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esports name generator BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned 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Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it.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. 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 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. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated PressThe white-bearded Christian saint whose acts of generosity inspired America’s secular Santa Claus figure is known worldwide — but Saint Nicholas’ origin story is not. The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to children. St. Nicholas was a fourth century Christian bishop from the Mediterranean port city of Myra (in modern-day Turkey). “Much of the rest is legend. There’s not really a lot of hard historical evidence about St. Nicholas,” said the Rev. Nicholas Ayo, author of “Saint Nicholas in America: Christmas Holy Day and Holiday.” But whether the stories are true is not so much the point, said Ayo, an 89-year-old retired Notre Dame University professor named after St. Nicholas. “There’s no Santa Claus that lands on the roof, but there’s a desire in people’s heart for an unconditional love that doesn’t depend on your behavior, but the fact that you’re somebody’s child.” Devotion to St. Nicholas — also referred to as St. Nick — spread during the Middle Ages across Europe and he became a favorite subject for medieval artists and liturgical plays, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the patron saint of Greece and Russia, Moscow and New York, as well as charities, children and pawnbrokers. He also is the patron saint of sailors. In 1807, Italian sailors took the remains of St. Nicholas from Myra to the seaport of Bari, on the southeast coast of the boot of Italy. They built a church in his honor; relics believed to be his are kept in Bari’s 11th century basilica of San Nicola. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated every year on Dec. 6, typically by filling the stockings and shoes children leave out overnight with sweets and toys. It also is a fitting date for the patron saint of sailors. “The December feast day of Saint Nicholas coincides with the beginning of the winter storm season on the Mediterranean,” Ayo wrote. Legends surrounding St. Nicholas’ generosity appear in texts ranging from medieval manuscripts to modern-day poems, including how he interceded on behalf of wrongly condemned prisoners and miraculously saved sailors from storms. One of the most famous legends, Ayo said, features the aging father of three young women who didn’t have means to pay for their dowry. St. Nicholas is said to have thrown gold pieces into the man’s window. “It is the quintessential Nicholas,” Ayo wrote. “It requires no miracle, no credulity from the hearer, and no superstition at any level. What is needed is only a generous heart ready to give of his wealth in a self-effacing way that others may come to know a deep love in their life.” k inspired Santa Devotion to St. Nicholas seems to have faded after the 16th century Protestant Reformation, except in the Netherlands where his legend remained as Sinterklaas. In the 17th century, Dutch Protestants who settled in New York brought the Sinterklaas tradition with them. “The Dutch had St. Nicholas on the bow of the first ship that went into New York harbor,” Ayo said. Eventually, St. Nicholas morphed into the secular Santa Claus. Artist Thomas Nast, an engraver in Morristown, New Jersey, who illustrated the front cover of Harper’s magazine for many years, played a key role in the transformation, Ayo said. “He followed the description of Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas — and Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘Twas the Night before Christmas’ poem,” Ayo said. “So, that’s how that got changed. But in Europe, the bishop shows up in bishop’s clothing at the door sometimes.”

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, listed as questionable due to a shoulder issue, is expected to play Monday night against the visiting Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network reported. McConkey missed practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday and Saturday. Star linebacker Khalil Mack, who was questionable because of a groin injury and was a limited participant, also is expected to play, according to the report. The Chargers (7-3) made several moves Monday ahead of the game against the Ravens (7-4), placing tight end Hayden Hurst (hip) on injured reserve, activating cornerback Deane Leonard (hamstring) off IR, signing cornerback Eli Apple from the practice to the active squad, and elevating linebacker Caleb Murphy and safety Tony Jefferson for game day. McConkey, 23, has started nine of 10 games and has 43 receptions on 63 targets for 615 yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers drafted the 6-foot, 185-pound McConkey in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Mack, 33, is a three-time first-team All-Pro, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has started the nine games he has played and has 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season. For his career, Mack has 617 tackles, 106 sacks, 141 tackles for loss, 178 quarterback hits, three interceptions -- two returned for touchdowns -- 32 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries in 160 games (159 starts). He has played for the Raiders (2014-17), Chicago Bears (2018-21) and Chargers. Hurst, 31, has started two of seven games in his first season with the Chargers. He has seven receptions on 12 targets for 65 yards. A first-round pick (25th overall) by Baltimore in the 2018 NFL Draft out of South Carolina, Hurst has 202 receptions for 1,967 yards and 15 TDs in 86 games (41 starts) for the Ravens (2018-19), Atlanta Falcons (2020-21), Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Chargers. Apple, 29, has two tackles in three games this season, his first with the Chargers. The 10th overall selection in the 2016 draft, Apple has 383 career tackles and six interceptions in 101 games (82 starts) for the New York Giants (2016-18), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Panthers (2020), Bengals (2021-22), Miami Dolphins (2023) and Chargers. Leonard, who turned 25 last Tuesday, has four tackles in four games this season. His 21-day practice window on IR opened Wednesday. --Field Level MediaUS-Google face off as ad tech antitrust trial comes to close

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Cleveland's Beloved Tick Tock Tavern to Close After 89 Years, Auctioning Historic MemorabiliaDec. 24—The first time the NFL ever scheduled games on Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Miami Dolphins in an AFC divisional round playoff game, and the result forced the league to abandon games on Dec. 25 for the next 17 seasons. The game went into triple overtime before the Dolphins came out with a 27-24 victory. The 82-minute, 40-second game remains the longest in NFL history, and it caused an uproar among fans, mostly housewives who were waiting to serve their Christmas dinners. The NFL listened and did not play another Christmas Day game until 1989. Since then, it's been a steady stream of Christmas games for the league as it capitalizes on the TV ratings and revenue holiday games generate. The Steelers and Chiefs will play the 31st NFL game on the holiday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. If the Steelers win, they keep their hopes for an AFC North division championship. This is the third time in nine years the Steelers are playing on Christmas Day. They played on consecutive Christmases in 2016 and 2017. In '16, the Steelers played on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, prompting linebacker James Harrison to opine on Instagram shortly after the schedule was released: "Retirement sounds better than ever when you find out you have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's." Here's a look at some memorable games the Steelers have played on Christmas and Christmas Eve. If you're looking for a good omen against the Chiefs, the Steelers have won more on Christmas than on Christmas Eve over the years. Christmas Day, 2016 Antonio Brown's "Immaculate Extension" with nine seconds remaining gave the Steelers a 31-27 victory over the Ravens. Brown caught a short pass from Ben Roethlisberger short of the goal line and fought through Ravens defenders C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle before reaching the ball across for the touchdown. Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, while Brown had 96 receiving yards. The victory clinched the AFC North division title for the Steelers and extended their winning streak to eight games. The streak would extend to 11 before the Steelers fell to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. Christmas Day, 2017 The Steelers beat the Texans 34-3 in Houston and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. This game is memorable for several reasons, not the least of which was the Steelers releasing James Harrison before the game after he became a distraction due to his decreased playing time behind a rookie named T.J. Watt. The Steelers didn't allow Harrison's departure to bother them. They raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win. This game happened one week after the infamous Jesse James game against the Patriots, when his touchdown was overturned by NFL replay, paving the way for the Patriots to earn the top seed in the AFC over the Steelers. The Steelers never did get the rematch with the Patriots in the playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, they played host to Jacksonville in a divisional round game and lost 45-42. Christmas Eve, 1977 Terry Bradshaw threw three interceptions against the famous "Orange Crush" defense, and the Steelers fell to the Broncos 34-21 in an AFC divisional round game at Mile High Stadium. Broncos quarterback Craig Morton completed only 11 passes for 164 yards, but he did not commit any turnovers. The score was tied at 21 early in the fourth quarter after Bradshaw threw a touchdown pass to Larry Brown, but the Broncos scored the final 13 points on two Jim Turner field goals and a Jack Dolbin 34-yard touchdown catch. The Broncos would go on to beat the Raiders in the AFC championship game before falling to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. Christmas Eve, 1995 Steelers receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining, which dropped the Steelers' final regular season record to 11-5. For hardcore Steelers fans, it ruined their holiday, but Thigpen was laughing about the gaffe in the locker room after the game. Why? It was the regular season finale, and the game meant nothing to the Steelers, who had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC. But for the Packers, the game meant everything. The 24-19 victory gave them their first NFC Central division championship since 1972. The Steelers were hardly bothered by the last-second defeat. They beat the Bills in a divisional-round game at Three Rivers Stadium and got to play at home in the AFC championship game when the No. 1 seed Chiefs were upset by the Colts. The Steelers then beat the Colts and advanced to Super Bowl XXX in Arizona, where they fell to the Cowboys 27-17. Christmas Eve, 1994 It was another meaningless regular season finale for the Steelers in San Diego, and the Steelers treated it as such. With the No. 1 seed in the AFC wrapped up, starting quarterback Neil O'Donnell only played a little early in the game before giving way to backup Mike Tomczak, who threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns. While the game didn't mean anything to the Steelers, they might have inadvertently given some confidence to the Chargers, who were the No. 2 seed in the AFC. A few weeks later, the Chargers waltzed into Three Rivers Stadium and beat the Steelers 17-13 in the AFC championship game. It remains one of the most disappointing playoff losses in franchise history. (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers could get quarterback Justin Fields back against the Kansas City Chiefs . After suffering an abdominal injury against the Philadelphia Eagles, Fields was running on the field on Monday, and after another limited practice on Tuesday, he was listed as questionable. The likely outcome is that Fields will be dressed as the emergency third quarterback, while Kyle Allen will be Russell Wilson’s backup. Fields did not take any team reps or he would have been listed as a full participant, which seems to signal that Allen is likely to be the backup. Fields have been used sparingly since Russell Wilson took over as the starting quarterback. While Fields was the starter, he led the team to a 4-2 record, but Wilson has helped the team continue to soar, but their last two losses have left a significant sting. Even still, the team would like Fields back not only for the potential packages they can run with him but also because if Wilson did get hurt, Fields could return and provide quality backup play if it ever does end up coming to that. BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks , where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. More Pittsburgh Steelers News Pittsburgh Steelers get multiple huge reinforcements for Chiefs clash Pittsburgh Steelers lose two key contributors for Chiefs game, including star cornerback Pittsburgh Steelers offense gets massive boost with return of star wide receiver Chiefs lose two starters for Steelers game, could be without star pass rusher Baltimore Ravens add dynamic former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiverService Provider Association; Innovation and excellence in commercial cleaning across Iowa and Nebraska

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State on Saturday, unlike four years ago when the Cyclones fell to Oklahoma . The Sun Devils (No. 15 CFP) are in the expanded 12-team format, possibly as the 12th seed with their conference's automatic bid. In the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, neither Iowa State nor the Sooners had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before Oklahoma's 27-21 victory. “I think those things sting for sure,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “You remember the losses way more than you remember the wins, and especially when you don’t play to what you’re capable of playing. Those things will haunt you and the reality is it’s still what drives you, what wakes you up every day to come in and be your absolute best.” Brock Purdy threw three interceptions in Iowa State’s 2020 loss, when he was still a year away from being Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the NFL draft and eventually helping San Francisco reach a Super Bowl. This time, any hope of a rally from a two-touchdown deficit at halftime ended with Abu Sama III's lost fumble five plays into the third quarter and Rocco Becht's interception not too long after that. Those turnovers resulted in touchdown catches for Xavier Guillory, putting the Sun Devils up 38-10 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Another Abu fumble on the next possession just made it worse, with Cam Skattebo taking a short pass 33 yards for a touchdown to go with his 170 yards and two TDs rushing. What would have been a fourth consecutive giveaway was overturned when a hit by Shamari Simmons forced a fumble from Becht but was overturned on review. Simmons was called for targeting instead as Becht stayed down and exited the game. He returned on Iowa State's next possession. “We’re a second-half team, and today it just wasn’t clicking on all cylinders for us,” said Becht, who was 21 of 35 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and the pick. “We had everything in our hands and we just needed to execute. At the end of the day, we just didn’t.” Iowa State (No. 16 CFP), which is 10-3 in the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history, actually led 7-3 when Becht extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 17 with a 3-yarder to Carson Hansen. But the only quarterback in the nation with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers couldn't get much production out of either before the outcome was settled. When Arizona State extended its lead to 45-10 in the third quarter, Jayden Higgins had four catches for 58 yards and Jaylin Noel just two for 25. Higgins finished with 115 yards, while Noel scored a touchdown and had 64 yards. The Cyclones are still trying to win their first conference title since 1912, when they went 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of a 6-2 season. That was a year after a 2-0-1 record won the Missouri Valley title in a 6-1-1 season. “The reality from our end is we had some opportunities late in the season to put ourselves probably in the best situation,” Campbell said. “Those are great lessons learned, and we’ll grow with it. Young football team that’s got the ability to grow forward for sure.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballBrainy, 'normal guy': the suspect in US insurance CEO's slaying

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred on Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said on Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time”. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The woman quickly became engulfed in flames, while the suspect then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD chief of transit Joseph Gulotta said that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be” while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late”, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. During Zapeta’s court hearing on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said Zapeta at one point fanned the flames on the woman using his shirt. He said a 911 call from a subway rider helped identify Zapeta. Mr Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he did not know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Zapeta was taken into custody on Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognised him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the US illegally. The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day.