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Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs.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Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it.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

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CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 on Sunday after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight and fell to 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, who is 14-31 in 2 1/2 seasons. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Chicago won the coin toss, but Williams was sacked for a 12-yard loss on second down, leading to a three-and-out. The Vikings took over at the 21, and Darnold led a 10-play drive, overcoming a sack and two penalties. Darnold connected with Hockenson for a 29-yard completion that put the ball on the 9. He took a knee and then Romo nailed the winner. Darnold surpassed his previous season high of 19 touchdown passes with a 2-yarder to Addison on the first play of the second quarter, and he made it 14-7 with a 5-yard score to Jalen Nailor late in the first half. He completed 22 of 34 passes. Aaron Jones ran for 106 yards and a score for the Vikings. Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, top center, blocks a field goal attempt by Chicago Bears place kicker Cairo Santos during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) AP Williams was 32 of 47 with a 103.1 passer rating in his second straight solid performance since Thomas Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. Moore caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, and Allen added 86 yards receiving and the late TD. Vikings: LB Ivan Pace Jr. (hamstring) and LT Cam Robinson (foot) left in the first quarter. ... Darnold missed two plays after he was hit by Gervon Dexter Sr. on a pass play with about 6 1/2 minutes. Vikings: Host Arizona next Sunday. Bears: Visit Detroit on Thanksgiving. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL More sports news No. 5 UCLA ends No. 1 South Carolina’s win streak at 43 games Northwestern women blank Saint Joseph’s to win 2nd national field hockey title Penn State wrestlers ring up 9 titles, 185.5 points at Army Black Knight Invitational Penn State report card for Minnesota: Opportunistic Lions climb out of early hole to finish 5-0 on the roadSri Lanka is known as a country that provides labour. It’s our most enduring national export. But we are also known as the nation that encourages any type of foreign remittances. A massive number of Sri Lankans — perhaps a majority — would give anything to settle down abroad with family in a Western country, or in South Korea perhaps. We in Sri Lanka have taken these proclivities for granted. We have encouraged them. Reason being that these nations have large populations of the Sri Lankan diaspora so-called, that remit money that keeps our economy ticking. But this expectation of being bankrolled by a diaspora is a sellout. Yes, we are glad the money comes in at a time we most need it. But we should target to rid our country of the bad reputation as the nation that everyone wants to leave. Any country that can live with such a bad rap is not self-respecting. This narrative of cheap labour has become the story of Sri Lanka, and no doubt there are two sides to it. Our political parties get a boost from diaspora support, and the Sinhala diaspora so-called was extremely engaged in this year’s elections. HARASSED Their support was mostly for the same party that Sri Lankans overwhelmingly voted for this year. This was a happy coincidence. Those abroad saw things the same way those who are toiling here back at home did. One reason may be that in a strange way a large number of those who are here, are also trying their best to leave, so they too could hopefully contribute to the national effort from abroad. But it’s delusional to think that all Sri Lankans want to contribute to the national effort from overseas. Most are merely ensuring that the relatives back home get a fair share. They are in effect remitting money to whom they think are less fortunate. This is not a state of affairs we should hanker after. It is why this country should plan on replacing remittances as the number one foreign exchange source of the country. Previous Governments largely didn’t lend their minds to it. If people went abroad and sent money, they were considered assets. The fact that national pride was in tatters was never considered. That no country should be proud of the fact that its citizens for the most part want to live overseas, was not considered relevant. That most of the manpower “exported” abroad in this fashion is harassed, or feels harassed and exploited in their new domiciles, was also never considered. Our national narrative cannot and should not be that we provide labour and know-how to the world. It is true that we have also exported brain-power with our doctors and engineers and scientists contributing to the GNP of Uber-rich nations. But that’s a small part of the equation. Most Sri Lankans who go abroad are low-paid workers or immigrants who provide low-cost labour to do the work that the citizens in rich countries are loathe to do themselves. It is true that a magic wand cannot be waved and revenue sources created to replace the tidal wave of citizens leaving for better opportunities abroad, while incidentally helping to earn the much needed foreign exchange to fund our purchases of fuel and other essentials. But, we cannot be a country that didn’t try, or didn’t consider it necessary to stem this tide. Singapore’s founder premier Lee Kwan Yew famously said that if his country was rife with corruption, Singaporean women would have to work as housemaids in the kitchens of Middle Eastern countries. The gentleman was concerned about the collective dignity of Singaporeans, and the effect that would have on the nation’s psyche. In contrast, successive Sri Lankan Governments couldn’t care less. It was as if the poor were encouraged to work for a pittance abroad so that the rich could make merry on the spoils that were remitted back to the country. That’s not stated in jest. Sri Lankan Embassies in the Middle East notoriously couldn’t care less about the plight of some workers who were mistreated. But they made sure that every facility was made available to remit the money that was realised by these servants to the Sheiks. All of the above should make clear that dependence on foreign remittances should be a last and not first resort. We were forced to sell our labour abroad because of the dearth of employment and business opportunities within the country. It is as simple as that. Powers Once it was clear that the powers that be didn’t mind if the poor toiled abroad, and were salivating for the money they brought in, the system became institutionalised. The ruling cabals didn’t want to think of policy solutions that would help grow the economy. They could lord it over the toiling hordes, as long as they could ensure that there would be enough of a labour-force that could be forced to go abroad and effectively sell their souls for a mess of pottage that would sustain the corrupt ruling classes back home. It’s time to regain national dignity, and eschew the selling of cheap labour as a source of national revenue. The policymakers must generate alternative sources of income for the country if this ideal is to be realised. But it’s the psychology that matters too. If the rulers are intent on retaining the status quo in which the sale of cheap labour is considered our primary source of national income, the country would continually languish in the doldrums. People should consider themselves as something more than domestic servants, nurses for old people, drivers and hospital attendants, if they want to envision a country that offers dignity, opportunities, and a standard of living that makes people want to stay back, and not leave the country. But, foreign remittances have been the opium of the masses. The rulers have ensured that the revenue earned from selling the people’s labour cheap, helps keep our heads just above water. The people in turn have got used to existing on the barest minimum and not aspiring to anything more. They have cultivated a fatalism about their general plight and that’s not surprising as the rulers have always “showed them their place” as the servants and odd job men for foreigners. SHORING As outlined earlier, it doesn’t mean that all Sri Lankans abroad are menial workers. There are top-echelon scientists and other professionals. But these are in the minority. The vast majority have forgotten what it is to hail from a country that is interested in keeping the dignity of its average citizen intact. It’s not the work ethic of the Singaporeans that helped the country make that quantum leap from backwater to Asian Tiger. It was also the mindset. If people buy into the mythology that they are only suited to be domestics abroad or odd-job men to rich foreigners, they cannot envision a better country for themselves. In other words, they cannot make the mental leap towards considering themselves worthy of comfortable living conditions. As of last month, however, we should make that mental leap. We seem to be in a place where we can at least try to stop wallowing in our plight. But the policymakers cannot be satisfied with the status quo. They cannot be satisfied with shoring up our two major revenue streams, foreign remittances and tourism-earnings. They have to ensure that the nation grows out of this two-track mindset. There could be a blowback. People could say that our revenue earners abroad are being maligned, that the dignity of their labour is not being appreciated. The problem is that they don’t have dignity of labour in the first place. They are for the most part doing jobs that foreigners won’t do in their own countries because those jobs don’t offer dignity of labour. Their foreign employers seldom offer them the dignity they deserve. That’s the truth for the most part, and there is no point glossing over it.

Yale defeats Vermont 65-50As has been the case so often lately, Joel Farabee had the puck on his stick with only the opposing goaltender between him and the back of the net. But Jeremy Swayman stopped Farabee’s breakaway attempt with three minutes to go in overtime Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins went the other way, and less than a minute later Pavel Zacha ’s marker on a feed from David Pastrnak secured Boston a 4-3 win in which it erased a 3-1 third-period deficit. It’s been a frustrating few days for Farabee, now 12 games without a goal and with only two assists over that span. Joel Farabee had the game on his stick and couldn't finish. #Flyers pic.twitter.com/wlqdmjxFFu — Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) December 7, 2024 Thursday, Farabee cross-checked the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett half a second after Bennett ran Travis Sanheim into the wall in a home game, ultimately leaving them short-handed. It was retaliatory, of course — and sticking up for teammates is part of the Philadelphia Flyers’ DNA — but it came at an inopportune time, with the teams tied 5-5 and less than three minutes to go in regulation. Sam Reinhart ’s goal on the ensuing power play probably cost the Flyers at least 1 point, and maybe 2, in their eventual 7-5 defeat. Advertisement Farabee acknowledged Friday it was “a really dumb penalty by me. I’ll be the first to admit that. But at the same time, I think Bennett throws a vicious elbow at ( Travis Konecny ) earlier in the game, and then he cross-checks Sanny from behind. I get slashed right before that. I don’t want to get into what the refs do and don’t do, but I think if you have some feel, that gets evened out and you keep playing.” Coach John Tortorella said Friday the Bennett hit on Sanheim was more of “a shove,” and Farabee should have showed “a little bit more patience” in that type of situation. At the same time, Farabee’s reaction was “a very important part of who we are,” Tortorella said. In other words, Farabee’s going after Bennett was only a function of what the coach and others in positions of authority have been preaching in terms of building a culture. Farabee is one of the more intriguing players on the Flyers’ roster for a few reasons. Firstly, his drought hasn’t landed him in Tortorella’s dog house or in the press box as a healthy scratch. In fact, Saturday’s game was the sixth straight that he started on the Flyers’ top line with Konecny and Sean Couturier . And, again, he’s getting plenty of chances to score. Since Farabee’s scoring woes began on Nov. 11, he actually leads the Flyers in shots (30), and individual scoring chances at five-on-five (also 30), according to Natural Stat Trick. That includes 17 high-danger chances, tops on the team over that span. He set up some teammates for prime chances on Saturday, too. He found Sanheim for a dangerous shot from the slot in the second period, and spotted Couturier stationed in front of the net in the third. Swayman made impressive stops on both. “Joel’s played very well this year. He just can’t score,” Tortorella said on Friday. “He’s ending up with chances, he’s made some really good plays.” Advertisement And even though Thursday’s decision to hammer Bennett backfired, it was still evidence that Farabee hasn’t let his scoring woes detract from his team-first attitude. He also has a fight this season, coming in the third game against a similar player to Bennett, the Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Perry , who no doubt did something to irk the Flyers at some point that night. Farabee is still just 24 years old, too, and considering his NHL experience, some younger players on a decidedly young team look up to him. “He’s just been a good guy, a guy that pretty much everyone in the locker room is comfortable with,” Bobby Brink said. “He’s always kind of there for guys and he’s always around the boys. I think guys appreciate that. He’s been around for a while and is still a young guy, so definitely a guy that knows the ropes and you can kind of follow.” That the Flyers value that kind of off-ice influence has been reinforced many times, most glaringly by their decision to retain alternate captain Scott Laughton at last season’s trade deadline. Does that mean Farabee, signed for three more seasons at a $5 million salary cap hit, is firmly a part of the future? That’s still hazy. Remember, Farabee didn’t finish last season on a high note, either. He started six of the final seven games on the fourth line, and posted just one goal and one assist in his final 14 games. Farabee led the Flyers in even-strength points on Jan. 25 with 34 in 49 games — one more than Konecny. But after Feb. 8, he managed just five goals and nine total points in his final 31 games. After the season, general manager Daniel Briere lumped Farabee and Noah Cates together in labeling them as players who “maybe didn’t develop quite as much as I would have hoped for. ... I think there’s more there.” Whether Farabee’s abundance of checks not cashed lately counts as “more” is something that only Briere can decide. Advertisement Something else that keeps Farabee in the spotlight is that he’s a player who could generate some interest in the trade market. One pro scout reached for comment via text figured that “multiple teams would take a shot at him,” but was skeptical that the return would be all that high if it were for Farabee alone. As part of a package, though, perhaps for a much-needed center ... maybe. There does seem to be some smoke around the Flyers lately, too, after a few puzzling roster developments. Samuel Ersson , who has been practicing for the team for a week and was declared an option to start on Thursday by Tortorella, was still on injured reserve for Saturday’s game. Tortorella said on Friday that he misspoke. Further, the Flyers somewhat strangely don’t have any healthy spare forwards on the roster. Nic Deslauriers, who hasn’t played since Nov. 9 but has been practicing with the team, was suddenly declared to have an upper-body injury on Friday and placed on injured reserve retroactive to that date. No one was recalled. Jamie Drysdale , also still on injured reserve, has been skating with the team for some time now, too. Maybe there’s nothing to it. Or, maybe Briere is doing some sort of roster gymnastics because something is coming. In the meantime, Farabee is just one of a number of Flyers forwards who will have to start getting on the scoresheet on a much more regular basis, chances or not, in order to remain with the club during its wilderness years. “He leads by example. I think he’s had a good year,” Tortorella said. “His numbers don’t prove it, but he’s been doing a lot of good things for us.” (Photo: Fred Kfoury III / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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