Respawn Reveals Reworked King's Canyon for Apex Legends: Hunted Season 14
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USMNT transfers: Richards to Berlin, Gladbach, Balogun joins Monaco
Today's USMNT transfers includes Chris Richards being linked with Union Berlin and Jordan Pefok is on his way to Borussia Monchengladbach. Also, Folarin Balogun has completed his move to AS Monaco.
2023-08-31 20:36
A decade after a sarin gas attack in a Damascus suburb, Syrian survivors lose hope for justice
One summer night a decade ago, the al-Shami family was woken up by a roaring sound or rockets but it wasn't followed by the usual explosions. Instead, the family members started having difficulty breathing. Ghiad al-Shami, 26, remembers how everyone tried to run to the rooftop of their apartment building in eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb that at the time was held by opposition fighters trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al-Shami's mother, three sisters and two brothers died that night — victims of the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin gas attack that killed hundreds and left thousands of others hurt. Ten years on, al-Shami and other survivors say there has been no accountability for the attack and for the other atrocities committed in Syria during the country's brutal civil war, now in its 13th year. Over the past year, Assad's government — accused by the United Nations of repeated chemical weapons attacks on Syrian civilians — has been able to break out of its political isolation. Assad was welcomed back to the Arab League, which had suspended Syria’s membership in 2011 following a crackdown on anti-government protests. With the help of top allies Russia and Iran, Assad also recaptured large swaths of territory he initially lost to opposition groups. “Today, instead of holding perpetrators accountable, Assad is being welcomed back into the Arab League and invited to international conferences, cementing impunity for the most heinous of crimes,” said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign advocacy group. “To all those who seek to shake hands with Assad, this anniversary should serve as a clear reminder of the atrocities his regime has committed,” she said in a statement. In 2013, Assad was widely held responsible for the eastern Ghouta attack — weapons specialists said the rocket systems involved were in the Syrian army’s arsenal. The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons. Russia, Syria’s prime ally, claims the Ghouta attack was carried out by opposition forces trying to push for foreign military intervention. The United States threatened military retaliation in the aftermath of the attack, with then-President Barack Obama saying Assad’s use of chemical weapons would be Washington’s “red line.” However, the U.S. public and Congress were wary of a new war, as invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq had turned into quagmires. In the end, Washington settled for a deal with Moscow for Assad to give up his chemical weapons' stockpile. Syria says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under the 2013 agreement. It also joined a global chemical weapons watchdog based in The Hague, Netherlands, as global pressure mounted on Damascus. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has blamed the Syrian government for several deadly chemical attacks, most recently for a 2018 chlorine gas attack over Douma, another Damascus suburb, that killed 43 people. Syrian authorities refused to allow investigation teams access to the site of the attack, and had their voting rights within the OPCW suspended in 2021 as punishment for the repeated use of toxic gas. Damascus has accused the watchdog of bias in favor of the West and has not recognized its authority. Western countries say that Syria has not fully declared its chemical weapons stockpile to the OPCW to be destroyed. The Syrian government and its allies reclaimed eastern Ghouta in 2018, with most of its residents fleeing to the last rebel-held enclave in Syria's northwest. Abdel Rahman Sabhia, a nurse and former resident of the suburb, has since moved to the town of Afrin in the northern Aleppo province, now under Turkish-backed groups. “We lost hope in the international community,” said Sabhia, who worked at a voluntary field hospital in Ghouta at the time of the gas attack. “Why should we trust in them if we still haven’t seen any accountability for all the children who lost their families?” Sabhia says he had gotten used to airstrikes and shelling, but the aftermath of the 2013 attack was different. The streets were eerily quiet, “like a ghost town,” he recalled. “We broke into a house and saw a baby, just months old, lying dead in bed with his parents." At the time, dozens of bodies were laid out in hospitals with families looking to identify their loved ones. Some families were buried together in large graves. Al-Shami, who now lives in Istanbul recalls regaining consciousness a day after the attack. “I felt helpless,” he said. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Protests rock government-held areas in southern Syria as economy crumbles Iran's foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince as tensions between rivals ease Syrian president doubles public sector wages as national currency spirals downwards
2023-08-21 20:45
The Callisto Protocol Energy Converters Explained
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How to Create and Customize Widgets on Your iPhone or iPad
Widgets provide easy access to your favorite apps and important information so there’s no need
2023-12-01 04:19
Italy’s Deputy PM Seeks Changes to Bank Tax, Reports Say
Italy’s Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani wants substantial changes to a controversial levy on banks’ extra profits, according to
2023-08-15 19:26
Tesla Sales Drop Brings BYD the Closest Ever to Global EV Crown
BYD Co. came within a whisker of toppling Tesla Inc. as the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles
2023-10-03 08:20
Trump's plane heads to Washington for court appearance. Follow live updates
Trump’s plane has departed for Washington ahead of the former president’s court appearance on charges stemming from special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election
2023-08-04 02:23
Just 10 days before another government shutdown, Congress eyes Ukraine, Israel and border security
There are just 10 days before another potential government shutdown
2023-11-08 05:42
NFL Rumors: Top Trey Lance suitor is obvious based on past talks
The San Francisco 49ers are expected to consider Trey Lance trades after naming Sam Darnold QB2. One potential suitor has already emerged.
2023-08-24 09:42
Twitch streamer admits defeat after letting fans ‘torture’ him in closet
A Twitch streamer actively encouraged his fans to “torture” him as he carried out a nightmarish new challenge on the platform. The pro gamer, who goes by the name Izidore, aimed to spend three days locked in a dark closet, allowing his viewers to pay for the pleasure of tormenting him. The “torture” items on offer included a flashbang – costing just 50 Twitch bits (or $0.50/ around 88p) – or pummelling him with ping pong balls ($4/£3.17), a leafblower ($5/£3.96) or a water shooter ($15/£11.90). However, Izidore looked visibly defeated after he passed the halfway mark, and with 49 hours and 27 minutes to go, he bowed out of his makeshift hellhole. Just before he left the wardrobe, he began weeping, telling fans he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t see and couldn’t breathe. He then decided to let some “air” into the tiny room and told his girlfriend, June, who appeared at the door that he “didn’t want to stop”. However, after bursting into tears, he admitted defeat and trudged sadly out. The streamer was showered with support on Twitch chat following his sudden exit. However, he will soon have to face the dramatic forfeit he set himself. Before embarking on the task, Izidore pledged that if he quit before the 72 hours was up, he’d “total" his own car. And however baffling this whole thing might seem, it’s worth noting that Izidore isn’t the first influencer to embark upon the self-confinement exercise. He follows fellow streamer Erby who, last week, completed his own three-day stint in a pitch-black cupboard. Erby then pushed his moderator, who’s known as C0usta, to make his own attempt, promising him a new car if he should succeed. However, the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban clearly wasn't tempting enough, and C0usta quit after around 24 hours. Ahead of Izidore’s attempt, his girlfriend, June, who was tasked with hurling eggs at her partner, explained why he’d decided to give the challenge a go. “This actually isn’t his first closet stream, he’s been doing challenges for years,” she told Dexerto. “He’s good friends with Erby [...] and when C0usta quit the challenge, Izi set up the exact same challenge here to prove that he can do it.” Speculating on Izidore’s expectations, June continued: “I think he’s expecting to lose his mind and come out victorious on the other side better for it. “I honestly expect him to complete the challenge – he has been doing challenges like this for like four years and has never quit yet!” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-29 17:03
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