BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting
WATCH: Do you know these Kilkenny people and places of old?Trump threatens 100% tariff on Brics countries if they undercut US dollar
Rockfire Resources (LON:ROCK) Shares Down 8.9% – Should You Sell?If you're a Taylor Swift fan who has enjoyed watching livestream feeds from the superstar's Toronto Eras Tour show, you may have noticed that for the most part, the quality was better than on her previous tour dates. It's no coincidence: Rogers, the presenting sponsor of The Eras Tour in Canada, invested $8 million in inside Toronto's Rogers Centre ballpark. So can Vancouver fans expect the same? Yes, says a representative for the Canadian telecom giant. Rogers is working to enhance the 5G network and improve the fan experience at BC Place, and already its network team have been at work to make those upgrades. "We have done a full network redesign and installation of a new in-stadium network system to meet the anticipated demand for fans across three nights in Vancouver," says Rogers. Just how much data do Swifties use while at the Eras Tour? Rogers offered some staggering data in an October press release about the . "At the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, AT&T’s network handled a staggering 28.9 TB of data during the busiest day of Swift’s three-day tour stop there. To put that into perspective, if fans shared 200,000 photos or 400 hours of video, that would only chew up 1 TB of data." “Taylor fans use record amounts of data to livestream as well as share videos and photos from her shows, and this investment will ensure they have the best experience," noted Mark Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer, in that same press release. In Vancouver, more than just Swifties will benefit from the boost; BC Place is home to the Whitecaps and BC Lions, and hosts many high-profile special sporting and concert events. Fans around Vancouver may have already noticed a lot of billboards for the Eras Tour as well as Canada Line train wraps touting Rogers' sponsorship of the show. "Rogers is thrilled to be the presenting sponsor of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Canada. As Canada’s leading communications and entertainment company, we're all about bringing our customers the best entertainment experiences and Taylor is the best of the best," said Leann Yutuc, Senior Manager, Communications - West. To that end, for those still hoping to score tickets to the sold-out Vancouver shows - the very last three ever for Swift's Eras Tour - Rogers is still holding ticket contests. "We’ve had an amazing response to our Taylor Swift contests – we’ve seen more than 1 million entries from customers and fans," shared Yutuc. The company has been giving away 35 pairs of tickets every week since early August, with the closing on November 26. The last winners will be revealed on Nov. 26 and Dec. 3 (they've been calling it "Taylor Tuesday"). To date, there have been 107 winners from B.C., with 75 from the Lower Mainland. Rogers has also .India News | 21st Century Belongs to India; Youth Will Lead Our Growth Story: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
UEFA Champions League: Bayern edge past PSG, City’s struggles continue, and moreNoel had seven rebounds for the Raiders (6-5, 1-1 Horizon League). Jack Doumbia scored 21 points while shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 5 for 6 from the line and added 13 rebounds and three blocks. Alex Huibregste shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line to finish with 17 points, while adding six assists. The Titans (5-6, 1-1) were led in scoring by Orlando Lovejoy, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Detroit Mercy also got 12 points from Nate Johnson. Grant Gondrezick II also recorded 11 points and two steals. Wright State's next game is Wednesday against Marshall at home. Detroit Mercy visits Davidson on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here. ___ Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He’s not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. Clinching scenarios The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. Status quo in Dallas? It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. “I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementWHEN Mo Salah whipped off his shirt the other day and showed off that impressive six pack, I thought one thing — hope my missus isn’t watching. It was the same for most blokes up and down the country. I didn’t have muscles like that even in my prime as a player. We didn’t do weights in my day. As well as giving the ladies a treat, that exhibition of his amazing abs also underlines what a fantastic athlete Salah is, as well as one of Liverpool’s all-time greats and still a formidable footballer. Even at 32, if you gave him a three-year contract next summer, he isn’t going to suddenly fall off a cliff with his fitness or his play. But if I were in Arne Slot’s place, as his manager at Anfield, I’d be thinking that Salah is gone after this season, no matter what cryptic messages he puts out to muddy the waters over his future. If he hasn’t signed by now, then to me Salah is gone, despite those comments about the club not coming up with a new offer like he did. Let’s be honest, next summer he could head over to Saudi Arabia and pocket a £100million signing-on fee alone. And that’s without his wages on top. His transfer market worth must be £80-100m. Last summer Liverpool could have got more than that but the move to Saudi’s Pro League didn’t come off — that surprised me. Now of course, in the age of the Bosman free transfer, a lot of what Liverpool would have collected will go Salah’s way. He has a choice. If he is purely football driven, stay at Anfield. But even for someone like him, if clubs are dangling crazy figures in front of you, it becomes difficult to turn down. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS He could have gone last year but was probably thinking that most of the £100m or even £200m Liverpool would have got for him, will be going his way in 12 months’ time, so he is sitting it out. In some ways if he wins the Premier League title again with Liverpool this season, it seems like a fitting way to go out. You have to be honest and think to yourself that this uncertainty has been dragging on for so long now that it makes things even more certain. That he is leaving. The carefully-scripted speeches, designed to keep people guessing, are just there to stop him burning his bridges with the fans. He doesn’t want to go out in bad faith with supporters — and I get that. Next summer he can leave and then sit down and write his own cheque for a deal to take him to Saudi. He could go to any club in the world — Real Madrid maybe? But even they would struggle to compete with the money on offer in the Middle East. And imagine what a superstar he would be out there. It suits him as a Muslim, for starters, and to have players like him around at any club would be incredible for others in the squad. A fantastic example to set for young hopeful pros Younger players can look at guys like Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo, watch how they train, that they don’t eat rubbish, don’t drink, don’t abuse their bodies. They can watch and learn what is required if you want to be like Mo Salah. A fantastic example to set for young hopeful pros. It’s a world away from when I started out in management at Bournemouth. We were talking £200-a-week contracts back then, long before the advent of the Bosman Ruling. When I was at West Ham we sold Rio Ferdinand to Leeds for £18m — a lot of money back then. The chairman, Terry Brown, said to me he thought it would be one of the last big transfers because with the incoming Bosman Ruling, all players would choose to run their contracts down and leave for free. That was his belief and you can understand his feelings at the time, yet the transfers have just got crazier. If nothing else, Salah leaving England next summer would be a great relief to blokes everywhere who have been sucking their stomachs in since those pictures of his rack came out. IF I could offer one piece of advice to Frank Lampard on his return to management with Coventry it would be to get a wise, old head on his staff. Not me, I’ve had it, but someone that is a little bit more experienced than him, that he can talk to. When I went to Portsmouth as manager, I brought in Jim Smith. I was an experienced manager myself by then but he was still brilliant for me to have around. Frank has got a difficult job on at Coventry and to have an older man on the team to sound out would be a huge benefit. But fair play to Frank for coming back into the game. He has got so much to offer. His football knowledge is immense and his reputation as a player, and the way he carried himself as a player, will hopefully rub off on the squad. It’s about getting the right job. For example, people are waiting for Wayne Rooney to fail in every job. But he has gone to Plymouth and although it is a big club, they don’t have money. They just about stayed up last season. Wayne’s up against it from the start. Yet I have sat down with him and spoken about football and he has the makings of a terrific manager. You just need the right club at the right time. WATCHING Ipswich this season makes me think they are the best placed to spring a surprise and stay up. The way they play, the energy, the atmosphere at Portman Road, especially last Sunday against Manchester United, really warmed me to them. Kieran McKenna has a good side there and comes across so well. I’m rooting for them.
The Times view on trust in Labour: Empty Vessel?Irish Government doubted UK campaign to ‘save David’ Trimble
To lure Juan Soto, Mets created a video of his statue outside Citi Field next to Tom Seaver's
Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations
AP News Summary at 6:30 p.m. ESTFrom the season’s outset, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Minnesota would leave itself the flexibility to close games with whatever lineup the coaching staff felt was needed to secure a victory. ADVERTISEMENT Sometimes, he noted, he’d get the choice right. Surely, there would be other times when he wouldn’t. “Hopefully, I do way more than I don’t,” Finch said this week. Sunday evening, however, was a checkmark in the “not right” column, at least based off the result. The Timberwolves didn’t score in the final 4:47 of their loss to Golden State. Finch said this week that Mike Conley’s inclusion in the closing lineup would’ve added organization to the equation. But he was quick to add that, with the ill-advised shots Anthony Edwards was taking, may not have mattered. ADVERTISEMENT Finch also reiterated what he said after the game, that Nickeil Alexander-Walker was playing “so well,” so he was hesitant to take him off the floor. “Maybe the other thing I could’ve done was go small,” Finch said, “but we’ve not really done that a ton.” That was the cry of many Wolves’ followers on social media on Sunday. Minnesota has proven rather inept at late-game offense when Conley isn’t on the floor. But all recognized Alexander-Walker had also earned the opportunity to close. You certainly won’t take Edwards off the floor in those situations, and the Wolves wanted Jaden McDaniels on the floor to guard Steph Curry. That left Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert as the only options to take off the court in favor of Conley, and that would’ve left Minnesota small. And, as Finch noted, the Wolves simply haven’t gone small this season. Like, at all. None of Naz Reid, Randle or Gobert have played more than 17 minutes this season without another big man next to him. ADVERTISEMENT It’s not something the Wolves practice, either. McDaniels said he’s only repped minutes at the four in practice when one of the bigs have been unavailable. Still, Finch said it wasn’t that he was “uncomfortable” rolling out a small-ball look Sunday. “But I worry a lot about rebounding. We struggle to rebound with our bigger lineups, at times. So, I know our smaller lineups have really struggled,” Finch said. “That’s some of the reason not to go small is really rebounding issues. But I think our guys are comfortable playing in all different combinations. But I haven’t really thought about going small, necessarily.” ADVERTISEMENT Indeed, Minnesota is just 12th in the NBA this season in defensive rebounding rate, grabbing 71.3% of opposing missed shots. The glass was especially an issue Sunday, as Golden State grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. But it’s worth noting many of those came by guards in situations in which size was no factor on the play. McDaniels said he’s comfortable playing any position, including the power forward slot. And Minnesota certainly has the wing depth to roll out more small ball lineups if the situation ever called for it. There could be a playoff matchup that does just that, though Finch noted it could also go the other direction where the Wolves’ advantage would be to lean bigger. Versatility rules come April and May. But the Wolves don’t seem overly urgent to trot out any small-ball looks just to see how they perform at this juncture in the campaign. ADVERTISEMENT “Usually, it’s better with Naz at the four (than me),” McDaniels said. There is, however, at least one proponent of doing a little experimenting: Conley. “I think (small ball) kind of promotes a different level of spacing and speed to the game. You’re going to have to rely on guard-guard situations, guard pick and rolls,” Conley said. “Maybe me setting the screen and roll, Just creating different advantages for ourselves, as opposed to our typical offense or typical flow of things. I would love to see it, maybe — see how it works.” ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .