Washington, DC – A lightning-quick offensive has seen Syria’s opposition take control of major cities and large swaths of territory, toppling the government of longtime leader President Bashar al-Assad and indelibly altering the war-torn country’s future. The events represent a remarkable reversal of fortunes in Syria and enlivened a multipronged civil war that appeared largely stagnant for years. The situation, analysts told Al Jazeera, also appears to have been largely unanticipated by the administration of United States President Joe Biden, and raises galling questions over how Washington will proceed in the weeks and months ahead. “I think everything that’s happening…
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua possibly made his best catch this season in Sunday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills. On a 2nd-and-10 at L.A.’s 49-yard line midway through the second quarter, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford launched a pass to Nacua. He hauled in the 19-yard reception along L.A.’s sideline despite tight coverage.Instant replay showed he managed to keep both feet in bounds on the play. Last season, Nacua set a rookie record for receiving yards, with 1,486 in 17 games. He finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.…
After a lackluster October jobs report due to strikes and storms, November’s jobs report shows that the market is back to healthy levels.The Employment Situation report, released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, revealed that the U.S. economy added 227,000 new jobs in November, higher than the 214,000 jobs expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.The unemployment rate also rose from 4.1% in October to 4.2% in November. The number of unemployed people is now at 7.1 million, higher than it was at the same time last year when there were 6.3 million people out of…
December 6, 20243 min readWuhan Virologist Says Lab Has No Close Relatives to COVID VirusShi Zhengli, the virologist at the center of COVID lab-leak theory, reveals coronavirus sequences from the Wuhan instituteBy Smriti Mallapaty & Nature magazineChinese virologist Shi Zhengli has presented evidence that her lab has not worked with close relatives of SARS-CoV-2. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty ImagesAfter years of rumours that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the centre of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a conference in Japan this…
Holiday shopping is expected to reach record levels this year. But a growing share of those purchases will be sent back.Returns in 2024 are expected to amount to 17% of all merchandise sales, totaling $890 billion in returned goods, according to a new report by the National Retail Federation and return management company Happy Returns. That’s up from a return rate of about 15% of total U.S. retail sales, or $743 billion in returned goods, in 2023.Even though returns happen throughout the year, they are much more prevalent during the holiday season, the NRF also found. As shopping reaches a peak in the weeks ahead, retailers expect their return rate…
This article is an on-site version of our The Week Ahead newsletter. Subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every Sunday. Explore all of our newsletters hereHello and welcome to the working week.It is the season of goodwill, allegedly, so what better time to make amends with your neighbours? That’s what the UK government hopes at least. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has got a guest pass to the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, where she aims to widen co-operation with the bloc in a range of areas including economic policy. The fact…
Trump interview with Kristen Welker President Trump sat down with far-left NBC News anchor and biased debate moderator Kristen Welker for a one-on-one interview. Kristen Welker tried to get Trump in a ‘gotcha’ question over current FBI Director Christopher Wray after the president-elect nominated Kash Patel to replace him. Last month President Trump officially nominated Kash Patel for the role of FBI Director in his next Administration. Kash Patel’s impressive qualifications include several high-ranking positions in the intelligence and defense communities under President Trump. As a terrorism prosecutor, Kash Patel prosecuted ISIS and other terrorist networks. He was the lead prosecutor for…
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” sold at auction on Saturday for an astounding price, setting a record as the most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever sold at auction.The sale also set a new record for an entertainment auction, with the event generating nearly $40 million in total.Among the items sold was the Wicked Witch’s hat from “The Wizard of Oz,” which fetched $2.9 million.Article continues below advertisementHow Much Did The Ruby Slippers Sell For?Zachary Culpin/BNPS/MEGAThe iconic slippers worn by Judy Garland sold for $32.5 million at auction. The heels are…
The Ukrainian president, who had previously opposed any territorial concessions, has eased his position in recent months. His army is struggling on the front line and fears are mounting of dwindling Western aid. Zelensky has floated the idea of temporarily forgoing Russian-controlled areas – about one fifth of Ukraine – in exchange for NATO security guarantees and weapons deliveries from the West. “I stated that we need a just and enduring peace – one that the Russians will not be able to destroy in a few years, as they have done repeatedly in the past,” Zelensky said on social media. Almost three…
On November 27, a coalition of armed opposition groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began an offensive against government-held positions in Aleppo and Idlib provinces in the northwest of Syria. Less than two weeks later, they rolled into Damascus as President Bashar al-Assad and his family flew out in an unknown direction. The disintegration of the Syrian regime’s army was spectacularly quick. It brings to mind similar collapses in Afghanistan – when the Taliban captured Kabul from the Afghan government following the withdrawal of the US force – and in Iraq, when ISIL (ISIS) invaded in 2014 and took…