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Two Jewish concepts that can enhance your Thanksgiving( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Grass Valley, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 27, 2024) - Rise Gold Corp. (CSE: RISE) (OTCQX: RYES) (the " Company ") announces it has contracted to sell 66 acres of industrial land located adjacent to the Company's Idaho-Maryland Mine Property (the "I-M Mine Property") for $4.3 million. Prior to 1991, the land being sold hosted a major commercial lumber mill, which had previously provided timber to the I-M Mine when it was in operation. All buildings associated with the lumber mill have been removed. The sale transaction is subject to two sale agreements with the same, arm's length third party. The first agreement covers 16 acres of land for total consideration of $1.8 million. That contract closed today, November 27, with the payment of half the sale price, minus certain deductions. The balance of the purchase price is due on November 27, 2026. The buyer will pay monthly interest at an annual rate of 5% per year on the balance of the purchase price until it is paid in full. The second sale agreement covers 50 acres of land for total sale price of $2.5 million and is expected to close on May 26, 2025, at which point half of the sale price will be due, with the other half due on May 26, 2027. The buyer has placed $200,000 in escrow and will pay $12,500 per month in rent until closing, with the rent payments to be applied against the purchase price. Commencing on the closing date, the buyer will pay monthly interest at an annual rate of 5% per year on the balance of the purchase price until it is paid in full. Rise and the purchaser have also executed an option agreement whereby the Company may repurchase the 66 acres of land being sold for the sale price plus the cost of any capital improvements plus an increase of five percent per year on the condition that Rise acquires final government approvals to perform mining operations at the I-M Mine Property. The Company retains ownership of the I-M Mine Property, which is comprised of 53 acres of land surrounding the New Brunswick shaft, as well as its nearby 56-acre Centennial property, and it retains all of its 2,585 acres of mineral rights. The Company will use the sale proceeds to repay debt and to fund its legal claims against Nevada County (the "County"). As previously disclosed in its press release dated May 13, 2024, the Company has submitted a Writ of Mandamus (the "Writ") to the Superior Court of California for the County of Nevada (the "Court") asking the Court to compel the Board of Supervisors of Nevada County to follow applicable law and grant Rise recognition of its constitutionally-protected, grandfathered vested right to operate the Mine. Rise's litigation attorneys at Cooper & Kirk have advised the Company that should the Writ be unsuccessful, Rise's mineral estate will lose all value, which will allow Rise to bring a takings action in federal court against the County under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The remedy for an unconstitutional taking is the payment of just compensation, which is the fair market value of the property taken. Based on comparable mines and historic yields at the I-M Mine, management believes the fair market value of Rise's mineral estate is at least $400 million. About Rise Gold Corp. Rise Gold is an exploration-stage mining company incorporated in Nevada, USA. The Company's principal asset is the historic past-producing Idaho-Maryland Gold Mine located in Nevada County, California, USA. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Joseph Mullin President, CEO and Director Rise Gold Corp. For further information, please contact: RISE GOLD CORP. 345 Crown Point Circle, Suite 600 Grass Valley, California, USA 95945 T: 530.433.0188 ... The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including, without limitation, obtaining all necessary approvals, meeting expenditure and financing requirements, compliance with environmental regulations, title matters, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices, and one-time events that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information contained in this release. Rise undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit SOURCE: Rise Gold Corp. MENAFN27112024004218003983ID1108934111 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answersStock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordDENVER (AP) — Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations Thursday: He’s for sure entering the NFL draft after this season, but not until he sees Colorado all the way through the College Football Playoff — if the Buffaloes make it there. The first was already a given for the draft-eligible junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected high first-round pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

By Jim Rossman, Tribune News Service (TNS) Everyone seems to be listening to something. I’m not sure what they’re listening to, because they all seem to be wearing headphones. I suppose they’re all listening to their favorite podcast or just their playlists. Here are a few gift suggestions for headphones that’ll make anything sound better. I’ve listed the retail pricing, but don’t be surprised if you find them on sale. We’ve all tried traditional earbuds. They can sound good if the fit is correct. The SoundCore AreoFit 2 ($99.99, soundcore.com) don’t fit inside your ear canal. Instead, they sit on the outside of your ear. The battery sits behind your ear, much like a hearing aid. The speaker is attached by a sturdy, yet flexible cable. The only adjustment is on the speaker end – it clicks to adjust the angle of the speaker to sit directly over your ear canal. The fact that they don’t insert into your ears means you can still hear the outside world, so you are not so isolated. These are great for jogging or biking. The sound is really nice. The full range of sound comes in very clearly and the form factor is comfortable to wear, even for hours at a time. There are four microphones, so your voice sounds clear on phone calls. They have an IP55 rating, so they can withstand water spashing, sweat or dust. They can also connect to more than one device, so you can keep them paired to your phone and laptop and switch easily between them. The AeroFit 2 can play for 10 hours on a charge. They live in a battery case that can keep them charged for more than 40 hours. The charging case can power up via a USB-C port or a Qi wireless charger. They are available in white, blue, green or black. The Soundcore C40i ($99.99, soundcore.com) is another fun option in a non-traditional form factor. Instead of going inside or even over the top your ears, the C40i earbuds are u-shaped and they clip on the sides of your ears. They are unlike anything I’ve ever tried, and they sounded surprisingly good once you get them in the right spot. They are a bit flexible, in that you can pull them apart slightly to get them in the right spot. Once you let go, they gently grip your earlobe. I must admit I was a little self-conscious when I first started wearing the C40i earbuds, as they look a bit like earrings. The fit is interesting. The end with the speaker sits in front of your ear canal and the end with the battery and action button goes behind your ear. You can adjust them on your ear until the sound becomes clear. It’ll be obvious to your ears when you have them adjusted correctly. If your earlobes are thin, there are some rubber sleeves that can help with the fit. You want them to be snug, but not to the point where they are pinching your ears. There is a customizable button on the back of each earbud for call and music control. They are on the small side, so the battery life is seven hours before needing to return to the case for a charge. The case can charge them twice more before it needs recharging. The case charges via USB-C cable, but it is too small for wireless chargers. The earbuds have a 12mm x 17mm oval shaped driver and the sound quality is very good. Voice quality on phone calls also surprised me with its clarity. They sync with the Soundcore phone app to let you assign the button commands and tweak the sound settings. They also can pair to two devices at once. Frequent flyers know all about noise canceling over-the-ear headphones. These headphones usually have active noise canceling, which uses microphones to listen to the ambient noise and reduce it before it can get to your ears. What I’m noticing is more and more people wearing these during workouts or just walking around. The Baseus Bowie 30 Max noise canceling headphones ($79.99, baseus.com) are fairly generic looking headphones, but their performance is incredible for the price. Baseus says the Bowie 30s can eliminate 96 percent of noise, but that actual noise cancellation will vary depending on the ambient noise level. I can tell you the noise canceling is impressive. There is also a transparency mode that lets in outside sounds so you can have a conversation with someone without taking them off. You can pair them to the free Baseus phone app to unlock some additional features including spatial acoustics, bass enhancement and low-latency mode. These connect to your phone or PC wirelessly via Bluetooth or wired with an included 3.5mm cable. They last an impressive 65 hours on a charge without noise canceling or 50 hours with noise canceling enabled. The ear cups and piece that fits over the top of your head are nicely padded and the entire headset folds up to take up less room in your bag. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have no plans to pitch prized prospect Andrew Painter in spring training games as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old Painter hurt his elbow during spring training in 2023 and had surgery that July 25 with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. “He'll throw but not plan on pitching” in games, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. “We're going to push the innings back.” Dombrowski said Painter will build up at some point in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut at some point in the summer. Painter made six starts and allowed four runs in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out 18 batters in 15 2/3 innings after he sat out each of the last two seasons. Painter sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class A teams and Double-A Reading. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBA 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.

Huge Australian crocodile made famous by cameo role in Crocodile Dundee dies

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Jordan Ode, a standout senior on Maple Grove High School's girls' basketball team, is averaging 26 points a game this year. With that kind of talent, she has already committed to a DI Big 10 college next year. Ode is hard to stop from scoring, and she'll easily block others from doing the same. She commands the court for the Crimson, a program she's been with from the very beginning. "Growing up in this program, ever since first grade going to the little kids' camps, it's just been a really special environment for me to be in," Ode said. She's not alone. This is a tenured team and their chemistry proves it. "Four out of the five starters I've played with basically since kindergarten," Ode said. Another person with a long history with this team is head coach Mark Cook. He's seen a lot of great players in 21 years coaching the Crimson, but says Ode stands out. "Jordan Ode is at the top of that list. She's by far the most talented player we've had come through," Cook said. Ode committed to play for Michigan State next year as a freshman rookie. But playing alongside one of the best has paid off for her fellow starters, who have also committed to college teams. "We've got a starting five where all those kids are going on to play Division I or II basketball, so that's really, really special. That's the first time I've had that in my coaching career," Cook said. "We all have goals to play at the next level and are going to play at the next level is like really crucial to our success, and why we work so hard at what we do," Ode said. Last year, they finished fourth in the state tournament, the best the program's ever done. But they believe this is the year to take it all the way. "This is one of the hardest-working groups I've ever had the chance to work with, so I think we really do have the potential to get to state and then win state just because of that work ethic I think we put in," Ode said. The Crimson are 6-1 so far. In close games, they've defeated two big state tournament contenders already this year: Wayzata and Eden Prairie. Marielle Mohs is thrilled to be telling stories in her home state of Minnesota. She grew up in Eden Prairie and South Minneapolis.AI to generate $23 trillion annually: could it benefit iDEGEN?

Gareth Bale admits he's 'LOVING' retirement and jokes about how much golf he's playing since calling time on his glittering careerThe traditional holiday movie launch may be getting supplanted by blockbuster video games, with major interactive releases increasingly taking up prime advertising space and drawing consumer dollars. There have been examples of video games out-grossing the box office since the ’90s. Culturally, films have been thought of as a group entertainment activity, while games have been regarded as more of a gift to put under the tree for kids and game fans. A new study suggests that’s shifting. An ad for holiday blockbuster game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on a Melbourne tram. Credit: Simon Schluter About three in five adult Australians play games, and more than half of the population intends to make a gaming-related purchase as part of their holiday spending, according to the survey conducted by YouGov. Of those people, the average anticipated spend was about $200, whereas Australians in general anticipated spending about $82 at the cinema. Millennials were expected to be the highest spenders, with the largest proportion of that age group planning to spend up to $250 on gaming purchases over the holiday period. The survey, commissioned by Xbox, also found that more than half of adult Australians prioritised games in their holiday entertainment, and that 61 per cent of families with children agreed gaming was a bonding family tradition. Xbox Australia’s games lead Eve Oorloff said the medium was becoming more of a shared holiday experience, as families increasingly have multiple generations of game-players. “This shift in perception is really encouraging, as more people are beginning to see the value of gaming in bringing people together, much like the movies have done for generations,” she said. “We love being at the forefront of this continued evolution and adoption of gaming across generations, and watching it become a shared experience between players.” Telsyte analyst Foad Fadaghi, who was not involved in the research, said video games are appealing as gifts and activities when families are looking to maximise value in terms of dollars spent per hour of entertainment. A trip to the cinema with the whole family can easily cost as much as the most expensive new game. “According to everything we’ve seen, there’s been a shift against that kind of retail spending. People are spending a lot more time at home for their entertainment,” he said. “Entertainment is always a function of discretionary income, and clearly families see a lot of value in games.” Xbox says families are increasingly playing video games together as a holiday tradition. New games for this holiday period include Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Call of Duty Black Ops 6 , both published by Microsoft-owned studios, as well as Astro Bot , Lego Horizon Adventures , Super Mario Party Jamboree and Sonic X Shadow Generations . Microsoft’s own games are included in its Game Pass Ultimate subscription service – meaning families could also play Indiana Jones and hundreds of other games for $23 a month, roughly the price of a movie ticket – on Xbox consoles or on PCs, which the study indicated were used for gaming by about half the playing population. But Fadaghi said the increased digitisation of the games marketplace came with certain dangers for game sales, especially at Christmas. Digital gifts are available but might not be preferred by family members who want to wrap up a present, and games could become less favourable as a gift if the trend towards subscriptions continue. In the era of Netflix, few people get DVDs as a gift. Harrison Ford has been digitally recreated as he looked in 1980 for The Great Circle, a globe-spanning, fascist-punching adventure set just after Raiders of the Lost Ark. “Subscriptions represent great value for money. But they represent an ongoing payment, so for some people it’s a little bit different from that one-off gift,” he said. The YouGov study indicated that, of the people who intended to make a gaming purchase these holidays, about two in five expected to buy a gift card or voucher. Oorloff said Xbox invested in a wide variety of games to enhance the value of Game Pass, but Hollywood-style release campaigns were still vital for blockbuster games, which take many years and millions of dollars to make. “Making a splash at launch helps capture interest and build momentum and awareness. It also sets the title up for ongoing success through fan engagement with downloadable content, updates, expansions, and community events,” she said. “Games offer rich narratives, cinematic experiences, and interactive storytelling that rival any Hollywood production; the launch of a hotly anticipated title can feel similar to a movie premiere.” Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.

Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president who inherited power in 2000 with promises of reform, only to brutally suppress his opponents in a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, has been toppled in a lightning rebel advance. Assad fled Damascus as Islamist-led opposition forces entered the capital and put an end to more than half-a-century of his family’s rule. Assad and his family arrived in Moscow, where they were granted asylum by the Russian government, Russian state agency TASS reported Sunday. Once courted by European governments, Assad’s transformation from a potential Western ally to a ruler who responded ruthlessly to peaceful protests against his rule took many by surprise. From using chemical weapons against civilians to widespread torture, Assad faced grave accusations during the Syrian war, but managed to survive the unrest thanks to strong support from Moscow and Tehran. During his last days in power, Assad’s backers were unwilling or unable to support him in the face of a shock military advance Syrian rebels embarked on just about 10 days earlier. Unlikely ruler Bashar Hafez Al-Assad was born on Sept. 11, 1965, in Damascus, the third child and second son of Hafez al-Assad and Aniseh Makhlouf. The family’s roots were in the minority Alawite sect, a small part of the Shiite school of Islam. Assad’s father was an air force officer who helped lead the 1963 takeover of government by the socialist Baath Party before seizing power himself in a bloodless military coup in 1970. Assad grew up in the capital and graduated from medical school at Damascus University in 1988, according to his official biography. Fluent in English, he was getting advanced training as an ophthalmologist in London in 1994 when Bassel, his father’s first choice for president, died. Assad went back home to be groomed to lead Syria. Taking over the authoritarian government at age 34, the tall and soft-spoken Assad pledged to pursue a path of reform and economic liberalization. Youthful image Many Syrians, and Arab and Western leaders, were willing to give him a chance partly because he projected a youthful image willing to loosen the government’s grip. Assad crossed sectarian lines to marry Asma al-Akhras, a Sunni Muslim and the daughter of Syrian expatriates who grew up in Britain. They had two sons, Hafez, born in 2001, and Kareem, born in 2004, and a daughter, Zein, born in 2003. The couple’s populist touch contrasted with Hafez’s remote and austere approach. At home, Asma, a graduate of King’s College London who worked for New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. for three years, championed women’s rights and education. Abroad, the Assads were given red-carpet welcomes on official visits to Arab and European countries. In his first months as president in 2000, Assad ordered the release of 600 political prisoners, some of whom were members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group. Assad said Syria needed constructive criticism, a radical notion at the time in a country that jailed political opponents. Intellectuals openly called for greater civil liberties and democratic reform. The first months of Assad’s rule were optimistically dubbed the Damascus Spring. Changing tone About a year into his presidency, however, the government snuffed out the pro-democracy movement, throwing its leaders in jail. Charges ranged from attempting to change the constitution to inciting sectarian conflicts. In 2005, opposition groups came together to issue a declaration demanding free parliamentary elections, a national conference on democracy and an end to emergency laws and other forms of political repression. Assad responded by imprisoning its leading signatories. Then began the street protests of early 2011 at the onset of the Arab Spring. Around that time, Arab heads of state in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen succumbed to uprisings that swept through North Africa and the Middle East. Assad’s violent reaction to the demonstrators escalated the conflict into a prolonged civil war and emboldened radical groups, including the Islamic State, or ISIS. Determined not to join the list of deposed Arab rulers, Assad opted to use brutal force including barrel bombs, torture and chemical weapons, to quash dissent, according to the U.S. and other Western nations. He benefited from the fact that the opposition was fragmented into hundreds of mainly Islamist groups, which the U.S. and its allies supported only warily. Former President Barack Obama and his successor, Donald Trump, ordered waves of airstrikes against Assad strongholds but had little appetite for deeper intervention. Chemical weapons In 2013, the U.S. blamed Assad for the death of more than 1,400 people near Damascus in an attack using the nerve agent sarin. The Assad government blamed the assault on Islamic extremists, but agreed to a U.S.-Russian plan for international monitors to take control of Syria’s chemical weapons. Meanwhile, Iran and Russia propped Assad up with money, personnel and weapons. A turning point in the war came in 2015, when Russia joined on Assad’s behalf and, along with Iranian forces, helped Assad halt the advance of opposition troops and begin to recapture territory. Forces loyal to Assad, with the help of Russia, Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, had managed by 2020 to confine the territory held by militant groups to less than half of the country, replacing all-out war with sporadic fighting. In 2021, Assad secured a fourth term as president in an election that international observers considered neither free nor fair. The insurgent threat to Assad’s rule erupted again suddenly at the end of last month, starting with a surprise advance by opposition fighters on the city of Aleppo. The rebellion was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda that’s designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others. “Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime,” Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the group also known as HTS, told the New York Times. He occasionally goes by his real name, Ahmed Al-Sharaa. During his last days in power, Assad ordered his army to fall back to defend Damascus, essentially ceding much of the country to the insurgents. His last-ditch attempts to remain in power included indirect diplomatic overtures to the U.S. and President-elect Trump. Iran and Hezbollah, which had reinforced the regime earlier in the civil war, were now significantly weakened by strikes carried out by Israel in its conflict with Iran. Assad’s downfall ultimately eliminates one of Iran’s main allies in the Middle East and represents a big blow to Tehran’s influence in the region. Many in neighboring Lebanon blamed Assad for his support of Hezbollah and alleged him of playing a role in the killing of top officials, including former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. A displaced society More than 600,000 people had been killed in Syria’s civil war as of March 2024, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based group that closely monitors the conflict. More than half of the prewar population of 23 million had been displaced, either to other regions inside Syria or to other countries, according to the United Nations. That made it one of the gravest refugee crises since World War II. “Assad is the man who presided over the end of modern Syria,” said Paul Salem, president of the Washington-based Middle East Institute. “The ferocious attacks on the protesters forced it from a discussion about political reform into a shooting war, forcing people to pick up arms and giving advantage to the radicals who have vast experience in warfare,” he said. (With assistance from Dana Khraiche, Dan Williams, Mike Cohen, Chris Miller, Laurence Arnold and Donna Abu-Nasr.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.None

As poultry farms and dairies across California continue to battle bird flu outbreaks, residents may be worried about food safety this holiday season.The San Francisco 49ers made an announcement Friday regarding the Week 12 status for quarterback Brock Purdy and defensive lineman Nick Bosa. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that both Purdy and Bosa would not be playing in the team’s game Sunday at the Green Bay Packers. Brandon Allen will start at quarterback for San Francisco. This is a tough outcome for the Niners. They are 5-5 and will be playing at a snowy Lambeau Field against a 7-3 team. A loss would place the Niners below .500 with only six remaining games to make up the ground. Purdy not being available for the game is not too surprising given his limited ability to practice this week due to a shoulder injury. Team GM John Lynch also had said that Allen would start at quarterback and Josh Dobbs would serve as a backup if Purdy were unavailable. Purdy, who is in his third season with San Francisco, has passed for 2,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns. Allen does not have any stats this season, but he has passed for 1,611 yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions during his NFL career. He achieved most of his stats with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-2021. The good news for Allen is that tight end George Kittle has said he will battle through a hamstring injury and play in the game. Bosa will miss the game due to a hip injury. The talented defensive lineman has 36 tackles and 7 sacks on the year. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.e are four weeks away from the end of the regular season in the , and for now we already have , of the 14 franchises that will make up the playoffs, ahead of . In addition, there are from postseason contention, so there are still and trying to make it to the . Once the 14 tickets have a name, the battle begins for a ticket to the title match in one of the most powerful leagues on the planet. What are the Playoffs? , which are divided into two conferences of 16 franchises each: and . Each of these two conferences has four divisions of four teams each: . Each team plays 17 games in the regular season, which consists of 18 weeks, as each team is entitled to a bye week. Once the regular season is over, : the four division leaders plus the three best marks in each conference. The playoffs will be played throughout January, while will take place on February 9 at the , home of the . During the playoffs, teams will have to eliminate each other over several rounds including the , the and the to give the two available tickets to New Orleans. The postseason is played in a single game at the stadium of the team with the best record in the regular season standings; the two teams with the best record in each conference rest the first week in the wild card games, to enter action until the divisional round. Qualified teams and favorites for Super Bowl 2025 So far, after 14 weeks of play, the teams

Biden calls for Assad to be 'held accountable'

Experts highlight role of social innovation in transforming Nigeria’s healthcareFour Canadian women honoured in World Rugby’s Dream Teams of the YearPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have no plans to pitch prized prospect Andrew Painter in spring training games as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old Painter hurt his elbow during spring training in 2023 and had surgery that July 25 with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. “He'll throw but not plan on pitching” in games, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. “We're going to push the innings back.” Dombrowski said Painter will build up at some point in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut at some point in the summer. Painter made six starts and allowed four runs in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out 18 batters in 15 2/3 innings after he sat out each of the last two seasons. Painter sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class A teams and Double-A Reading. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBThe traditional holiday movie launch may be getting supplanted by blockbuster video games, with major interactive releases increasingly taking up prime advertising space and drawing consumer dollars. There have been examples of video games out-grossing the box office since the ’90s. Culturally, films have been thought of as a group entertainment activity, while games have been regarded as more of a gift to put under the tree for kids and game fans. A new study suggests that’s shifting. An ad for holiday blockbuster game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on a Melbourne tram. Credit: Simon Schluter About three in five adult Australians play games, and more than half of the population intends to make a gaming-related purchase as part of their holiday spending, according to the survey conducted by YouGov. Of those people, the average anticipated spend was about $200, whereas Australians in general anticipated spending about $82 at the cinema. Millennials were expected to be the highest spenders, with the largest proportion of that age group planning to spend up to $250 on gaming purchases over the holiday period. The survey, commissioned by Xbox, also found that more than half of adult Australians prioritised games in their holiday entertainment, and that 61 per cent of families with children agreed gaming was a bonding family tradition. Xbox Australia’s games lead Eve Oorloff said the medium was becoming more of a shared holiday experience, as families increasingly have multiple generations of game-players. “This shift in perception is really encouraging, as more people are beginning to see the value of gaming in bringing people together, much like the movies have done for generations,” she said. “We love being at the forefront of this continued evolution and adoption of gaming across generations, and watching it become a shared experience between players.” Telsyte analyst Foad Fadaghi, who was not involved in the research, said video games are appealing as gifts and activities when families are looking to maximise value in terms of dollars spent per hour of entertainment. A trip to the cinema with the whole family can easily cost as much as the most expensive new game. “According to everything we’ve seen, there’s been a shift against that kind of retail spending. People are spending a lot more time at home for their entertainment,” he said. “Entertainment is always a function of discretionary income, and clearly families see a lot of value in games.” Xbox says families are increasingly playing video games together as a holiday tradition. New games for this holiday period include Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Call of Duty Black Ops 6 , both published by Microsoft-owned studios, as well as Astro Bot , Lego Horizon Adventures , Super Mario Party Jamboree and Sonic X Shadow Generations . Microsoft’s own games are included in its Game Pass Ultimate subscription service – meaning families could also play Indiana Jones and hundreds of other games for $23 a month, roughly the price of a movie ticket – on Xbox consoles or on PCs, which the study indicated were used for gaming by about half the playing population. But Fadaghi said the increased digitisation of the games marketplace came with certain dangers for game sales, especially at Christmas. Digital gifts are available but might not be preferred by family members who want to wrap up a present, and games could become less favourable as a gift if the trend towards subscriptions continue. In the era of Netflix, few people get DVDs as a gift. Harrison Ford has been digitally recreated as he looked in 1980 for The Great Circle, a globe-spanning, fascist-punching adventure set just after Raiders of the Lost Ark. “Subscriptions represent great value for money. But they represent an ongoing payment, so for some people it’s a little bit different from that one-off gift,” he said. The YouGov study indicated that, of the people who intended to make a gaming purchase these holidays, about two in five expected to buy a gift card or voucher. Oorloff said Xbox invested in a wide variety of games to enhance the value of Game Pass, but Hollywood-style release campaigns were still vital for blockbuster games, which take many years and millions of dollars to make. “Making a splash at launch helps capture interest and build momentum and awareness. It also sets the title up for ongoing success through fan engagement with downloadable content, updates, expansions, and community events,” she said. “Games offer rich narratives, cinematic experiences, and interactive storytelling that rival any Hollywood production; the launch of a hotly anticipated title can feel similar to a movie premiere.” Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.

VACLAV CERNY is living proof that a happy wife is key to a happy life. The winger didn’t enjoy much of an Ibrox honeymoon period after his loan switch from Wolfsburg in the summer . 3 Vaclav Cerny had a very public spat with Rangers fans Credit: PA 3 Missing a gilt-edged chance against Lyon didn't help the relationship Credit: Willie Vass 3 But they've taken him back into their hearts after a string of impressive performances Credit: Kenny Ramsay As he toiled with the demands of playing for Rangers , his relationship with the supporters threatened to hit the rocks . But as things began to settle off the park , they quickly improved on it. After cutting through the Brexit red tape, Cerny wed his childhood sweetheart Denisa last month. It immediately brought about some stability in his home life, allowing the 27-year-old to at last focus on his football . Read More Rangers stories HANDS UP Cerny opens up on 'totally unnecessary' Rangers fan spat and 'British behaviour' STAT'S LIFE Statues of ex-Ger & Hibs icon leaked but fans ask 'was it Ronaldo's sculptor?' And Cerny revealed: “We got married just before the last international break. It hasn’t been easy for my family , moving abroad and being outside the European Union . It brings its own challenges. “But those things are all settled now and during that initial period I would say the people around me, which are few, really helped. “My life outside of football is very simple really. “It’s just being home with my family, and that’s definitely the most important thing which got me through the tough two or three weeks. Most read in Football LEAVE IT OUT Rangers boss Clement shuts down reporter who quizzed him on his future JIM DELAHUNT Our man's tips on Gers v United, Hearts v Hoops & all the weekend action 'LONGER-TERM' Rangers boss Philippe Clement provides grim Neraysho Kasanwirjo update UNHAPPY BHOY Furious Celtic fan calls out fellow Hoops supporters who 'discredit our brand' “But on the other hand, you need to be mentally prepared for that because in football it’s one week you’re there, one week you can’t be there, so it’s on the edge. The people here in the club, all the guys, all the staff members, literally everyone gave me the support. Rangers hero Derek Ferguson reveals he quit a post-playing job after just four hours “I just got through it and I want to keep this going now. “It is always nice to have that family bubble. “It depends on the person, on the player himself, but that’s what helps me and I’m just glad I had this experience, but also very glad I got through it. “I don’t think it’s only in football, it’s in life in general. “Tough situations make you the person you are. “How you react to them just shows your character, and also shows the people you have around you. “I have to say again, the club, the family, in the end that’s all that matters.” Cerny signed a season-long loan deal in the summer. But he’s now enjoying life so much in Glasgow that he wouldn’t rule out extending his stay beyond that period. He added: “If it’s up to me, then I would be open to talk obviously, but it’s very soon to talk about that. “If you don’t mind, just let me focus on helping the team and achieve what we want to achieve, me personally and as a club. “We’ve got plenty of time to talk about this. But I am really enjoying it here.” Gers are about to embark on a run of 11 games — up to and including Celtic at Ibrox on January 2 — that will make or break their season. It all begins with a home match against Dundee United this weekend, with Cerny determined to put on a real show for the supporters. He said: “I would say every period is important for us. It hasn’t been easy for my family, moving abroad and being outside the European Union. It brings its own challenges. “But those things are all settled now and during that initial period I would say the people around me, which are few, really helped. “It’s a busy schedule coming up, which is important, but we’re making steps . We know what we want and we’re just looking forward. “Every game is about good performance and good results, so it’s always a mix. “I always enjoy my football when I’m fit and when I’m on the pitch. “I do relish it and just want to be part of the success of this club, so that’s what is driving me on. “I know that it’s not easy to adapt quickly. “But I just did my best and hopefully we can say the adaptation part is long over and behind us. “Let’s focus for upcoming games and months and weeks. I hope there is more to come from me. That’s what I’m working on, to be more dangerous , more effective. “The numbers are OK right now for myself, but you will never hear me saying something that I’m satisfied or anything like that. “You will never hear that from me. So every day I can do something more or bring something extra, then I will go for it.” Cerny has scored four goals already this season , but knows how important creating the chances for others to find the net is too. He stressed: “I like that responsibility, but maybe those moments when you do something decisive it comes from me or the team. “But the action takes long, it’s a build-up or it’s a counter or whatever. We are in the position that it needs to come from us mostly. “But we’re developing the things around us, and I’m glad I’m on the end of the action or to prepare the action. “I believe we should focus more on all of us. “It is important that we win this game. That’s our goal and we have to be consistent to get what we want. “We have to be playing attractive football, to be playing dominant football and winning games now. “We all know that it’s not always possible in football for this to happen. Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland “The three points are always the most important. “We want to play good football, and that’s why we’re here every single day and we’re working on that.” Keep up to date with ALL t h e latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

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