hard rock sports betting Bucks get second crack at NBA Cup semis vs. Trae Young, HawksOpposition leaders blame BJP for Sambhal violence; ruling party hits back

BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.A veteran Palestinian developer living under occupation is crowdfunding a "pseudo-3D stealth" game to "share the catastrophe that has haunted generations"

NJ lawmaker crafts state DOGE committee to ‘mirror’ Elon’s brainchild: ‘We need it more’Cowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slideBy MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

BOZEMAN — The shelves in Waded Cruzado’s office in Montana Hall are cluttered with memories. Among the books, awards and a preserved newspaper clipping (headline only: "Outlook grim for grizzlies in region") are a collection of Montana State athletics keepsakes, including signed footballs from past teams and a child’s crude drawing of a football player clad in blue and gold. The university’s president takes great care when picking out another item from the display: a framed photo of her and the 2019-20 women’s basketball team in a joking “power pose” in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She had joined the team on the trip to her home country for a pair of December games. Cruzado needs no reminder of the fact the Bobcats of that year went on to have the best season in school history. “I’m not going to say that it was because of that tournament, because of course it’s the chemistry, it’s the talent,” Cruzado said, “but there was something magical that happened beyond the games, and I think it was the time that they spent together.” She remembers giving the team a tour of Old San Juan and explaining the history of the country and fielding “intelligent questions” from players. Once back at the hotel, Cruzado was included in the team’s reflection period. They chose "courage" as the word of the day and shared anecdotes of when they had witnessed or used courage. “That conversation brought us so close, and I was able to see firsthand how much (head coach Tricia Binford) opens herself to those students,” Cruzado said. “She’s the coach, but she’s also the mother, she’s the friend, she’s the confidant, and I would love to think that it was because of that that we had that amazing year.” Five years later, the 2024-25 Bobcats are off to a 7-2 start, and they’re looking forward to a Puerto Rico trip of their own. After playing at Florida Gulf Coast on Monday in Fort Myers, Florida, the Bobcats will face Presbyterian College Dec. 19 and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Dec. 20 in San Juan to wrap up nonconference play. And like five years ago, Cruzado will be along for the trip. She received her undergraduate degree from Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, a land grant university similar to MSU. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and a great moment of pride for me,” Cruzado said. This year’s trip takes on special meaning for all involved because Cruzado . “It’s definitely fitting that we get one more opportunity to do that with her before she retires,” Binford said. MSU’s players are glad to have Cruzado along for the trip. “Waded is like family to us, and she is such a big fan, big supporter of our program,” junior forward Marah Dykstra said. “Having her on that trip, going back to her roots, is just going to be really exciting.” Graduate student Katelynn Martin — who is a quarter Puerto Rican — remembers Cruzado sending her flowers and a heartfelt note last season after an injury against Montana required a short hospital stay. “She is always so encouraging and supportive,” Martin said. “Her energy, the positive things she always talks about, it’s just going to be so nice to have her on the trip.” After the Bobcats of five years ago returned from Puerto Rico, where they lost to Wichita State and No. 11-ranked Texas A&M, they won 21 of their final 22 games to finish 25-6 overall and 19-1 in Big Sky Conference play. The Bobcats qualified for the conference championship game against Idaho — the only team to beat them (by one point) after Puerto Rico — only to see the season get stopped early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024-25 Bobcats have a long way to go to reach their predecessor’s heights, but the upcoming road trip could help build some momentum before reaching conference play. FGCU is also 7-2 and currently ranked 106th (of 362 teams) in the NET Rankings, so a win there would be impactful as MSU tries to build its postseason resumé. Presbyterian is currently 1-8 and ranked 359th in the NET Rankings. Wins against the Blue Hose and non-NCAA Puerto Rico-Mayaguez wouldn’t boost MSU’s own ranking (a Big Sky-leading 57th) much. But the Bobcats could ensure a modest winning streak before facing Idaho (Jan. 2) and Eastern Washington (Jan. 4) at home and conference threats Northern Colorado (Jan. 9) and Northern Arizona (Jan. 11) on the road to start league play. The Bobcats also want to enjoy their short reprieve from Montana’s winter, as they did last year with games in Cancún, Mexico, and the year before in Hawaii. “We want to win those games first of all, that’s going to make the whole trip fun,” redshirt sophomore guard Dylan Philip said. “It’s a long road trip too, but it’s a good one to spend together over the Christmas break.” Like her teammates, Philip is happy to have the extended time with Cruzado before she retires. “Ever since I was being recruited here, I think she has just been a role model for this school,” Philip said. “She has such a close relationship with our coaching staff and us, like having us for dinner before the season and everything. It’s super cool to have someone that’s so supportive of us.” Cruzado is hopeful the players use the Puerto Rico trip to “stretch intellectually” and “challenge their assumptions” about other places. From a basketball perspective, she’s looking forward to the bonds they create on the court. “That sense of, ‘We are a team, we play together. All of us will shine when one of us shines,’” Cruzado said. “I hope that we’re able to develop that in this wonderful group of young women that we have this year.”

A pre-Mayan system of canals used to direct and catch fish was found in Belize, establishing “continuity” between the Mayans and a predecessor as they continued to use them. First believed to have been a Mayan construction, after running numerous radiocarbon dates, archaeologists from the University of New Hampshire made an astonishing discovery that these fish-trapping canals predate the mythic and powerful ancient civilization. From what researchers gather, they may have even assisted the Mayans’ flourishing growth as the impressive design allowed their predecessors to feed 15,000 people a year, according to Eleanor Harrison-Buck, professor of anthropology and director of the Belize River East Archaeology (BREA) project. The Mayans capitalized on the ingenious zigzagging network, and with an abundant food source, they built one of the largest and most significant ancient cultures in the world. An ingenious pre-Mayan zigzagging system of canals to trap fish In the largest inland wetland in Belize, Central America, with drones and Good Earth, New Hampshire researchers conducted tests on a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. At first, they never expected that anyone but the Mayans could have constructed such a sophisticated means of catching fish. The research used 26 radiocarbon dates from test excavation sites in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS). The presence of the canals extended over a thousand years in the past, before the Mayans began to emerge, which “surprised” researchers due to its massive size. Late Archaic hunter-gatherer-fishers developed this system, which worked so brilliantly that the Mayans later adopted it. “For Mesoamerica in general, we tend to regard agricultural production as the engine of civilization, but this study tells us that it wasn’t just agriculture—it was also potential mass harvesting of aquatic species,” Harrison-Buck stated in a press release. Collecting sediment samples along the walls, they were investigating nitrogen and carbon levels to determine “environmental changes over time,” according to the press release. With no evidence of crop production in sight, they deduced that these channels served as large-scale fish trapping facilities. The network directed the annual flood waters into a source pool where they could trap thousands of fish, able to feed a growing population, as the Mayans , it has been estimated, exceeded eight million people. This gave archaeologists a rare first link that connected a predecessor to the grand empire. “It seems likely that the canals allowed for annual fish harvests and social gatherings, which would have encouraged people to return to this area year after year and congregate for longer periods of time,” said Marieka Brouwer Burg, professor of anthropology at the University of Vermont and BREA co-director. “Such intensive investments in the landscape may have led ultimately to the development of the complex society characteristic of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, which subsequently occurred in this area by around 1200 BCE.” Wetlands, one of the most significant ecosystems on Earth Always a critical ecosystem across the globe, wetlands play a critical role in the environment, Samantha Krause, professor of geography and environmental studies at Texas State University explained in a recent press release. “Knowing how to manage wetland resources responsibly is essential for the continued resilience of these ecosystems both in the past and today. The Archaic hunter-gatherer-fishers knew how to protect their resources and use them in a way that could sustain these habitats, not exhaust them, which explains their long-lasting occupation in this area,” a press release concludes . The team, bolstered by the support of the local community, plans to investigate further, “hoping to more fully understand the complexity of human-wetland interactions in the past.”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told the Supreme Court that Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji has deliberately attempted to delay trial court proceedings in the money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam, in which the top court had granted him bail. In an affidavit filed on a petition by one of the victims, the ED sought cancellation of bail of Balaji, who was sworn in as a minister by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi again on September 29 and was assigned the same key portfolios -- electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise -- he held previously in the MK Stalin-led cabinet. On Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice Oka that the agency needs to file an affidavit in the matter as Balaji has been sabotaging the trial. The bench also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal allowed the ED to file the affidavit and listed the matter for further hearing on December 18. The top court had granted bail to DMK strongman Balaji on September 26, in the money laundering case after over 15 months, noting there was no possibility of the completion of trial in the near future. Entrepreneurship Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Entrepreneurship Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Analysis Learn Power BI with Microsoft Fabric: Complete Course By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Entrepreneurship Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups: From Concept to Conversion By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Collaborative AI Foundations: Working Smarter with Machines By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development 12-Factor App Methodology: Principles and Guidelines By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced Java Mastery: Object-Oriented Programming Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program The ED said since release of Balaji from jail, the ongoing examination of prosecution witnesses in the case has been derailed on account of the accused (Balaji) moving applications seeking copies of digital records and seeking change of counsel in the midst of trial. "That the aforementioned facts unequivocally demonstrate V Senthil Balaji's blatant disregard for the judicial process and his deliberate attempts to delay the trial. Despite this court's directive to expedite the trial, V Senthil Balaji has drawn out the cross examination of PW- 4 (prosecution witness) on one pretext or another for nearly two months," it said. The anti-money laundering agency said this blatant disregard for the Supreme Court's instructions is a clear attempt to procrastinate and delay the trial proceedings. "In the light of the foregoing, it is amply clear that V Senthil Balaji has violated the direction given by this court by seeking adjournments on nonexistent or frivolous grounds or creating hurdles in the early disposal of the cases mentioned above," it said. The investigating agency said some of the key witnesses cited in the prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent of charge sheet) filed by ED are individuals who previously worked under Balaji's supervision during his tenure as transport minister. "This proximity between V Senthil Balaji and the employees of the transport corporation raises serious concerns about potential influence and impartiality in fair and effective trial now that V Senthil Balaji has reassumed office as a minister," it said. On December 2, the top court had expressed concern over reinstatement of Balaji as cabinet minister in Tamil Nadu just days after it granted bail in the case and agreed to examine a plea raising apprehensions on independence of witnesses in the case. On October 25, the top court in another matter related to Balaji was informed that a petition seeking review of an order of bail to the DMK leader in the case had been filed. The top court on September 30, directed the Madras High Court chief justice to appoint another judge for the trial against Balaji. The ED arrested Balaji, representing Karur assembly constituency, on June 14, 2023 in the case when he was the transport minister during the previous AIADMK regime between 2011 and 2015. On February 13, the TN governor accepted Balaji's resignation from the council of ministers. The top court's reprieve on September 26 ended Balaji's 471-day incarceration. The ED had filed a case of money laundering in July 2021 to probe the allegations after three FIRs were registered by the Tamil Nadu police in 2018 and on the basis of complaints by those aggrieved in the alleged scam. The agency's charge sheet claimed the entire recruitment process in the Tamil Nadu transport department during the tenure of Balaji as minister was turned into a "corrupt chiefdom", and the scam was executed under his authority. Being a public servant, Balaji "misused" his official capacity as the then transport minister and obtained pecuniary benefits by corrupt and illegal means and directly acquired the proceeds of crime, generated out of a criminal activity related to a scheduled offence, the agency alleged. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

Ready Capital Corporation Declares Fourth Quarter 2024 DividendsSince his appointment as Special Adviser to the President, Media and Public Communications was announced on Thursday, November 14, Daniel Bwala has moved from one controversy to the other. He will go on record as the presidential spokesman who started from day one on a faux pas, spent his first week in office retracting his introductory statements and forced a major reshuffle of the President Bola Tinubu’s media and communication team that saw him re-designated and downgraded. After what many consider a betrayal of Atiku Abubakar whom he worked for as presidential campaign spokesman in 2023, the appointment was for him a dream come true. After spending so much time in the public space trying to justify his return to the All Progressives Congress he serially disparaged and a President he so virulently opposed as candidate during the 2023 election campaign, there was reason for him to feel some triumph. But rather than celebrate, his first week in office – during which he tasted a bit of the bitter intrigues that spew from the nation’s seat of power, has been a nightmare. He actually ignited the fire that burnt his fingers. Following his appointment Bwala had, in a tactless display of ignorance of how the Tinubu political machinery works, announced himself gleefully as the official replacement for Ajuri Ngelale, erstwhile Presidential spokesman who was muzzled out of office two months earlier. After the self-glorifying briefing of State House correspondents in the Presidential Villa, he capped the introduction by declaring “I only came to introduce myself to you and the role that was given to me by Mr. President, and I told you that role was once occupied by Ajuri Ngelale.” He went on to light up the internet with a tweet. The blunder touched many raw nerves in the State House. Not only did he invoke the better-forgotten spirit of Ajuri Ngelale, he literarily inherited whatever fights he left behind. He also went on to offer an unsolicited explanation on the issue of where Sunday Dare, former Minister of Sport who had earlier been appointed Special Adviser like him, works from. Dare, he declared, works from the office of the Minister of Information, which implied he does not belong in the President’s core communication team in the Villa. Such indiscretion! If others who belong to the inner caucus of the President’s team would stomach such impudence, Bayo Onanuga, who is believed to have supplanted Ngelale was not amused. It did not surprise many, therefore, that he went into overdrive shortly after, to put Bwala in his deserved place. When he issued a statement which not only re-designated Bwala as Special Adviser on Policy Communication but sandwiched him in-between himself and Dare, it was clear he was responding to the former PDP man’s audacity. The statement also explained that “Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications.” The picture was clear: Daniel Bwala was not the President’s spokesman – because “there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency” – but one of the three spokesmen for the President. As the statement said, the changes were to enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery but it is obvious that it consolidated Onanuga’s leadership of the President’s media and communications team and positioned Dare, his former staff at TheNews where he was Editor-in-Chief, ahead of Bwala. The power play was not lost on Bwala and rumours were rife that he may even exit as quickly as he entered. So, what to do? He did the only thing he has perfected in the past few years after he abandoned active law practice for the murky waters of political brinkmanship: he ran to the news studios for an interview. Listening to him on the Channels TV Politics Today, Bwala looked sober and pitiable as he all but offered Onanuga and the cabal that holds sway in the Villa, a public apology. He praised Onanuga to high heavens, as ‘a statesman and brilliant journalist’ and not one with whom he was out to rub shoulders with. Hear him: “My own is, if he says ‘go and carry that table,’ I will just do so; that’s my job.” The brilliant chap had learnt the first lesson. Once viewed as a brilliant lawyer and principled man, Bwala who now grovels around the Villa, has indeed gone full circle and many believe he is still unraveling. In his few years in the political space, he has become notorious for betrayal as his actions appear driven by personal gain rather than ideological consistency. Originally a member of the APC before he defected to the PDP in 2022, citing opposition to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, he has engaged in frequent and high-profile shifts in political allegiances. He was a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu, but no sooner did Tinubu become Nigeria’s President than he shifted position, departed from Atiku Abubakar’s camp and re-aligned with the APC in a political move that is clearly opportunistic rather than principled. Indeed, Daniel Bwala has gone full circle. While he has framed his transitions as efforts to support national unity, many have seen through the smokescreens of his rhetorical cover for personal greed and political expediency. While he has succeeded in talking his way right into Tinubu’s office, he still faces what many betrayers face: his presence is welcome but it would be foolhardy on his part to expect to be trusted.

AP News Summary at 4:15 p.m. ESTJim Montgomery named new head coach of the St. Louis Blues

Cooper Rush passed for two touchdowns, Dallas returned two kicks for scores and the visiting Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders in a wild fourth quarter for a 34-26 win. Dallas led 10-9 after three quarters. With Washington trailing 27-26, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, but Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game. Juanyeh Thomas of the Cowboys then returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown. Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards for Dallas (4-7), which snapped a five-game losing streak. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 67 yards. Jayden Daniels was 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for reeling Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. He ran for 74 yards and one score. McLaurin had five catches for 102 yards. Trailing 20-9 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels drove Washington 69 yards in nine plays and hit Zach Ertz for a 4-yard touchdown. Daniels ran for two points and Washington trailed 20-17 with 3:02 remaining. KaVontae Turpin muffed the ensuing kickoff, picked it up at the one, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-17. Austin Seibert's 51-yard field goal pulled the Commanders within 27-20 with 1:40 left, With the score tied 3-3, Washington took the second half kick and went 60 yards in 10 plays. On third-and-three from the Dallas 17, Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 4. Seibert missed the point after and Washington led 9-3. Dallas answered with an 80-yard drive. A 23-yard pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone and the extra point made it 10-9. Brandon Aubrey's 48-yard field goal made it 13-9 with 8:11 remaining in the game. On the next play, Daniels hit John Bates for 14 yards, but Donovan Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas recovered at the Washington 44. Five plays later, Rush found Luke Schoonmaker down the middle for a 22-yard touchdown and Dallas led 20-9 with 5:16 left. The first quarter was all about field goals. Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked on the opening drive and Michael Davis returned it to the Dallas 40. Washington later settled for Seibert's 41-yard field goal. On the next Dallas drive, Aubrey hit the right upright from 42 yards out, and then Seibert missed from 51 yards. With 14 seconds left in the half, Rush found Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard gain to the Washington 28. On the next play Aubrey connected from 46 yards to tie it. --Field Level Media