill racing at age 40 this weekend Lindsey Vonn is going to enter an official ski race for the first time in nearly six years this weekend at age 40. Vonn announced last month that she was coming out of retirement and she will race lower-level FIS downhills and super-Gs on Saturday and Sunday in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Vonn needs some decent results to improve her long-dormant ranking so she can enter World Cup races this season under a new wild card rule. U.S. Ski Team head coach Paul Kristofic says that “obviously her history speaks for itself and she’s definitely the most decorated speed skier out there." He adds that "it will be really, really fun and interesting to see what she can do.” Liverpool's lead cut in Premier League and Man City ends slump. Chelsea and Arsenal win MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to seven points after a 3-3 draw with Newcastle. Chelsea moved up to second by thrashing last-place Southampton 5-1, while Arsenal is third after a 2-0 win over Manchester United. Fourth-place Manchester City ended its seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Liverpool’s result will give hope to its title rivals after Fabian Schar’s 90th-minute equalizer at St James’ Park. Arsenal inflicted a first loss on new Man United head coach Ruben Amorim. Pro Picks: Falcons will upset the Vikings in Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota Six division matchups and Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota highlight a lighter Week 14 schedule. Six teams aren’t playing as the NFL wraps up its final week of byes before going to a full slate over the last four weeks. Two games feature the top two teams in the division. The Seattle Seahawks (7-5) visit the Arizona Cardinals (6-6) on Sunday in a battle for a tight race in the NFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) host the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) on “Sunday Night Football” with plenty of breathing room between the two teams in the AFC West. College football picks: 'Let's play two' a theme for handful of conference championship games No football coach would tell you he’s excited about the prospect of having to beat the same team twice in the same season. That will be the task for four teams in Football Bowl Subdivision conference championship games. The FCS-level Southwestern Athletic Conference game also is a rematch. Western Kentucky, Boise State, Miami and Georgia will be going for sweeps. Sportradar reports there have been 78 same-season rematches in the FBS since 2000. There have been 43 sweeps and 35 splits.Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more recordsTesla releases new video of Optimus robot walking and it rings a bellHappy Valley actor James Norton announced the winner in a ceremony held at Tate Britain on Tuesday evening. The five jury members chose Kaur for “her ability to gather different voices through unexpected and playful combinations of material, from Irn-Bru to family photographs and a vintage Ford Escort, locating moments of resilience and possibility”. Kaur, who was born in Glasgow but lives and works in London, used her speech to advocate for the people in Palestine. The 38-year-old said she wanted to “echo the calls of the protesters outside” who had gathered after an open letter urged the Tate to cut ties with “organisations complicit in what the UN and ICJ are finally getting closer to saying is a genocide of the Palestinian people”. “This is not a radical demand,” Kaur said on stage. “This should not risk an artist’s career or safety. We’re trying to build consensus that the ties to these organisations are unethical, just as artists did with Sackler,” she said, referencing the family linked to the opioid epidemic. “I’ve been wondering why artists are required to dream up liberation in the gallery but when that dream meets life we are shut down. “I want the separation between the expression of politics in the gallery and the practice of politics in life to disappear. “I want the institution to understand that if you want us inside, you need to listen to us outside.” Kaur concluded her speech by calling for a ceasefire, adding: “Free Palestine.” BBC reporter Katie Razzall had to apologise to viewers after Kaur used a swear word in her speech. The artist was nominated for an exhibition that was held at the Tramway in her home city last year. The display, a series of installations exploring religious identities, politics and history, makes heavy use of different sounds, embedded into the exhibition by way of worship bells, Sufi Islamic devotional music, Indian harmonium, and pop tracks. This year the arts prize, named after British painter JMW Turner, which awards £25,000 to its winner, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Established in 1984, the prize is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. Previous recipients include sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor (1991), artist Damien Hirst (1995), and filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen (1999). In 2025, the prize will be presented in Bradford at Cartwright Hall art gallery, marking the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth. The exhibition of the four shortlisted artists – Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Delaine Le Bas, and Kaur – is at Tate Britain until February 16 2025.
Eggers and Bruner: Liberals Raging About Health Care Should Look in the MirrorS&P/TSX composite index rises Tuesday, U.S. markets mixed
GLASGOW :Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski cancelled out Hamza Igamane's early second-half opener for Rangers in a thrilling 1-1 Europa League draw at Ibrox stadium on Thursday. After a first half where the hosts looked the more threatening side, Igamane finally broke the deadlock and sent home fans into raptures with a first-time effort after a fine cross from James Tavernier two minutes after the break. As Rangers pushed hard to extend their lead, substitute Kulusevski grabbed an equaliser for the visitors, striking low into the far corner and past keeper Jack Butland in the 75th minute. "I think Rangers played very well. We struggled a bit. 1-1, it is what it is. We didn't play well enough to win the game," Kulusevski told TNT Sports. "It's always important to score but we've got to start winning games. We haven't won in a couple of weeks. Everybody needs to do a little bit more than we're doing right now." Cyriel Dessers almost found the winner for Rangers in the 85th minute but goalkeeper Fraser Forster saved his shot in a remarkable performance for the London side who avoided a third consecutive loss in all competitions. The stalemate leaves both sides on 11 points but with Rangers one place ahead of Spurs in eighth on goal difference. LAZIO TOP STANDINGS Lazio remained leaders after a commanding 3-1 away win over Ajax courtesy of goals from Loum Tchaouna, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Pedro. The Serie A side, undefeated in their last six Europa League games, are on 16 points, level with Athletic Bilbao but with a better goal difference. Bertrand Traore had equalised for Ajax early in the second half, after Tchaouna's early opener, but the hosts could not prevent their second defeat of the tournament, dropping to 11th on 10 points. Olympique Lyonnais rallied from a goal down to claim a 3-2 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt as goals from Rayan Cherki, Malick Fofana and Ernest Nuamah helped the hosts to climb to fourth in the standings. Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff had opened the scoring for the visitors and Omar Marmoush scored a late consolation goal, leaving the Bundesliga side fifth in the standings. Real Sociedad cruised to a 3-0 home win over Dynamo Kyiv with a first-half double from captain Mikel Oyarzabal, who also missed a penalty, and a Sheraldo Becker strike. The victory put the Basques 12th on 10 points. Porto overcame Midtjylland 2-0 at home, while Anderlecht are third in the table after a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague.Unai Emery feels confidence returning after Aston Villa end winless run