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accused International Criminal Court judges of holding “anti-Semitic hatred toward Israel” after it issued arrest warrants against him and the country’s former defence minister. The Israeli prime minister showed his contempt for the decision by launching a personal attack against Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor. “The decision was made by a corrupt chief prosecutor attempting to save himself from serious allegations of sexual harassment, and by biased judges driven by anti-Semitic hatred toward Israel,” Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Mr Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defence minister, have been accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity and for their role in the . The ICC’s decision means the politicians risk being arrested in any of the 124 countries that are signed up to the court. Both Israel and the US have argued the ICC over the Jewish state as it is not a member of the court. “We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” the White House said in a firm rebuke of the arrest warrants on Thursday. “The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter.” The court also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military chief, who is seen as the orchestrator of the Oct 7 attacks. Israel claimed to have killed Deif earlier this year, which Hamas is yet to confirm. An Israeli official told The Telegraph that the arrest warrant was “expected” but that the government considers it an “outrageous, political move”. “I find it hard to believe that any of Israel’s allies will arrest a sitting prime minister, but we are in touch with all of them now to figure out how to contain the situation,” the official said. Mr Netanyahu compared the arrest warrants to “ – and it will end in the same way”. It was in reference to an infamous 19th century court case in which Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jewish army captain, was wrongly convicted of treason. Mr Netanyahu accused Mr Khan, the ICC’s British-born chief prosecutor, of “lying” when he told American senators that he would take no action until he had visited Israel. “Instead, he cancelled his arrival in Israel last May, several days after suspicions of sexual harassment were made against him, and announced his intention to issue arrest warrants,” the prime minister said. Mr Gallant, who was recently fired by Mr Netanyahu, also delivered an angry reaction to his arrest warrant, saying it will be “remembered in infamy”. “It places the State of Israel and the murderous Hamas leaders on the same level, thereby legitimising the murder of babies, the rape of women and the kidnapping of elderly people from their beds,” said Mr Gallant. Sir Keir Starmer . When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government of the court but declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK. The spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law. “This Government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terror groups. “We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.” , Israel’s president, described the ICC’s decision as a “dark day for justice and humanity” and said the arrest warrants were issued in “bad faith”. Itamar Ben-Gvir, , echoed accusations of anti-Semitism against the ICC and said the government should respond by annexing the West Bank. Mike Waltz, Donald Trump’s pick for , said the court should expect “a strong response to the anti-Semitic bias of the ICC and United Nations come January”. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, called on Washington to sanction the ICC in response to its decision. The arrest warrants were welcomed by Hamas, who said they represented an “important step towards justice”. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, said: “It can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world,” Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, also praised the decision, which he said restores “hope and trust not only in international law along with UN institutions, but also in the importance of justice, accountability and prosecution of war criminals”. Some human rights groups also applauded the arrest warrants. Balkees Jarrah, the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said they “break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law”. Peace Now, the Israeli NGO, said the war against Hamas has become “ , allegedly using unlawful means such as starvation. Under Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel has become a pariah state, and this is a low point in our history as a people and a nation”. The ICC has no power to enforce its warrants but any country that has signed the Rome Statute, which established the court’s existence, would be obliged to arrest Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant. Mr Khan said in a statement: “I appeal to all States Parties to live up to their commitment to the Rome Statute by respecting and complying with these judicial orders.” He also called on countries that are not members of the ICC to work together towards “upholding international law”. 07:53 PM GMT Round-up of today’s events Thank you for following our live blog. Here is a round-up of today’s events. The International Criminal Court’s most senior prosecutor has urged the body’s 124 members to act on arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Sir Keir Starmer has backed the ICC’s decision to issue a warrant for Netanyahu. He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK. The United States “fundamentally rejects” the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, a White House national security council spokesman said and is “deeply concerned” by the decision to do so. Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, said his country would be obliged to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited. 07:34 PM GMT White House is ‘deeply concerned’ by decision to issue arrest warrants The White House has said it remains deeply concerned by the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister. 07:19 PM GMT Italy is bound by ICC to act on arrest warrants, says Crosetto Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, said his country would be obliged to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited. Crosetto, whose country holds the G7 rotating presidency this year, told RAI television’s Porta a Porta programme said that if Netanyahu or Gallant “were to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them”. It was not a political choice but Italy was bound as a member of the ICC to act on the court’s warrants, Crosetto said. 06:49 PM GMT Netanyahu: ‘ICC warrant won’t stop me from continuing to defend Israel’ Benjamin Netanyahu has said the warrant issued for his arrest by the ICC “won’t stop me from continuing to defend Israel”. 06:35 PM GMT Dutch’s Foreign Minister cancels trip to Israel Caspar Veldkamp, The Netherlands Foreign Minister, has cancelled his trip to Israel, the Dutch news agency ANP has said, citing leaked plans of the trip as the reason. 06:12 PM GMT Italian government will arrest Netanyahu if he came to country The Italian government would have to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to the country, its defence minister Guido Crosetto has said. 05:35 PM GMT ICC prosecutor urges its 124 members to act on arrest warrants The International Criminal Court’s most senior prosecutor has urged the body’s 124 members to act on arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The ICC has no power to enforce its warrants but technically, any country that has signed the Rome Statue would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant. Karim Khan in a statement, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, said in a statement:“I appeal to all States Parties to live up to their commitment to the Rome Statute by respecting and complying with these judicial orders. He also called on countries that are not members of the ICC to work together towards “upholding international law”. Khan said his investigation into the situation in Gaza was continuing and his team was looking into “additional lines of inquiry in areas under the Court’s jurisdiction, which include Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.” 05:30 PM GMT Turkey praises ICC decision to issue ICC arrest warrants. Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s foreign minister, hailed as “a very important step” the decision by the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister He wrote on X: “This decision is an extremely important step in bringing to justice the Israeli authorities who committed genocide against Palestinians.” 05:20 PM GMT ICC prosecutor urges members to ‘live up’ to their commitments Karim Ahmad Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has urged members to comply with arrest warrants. He said that countries that belong to the court must “live up” to their commitments and has also called on the co-operation of non members. 04:45 PM GMT Trudeau: ‘We will abide by rulings of the ICC’ Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has said his government will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the International Criminal Courts. He told a televised news conference. “It’s really important that everyone abide by international law. We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts.” 04:31 PM GMT Palestine welcomes arrest warrants for Netanyahu The Palestinian Authority welcomed the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants on Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. “The ICC’s decision represents hope and confidence in international law and its institutions,” it said in a statement published by official Palestinian news agency Wafa, and urged ICC members to enforce “a policy of severing contact and meetings with internationally wanted individuals, Netanyahu and (Yoav) Gallant”. 04:21 PM GMT Starmer backs ICC warrant Sir Keir Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government respected the independence of the court. He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK. The spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law.” “This Government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terror groups. “We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.” Under the Conservatives, the British government had told the court it intended to challenge the plans for the arrest warrants. However weeks after coming to power, Sir Starmer’s government reversed that position and said it would not object. 03:48 PM GMT US rejects ICC decision to issue arrest warrants The United States “fundamentally rejects” the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, a White House national security council spokesman said. “We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” the spokesman added. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Donald Trump, called for the Senate to sanction the ICC, saying the court was a “dangerous joke”. “It is now time for the US Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.” 03:33 PM GMT Suella Braverman: ICC is ‘making a mockery of the law’ Suella Braverman has accused the ICC of “making a mockery of the law”, . The Tory MP and former home secretary told The Telegraph: “The issuing of an arrest warrant from the ICC for Israeli Ministers is outrageous and brings the ICC into disrepute. “Israel is fighting for survival against Hamas terrorists who wish to wipe Jewish people off the face of the earth. To equate Hamas brutality with legitimate defensive measures of the democratically elected Israeli government is absurd and brings the ICC to shame. “That this Labour government effectively supports the ICC’s action puts the UK at odds with one of our closest allies in the Middle East. “The ICC has lost credibility with this politicised decision which has no objective evidential basis. They’ve made a mockery of the law and undermined the international rules based system.” 03:21 PM GMT UK should not enforce ‘farcical’ arrest warrant, says Robert Jenrick Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said the ICC now has “no credibility”, . Mr Jenrick said: “The UK should not enforce this farcical arrest warrant from a politicised court that is itself mired in scandal. “This latest decision will only fuel the growing perception the ICC is a kangaroo court. “Equating Israel’s war of self defence with Hamas is absurd. “The ICC has no credibility when it turns a blind eye to the crimes of tyrants like Khomeini and Putin.” 03:14 PM GMT Ireland’s PM: ICC arrest warrants is ‘extremely significant step’ Ireland’s prime minister has said the ICC’s issuing of arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Dief is an “extremely significant step”. “The court points to reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility for crimes perpetrated in the war in Gaza,” Simon Harris said. Mr Harris also pointed to the arrest warrant for Hamas commander Mohammed Dief, who Israel claims to have killed earlier this year. “The court points to reasonable grounds that Mr Deif ... is responsible for crimes against humanity,” Mr Harris noted. The Irish leader said his government has long expressed “profound concern” that rules of international humanitarian law have not been upheld during the war in Gaza. 02:45 PM GMT Priti Patel: ICC decision is deeply concerning and provocative Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “The decision by the ICC to issue arrest warrants for the democratically elected leader of Israel and Israel’s former defence minister is deeply concerning and provocative. “This will do nothing to bring about the release of all hostages held and the bringing of much-needed aid into Gaza. “In issuing these warrants, the ICC are drawing a moral equivalence with the actions of the terrorist leadership of Hamas, which it is wrong to do. “The Conservative Government did not believe the ICC has jurisdiction in this area, as Israel is not a signatory to the Rome statute, and because Palestine is not recognised as a state. “The Labour Government must condemn and challenge the ICC’s decision.” 02:37 PM GMT Netanyahu compares ICC ruling to ‘modern-day Dreyfus trial’ Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has released a statement comparing the ICC’s ruling to the Dreyfus affair of 1894, when the French government wrongly convicted a Jewish army officer of treason. “The anti-Semitic decision of the International Criminal Court is comparable to the modern-day Dreyfus trial -- and it will end in the same way,” Netanyahu said, referencing the fact the French state eventually exonerated Albert Dreyfus. Mr Netanyahu added that the decision to issue an arrest warrant was “made by a corrupt chief prosecutor attempting to save himself from serious allegations of sexual harassment”. The ICC announced earlier this month that Karim Khan, its chief prosecutor, would face an external investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Mr Khan has denied all the allegations and vowed to cooperate with the investigation. 01:52 PM GMT Pictured: Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif As well as issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, the ICC also sought the arrest of Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Israel has claimed that it killed Deif earlier this year. A shadowy figure, he had been on Israel’s most wanted list for nearly three decades and survived at least seven assassination attempts that left him with impaired sight and movement. 01:28 PM GMT The ICC has turned universal justice into a laughing stock, Israeli president says Israel’s president has attacked the ICC’s arrest warrant decision, saying the court has turned universal justice into a “laughing stock”. “It makes a mockery of the sacrifice of all those who fight for justice - from the Allied victory over the Nazis till today,” Isaac Herzog said. He added: “It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people. “It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population.” 01:12 PM GMT Arrest warrants are ‘assault on justice and truth’, Israeli parliament speaker says The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant is an “assault on justice, truth, and the universal right of self-defence”, the Israeli parliament speaker has said. In a statement, Amir Ohana went on to say that the decision “marks a dark day in the history of international law”. Continuing, Mr Ohana said the ICC had chosen to “politicise its mandate, turning itself into a tool of terrorists and those who seek to delegitimise Israel’s right to exist”. He called on democracies across the world to “take heed of the dangerous precedent this decision sets, threatening all nations fighting the scourge of terrorism”. “We reject this decision with the full moral force of our conviction and will continue to act decisively to defend our people and our sovereignty.” Mr Ohana signed off the message by saying that the ICC “didn’t get the memo on Mohammed Deif”. The ICC also issued an arrest for Deif, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, who Israel claims to have killed earlier this year. 12:59 PM GMT Human rights groups applaud Netanyahu arrest warrant Some human rights groups have applauded the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. “The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement. ActionAid, an international charity that works with women living in poverty, said it “welcomed” the ICC’s move. It added: “The Pre-Trial Chamber’s finding that Israeli officials Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally deprived civilians in Gaza of essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and fuel is a grave indictment of their barbaric actions in Gaza.” 12:51 PM GMT Benny Gantz condemns ICC decision Benny Gantz, a political rival to Benjamin Netanyahu, has condemned the ICC’s decision to order the arrest of the Israeli prime minister and former defence secretary Yoav Gallant. Mr Gantz said the move showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten”. 12:46 PM GMT House of Commons reacts to ICC arrest warrants Bob Blackman, the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, shared a post saying the ICC “gave Hamas a strategic win” with its ruling. Two Labour MPs who are currently serving six-month suspensions from the party both called on Sir Keir Starmer to back the ICC’s ruling. Jeremy Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP after losing the Labour whip, said: “The ICC’s arrest warrants are long overdue. “The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary must immediately endorse this decision. That is the bare minimum. Will the UK Government now, finally, honour its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?” Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, said: “The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. “The UK government must comply with the ICC, end all arms sales, impose economic sanctions & suspend its trade deal with Israel. Nothing less will do.” Apsana Begum, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, added: “The ICC have now issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netayanhu and Yaov Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. “The UK Government needs to get behind the ICC now, uphold international law and end its own complicity.” 12:43 PM GMT Farage: The ICC loses more credibility with each day that passes Nigel Farage has criticised the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, saying the court “loses more credibility with each day that passes”. The Reform UK leader said in March that there was a “growing prejudice” against Israel and Israelis beginning to “run through” Britain’s public services. 12:33 PM GMT Arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism, Israeli opposition leader says Arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant are a “reward for terrorism”, Israel’s opposition leader has said. Yair Lapid, from the centrist Yesh Atid party, said he condemned the ICC’s decision and that Israel had been defending itself against terrorist “organisations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens”. 12:22 PM GMT Hello and welcome to our live coverage We’re bringing you the latest updates after arrest warrants were issued for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Yoav Gallant, his former defence minister, by the International Criminal Court.
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them 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. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to the Jordanian city of Aqaba for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers, Turkey’s foreign minister and the United Nations special envoy for Syria, the U.N. said. Blinken will try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken underscored “U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.Vince Dunn's second goal comes in overtime as Kraken rally past Canucks 5-4
IT’S finally time for the most important day in gaming’s calendar, The Game Awards, where announcements, reveals, trailers, and, of course, awards are shown. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, not only will the best games of 2024 receive their accolades, but we’ll gain insights into the biggest upcoming games. Expect there to be plenty of huge reveals of unannounced games, and more trailers for games we know about. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are nominated for the most awards this year, but other games like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree have also received a number of nominations. If you want to keep up with all the trailers and awards as they are announced, we’ll have everything you need. Here are all the biggest announcements from The Game Awards 2024 as they happen. More options means more control for players, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown allowed people to tweak every aspect. Here are the other nominees in the category: Games for Impact celebrates games with a social message, and Neva from the team behind Gris scooped this one up. Here are all of the nominees: There weren't any surprises in the esports categories. Here are all of the nominees and winners. It's not a very popular category, but VR games are still pushing the boundaries of the platform. Batman: Arkham Shadow was undoubtedly the best VR game this year taking home the award. Here are all of the nominees: While the crowd cheered loudly for Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken 8 took home the crown. Tekken director and producer Katsuhiro Harada was there to pick up the award. Here are all of the nominees: Ninja Gaiden in a game from the team behind Streets of Rage 4. Ninja Gaiden Ragebound will launch in 2025. The Game Awards pre-show is about to begin with the pre-show. That means the first trailers, announcements, and awards are incoming. We won’t know who the big winners are until the show starts, but we did give The Game Awards winner predictions based on our expert opinions. Naturally, the games with the most nominations are likely to pick up the most awards, and we expect all of The Game of the Year nominees to pick up at least one prize. There are a number of studios and publishers that don’t usually feature trailers during The Game Awards. Don’t expect anything about GTA 6 . It’s expected to be the biggest game of 2025, and Rockstar doesn’t need the added publicity of The Game Awards to showcase it. Rockstar is more likely to give more information about GTA 6 in one of its own showcases. We also don’t expect to see anything from Nintendo’s first-party studios or an unveiling of the Switch 2 . Nintendo also presents new consoles and games as part of its own events, and historically has not appeared at The Game Awards. The Game Awards like to keep things a surprise, but some publishers have teased upcoming games. Gearbox has confirmed that it’ll be showing more of the much anticipated Borderlands 4, and Hangar 13 will show more from Mafia: The Old Country. One of the bigger trailers to appear is Civilization 7 from Firaxis, one of the most anticipated games of next year. Hazelight Studios, the team that made 2021 Game of the Year award winner It Takes Two, will show off their next title. Third-person shooter Mecha Break has teased a TGA 2024 announcement, as well as updates for ongoing games. Zenless Zone Zero, Stalcraft: X, Warframe: 1999, and Tekken 8 will all share updates with fans. The Game Awards is streaming live via Steam and there are some benefits if you watch it this way. By going through The Game Awards' Steam page , you can grab in-game items for games like No Man's Sky and Helldivers 2. All you need to do is watch while logged into your Steam account, and the in-game items will automatically unlock. There are 30 categories at The Game Awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Score, Best Narrative, and Most Anticipated Game. There are also categories for best game in each genre, as well as a number of esports awards. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have been nominated for seven awards each, while Metaphor: ReFantazio is right behind it with six nominations. If you want to see the nominees for every category, you can check out our The Game Awards all nominees guide. Six games have been nominated for Game of the Year, and all of them have received multiple nominations in other categories. The games cover a wide variety of genres, from 3D platformer Astro Bot to turn-based RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. Poker roguelike Balatro is the only indie game on the list, but Black Myth: Wukong is also the first triple-A game from Game Science. Shadow of the Erdtree is also the first DLC that has been nominated for Game of the Year. If you want to know more about each game, you can read our reviews by clicking on the links. Here’s the full list. The Game Awards will be streamed live on YouTube on The Game Awards’ official YouTube channel. If you can’t catch the award show live, the same link will redirect to a VOD of the show after it has finished. The Game Awards has a strange streaming structure, where the stream starts an hour before the official award show. There is also a pre-show that takes place 30 minutes before the official show, which includes trailers and awards but does not take place on the main stage. Our times line up with when the pre-show starts, but if you’re just interested in the stage show you can start watching 30 minutes later. Here is when you can watch The Game Awards:OKLAHOMA CITY — Two powerful state political figures have come out against a controversial proposed electric transmission corridor that could span the state. Attorney General Gentner Drummond and state House Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, on Thursday , Dec. 12, 2024, announced their opposition to the Delta-Plains National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, which, according to Drummond’s office, is a 645-mile electric transmission corridor proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy that would span Oklahoma from the Panhandle to the Arkansas state line. The proposed corridor has drawn opposition from landowners across Oklahoma, including Garfield County. A lack of information presented by the Department of Energy to residents and the threat of eminent domain are the main sticking points for those opposed. The corridor is one of several proposed corridors across the United States proposed to expand the nation’s power grid. It has not yet been finalized for development. In an emailed news release, Drummond said the project threatens to harm Oklahoma property owners and offers no benefit to a net energy producing state like Oklahoma. “The threat of Federal Eminent Domain to property owners is classic federal overreach,” Drummond wrote in a letter sent today to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “I will not sit idly by and allow it to proceed without exercising all lawful measures to protect the private property rights of our Oklahoma farmers and ranchers.” The proposed corridor would stretch from 4 to 18 miles in width as it spans the state. The Department of Energy is expected to designate its final selected corridors soon. Meanwhile, Hilbert filed House Concurrent Resolution 1001, which vows to take all legislative action available to prevent the establishment of the corridor in Oklahoma. “The people of Oklahoma will not stand for private landowners being forced to surrender their property through federal condemnation,” Hilbert said in a news release. “There are state processes in place to get community input and engagement on pending projects of this nature and I urge anyone in the path of this proposed corridor to come and let their voices be heard tonight on this issue.” Hilbert said he is committed to fighting against the corridor and appreciates the support of House and Senate colleagues who have signed on as co-authors of the measure. “Oklahoma’s eminent domain laws and regulations provide a level of protection to the landowner that is non-existent at the federal level,” said Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene. “This also has the ability to hurt our local utility providers who fall under the regulation of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission while these NIETCs will be able to circumvent local rules and regulations, which is unacceptable.” “Everyone in Oklahoma should be concerned by this federal land grab attempt if the NIETC designation is granted,” said Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow. “We stand ready to do all we can at the Legislature to stop it and look forward to working with a DOE under President-elect Trump, who will better understand and respect private property rights while pushing American energy independence.” HCR 1001 will be co-sponsored by Sen. Grant Green in the Senate and will be considered when the 60th Legislature meets starting in February. The proposed corridor has drawn opposition from landowners across Oklahoma, including Garfield County.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African politicians seeking to head the African Union detailed their plans on Friday for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade among other issues. Raila Odinga of Kenya, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They participated in a two-hour debate Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries in the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. Odinga said that two permanent seats with veto power were “a must for Africa” and that this was “only fair” since the continent has more than 50 countries. Randriamandrato urged member states to cease the opportunity and “speak with one voice on the choice of who will represent Africa in the UNSC.” The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, who has served for two terms. The African Union has faced several challenges that include conflict in member countries and political coups that have seen five member states expelled from the union, making regional security a major theme in Friday’s debate. Youssouf said that regional security could be enhanced if the resources for a regional standby force were increased to reduce the overreliance on foreign partnerships for resources. “When there is no unity of purpose among neighboring countries peace will be compromised,” Youseff said. Randriamandrato encouraged countries to take charge of their internal security while cautioning that foreign military bases should be “a thing of the past” because they “could be a source of conflict.” Despite the continent’s young population of 1.3 billion that is set to double by 2050, regional trade has faced challenges that were addressed in the Friday debate. Odinga said that Africa had a “huge domestic market” that it could leverage on for economic transformation by opening up opportunities for trade between African countries. Youssouf proposed a payment compensation system that would ensure countries don't lose out while trading in different currencies adding, “are we going to have a single currency, why not?” Randriamandrato said that regional economic blocs like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa had a huge role to play in easing inter-Africa trade. The African Union has several proposed reforms on its structure and leadership aimed at achieving its purpose, and all candidates promised to implement the reforms if elected. Youssouf said that key reforms in the union were facing a funding bottleneck and that “it has to change,” adding that he wouldn't impose it on member states but would “advocate for it.”
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Ashley Coleman has resigned as executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center, which will "temporarily pause" some programs.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 1:31 p.m. EST
ROYAL STARS | GEORGIA NICOLSAfter a Snoop Dogg figurine and other merchandise was stolen from a St. Thomas games store earlier this week, its owners scored when their Facebook post motivated two shoplifters to return the items a day later. Marty Hancox, founder and co-owner of Fan of the Sport, was unpacking stock on Monday at the shop in the Elgin Centre shopping mall that sells sports memorabilia, trading cards and board games. He discovered a Pop Funko, a type of figurine depicting famous people and pop culture characters, was missing, said co-owner Dionne Turner, Hancox’s partner. After a search of the store failed to turn up the figurine of rapper Snoop Dogg, Hancox checked the store’s surveillance tapes, Turner said. The video showed that around 1:30 p.m., two females had pocketed the Snoop Dogg Pop Funko, a Pop Funko of X-Men character Wolverine, and a Toronto Maple Leafs coffee mug, Turner said. “I said, ‘I’m posting this online because we’ve had issues before,’” she said. “The police, they try to help, but there’s only so much they can do . . . and that’s how it all started.” This time, rather than contacting police, Turner and Hancox decided to post a video and several still images of the two females who had pocketed about $80 worth of merchandise to the store’s Facebook page around 4 p.m. on Monday, Turner said. Both Hancox and Turner said it wasn’t the cost of the items that motivated the post. Hancox said it was “more the principle of they took stuff” with Turner noting money is “out of our pocket ,too.” “We didn’t really like it, to kind of shame them on Facebook, but I thought, we’ll give it a try, and sure enough within 24 hours they contacted us,” Hancox said. He believes the pair were likely “getting pressure from family and friends” who saw their picture, he said. Turner said the two females returned the stolen property on Tuesday evening, and that the names of the shoplifters were never learned, nor were there were hard feelings. “I thanked them for bringing this stuff back,” Turner said, and told them she was “really impressed because it took a lot of guts to come in here and face me.” “We don’t care what their names are, we’re just happy we got our items back,” Hancox said. A spokesperson from the St. Thomas police stated by email that a property crime analyst with the department called shoplifters returning stolen property “very rare.” Turner said the shoplifters had mentioned they were having difficulty affording Christmas gifts, which she empathized with, but “they just went the wrong way about it. “I didn’t want them to get ostracized because everybody knew who they (are) now,” Turner said. “We got this stuff back, we’re going to drop it (and) hopefully they learned their lesson.” The post with the video and images of the shoplifters was removed and another was uploaded to Fan of the Sport’s Facebook page giving thanks to the pair for returning the stolen property and thanking customers and friends for sharing the post. The post has received an outpouring of support and even some kudos to the pair who returned the items. “Glad they came in and had a civil conversation and apologized,” wrote Facebook user Rebecaa Seeley. Tammy Crosby wrote: “That’s amazing news! That takes a lot of accountability on their part. Well done.” Turner appreciated the compassion for the two women as well. “I got teary eyed when I was reading the comments,” she said. “I was really, really impressed that everybody kind of supported them and agreed.”Orbimed Advisors Llc Sells 230,321 Shares of Passage Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:PASG) Stock
Buchanan scores 28 off the bench, Boise State downs South Dakota State 83-82OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — In some sports, playing three games in 11 days would be considered a lull in the schedule. Football is different — although this type of stretch is becoming more common in the NFL. “I just kind of put myself in a basketball perspective. Those guys play back to back, so I guess there’s a little merit behind us quote-unquote complaining about it, but they are playing 82 games," Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “MLB players are playing 162 games, and we have 17, and we’re trying to fight them to go to 18 right now. I think it’s good in a sense that we’ll see who is most prepared down the stretch, and it’s really challenging for teams — everybody that’s involved.” The Ravens are one of the five teams that are about to go through a three-game, 11-day stretch. The Ravens, Chiefs, Steelers and Texans are playing Sunday, the following Saturday and then the Wednesday after that on Christmas. Chicago has a game this coming Monday night, then plays the following Sunday before a Thursday game on Dec. 26. Before this season, 21 teams in the Super Bowl era had played three games in 11 days, according to Sportradar. In 2024 there are nine stretches like that on the schedule. In addition to the five teams above, four others have already gone through a three-game, 11-day period. The Jets, Seahawks, Saints and Cowboys all had Monday-Sunday-Thursday runs like the Bears are about to face. The Jets and Cowboys managed to go 2-1 during those stretches, but the Seahawks and Saints went 0-3. “Try to win the first one, rest, try to get your body back how it should be,” Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “If it’s not 100 percent, try to get it close as possible — just get ready to play football. That’s all.” For Baltimore, the easiest game of the three is in theory the first. As of Thursday afternoon, the Ravens were favored by 16 points at the New York Giants this weekend, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — but Baltimore has already lost to last-place teams like the Raiders and Browns this season. So the Ravens need to be careful not to overlook the lowly Giants. After the trip to New Jersey, Baltimore returns home to face Pittsburgh in a game that figures to be vital to the Ravens' AFC North title hopes. Then there's a road game against AFC South-leading Houston on Christmas. “The big picture is, ‘All hands on deck.’ We’re focused toward playing our best game so far on Sunday,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re going to need to do that, and that’s what we’re training and preparing to do. We have a plan for the three-game stretch, and that plan starts with Sunday.” The Ravens played on Christmas last year too, but that was on a Monday, so it wasn't that big a change in the schedule. If there's one factor in Baltimore's favor this season, it's that the Ravens had their open date last week — immediately before their rugged three-game stretch. But that meant Baltimore was among the last teams to have a week off. And the Ravens started earlier than almost anyone else, having been part of the NFL's opening game against Kansas City. “We reported to camp earlier than everybody else for that Thursday night game, and I think KC had their bye a little while ago,” Hamilton said. “I guess we had the longest stretch, continuous, of anybody else. It’s just going to be that much better at the end of it all, when we do what we need to do, and we can look back on that and say, ‘We did that, and we came out and won these three games.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck announces plan to enter NFL draft after season-ending elbow injury
(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .None