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The AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland turned the ball over 25 times, blew a 17-point lead and was outrebounded in the second half. Coach Brenda Frese still had plenty to be happy about. “I thought it was a phenomenal game from two really competitive teams,” Frese said. “Credit Michigan State. We knew they were going to play hard for 40 minutes.” No. 8 Maryland faced its biggest test in a while Sunday, and the Terrapins held off the No. 19 Spartans 72-66 . It wasn’t a pretty game from an offensive standpoint, but the Terps were able to execute when they needed to at the end. Up by two in the final minute, Shyanne Sellers found Christina Dalce on a pick-and-roll for an easy layup with 36.3 seconds left — her only points of the game. Michigan State didn’t score again, falling short in this matchup between two ranked Big Ten teams. This was nearly a clash of unbeatens, but the Spartans (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten) lost to Alabama in their last game before this one. Maryland (12-0, 2-0) has equaled the second-best start in team history. “It’s one of the most competitive groups I’ve ever coached,” Frese said. “It’s not really about being undefeated. Of course we love it. I think it shows just the work that they’re putting in. But for us, as long as we just continue to keep our head down and work hard through this process, I think that’s where you’re seeing the results pay off.” RELATED COVERAGE Edwards leads No. 2 South Carolina to 65th straight home win 93-47 over Wofford on Sunday. Bueckers leads No. 7 UConn to convincing 67-41 win over Providence in final Big East game of 2024. No. 3 Notre Dame women rout Virginia for Olivia Miles’ 100th career win The Terrapins beat Duke last month, but this was their first ranked opponent since. It was a physical game in which rebounds were not for the faint of heart. “One thing I’ve loved about our team all year is our effort’s always been in a great space,” said Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick, whose team had a 10-1 edge in offensive rebounds in the second half. Maryland let a big lead get away, but with the score tied at 57, Saylor Poffenbarger and Bri McDaniel made 3-pointers to put the Terps up by six. McDaniel had to leave the game earlier in the fourth after falling to the ground with a thud, but she was able to return. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballTrump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France

Gus Atkinson hat-trick puts England in command of second Test in New ZealandSyria’s embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports. Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians — including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad — to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said. The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended “until further notice” at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension. Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the at the embassy. Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad — who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity — had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syria’s new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assad’s rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the country’s religious minorities. However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The country’s new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons. There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkey’s hand in Syria, with anxiety. Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group — as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to “discuss the latest developments in Syria.” “Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government,” the statement said, adding that they “also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security” of Turkey and Syria. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish women’s groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand women’s rights in the new Syria. Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government “is worse than Bashar” and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who “don’t accept any role for women.” While the country’s new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions. “Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria,” said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization. “... Women’s rights should not be ignored.” ___None2024 was a big year for discontinuations. Not only were several long-running models axed, but an entire brand – Citroen – announced it was pulling up stumps. While it wasn’t quite the massacre that 2020 was (when Holden and Infiniti shut up shop) or 2021 (when a new Australian Design Rule killed off several popular models), this year saw plenty of high-profile axings. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . Ford killed one of its last remaining SUVs in Australia, Toyota officially pulled the plug on its V8-powered LandCruiser 70 Series, and global production ended for a raft of Jaguar and Maserati models. We’ve split up this year’s casualties into two articles: one focusing on the SUVs and utes discontinued this year, and one focusing on the passenger cars. Scroll below for all the SUVs and utes axed this year, or click on one of the links below to take you directly to a retired model. Citroen C5 Aircross The C5 Aircross was Citroen’s best-selling vehicle in Australia, but that’s not saying much. Just 53 examples of the mid-sized SUV, related to the Peugeot 3008 , were sold this year to the end of November. While that’s up from last year’s tally, it still puts the Citroen dead last in its segment, with Peugeot selling more than six times as many 3008s – itself not a huge seller. Between its local launch in 2019 and the end of November, Citroen sold just 350 C5 Aircross SUVs in Australia. Not helping the niche Toyota RAV4 rival was Citroen’s limited dealer network, as well as a limited lineup. A 2023 facelift brought not only visual tweaks but also an upgraded powertrain. Still using a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the updated model substituted the six-speed automatic for an eight-speed, gaining 12kW and 10Nm for total outputs of 133kW and 250Nm. However, the facelift brought with it a price increase, and Citroen sales had dwindled so much over the years that it could scarcely afford to charge a premium over more mainstream brands. There’s a new generation of C5 Aircross coming to Europe, but it won’t be boarding the ship here as the Citroen brand was retired this year. MORE: Citroen leaving Australia after more than 100 years, importer focusing on Peugeot MORE: Everything Citroen C5 Aircross Ford Puma This cat didn’t have nine lives. The Ford Puma lives on in Europe, where it’s been treated to a facelift and was even joined by an electric version called the Gen-E . The Puma Gen-E was supposed to come here, but Ford Australia recently cancelled its plans . “There are many factors that influence whether a vehicle’s business case stacks up – such as economic trends, material costs, consumer incentives and global supply chain – and after weighing these up, we took the call that we were better to focus our electrified lineup on other models,” said Ford Australia early in December. As for the facelifted combustion-powered Puma, Ford Australia made no such commitment to bring it here. In axing the Puma in February this year, shortly before the reveal of the facelifted model, Ford Australia said it hadn’t made the decision lightly but had decided to focus on commercial vehicles and the Mustang family. This follows last year’s announcement from the Blue Oval that the mid-sized Escape would also be axed, so the facelifted version of Ford’s Toyota RAV4 rival never ended up coming here either. Axing the Escape laves Ford without an entrant in Australia’s largest segment by volume, while axing the Puma sees the brand without a traditional entry-level model to attract people to the brand. The most affordable Ford is now the single-cab/chassis Ranger, while the Blue Oval’s most affordable SUV is the circa-$54,000 Everest – which costs close to twice the price of the defunct Puma, which opened at just over $30,000 before on-roads. While the Puma sold in similar numbers to the Escape, it commanded a greater share of the less competitive light SUV segment. It comfortably outsold the Renault Captur and Nissan Juke in recent years, though rivals like the Hyundai Venue and Toyota Yaris Cross outsold it by around three-to-one. That was despite the Puma being quite a good thing. It launched here in 2020 as a replacement for the unloved Ecosport , a light SUV initially designed for developing markets. The Puma shared its platform with the Fiesta , and was widely regarded as a genuinely good steer like its hatchback sibling. Sadly, we never got the more powerful ST version here, with all Pumas instead featuring a 92kW/170Nm turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Ford sold 597 examples of the Puma that year, growing to 3218 in 2021, but this slipped to 2408 sales in 2022 and then 2027 sales in 2023. To the end of November this year, Ford sold 839 examples as it ran out remaining stock. Ford’s local SUV lineup here now consists solely of the electric Mustang Mach-E and the diesel-powered Everest. MORE: Ford Australia kills its most affordable vehicle in favour of vans, electric cars MORE: Everything Ford Puma Jaguar E-Pace It’s not often a brand axes almost its entire lineup without also being shuttered itself, but that’s just what has happened at Jaguar. The British brand’s attempts this century to take on BMW and Mercedes-Benz directly, first with the S-Type and X-Type and more recently with its current lineup of sedans and SUVs, have come to nought. Jaguar executives themselves have said the brand today has “no equity whatsoever”. Yikes. Jaguar is reinventing itself as a more exclusive, more expensive, electric-only brand, which means chip chip cheerio to the current F-Type sports car, the E-Pace , F-Pace and I-Pace SUVs, and the XE and XF sedans. Piecing together what is being retired when, however, is a little complicated. Vehicles built in the Castle Bromwich plant in the UK – the F-Type, XE and XF – all ended production earlier this year. Overseas reports have subsequently indicated the E-Pace and I-Pace, built by Magna Steyr in Austria, were also exiting production this year, with the UK-built F-Pace reportedly getting a stay of execution until 2025 or 2026. The F-Pace arguably is the more impressive of Jaguar’s two combustion-powered SUVs, not just because it can be had in hot supercharged V8 SVR guise, but because all models have largely aluminium construction. This means despite being larger, the F-Pace weighs essentially the same as the E-Pace – comparing P250 models, there’s a difference of around 40kg. While the F-Pace shares its rear/all-wheel drive platform with the Range Rover Velar , the E-Pace features the same front/all-wheel drive underpinnings as the Range Rover Evoque . It entered production in 2017, around a year after the F-Pace, and arrived here in 2018. Jaguar offered a range of petrol and diesel powertrains during the E-Pace’s run, though Australia missed out on plug-in hybrid power (something the local-spec F-Pace has finally received). The E-Pace became Jaguar’s best-seller locally, at least until 2022 when the F-Pace took the lead. Parent JLR was prioritising production of more upmarket, higher-margin models during this time, and sales of the E-Pace and its Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport platform-mates all dropped around this time. To the end of November 2024, Jaguar sold 3710 E-Paces in Australia during its run. But while it may have been the brand’s best-seller for several years, it lived in the shadow of its Range Rover Evoque cousin, which has consistently outsold it – not to mention its German SUV rivals, which left it in the dust. Jaguar is expected to still offer an SUV in its new, more exclusive, electric-only era, but it won’t be as accessible as the E-Pace. MORE: Everything Jaguar E-Pace Jaguar I-Pace You can’t accuse Jaguar of being late to the EV game. The Jaguar I-Pace first entered production in 2018, before other premium brands like Lexus, Maserati and Volvo, among others, would enter the EV space. And while the first EV efforts of some premium brands were based on combustion-powered models, the I-Pace debuted a dedicated EV platform and featured futuristic and yet distinctively Jaguar styling penned under former design boss Ian Callum. Critical acclaim was immense, with the I-Pace winning various awards including European Car of the Year. And yet despite the effort Jaguar went to, the I-Pace is being discontinued without a replacement like the rest of the brand’s current lineup. Where BMW’s first EV, the i3, was a quirky city car, the I-Pace targeted the mid-sized SUV market, the volume-selling space where models like the BMW iX3 and Lexus RZ now dwell. Like the BMW i3 , however, the I-Pace’s platform never underpinned anything else. But where BMW eventually rolled out other EVs, the I-Pace remained Jaguar’s only EV. It has proved a rather disappointing seller for the British brand, peaking in 2019 with 17,355 sales globally. I-Pace sales have continued to decline since then, with sales dropping to around 7000 units last year. In Australia, it has been a virtual non-entity. From a height of 155 sales in 2019, Jaguar sold just 23 examples here in 2022. From its 2018 launch until the end of November this year, Jaguar has sold 377 examples in Australia. Updates during its run were minor – a new infotainment system in 2020, and minor visual tweaks for model year 2024. Even as the I-Pace comes to its end, it still packs the same powertrain as it did at launch: a 294kW/696Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain powered by a 90kWh lithium-ion battery. Range is a claimed 446km on the NEDC cycle and the DC fast-charge rate is 104kW, figures that were much more impressive in 2018 than they are today. The I-Pace has also suffered from an increasingly large range of rivals, with even Cadillac launching in Australia’s luxury electric SUV fray. MORE: Everything Jaguar I-Pace Maserati Levante The Maserati Levante is another model that technically remains on price lists, but which ended production this year. Maserati revealed the Kubang concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, which previewed what would become the Trident brand’s first SUV. The Levante didn’t debut until the 2016 Geneva motor show, riding the M156 platform of the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. The Porsche Cayenne had been seen as sacrilegious by fans of the German brand at launch, but by the time Maserati put its trident badge on an SUV the controversy had calmed. Launched here in 2017, the Levante went up against the Cayenne and, until the smaller Grecale arrived in 2023, it was Maserati’s most affordable model and its only SUV. A variety of powertrains were offered during the Levante’s run, including twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 petrol engines, a turbo-diesel V6, and a turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid. However, all Levantes were all-wheel drive and used an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the Cayenne, the Levante was never offered with plug-in hybrid power. The highlight of the Levante range was the twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 developed and supplied by Ferrari, which powered the GTS and later Trofeo versions of the large SUV. The latter had outputs of 427kW and 730Nm. From first registrations in 2016 to the end of November 2024, Maserati sold 2342 Levantes in Australia. Over the same period Porsche sold just over five times as many Cayennes. Its best year was actually towards the end – 2022, when Maserati sold 436 examples. That saw it outsell the Audi Q8 (423 sales), Jaguar F-Pace (316), and Range Rover Velar (319). The Levante and its Quattroporte sibling are set to be replaced by electric vehicles (EVs). However, Maserati confirmed earlier this year that these won’t arrive until 2027 and 2028, respectively. From 2028, Maserati plans to only sell EVs, though it’s unclear if this will change now that the CEO of parent company Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, has stepped down. Stellantis’ new family of STLA-branded platforms support multiple propulsion types, so a petrol-powered next-generation Levante isn’t completely out of the question. Just don’t expect it to pack a sweet V8 like the outgoing model. MORE: Everything Maserati Levante Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series V8 After launching a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder automatic version of the iconic LandCruiser 70 Series in 2007, Toyota officially axed the long-running ‘1VD-FTV’ 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 manual option in July. However, with a long order list to get through after orders had been paused for two years, Toyota said the V8-powered 70 Series wasn’t disappearing just yet. It said production of V8-powered 70 Series models would end in September 2024, except for 79 Series GXL single- and double-cab utes, with final deliveries of V8-powered wagons, Troop Carriers, and Workmate and GX utes due this year. Production of GXL utes, in contrast, is set to continue “well into next year”, with customer deliveries to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2025. Between 2007 and June 2024, Toyota says it sold more than 171,010 V8-powered 70 Series vehicles in Australia. So why kill the 70 Series V8 now, when it appears as sought-after as ever? In July, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, said that while the incoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) played a part, it was “consumer sentiment” that played the biggest role. Toyota Australia claims it was a “joint decision” between it and head office in Japan. If you want to place an order for a new 70 Series, you’ll have to settle for one powered by the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel as the HiLux and Prado (but without mild-hybrid tech), though it will comewith something the V8 never did – an automatic transmission. Not only that, the four-cylinder 70 Series actually makes 70Nm more torque at 500Nm, while being just 1kW less powerful at 150kW. MORE: Everything Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series MORE: Why ‘community sentiment’ helped kill Toyota’s V8 4WD, but not its US pickup MORE: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series V8 axed, but manual will live on MORE: Every car and SUV discontinued in Australia in 2023 MORE: Every car discontinued in 2022 MORE: Every car discontinued in 2021 MORE: The cars we lost in 2020

Syria's embassy in Lebanon suspends services as Lebanon hands over former Syrian army officersFirst Period_None. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Picking the best class Path of Exile 2 is less straightforward than it might initially seem. The thing to bear in mind about Path of Exile 2’ s classes is that, as of the game’s early access launch, there isn’t a single powerhouse class that lets you sweep through. There’s no Diablo 4 -style Spiritborn here. Every class has a distinctive playstyle whose drawbacks might not be a dealbreaker for you, depending on how you like to play, and they all have specific strengths as well. Our list of the best Path of Exiles 2 classes takes into consideration how many viable skill options a class gives you, along with ease of use and how well they can hold their own in combat against mobs and bosses. Table of Contents What are the best classes in Path of Exile 2? Mercenary Witch Ranger Monk Warrior Sorceress What are the best classes in Path of Exile 2? At launch in early access, Path of Exile 2 has six classes . These range from traditional types with a twist — such as the Warrior, a melee brawler, and the spellslinging Sorceress — to more experimental classes. The Witch, for example, summons minions and has access to powerful debuff skills, while the Mercenary controls the battlefield with a variety of fast-firing, hard-hitting crossbow shots. Path of Exile 2 ’s take on the Monk is unique among that class style’s iterations throughout video games, and even the Ranger is much more interesting than you might expect from someone who just shoots arrows. In short, every Path of Exile 2 class has something going for it, though some are easier to learn and use effectively than others. Our ranking of classes from best to worst is: Mercenary — Early access to strong combos and high potential to manage crowds and defeat bosses quickly Witch — Self-sustaining skills, strong minions, and excellent debuff abilities make up for a slow start with their kit Ranger — Exceptionally powerful elemental abilities, but few retreat options and no defensive skills Monk — Dull skillset until level five, when strong combos finally show up Warrior — Excellent at taking down bosses, but weak power and slow animations make dealing with mobs difficult Sorceress — Strong elemental spells, but slow animations and no sustaining skills leave them vulnerable in solo play Mercenary Path of Exile 2 ’s Mercenary is an exceptional class with high damage potential, early access to powerful combos, and a flexible playstyle that, despite some complexities, makes it comparatively easy to learn for newcomers and those familiar with Path of Exile . The Mercenary fires high-powered crossbow bolts and quickly gets access to a range of much more interesting and useful skills. They can launch fire grenades, freeze foes and shatter them, reduce enemy resistances, and even fire a continuous stream of arrows to whittle down the toughest bosses (like Jamanra, the Abomination ). Best of all, the Mercenary doesn’t have to specialize in just one element. You can mix charged shots with fire grenades and freeze arrows and still end up with a viable build to carry you through the game. The Mercenary might have a strong set of skills at their disposal, but getting used to them takes a fair bit of practice. They burn through mana quickly and need a careful balance of special shots and basic attacks, and, more than with other classes, you also have to develop a pattern of attacking and retreating to avoid getting overwhelmed. The wide shot spread for some of the Mercenary’s special skills means you have to be at close range for them to reliably hit, which puts you at risk of getting overwhelmed by mobs. Still, for the variety of abilities the Mercenary can learn, it’s worth putting up with the learning curve. Witch The Witch is a close second for Path of Exile 2 ’s best class, held back only by some lackluster class ascendancy bonuses and a few balance oddities that make some of their skills less useful than others. The Witch is, ostensibly, a minion summoner, but they can specialize into a debuffer and a powerful spellcaster as well. The witch can raise minions from dead enemies, explode corpses, spread disease, cast fire and frost spells (and lightning, though it’s a bit weak in Path of Exile 2 ’s early access stage) pin enemies in place, buff minions and send them into a frenzy — their kit is exceptional, even before ascendancy buffs. They’re also one of the easiest classes to learn, since you can let minions distract foes while you direct them from afar, which means the risk of getting overwhelmed is much lower for the Witch. The Witch’s big issues — aside from the Blood Mage ascendancy being severely underpowered at launch — are how long it takes for their kit to get interesting, and how weak their minions are at first. It takes several levels and a fair bit of skill point investment for standard and summoned minions to do anything approaching respectable levels of damage and survivability. The Witch can supplement the damage shortfall, but the more serious problem is how quickly minions die at lower levels. They respawn after a short period, but the Witch is vulnerable in that time, especially if there are no corpses to manipulate. These issues fade as you level up and get access to skills such as Bone Cage and supplementary summons, but it takes longer for the Witch to feel good than it does with other classes. Pro tip: Don’t use your early uncut gems on skeletons and minions. The Witch needs spirit to summon them, and you can only acquire spirit in certain ways, none of which are available to you at the game’s start. Ranger Ranger might initially seem like a less impressive version of Mercenary, since it’s a ranged class that fires elemental arrows. However, it’s the best class for crowd control and can make quick work of large mobs and tough bosses alike. Rangers have a wide variety of skills, from a poison shot that gradually saps an enemy’s health — even better is the apparent lack of poison resistance for most Path of Exile 2 enemies — to more complex combos, such as one where they stake a lightning arrow in the ground and can fire additional chain lightning shots that ricochet off the stake and deal extra damage. Rangers can also equip special quivers that augment specific elements and add special effects, such as adding a pierce effect or igniting projectiles, and they’re among the best in the game at causing status ailments. The Ranger’s only drawback is a lack of defensive skills, and it’s a big one. They equip weaker armor and rely on evasive skills to stay safe, but when enemies break through, they have few ways to stay safe. Careful cooldown management and investing in skills such as Vine Arrow, which slows enemy movement can mitigate some of these issues. However, if you overcorrect and have more than one retreat ability, it takes away from how much damage you dish out. Monk If “it gets good after 10 hours” had a picture definition, it’d be Path of Exile 2 ’s Monk. It’s a fun class to play with a highly distinctive style and some excellent abilities — but you wouldn’t know it initially. The Monk’s ability set is slow and unwieldy until about level five, when Path of Exile 2 finally starts leaning into unique skill effects that augment how the Monk plays. Some skills get more powerful when used several times in quick succession. Others grant the Monk’s basic attack or other attack additional effects, such as launching projectiles or, by consuming all the Monk’s mana, turning their standard attack into one that sets off electric shockwaves. Getting to that point is rough , though. Path of Exile 2 favors ranged playstyles and quick casting, and not only does the Monk almost always have to be up close until level five, but their attack animations are slow. They’re vulnerable to taking damage before they can even dish any out — a problem, given the light armor they specialize in — and can easily get overwhelmed. Warrior Path of Exile 2 ’s Warrior launched in a strange position. It excels as a defensive class and is the only character who can block enemy attacks. They stun. Their warcries offer potent self-buffs and, depending on your skill choice, can damage foes. And they hit hard with two-handed weapons. The problem is how comparatively weak and sluggish the Warrior is. It’s such a slow class. Basic skills take longer to execute and do less damage than other basic skills from other classes — it takes multiple hits to down a simple Drowned in the prologue, for example, where the Witch can defeat a foe with two hits. Many of the Warrior’s fundamental attacks have long animations as well. Most of Path of Exile 2 ’s enemies are pretty mobile, so it’s easy to wind up and then completely miss your target, leaving yourself vulnerable as mobs take advantage of your recovery time and swarm. Where these annoyances are less of a problem is with boss fights. The Warrior’s self-buffs, enemy debuffs,and bone-shattering attacks work particularly well in fights against big, single targets, and the class is quickly establishing a well-earned reputation as Path of Exile 2’s boss killer. Even that function has a caveat, though, as your build options are limited, and most Warrior skills are designed to work better with The Titan ascendancy. Sorceress Sorceress is fine in Path of Exile 2 . It’s fine! But not much more than that. This is your standard set of magic skills, with access to the three major elements, some crowd control abilities, and, eventually, powerful buffs that boost your spellcasting power. It’s a strong class, but oddly balanced. The Sorceress’ self-buffs and combo opportunities come much later in their class progression, while other classes – even the Warrior – get them almost immediately. For example, Sorceress only has access to a shatter combo at level five. Mercenary can do the same thing at level one. The Sorceress’ biggest pain point, however, is their lack of defensive skills. They simply can’t save themselves from anything, and an evasive playstyle only gets you so far when the class’ stronger skills take a while to ramp up. For more Path of Exile 2 guides, here’s how to ascend , how to respec , how to get spirit , and how to trade . Plus, here’s a list of all Trial of Sehkemas challenges and rewards, and guides on how to complete “ Ancient Vows ” and beat Jamanra. Guides Path of Exile 2 guides PC PlayStation Xbox

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president who led the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died at the age of 100. The Carter Center announced Sunday that his father died at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by family. His death comes about a year after his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, passed away. The Carter Center will provide updates about ceremonies and activities to honor the life of President Carter as they become available here and soon on the official Carter Family Tribute Site ( https://t.co/Tg5UZt7kPV ). Read our statement: https://t.co/CNBUBpffPz — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 Despite receiving hospice care at the time, he attended the memorials for Rosalynn while sitting in a wheelchair, covered by a blanket. He was also wheeled outside on Oct. 1 to watch a military flyover in celebration of his 100th birthday. The Carter Center said in February 2023 that the former president and his family decided he would no longer seek medical treatment following several short hospital stays for an undisclosed illness. Carter became the longest-living president in 2019, surpassing George H.W. Bush, who died at age 94 in 2018. Carter also had a long post-presidency, living 43 years following his White House departure. RELATED STORY: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: A love story for the ages Before becoming president Carter began his adult life in the military, getting a degree at the U.S. Naval Academy, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He then studied reactor technology and nuclear physics at Union College and served as senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew on a nuclear submarine. Following the death of his father, Carter returned to Georgia to tend to his family's farm and related businesses. During this time, he became a community leader by serving on local boards. He used this experience to elevate him to his first elected office in 1962 in the Georgia Senate. After losing his first gubernatorial election in 1966, he won his second bid in 1970, becoming the state’s 76th governor. As a relative unknown nationally, Carter used the nation’s sour sentiment toward politics to win the Democratic nomination. He then bested sitting president Gerald Ford in November 1976 to win the presidency. Carter battles high inflation, energy crisis With the public eager for a change following the Watergate era, Carter took a more hands-on approach to governing. This, however, meant he became the public face of a number of issues facing the U.S. in the late 1970s, most notably America’s energy crisis. He signed the Department of Energy Organization Act, creating the first new cabinet role in government in over a decade. Carter advocated for alternative energy sources and even installed solar panels on the White House roof. During this time, the public rebuked attempts to ration energy. Amid rising energy costs, inflation soared nearly 9% annually during Carter's presidency. This led to a recession before the 1980 election. Carter also encountered the Iran Hostage Crisis in the final year of his presidency when 52 American citizens were captured. An attempt to rescue the Americans failed in April 1980, resulting in the death of eight service members. With compounding crises, Carter lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1980 as he could only win six states. Carter’s impact after leaving the White House Carter returned to Georgia and opened the Carter Center, which is focused on national and international issues of public policy – namely conflict resolution. Carter and the Center have been involved in a number of international disputes, including in Syria, Israel, Mali and Sudan. The group has also worked to independently monitor elections and prevent elections from becoming violent. Carter and his wife were the most visible advocates for Habitat for Humanity. The organization that helps build and restore homes for low- and middle-income families has benefited from the Carters’ passion for the organization. Habitat for Humanity estimates Carter has worked alongside 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build 4,390 houses. “Like other Habitat volunteers, I have learned that our greatest blessings come when we are able to improve the lives of others, and this is especially true when those others are desperately poor or in need,” Carter said in a Q&A on the Habitat for Humanity website. Carter also continued teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown well into his 90s. Attendees would line up for hours, coming from all parts of the U.S., to attend Carter’s classes. Carter is survived by his four children.

Despite concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record, football's governing body has voiced confidence the kingdom can host the 2034 World Cup. Amnesty International called the FIFA report an "astonishing whitewash." FIFA, the world's governing football body, released a report Saturday on Saudi Arabia 's bid to host the 2034 World Cup . Saudi Arabia is the only nation seeking to host the tournament in 2034, and one whose de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is chummy with FIFA President Gianni Infantino . FIFA's report gave Saudi Arabia high marks, while assessing the kingdom's bid as presenting "low" environmental and "medium" human rights risks . Late last year, Saudi Arabia submitted its bid to host the 2034 tournament (which was only open to Asia and Oceania nations) — while Morocco, Spain and Portugal submitted a joint bid for 2030, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay also each slated to host one game during the centenary edition of the tournament. The fate of Saudi Arabia's bid , as well as that of the 2030 hosts, will be known on December 11, when a virtual meeting of FIFA's 211 national football associations takes place. Why is Saudi Arabia investing billions in sports? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Saudi bid presents 'strong all-round proposition' The Saudi bid, according to FIFA, "presents a very strong all-round proposition, reflected in the results of the technical evaluation, which assesses the proposed infrastructure (both sporting and general) as well as its commercial potential." FIFA highlighted the "substantial hospitality footprint proposed" by Saudi Arabian organizers as another potential revenue stream . Despite past evidence, the FIFA report voiced hope the tournament could prompt a turnaround in Saudi Arabia's repressive society, "in terms of human rights, the undertaking involved in implementing the various measures... particularly in certain areas, could involve significant effort and time." "It is important to note that the bid involves significant opportunities for positive human rights impact," continued FIFA, "There is good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself." Saudi Arabia has worked hard to shake negative headlines about its human rights abuses and even its state-sanctioned killing of political rivals , for instance, by investing massive amounts of oil cash into sporting events like Formula One races, tennis tournaments and even a new, professional golf league — in a phenomenon known as "sportswashing." Despite those investments and much international attention, Saudi society has yet to experience the arrival of a new era of human rights and liberalization. Saudi guards accused of killing Ethiopian migrants To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Amnesty International denounces FIFA report as 'astonishing whitewash' Human rights organization Amnesty International blasted Saturday's report releasing a statement denouncing it as an "astonishing whitewash." "FIFA's evaluation of Saudi Arabia's World Cup is an astonishing whitewash of the country's atrocious human rights record," Amnesty's head of labor rights and sport Steve Cockburn said. "The sports body has decided to ignore the clear evidence of worker exploitation, legalized discrimination and severe repression, and press ahead with a predetermined decision." "At every stage of the process," continued the statement, "FIFA has ensured that nothing would stand in the way of Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup and it has effectively discarded its human rights policies to achieve this end." Rights groups have regularly highlighted Saudi Arabia's myriad abuses, including mass executions and allegations of torture, pointing out that free expression, too, is severely restricted — with some people receiving lengthy jail terms over critical social media posts. js/wd (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)Oscar Health director Elbert Robinson sells $426,250 in stock

There’s a pattern forming in common usage in media. These words and their equivalents are almost entirely unavoidable in the news. They are admittedly mostly opinionated words, but words like fraud and crime are equally hard to avoid. These words are all used to direct the audience to a point of view, a specific perspective All sides of any debate use them. That doesn’t quite explain why they’re so prevalent. It just explains why nobody solves problems. You’ll notice that words like fraud and crime are not opinionated words. They’re “qualifications” of their information. They have solid unambiguous meanings, every second of every day. The word “idiocy” is a case in point. A search of “idiocy” on Google News indicates that the word is very popular to the point of being almost a default headline worldwide. The word “incompetence” is equally at plague levels on just about any subject. The point here is that in any type of situational analysis there are strong indicators of core issues. Statisticians could spend years tracking the use of the word incompetence in so many contexts, Market researchers could explore whether constant references to idiocy are important to audiences. Maybe not? Maybe the market samples are so used to idiocy that they don’t notice it anymore. These could be very useful studies. A PhD or so could be written about the tireless coverage of apocalyptic idiocy, or chronic sycophantic incompetence, for example. ...Or maybe someone might like to find out why these topics dominate just about every bit of information regarding the whole of human existence right now. The social dimension to these expressions and their usage is truly interesting, particularly in social media, that fountain of human perception: If someone continuously yells “Fire!” other people might notice, particularly if things are falling down and collapsing. They might even do something about it. If people constantly yell “idiocy, incompetence, stupidity, fraud, crime”, etc. absolutely nothing happens. Any theories, geniuses? Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.

It's been an interesting year for the stock market. The broader benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) blazed roughly 24.5% higher (as of Dec. 27), thanks largely to eight high-flying tech stocks with market caps exceeding $1 trillion. Market breadth has not been good this year. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF is only up about 12%. Roughly 360 stocks in the S&P 500 have posted returns below the broader market's average. Of those, 168 stocks are trading in the red this year. This means the market is fairly lopsided right now and there are plenty of opportunities to find good stock bargains if you do your homework. According to Wall Street analysts, there are at least two high-yielding dividend stocks that have trailed the broader market in 2024 but are expected to perform well in 2025. Pfizer: Down 7.5% in 2024 The drugmaker Pfizer ( PFE 0.23% ) has been struggling with a hangover ever since the COVID-19 pandemic eased and there is now less demand for its vaccines and Paxlovid drug treatment. Shares are down roughly 7.5% this year and 48% since the end of 2022. While markets have outperformed, Pfizer has gone in the opposite direction. However, Pfizer is working hard to take the revenue it earned from its COVID-19 business and develop new drugs in a range of medical conditions, including cancer. Management is forecasting the company may be able to create eight landmark medications by 2030. Analysts are also encouraged by the company's 2025 guidance of $61 billion to $64 billion of revenue, with analysts at BMO saying the guidance implies earnings growth in 2025 and seems conservative. Nineteen analysts have published research reports on Pfizer over the last three months, with eight giving the company a buy rating, 10 hold, and one sell. The average implied price target suggests about 19% upside from current levels, according to TipRanks. The best part is that Pfizer has an annualized dividend yield close to 6.5%. After cutting its dividend in 2009, Pfizer has consistently paid a steadily growing dividend that is now up nearly 169% since mid-2010. On the company's most recent earnings call, management said it's committed to maintaining and growing the company's dividend, while analysts expect diluted and operating earnings to outpace the company's $1.73 of annual dividends for the foreseeable future, according to data from Visible Alpha. Realty Income: Down 8.3% in 2024 The commercial real estate investment trust (REIT) Realty Income ( O -0.77% ) has also missed out on the bull run this year, with its stock price down roughly 8.3%. Rising interest rates have hit Realty Income hard in recent years. Higher rates make the cost of capital that REITs tend to borrow more expensive while also putting pressure on tenants. Realty Income has been around for over five decades and now is the seventh-largest REIT in the world with roughly $58 billion of gross real estate value. The company also describes 90% of its properties as resilient when faced with economic downturns and/or e-commerce pressures. Its three largest industries are grocery, convenience, and dollar stores. Twelve analysts have issued a research report on Realty Income over the last three months, with three giving the company a buy rating and nine saying hold. The average price target implies about 19% upside over the next year or so, according to TipRanks. While risks from higher yields and a potential recession always seem prevalent for REITs, Realty Income has a strong balance sheet and is one of eight public REITs in the S&P 500 with investment-grade credit ratings. The company has also begun to invest in new verticals like data centers that have significant growth opportunities, given what's happening with artificial intelligence . Realty Income has also been rock solid with its dividend and has paid 652 consecutive monthly dividends (that's more than 54 years). The yield is near 6%, and Realty Income has a 4.3% compound annual growth rate on its dividend since 1994.