OTTAWA - The union representing rank-and-file Mounties is welcoming a federal plan to spend $1.3 billion to bolster border security and ensure the integrity of the immigration system. In its fall economic update Monday, the Liberal government said it would invest in cutting-edge technology for law enforcement, so that only people who are eligible to remain in Canada do so. The money, to be spread over six fiscal years, is earmarked for the RCMP, Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and the cyberspies at the Communications Security Establishment. RCMP members enforce laws between official points of entry and investigate criminal activities related to the border. National Police Federation president Brian Sauvé says members have been protecting the border with limited resources, and the new money will allow them to continue delivering on their mandate. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc is expected to join other ministers this afternoon to provide more details on the plan. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024.Ford government looking to build three new power plants to meet electricity demands. Here's where they'd be locatedPresident Biden praises overthrow but warns of uncertainty, as analysts question his administration’s years-long deprioritisation of Syria. Washington, DC – A lightning-quick offensive has seen Syria’s opposition take control of major cities and large swaths of territory, toppling the government of longtime leader President Bashar al-Assad and indelibly altering the war-torn country’s future. The events represent a remarkable reversal of fortunes in Syria and enlivened a multipronged civil war that appeared largely stagnant for years. The situation, analysts told Al Jazeera, also appears to have been largely unanticipated by the administration of United States President Joe Biden, and raises galling questions over how Washington will proceed in the weeks and months ahead. “I think everything that’s happening caught them by surprise,” Qutaiba Idlbi, a senior fellow at the Washington, DC-based Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera. “So many of us analysts and Syria watchers have been wondering what’s going to come next.” “[The Biden administration] will need to recalibrate their approach to Syria,” added Idlbi, who is also a Syrian refugee. But that is all but assured to be constrained by Biden’s diminished power before he hands over the office in January to president-elect Donald Trump, he said. “I feel that the events on the ground are moving way too quickly for them to catch up, especially in this lame-duck session.” ‘Historic opportunity’ or ‘risk and uncertainty’? Speaking on Sunday – hours after opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the Syrian capital of Damascus and sent al-Assad fleeing the country – Biden gave his first response to what he described as both a moment of “historic opportunity” and “risk and uncertainty”. Biden said the end of al-Assad’s presidency was in part due to US support for Israel’s war on Gaza and its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as support for groups in Syria and Iraq that weakened Syria’s close ally, Iran. He also pointed to US support for Ukraine’s war against Russia’s invasion, which siphoned resources from Moscow, a close ally of al-Assad: “The upshot of all of this, for the first time ever, neither Russia [nor] Iran or Hezbollah could defend this abhorrent regime in Syria,” Biden said. Looking ahead, Biden said Washington would prioritise supporting Syria’s neighbours – including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel. He said US forces would remain in northeast Syria, where they support the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces against ISIL (ISIS). About 900 US troops are currently in the northeast of the country. Finally, Biden pledged to engage “with all Syrian groups”, while vowing to “remain vigilant”. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism,” he said. A senior US official quoted by Reuters, however, said that HTS was “saying the right things”. ‘Six weeks left on the clock’ The first official response from the White House underlines several key questions that will determine the shape of US policy on Syria going forward. But Biden – during his short time left in office – is unlikely to provide those answers, according to Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Middle East analyst at the State Department. “You’re talking about an administration that has six weeks left on the clock,” he said. “And with six weeks left on the clock, I would just try to prevent and guard against potential complications or catastrophes.” That means most major decisions will likely be made by Trump. During his first term, Trump repeatedly sought to withdraw US troops from Syria. He appeared to re-up that effort on Saturday, writing on his Truth Social account that the US “would have nothing to do” with the country. The Biden administration has also not articulated how it will mediate its support for the SDF’s fight against ISIL with the evolving landscape on the ground. Like other rebel groups, the SDF has seized new territory – including the eastern city of Deir Az Zor and the Abu Kamal border crossing with Iraq – in recent days. Speaking to reporters last week, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said US forces were not “participating in combined arms manoeuvre with the SDF” in their offensive. But the fluid situation on the ground could see more opportunities for escalation between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) group, according to analyst Idlbi. “Of course, those questions are still pending,” he said. The Biden administration is also widely expected to revisit its designation of HTS as a “terrorist organisation”, which could restrict US engagement with any fledgling transitional government. Jabhat al-Nusra was formed in 2012 by ISIL but broke from the group a year later and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. It joined with other factions and broke from al-Qaeda in 2017, rebranding as HTS. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, whose real name is Ahmad al-Sharaa, has since portrayed himself as a supporter of pluralism and equality, but wariness remains for how the group would treat the vastly diverse communities that make up Syria’s population. The US government continues to have a $10m bounty on his head. ‘Backburner’ Despite Biden’s celebration over al-Assad’s ousting, Idlbi said he remains wary that this was the outcome the administration wanted to see. At the very least, he said the Biden administration had been caught flat-footed between diverging schools of thought: One that supported keeping al-Assad in power to avoid a vacuum, while coaxing him away from Iran, and another that supported wider regime change. He pointed to a Reuters news agency report last week that said the US and United Arab Emirates had recently discussed the possibility of lifting sanctions on al-Assad if he agreed to pull away from Iran and cut off weapons routes to Hezbollah. The principles of the Biden administration’s approach to the situation, with its deprioritisation of Syria since taking office in 2021, never fully took form, he added. “Syria has been put on the back burner for the last four years, and the burner has been turned off,” Idlbi said. In many ways, the muddied strategy has reflected US policy throughout the war, which saw support for some opposition groups fizzle into a diplomatic pressure campaign against al-Assad. The administration of former US President Barack Obama had initially embraced opposition to al-Assad as similar popular uprisings stretched across the Middle East, supporting a coalition of rebel groups largely based in pockets of the country’s east and south. That support involved a since-declassified CIA programme that saw the US, the United Kingdom and several Arab countries funnel money, weapons and training to some rebel groups. The programme has been criticised for inadvertently funnelling weapons to groups considered “terrorists” by the countries involved. Obama also famously said that al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against Syrians would constitute a “red line”, but he balked on direct military intervention following the government’s chemical attack on Ghouta in 2013. Four years later, Trump did strike a Syrian air base in response to the Khan Sheikhoun chemical weapons attack, the first US attack of its kind since the war began. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Mahmood Barazi, the president of the American Coalition for Syria, a grouping of US organisations that has opposed al-Assad, said the quickly shifting situation has prompted him to rethink how to approach advocacy with the incoming Trump administration. Given Trump’s unique mix of isolationism and hawkishness towards Tehran, Barazi had planned to focus on Iranian influence in Syria to convince officials of the need to turn the screws on al-Assad. Now, he is trying to figure out the best way to “create a system with this administration to keep a very mindful and proactive approach towards Syria”. “For me, this an opportunity,” he said.
It's more than money dividing nations at UN climate change conferenceNo secrets as Bucs visit Dave Canales, Panthers for NFC South showdownSAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada threw for 182 yards and his 17-yard scoring pass to Roy Alexander was the game's only touchdown and Incarnate Word beat Villanova 13-6 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada threw for 182 yards and his 17-yard scoring pass to Roy Alexander was the game's only touchdown and Incarnate Word beat Villanova 13-6 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada threw for 182 yards and his 17-yard scoring pass to Roy Alexander was the game’s only touchdown and Incarnate Word beat Villanova 13-6 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Cardinals (11-2), who earned their highest seed in program history at No. 6, travel to face third-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. Brack Peacock kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with 8:48 before halftime. Villanova (10-4) tied it on 49-yard field goal by Ethan Gettman almost five minutes later. Late in the third, Gettman gave the Wildcats their lone lead when he kicked a 52-yarder. Calzada connected with Roy early in the fourth and Peacock added insurance in the last stanza with a 35 yarder with 4:14 remaining. Lontrell Turner had 120 yards rushing on 18 carries for Incarnate Word. Connor Watkins threw for 103 yards and an interception for Villanova whose offense was outgained 437-138. The Wildcats hadn’t been kept out of the end zone since Nov. 5, 2022 when Towson beat Villanova 27-3. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Advertisement
Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be differentThere are many undocumented immigrants in the United States who are worried about their future. If we were in their shoes, we would be too. Let’s just hope they don’t give up on hope. Ninety percent of them just want to live a normal life, raise their kids, eat and play together and eventually die in a country that cares about their well-being, a country that recognizes the difference between humane and inhumane treatment. A number of years ago Kathy and I stayed with a poor family in Guatemala. There were several kids in the family. The husband was the neighborhood fix-it man. The mother worked in a local women’s coop where the women made Guatemalan crafts to sell. The family’s dwelling was a very modest cement block building with small rooms, a small kitchen, an open toilet and no yard. The family was proud of their one-story home. The husband, Humberto, had traveled to the Mexican-United States border 11 times and each time he was caught trying to cross the border. He could not afford the visa, which would have permitted him to cross the border legally. On his 12th attempt, he made it across the border without being caught by the border patrol. He eventually made it to New Jersey where he worked with a contractor putting up sheet rock in homes. He earned enough money to return to Guatemala and built his home with the money he earned. This is why the family was so very proud of their home to the point that they insisted that Kathy and I sleep in the parents’ bed. Why didn’t the father just quit after three or four tries to cross the border? It was dangerous. He could have lost his life. His family needed him at home. Why not just settle for the tin/cardboard shanty they were living in? Yes, he wanted something better for his family and he was determined to have it. It obviously took courage. And he certainly had to have his wits about him. I think the main reason why he was successful had to do with hope. He had hope for a better life. Hope made it possible. With hope, there is an expectation of something to look forward to that is a positive force in our lives. Terrible things can happen when there is no hope. Good things happen when there is hope, relentless hope. Consider all of the people in German-run concentration camps who gave up hope and committed suicide. Consider all of the refugees worldwide who have little or no hope. Day after day it is a matter of survival. Think of all of the migrants in the United States who are losing hope of finding a safe haven in our country. Hope is the last thing we should never give up on and when we do, life is no longer meaningful. To take meaning out of someone’s life is inhumane. How do we instill hope in young people? I teach a class called H.O.P.E. My students know what each of the four letters represents. The "H" stands for "Help." Don’t forget to ask for help and don’t forget to help people you care about. The "O" stands for "Others." Leaders know that when you help others get what they want, they will help you get what you want. The "P" stands for being positive. If you continually think positively, your mind will begin to go in that direction. The "E" stands for energy, enthusiasm and excitement. You have to bring energy to whatever you do and this is what I try to bring to the class. Every student needs to take a class called H.O.P.E. The goal of the class is to graduate from high school and to realize the power of hope. Without hope, most kids don’t make it. With hope, everyone will make it. Remember, hope is an expectation in our lives and it gives us something to look forward to each and every day. Once hope becomes a mindset, nothing is impossible and everything is possible. I recently showed my students a short movie clip of Billy Mills, a Native American from Pine Ridge in South Dakota, who won the 10,000 meters in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He set a world record by winning the race and no American has won it since in 60 years — amazing. Billy Mills won the race because he had hope and he had a plan. If he could reduce his lap time by one second for each lap, he would win and he did — just one second. He had it all mapped out in his mind. He had a mindset for winning. Each of us can do the same regardless of what we hope for. That’s what I tell my students. Hope is more important than algebra, biology or English. Without hope, nothing good will happen. With hope, everything good will happen. I teach a class called H.O.P.E. and it’s the best class I ever taught because it gives me hope. When is it a good time to lose your temper? Answer: When it is a bad one. When is it a good time to lose hope? There never is a good time. I want to thank Wells Technology for hosting a gathering of leaders to strengthen the school-community connection.
None
Taylor Swift to take final bow in Vancouver as Eras Tour concludes at BC PlaceFans Eagerly Anticipate Their 'Annual Mental Health Report' as Spotify Teases Its Wrapped ReleaseSouth Korean citizens were hit with a zero-click malware from the North The malware used pop-up ads to install payloads Keyloggers and other malicious surveillance software was also installed North Korean state-linked hacker ScarCruft recently conducted a large-scale cyber-espionage campaign using an Internet Explorer zero-day flaw to deploy RokRAT malware , experts have warned. The group, also known as APT37 or RedEyes, is a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group known for cyber-espionage activities. This group typically focuses on South Korean human rights activists, defectors, and political entities in Europe. Internet Explorer Zero-Day flaw exploited Over the years, ScarCruft has developed a reputation for using advanced techniques such as phishing, watering hole attacks, and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in software to infiltrate systems and steal sensitive information. Their latest campaign, dubbed "Code on Toast," was revealed in a joint report by South Korea's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and AhnLab (ASEC). This campaign used a unique method involving toast pop-up ads to deliver zero-click malware infections. The innovative aspect of this campaign lies in how ScarCruft used toast notifications - small pop-up ads displayed by antivirus software or free utility programs - to spread their malware. ScarCruft compromised a domestic advertising agency’s server in South Korea to push malicious "Toast ads" through a popular but unnamed free software used by many South Koreans. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! These malicious ads included a specially crafted iframe that triggered a JavaScript file named ‘ad_toast,’ which executed the Internet Explorer zero-day exploit. By using this zero-click method, ScarCruft was able to silently infect systems without user interaction. The high-severity vulnerability in Internet Explorer used in this attack is tracked as CVE-2024-38178 and has been given a severity score of 7.5. The flaw exists in Internet Explorer’s JScript9.dll file, part of its Chakra engine, and allows remote code execution if exploited. Despite Internet Explorer’s official retirement in 2022, many of its components remain embedded in Windows or third-party software, making them ripe targets for exploitation. ScarCruft’s use of the CVE-2024-38178 vulnerability in this campaign is particularly alarming because it closely resembles a previous exploit they used in 2022 for CVE-2022-41128. The only difference in the new attack is an additional three lines of code designed to bypass Microsoft ’s earlier security patches. Once the vulnerability is exploited, ScarCruft delivers RokRAT malware to the infected systems. RokRAT is primarily used to exfiltrate sensitive data with the malware targeting files with specific extensions like .doc, .xls, .ppt, and others, sending them to a Yandex cloud every 30 minutes. In addition to file exfiltration, RokRAT has surveillance capabilities, including keylogging, clipboard monitoring, and screenshot capture every three minutes. The infection process consists of four stages, with each payload injected into the ‘explorer.exe’ process to evade detection. If popular antivirus tools like Avast or Symantec are found on the system, the malware is instead injected into a random executable from the C:\Windows\system32 folder. Persistence is maintained by placing a final payload, ‘rubyw.exe,’ in the Windows startup and scheduling it to run every four minutes. Via BleepingComputer These are the best antivirus options available Ford denies it was hit by data breach, says customer data is safe These are the best endpoint protection solutions
Daily Post Nigeria We’re embarking on silent economic revolution in Ogun, says Abiodun Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News We’re embarking on silent economic revolution in Ogun, says Abiodun Published on December 7, 2024 By Daily Post Staff Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his administration in the past over five years has carried out unprecedented turn-around in all the critical sectors of the state economy, describing it as ‘silent economic revolution’. He added that despite the humongous infrastructural deficit his government inherited upon assumption of office in 2019, especially in the area of roads at the boarder communities and Federal highways, he has been able to drastically ameliorate the situation in the best interests of the people in the State. Prince Abiodun made this known on Friday during the 14th Annual Lecture/Award ceremony of the Nigerian News Direct Newspaper with the theme,” Achieving Economic Prosperity: The Role of Human Capacity Development, Fiscal Prudence and Revenue Generation”, held at Grand Ballroom, Oriental Hotel, Lagos. The Governor, who was conferred with the ‘Man of the Year Award’ and represented by his Special Adviser on Media &Communications, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, reiterated his avowed commitment to all round development in Ogun State and the irreversible resolution to leave behind an enduring legacies of growth and prosperity in the Gateway State. He highlighted some of his enviable success in the State within a shot period of time to include construction of over 600km of roads across the three Senatorial Districts, construction of world class Agro-cargo Airport as well as raising the Internally Generated Revenue base of the state to become the most viable state in Nigeria in the area of IGR generation among other achievements. Governor Abiodun further explained that Ogun State since he took the mantle of leadership has totally changed the business environment to make it more friendly and favourable to investors, therefore making the state the best in terms of Ease of Doing Business and the investor destination of choice in Nigeria. According to him, the State presently accommodates over six thousands manufacturing firms in different industrial clusters across the state and contributing immensely to the micro economy of the state as well as the Nigerian macro economic growth. He, however, commended the management of the Nigerian News Direct Newspaper for the honour bestowed on him, promised never to deviate from the path of purposeful and responsible leadership with patriotic inclination. “I most sincerely thank the Nigerian News Direct Newspaper for the honour, obviously, the recognition would serve as impetus for our government to do more for our people in Ogun State and Nigeria in general. “We are happy that a media organisation like News Direct is painstakingly monitoring our activities and progress in the state, which is no doubt a silent economic revolution of sorts in every critical sector of the state economy. “I, therefore, urge them to continue to be vanguard of ethical journalism and strong illumination to the Nigeria’s public space for the ultimate good of the generality of the Nigerian citizenry, “Governor Abiodun said. Related Topics: Abiodun ogun Don't Miss Edo, Kogi, Cross River, Bayelsa part of Biafra – IPOB replies PANDEF, Igala group You may like Abiodun seeks foreign investment in livestock, timber processing, automobile assembly plant, others PWDs decry neglect, lack of implementation of Ogun Disability Laws 54,000 women benefit from N3bn individual livelihood grants – Ogun Deputy Governor N1.054trn 2025 budget key to progress, prosperity of Ogun people – Elders Council 16 Days of Activism: Ogun commits to safety for women, girls Abiodun presents N1.055tn 2025 budget to Ogun Assembly Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd
Home | News | Opinion Trumps Looming Shadow On Multilateralism Opinion: Trump’s looming shadow on multilateralism Is multilateralism up for its biggest turbulence yet under Trump 2.0, or will his presidency eventually prove all sound and fury? By Telangana Today Published Date - 22 November 2024, 11:58 PM By Monish Tourangbam A flurry of multilateral summits, dealing with global governance, has dotted the international landscape recently, with political leaders and policymakers descending on different corners of the world. From the G20 grouping under Brazil’s presidency meeting in Rio De Janeiro to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, the Conference of Parties (COP 29) gathering in Azerbaijan to the BRICS summit in Russia, multilateralism was in full display. However, an election somewhere else was the elephant in the room. The American electorate has decisively voted former incumbent Donald J Trump as the 47th President of the United States, and he is not a lover of multilateralism by any measure. The last time he was in the White House, he had pulled America out of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) economic grouping. The US returned to the Paris Climate Agreement through the Biden administration, and a successor to the TPP came in the form of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). However, Trump has promised to walk out of both once he officially takes over the presidency in January next year. So, is multilateralism up for its biggest turbulence yet under Trump 2.0 or will the Trump presidency eventually prove all sound and fury but of not much consequence for the future of multilateralism? Phantom in the Room The world is truly passing through a time of polycrisis, with wars in Europe and West Asia upending regional security orders, with consequent impact on a host of human-centric issues under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), further slipping away from policy bandwidths. The mounting imminence of fighting the climate challenge together and shifting to greener energy cuts across the future of multilateral economic and technology governance. It is natural for the outgoing Biden administration to fade from the scene as he attended the last of his global summits before handing over the keys to the White House to President-elect Trump soon. Leaders across the world, irrespective of allies or adversaries are anxious, curious and wary of what the incoming Trump team might hold for some of the most pressing issues of multilateral governance. Trump’s quid pro quo and transactional style of presidency is the hallmark of his ‘America First’ strategy and bilateral deals are dearer to him than multilateral platforms. He believes that the latter takes undue advantage of America. Transatlantic partners of America, in Europe, are more anxious than Asian partners given Trump’s earlier brush with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and his uncertain path to handling the Ukraine war. The forecast is overall positive for India, but it is no time to be complacent, and New Delhi needs to relook at the unintended consequences of Trump’s ‘America First’ Moreover, the nominees for some of the topmost positions in Trump’s cabinet are already raising eyebrows in the American beltway and across the world. Unlike his first term, when as a newbie in Washington, he had to depend on the Republican Party’s old guards to fill his cabinet, hard-core Trump loyalists,have rather risen to the forefront of American politics and foreign policy in 2024. Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan commented, “The incoming administration is not in the business of providing us assurances about anything, and they’ll make their own decisions as they go forward.” Future of Multilateralism Multilateral summits and groupings no longer function entirely at the whims and fancies of the United States. With or without Trump, the West-led post-World War II financial and security order was already under considerable pressure to reform and restructure to reflect the changing global power balance of the 21st century. Moreover, multilateralism works best when competition between the great powers of the international system is better managed and the strategic guardrails are acknowledged, allowing greater predictability in strategic behaviours. However, with the wars in Ukraine and West Asia having no clear sight of resolution and confrontations growing across the geopolitical hotspots in the continental and maritime Indo-Pacific, uncertainty is rather the overwhelming mood. Trump’s presidential style might see incentives for ‘America First’ in chaos and uncertainty but the prospects for effective multilateralism might suffer in the next four years. What transpires in the White House affects the political, security and economic landscape across the world, and so the question that begs an answer is: Will Trump’s disdain for multilateralism create a domino effect among world leaders? Amid the Trump turbulence, Beijing will jump to the opportunity and project itself as the new leader of free trade, as America’s friends and foes brace for a transactional Trump and his love for tariffs as the anti-dote to all of America’s economic challenges. Particularly since India’s G20 presidency, the Global South has emerged as a major reference point for the future of multilateralism, where the consequence of its successes or failures will be most acutely felt, specifically, on the commitments to SDGs. Wait and Watch How the incoming Trump administration looks at the Global South, and its alignment with US foreign policy objectives, particularly on development aid and assistance will have to be seen. The world is also witnessing a sharpening divide on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), wherein multilateral commitments are at the most nascent stages. Will growing US-China competition over technological research & innovation, deployment, market access and national security create widening rifts? In this extremely complicated environment, where would trusted-technologies come from and how can a country aspire for self-reliance and prevent technological governance from falling prey to geopolitics? Trump 2.0 has not caused much discomfort in New Delhi, and there is a calm confidence that the India-US relationship grew in Trump’s first presidency. It will do so this time as well. The forecast is overall positive for India, but it is no time to be complacent. New Delhi needs to relook at the unintended consequences of Trump’s ‘America First’ that have a bearing on India’s own calculations of uninterrupted economic growth and regional security. In other words, India may not be in the direct firing line of Trump 2.0, but it needs to be prepared to dodge the stray bullets as well. (The author is Director at the Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies [KIIPS], New Delhi) Follow Us : Tags America First Biden administration foreign policy geopolitical tensions Related News Qatar suspends mediation efforts between Hamas, Israel Israel launches precision strikes on Iran Opinion: Netanyahu and US election Editorial: Strong message to ChinaBUCKEYE, Ariz. — Two police officers were allegedly assaulted by a suspect Wednesday morning, authorities said. Baseline Road is closed between 1st Avenue East and 1st Avenue West while police investigate. Buckeye police received a call about a man who allegedly stole a City of Buckeye truck from a job site near Baseline Road and Central Boulevard where crews were working. The suspect then crashed the truck into an unoccupied vehicle parked about a block away, police said. The suspect attempted to run away from the area, but a city employee helped detain him until officers got there. Police said the suspect assaulted two Buckeye officers as he was taken into custody. Both officers suffered minor injuries and one of them was taken to the hospital for treatment, police said. You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app! The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV . 12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX." Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account , or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. Up to Speed Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused a man of attempting to attack AAP's Arvind Kejriwal by splashing spirit on him during a campaign event, allegedly intending to set him ablaze. Bharadwaj suggested the attacker had connections with the BJP, reflecting mounting political tensions as elections loom. The event unfolded when Kejriwal was meeting supporters, leading to swift intervention by security, preventing further escalation. Tensions between AAP and BJP intensify amidst allegations and counter-allegations. (With inputs from agencies.)
Former Portugal and Manchester United winger Nani announced his retirement on Sunday at the age of 38. Nani joined United in 2007 and went on to make 230 appearances for the club, scoring 41 goals. He won the Champions League in his first season and went on to win four Premier League titles and two League Cups in eight seasons. "The time has come to say goodbye, I have decided to finish my career as a professional player," Nani wrote on social media. "It's been an amazing ride and I wanted to thank every single person who has helped me and supported me through the highs and lows during a career which lasted over 20 years and gave me so many unforgettable memories. Time to turn a new leaf and focus on new goals and dreams. See you soon!" Nani, who has been playing in the Portuguese top flight this season for his hometown club Estrela Amadora, played his last game against his former club Sporting last month. He also played for Valencia, Lazio, Orlando City, Venezia, Melbourne Victory and Adana Demirspor. Nani scored 24 goals in 112 caps for Portugal, winning the European Championship in 2016.Ohio State to host Tennessee in first-round showdown to determine No. 1 Oregon’s Rose Bowl matchupPrime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is due to make a major public address on Thursday in which she will outline her cabinet's achievements in the past three months and assert the need for the government's flagship policies in the year to come. These policies include the digital money handout scheme, the village fund and various economic stimulus measures, the PM wrote in a post made on Facebook and repeated on X on Sunday. Titled "2025 Empowering Thais: A Real Possibility", the public address will begin at 10am live on NBT2HD and be streamed on the state-run TV channel's Facebook page as well, she said. The venue for the event, to be attended by around 500 guests, is the headquarters of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, said the PM. Cabinet ministers, high-level ministerial officials, department heads, division heads, provincial governors, armed forces' leaders, the national police chief, ministerial spokespeople and heads of state enterprises are expected to be among the attendees. A new opinion poll conducted by Suan Dusit Poll, meanwhile, found most Thais are now looking forward to receiving more cash handouts and seeing more measures to help curb their living costs, in what is often perceived as a tradition of New Year gifts from the government. These findings reflect how seriously most people are being affected by the global economic situation, said Pornpan Buathong, president of the Suan Dusit Poll. "The impact of the sluggish economy now is holding back festive spending after the survey found that only 56.02% of poll respondents intended to travel over New Year," said Asst Prof Unchalee Rattana, a political science lecturer with Suan Dusit University. In another development, Prime Minister's Office Minister Chousak Sirinil said the Pheu Thai Party is now ready to submit its political amnesty bill as soon as the House of Representatives' session resumes on Dec 12. The essence of its bill is that all those prosecuted in politically motivated cases from 2005 up until now should be eligible for an amnesty, he said. The final decision in each instance will be made by a formal amnesty committee, while there will also be a clear list of offences to which this amnesty bill will apply when passed into law, he said. Details of who will make up the committee have yet to be fleshed out. As for the constitutional referendum bill, Pheu Thai has resolved to reassert the Lower House stipulation requiring only a simple majority to make passage of the matter easier before the next election. This will mean the bill will have to be suspended for 180 days before the Lower House can veto changes made by the Senate. Passed by the House in August, the bill was rejected by the higher chamber, prompting a joint House-Senate committee to be formed to find a way to mend their differences in a bid to forge unity over what has been a controversial topic. The government, opposition and Senate whips are being encouraged to find common ground before any further move towards setting up a new charter drafting assembly can begin, he said. On Friday, House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha said a meeting of the three whips is scheduled to take place on Friday to discuss when deliberation of the charter-amending bills should begin. However, not all 17 bills will be deliberated, with only those deemed urgent given a priority, he said. A survey conducted by Nida Poll, meanwhile, showed an extremely small difference between the percentage of poll respondents who support charter amendments (27.63%) and those who don't believe it necessary (27.02%). More importantly, the vast majority of these respondents (78.97%) said if the charter is to be amended, only certain parts of it should be touched, not the entire document, according to the poll conducted on Dec 2-3 on 1,310 people in all regions of the country.
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad fled Syria as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus Sunday, triggering celebrations across the country and beyond at the end of his oppressive rule. Russian news agencies late Sunday said Assad and his family were in Moscow. Crowds toured Assad's luxurious home after the rebels declared he had fled, a spectacular end to five decades of brutal Baath party government. The government fell 11 days after the rebels began a surprise advance more than 13 years after Assad's crackdown on anti-government protests ignited Syria's civil war, which had become largely dormant until the rebel push. "This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region," Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) that spearheaded the advance, said in an address at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. US President Joe Biden said Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said from the White House. Residents cheered in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of "tyrant" Assad, saying: "We declare the city of Damascus free." Celebratory gunfire sounded along with shouts of, "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's". AFP correspondents saw dozens of men, women and children wandering through Assad's modern, spacious home whose rooms had been stripped bare. "I can't believe I'm living this moment," tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. "We've been waiting a long time for this day," he said. The rebel factions on Telegram proclaimed the end to "50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and displacement". It is, they said, "the start of a new era for Syria." The foreign ministry of Assad's key backer, Russia, had announced earlier Sunday that Assad had resigned from the presidency and left Syria. The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP: "Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left" the facility. Later Sunday, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that he and his family had arrived in Moscow where they had been granted asylum "on humanitarian grounds". Around the country, people toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's father and the founder of the repressive system of government he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in prison or get one killed. During their advance, the rebels said they had freed prisoners, including on Sunday at the Sednaya facility, notorious for the darkest abuses of Assad's era. UN war crimes investigators urged those taking charge in the country to ensure the "atrocities" committed under Assad's rule are not repeated. Amnesty International called this a "historic opportunity" for those responsible for the abuses in Syria to face justice. The end of Assad's rule came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs. Homs was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took place in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Hezbollah had supported Assad during the long civil war but has been severely weakened by Israeli strikes. The group's forces "vacated their positions around Damascus", a source close to the group said Sunday. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years. It remains listed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments. On Sunday afternoon the rebels announced a curfew in the capital until 5:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday. The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed the fall of Assad's "authoritarian regime" as "historic". A military council affiliated with the SDF clashed Sunday with Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in Syria's north, leaving 26 fighters from both sides dead, the Observatory said, as the Turkish-backed group launched an offensive on the Manbij area. The Observatory said Israel had struck government security buildings and weapons depots Sunday on the outskirts of Damascus, as well as in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Assad was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil". "This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad's main supporters," he added. The UN envoy for Syria said the country was at "a watershed moment". Turkey, which has historically backed the opposition, called for a "smooth transition". Iran said it expected "friendly" ties with Syria to continue, even as its embassy in Damascus was vandalised. Since the start of the rebel offensive, at least 910 people, mostly combatants but also including 138 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. Syria's war has killed more than 500,000 people, and forced half of the population to flee their homes. Millions fled abroad. "I can barely remember Syria," said Reda al-Khedr, who was only five years old when he and his mother escaped Syria's Homs in 2014. "But now we're going to go home to a liberated Syria," he told AFP in Cairo. Liberated, but facing enormous challenges. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday the bloc would help rebuild a Syria that safeguards minorities after Assad's fall. bur-it/jjWhen Katja Vogt considers a Jaguar, she pictures a British-made car purring confidently along the Italian coastline — a vision of familiarity that conveys "that dreaming, longing feeling we all love." She's not sure what to think about Jaguar now after the 89-year-old company announced a radical rebranding that featured loud colors and androgynous people — but no cars. Jaguar, the company says, will now be JaGUar. It will produce only electric vehicles beginning in 2026. Bad attention is good attention, Jaguar execs would appear to believe. The car brand has prompted mockery online for posting a glitzy ad without a single car in it. Say goodbye to British racing green, Cotswold Blue and black. Its colors are henceforth electric pink, red and yellow, according to a video that sparked backlash online. Its mission statement: "Create exuberance. Live vivid. Delete ordinary. Break moulds." "Intrigued?" @Jaguar posted on social media. "Weird and unsettled" is more like it, Vogt wrote on Instagram. "Especially now, with the world feeling so dystopian," the Cyprus-based brand designer wrote, "a heritage brand like Jaguar should be conveying feelings of safety, stability, and maybe a hint of rebellion — the kind that shakes things up in a good way, not in a way that unsettles." Jaguar was one of several iconic companies that announced significant rebrandings in recent weeks, upending a series of commercial — and cultural — landmarks by which many modern human beings sort one another, carve out identities and recognize the world around them. Campbell's, the 155-year-old American icon that artist Andy Warhol immortalized in pop culture decades ago, is ready for a new, soupless name. Comcast's corporate reorganization means there will soon be two television networks with "NBC" in their name — CNBC and MSNBC — that will no longer have any corporate connection to NBC News, a U.S. legacy news outlet. One could even argue the United States itself is rebranding with the election of former President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Unlike Trump's first election in 2016, he won the popular vote in what many called a national referendum on American identity. Are we, then, the sum total of our consumer decisions — what we buy, where we travel and whom we elect? Certainly, it's a question for those privileged enough to be able to afford such choices. Volumes of research in the art and science of branding — from "brandr," an old Norse word for burning symbols into the hides of livestock — say those factors do contribute to the modern sense of identity. So rebranding, especially of heritage names, can be a deeply felt affront to consumers. "It can feel like the brand is turning its back on everything that it stood for — and therefore it feels like it's turning its back on us, the people who subscribe to that idea or ideology," said Ali Marmaduke, strategy director with the Amsterdam-based Brand Potential. He said cultural tension — polarization — is surging over politics, wars in Russia and the Mideast, the environment, public health and more, creating what Marmaduke said is known as a "polycrisis": the idea that there are several massive crises converging that feel scary and complex. Campbell's soups "People are understandably freaked out by that," he said. "So we are looking for something that will help us navigate this changing, threatening world that we face." Trump's "Make America Great Again" qualifies. So did President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" slogan. Campbell's soup itself — "Mmm Mmm Good" — isn't going anywhere, CEO Mark Clouse said. The company's new name, Campbell's Co., will reflect "the full breadth of our portfolio," which includes brands like Prego pasta sauce and Goldfish crackers. None of the recent activity around heritage brands sparked a backlash as ferocious as Jaguar's. The company stood as a pillar of tradition-loving British identity since World War II. The famous "leaper" cat Jaguar logo is pictured in 2019 at the Auto show in Paris, France. Jaguar said its approach to the rebrand was rooted in the philosophy of its founder, Sir William Lyons, to "copy nothing." What it's calling "the new Jaguar" will overhaul everything from the font of its name to the positioning of it's famous "leaper" cat. "Exuberant modernism" will "define all aspects of the new Jaguar world," according to the news release. The approach is thought to be aimed at selling fewer cars at a six-figure price point to a more diverse customer base. The reaction ranged from bewilderment to hostility. Memes sprouted up likening the video to the Teletubbies, a Benetton ad and — perhaps predictably — a bow to "woke" culture as the blowback intersected with politics. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.