KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick your adjective to describe the Kansas City Chiefs this season — charmed, serendipitous, fortunate or just plain lucky — and it probably fits, and not just because they keep winning games that come down to the wire. Every time they need help at a position, they've found someone sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for their call. First it was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs just before the season after Marquise Brown was lost to shoulder surgery. Then it was running back Kareem Hunt, who likewise returned to his former team when Isiah Pacheco broke his fibula. Left tackle D.J. Humphries came next when other options at the position were struggling, and this week it was Steven Nelson, who came out of retirement to help a secondary that has struggled for weeks. "Just got an opportunity, got a call. Was very excited about it," said Nelson, who spent his first four seasons in Kansas City before stints in Pittsburgh and Houston, and ultimately calling it quits in June so he could spend more time with his family. "I've got two daughters and been spending a lot of time with him," Nelson said, "but still trying to work out. It was kind of the perfect scenario, getting the call, especially where this team has been and this point in the season. Great opportunity." It's been a perfect opportunity for all of them. Perfect fits for the Chiefs, too. Each could have signed just about anywhere else and been able to contribute, yet they were still sitting around when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached out. In the case of Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Humphries, there were some concerns about injuries that had kept some teams away, but the Chiefs were willing to take a risk on them. Smith-Schuster, who has dealt with knee trouble for years, missed some time with a hamstring injury this season. But he still has 202 yards and a touchdown receiving, and has provided some veteran leadership in the locker room. Hunt was coming off a sports hernia surgery, a big reason why the Browns — whom the Chiefs visit Sunday — declined to bring him back after five years spent in a one-two punch with Nick Chubb. But when Pacheco went down, Hunt stepped in and their offense barely missed a beat; he has run for a team-leading 608 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Humphries was still rehabbing a torn ACL at the start of the season, but the former Pro Bowl tackle was cleared just before the Chiefs called him. Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris had struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes' blind side, so they brought in Humphries to help out. And while he hurt his hamstring late in his debut last week against the Chargers, the Chiefs still hope he'll be recovered and fully up to speed in time for the stretch run and the playoffs. "I'm in Kansas City, bro. I'm pretty ecstatic. It don't get much better than this," Humphries said. "Everybody is excited for me to be here and that's a really good feeling. You're getting All-Pro guys' arms outstretched, like, 'We're so glad you're here.'" The providential signings don't stop at those four players, either. When the Chiefs lost kicker Harrison Butker to knee surgery, they signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad, and he promptly kicked a game-winner against Carolina. But then Shrader hurt his hamstring and landed on injured reserve. The 49ers had just waived Matthew Wright, and the Chiefs signed him up. He's gone 8 for 9 on field-goal tries, has been perfect on PATs, and banged the game-winner off the upright and through last week against Los Angeles. Just like Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Nelson, Wright had been with Kansas City a couple of years ago. "It definitely helps, him knowing how we do things, how we practice and what we expect," Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said. "That all helped, for sure. And he's a veteran. He's been a lot of places. It wasn't like he was a rookie off the street." Or off the couch, for that matter. NOTES: Butker planned to kick again Thursday and could come off IR to face the Browns on Sunday. "He looked good," Toub said. "We have to see how he responds." ... Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited. ... SS Justin Reid will likely handle kickoffs against Cleveland. He has a stronger leg than Wright and also puts another athletic and adept tackler on the field on special teams.Syrian rebels topple Assad who flees to Russia in Mideast shakeup

PILSEN – After the city delayed its permit decision for a controversial metal scrapper in Pilsen, neighbors and environmental activists are calling for a health risk assessment to be completed before the process moves forward. The city’s official decision on Sims Metal Management’s permit renewal was expected Monday, but it was pushed back indefinitely as the city’s Department of Public Health continues to evaluate the company’s application, spokesperson Grace V. Johnson Adams in an email. “To ensure a thorough review, [the Chicago Department of Public Health] requires additional time to complete this process,” she said. Environmental justice groups Lucha Por La Villita and the Southwest Environmental Alliance have previously called on the city to halt the permit process until Sims Metal Management installs air filtration equipment , a requirement of the company following a state lawsuit. Southwest Environmental Alliance members are now raising concerns after Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige said Sims’ emissions data submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the company’s reported pollution levels, if accurate, would not cause either short or long-term health effects. Ige made those remarks in a private meeting with the group Dec. 6. Neighbors are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to delay the permit’s approval until a full health risk assessment is completed. The health risk assessment should consider the cumulative impact of other polluters in the area, Sims’ proximity to schools and neighbors’ health. It is also a city-designated environmental justice neighborhood. Granting a permit to a serial polluter with a record of environmental violations does not reflect Johnson’s commitment to end environmental discrimination , said Theresa McNamara, Southwest Environmental Alliance leader. “When there are rules to follow to protect the people, use them,” McNamara said. Under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, the city completed a health impact assessment to evaluate whether it should approve a permit for a metal scrapper on the Southeast Side. In 2022, the city denied a permit to metal scrapper Southside Recycling , formerly known as General Iron, citing “the potential adverse changes in air quality and quality of life” of surrounding communities and the “company’s track record.” The city’s health impact assessment in that case found that certain Southeast Side groups are among the most vulnerable to air pollution based on underlying health and social conditions. Southeast Side neighbors also had higher rates of chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than other Chicagoans, the city found. For Sims, the city will use emissions data submitted to the EPA to evaluate the potential health hazards caused by the company, Ige told attendees at the Dec. 6 virtual meeting that Block Club attended. “What we have been looking at to determine if there is a health hazard is the level of emissions,” Ige said. The city monitors Sims emissions data to request inspections or mitigation controls if emissions exceed national thresholds, Ige said. It completed five inspections of the facility in 2023 and three in 2024, Ige said. But what that process fails to do is consider neighbors’ increased risk by living in environmental justice neighborhoods with heavy truck and rail traffic, industry emissions and high rates of chronic disease, asthma and cancer, Southeast Environmental Alliance members and neighbors said. It also fails to consider Sims Metal Management’s history of violations, as required by city law , they said. “[The city’s] shortcomings are our burdens,” McNamara said. “They say they care. If they care, don’t give Sims a permit. They should follow the law that they have put in place.” If the city approves Sims’ permit, it will be a retroactive permit covering operations from November 2021 to this November, replacing the company’s expired permit. The city’s delay in approving the permit was needed to complete an evaluation, receive neighbors’ feedback and allow Sims to fix deficiencies in its initial application, Ige said at last week’s meeting. The permit, if approved, will allow Sims to continue operating until the city issues a new permit, which the company has already applied for, Ige said. But by renewing this permit, the city allows Sims to break city laws without consequences, McKeon said. In 2022, state and federal representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency discovered that Sims was operating a stationary shear without the required permit for adding new equipment , according to a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Raoul Kwame. That equipment has been included in Sims’ renewal permit, according to the draft permit the city posted earlier this year. If the city renews the permit without requiring Sims to apply for a permit to add new equipment, it “would set a precedent that polluters are not required to follow [health department] rules and that [the health department] will not follow their own rules,” McKeon said in an email to the city’s health department. “We see it [as] inconsistent that the mayor has pledged to end environmental discrimination and yet is putting through this permit and intends to include equipment that was never applied for under the proper process,” McKeon said. Win Tickets To The Chicago Symphony Orchestra! This week only: When you support Block Club, you’ll not only get a free neighborhood print, but you’ll automatically be entered to win two tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra! There are three ways to qualify: Purchase a new subscription , upgrade your current subscription or gift a subscription . Don’t wait — this offer ends on Dec. 15th! Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: RelatedNone

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said the party could not buck the trend in Ireland of junior coalition partners in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments losing support in subsequent elections. He said they expected to retain two to three seats out of the 12 they had won in the 2020 election on the back of a worldwide “Green wave”. “Undoubtedly it’s a disappointing result for our party today,” Mr O’Gorman told reporters in Ongar, Dublin. “It’s hard for a smaller party in government, that’s long been the tradition, the history in Ireland. We hoped going into the election to buck that but we haven’t been able to buck that today.” Mr O’Gorman, a candidate in Dublin West, is among the outgoing Green Party TDs in a battle to retain their seats. Culture Minister Catherine Martin, who is fighting to remain a Green Party TD for Dublin Rathdown, said it was a “very tight” race in her four-seat constituency. “We go in (to government) not afraid of that because the issue of the climate and biodiversity crisis is (greater) than our survival,” she said on RTE Radio. “I stand over and am proud of our track record of delivery.” Green candidate in Waterford Marc O Cathasaigh said he would not be “in the shake-up” to retain his seat in that constituency, while junior minister Ossian Smyth looks at risk of losing his seat in Dun Laoghaire. Junior minister Joe O’Brien is expected to lose his seat in Dublin Fingal, Neasa Hourigan is at risk in Dublin Central, while Wicklow’s Steven Matthews garnered just 4% of first preferences. Former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who announced his retirement from frontline politics in June, said his party had not had a good day. Arriving at the count centre at the RDS in Dublin, the outgoing environment minister told reporters: “If you don’t get elected you accept that, but you come back stronger and you learn lessons, and we’ve done that in the past and we will do that again.” He added: “No matter what the results today there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland, we have deep roots in the community and it’s a very distinct political philosophy and I think there is still space for that in Irish politics, for sure.” Mr Ryan said he did not believe his decision to retire, and the timing of his announcement, had affected the party’s showing. “Unfortunately – and this is just one of those days – we didn’t get the number of votes,” he said. He added: “We’ll look back and see what are the lessons, and what can we learn and what can we do differently. “It’s just one of those days when we didn’t have a good day.Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend stocks

GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer and left his wife and three children has been located in Eastern Europe and is communicating with law enforcement, but he has not committed to returning home, authorities said. Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities Nov. 11, after they tracked him down, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent police that day from an undisclosed location. The sheriff said no charges have been filed and that he doesn't think they will be necessary while authorities “keep pulling at his heartstrings” to come home. Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance: Borgwardt, who is in his mid-40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 people northwest of Milwaukee that is known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River. The sheriff has said his department was told Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was heading to shore. Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached to it, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake on several occasions. Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one a few months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he made it appear that he had drowned to go meet a woman he had been communicating with in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but he said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a female that spoke Russian.” His identity was confirmed through asking him questions that the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and by a video he made and sent them Nov. 11. He has spoken with someone from the sheriff's department almost daily since. However Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt's exact location in Eastern Europe was not known. Podoll said Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has been the one communicating with Borgwardt and their conversations have all taken place via email. Vande Kolk told The Associated Press in an email Friday that authorities are trying to determine Borgwardt's exact location. But that might not be easy even with modern surveillance technology. Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, said authorities should be able to locate Borgwardt through his device's internet protocol address, a unique number assigned to every device connected to the internet. But he said it's very easy to mask an IP address and make it appear as if the device is in one country when it's really in another. Software exists that can route your IP address across the globe, Shackelford said. Police may not have the expertise, the manpower or any interest in digging through multiple layers of cyber deception, he said. Wearing an orange T-shirt, Borgwardt, unsmiling, looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed on a cellphone. Borgwardt says he is in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but mostly shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says. Borgwardt has told authorities he overturned his kayak on the lake, dumped his phone in it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin's deepest at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bike stashed by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, by Borgwardt's account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s description of what happened, Podoll said. Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal matters,” thinking it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family. “He was just going to try and make things better in his mind, and this was the way it was going to be,” Podoll said. Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does it will be of his own free will, according to Podoll. Deputies are stressing to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested that Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but so far no counts have been filed. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, is said to have cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities that he did not expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Scott Shackelford’s last name, which had been misspelled “Shackleford.”Larsa Pippen Who? Marcus Jordan & Eddie Murphy’s Ex-Wife Nicole Murphy Enjoy A Night Out

Need of the hour, Muslim Cabinet Minister or Rule of Law: Muslim perspective

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Wheel of Fortune’s most prized tradition is the bonus round, where each episode’s winner is faced with one last puzzle and a mere 10 seconds to come away with an even bigger bundle of cash (or not). But fans want a word with host Ryan Seacrest about how he’s presenting the prizes after giving a puzzling amount of build-up to a player’s $40,000 win. On Friday, November 22’s episode, Brittany Brock, a kindergarten teacher from Chicago, Illinois, was the player to proceed to the coveted bonus round. By then she had won $17,300 in cash, a trip to Kauai, and selected “Living Thing” as her category. With the savvy additional letters of “DPBI” the two-word puzzle read as, “‘_ _ DDL_’ ‘P_PP_'”. Near-instantly, she correctly solved it as “Cuddly Puppy.” The broadcast cut to Seacrest and an excited Brock, and it was time to reveal how much she won from the prize wedge she picked. Seacrest opened the gold prize card and glanced at the figure. “And...” he told her with a surprised grin (below). After a few seconds he added, “Ready?” Broke clasped her hands over her mouth in anticipation as Seacrest then revealed she won an extra $40,000, the least one can win in the bonus round. “$40,000!” he exclaimed. This brought her to a grand total of $57,381 and she was overjoyed nonetheless, embraced her husband. On Social media, many fans celebrated the big win while left wondering why Seacrest presented the prize with such a prolonged rollout that it seemed like a bigger value and as if the confetti was about to overflow onto the Sony Pictures Studios parking lot. “Ryan acting like it’s $75,000 or $100,000 with the slow way he shows the amount,” one fan wrote when the game show shared the clip to YouTube. Over on the WoF Reddit, a fan dedicated a discussion thread to the moment titling it, “Bonus Reveal... lolz.” They continued, “I like Seacrest, but gotta admit, I’m not a fan of the dramatic 40K reveals lol.” “Agreed...” a second user wrote, arguing that a contestant in the future could be “disappointed” it’s not more. “The Mrs. and I commented on that last night. He presents it like it’s something more than the minimum prize amount! One of these days, the contestant is going to react disappointedly.” A third wrote, “He also contorts his body awkwardly and bounces around to just flip the card open. Then says ‘it was this much’ as if he can’t say the amount. Kind of weird. But the lack of higher amounts lately is noticed. I’m glad it’s been all cash so far. A lot of the cars prior were 30k, which is nice, but they were lowest prize.” “I agree, feels like he’s forcing it,” wrote a fourth. A fifth was even more critical, “I’m sorry I know a lot of people are going to get mad at me but I just don’t like him. There’s something about him, that I just don’t enjoy watching him in anything at all.” Meanwhile , Seacrest, of course, had huge shoes to fill replacing the legendary Pat Sajak alongside the iconic Vanna White after four decades for Season 42. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (via a round of sausage) . That said, there have been some other questionable moments according to fans. In September, Seacrest suffered what fans dubbed his “first blooper” , involving a prolonged reaction to rewarding a bonus round. Fans also called out the host for ruling against another player before the timer was up. There have also been a few on-screen “glitches,” and a minor spelling error in a Thanksgiving puzzle . Many fans also blamed a lack of experience on Seacrest’s mishandling of a contestant’s $1million wedge, which she instantly forfeited. Wheel of Fortune , Weeknights, Check your local listings More Headlines:

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 12 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. No casualties were reported after many residents fled the targeted sites. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatieh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that at least 12 people were killed in the strikes in the Tyre province, adding to the more than 3,700 people in Lebanon who have been killed since Israel launched its invasion two months ago. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians , and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. The latest round of airstrikes came weeks after Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military had previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire.” Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were “close to a deal." “It can happen within days,” he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. Two Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Netanyahu’s security Cabinet had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, but they said it remained unclear whether the Cabinet would vote to approve the deal. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that he expected a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to have stages and to be discussed by leaders Monday or Tuesday. Still, he warned, “it’s not going to happen overnight.” After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force . Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel is demanding the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government has said that such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. A ceasefire could mark a step toward ending the regionwide war that ballooned after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . The lack of a ceasefire has emerged as a political liability for Israeli leaders including Netanyahu, particularly while 60,000 Israelis remain away from their homes in the country's north after more than a year of cross-border violence. Hezbollah rockets have reached as far south into Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers died fighting in the ground offensive in Lebanon. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest of Iran’s armed proxies , is expected to significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition. While the proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.” If the ceasefire talks fail, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “it will mean more destruction and more and more animosity and more dehumanization and more hatred and more bitterness.” Speaking at a G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, the last summit of its kind before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office, Safadi said such a failure "will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction.” Federman reported from Jerusalem and Metz from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Nicole Winfield in Fiuggi, Italy, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-warU nited States President Joe Biden’s recent decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden for any federal crimes he committed or may have committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024 has brought renewed focus on the expansive clemency powers granted to the President by the U.S. Constitution. The President’s volte-face has provoked strong condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats. Should the executive possess clemency powers? Sanjay Hedge and Alok Prasanna Kumar discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Aaratrika Bhaumik . Edited excerpts: Should the executive power of clemency rest with the legislature to avert misuse? Sanjay Hegde: Vesting clemency powers in the legislature could prove equally susceptible to corruption and majority rule. Historically, the power to pardon originated from the British monarchy as an attribute of sovereignty, enabling the king to absolve any wrongdoing. Even today, the Constitution acknowledges scenarios where it is imperative to trust a high officeholder to judiciously exercise such discretionary authority when required. Also read | Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency Alok Prasanna Kumar: I agree. During the debates on the U.S. Constitution, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, acknowledged that the exercise of clemency is inherently political and cannot be reduced to a purely legal process. He argued that this power should be vested in a single constitutional officeholder, instead of being subjected to the whims of collective discretion. He also pointed out that the power of pardon introduced an element of mercy, which he believed was necessary to temper the rigours of the criminal justice system. He saw it as a means for true justice to prevail in cases where the law could not account for circumstances or moral factors beyond the scope of judicial proceedings. Should an independent clemency commission replace the existing system to ensure more objective and informed decision-making? Alok Prasanna Kumar: Even if an independent clemency commission were established, its advice would not be binding on the President. While the President may seek a range of information to make a reasoned decision, as former President Harry Truman famously stated, “the buck stops here.” Transparency is important, and in today’s age of social media and a free press, the public will likely be aware of the reasons behind a presidential decision. However, that does not guarantee that every decision will be immediately acceptable to the public at large. What are the controversies around pardoning power? | Explained Sanjay Hegde: The public doesn’t always agree with clemency decisions. One of the most notable examples is when U.S. President Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon. He believed that the country had endured enough during the Watergate scandal and that the matter should be put to rest, as Nixon had already been punished by losing the presidency. He felt that a criminal trial would only prolong the nation’s agony. At the time, special prosecutor Leon Jaworski chose not to challenge this decision. In contrast, the clemency system in India has not been widely abused. Former Presidents such as A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil have only sat on files, exercising a pocket veto whenever they disagreed with government advice. The pardon jurisdiction for non-capital offences has rarely been exercised. Would expanding the scope of judicial review over executive clemency decisions prevent potential overreach or misuse? Sanjay Hegde: I don’t think the U.S. will ever adopt such a system. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed an inclination to pardon rioters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. There are also speculations that President Biden may pre-emptively pardon several individuals before he demits office. I doubt the judiciary will step in to second-guess the President’s authority in these matters. In India, both the President and the Governor act on the aid and advice of the Cabinet. In fact, the Supreme Court in Epuru Sudhakar v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2006) affirmed that a Governor’s grant of pardon could be challenged in court if it was found to be mala fide or based on irrelevant considerations. Alok Prasanna Kumar: I don’t believe that clemency decisions can be judicially reviewable. The concept of mercy is inherently subjective, and there cannot be one inalienable understanding of it. We also have to understand that constitutional functionaries inevitably bring their personal biases to bear on these decisions. While courts, as seen in India, may intervene in instances of procedural violations, there are no definitive legal benchmarks to determine what constitutes an appropriate exercise of clemency. Ultimately, it is unreasonable to assert that mercy should have one fixed meaning under the Constitution, or that clemency should be confined to a specific category of political cases. Should U.S. Congress play a greater role in the process? For instance, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, reintroduced in Congress last year, mandates the White House disclose all materials the President relies on when exercising clemency powers. Sanjay Hegde: Even if Congress were to pass a law, it could only serve to guide the process. Clemency powers are unique — they speak to the inherent humanity shared by both the one who grants mercy and the one who receives it. There may be cases where a penalty has been imposed and the legal process is complete, yet new evidence emerges that calls for reconsideration. It is impossible to legislate strict standards, especially since they would never be binding. We have seen this discretionary authority play out when President Andrew Johnson pardoned Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd, the physician who treated John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg after he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Alok Prasanna Kumar: No law can entirely prevent its misuse. If someone in a position of authority is determined to break the law, there is little the law itself can do to stop them. While mechanisms can be put in place to ensure that such actions have stringent repercussions, total prevention is impossible to attain. For instance, we see police officers routinely abuse their powers of arrest. When it comes to clemency, defining what constitutes abuse or misuse is challenging, especially when the power itself is not clearly defined. For example, in 20 years, one might argue that granting clemency to Hunter Biden was one of the best decisions made by Joe Biden. We lack the foresight to deem such decisions egregiously wrong at this moment. What reforms are necessary in India’s clemency process, and what lessons can be drawn from the Hunter Biden case? Sanjay Hegde: Given the nature of the power, one can at best have guidelines. However, ultimately executive discretion has to be trusted. We have seen our former Presidents exhibit varied views regarding the death penalty. One can also see how gubernatorial discretion played out in the release of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Governor obstructed his release despite the Tamil Nadu government’s recommendation. Ultimately, the Supreme Court had to intervene and order his release. The use of clemency powers in the case also signified the closing of a long and painful chapter. While public curiosity may lead to second-guessing these decisions, it is often not in the greater public interest to do so. Alok Prasanna Kumar: I believe comprehensive reforms are needed in the system of release of convicts. The Supreme Court is already cognisant of a batch of petitions on this issue. We need to prioritise reformative justice. Reformation is only achievable when individuals are given the assurance that, through good behaviour and genuine repentance, they may earn an early release — serving, for instance, seven years instead of 14. While these convicts have been incarcerated for legitimate reasons, the state must focus on their rehabilitation, as some of them have the potential to become valuable members of society. We should expedite processes like parole and remission, ensuring mercy extends beyond just death penalty cases. Listen to the conversation in The Hindu Parley podcast Sanjay Hegde, Senior advocate based in Delhi; Alok Prasanna Kumar, Co-founder and Karnataka lead of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Published - December 13, 2024 01:07 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit governmentMultiplicity is a software KVM for Windows 10 and 11 built with robust functionality and modern encryption to support enterprise workloads. PLYMOUTH, Mich. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock released Multiplicity 4 1.0 today, a powerful application that allows you to control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard. Known as a software KVM, Multiplicity 4's innovative new features to let you use any Windows laptop as a native secondary display, stream multiple monitors at the same time, and introduces support for ARM devices. Powered by our proprietary ControlStreamTM v4 technology, Multiplicity 4 can stream multi-monitor configurations to the primary device within a single viewing window. And with the advanced compression technology that can easily be configured, Multiplicity 4 is designed to provide a full fidelity experience but can also be optimized to preserve bandwidth with a single setting. New with Multiplicity 4 is Seamless DisplayTM, a feature that makes it simple to use a laptop or other Windows PC as a native secondary display with Windows. With this feature, you can make a laptop, tablet, or other Windows PC act as a secondary monitor that functions as a native display – this enables the ability to drag apps and windows to the secondary device as if it was plugged directly into your computer. Seamless, a powerful feature that lets you move effortlessly between multiple devices, has been enhanced to support resolution-aware monitor placement to improve movement across multiple devices and displays with improved precision. "Multiplicity is trusted by emergency call centers around the globe and is used extensively by our manufacturing partners," said Brad Sams , General Manager of Stardock Software. "With this release, Multiplicity 4 will help our partners use a single solution for all of their KVM and remote desktop needs for the modern workplace." With the 1.0 release, Multiplicity 4 is now ready for corporate deployments and takes advantage of Stardock's deployment tooling and the license key management portal. Multiplicity 4 is available today starting at $29.99 and is also included as part of Object Desktop , the award-winning suite of applications from Stardock that includes productivity and personalization applications. Screenshots: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) Please contact press@stardock.com for all media inquiries. About Stardock: Stardock Software is the world's leading developer of desktop enhancements. For over 30 years, Stardock has developed software including Fences ® , Start11TM, WindowBlinds ® , Groupy ® , DeskScapes ® , Multiplicity ® , and more. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stardock-releases-multiplicity-4-with-seamless-display-arm-support-and-more-302330679.html SOURCE Stardock Software

Liverpool vs. Manchester City is likely to be the defining Premier League fixture of the 2020s, much in the same way Liverpool vs. Everton defined the 80s, Manchester United vs. Arsenal for the 90s and so on. However, memorable clashes between the Reds and the Citizens aren't exclusive to this current golden rivalry the two clubs find themselves involved in. Here are five absolutely fantastic fixtures pitting Liverpool against Man City, determined by renowned footballing publication FourFourTwo back in 2021. MORE: All the latest Man City news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings 1. Liverpool 2-2 Man City, 2012 (Premier League) Brendan Rodgers' second game in charge of the Anfield club saw him debut a 17-year-old Raheem Sterling for a relentless display against the club he'd later go on to join. Martin Skrtel opening the scoring only to botch a back pass for Carlos Tevez to clinch a late draw in a thrilling contest that also featured a Pepe Reina-induced goal for Yaya Toure and a trademark highlight-reel free-kick from Luis Suarez. 2. Liverpool 2-2 Man City, 2012 (League Cup) In the same calendar year, Craig Bellamy was the hero as City twice took the lead in this semi-final second leg. The draw was enough for Steven Gerrard's penalty in a 1-0 first-leg win at the Etihad to send the Reds to their first Wembley final since 1996. Though they won the League Cup that year with a penalty shoot-out win in the final over Cardiff City, it would prove to be Kenny Dalglish's final piece of silverware in charge of the club. 3. Liverpool 1-3 Man City, 1981 (Division One) Over 40 years ago, in the first season to feature three points for a win rather than two, the mighty Liverpool were struggling in the wake of goalkeeper Ray Clemence's departure. Replacement Bruce Grobelaar had a game to forget here, as did Phil Thompson who lost the captain's armband as a result. As big a win as it was for City, it was also the turning point for the European Cup holders who after making changes and switching skippers, would rise from mid-table around the festive period to capture the league title. 4. Man City 2-1 Liverpool, 2019 (Premier League) This was a pivotal one, as Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane scored either side of Roberto Firmino's equaliser to begin the reeling-in of the seven-points-clear Reds in the second half of the 2018-19 campaign. With 18 wins from the back 19 fixtures, City would go on to beat Liverpool to the title that season while Jurgen Klopp had to settle for the Champions League trophy and finally ending the Reds' domestic league drought the following season. 5. Liverpool 4-3 Man City, 2018 (Premier League) A year prior, it was a seven-goal thriller with Liverpool 18 points behind City and thus, just going for it here. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scored in style for the hosts while Sane added to goalkeeper Loris Karius' reverse highlight reel before Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan netted late to give Reds fans serious jitters. 6. Liverpool 3-2 Man City, 2014 (Premier League) "This does not f***ing slip now". Many fans need no more description of this all-timer contest than that, but the fateful words of Steven Gerrard and what happened to the Reds' seemingly certain league triumph against Chelsea soon after was preceded by some elite-tier action. Sterling and Skrtel's strikes seemed to put Rodgers' men on course until things took a twist courtesy of some David Silva greatness and a Glen Johnson own goal, before Phillipe Coutinho capitalised on Vincent Kompany's blunder with a sublime finish to set up their captain's famous last words. MORE: All the latest Liverpool news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankingsKim Kardashian Has Apparently Reinstated Saint West's YouTube Page After Anti-Kamala Harris Content Got It Taken Down

Michigan, Ohio State Players Brawl After Wolverines Beat No. 2 Buckeyes. Police Use Pepper Spray