Polls close in Uruguay’s election, with ruling coalition and opposition headed for photo finish
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Marine – Introducing ‘Hardly Protected Areas’
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NoneOne story I never tire of telling is how Channel 6 assured Philadelphia would have a Thanksgiving Day Parade, even as retailers who originally sponsored it faded from the local scene. I mention Channel 6’s place in Philadelphia Thanksgiving history annually because it marks one of the all-time greatest rescues of a local tradition by a local media giant. Thursday, that tradition continues as “The 6 ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade,” begins its 105th annual march — 39th under Channel 6’s aegis — at 8:30 p.m. featuring its usual assortment of balloons, marching bands, celebrity performances and floats. Dunkin’, as in Dunkin’ Donuts, has been Channel 6’s primary partner for 14 years. Channel 6 news folk Rick Williams, Cecily Tynan, Adam Joseph, Karen Rogers and Alicia Vitarelli will serves as hosts of event: Williams and Tynan from the main Benjamin Franklin Parkway broadcasting booth, the others from the parade route which starts about 16th and the Parkway and leads to the Art Museum. Headlined guests include “Abbott Elementary’s “ Lisa Ann Walter, “Wheel of Fortune’s” Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, “Live!’s” Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, ubiquitous TV host and panelist Carson Kressley, and “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion. Pop music acts appearing at the parade include my lifelong favorite Darlene Love, Matteo Boccelli, The Sugarhill Gang, Kathy Sledge, The Sharpe Family Singers, CeCe Peniston, The Funky Bunch, Wé Ani, and the former Ladies of Chic. Performers from Ensemble Arts Philly touring shows are featured as well as the Walnut Street Theatre’s current production of “Elf,” the Philadelphia Orchestra, just back from a tour of China, Eddie Bruce and the “No Name Pops,” and the Philadelphia Ballet, now doing their annual rendition of “The Nutcracker.” Of course, some creatures known as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Santa Claus make dramatic appearances. Until Al Blackstone was asked to choreograph a production of “Anastasia,” a full-fledged musical based on 1997 animated version, he didn’t realize how much dancing the show required. “I thought it needed a ballet scene and some period dances,” he said. “Once I began working on it, I realized everything in ‘Anastasia’ is a dance,” said Blackstone, who, at the time we spoke was heading to the final rehearsal of “Anastasia” at New Hope’s Bucks County Playhouse, where it will run through Sunday, Jan. 5. “There is so much music to work, and it’s by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, so you know it’s fabulous, but more than that, (director) Eric Rosen’s concept is the music of a memory, so dance serves to illustrate the moment and where the characters are. “It gives us liberty to invent as the show moves from Imperial Russia to Paris, to which the Russian nobility flees following the Revolution.” Russian sequences can range from folk dances to formal ballet. The Paris the refugees inhabit is one of class. Blackstone says his personal experience helped in conceiving the movement for both settings. He had worked on a production of “An American in Paris,” which though set in a later period, provided a sense of the sophisticated Parisian milieu. His grandfather had emigrated to New York from St. Petersburg, Russia, at the time of the Revolution. “I was aware of the different stations and scenarios in the characters’ lives,” Blackstone says. “There’s a lot of range because some of the emigrants are members of the aristocracy while others are from the working class. “There turns out to be so much to explore in this show, I’d like to do it a third time.” Asked whether it is more difficult to work with a vehicle that was originally an animated cartoon, Blackstone said it presents some challenges. “We ask ourselves how we deal with such a situation, dealing with what it is before us but finding an effective way to make to bring out the dramatic reality of a situation, the human reality of it.” Blackstone came to prominence as one of the choreographers on “So You Think You Can Dance,” for which he received two Emmy nominations and earned one 2020 Emmy. “So You Think You Can Dance” was all about dance. It wasn’t concerned with celebrity or the process that led to the performed dance. “The language of dance was the priority, so the show became a great place to exercise creativity,” Blackstone said. “An atmosphere was created in which anything seemed possible.” Blackstone knows a lot about performing. His parents owned a dance school near Point Pleasant, N.J. “They just closed it after 45 years. Besides all of the training, my mother would take us out of school on Wednesday afternoons, so we could go to Broadway and see all of the musicals. That, as much as anything, made me want to be involved with the theater. “I remember the first show I saw was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat.’ It excited me so much, I wrote a letter to everyone in the cast. In time, I saw how dance is an integral part of storytelling.” Now in his 40s, Blackstone says dance and music remain a huge part of his life. “I don’t know how to do everything. I don’t want to do everything. I know who I am and what I’m programmed to do. And, of course, I’m still learning. “The music that interests me the most is the Great American Songbook, the wonderful songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and their contemporaries. Musicals are often composed with that style of music, which is why I enjoy working on them so much.” Being so used to whole series streaming at once, it is difficult to deal with waiting a full week for a new episode of a show. Peacock’s “The Day of the Jackal” is worth it. Eddie Redmayne plays a highly paid, highly talented professional assassin. Watching him set up the first kill of the series is engrossing as both actor and the situation are fraught with tension. The Jackal is the bad guy, but Redmayne’s charm and talent, and his character’s skill and poise make you root for him despite the international political mayhem he causes with each precise kill. The series is smart enough to let us see various aspects of The Jackal — as a family man, as a lover of nature — that enhance our like for him. Also, his main adversary, an MI 6 agent played by Lashana Lynch, is heavy-handed in her tactics and never becomes as likable as Redmayne, let alone becoming someone to root for. New episodes appear on Peacock every Thursday. You can binge-watch those that have aired already. Throughout the Eagles season, the post-game commentator I look most forward to hearing is former Eagle wide receiver Jason Avant, whether he’s conversing with Rob Ellis on WIP (94.1 FM) or Don Bell on Channel 3. Avant is candid and knowledgeable in a way that illuminates the game he’s s discussing, the plays he’s dissecting, and the players he’s praising or questioning. He brings a polished expert’s perspective to whatever he’s saying while being a sharp, observant, and fair critic of the game he, Ellis, or Bell is taking apart. That Rob Ellis and Don Bell, in their individual ways, rank among the best sportscasters in the market, is a head start to their success working with Avant. Ellis is always rational and, while stating opinions firmly, he listens to callers, explains his views calmly, and introduces ideas you haven’t heard all day on earlier programs. Bell is playful, the guy who applies a good-natured point of view to his reporting and is the life of the broadcasting party while remaining prepared and able to get down to business. Bell also has a worthy pre-game partner in Channel 3’s Pat Gallen, who seems nonchalant in approach but knows his topic thoroughly. Another who’s impressed recently is Channel 29 sportscaster Breland Moore. I enjoyed her take on the Eagles-Commanders game of Nov. 14. I also noticed that see chose as her “player to watch” in terms of being significant to the game at hand was a defender, Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who came through with a timely interception of a Jayden Daniels pass.Latest News Latest Audio Latest Free YouTube Video This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newslette r This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue Sunday Update
Middle East latest: ICC issues warrant for Israel's Netanyahu as Gaza death toll soars past 44,000
A phase one clinical trial exploring a novel cell-based immunotherapy for breast cancer has been published in JAMA Oncology . The technology tested in the trial was co-developed by Gary Koski, Ph.D., professor in Kent State University's Department of Biological Sciences, and Brian J. Czerniecki, M.D., Ph.D., chair and senior member in the Moffitt Cancer Center's Department of Breast Oncology. The study focuses on a new treatment approach that aims to harness the body's immune system to enhance patient responses and reduce the need for conventional chemotherapy and its associated toxicities. The trial involved 12 patients with locally advanced stage I-III HER2 breast cancer. This research builds upon insights gained from previous studies. "We are hopeful that we will be able to use this new immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy, or at least dramatically reduce the need for chemotherapy, for all types of breast cancer ," Czerniecki said. The immunotherapy leverages dendritic cells, critical components of the immune system that normally identify infection and mobilize other elements of immunity to repel a microbial attack. By removing some of these dendritic cells from the body, biochemically reprogramming them for anti-cancer activity and injecting them directly into breast tumors, the researchers could trigger a powerful, organized immune system attack on the cancer. This led to the significant shrinkage of tumors before standard chemotherapy was administered. Eight out of the 12 patients demonstrated at least a 50% reduction in tumor volume after just six weeks of immunotherapy. This treatment produced only minimal side effects, primarily mild flu-like symptoms, compared with the severe side effects often associated with traditional chemotherapy. "These exciting results are the culmination of nearly 30 years of collaborative research between my laboratory and Dr. Czerniecki's," Koski said. The researchers have already begun a larger phase two trial to test higher doses of the immunotherapy, further exploring the potential effectiveness of this new technology. More information: Hyo S. Han et al, Alteration of the Tumor Microenvironment With Intratumoral Dendritic Cells Before Chemotherapy in ERBB2 Breast Cancer, JAMA Oncology (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.5371The best Thunderbolt dock I’ve ever tested is on sale for 38% off
Avalanche play the Lightning on 3-game win streakDonald Trump’s views concerning the involvement of transgender athletes in organised sport – specifically, the participation by trans-male athletes in women’s sport – are nothing if not simplistic and clear. “Men” must be kept out of women’s sport. Full stop, new paragraph. According to the incoming US president, the “problem” of transgender athlete participation in women’s sport is easy to solve. The fundamental flaw in Trump’s invective is that policy born as a by-product of fear and loathing is invariably bad policy. Trump draws no distinction between transgender athletes competing in the Olympics and transgender athletes competing in a game of under-10s pee-wee football. However, the imperatives that are relevant to protecting the integrity of Olympic competition aren’t determining factors when it comes to participation sport. The rules governing transgender participation in Saturday morning sport have no correlation to how, for example, US Swimming should handle transgender women swimming against cisgender women in national championships. The next Olympic Games will be staged in Los Angeles in 2028 during the final year of Trump’s presidency. Just as America’s culture wars could implode a whole nation before the opening ceremony, the Olympic movement itself may be in for a reckoning before the end of the next Games cycle. Credit: Simon Letch Designing, implementing and enforcing transgender policy in sport at any level, from the grassroots to Olympic competition, isn’t about fear and isn’t about division for the sake of dividing. Instead, it’s the complicated process of balancing the interests of transgender athletes with all other competitors and the paramount importance of the core integrity of sport. This is all relevant not only because Trump will be back in the White House but also because by this time next year the International Olympic Committee will be under new leadership (an election for the IOC’s presidency will take place in less than four months’ time). Of the seven nominated candidates to replace the outgoing Thomas Bach, the candidate of greatest prominence, or at least the loudest public advocate for change within the Olympic Movement, is Sebastian Coe, twice an Olympic champion and current president of World Athletics. As with Trump, Coe presents as an agent for change . He is opposed to transgender participation in Olympic competition on the grounds that if you don’t protect the female category of competition in Olympic-level sport, then female sport itself will be lost. When you think about it, that position is not remotely similar to Trump’s. Not at all. As Lord Coe correctly identifies, it’s a core failing of the IOC that it has not enacted any detailed or overarching guidance to world sport and the myriad international federations that sit within its structures as to how Olympic sports should set transgender policy. It is the IOC’s policy failures that permitted the boxing competition in Paris 2024 to become so mired in conjecture due to the participation of Algeria’s Imane Khelif, when the IOC (and not World Boxing) ran that competition. Likewise, the IOC’s transgender policy is weak. In late 2021, the IOC published its Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations. Unfortunately, however, that framework comprised six pages of high-level statements of principle without much in the way of adequate detail. International federations were left to set their own policies, as required. In one section of its framework, the IOC states its position that athletes should be allowed passage to compete in the available category that aligns with their self-determined gender identity. In the next section, the IOC forces responsibility onto the international federations to ensure no athletes are afforded disproportionate and unfair competitive advantages if permitted to compete in a gender category not aligned with their biological gender. Imane Khelif celebrates her gold medal with her team and fans in Paris. Credit: Eddie Jim All of which is as clear as mud. For political reasons or otherwise by reason of weakness, the IOC under its current leadership plainly doesn’t want the responsibility of setting transgender policy across all sports. Yet to pass that complex responsibility onto the international federations is inconsistent with the IOC’s functions. Lord Coe is irrefutably correct that in terms of Olympic competition and international-standard elite sport the sanctity of the integrity of sport itself must be protected and preserved, no matter the cost. Otherwise, elite sport may as well not exist in the first place. He’s also correct that the IOC must set clear and unequivocal policy to protect the integrity of female sport and female athletic competition. It is extremely difficult to design policy to integrate transgender athlete participation in elite sport, especially when the integrity of competition is already under constant attack. If gender is kaleidoscopic, sport is black and white. Besides horse racing, some forms of motorsport and mixed doubles tennis, men and women typically don’t compete against each other. If gender is kaleidoscopic, sport is black and white. It’s in Olympic and international-level athletic competition where records are set and legacies forged. The playing field must not only be balanced, it must be known to be balanced. Rules must demand that a competing transgender athlete derives no unfair and disproportionate competitive advantage by competing in their chosen gender, if that’s different to their biological gender. The IOC’s absolute imperative must be that transgender athletes be prohibited from competing in Olympic competition if to allow those athletes to compete would mean they enjoyed any material competitive advantage. Whatever leadership position the IOC must take to set such rules within that philosophy, it must do so. Some international federations have braved the frontier, given the IOC’s contrasting tepidness. World Aquatics was the first international federation to set policy to stipulate that a female transgender athlete is ineligible for international competitions in the female category, unless either they never experienced male puberty or where they had their male puberty pharmacologically surpassed before their 12th birthday and before any physical signs of male puberty were physically detectable. Straightforward? Yes. Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. Those rules are simple, not open to interpretation or manipulation, and lacking subjectiveness. No element of the application of the rules requires measurement, or monitoring. In contrast, the IOC’s rules are all over the shop. Some researchers who know way more than me will tell you that the medical and scientific evidence isn’t absolute in demonstrating that transgender athletes – and male-to-female athletes in particular – benefit by everlasting physical and physiological advantages over their cisgender fellow competitors. Perhaps that’s the correct analysis that will prevail three decades on. But that alone can’t be a reason for the IOC and governing bodies to sit on their hands in the meantime. To do that would be to fail the current generation of Olympians, and the next. Sebastian Coe at least stands for something. Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .
Lebanon is closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for a main one that links Beirut with the Syrian capital Damascus, the General Security Directorate said Friday. The decision came hours after an Israeli airstrike damaged a border crossing in northern Lebanon just days after it was reopened. Separately, Jordan’s interior minister said the Naseeb border crossing with Syria had been closed because of the security situation on the Syrian side. He spoke after Syrian opposition activists said insurgents had captured the main border crossing with Jordan, forcing the Syrian authorities to leave. Israel’s military said it planned to reinforce its positions in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and near the border with Syria. Israel said it was “monitoring developments and is prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike.” Meanwhile, Syrian insurgents entered the central towns of Rastan and Talbiseh early Friday just north of the central city of Homs, bringing them closer Syria’s third largest city, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media both reported. The breakthrough came a day after jihiadi-led opposition fighters captured the central city of Hama , Syria’s fourth largest. In other developments, a Hamas official said international mediators have resumed negotiations with the Palestinian militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war is within reach. Israel's war against Hamas has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage . Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,600 Palestinians , more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Here's the Latest: DEIR AL-Balah, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike hit a residential building in central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp on Friday evening, killing at least 12 people, including six children and four women, according to officials at Awda Hospital. The strike wounded at least 46 others, including 13 children and 12 women, and damaged several neighboring houses, the hospital said. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,600 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. CAIRO — Israel said Friday that “thousands of food packages and sacks of flour” were delivered to the isolated northernmost reaches of Gaza, where hunger experts warn famine could be underway. The delivery would mark one of the first successful convoys to the area, which is besieged by Israeli troops that have mounted a fierce offensive in Gaza’s north since early October. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls the border crossings into Gaza, said the aid was delivered to the town of Beit Hanoun. Israeli authorities did not publicly say who delivered the aid, and did not provide details on the exact amount of aid involved. COGAT released photos of flatbed trucks driving past rubble, some carrying what appeared to be 25-kilogram (55 pound) sacks of aid and others with cargo covered under tarps. The U.N. has struggled to deliver aid to the area in recent weeks. Alia Zaki, a spokesperson for the World Food Program, told The Associated Press that nearly no food has entered the area for two months, and that the agency’s daily requests to enter the area have been denied by Israel. Of two missions that have been approved since Oct. 6, Zaki said, only two trucks of aid were delivered to a shelter that Israeli soldiers ordered to evacuate soon after and then burned. The situation in northern Gaza has prompted hunger experts to warn that famine is either near or may already be underway. BEIRUT — A Kurdish-led force in Syria that's backed by the United States says it has taken positions along the border with Iraq, replacing Syrian government forces. The move by the Syrian Democratic Forces to capture areas on the west bank of the Euphrates River is likely to cut the land line that links Iran with the Mediterranean coast. The SDF said in a statement that its fighters were deployed in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour and west of the Euphrates for the safety of civilians. “Our primary objective is to protect our security and the security of our people,” it said about the deployment. SDF spokesman Farhad Shami told The Associated Press that their fighters are not in control of the Boukamal border crossing with Iraq. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Iran-backed fighters have evacuated the border crossing point of Boukamal and the SDF is expected to control it later. The Boukamal border crossing has been a main supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, who had opened the corridor that links Iran with the Mediterranean in 2017. The developments come as jihadi-led insurgents in northwestern Syria have made stunning advances over the past week that have so far met little resistance from government troops. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Crowds of displaced Palestinians, some carrying cooking pots and crying children, gathered at an aid kitchen in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Friday, but many left with nothing. “The food ran out,” said Adel Mohammad, who was hoping to get a meal of rice – the only food being served — for his children. “At night they wake up hungry.” After the kitchen shut down, children used their hands to scoop bits of rice left in large empty cooking pots. The World Food Program has warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is “nearing collapse as famine looms.” The U.N. agency says Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, along with the breakdown of law and order in Gaza, has made it difficult for aid convoys to reach displaced Palestinians. Concerns are growing with the onset of another winter of war. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many displaced repeatedly by Israeli attacks, are living in tent camps, reliant on international aid. Experts have already warned of famine in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October. BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s General Security Directorate said Friday the country is closing all land border crossing with Syria except for a main one that links Beirut with the Syrian capital Damascus. The decision by the security agency in charge of border crossings came hours after an Israeli airstrike damaged the Arida border crossing with Syria in north Lebanon, days after it was reopened. “Border crossings will be closed until further notice for the safety of travelers,” the agency said in a statement posted on X. It said that the only border crossing that will be kept open is Masnaa in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. Lebanon’s state news agency said Friday the airstrike on the Arida crossing caused heavy material damage and cut the road. The Israeli military said fighter jets attacked the border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, adding that they were used to transfer munitions for Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. BEIRUT - Syrian opposition activists say insurgents have captured a main border crossing with Jordan forcing Syrian authorities to leave it. Shortly afterward, Jordan’s Interior Minister al-Frayeh said the Naseeb border crossing with Syria had been closed because of the security situation on the Syrian side. Opposition activists posted videos online showing people storming the border crossing with Jordan, which was in rebel hands until government forces regained control of it in 2018. Ahmad al-Masalmeh, an opposition activist based in France who covers events in southern Syria, told The Associated Press that local gunmen have captured the Naseeb crossing as well as several other areas in the southern province of Daraa where the uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011. Syrian troops have evacuated checkpoints in several areas including the villages of Inkhil, Nawa and Jassem, he added. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said on Friday that it planned to reinforce its forces stationed in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and rebel groups. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was “monitoring developments and is prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike.” After 13 years of civil war, Syrian insurgents are gaining ground, first taking cities in the country’s north and on Friday entering cities in central Syria. It comes as rebel groups mount new challenges to Russia- and Iran-backed Syrian forces, including in Aleppo, the country’s largest city. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has intermittently struck areas in Syria seen as strongholds of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group it is at war with in Lebanon. The advances of the Syrian insurgents adds new instability on Israel’s northern border, two months after it invaded neighboring Lebanon. Israel’s defense minister and military chief of staff met to discuss the situation Thursday. Israeli media reported there is concern in the country’s security establishment that the rebels would advance until they reached the Golan Heights, territory occupied by Israel, gaining control of Syrian weapons stockpiles along the way. Writing in the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahoronoth Friday, veteran military correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai wrote that Israel may “prefer” to destroy the weapons storehouses so they won’t fall into the hands of the rebels. Israel seized control of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war. Syria has constantly accused Israel of launching attacks against it from territory it occupies in the Golan Heights. Israel has frequently struck Syria over the years. BEIRUT — Syrian insurgents entered two central towns early Friday just north of the central city of Homs, bringing them closer Syria’s third largest city, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media both reported. The break into Rastan and Talbiseh came a day after opposition gunmen captured the central city of Hama , Syria’s fourth largest, after the Syrian army said it withdrew to avoid fighting inside the city and spare the lives of civilians. The insurgents, led by the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have said that they will march to Homs and Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. The city of Homs, parts of which were controlled by insurgents until 2014, is a major intersection point between the capital, Damascus, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus where Assad enjoys wide support. Homs province is Syria’s largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. Insurgents are now 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from Homs, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor. “The battle of Homs is the mother of all battles and will decide who will rule Syria,” said Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory’s chief. MANAMA, Bahrain — Iran said Friday it conducted a successful space launch, the latest for its program the West alleges improves Tehran’s ballistic missile technology. Iran conducted the launch using its Simorgh program , a satellite-carrying rocket that had had a series of failed launches, at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in rural Semnan province. That’s the site of Iran’s civilian space program. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system,” as well as two research systems to a 400-kilometer (250-mile) orbit above the Earth. A system that could change the orbit of a spacecraft would allow Iran to geo-synchronize the orbits of its satellites. Tehran has long sought that ability. Iran also put the payload of the Simorgh at 300 kilograms (660 pounds), heavier than its previous successful launches. There was no immediate independent confirmation the launch was successful. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The announcement comes as heightened tensions grip the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and as an uneasy ceasefire holds in Lebanon. MELBOURNE, Australia — Arsonists extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue on Friday in what Australia’s prime minister condemned as an antisemitic attack on Australian values. The blaze in the Adass Israel Synagogue is an escalation in targeted attacks in Australia since the war began between Israel and Hamas last year. Cars and buildings have been vandalized and torched around Australia in protests inspired by the war. A witness who had come to the synagogue to pray saw two masked men spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms inside the building at 4:10 a.m., officials said. About 60 firefighters with 17 fire trucks responded to the blaze, which police said caused extensive damage. Investigators have yet to identify a motive, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed antisemitism. “This was a shocking incident to be unequivocally condemned. There is no place in Australia for an outrage such as this,” Albanese told reporters. “To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism, is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their faith in peace and security,” he added. ISTANBUL — A Hamas official says international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach. Ceasefire negotiations were halted last month when Qatar suspended talks with mediators from Egypt and the United States because of frustration over a lack of progress between Israel and Hamas. But there has been a “reactivation” of efforts in recent days to end the fighting, release hostages from Gaza and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel, according to Bassem Naim, an official in Hamas’ political bureau who spoke with The Associated Press in Turkey on Thursday. Another official familiar with the talks confirmed the return of Qatari mediators. The official spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with the media. Since the talks broke down, there have been significant shifts in the global and regional landscape. Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, and a ceasefire was declared last week between Israel and Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump is a staunch supporter of Israel, but Naim said he believes the incoming administration could “affect the situation positively” given that Trump had made halting wars in the region part of his campaign platform. Trump this week called for the release of all hostages held in Gaza by the time he takes office on Jan. 20, saying there would be “hell to pay” if that doesn’t happen. WASHINGTON -- Three U.S. service members were being evaluated for potential traumatic brain injuries following an attack near a base in eastern Syria this week, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday. Ryder said U.S. Central Command is still evaluating who was behind the attack near Mission Support Site Euphrates, which prompted the U.S. to conduct counter strikes on Tuesday. At the time, the Pentagon said rockets and mortars had landed in the vicinity of the base. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to conduct missions to counter the Islamic Stage group. By Lolita BaldorThe Dallas Cowboys hang on for the victory after Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert missed the game tying PAT with 21 seconds remaining following an 86-yard strike from Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin in order to set up the game tying boot.No. 23 Texas A&M aims to hand Oregon first loss at Players Era
Stars arrive at the 2024 Royal Variety Performance after Queen pulls outNoneRetro ’60s Glamour Reigned Supreme at This Bride’s Desert Wedding in La Quinta, California
THE Bendigo Spirit has firmed as the WNBL championship favourites after prevailing in the clash of the competition's top two teams in Perth on Thursday night. or signup to continue reading The experience of the Spirit again rose to the fore as they defeated Perth 72-66 at the Bendat Basketball Centre. The Spirit has now made what is their best start to a WNBL season in their history, improving to 8-0 to now have a two-game buffer at the top of the ladder. As well as ticking off eight-consecutive wins to start a season for the first time, the win also featured a feat not accomplished by a Spirit player for many a year - a triple-double. Playing against one of her former teams, the Spirit's Sami Whitcomb put on a clinic against the Lynx with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in just under 37 minutes on court as she further strengthened her MVP claims. The has records of Spirit game box scores stretching back to the 2015-16 season, with Whitcomb's performance on Thursday night the club's first triple-double through that timeframe. In a clash between the competition's two highest-scoring teams it was a defensive slog, with Perth entering the final term leading by six, 53-47. The Lynx extended their advantage out to eight early in the final term before seven unanswered points from the Spirit sparked by a Casey Samuels three brought the visitors back within one. Perth responded with the next four points through Laeticia Amilhere before it was Samuels again who came up big when needed with another three-pointer to spark an 11-0 run for Bendigo. Over the final 5:24 of the game that had started with Bendigo down 61-56 the Spirit outscored Perth 16-5 to win in similar fashion to their earlier victories against Southside (November 24) and Townsville (November 16) when they took over down the stretch when challenged. One of the strengths of the Spirit this season has been their three-point shooting, but they were able to beat the second-placed side on the ladder on their home court despite their worst game so far from long range. The Spirit shot just 5-of-29 (17.2 per cent) from three-point range - well below their season average of 40.3 per cent heading into the game. Perth had gone into Thursday night's game with just one loss for the season and riding a five-game winning streak during which it had averaged 93 points per game. For the Spirit to hold the Lynx to just 66 points was testament to their defence as they forced Perth into 17 turnovers for the match. Perth - featuring former Spirit players Anneli Maley and Alex Wilson - didn't help its cause with its free-throw struggles, shooting just five-of-13. In turn, Bendigo went 11-of-13 from the free-throw line as they continue to excel in that facet of the game. While Whitcomb's triple-double was the headline grabbing performance for the Spirit, captain Kelsey Griffin in her second game back from a broken finger played just over 24 minutes and impressed with 17 points and seven rebounds as well as three steals again coming off the bench. As well as Whitcomb's 13 rebounds, which included four offensive, American Veronica Burton also had 11 boards for the Spirit. Having got through their first eight games unblemished the Spirit have this weekend off before returning home to play Townsville at Red Energy Arena on December 14 from 5pm. Sydney (2-4), Geelong United (2-4), Canberra (2-6), Adelaide (1-5). DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Robert Griffin III: How wife orchestrated our viral croissant disaster
The No. 12 Clemson Tigers and the No. 14 South Carolina Gamecocks face off in the Palmetto Bowl. If you are looking to find Tigers vs. Gamecocks tickets, information is available below. Clemson vs. South Carolina game info How to buy Clemson vs. South Carolina tickets for college football Week 14 You can purchase tickets to see the Tigers square off against the Gamecocks from multiple sources. Clemson vs. South Carolina betting odds, lines, spreads Odds courtesy of BetMGM Clemson Tigers schedule Clemson Tigers stats South Carolina Gamecocks schedule South Carolina Gamecocks stats This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Seven losses in a season is unfamiliar territory for the San Francisco 49ers. With two Super Bowl appearances in five seasons, general manager John Lynch openly admits the 49ers haven't earned the right to be called "as good" as the 2023 NFC championship group. San Francisco is 5-7 but only two games behind NFC West-leading Seattle with five games remaining as the Chicago Bears (4-8) arrive Sunday. "I've found the whole discussion on Kyle rather comical," Lynch said in an interview Friday with KNBR in San Francisco. "We have won four of the last five division championships. We've been to two Super Bowls. The standard here is to win championships, and we've fallen short of that, I understand. "But we have an excellent head coach, and the fact that people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical. We're 100 percent behind Kyle and what he brings to our organization. Like I said, our focus is really on the Bears and doing everything we can. That's where Kyle's focus is, and that's where all our focus is." San Francisco lost 35-10 in the snow at Buffalo last Sunday night and the 49ers placed their top two running backs on injured reserve due to injuries in that game. Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) could return for Week 18 at Arizona if the 49ers are still fighting for a playoff spot. In a top-down ranking of NFC teams by record and playoff position, the 49ers are No. 11 entering Week 14. "You are what your record says you are in this league, and that isn't very good. So I think we've been through a lot as a team, this current team with a lot of stuff that has happened to members of our organization. Injuries, tragic circumstances, ultimately those are just excuses. One thing I can tell you is I'm proud of how this group has stuck together, had each other's back. The other thing I can tell you is the story's not written yet. We're still grinding, and we're still playing." The 49ers last missed the postseason in 2020 with a record of 6-10 that followed an appearance in the Super Bowl -- San Francisco's first title game loss of two to the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco's upcoming schedule after Sunday includes a short week before playing the division rival Rams on Thursday, at Miami (Dec. 22), a Monday night matchup with the Detroit Lions on Dec. 30 and the finale against the Cardinals. --Field Level MediaRenewable hydrogen production – Air Liquide strengthens its partnership with TotalEnergies through a new major project in the south of France biorefinery In the framework of a long-term contract, Air Liquide will build, own and operate a new hydrogen production unit at TotalEnergies’ La Mède site, with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year. It will enable the production of renewable hydrogen from recycled biogenic by-products from the TotalEnergies biorefinery, instead of using fossil hydrocarbons as feedstock. The renewable hydrogen produced will be used mainly by the biorefinery for the production of biofuels and Sustainable Air Fuels (SAF). This renewable hydrogen production unit, the largest on La Mède industrial platform, would represent an investment of over 80 million euros for Air Liquide. Planned to be operational in 2028, it will significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the biorefinery, where TotalEnergies aims to reduce CO2 emissions by around 130,000 tonnes per year. This project represents a new stage in the decarbonization of Air Liquide’s hydrogen network production sources. It will help strengthen the Group’s presence and capacity to meet current and future needs for decarbonized hydrogen in the Fos-sur-Mer area. Furthermore, this project is in line with Air Liquide’s commitment to supporting decarbonization initiatives launched by industrial partners locally. Air Liquide has been present in the region for over 50 years, and already operates three air separation units, a hydrogen production unit and a hydrogen network. In Fos-sur-Mer, for example, it operates Europe’s first high-pressure hydrogen station for long-distance trucks. , member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, notably supervising the Group’s operations in Europe, said: “Two years after the announcement of the circular economy project in Grandpuits, and following on from our memorandum of understanding to supply TotalEnergies’ Gonfreville refinery with renewable hydrogen from the Air Liquide Normand’Hy electrolyzer, we are continuing our partnership with TotalEnergies to serve the energy transition through the implementation of our decarbonization solutions. This project is in line with Air Liquide’s strategy of offering its customers a wide range of decarbonization solutions, such as CO2 capture and low-carbon hydrogen, in response to the challenges posed by the climate emergency. This unique positioning and its technological expertise make Air Liquide a major player in the implementation of hydrogen projects to decarbonize industries and develop low-carbon mobility. the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Renewable hydrogen production – Air Liquide strengthens its partnership with TotalEnergies through a new major project in the south of France biorefinery, BMW Group Plant Regensburg launches hydrogen powered logistics fleet +++ Use of hydrogen in intralogistics – components delivered to all production areas by hydrogen-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks +++ Gradual... Edmonton Global and Ulsan Free Economic Zone partner to accelerate hydrogen use and innovation November 25, 2024 [Edmonton Metropolitan Region]— Today, in recognition of the significant role that hydrogen will play in... Syensqo launches its first fluoro-ionomer based on non-fluorosurfactant technology Syensqo, a science company focused on developing groundbreaking solutions that support the sustainability ambitions of its customers...