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Bashar al-Assad (born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer, and surgeon, who served as the 19th president of Syria from July 2000 until his overthrow in December 2024. As president, Assad was the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the secretary-general of the Central Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.
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The Syrian civil war is an ongoing multi-sided conflict in Syria involving various state-sponsored and non-state actors. In March 2011, popular discontent with the rule of Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region.
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Pushpa 2: The Rule is a 2024 Indian Telugu language action drama film directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, in association with Sukumar Writings. The film stars Allu Arjun in the titular role, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil and Anasuya Bharadwaj.
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Asma Fawaz al-Assad (Arabic: ุฃุณู ุงุก ููุงุฒ ุงูุฃุณุฏ; nรฉe Akhras; born 11 August 1975) is the former first lady of Syria as the wife of Bashar al-Assad from 2000 to 2024. Born and raised in London to Syrian parents, she became First Lady when she married al-Assad, then President of Syria, on 13 December 2000.
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2024 Syrian opposition offensives
On 27 November 2024, a coalition of Syrian opposition groups called the Military Operations Command led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive against the pro-government Syrian Arab Army (SAA) forces in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama Governorates in Syria.
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Hayสผat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; Arabic: ููุฆุฉ ุชุญุฑูุฑ ุงูุดุงู , romanized: Hayสผat Taแธฅrฤซr aลก-ล ฤm, lit. 'Organization for the Liberation of the Levant' or 'Levant Liberation Committee'), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and paramilitary organisation involved in the Syrian civil war.
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Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients which adversely affects the body's tissues and form. Malnutrition is a category of diseases that includes undernutrition and overnutrition.
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The Syrian opposition (Arabic: ุงูู ุนุงุฑุถุฉ ุงูุณูุฑูุฉ, romanized: al-Muสปaraแธat al-Sลซrฤซya) is an umbrella term for the groups that opposed the Assad family's rule in Syria. In later 2012, during the Syrian civil war, political groups operating from abroad formed the Syrian National Coalition.
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The Alawites, also known as Nusayrites, are an Arab ethnoreligious group that live primarily in the Levant and follow Alawism, a religious sect that splintered from early Shia Islam as a ghulat branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate Ali ibn Abi Talib, the "first Imam" in the Twelver school, as the physical manifestation of God.
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Wicked (titled onscreen as Wicked Part I) is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu, and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with songs by Stephen Schwartz. It is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name based on the 1995 novel, which in turn is based on the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
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The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG; Arabic: ุญููู ุฉ ุงูุฅููุงุฐ ุงูุณูุฑูุฉ, romanized: แธคukลซmat al-สพInqฤdh al-Sลซriyya) is a de facto unrecognized quasi-state in Syria formed in November 2017 by Hayสผat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other Syrian opposition groups during the Syrian civil war. It controls much of northwest Syria, and had an estimated population of over 4,000,000 in 2023.
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Brian Robert Thompson (July 10, 1974 โ December 4, 2024) was an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from April 2021 until his killing in December 2024. Thompson was born in Ames, Iowa, and received a bachelor of business administration with a major in accounting at the University of Iowa in 1997.
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Ba'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), was the Syrian one-party state between 1963 and 2024 under the rule of the Syrian regional branch of the defunct Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Alongside Iraq from 1968 to 2003, it was one of two Ba'athist states to have existed. The al-Assad family ruled Syria from 1971 until the Syrian opposition offensives in 2024.
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The following notable deaths occurred in 2024. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent nationality (if applicable), what subject was noted for, cause of death (if known), and a reference.
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List of highest-grossing Indian films
This ranking lists the highest-grossing Indian films produced by Indian cinema, based on conservative global box office estimates as reported by organisations classified as green by Wikipedia. The figures are not adjusted for inflation. However, there is no official tracking of figures and sources publishing data are frequently pressured to increase their estimates.
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Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed outside an entrance to the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, New York City, on December 4, 2024. He was in the city to attend an annual investors meeting for UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, whose headquarters are in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Paul Colm Michael Mescal ( MESS-kษl; born 2 February 1996) is an Irish actor. Born in Maynooth, he studied acting at The Lir Academy and then performed in plays in Dublin theatres. He rose to fame with his role in the miniseries Normal People (2020), earning a BAFTA TV Award and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.
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Bassel al-Assad (Arabic: ุจูุงุณููู ูฑููุฃูุณูุฏู, romanized: Bฤsil al-สพAsad; 23 March 1962 โ 21 January 1994) was a Syrian engineer, colonel, equestrian and politician who was the eldest son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and the older brother of former President Bashar al-Assad. It was widely expected that he would succeed his father as President of Syria until he died in a car crash in 1994.
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The Southern Operations Room (Arabic: ุบุฑูุฉ ุงูุนู ููุงุช ุงูุฌููุจูุฉ) is a Syrian rebel coalition consisting of various armed Druze tribes and Syrian opposition groups in southern Suwayda and Quneitra provinces. It was established on 6 December 2024 in Southern Syria during the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.
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The president of Syria (Arabic: ุฑุฆูุณ ุณูุฑูุง) is the head of state of Syria. They are vested with sweeping powers that may be delegated, at their sole discretion to their vice presidents. They appoint and dismiss the prime minister and other members of the Council of Ministers (the cabinet) and military officers.
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Gladiator II (stylized onscreen as GLADIIATOR) is a 2024 epic historical action film directed and produced by Ridley Scott that serves as a sequel to Gladiator (2000). Written by David Scarpa based on a story he wrote with Peter Craig, the film was produced by Scott Free Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
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Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation.
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2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
During the decisive battle of Damascus and subsequent fall of the Assad regime on 7โ8 December 2024, Israeli forces initiated military operations in Syria's Quneitra Governorate.
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List of MPs elected in the 2024 Ghanaian general election
The 2024 Ghanaian general election took place on 7 December 2024 to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic. The Speaker is not an elected member of parliament though is qualified to stand for election as such. There are a total of 275 constituencies in Ghana.
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2024 Formula One World Championship
The 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars and was the 75th running of the Formula One World Championship. It was recognised by the Fรฉdรฉration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars.
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Keira Christina Knightley OBE ( KEER-ษ NYTE-lee; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
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Anisa Makhlouf (Arabic: ุฃููููุณูุฉู ู ูุฎูููููู, romanized: สพAnฤซsah Maแธตlลซf; 5 November 1930 โ 6 February 2016) was the matriarch of the Syrian Al-Assad family, which ruled the country from 1971 to December 2024. The wife of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Makhlouf remained the Syrian First Lady from 1971 until 2000.
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Kai Asakura (ๆๅ ๆตท, Asakura Kai, born 31 October 1993) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He previously competed in Rizin Fighting Federation, where he was the Rizin Bantamweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2012, he also competed for Road Fighting Championship, Fighting Network Rings and DEEP.
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The Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA), also known as Syrian Free Army (SFA), or the New Syrian Army (NSA), is a United States Army-trained Syrian opposition faction which controls territory near Syria's border with Iraq and Jordan and north into part of the country's eastern Hama governorate. It has been hosted at the US military base at al-Tanf.
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Major Mukund Varadarajan AC (12 April 1983 โ 25 April 2014) was an Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. Mukund, a commissioned officer in the Indian Army's Rajput Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra for his actions during a counterterrorism operation while on deputation to the 44th Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurdish-led coalition of U.S.-backed ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). The SDF is allied to and supplied by the United Statesโled CJTFโOIR international alliance.
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Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (born April 16, 1990) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Flyweight Champion. As of October 29, 2024, he is #11 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by area and the most populous country. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east.
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The 2024 WWE Deadline (stylized as DEADL1NE) was a professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the third annual NXT Deadline held for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental brand NXT. The event took place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Shavkat Bakhtibaevich Rakhmonov (Kazakh: ะจะฐะฒะบะฐั ะะฐาััะฑะฐะนาฑะปั ะ ะฐั ะผะพะฝะพะฒ, [สษfหkษt bษqtสฐษฏหbษjoฬษซษฏ rษhหmonษฏf]; born October 23, 1994) is a Kazakh professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Rakhmonov is also a former M-1 Global Welterweight Champion.
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Pushpa: The Rise is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Sukumar, and produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media. The film stars Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj, a coolie who rises in a syndicate that smuggles red sandalwood, a rare wood that grows only in the Seshachalam Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
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Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party โ Syria Region
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party โ Syria Region (Arabic: ุญุฒุจ ุงูุจุนุซ ุงูุนุฑุจู ุงูุงุดุชุฑุงูู โ ูุทุฑ ุณูุฑูุง แธคizb al-Ba'th al-'Arabฤซ al-Ishtirฤkฤซ โ Quแนญr Sลซriyฤ), officially the Syrian Regional Branch, is a neo-Ba'athist organisation founded on 7 April 1947 by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar and followers of Zaki al-Arsuzi.
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Sednaya Prison (Arabic: ุณุฌู ุตูุฏูุงูุง Sajn แนขaydnฤyฤ), nicknamed the "Human Slaughterhouse", was a military prison near Damascus in Syria operated by the Syrian government. The prison has been used to hold thousands of prisoners, both civilian detainees and anti-government rebels as well as political prisoners.
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Ayrton Senna da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [aหiสtรต หsแบฝnษ dษ หsiwvษ] ; 21 March 1960 โ 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1994. Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, andโat the time of his deathโheld the record for most pole positions (65), among others; he won 41 Grands Prix across 11 seasons.
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Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) is an American man who murdered English musician John Lennon in New York City on December 8, 1980. As Lennon walked into the archway of The Dakota, his apartment building on the Upper West Side, Chapman fired five shots at the musician from a few yards away with a Charter Arms Undercover . 38 Special revolver. Lennon was hit four times from the back.
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Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions in the areas of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij, and Deir Ez-Zor.
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Notre-Dame de Paris (French: [nษtส(ษ) dam dษ paสi] ; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the รle de la Citรฉ (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady), is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
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Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koinฤ Greek: ฮฮปฮตฮฟฯฮฌฯฯฮฑ ฮฮตฮฌ ฮฆฮนฮปฮฟฯฮฌฯฯฯ, lit. 'Cleopatra father-loving goddess'; 70/69 BC โ 10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.
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Lucky Baskhar is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period crime drama film, written and directed by Venky Atluri. It is produced by S. Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinema and Srikara Studios. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan as Baskhar Kumar, a lower-middle-class man who struggles to support his family while battling debt and humiliation, from 1989 to 1992.
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Major General Maher al-Assad (Arabic: ู ูุงููุฑู ูฑููุฃูุณูุฏู, romanized: Mฤhir al-สพAsad, born 8 December 1967) is a Syrian military officer who served as commander of the Syrian Army's elite 4th Armoured Division, which, together with Syria's Military Intelligence, formed the core of the country's security forces until the collapse of Al-Assad's regime in 2024.
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Thomas Cromwell (; c. 1485 โ 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English statesman and lawyer who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charges for the execution. Cromwell was one of the most powerful proponents of the English Reformation.
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Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One for Mercedes. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titlesโtied with Michael Schumacherโand holds the records for most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (202), among others.
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Timothรฉe Hal Chalamet (English: TIM-ษth-ee SHAL-ษ-may; born December 27, 1995) is an American and French actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Film Awards. Chalamet began his career as a teenager in television, appearing in the drama series Homeland in 2012.
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Ian David Machado Garry (nรฉ Garry; born 17 November 1997) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Prior to signing with the UFC, Garry was a Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion. As of 12 March 2024, he is #7 in the UFC welterweight rankings.
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The World Chess Championship 2024, officially known as the World Chess Championship 2024 presented by Google, is an ongoing chess match between the reigning world champion Ding Liren and the challenger Gukesh Dommaraju to determine the World Chess Champion. The match is currently taking place between 25 November and 13 December 2024, with Singapore chosen as the host country for the match.
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The Syrian National Army (SNA; Arabic: ุงูุฌูุด ุงููุทูู ุงูุณูุฑู, romanized: al-Jayลก al-Waแนญanฤซ as-Sลซrฤซ), previously the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and also known as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), is a coalition of armed Syrian opposition groups that participated in the Syrian Civil War.
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Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Erivo ( uh-REE-von; born 8 January 1987) is a British actress and singer. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017. She earned numerous accolades for her performance, including the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
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2024 United States presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party's ticketโDonald Trump, who was the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and JD Vance, the junior U.S. senator from Ohioโdefeated the Democratic Party's ticketโKamala Harris, the incumbent vice president, and Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.
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Amaran (transl. The Immortal) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language biographical action war film directed by Rajkumar Periasamy and produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, together with Sony Pictures Films India. The film stars Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan, alongside Sai Pallavi, Rahul Bose and Bhuvan Arora.
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Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 โ October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playing the title character in the Superman film series (1978โ1987). He won a British Academy Film Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
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The Golan Heights (Arabic: ููุถูุจูุฉู ุงููุฌูููููุงูู, romanized: Haแธbatu l-Jawlฤn or ู ูุฑูุชูููุนูุงุชู ุงููุฌูููููุงูู, Murtafaสปฤtu l-Jawlฤn; Hebrew: ืจืืช ืืืืื, Ramat HaGolan, ), or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria.
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Subservience is a 2024 American sci-fi thriller film directed by S.K. Dale from a screenplay by Will Honley and April Maguire. It stars Megan Fox as an artificially intelligent gynoid who gains sentience and becomes hostile, and Michele Morrone as her purchaser. It was released on September 13, 2024.
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2024 Ghanaian general election
General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2024 to elect the president and members of Parliament. Then-incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, having completed his constitutional term limits, was ineligible for re-election. The National Democratic Congress candidate, former President John Mahama, won a majority in the first round, enough to win without a runoff.
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The Free Syrian Army (FSA; Arabic: ุงูุฌูุด ุงูุณูุฑู ุงูุญุฑ, romanized: al-jaysh as-Sลซrฤซ al-แธฅur) is a big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces.
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XXX (stylized as xXx and pronounced Triple X) is a 2002 American action film directed by Rob Cohen, produced by Neal H. Moritz and written by Rich Wilkes. The first installment in the xXx film series, the film stars Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, a thrill-seeking extreme sports enthusiast, stuntman, and rebellious athlete-turned-reluctant spy for the National Security Agency.
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Elon Reeve Musk (; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman known for his key roles in the space company SpaceX and the automotive company Tesla, Inc. His other involvements include ownership of X Corp. , the company that operates the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and his role in the founding of the Boring Company, xAI, Neuralink, and OpenAI.
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a 2024 adventure-action game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is based on the Indiana Jones franchise and features an original narrative that draws from the film series.
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Abdul Halim Khaddam ( AHB-dษl hษ-LEEM kษ-DAM; Arabic: ุนุจุฏ ุงูุญููู ุฎุฏุงู ;โ 15 September 1932 โ 31 March 2020) was a Syrian politician who served as interim President of Syria in 2000. He also was Vice President of Syria and the Syrian High Commissioner to Lebanon from 1984 to 2005. He was a long known loyalist of Hafez Assad.
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Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 โ April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association of photographers advocating "pure" photography which favored sharp focus and the use of the full tonal range of a photograph.
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YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States, it is the second-most visited website in the world, after Google Search.
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Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her biographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread public interest. Swift signed to Big Machine Records in 2005 starting as a country singer with the albums Taylor Swift (2006) and Fearless (2008).
