Author: Reporter

The last time Syrian President Bashar Assad was in serious trouble was 10 years ago, at the height of the country’s civil war, when his forces lost control over parts of the largest city, Aleppo, and his opponents were closing in on the capital, Damascus. Back then, he was rescued by his chief international backer, Russia, and longtime regional ally Iran, which along with Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militia helped Assad’s forces retake Aleppo, tipping the war firmly in his favor. Now, as insurgents pursue a shock offensive that quickly captured not just Aleppo, but the key city of Hama...

As forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad make swift and significant advances in Syria, Türkiye is watching closely for any spillover. Türkiye, which shares a 566 mile-long frontier with Syria, has been a main backer of opposition groups aiming to topple Assad since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. The conflict led to a refugee influx and Türkiye now hosts 3 million Syrians. Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the offensive that is being led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as well as an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian...

Prolific receiver Sterling Sharpe and Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren advanced to the final stage of voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Sharpe was picked as one of three finalists in the Seniors category for players whose career ended in 1999 or earlier, along with Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, in voting results announced on December 3. Holmgren was picked as the lone finalist in the coaching category and Ralph Hay, who helped found the NFL more than a century ago, was the finalist in the contributor category. The five will be grouped together for...

It is that time of year: Spotify has released its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio. Spotify has been giving its listeners breakdowns of their data since 2016. And each year, it is become a bigger production — and internet sensation. Spotify said its 2023 Wrapped was the “biggest ever created,” in terms of audience reach and the kind of data it provided. So, what does 2024 have in store? Here is a look at what to know. WHAT EXACTLY IS SPOTIFY WRAPPED? It is the streaming service’s annual overview of individual listening...

Mary Louis’ excitement to move into an apartment in Massachusetts in the spring of 2021 turned to dismay when Louis, a Black woman, received an email saying that a “third-party service” had denied her tenancy. That third-party service included an algorithm designed to score rental applicants, which became the subject of a class action lawsuit, with Louis at the helm, alleging that the algorithm discriminated on the basis of race and income. A federal judge approved a settlement in the lawsuit, one of the first of it is kind, with the company behind the algorithm agreeing to pay over...