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When Canada became a country in 1867, our founding constitutional act produced the phrase “peace, order and good government.” Some compare this to the United States constitutional well-known message of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But there’s a stark contrast. Canada’s vision exudes collectivism and government involvement, whereas the U.S. vision embodies unbridled capitalism and individual rights. There is an argument that our approach was beneficial, perhaps even necessary, given our vast, harsh and thinly populated country. Without government backing we may not have built a cross-country railway, certainly not as early as achieved in 1885. Nor would we have established a national airline system or developed country-wide telecommunications networks. There was the Alberta government’s support of early efforts to develop the oilsands. And, of course, the support for dairy, certain elements of the agriculture sector, and the auto and auto manufacturing parts sectors are well documented. Even our world-leading companies in the potash and uranium production businesses started out with government support and ownership. I had the privilege of working with the Saskatchewan government to help underwrite the IPOs (initial public offerings) of both those government-owned businesses over 30 years ago. It was also the era of Tommy Douglas and the creation of universal health care in 1947 in Saskatchewan. But that was the past and a different time. Today, Canada is much more developed and has over 40 million residents and modern infrastructure. Yet we continue to operate in a government-dominated, monopolistic, and oligopolistic manner. Think government monopoly on health care and education systems, oligopolies in banking, insurance, railways, telecommunications, airlines, and heavy regulation in dairy supply management and parts of the food and auto sectors. Think of the billions of dollars of recent government subsidies for proposed electric vehicle and battery facilities. The only meaningful sectors where Canadian industry truly competes on a global basis are oil and gas, mining, and perhaps forestry. There is an observable East/West divide to these industries, and I believe this is a partial explanation on why the East and the West have philosophical differences on how Canada should be governed. A business acquaintance of mine for over 30 years who has been close to the inner workings of the federal government recently shared his response when queried about ideas for a potential political campaign slogan: “Make Canada Mediocre Again.” Perhaps it is time that we stepped back and thought again about government regulation, competition, and individual rights, and a new vision for Canada.

Unlike the past New Year's, the arrival of 2025 signifies the birth of the first cohort of Generation Beta babies, who are expected to grow in a new world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and technological innovations. As fancy as this may sound, it is far from reality for the unfortunate child that will be opening their eyes this week in an average household in Karachi, where both the past, present and future appear to be hinged around the provision of basic urban necessities. Water, transport and roads. Karachi's three incessant woes. Even as another year comes to an end, no major project initiated under the supervision of the federal or provincial government could reach its timely completion hence continuing the long-held tradition of sluggish development. While some projects were started as far as eight years ago and were halted midway, others faced delays in the initiation of key components thereby depriving the public of their intended benefits. In the city of over 30 million people, only 650 million gallons of water are supplied daily from two sources, the Indus River and Hub Dam, which are insufficient to meet the city's daily water requirement of 1,200 million gallons. Despite the passing of two decades, no additional water has been sourced from the Indus River to address the deficit. Although two mega projects were launched in 2016 to overcome the water crisis, despite the passage of 8 years, they could not be completed. The first was the K-IV project, which was supposed to supply 260 million gallons of water to Karachi. Despite consistent cost spikes, the project faced delays following which it was transferred from the Sindh government to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in 2021. Under the new plan, the project should be completed by December 2025. "So far, 50 percent of the work on the K-IV project has been completed. If the funds are released on time, the project will be completed soon," said an official from WAPDA. However, sources have revealed that there are two more components of the K-IV project, the Augmentation Plan and the power station, which have still not been put into action. If both the components are not completed on time, it will not be possible to supply water to Karachi from Keenjhar Lake. Similarly, the second water supply project was the 65 million gallons per day (MGD), which has been halted for five years due to the lack of interest of the Sindh government. Only 15 percent of the work on the project has been completed, even though the cost of the project has nearly doubled. The project has now been red-tapered at the government level and is being considered for construction on the basis of a public-private partnership. When it comes to transport, the port city still faces a severe shortage of buses. Although 100 buses are running on the Green Line Phase I and Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit alongside 280 air-conditioned buses under the Peoples Bus Scheme, considering the population of the city, 8,000 more buses are still required. According to a survey conducted by the Express Tribune, 400 public transport routes have been closed. Currently, only 135 routes are operational, through which 3,000 to 4,000 buses, minibuses and coaches are plying. "Despite the passage of three years and an increase in cost, construction work on the Green Line Phase II has not been started," confirmed an officer from the Sindh Mass Transit Authority. Conversely, an officer from the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited assured that construction work on Phase II of the Green Line should be started in four months and will be completed in a year. Furthermore, the Orange Line project, which is 3.9 kilometers long from Orangi Town Office to Matric Board Office, has been completed since two and a half years. However, very few passengers travel on this route since it is not connected to the Green Line. Construction work on the Red Line bus project began in 2022. In 2024, construction was suspended for six months due to various reasons. Although the project was slated to be completed by 2025, it has now been postponed by another year. Similarly, the 26-kilometer-long Yellow Line project has also been postponed to 2027. On the other hand, several roads including the MA Jinnah Road, New MA Jinnah Road, SM Taufiq Road, Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-e-Usman, Nishtar Road, Jail Road, Jamshed Road, Manghopir Road, Sher Shah Suri Road, Garden Road, Hub River Road, and Korangi Industrial Area Road are in disrepair. While similar issues plague the streets and other smaller lanes throughout the city. A KMC official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed that KMC has allocated Rs9 billion while the Sindh government has released Rs3.3 billion for district annual development for the current financial year. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourMMA Global Announces the SMARTIESTM X Global & North America 2024 Winners: A Celebration of Marketing Excellence - Pushing Innovative Boundaries on the Global Stage

Santa Clara County’s Family and Children Services Director Damion Wright is resigning, after more than a year of controversy over the fentanyl overdose death of an infant who the agency – under policies pushed by Wright’s predecessor – refused to separate from her drug-abusing father. Wright’s resignation is effective Jan. 17, according to a farewell letter obtained by San José Spotlight . Wright said the decision comes after the death of his father, which prompted him to “reevaluate” his priorities and accept another opportunity in Southern California. Wright joined the the department as an assistant director in early 2021. He became director last August, after his predecessor, Daniel Little, was promoted to Social Services Agency director. “During my tenure as Director, since late August 2023, I have dedicated myself to establishing a robust safety net for children and families in partnership with DFCS staff and internal and external stakeholders,” Wright wrote. “Together with our staff and partners, we have made significant strides toward enhancing workplace practices that prioritize child safety.” Related Stories Wright, who could not be immediately reached for comment, took over the agency several months after the May 2023 drug overdose death of a 3-month-old Baby Phoenix in San Jose. County officials confirmed Wright’s resignation. A county spokesperson said they anticipate announcing an interim director in the coming days. “We thank Damion for his continued dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of children residing in our County and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” a spokesperson told San José Spotlight. Phoenix’s death – and a Mercury News investigation – raised questions about the county’s family preservation policies pushed by Little, which gave county lawyers more of a say over the removal of children from families and aimed its focus more on healing through classes and programs. But social workers said those policies trumped child safety. Mercury News reporting showed that social workers assigned to Phoenix’s case repeatedly objected to giving the child back to her parents. The agency has since committed to reforming its child welfare policies and practices, which came under scrutiny from two different state reports. “I firmly believe that by adhering to the pathway forward we have laid out for safe children and safe communities, we can continue to uphold the safety of our vulnerable populations during this transition and beyond,” Wright wrote in his farewell letter. “My commitment to ensuring that children are protected, whether in their homes or through necessary court interventions, remains steadfast.” Alex Lesniak, a social worker who has been outspoken about the county’s child welfare policies since Phoenix’s death, said her heart goes out to Wright for the loss of a loved one. But she said social worker morale has been at an all time low since county’s handling of the Phoenix scandal. “I have been hearing that from people who have been here for 15, 20 or even 30 years — including people who don’t typically speak up at all — who are telling me (the morale) as bad as they’ve seen it,” Lesniak told San José Spotlight. She said Wright’s departure raises questions about a potential power vacuum over Family and Children Services. “What does leadership look like for the next step?” Lesniak said. “A lot of us know that the person who implemented the policies and procedures that led to Baby Phoenix’s death is still the agency director for the Social Services Agency.” Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.An official from the cautioned small businesses against pitching artificial intelligence-powered tools for programs that are not specifically asking for AI. , director of the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs, recently that could help firms enter the government contracting market. Table of Contents Focus on Emerging Technologies While more and more organizations across industries are adopting AI, it might not always be the technology that a particular agency or project requires. Capenos told small businesses not to pitch trendy technology, whether AI or quantum computing, unless a customer asks for it. She instead directed aspiring government contractors to focus efforts on the agency’s watch list for emerging technologies, which identifies specific capabilities DISA plans to invest in. Its , for instance, includes 6G, quantum-resistant cryptography, and AI for cybersecurity and big data analytics. Start With Subcontracting Capenos also touched on the requirement for companies to obtain a security clearance to do business with DISA. She acknowledged that it is a common obstacle for small businesses that want to enter the GovCon market. The defense official urged small businesses to become subcontractors to prime contractors that can sponsor their clearance. She said the prime contractor does not have to be a large company, either; many small businesses have found themselves working with other small businesses on a project. , who currently serves as chief technology officer at DISA, provided during the AFCEA Small Business Workshop held in August. According to Wallace, the agency previously selected GovCon newcomers based on their prior experience with prime contractors. Learn From Loss Finally, Capenos told small businesses to learn from best value tradeoff contracts instead of just offering the lowest price acceptable. “You might win, hopefully, you do,” she commented. “But if you don’t win, you’re going to find out what the winning price was. You’re going to find out what your ratings were, what your strengths and weaknesses were, and you’re also going to find out what the ratings were of the vendor who won.”

In an unprecedented wave of collaboration, leading AI firms are teaming up—sometimes with rivals—to serve a Pentagon and Congress determined to put AI to military use. Their growing alignment may herald an era in which software firms seize the influence now held by old-line defense contractors. “There's an old saying that ,” Byron Callan, managing director at Capital Alpha Partners, Investors Business Daily on Wednesday. “It's going to eat the military too." Over the last week, Palantir, Anduril, Shield AI, OpenAI, Booz Allen, and Oracle announced various partnerships to develop products tailored to defense needs. Meanwhile, the House passed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act with provisions that push the Defense Department to work more closely with tech firms on AI, and DOD announced yet another office intended to foster AI adoption. Perhaps the most significant is between Palantir and Anduril, two companies that offer somewhat competing capabilities related to battlefield data integration. Palantir holds the contract for the , the seminal Defense Department AI effort to derive intelligence from vast amounts of data provided by satellites, drones, and other sensors. Anduril offers a mesh-networking product called Lattice for rapid collection and analysis of battlefield data for drone swarming and other operations. Just a day earlier, Palantir and Shield AI their own partnership to include the deployment of Palantir’s Warp Speed for integrating data into workflow. Their collaboration has sought to integrate Shield AI's autonomous systems with Palantir’s data-processing platforms to provide commanders with a clearer operational picture. Shield AI also competes against Anduril with its autonomous piloting and drone swarm software for GPS-denied environments. Anduril also has new team-ups with , whose cloud infrastructure will support Anduril’s autonomous systems to offer real-time data analysis near the battlefield; and with fellow drone maker , to develop hybrid-propulsion aircraft for defense. Finally, Palantir a partnership with longtime defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton to make AI tools for logistics, autonomous systems, and other applications. On Wednesday, the House approved a that includes several provisions intended to spur military adoption of AI. The bill puts a big emphasis on building out data and cloud computing resources to enable much faster adoption of AI and AI-enabled weapons, areas where companies like Anduril, Palantir, Booz Allen, and Shield AI excel. One of the most ambitious is Section 1532, which mandates the expansion of secure, high-performance computing infrastructure to support AI training and development. This infrastructure, which will include partnerships with commercial and hybrid cloud providers, is critical for developing scalable AI models capable of adapting to evolving mission requirements. Section 236 also presses the Pentagon to deepen partnerships with the private sector and academia, building on commercial expertise to accelerate innovation. The act also includes stringent reporting requirements intended to ensure accountability and adaptability. From pilot programs in biotechnology to operational testing of cheap, autonomous drones under the program, the Pentagon must provide regular updates to Congress, demonstrating progress and addressing challenges. “Annual updates will assess data resources, cybersecurity measures, and the potential for operational use of technologies,” the legislation says. The Pentagon needs to reshape its acquisition philosophies to accommodate software firms, DIU Director Doug Beck said on Saturday. Instead of buying things via program requirements, the Defense Department must give companies more flexibility to design products that might be useful for defense and then bring those to the Pentagon. That could be a boon to companies like Anduril, which has found a way to and even battlefield-test before the Defense Department even asks for them. “If you give exact definitions and just port more money against it, then...you actually don't incent the kind of behaviors that you want,” Beck said Saturday at the Reagan National Security Forum. “Instead, for those major areas of tech change, we should provide a consistent demand signal of the critical areas we'll be buying in, rather than specific programs, areas like AI, autonomy, space, biotech.” Beck said the hope is that this approach will induce competition among industry players. It’s not yet clear how the emerging partnerships will square with that. One Defense Department official, speaking on background, called Anduril and Palantir the “success stories of the defense-tech movement.” The official said he wouldn’t be surprised if the partnerships signaled “a play to shape the next administration’s approach” to buying defense technology. That will be even easier under Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar, who has reportedly been to lead the Pentagon’s research and engineering efforts under the next administration. Anduril and Palantir did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Which agency or office in the Department of Defense will spearhead accountability and governance over players that are increasingly coordinating their approach? That falls to the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, better known for its efforts to foster the use of AI. Just on Wednesday, the CDAO and the Defense Innovation Unit that they had created an AI rapid capabilities cell to accelerate the exploration, testing, and adoption of generative AI. The NDAA also pushes the CDAO to smooth the adoption of AI. Section 1521 tasks the office with increasing and synchronizing the use of modern data formats and sharing standards across the department. This includes defining and implementing a strategy to transition from obsolete data formats to modern ones in weapons, command-and-control systems, and sensors. Those company partnerships announced last week are directly relevant to that—and to Section 233, which requires “the development of a strategy to invest in advanced technologies, including automated systems and artificial intelligence, to streamline the process of organizing, indexing, and categorizing data.” CDOA chief Radha Plumb is scheduled to depart in January as the new administration takes over. Her successor will be tasked with implementing those NDAA provisions on data synchronization and strategy development. But they will be overseeing an AI defense contractor community that is increasingly synchronized in their approach to data standards, reporting, and competition. Scott Nover, writing at GZERO Media, this an incipient “AI military-industrial complex.” In November, Palantir passed Lockheed Martin in one closely watched measure: . In a to investors that month announcing quarterly revenue, Palantir founder Alex Karp boasted, “A juggernaut is emerging. This is the software century, and we intend to take the entire market.” Increasingly, Karp and his fellow defense-tech execs are hunting together.( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ASP Isotopes, Inc (“ASP Isotopes” or the“Company”) (NASDAQ: ASPI) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired ASP Isotopes securities between October 30, 2024 and November 26, 2024, both dates inclusive (the“Class Period”). Investors have until February 3, 2025 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Click here to participate in the action. On November 26, 2024, Fuzzy Panda Research published a report which alleged that ASP Isotopes is“using old, disregarded laser enrichment technology to masquerade as a new, cutting-edge Uranium enrichment.” The report quoted a former employee of Klydon (the company ASP Isotopes purchased its“proprietary” technology from) as stating scientists“did not think it would work on Uranium.” The report revealed a series of experts interviewed stated the Company's reported cost estimates and timeline for building its HALEU uranium facilities was misleading to the point of being“delusional.” The report further alleged the Company had significantly overstated the significance of its agreement with TerraPower, which was only a“non-binding” memorandum of understanding entered into to“put pressure on [TerraPower's] real suppliers.” The report quoted a former TerraPower executives as stating that ASP Isotopes was“missing the manufacturing; They are missing the processes as well; They still have to develop the HALEU...the most important part.” Finally, the report revealed that the Company's subsidiary, Quantum Leap Energy, which operates its nuclear fuels segment and to which the Company assigned the TerraPower memoranda of understanding, was completely absent from its registered South African address. The report revealed there were“zero signs” of their presence and“security guards and neighboring business about them all told us they had never heard of the companies.” On this news, the Company's stock price fell $1.80 or 23.53%, to close at $5.85 per share on November 26, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The stock continued to fall on the subsequent trading date, falling $0.83 or 14.19%, to close at $5.02 per share on November 27, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) the Company overstated the potential effectiveness of its enrichment technology; (2) the Company overstated the development potential of its high assay low-enriched uranium facility; (3) the Company overstated the Company's nuclear fuels operating segment results; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. If you purchased or otherwise acquired ASP Isotopes shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at ... , telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form . There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Information: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Brandon Walker, Esq. Marion Passmore, Esq. (212) 355-4648 ... MENAFN26122024004107003653ID1109033704 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.

For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityIn case you haven't been following, mysterious drones have been spotted in New Jersey for weeks now. Everyone in New Jersey trying to spot a drone pic.twitter.com/x28OjsKOTK According to USA Today , the drones first started appearing on November 18 and have been spotted ever since. In the past week, things have really heated up with major politicians and the FBI making statements about the sightings. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said we should shoot them out of the sky, saying, "We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases." New Jersey Senator Corey Booker urged the FBI to be more transparent about the whole thing, publicly releasing his letter to federal agencies saying , "There is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety. I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread." Yesterday, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said the drone sightings don't pose a threat: "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus... We have not been able to...corroborate any of the reported visual sightings." The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also released a statement saying authorities have found no evidence that the drone sightings are a threat, with many of the reports being lawfully manned aircrafts. Today, the @FBI and DHS jointly issued a statement on reported drone sightings in New Jersey ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/kzbmTzjvkr And now, Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey went out with local police to document the drones himself, and his thread about the whole thing is pretty wild. The Senator saw what appeared to be unidentified devices, some solid white while others flashed red and green. Last night I went out with local police to spot drone flying over New Jersey, here’s what I saw. We drove to Round Valley Reservoir and the officer pointed to lights moving low over the tree line. Sometimes they were solid white light, others flashed of red and green.THREAD pic.twitter.com/ly7kUUDWDn He saw 5-7 lights at a time. We oriented ourselves with a flight tracker app to help us distinguish from airplanes. We often saw about 5-7 lights at a time that were low and not associated with aircraft we could see on the tracker app. Some hovered while others moved across the horizon. 2/11 pic.twitter.com/ZryJlWA97X A few appeared to be moving in clusters of 2-4. We saw a few that looked like they were moving in small clusters of 2-4. We clearly saw several that would move horizontally and then immediately switch back in the opposite direction in maneuvers that plane can’t do. 3/11 pic.twitter.com/8Bf6hI49gD The police officers he was with said they have been seeing them every night. The police officer said they see them out every night. They only seem to start when it gets dark and they disappear before dawn. They get reports that they sometimes fly low over homes, especially up in the hills. 4/11 pic.twitter.com/GdnZr7eoBs The officers said they tried to get closer with a helicopter but the lights turned off when they approached. The officer said they’ve tried to get closer with use of a helicopter but that the drones would turn off the lights and go dark if approached. 5/11 The Senator met someone who saw one the size of the hood of a car. The parking lot at the reservoir had a number of cars of people coming to take a look for themselves. Several shared with me their own stories of having seen some up close. One described them being the size of the hood of a car. 6/11 pic.twitter.com/phKY1I7WXz He said that a rural part of New Jersey has seen more activity. I went to multiple locations across Hunterdon county to get different vantage points. This is a more rural part of NJ. It’s uncertain why it’s one of the more active area for reported activity. We are seeing reports through other parts of the state. 7/11 The Senator also urged people to submit any footage of the apparent drones to the FBI. Any images or video footage people get, the police urge them to submit to the FBI, but I haven’t gotten any follow up yet from the FBI on their investigation and what they’ve compiled. 8/11 He said details remain unclear about the whole thing. Homeland Security Secretary briefed last week on new technology they were deploying but we need details on what those efforts have yielded and if more resources are needed. If they haven’t fully identified the devices yet we still should know what is being done. 9/11 He finished off the thread by saying just how strange it is that we haven't discovered what these things are, "It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures." This has gone on for weeks. It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures. 10/11 And lastly, he said he'll continue to track developments until the people of NJ get the answers they deserve. I’ll continue to track these developments and share as much as possible to the people of NJ that deserve more answers than they are getting. END I don't know about you, but, uh, yeah, this is thing starting to freak me out.

India News | BPSC Exam Row: Prashant Kishor Gives 3-day Time to Bihar Govt to Resolve Paper 'leak' IssueAcute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Market to Exhibit a Remarkable CAGR of 10.1% by 2030, Size, Share, Trends, Key Drivers, Demand, Opportunity Analysis and Competitive Outlook

HMEIMIM, Syria (AP) — A convoy of Russian military vehicles rolled down the highway towards the Syrian city of Tartus on Monday as soldiers stood guard. Planes periodically descended and rose from Russia’s Hmeimim air base in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia while smoke rose from the base. It was unclear what was burning. In the streets of Hmeimim, a town dotted with orange groves, many of the shops bear signs in Russian, a nod to the significance of the Russian military presence. But whether and how long that presence will last after the fall of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad is now an open question. Russia’s scorched-earth intervention on behalf of its ally, Assad, once turned the tide of the Syrian civil war. In 2017, Assad’s government signed a deal with Russia that offered it a free lease of the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base for 49 years. But opposition forces in the country’s northwest launched a shock offensive last month that again threatened Assad’s rule. This time, Moscow largely stood aside — although it has granted asylum to the former president and his family. On Monday, in his first public statement since his ouster, Assad said he had left Damascus for the Hmeimim air base on Dec. 8 after insurgents stormed the capital, but hadn’t planned to flee the country. He said that after the base came under attack by drones, the Russians decided to evacuate him to Russia. Since Assad’s departure, there have been no clashes between Russian troops and the former insurgents who have suddenly become the de facto security forces for all of Syria. That’s despite the fact that many of the fighters are from areas of northern Syria that came under frequent Russian bombardment and have little love for Moscow. A fighter guarding the shuttered civilian airport next to the Hmeimim base said Monday, “The Russians are preparing to withdraw from Syria, God willing.” He gave only his nickname, Abu Saif, because he wasn’t authorized to comment publicly. Russian forces have pulled out of some areas of Syria. Russian forces and military vehicles were seen withdrawing from southern Syria on Friday toward their primary base in the city of Latakia. On Thursday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Russian forces were leaving bases in Ain Issa and Tel Al-Samn in the Al-Raqqah countryside. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on Friday show what appear to be cargo planes at a Russian military airfield in Syria with their nose cones opened to receive heavy equipment, along with helicopters being dismantled and prepared for transport. Moscow has reached out to the new Syrian authorities to try to ensure the security of its bases and extend its forces' stay. The three-starred flag of the Syrian revolution was quickly hoisted at the Syrian Embassy in Moscow in place of the old government’s two-starred flag. In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Obeida Arnaout, spokesman for the political department of the new transitional government, called on Russia to “reconsider its presence” in Syria, as well as its interests. But he didn’t rule out the possibility that Russian forces could remain. “Their interests were linked to the criminal Assad regime. They can reconsider and take the initiatives to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity toward the Syrian people, and that the era of Assad regime is finally over,” Arnaout said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters Monday that Moscow was discussing the issue with the new authorities. “We are in contact with representatives of the forces that are currently in control of the situation in the country, and all of this will be determined in the course of dialogue,” Peskov said. ___ Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.

How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 12/26/2024

With Matthew Liberatore ‘s success in the bullpen, the St. Louis Cardinals now have expanded options as they re-tool their team. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Randy Arozarena trade, he immediately became the number three prospect in the organization upon his arrival. At the time, the Cardinals saw him as a pitcher with a high floor and major league-caliber breaking action. Matthew Liberatore, Soul Stealing Curveball. pic.twitter.com/oO5PfbaBWn — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 24, 2020 However, he struggled in his minimal appearances as a starter in 2022 and 2023 and many within the organization had dismissed him as another failed pitching prospect. His reinvention of himself in 2024 as a legitimate bullpen arm came as a revelation, and the former top prospect’s versatility provides options to an already flexible Cardinals pitching staff. Cardinals Have Options with Former Top Prospect Matthew Liberatore Struggles on the Mound Liberatore, now 25, has not put up flashy numbers as a starter since his promotion to Triple-A in 2021. In 2022 and 2023 combined, he started 40 games at the major-league level, posting an ERA over 5.00 and producing -0.9 WAR in that span. His curveball, thought to be his best pitch, did not play against big-league hitters, and his tendency to walk batters hurt his chances at clean innings. At the same time, the Cardinals were witnessing the twilight of one-time ace Adam Wainwright ‘s career and were struggling to successfully promote young prospects into their major-league system. Underwhelming performances from Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas on large contracts only served to compound the frustration. As Arozarena barreled through the 2020 postseason and went on to win AL Rookie of the Year in 2021, pressure shifted toward Liberatore, in some ways unfairly. However, with the signings of Sonny Gray , Lance Lynn , and Kyle Gibson for the 2024 season, Liberatore became a more permanent fixture in the Cardinals bullpen. Success Out of the Bullpen Through 60 total pitching appearances in 2024, he posted a 4.40 ERA over 86 innings with 76 strikeouts and only 28 walks. Not only are these the best numbers of his career, they don’t necessarily tell the whole story. While Liberatore was primarily used as a middle-reliever, he was required to make multiple spot starts due to doubleheaders or injury. However, when he came in as a reliever in the 7th-9th innings he earned a shocking 1.35 ERA. Over 40 innings in the latter third of games, Liberatore finally looked like what the team expected of him as a top prospect. In part, this was due to a shift in approach. In 2024, his slider saw a 15% increase in usage while his use of the curveball dropped considerably. The slider played well, producing a +4 run value, and the curveball became a seldom-used strikeout pitch. Additionally, his four-seam fastball velocity rose slightly. While it still sits in the mid-90s, it seems as though a move to the bullpen has given Liberatore the edge he needed to produce at the major-league level. Options for the Future Despite his success in the bullpen, Liberatore still has eyes on a starting spot in a young Cardinals rotation. After a scoreless six-inning start against the Atlanta Braves in June, Liberatore told John Denton of MLB.com: “I’ve been a starter for 15 years and I’ve been a bullpen guy four months total between last season and this season, and I’ve tried to embrace that [reliever] role and I’ve gotten comfortable out there [in the bullpen],” he said. “But, at heart, I’m a starter and I really enjoy trying to go through a lineup multiple times and try to outthink guys and outcompete guys.” good morning to everyone but ESPECIALLY Matthew Liberatore ?? pic.twitter.com/TCcnCBzbou — Cardinals Talk (@theredbird_way) June 27, 2024 The bullpen was an undeniable strength for the Cardinals in 2025, and Liberatore’s contributions to an already crowded field of improving pitchers cannot be understated. However, as the team looks to develop internally, it might be worth taking another look at their present options for the rotation. This includes players with big-league experience, including 2024 standout Andre Pallante , as well as prospects, such as Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby . Both prospects just joined the 40-man roster. However, Liberatore’s role on the pitching staff will be something to keep an eye on in 2025, especially in the case of injury to the team’s established starters. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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