Syracuse, Albany each hoping to get right at expense of the otherNo. 24 Louisville women use 16-0 4th-quarter run to beat Colorado 79-71

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Hugh Grant ‘s career has entered what the actor himself coined the “freak show stage” of his career. From the oh-so-tiny Oompa Loompa in Wonka to the short-lived Edward Keplinger in The Regime , the seasoned British actor has departed from his romantic lead typecast. For his most recent leading role as Mr. Reed in Heretic , Grant traps two young Mormon missionaries in his basement game of faith and horror. Green-haired, dancing orange man aside, Mr. Reed is his most extreme role to date. Playing a man who traps women in cages is as large a departure as he can take, especially when his origins are largely rooted as charming leads in romantic comedies. And not just any romantic leads. Grant has starred in some of the most iconic romantic comedies: Edward Farris in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility , William Thacker in Richard Curtis ‘ Notting Hill , Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral (the first of his three films with the famed romance director), David the Prime Minister in Curtis’ Love Actually . Essential to each of these roles, Grant’s charming smile and self-effacing mumble made him a heartthrob of the ’90s and ’00s. But a heartthrob is not exempt from their red flags. Like a wolf in a beloved Englishman’s clothing, Grant’s characters have always been more villainous than they appear. The actor’s breakthrough role as Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral marked him as good-looking and disarmingly likable. Charles flipped a leading man’s role on his head, appearing as non-threatening and passive, his true motives often taking a backseat to politeness. However, for the friend who forgets rings, arrives late, pursues a woman in a relationship, and abandons his fiancée at the altar, suave and shy are not necessarily the first words that come to mind. Perhaps his most cardinal sin of all was committed in Notting Hill . How did he allow Julia Roberts walk out the door to be ambushed by the paparazzi?! Without her pants?! On multiple occasions, when given the opportunity to profess his feelings to his own heartthrob Anna (played by the real-life movie star Roberts), William chose silence and inaction. He even rejected Anna’s own proposal to pursue the relationship legitimately after he had spent an entire year forlorn about what could have been. Never establishing a backbone to communicate properly with the women he truly loves has perhaps been a throughline of Grant’s romantic career. Even his casting as Edward Farris in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility fits the bill, the price of his inactions and omissions being paid by the woman who loved him most. His most meaningful encounter in the film, in my opinion, came far too late. In the final act, Elinor Dashwood ( Emma Thompson ) realized that Farris had been engaged to and then married a woman of higher society. This was the engagement that Farris had failed to mention during the entirety of their courtship. The man was shelling out his monogrammed kerchiefs left and right. Unforgivable! Lastly, Curtis’ 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually follows the love stories of 10 different individuals and those in their lives. “Love” is used liberally as Grant is one of the many male characters engaging in inappropriate romantic relationships with his own employees. Grant plays David, the Prime Minister, who initially resists the urge to act on his attraction to a junior member of staff, Natalie ( Martine McCutcheon ). While he presents himself as a moral politician, looking down on the U.S. President ( Billy Bob Thornton ) for making his own advances on Natalie, David acts on his attraction in the end nonetheless. While the pair ends up in a public, seemingly unproblematic relationship (for now) by the end of the film, we can’t overlook their checkered origins. Looking back, Grant has actually always played the villain. We just weren’t looking hard enough. More Headlines:

Struggling Syracuse looks to climb back above .500 when it hosts Albany on Tuesday night. The Orange (4-4) are coming off a conference loss to Notre Dame where they failed to make a 3-pointer in a game for the first time in more than 10 years, going 0-for-9 from behind the arc. They will be without leading scorer J.J. Starling, who broke his hand in practice last Monday. Orange coach Adrian Autry said there was "no timetable" for Starling's return after the loss to the Fighting Irish and lamented his team's struggles with turnovers and free-throw shooting in the defeat. "Too many blown opportunities," Autry said. "We're not shooting the ball well. We have to adjust and go game by game now. Our front court has been pretty secure, but we have to keep working and getting better." Starling was averaging a team-high 19.8 points before his injury. The Orange may need to lean more on freshman Donnie Freeman, who has been a standout for Syracuse this season. He's averaging 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds and already has four double-doubles. He was co-ACC Rookie of the Week last week. Defensively, the Orange have struggled. They rank No. 329 in scoring defense, giving up 79.4 points per game. Albany is scoring 77.2 ppg so far this season. The Great Danes (6-4) were downed by Boston University 80-74 in overtime on Saturday. They started the season 5-1 but have lost three of their last four. Senior guard Byron Joshua, a transfer from Alcorn State, is the Great Danes' leading scorer at 13.6 ppg. Amar'e Marshall was an All-America East Conference pick last season after averaging 16.7 points, but his field goal shooting has dropped from 43.4 percent last season to 34.5 percent this season. He is scoring 11.7 ppg. "I think we're learning how to compete at the right level," Albany coach Dwyane Killings said after a loss to Georgetown on Nov. 30. "I think the one thing that troubles us a lot is that our identity and our energy comes when the ball goes in the basket. When it doesn't, I don't think we have the grit that we need right now." Albany has been one of the best teams in the country in terms of steals. The Great Danes average 10.2 steals per game, which is tied for No. 12 in the nation. Syracuse is 8-0 against Albany all-time with the teams last meeting in 2011. Syracuse is 4-0 at home and 4-0 against non-power-conference opponents. --Field Level MediaThe two-day 11th Annual Gulf Studies Forum, held by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, began Saturday. The first roundopf the forum is organised into two tracks and the first is “Arab Gulf States and the Palestine Question” and the second is “The Gulf City as a Structure and Social Agent”. Researchers from the Gulf, other Arab states, and beyond will present a total of 40 research papers across 14 sessions and a keynote. The forum began with opening remarks from HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, introduced by Alanoud Al-Khalifa, researcher at the ACRPS Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit. HE Al-Khulaifi noted the pioneering role of the Arab Center in raising public awareness about issues of concern to the Arab region, in particular the Gulf. He stressed that the Gulf States and other Arab and Islamic countries will remain focused on the Palestine question. These countries seek to harness all their capabilities to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their just efforts to achieve self-determination. The stability and security of the region are closely linked to a just solution to the Palestine question. He pointed to the pivotal role played by the State of Qatar in promoting dialogue and peacemaking and stressed the importance of mediation as a principal tool for resolving conflicts. He went on to review Qatar’s efforts in resolving regional and international conflicts, including its mediation in humanitarian issues; such as supporting families affected by conflicts. He called for transforming the ideas emerging from the forum into practical steps to enhance stability and sustainable peace in the region. He also spoke about Qatar’s efforts regarding the Palestine question, stressing the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinians in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution. Proceedings started with the first session of the first track titled “The Attitudes of the Gulf States toward the Palestine Question”, chaired by Ghanim Al-Najjar. Abdulaziz bin Othman bin Saqr analysed the Saudi stance on the Israeli war on Gaza, emphasising its core demand for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent state within the pre-1967 borders. Abdullah Al-Ghailani explored Gulf positions on the Palestine issue, tracing their evolution from the 1948 Nakba to Al-Aqsa Flood. The session concluded with Sultan Al Khulaifi’s paper on Qatari foreign policy under Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani (1972-1995), addressing the complexities of Qatar’s approach to the Palestine question during this period. The second session of the first track was chaired by Chaired by Hatem Al-Shanfari and began with Asaad Saleh Al-Shamlan discussing Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan's announcement of the “International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution” during the 2024 UN General Assembly. Sherine Mubarak explored US-Saudi relations from 1933 to 1953, highlighting tensions due to differing views on Palestine. Hossam Elsayed Zaki Shalabi reviewed the Trucial States and Oman’s positions on Palestine from 1917 to 1948, examining their responses to key events like the Balfour Declaration, the Great Palestinian Revolt, the 1947 partition plan, and their role in the 1948 war. The first session of the second track, chaired by Saad Albazei and titled “The City and Nation-Building (1): The Saudi Case” featured three papers. The first paper by Ulrike Freitag focused on the cosmopolitan city of Jeddah to examine the different ways in which people have created affective links with cities and ways of expressing identity in the city through certain types of civic engagement. Alanoud Al-Khalifa’s paper elucidated how the historical narrative of Diriyah is employed to affirm political legitimacy in Saudi Arabia and reinforce the vision of the contemporary nation-state. In the third paper, Rufei Li argued that the urban transformation process of al-Balad, Jeddan, is the outcome of state-building and nation-building processes, which in turn impacted al-Balad significantly regarding its role in Saudi Arabia’s nation-building. The third session of the first track and second session of the second track were also organized simultaneously. Dania Dhafer chaired the first track, which was organized in collaboration with the Gulf International Forum. Kristian Ulrichsen presented a paper on the potential impact of the 2024 US presidential elections on US policy towards the Gulf. Mohammad Ghanem Al-Rumaihi analysed the challenges in Gulf-US relations following the Gaza war, focusing on the Gulf’s effort to balance East-West relations amid political complexities. Inderjit Parmar discussed the implications of the 2024 US election results, predicting that a second Trump administration would oppose international institutions and escalate tensions with China, potentially destabilizing the Middle East and global energy supplies. In the second track titled “The City and Nation-Building (2): Khaliji Cases”, chaired by Amal Ghazal, three papers were presented: Sundus Al-Rashid discussed the history of the Kuwait National Museum, beginning with its location in the city and its relationship with surrounding facilities as a cultural and social institution, as well as its national symbolism. Saoud Abdulaziz Al Ahmad, Amnah Abdullah Alshammari, and Betul Uzun examined the strategic use of urban spaces in shaping national identity in Qatar, focusing on Msheireb and Souq Waqif. Djamel Boussaa focused on the role of heritage tourism and its implications for urban regeneration in the context of Doha, Jeddah, and Dubai to demonstrate how the resilient historic urban centres are struggling to survive in a fast global environment. Modern Urbanism in the Gulf In the next two sessions, only papers of the second track were presented. In its third session titled “Urban Modernization Structures as a Social Agent”, chaired by Yagoub Al-Kandari, Yasser Mahgoub explored the complex interplay between urban structures and social dynamics in Kuwait City and Doha to show how urban development shapes and is shaped by social processes. Mahdi Laadhari investigated the changes tied to urban and societal development in Kuwaiti society, focusing on the Diwaniya and the modernization process it underwent. Abdulrahman Albaker chaired the fourth session titled “The Gulf City and Modern Urbanism”, which featured Davide Ponzini, who presented recent plans and mega-projects in Gulf cities and limitations and opportunities to advance planning knowledge, as well as Mustapha Ben-Hamouche, who examined the future of GCC cities through urban planning frameworks, referencing the “Life Cycle of Cities” hypothesis. The forum will continue conclude Sunday, as outlined in the agenda. On Sunday, there will be three sessions on the forum’s first track, and four sessions and a keynote on the forum’s second track. Related Story Liwan Library Forum second edition opens Tuesday Gulf Association for Family Medicine Hold Meeting in Doha

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Israel and Lebanon both told the White House on Monday that despite the recent flare-ups on the border they are committed to the ceasefire agreement and want it to continue, sources with knowledge of the issue told U.S. news portal Axios. The Biden administration has been concerned the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon could unravel after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire in recent days, U.S. officials said. The Biden administration has privately expressed concern to the Israelis about several of their strike in Lebanon in recent days. "The Israelis have been playing a dangerous game in recent days," a U.S. official told Axios. The Israeli Air Force conducted several airstrikes in recent days against alleged Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. On Monday, Hezbollah fired two mortar shells towards Israeli positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms. It was the first Hezbollah attack since the ceasefire was announced last week. Israel retaliated with a wider attack later on Monday, striking "Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon," the Israeli army said in a statement. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer met on Monday at the White House with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and told him Israel wants to maintain the ceasefire, one Israeli official and a source with knowledge of the meeting said. Sullivan told Dermer Israel "has the right under international law to defend itself against direct threats from Lebanon," the source with knowledge of the meeting told Axios. U.S. President Joe Biden's senior adviser Amos Hochstein spoke on Monday to Lebanese and Israeli officials who stressed their commitment to the ceasefire, the source said. The source added that Hochstein told both Israeli and Lebanese officials that the U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism established under the agreement should be notified of violations so that it can address them. U.S. General Jasper Jeffers arrived in Beirut last week to serve as the military co-chair for the implementation and monitoring mechanism, CENTCOM said in a statement. The mechanism will also include French military officers and representative of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Israeli army and UNIFIL.Nanta (fifth left) inspecting the NoFloods flood mitigation product in jerteh today. – Bernama photo JERTIH (Nov 30): The pilot project of the Flood Mitigation Technology or NoFloods product, which is currently at the proof of concept (POC) stage, is seen to be effective in addressing the flood problem and minimising the impact of road cuts due to the disaster. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the 300-metre (m) long product at Section 6.30, Federal Road FT189, here is the result of the collaboration between the Ministry of Works (MOW) and the concessionaire which will be installed from Oct 1 until March 31, 2025. “Today, I roughly saw how this product, which uses Internet of Things (IOT) technology, is effective as a barrier to help prevent water from flowing into the street. In any case, we still have to wait for the full report. “It uses technology where water enters a large pipe which can be a barrier to the flow of floods. And with the IOT, it is smart because it can provide information in real time through the application,” he told reporters after inspecting the product, here today. Commenting on the effectiveness of the Danish product throughout the installation at the site, Nanta said NoFloods is capable of accommodating up to 1.2m of flood water level and the recorded water level is 0.9m above ground level. “It is installed in selected locations where it is felt that this product is needed. It’s like a Bailey bridge, installed only temporarily and not permanently,” he said. In another development, he said his department had decided to carry out maintenance work on road infrastructure damaged by floods in Terengganu next year through his survey of several locations today. “The three locations that are the priority for road maintenance work are Jalan Kuala Terengganu – Kuantan (FT003) in Sections 463-465, Jalan Bukit Besi – Dungun (FT132) in Sections 8-10 and Jalan Jerangau – Jabor (FT14) in Sections 117-118. “For the year 2025, KKR has identified and applied 228 pavement mitigation work worth RM301.77 million and 197 pavement mitigation work in phases worth RM46.9 million for Federal Roads in Terengganu,” he said. – Bernama

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