cockfighting history
2025-01-11   

cockfighting history

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have officially signed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia to a two-year, US$15-million contract. The Blue Jays announced the deal Friday, two days after multiple media outlets reported the agreement. The 34-year-old Garcia was traded from Toronto to Seattle on July 26 for outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher/outfielder Jacob Sharp. He had a 6.00 ERA in nine innings over 10 appearances for the Mariners. He was 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA and five saves overall this year in 39 games and 39 innings. Garcia is 22-29 with a 3.59 ERA and 26 saves over 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-19), Miami (2020-21), Houston (2021), Toronto (2022-24) and Seattle. He missed the 2017 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. The Canadian Press

Syrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . Russian state news agencies were reporting that President Bashar Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were given asylum. Russia said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction in Syria and is poised to chart the country’s future. He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Here's the Latest: Russian state news agencies reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and been given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but had contacted the Kremlin for comment. CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad's downfall by moving into more Syrian territory. Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974. In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.” UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.” KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule - a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. "Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state. Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X. The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.” Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. BEIRUT - The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles. Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.” He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement. LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the end of Assad’s rule as he called for peace and the protection of civilians. “The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” Starmer said. He said the U.K. was focused on a political solution to restore peace and stability. “We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” he said. AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution. “There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime," said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. "There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.” Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and "we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.” Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes... I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.” BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government. “Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday. The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.” BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.” The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.” It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.” Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran - once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad - has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups. CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria. “It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.” Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade. DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically. In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square. But for some the celebration was bittersweet. “I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours - he has been detained for 13 years.” TEHRAN, Iran — Iran says the Syrian people should decide their country’s future “without destructive, coercive foreign intervention.” The Foreign Ministry statement issued Sunday marked Iran’s first official reaction to the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, who it had strongly backed through nearly 14 years of civil war. Assad’s government was a close ally of Iran that served as a crucial conduit between it and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The rebels who toppled Assad view Iran as a hostile foreign influence, and the abandoned Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked as they entered the city. The Foreign Ministry statement said Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, and hopes to see “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities and the start of a national dialogue” with the participation of all groups. “It is expected that the wise and farsighted relations of the two nations will continue based on mutual ties and interests,” the statement said. TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning. Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.” Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there. MASNAA, Lebanon — At Lebanon’s Masnaa crossing into Syria, the mood was festive Sunday with some local Lebanese residents handing out congratulatory sweets to Syrians lined up to return to their country. Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading to Syria to join his wife and four children, said while the future in Syria is still uncertain, “anything is better than Bashar.” He said he expected some chaos initially but that eventually the situation would settle down. “Look at Aleppo now,” he said, referring to the first major city taken over by opposition forces more than a week ago, where life has continued more or less as normal. Abdel-Latif, a construction worker, said he is also hoping that there will now be plentiful work in Syria to rebuild. Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to Damascus, said, “This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for. “You feel yourself psychologically free - you can express yourself,” he said. “The country is free and the barriers have been broken down.” Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well-organized and take care of their country. It’s a new phase.” DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday. The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday's strike. The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike. Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest. MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Bashar Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave “instructions” to “transfer power peacefully.” In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said Moscow had not directly participated in these talks. It also said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern." It also said Russian troops stationed in Syria have been put on high alert and that as of early afternoon Sunday, there was “no serious threat” to the security of Russia’s military bases there. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.By HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”

Many were moved by Ahmad's display of pure joy, finding inspiration in his ability to find happiness in the midst of adversity. Some saw his laughter as a symbol of defiance against oppression, a refusal to let his spirit be broken by the trials he had faced.

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Though the Town of Essex has been able to improve its energy consumption and reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions over the past five-years, Essex Council was urged to look for ways to reduce fossil fuel use from a long-term planning standpoint. Andrea Dwight, President of Blue Sky Energy Engineering and Consulting Inc., presented the most recent Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan to Essex Council at the November 18 meeting. Dwight worked with Town of Essex staff over the past few months to complete the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which sets out a path towards a more energy-efficient future. The scope of work includes all Town-owned facilities requiring heat, corporate facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and street-lighting. This plan is legislatively required under the Provincial Electricity Act and lays out the foundation for energy conservation at the Town of Essex for the next five-years. Dwight noted it is important to celebrate the hard work the Town has done over the past-five years in this work. There is a list of programs she said impacted energy and heat consumption, such as changing and upgrading lighting and HVAC systems. This resulted in a 1.5% improvement in energy compared to 2019, and a 2.5% reduction to Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Since 2011, overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions have dropped, so has electricity consumption. The Town is proud to have achieved a 13% reduction in electricity between 2011 and 2023, excluding street-lighting, the report details. Natural gas consumption, however, has risen by 4.6% over the same period. Combining electricity and natural gas, these changes have resulted in an overall energy reduction of close to 7% and a 44.5% reduction in GHG emissions over the twelve-year period, the report adds. In addition, electricity consumption on street-lighting has dropped 18%, Dwight told Council. The Essex Centre Sports Complex and Harrow Arena, street-lighting, and sewage treatment plant are the largest electricity consumers. In addition, both arenas are the largest natural gas consumers. In 2023, Dwight highlighted that Essex’s natural gas use was 37% and electricity was 63%. Yet, natural gas is responsible for 78% of its Greenhouse Gas Emissions. As the Town of Essex renvisions climate planning, Dwight suggested looking for ways to reduce fossil fuel use from a long-term planning standpoint. Without reducing natural gas usage, the Town will not be able to significantly improve Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Looking ahead, a 3% reduction in overall energy is targeted for 2029 as measured against the 2023 figures. “Although it sounds like a small number, it is actually quite significant,” Dwight told Council, adding a number of great programs have been developed to make sure this goal is achieved. The Town, she added, has a number of strategic planning priorities in which to focus over the next-five years, including the Town leveraging all incentive opportunities from the Federal Government and local utilities to make technological improvements. Another is to look at the asset management and capital planning process and put in guidelines regarding energy efficient purchasing of larger capital projects. Actions set in the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan include identifying energy-savings opportunities, and putting in place a planning process that reviews facilities and delivering cost-savings through the identification and implementation of programs, processes, and projects on an ongoing basis. Another priority is communication, training, and outreach. The action plan also includes a set of specific projects pulled together over the next five-years to make a significant improvement to energy consumption. That varies from lighting upgrades, to HVAC, to controls. She also spoke of the Town needing to think about what natural gas reduction strategy it would like to have to integrated into the capital project process. “I think you are very well positioned to make a significant improvement in both GHGs and energy consumption over the next five-years,” Dwight said. “I think this shows your corporate responsibility and your focus on helping make sure the environment is at the forefront. I think that this is a very strong plan.” Seeing as the twin pads at the Essex Arena use the most energy, Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais asked what could be further done to reduce that footprint beyond what was suggested in the report. Director of Community Services, Jake Morassut, noted the twin pads have had a significant number of projects on the compressor system over the past five-years. The energy usage for the facility comes from the compressor plants, for which none of its major components should need replacing in the next-five years. So, that will likely be part of the next five-year plan. Through the Plan, the focus was on things that could be controlled over the next-five years, with the funding models and resources in place, he added. That included upgrading to LED lighting, which saves on energy and maintenance cost. In addition, LEDs have a longer lifecycle, Morassut said. “We are looking at projects like that where we are going to see a bigger impact and a quicker payback period,” he added. Though it is great to see what Essex is doing, Mayor Sherry Bondy asked about comparing the local town to others. Dwight noted there are ways to benchmark that information, such as how Essex’s largest facilities are doing compared to similar ones across the province. Council received the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan.The government of Haiti has declared a state of emergency in response to the crisis, mobilizing security forces and calling for calm and cooperation from all sectors of society. President Jovenel Moise has vowed to do everything in his power to restore peace and stability to the nation, promising swift and decisive action against those responsible for the violence.

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