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Jackie MacMullanESPN Senior Writer

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Award-winning columnist and author

Recipient of Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award

Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2010

Editor's note: This is an updated version of a story first posted on May 5, 2018.
IT IS A raucous November night at the TD Garden in Boston as Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam calls for the ball in the post, extending his spindly arm while Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, a nimble defender, ambles over to guard him.

Brown aims to body up this long drink of sinew and muscle and bone, but he errs by a half second to take measure of the Raptors' animated big man. Siakam seizes on that glint of hesitation, unleashing a 360-degree spin move that is too quick, too fast, too explosive for Brown to counteract.

Siakam whirls to the basket, leaving Brown -- and an incredulous Garden crowd -- dumbfounded. "I'm so quick with it," Pascal says, "it's hard to recover from it."

Like that spin move, Siakam's career is exploding at warp speed, his trajectory as limitless as those long arms that afford him a 7-foot-3 wing span. Toronto has burst out of the blocks with a 20-4 mark, tops in the Eastern Conference, and while the chatter has rightfully centered on the blockbuster trade that netted the Raptors supernova Kawhi Leonard and valued veteran Danny Green, new head coach Nick Nurse, who traversed the country charting the offseason workouts of his players, came to an additional conclusion. "I knew," Nurse says, "that Pascal would be a focal point for us.''

Siakam's NBA ascent has been astonishing, beginning in 2016 when he arrived as a raw 22-year-old whose energy and athleticism landed him in the starting lineup after Jared Sullinger, signed to be the team's power forward, was injured.

For a Cameroonian kid who didn't start playing organized basketball until he was nearly 18, Siakam's rise through the ranks was almost too good to be true. It was. One day, Siakam recalls, Toronto president Masai Ujuri informed him he would be playing for the Raptors' D League (now G League) affiliate that night.

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Siakam swallowed his disappointment and reported to the Raptors 905. "Only one night,'' he told himself. "You can do this.'' But one night turned into a D League road trip, leaving Siakam a world away from the comforts of the NBA. He was angry, hurt, confused -- but silent. What did he do wrong? He knew this much: It didn't matter.

What he did from that moment on would define or derail his future with the team. "It was definitely my lowest point,'' Siakam says, "but I'm built for moments like that. This is how my life has gone. I've always had to fight through everything.''

He snatched MVP honors with the Raptors 905, then emerged as a key cog in the Raptor's Bench Mob last season. His game is a montage of motion and effort and explosiveness, the only missing component a reliable perimeter presence. "I can't wait until I'm an elite shooter,'' Siakam said in March.

No matter that Siakam was statistically one of the worst 3-point shooter in the NBA last season. His effective field goal percentage, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, was 26 percent below that of an average player -- far and away the lowest of anyone in the league.

Siakam is unfazed by this. He has been playing organized ball for just seven years -- and shooting 3-pointers for only two. Every new skill is like an unwrapped present under the tree that Pascal can't wait to open. Nurse believes Siakam, who tirelessly puts up hundreds of 3-pointers each day before practice, can be a 35 percent shooter from behind the arc. "No," Siakam said, "it will be higher." (He currently is shooting 33 percent.)

His desire to learn and his relentless energy have endeared him to his coaches, but what teammates notice is the confidence. "So much confidence,'' says Jakob Poeltl, his close friend and former Raptors teammate.

"I will tell you honestly,'' says Ujiri, "when I saw Pascal in Basketball Without Borders [in 2012], I couldn't even tell you if he was an NBA player.

"That's how incredible his story is.''

Indeed, how Siakam landed alongside basketball lifers Leonard and Kyle Lowry is the league's most improbable story, one that encompasses perseverance, insubordination, an astounding NBA coincidence, family heartache -- even murder.

THERE IS NOT a mark on the map -- at least not on our map -- to distinguish where Bafia, Cameroon, is located, so we're relying on the kindness of an NBA mother to show us the way on a searing-hot day in March 2017.

Agnes Moute, whose son is Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute, grew up in the town of Bafia. So today, it is she who's helping us navigate the dirt roads that lead out of the bustling city of Yaounde, over the Sanaga River and into this dusty village, roughly 80 miles north of Cameroon's capital.

Our destination is St. Andrews Seminary, where Siakam spent his childhood. And when we arrive, we are greeted by the director, Father Armel Collins Ndjama, who ushers us into his sweltering office, where the overhead fan merely recirculates a swell of humidity.

Collins offers a tour and opens the door to the kitchen, where students scrub pots and pans and wash dishes. A cluster of boys languish outside, awaiting their turn to wield an ax, cutting wood to fuel the fire for cooking. One boy half-heartedly rubs a soiled shirt against a wooden washboard, flinging soap suds in the grass.

The seminary requires the boys to complete these chores each morning. Father Collins says that when Siakam first arrived, he was punctual, dutiful, even enthusiastic about his responsibilities. His father, Tchamo, had enrolled him here when he was 11 years old, where he would remain for the next seven years, hand-picked to embody his family's Catholicism.

But as he grew older, Collins explains, he often did not complete his tasks in time. Siakam, first in his class academically, stopped doing his homework. The seminary designates specific days to leave the property, but Pascal began coming and going as he pleased.

"He turned from a very calm child into a very stubborn boy," Father Collins says through an interpreter. "At times, I considered dismissing him, but his academic results were so remarkable, we kept him."

Siakam had grown up in a basketball family but had never clamored to watch the NBA games that were occasionally broadcast in Cameroon the way his three older brothers had. Each of them landed college scholarships in America: Boris at Western Kentucky, Christian at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), James at Vanderbilt. Pascal wished to latch onto something different but was flummoxed when his father enrolled him in St. Andrew's. He did not believe the church was his calling, but he could not question his father.

"I would never go against his wishes,'' Siakam says. "There isn't a better man I've known in my life.''

Bafia is not a prosperous village, aside from one opulent home on the corner with an expansive courtyard and chiseled-stone fountains. On the day we visit, this palatial home bustles with activity, as local chiefs -- their long, flowing gowns glinting in the steamy African sun -- gather to discuss the concerns of their people. The list is lengthy: drought, disease, poor health care, unemployment and a contaminated water supply.

Sometimes, the gate to the home is flung open, a signal to the villagers that they can navigate the gravel pathway past the vintage European cars to pump fresh, clean water from the well in the back of the property. Occasionally, boys from the seminary are sent down the hill to fill their pails.

The morning we stop by the seminary, the boys are crammed into a bunkroom. There are upward of 70 of them. Beds are stacked on top of one another, and as the temperature spikes into the low 90s, the room reeks of dirt, bananas and sweat. This is where Siakam spent his teenage years.

The students have one hour each day, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., for physical activity. Often, Pascal opted to kick around a soccer ball. Occasionally, he would shoot baskets on the cracked cement court with the bent rim behind the dormitory. That was the extent of his basketball training.

"I was all right for a guy that didn't play,'' he says.

By the time he was 15, Siakam, by his own admission, grew to loathe the seminary. He did not want to be a priest, so he began to misbehave, hoping Father Collins would dismiss him. The priest devised curfew punishments for his rebellion, prompting Siakam to lash out further. It was a cycle that became arduous and tedious for both. "Our relationship,'' Siakam says, "was a clash.''

"When I saw Pascal in Basketball Without Borders [in 2012], I couldn't even tell you if he was an NBA player. That's how incredible his story is." Masai Ujiri, Raptors president

He was briefly sent home to Douala on a bumpy, eight-hour bus ride, an outcome that secretly pleased him. But Tchamo insisted he return to fulfill his obligations.

"I understood early on that his father had a vision, and Pascal was not sharing it," Father Collins says. "I knew we would probably not be able to train him to be a priest, but I still hoped we could teach him to be a man."

"I know what he was thinking,'' Siakam says. "'Why is this smart kid doing all this dumb stuff?' The answer was, 'I don't want to be here.' I tried everything I could think of to get out.''

He grudgingly stayed until he graduated in 2012, then packed his belongings and bade Father Collins and Bafia good riddance.

By 2017, when we arrive at St. Andrews, Siakam is wrapping up his rookie NBA season. Asked if he is surprised about the success of his former student, the priest replies, "No. When Pascal put his mind to it, he was capable of most anything.''

Perhaps, Siakam says now, that was the problem. He didn't know what he wanted back then. When he walked to the market to buy plantains, passing by the ostentatious mansion on the corner, he wondered who lived there and daydreamed about owning his own spacious home with fountains and statues.

Later, he learned, the house belonged to Mbah a Moute's parents. For seven years, Pascal Siakam lived just 3 kilometers away, yet their paths never crossed. That was about to change -- for it was Mbah a Moute who would discover Siakam and kick-start his basketball career.

SIAKAM WENT TO Luc Mbah a Moute's basketball camp on a lark. It was the summer of 2011, and Siakam, on break from St. Andrew's, had tagged along with some childhood friends. Mbah a Moute was the unofficial patron saint of basketball in Cameroon. He established his free camps to encourage the sport of basketball to flourish in his native land and to provide young, promising talent such as Joel Embiid and Siakam's brothers an opportunity to pursue their talents further.

With his three brothers having played college basketball, Pascal's family's basketball reputation had gained him entry, but he had no expectations of being noticed.

Like the wildly talented yet unpolished Embiid before him, though, Siakam possessed an undeniable athleticism and competitiveness, which captured the imaginations of the coaches. He was raw but lively, skinny but willing to absorb contact. In Cameroon, young basketball players are measured by potential, not results.

After his second summer at Mbah a Moute's camp in 2012, Siakam was shocked to learn that he had been chosen to attend Basketball Without Borders. Siakam realized what was at stake. If he played well and showed promise, he'd score a ticket to America like his brothers had before him. When it was his turn to scrimmage, he played with a fervor he hoped would distinguish him, leaping to block shots, diving for loose balls. His shooting skills were rudimentary, but, as Ujiri notes, "His effort was memorable.''

He landed a scholarship to God's Academy in Lewisville, Texas, then one year later parlayed that into a scholarship offer to New Mexico State.

When he called James to share the news, his brother thought it was a prank. "I laughed at him,'' James Siakam says. "I said, 'You? Basketball? I don't believe it.'"

Siakam redshirted at New Mexico State for the 2013-14 season, spending every free moment in the gym. On the rare occasions when he called home, Pascal could hear the pride in his father's voice. By then, the disappointment over his actions at St. Andrew's had been forgiven, but not forgotten.

On the eve of the 2014-15 New Mexico State preseason, Siakam was in his dorm room when his phone rang. It was his sister Raissa, who was also studying in the United States.

In between halting sobs, she informed Pascal that their father had been killed in a car accident. "I don't remember anything about it," Pascal says. "It is all a blank."

Within minutes, James also called. Pascal had questions, but their mother, Victorie, was consumed with grief. Details were scarce. All the children knew was that Tchamo had been involved in a two-car collision and taken to a nearby hospital, where he had survived four days with Victorie at his side before dying of internal injuries.

"It was so difficult for my mother; we didn't push her," James says. "All these years later, we are still learning bits and pieces."

Siakam centered on only one thought: I need to go home. James had already booked his flight to Douala, but Pascal had applied for a new visa that was still being processed. If he flew to Cameroon, there was a strong chance he would not be able to return to the U.S. without the proper paperwork. "My brothers are saying, 'You can't come.' My mother says it, too," Pascal says.

New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies, who had lost his own father two years earlier, rushed to his player's side. He made some phone calls, but it quickly became clear that Siakam's best option would be to make the heart-wrenching decision to miss his father's funeral. If he went home to Cameroon, he risked losing his scholarship and his future as a potential pro prospect.

Pascal scribbled "RIP Dad" on his shoes and dedicated his season to Tchamo. Many nights, he wept quietly in his room, aching for home. "It's something that has never really left Pascal's heart," James says, "knowing that he wasn't there for the funeral.''

Siakam was named WAC Freshman of the Year in a season that remains a blur of sadness and pain. The following season, in 2015-16, he averaged 20.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, and was named WAC Player of the Year. "Pascal became more passionate about his development after the passing of his father," Menzies says. "He embraced it as motivation to make his father proud.''

Siakam decided to make the jump to the NBA, and the Raptors invited him to a pre-draft workout in Buffalo, New York. Before the workouts, he approached Skal Labissiere and Poeltl to exchange salutations. But when the groups were split up, Poeltl and Labissiere were ushered to one basket, while Pascal was placed with the second-tier prospects at another.

"I went crazy,'' Siakam says. "My best workout ever. I was pissed off, and I played like it.''

Raptors coach Dwane Casey noted his defensive stance, his footwork and his pursuit of the ball. But mostly, he was taken with Siakam's energy. "He has the best motor of any player I've seen," Casey says.

Two weeks later, Toronto selected Siakam with the 27th pick in the 2016 draft. Three months after that, the night before a preseason game against the Washington Wizards, Siakam saw his mother for the first time in four years. She came to see Raissa, who lived in the D.C. area, and to watch Pascal play.

Pascal hadn't folded his mother in his arms since his father died. James estimates it has been 16 years since all the siblings have been in the same room together. Victorie remarked that Pascal looked taller, stronger, older. They ate pizza at a restaurant near the hotel and tried to fill in the gaps of missed birthdays, holidays and milestones. Pascal says his mother was mostly stoic during that visit. "She doesn't like to show her emotions," he says, "but I'm sure she cried later."

Five days later, the first NBA game Pascal Siakam ever saw in person was the first one he ever played in -- as a rookie starter.

PASCAL SIAKAM HASN'T been back to Cameroon in nearly five years. He finds himself drifting back to Bafia, to the seminary and to the hard lessons he learned from Father Collins. His best friend from the seminary, Ludovic Zitchem, continues to pursue his religious training in Cameroon and keeps Siakim abreast of news from home. Zitchem checks on Victorie and calls his old friend from time to time.

On May 10, 2017, Siakam's phone jangled in the middle of the night. It was Zitchem, and Siakim's heart jumped.

No, not my mother. Please, not my mother, he thought. "Your mom is fine,'' Ludovic assured him. It was Father Collins. He had been found dead in his home, and foul play was suspected.

The mystery would deepen three weeks later, when the body of Bafia Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Balla was pulled from the Sanaga River by a fisherman. A subsequent autopsy would conclude that the bishop, a close associate of Father Collins, had been tortured and murdered.

Bafia officials continue to investigate whether the two deaths are connected. "I was shocked," Siakam says. "I felt bad, a little guilty, you know?" There were things he would have liked to have said to Father Collins, regrets that still linger now.

Today, Siakam is determined to bring Victorie to America so he and his brothers can care for her. He talked to Mbah a Moute about this when the Rockets came to town on March 8 and the two went to dinner. That night, they discussed their families, their country and Father Collins.

Mbah a Moute congratulated Siakim on his burgeoning role on the Bench Mob. He praised Siakam's most unorthodox and unlikely journey to the NBA. They were 6,000 miles from that bunk room in Bafia, where just a few years earlier, Siakam had plotted his escape.

But the distance surely felt greater than that.

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8:00 AM ET Jackie MacMullanESPN Senior Writer Close Award-winning columnist and author Recipient of Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2010 Editor's note: This is an updated version of a story first posted on May 5, 2018.

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Facebook internal emails show Zuckerberg targeting competitor Vine.

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facebook internal documents released by uk committee - cnn

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Facebook internal documents released by UK committee

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A UK parliamentary committee has released hundreds of pages of internal Facebook emails the company fought to keep secret, including some sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

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James Rackover gets maximum sentence for murder of Connecticut man

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Cardi B announces breakup with Offset | CNN

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Cardi B says she and her husband Offset have broken up.

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Dubai's wild new police truck can I.D. pedestrians with facial recognition tech. Dubai Police Force is famous for the fleet of flashy high-performance supercars it uses for community outreach now it is adding trucks equipped with some serious crime-fighting technology.

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Dubai’s wild new police truck can I.D. pedestrians with facial recognition tech

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Steelers fan chokes pregnant Chargers fan at the game

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A Pittsburgh Steelers fan was caught in stunning photos and video choking a pregnant Los Angeles Chargers supporter during Sunday's game at Pennsylvania's Heinz Field.

The altercation appears to begin with a man in a suit emblazoned with Chargers logos fighting a man dressed in blue jeans and wearing a black jacket. At one point, a woman in a Chargers jersey -- who is reportedly pregnant -- steps in the middle of the fracas. As she intervenes, the Steelers fan in the black jacket, who has not been identified, is seen grabbing her throat.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ATTEND ARMY-NAVY FOOTBALL GAME SATURDAY IN PHILADELPHIA
Daniel Minshew told the Pittsburgh Current he and the woman, who was not identified, are married and from San Diego. He said he had been "heckled and yelled at prior to the attack" but "never experienced anything" like Sunday's fight. He told the Current he planned to call police and file charges.

The Steelers released a statement saying they were cooperating with local authorities to investigate the incident.
PATRIOTS' BILL BELICHICK, VIKINGS RECEIVER HAVE HEATED EXCHANGE DURING FOURTH QUARTER
"We strive to make events at Heinz Field safe for our guests," the statement said. "This type of behavior seen in the photo is unacceptable and something we do not condone on our property. We are working with Heinz Field security as well as local authorities to gather more information on this particular incident as the Pittsburgh Police determines whether or not to press charges, and we will ensure those involved as the aggressors will not be permitted back into our stadium."

In addition to the choking incident, the game included a number of other brawls in the stands, KDKA-TV reported. The Chargers beat the Steelers, 33-30.

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Steelers fan chokes pregnant Chargers fan at game, photos and video show

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A Pittsburgh Steelers fan was caught in stunning photos and video choking a pregnant Los Angeles Chargers supporter during Sunday's game at Pennsylvania's Heinz Field. The altercation appears to begin with a man in a suit emblazoned with Chargers logos fighting a man dressed in blue jeans and wearing a black jacket.

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No one triple dog dared this 11-year-old boy in Illinois to test out the iconic playground stunt from "A Christmas Story," but he certainly got stuck on the idea and wound up with the same painful result.
Spencer Cline, who has seen the classic Christmas movie, was tempted to try the trick with a friend. The scene played out just as it did in the film, a frantic plea for help.

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No one triple dog dared this 11-year-old boy in Illinois to test out the iconic playground stunt from " A Christmas Story," but he certainly got stuck on the idea and wound up with the same painful result.

Spencer Cline, who has seen the classic Christmas movie, was tempted to try the trick with a friend. The scene played out just as it did in the film, a frantic plea for help.

ABCNews.com

Cline was sledding with his friend Cole Leeper, 12, on Tuesday in Sandwich when they came across the pole on their way home, according to the Aurora Beacon-News.

"He thought that my tongue wasn't actually stuck to the pole and he couldn't hear me," Cline told ABC News. "He couldn't understand what I was trying to say."

In the movie, after Flick realizes his tongue has adhered to the frozen pole, he begins to scream "help, help, help," to no avail.

Luckily for Cline, his friend actually leaped into action. According to Cline, his friend searched for hot water and rushed to ask a nearby neighbor for help.

The neighbor called 911 and both the caller and the operator sounded equally stunned.

"And his tongue's stuck to the metal post?" the dispatcher asked. "Yeah," the neighbor said laughing.

After six minutes, the middle schooler managed to free himself before paramedics arrived. But he said it was a painful lesson to learn.

"It really hurt and I would never do it again," Cline said.

He also told ABC News that his grandparent's dog is named Ralphie, which ironically is the same name as the main character from "A Christmas Story."

"Good Morning America" tested out the results of thermal conductivity and chief meteorologist Ginger Zee explained that because poles are made of metal they conduct heat more easily.

Play

When a tongue makes contact with the freezing pole, it quickly takes all of the heat out of the tongue. The body responds by sending more heat there. With no heat, the saliva on the tongue freezes, which then latches onto the pole. And now you're stuck.

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Boy's attempt at 'A Christmas Story' frozen pole trick ends with same painful result

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No one triple dog dared this 11-year-old boy in Illinois to test out the iconic playground stunt from " A Christmas Story," but he certainly got stuck on the idea and wound up with the same painful result. Spencer Cline, who has seen the classic Christmas movie, was tempted to try the trick with a friend.

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Steelers fan chokes pregnant Chargers fan at game, photos and video show

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A Pittsburgh Steelers fan was caught in stunning photos and video choking a pregnant Los Angeles Chargers supporter during Sunday's game at Pennsylvania's Heinz Field.

The altercation appears to begin with a man in a suit emblazoned with Chargers logos fighting a man dressed in blue jeans and wearing a black jacket. At one point, a woman in a Chargers jersey -- who is reportedly pregnant -- steps in the middle of the fracas. As she intervenes, the Steelers fan in the black jacket, who has not been identified, is seen grabbing her throat.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ATTEND ARMY-NAVY FOOTBALL GAME SATURDAY IN PHILADELPHIA
Daniel Minshew told the Pittsburgh Current he and the woman, who was not identified, are married and from San Diego. He said he had been "heckled and yelled at prior to the attack" but "never experienced anything" like Sunday's fight. He told the Current he planned to call police and file charges.

The Steelers released a statement saying they were cooperating with local authorities to investigate the incident.
PATRIOTS' BILL BELICHICK, VIKINGS RECEIVER HAVE HEATED EXCHANGE DURING FOURTH QUARTER
"We strive to make events at Heinz Field safe for our guests," the statement said. "This type of behavior seen in the photo is unacceptable and something we do not condone on our property. We are working with Heinz Field security as well as local authorities to gather more information on this particular incident as the Pittsburgh Police determines whether or not to press charges, and we will ensure those involved as the aggressors will not be permitted back into our stadium."

In addition to the choking incident, the game included a number of other brawls in the stands, KDKA-TV reported. The Chargers beat the Steelers, 33-30.

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Steelers fan chokes pregnant Chargers fan at game, photos and video show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Pittsburgh Steelers fan was caught in stunning photos and video choking a pregnant Los Angeles Chargers supporter during Sunday's game at Pennsylvania's Heinz Field. The altercation appears to begin with a man in a suit emblazoned with Chargers logos fighting a man dressed in blue jeans and wearing a black jacket.

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Turkey seeks arrest of 2 former aides to Saudi crown prince

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ISTANBUL - Turkey is seeking the arrest of two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who were dismissed amid the fallout from the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The U.N.'s human rights chief, meanwhile, said an international probe is needed into Khashoggi's death.

Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said Wednesday a court approved arrest warrants for former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and former deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri, who are believed to have overseen the team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in October. Saudi authorities say the agents who killed Khashoggi exceeded their authority.

The Istanbul chief prosecutor's Tuesday court application says there is "strong suspicion" the two aides were involved in planning the killing.

Turkey has been seeking to extradite 18 suspects, including 15 members of the alleged assassination squad. The government says a trial in Turkey would provide transparency and accountability and says Saudi authorities have not fully cooperated with the probe.

Speaking in Brussels, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that Turkey had been "patiently" requesting information from the Saudi investigation. He said Saudi Arabia instead gave "contradictory statements" and called on the kingdom "to be transparent towards us and the international community, share what has resulted from the investigations."

Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, a senior Turkish official familiar with the investigation said the arrest warrants reflect Turkey's view that Saudi Arabia won't hold the suspects accountable.

"The international community seems to doubt Saudi Arabia's commitment to prosecute this heinous crime," the official said, adding that by extraditing all suspects to Turkey, "Saudi authorities could address those concerns."

Saudi Arabia has detained 21 people and says it is seeking the death penalty for five. Saudi authorities initially said Khashoggi, who had written articles critical of the crown prince's policies, had disappeared after safely leaving the consulate. It only acknowledged he was killed after Turkish press reports based on intelligence leaks revealed extensive details of the operation.

Khashoggi had visited the consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain documents required to wed his Turkish fiancée. His remains are still to be found, and Turkey has repeatedly demanded that Saudi officials reveal the identity of a local collaborator who may have disposed of the body.

U.S. intelligence assessments and experts say it's unlikely the killing could have happened without the crown prince's knowledge.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said an international investigation is needed into the "awful" killing of Khashoggi.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva timed for the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she alluded to similar calls from outside experts linked to the U.N. human rights office.

"We also call for an international investigation," she said. "We mentioned to the (U.N.) secretary-general that we thought it was needed, a criminal investigation - international investigation."

She said her office doesn't have the mandate to conduct a criminal investigation, however.

Cavusoglu said if needed, Turkey would not refrain from an international investigation, adding that he discussed it with counterparts at NATO meetings and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with world leaders during last week's G20 summit.

___

Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

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Turkey seeks arrest of 2 former aides to Saudi crown prince

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ISTANBUL - Turkey is seeking the arrest of two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who were dismissed amid the fallout from the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The U.N.'s human rights chief, meanwhile, said an international probe is needed into Khashoggi's death.

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Cardi B announces breakup with her rapper husband Offset from the migos. The 25-year-old rapper posted a 42-second video on her Instagram account early Wednesday morning announcing the split.

Cardi went on to say, "And it's nobody's fault. It's just like I guess we grew out of love. But we're not together anymore. I don't know it might take time to get a divorce. And I'm going to always have a lot of love for him because he is my daughter's father and yeah."

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Five teenagers – including two minors – were indicted earlier this week on the rarely used charge of “lynching" after the brutal August murder of a 24-year-old Virginia man.

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Kareem Hunt's NFL future reveals a lot about the NFL, it's the Patriots' time of year again, and the NFL's best surprise story just may get the Broncos into the playoffs. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance.

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Kareem Hunt's NFL future reveals a lot about the NFL, it's the Patriots' time of year again, and the NFL's best surprise story just may get the Broncos into the playoffs. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance. 1. The sad reality of the NFL and violence against women
The words from an NFL team executive stunned me.

After former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was released by the team in the wake of a video that showed him shoving and kicking a woman in a hotel hallway in February, an AFC team official was asked if he thought Hunt would play again in the NFL.

"He will be back because we can't help ourselves as a league," the front office source said.

The league is about talent, the official added, even if that talent is on tape shoving and kicking a woman.

"Show me one example where our league suffered from signing players like Hunt," he asked. "That's why he'll play again. There are no repercussions for signing guys like him. But there are if you don't."

Translation: You get bad press for signing a bad guy, but that only lasts a short time. Meanwhile, that bad guy can help you win games. So, in the long run, teams calculate, it's worth the risk.

It's the calculation Washington made when it claimed linebacker Reuben Foster off waivers three days after he was arrested and charged with domestic violence, and two days after he was released by the 49ers.

Clearly, when it comes to players and violence against women, little has changed.

There's no way to definitively measure how teams signing players with a history of violence against women affects the NFL's popularity. One possible indicator is what happened with Ray Rice. Four years ago, the video of him assaulting his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, was published by TMZ. The NFL's handling of the case was atrocious, and because of that, some in the NFL thought the league would suffer a significant loss of advertising dollars and viewership.

Instead, NFL games have accounted for 46 of the top 50 most-watched television programs during the 2018 season, according to ESPN.com.

Also, domestic violence headlines invariably fade. Teams know this. How many people remember Jonathan Dwyer? Or Greg Hardy? Or Ray McDonald? Or Josh Brown? The list is long. So the executive is probably correct. There seems to be almost no long-term repercussions for signing players with a history of violence against women.

"[Have] the Chiefs suffered repercussions [from] signing Tyreek Hill?" asked a second team executive, this one from the NFC.

Hill pleaded guilty to choking and punching his pregnant girlfriend, Crystal Espinal, while in college, which rarely gets mentioned anymore.

Of course, not all executives feel signing abusers is a good idea. Washington was lit up by executives following its claim of Foster. "What do they gain by doing this now?" one executive told CBSSports.com. "It reflects poorly on the entire league. It makes all of us look bad. They said in their own press release he might not ever play a snap for them. What's the point? I'm kind of disgusted by it."

Hunt's actions, which became public after TMZ obtained and published the video last week, are only one issue surrounding Hunt. The site also reported Hunt was accused of assault at a nightclub in January and of punching a man in the face at a resort in June. No charges were filed, according to the stories.

Team executives, in general, believe Hunt will eventually be suspended six games, and then sign with a team almost immediately following that suspension. That means Hunt could be back on a football field and on our screens in less than a year.

This is the way of the NFL.

It's unfortunate. It's awful. It's cynical. But it's true.
2. The NFL could hold teams accountable, if it really wanted to
If teams don't feel disincentivized to sign players with a history of violence against women, what would make them think twice about signing the next Hunt, or Hunt himself? One suggestion made to me by a league office source sounds intriguing.

If a team signs a player with a provable history of domestic violence or violence against a woman (either a conviction or video proof), that team would give up a No. 1 draft pick. Or, at least, a high-round pick.

Something like this would never, ever, happen, but it is an example of the sort of cost that might make a difference. No teams want to risk draft picks, and it would finally add some sort of accountability.

For once.
3. Rodgers-McCarthy split a long time in the making
There have long been rumors that the relationship between Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and fired coach Mike McCarthy was essentially nonexistent.

Jeff Saturday, who played in Green Bay in 2012, offered some insight.

Saturday said on ESPN this week the problems began years ago.

"When you'd be in the huddle, and Mike McCarthy would make the play call, you could see Aaron's frustration," Saturday said. "Whether it be the eye-roll..."

Saturday added that the disconnect between the two began years ago, and also said he believes a lot of young players may have picked up Rodgers' disdain for the play-calling, and that that disdain spread like a virus.

We won't fully know what happened with this relationship until McCarthy and Rodgers talk about it extensively (or write books about it), and that may not happen for years.

Now, though, with McCarthy gone, the pressure reverts back to Rodgers. He got what he wanted; now it's time to show what he can do after the divorce.
4. One of a kind
Odell Beckham Jr.'s late-game " business decision" against the Bears may have drawn its share of criticism, but Beckham continues to transform the record book.

Beckham, against the Bears, threw his second touchdown pass of the season and made some history in the process, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:

Elias Sports Bureau @EliasSports
OBJ is the first in 94 years. https://t.co/n9bMRLkNbr

Love him or loathe him, Beckham continues to do things we just don't see a lot of players do. It's incredible to watch.
5. The Patriots are here to steal your toys again
During the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era, the Patriots have always viewed December as the true beginning of the NFL season. September, October and November are little more than extensions of the preseason, in Patriots world.

Well, here we are again, and the Patriots are still going to warp in December. After beating Minnesota 24-10 on Sunday, New England has won 31 of its last 34 home games in the month. And while we marvel (rightfully so) at the Chiefs and Chargers, the Patriots are sitting quietly at 9-3 and ready to shock us all, which really shouldn't be a shock anymore.
6. Object of Bill's affection
Everyone knows by now that at his press conferences Belichick sounds like he's headed to the dentist. But on occasion, he gets passionate about a subject, and that happened this week when he was speaking about Alabama coach, and former Browns colleague, Nick Saban.

"I don't think anybody has done it better than he has, so I think probably every coach in football is trying to do it as well as he does it and has done it," Belichick said, according to a transcript from the team. "But they do a tremendous job there. Nick's a tremendous coach. I've certainly learned a lot from him during the time we were together, and he's been a great friend and a coach that I have tremendous respect and admiration for.

"Whenever we get a chance to visit, it's really a great opportunity to me to learn from somebody that I respect so much and know how much knowledge and ... real football application he has-what you can do, what you can't do and what looks good on the board and what actually looks good on the field. ... It's really incredible what he's done there, the program that he's built, how consistent he is and the way he does it with a lot of class and great discipline, great execution and passion. Yeah, there's nobody I have more respect for in football than Nick Saban, period."
7. Lindsay one of the league's great surprises
Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay is one of the best success stories in football, but I'm not sure everyone understands just how remarkable he's been.

Lindsay has transformed the Broncos from a disaster to a contender, and he's done it by eating up large chunks of yards. Through Week 13, Lindsay was averaging a league-leading 6.1 yards per carry. Against the Bengals on Sunday, he ran for 157 yards on 19 carries (an 8.3-yards-per-carry average). According the Broncos:

Patrick Smyth @psmyth12
Broncos RB @I_CU_boy (19-157, 8.3, 2 TD) today became the 1st NFL player in 11 seasons (Fred Taylor, '07) to post three consecutive games averaging at least seven yards per carry (min. 10 att.). Lindsay is the first rookie to accomplish that feat in 25 yrs (Jerome Bettis, '93). https://t.co/AOW0bFXZ7C

It may be too late for the 6-6 Broncos to make the playoffs, but after winning three straight while heading into a closing stretch against the 49ers, Browns, Raiders and Chargers, Denver has a shot. And Lindsay is no small part of the reason why.
8. NFL shouldn't hold its breath for Urban...at least for now
With the announcement that Ohio State's Urban Meyer is retiring from coaching the Buckeyes, several NFL teams did their due diligence on if he'd coach in the NFL. At the moment, Meyer is telling teams no, I'm told.

Meyer is-how do I say this-shaky when it comes to employment matters. He "retired" from Florida and then unretired. Now he's "retiring" again.

He will likely coach again; however, it won't be in the NFL. At least that's his answer today.
9. Firing season arrives early
As ESPN's Adam Schefter outlined, the number of coach firings is already multiplying quickly, and we're not even at the end of the season:

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Oct. 15 - Bucs fire DC Mike Smith Oct. 19 - Cardinals fire OC Mike McCoy Oct. 29 - Browns fire HC Hue Jackson Nov. 12 - Bengals fire DC Teryl Austin Nov. 26 - Jags fire OC Nathaniel Hackett Dec. 2 - Packers fire HC Mike McCarthy And the NFL hasn't even reached its busy season...

You can add Panthers defensive line coach Brady Hoke and assistant secondary coach Jeff Imamura to that list after Monday's shake-up in Carolina.

They won't be the last, especially with the usual rumors swirling around the Bengals' Marvin Lewis, among others. This offseason could get ugly for a lot of coaches.
10. Still top dog
The Steelers may have suffered a terrible loss to the Chargers on Sunday night, but the game did remind us of one thing: Antonio Brown remains the best receiver in football.

Brown had six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. That put Brown in some select company, as NFL Research pointed out:

NFL Research @NFLResearch
Antonio Brown scored... again... Brown has a receiving TD in 10 of 12 games this season. In the Super Bowl era, only Carl Pickens in 1995 and Jerry Rice (🐐) in 1989 have more games (11) with a receiving TD through their team's first 12 games. #Steelers @steelers

It's not just Brown's numbers. It's how he's doing it. He's got the route-running skills of Rice, the footwork of Cris Carter and the hands of DeAndre Hopkins. Sometimes you see all those traits in a single play; and sometimes you see a singular facet of his game stand out.

One play exemplified the Brown experience Sunday: Late in the first half, the Chargers doubled-teamed Brown right from the snap. Brown simply juked right by it, before Ben Roethlisberger sailed a perfect pass to him in the end zone.

It was a clinic in route running. Brown does it every week, and no one today does it better.
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.

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Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: What's Kareem Hunt's NFL Future, If He Has One?

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Kareem Hunt 's NFL future reveals a lot about the NFL, it's the Patriots' time of year again, and the NFL's best surprise story just may get the Broncos into the playoffs. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance...

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The body of Carla Stefaniak, a US citizen reported missing while on vacation in Costa Rica, has been found, her family confirmed, as authorities announced a suspect is in custody in the case.

It appears Stefaniak's father was allowed to see the body of his 36-year-old daughter Tuesday night, according to a Facebook page that has been updated by a family friend.

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George H.W. Bush honored by son, dignitaries in emotional funeral tribute: 'A great and noble man'

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George H.W. Bush's enormous legacy was honored by a procession of dignitaries and family members at Wednesday's state funeral in Washington, with his former president son, George W., capping off the tributes by delivering an emotional and personal eulogy for "a great and noble man."

"We're gonna miss you," the 43rd president said of his father, the 41st president. "Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever."

Bush and his family joined all living current and former presidents, as well as world leaders and other distinguished guests at the Washington National Cathedral.

He choked up in describing "the best father a son or daughter could have."

Referencing his late mother, as well as a sister who died young, he said: "And in our grief, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again."

The 43rd president also drew laughter with anecdotes about his father, revealing how Bush confidant James Baker recently secretly brought vodka and steaks into his hospital suite. "To us, he was close to perfect," he said. "But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He wasn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic defects on to us."

A longtime friend, a fellow world leader and a historian also delivered eulogies for Bush, who served as president, vice president and CIA director and fought in World War II.

"George Herbert Walker Bush was America's last great soldier-statesman, a 20th century founding father," presidential historian Jon Meacham, who wrote a Bush biography, said in his eulogy.

"I believe it will be said that no occupant of the Oval Office was more courageous, more principled and more honorable than George Herbert Walker Bush," former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who served when Bush was president, said.

"In George Bush's theme of life, during all the highs and lows, was a simple credo: what would we do without family and friends?" said former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, a longtime family friend, who made the crowd laugh in a heartfelt tribute with stories about his times with the president.

Simpson added, "He was a man of such great humility. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C. are not bothered by heavy traffic."

Cathedral officials told Fox News the cathedral was at full capacity, with approximately 3,000 people in attendance. Members of the Bush family -- Lauren Bush Lauren, Ashley Walker Bush and Jenna Bush Hager -- read lessons from the Bible. The hymns "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven" and "The King of love my shepherd is" were sung.

Earlier, members of Bush's family looked on as the former president's casket was carried down the steps of the Capitol, amid a 21-gun salute and the playing of "Hail to the Chief" and other hymns, for its trek to the cathedral. The motorcade passed by the White House one final time on its way to the service. Trump has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning.

Despite a rocky history between the Trump and Bush families, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the service. Ahead of the funeral, Trump tweeted, "Looking forward to being with the Bush family. This is not a funeral, this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed!"

All eyes were on the front row on the left side of the cathedral facing the pulpit. That's where Trump and his wife, Melania, sat, along with the other former presidents and their families: Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and his wife - Trump's 2016 Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. When the Trumps entered the cathedral, they took a pair of seats next to the Obamas, exchanging handshakes. Trump and the Clintons did not acknowledge each other.

Also attending: Britain's Prince Charles, the king and queen of Jordan, Polish President Andrzej Duda and other dignitaries from around the world.

Bush was known for his gentlemanly demeanor, dedication to traditional American values, willingness to take on foreign despots like Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Panama's Manuel Noriega, and leadership presiding over the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Bush, who died Friday at the age 94, was preceded in death by about eight months by his wife, Barbara Bush.

Bush's casket has been in the Capitol since Monday night, when a short service was held with family, friends and lawmakers. Since then, thousands of visitors have flocked to the Capitol Rotunda to pay their respects as Bush was lying in state.
AMERICANS PAY RESPECTS TO GEORGE H.W. BUSH AT CAPITOL: 'EMBODIED COURTESY AND DECENCY'
Later Wednesday, Bush's casket will depart Joint Base Andrews and be flown to Houston, Texas, for a funeral.

He'll be laid to rest on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, near his wife, Barbara, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953 at age 3.
Fox News' Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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George H.W. Bush honored by son, dignitaries in emotional funeral tribute: 'A great and noble man'

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George H.W. Bush's enormous legacy was honored by a procession of dignitaries and family members at Wednesday's state funeral in Washington, with his former president son, George W., capping off the tributes by delivering an emotional and personal eulogy for "a great and noble man."

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Florida Highway Patrol trooper Mithil Patel pushed a man out of the way of an out-of-control car. This act of bravery saved the man's life

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watch: florida trooper saves man's life - cnn video

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Watch: Florida trooper saves man's life - CNN Video

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Florida Highway Patrol trooper Mithil Patel pushed a man out of the way of an out-of-control car. This act of bravery saved the man's life.

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The Buffalo Bills have a veteran WR in Kelvin Benjamin, or they did. They released him and Head Coach Sean McDermott said ¨it just did not work out for us.¨

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The Buffalo Bills shook up their wide receiver corps Tuesday by cutting ties with veterans Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes.

Holmes was an undercard to the news.

The same can't be said for Benjamin, who the Bills invested heavily in by sending third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Carolina Panthers to acquire the former first-round pick of the 2014 draft.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott addressed the media Wednesday, but declined to go into the specific reasons behind Benjamin's release.

"I'm not going into all those," McDermott told reporters Wednesday. "At the end of the day, it didn't work for us."

The Bills head coach added the importance for the team to "take swings" with the hopes on hitting on a player. And that scenario perfectly described what happened when Buffalo acquired Benjamin's services from Carolina with the view to make him the No. 1 receiver.

Benjamin didn't provide a good return on the team's investment, however, as he produced a paltry 39 catches for 571 yards and two touchdowns since arriving in Buffalo. Through 13 games with 12 starts this season, Benjamin totaled 23 catches on 62 targets for a dismal 37.1 catch percentage.

The Bills ultimately saw enough before electing to go a different direction.

"We stepped up to the plate and you take a swing," McDermott said. "Some of those are going work and some aren't, but the only way you get a hit is you take a swing.

"And just as important for us, I believe, is when things are no longer right for us as our football team and where we are, the vision we're trying to chase, that we move forward and that's what we did."

The timing of his release couldn't come at worst time for Benjamin, who was playing the 2018 season on a fifth-year option that Buffalo absorbed in the trade with Carolina.

Barring a team claiming Benjamin off waivers or signing him before the end of the regular season, Benjamin was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. And given the lack of production over the past two seasons, he likely cost himself a large pay raise.

In the meantime, McDermott thanked Benjamin and Holmes for their contributions and wished the two players well, adding the final four games will provide younger players at the wide receiver position the chance to step up.

"We're going to move forward and develop these young players," McDermott said. "And like I said, they given us, they've earned that right to be given more opportunities."

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McDermott on cutting Benjamin: 'It didn't work for us'

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The Buffalo Bills shook up their wide receiver corps Tuesday by cutting ties with veterans Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes. Holmes was an undercard to the news. The same can't be said for Benjamin, who the Bills invested heavily in by sending third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Carolina Panthers to acquire the former first-round pick of the 2014 draft.

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One student has died after a packed school bus collided with a flatbed truck in Indiana Wednesday morning, according to state police. One injured student was taken by helicopter to a hospital in South Bend while the other students were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, police said.

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One student has died after a packed school bus collided with a flatbed truck in Indiana Wednesday morning, according to state police.

There were 39 children on the bus at the time of the crash, which was reported just after 9 a.m. near Argos, the Indiana State Police said.

WBND

WBND

Argos is about 30 miles south of South Bend.

One injured student was taken by helicopter to a hospital in South Bend while the other students were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, police said.

WBND

The students were headed to what was believed to be a field trip, police said.

This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.

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1 student killed in school bus crash in Indiana

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One student has died after a packed school bus collided with a flatbed truck in Indiana Wednesday morning, according to state police. There were 39 children on the bus at the time of the crash, which was reported just after 9 a.m. near Argos, the Indiana State Police said.

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A Florida neurologist was arrested Monday for drugging his dinner date. It is believed that he was trying to kill or seriously injure the woman. He put the powder in her drink when she went to the restroom and when she returned he pressured her to finish the drink. A nearby waiter saw the situation and stopped it before any crucial damage could take place.

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A helicopter team counting caribou in British Columbia, Canada, recently made an unexpected discovery during an aerial survey: Crewmembers spied an opening to a massive cave that had never been seen before and which might be the largest cave in the country.

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A helicopter team counting caribou in British Columbia, Canada, recently made an unexpected discovery during an aerial survey: Crewmembers spied an opening to a massive cave that had never been seen before and which might be the largest cave in the country.

Found in April in an alpine valley in Wells Gray Provincial Park, the cave's mouth gapes 328 feet (100 meters) across - if the Statue of Liberty were tipped over on its side, it would just about span the opening. The width of the cave is similarly impressive, measuring 197 feet (60 m), and the cave extends at least 443 feet (135 m) straight down, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

A biologist with the helicopter crew that spotted the sizable opening dubbed it "Sarlacc's Pit," after the lair that housed the predatory sarlacc in the "Star Wars" movie "Return of the Jedi," according to the CBC. The deep and wide cave was probably hollowed out by glaciers over tens of thousands of years, and it gradually became exposed to the sky after the glaciers receded. [ Photos: Amazing Caves Around the World]

While researchers have yet to thoroughly explore the site, a preliminary investigation in September hinted that the cave was "of national significance," Canadian Geographic reported.

"The scale of this thing is just huge and about as big as they come in Canada," archaeological surveyor John Pollack, one of the researchers who explored the cave, told Canadian Geographic.

During that expedition, a breathtaking view of the vast cave was captured in aerial footage by geologist Catherine Hickson, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, according to the National Post.

The video was shared to YouTube on Nov. 30 by Canadian Geographic. Seen from the air, the cave resembles a giant bite taken out of the hillside. Steep, rocky walls plunge downward, and a waterfall cascades more than 525 feet (60 m) over the edge.

After rushing water tumbles over the precipice into the cave's depths, it likely flows into a subterranean river that emerges above ground 6,890 feet (2,100 m) away, at an elevation that's about 1,640 feet (500 m) lower than the water's entry point, Pollack told Canadian Geographic. This hints at the length of the underground chambers in the cave, he explained.

While the unofficial name "Sarlacc Pit" certainly holds appeal for "Star Wars" fans, British Columbia province representatives will be working closely with First Nations people in the region to find out if there is an existing indigenous name for the cave, Canadian Geographic reported. Further investigation of the cave will take place in 2020, Hickson told CBC.
In Photos: Scotland's Cave of the Dead In Photos: Stunning Stalagmite Structures Discovered in French Cave In Photos: The World's Oldest Cave Art

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Scientists just discovered what may be Canada's largest cave. And it looks like the Sarlacc's pit.

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A helicopter team counting caribou in British Columbia, Canada, recently made an unexpected discovery during an aerial survey: Crewmembers spied an opening to a massive cave that had never been seen before and which might be the largest cave in the country.