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family is preparing for a filled with love, reflection, and hope as they continue to support the actor in his battle with . The 69-year-old star, who was diagnosed with in 2023, will be surrounded by his loved ones as they come together for the holidays. Willis' family focuses on quality time This year, his wife, , and their daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, will be joined by his ex-wife and their daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30. The family is reportedly focused on making this extra special by cherishing every moment with Bruce. According to a source close to the family, they are and hoping for a medical breakthrough, but their main priority is simply to spend quality time together. The family plans to bond over shared memories, with plans to listen to music and revisit old photos and videos. the insider shared, emphasizing the importance of these intimate moments. The is also planning to post photos and videos on social media, including a heartfelt celebration of Bruce's upcoming 70th birthday in March. In previous years, the holidays have become a cherished time for the Willis family to gather and enjoy each other's company. Last Christmas, shared touching photos of the family in matching pajamas, though was not seen in the images. In 2020, however, the family embraced the holiday tradition, sharing a cozy photo together while quarantining at their former Idaho home. Despite the challenges posed by condition, has been a strong advocate for his care, sharing glimpses of their life on social media. Recently, she posted rare moments with , including a playful video where he joyfully yodeled for the camera. "Him. Always," she captioned the video, reflecting her deep affection for her husband. As the family navigates this difficult time, their focus remains on making lasting memories and showing their love and support for , hoping to create moments of joy during this special season.NEW YORK >> Wall Street closed sharply lower today, with the Dow falling over 1,100 points after the U.S. Federal Reserve delivered a rate cut as expected but signaled it will ease the pace of further cuts in the coming year. For the Dow it was its tenth consecutive daily loss, marking its longest losing streak since 1974 and its biggest daily percentage decline since early August. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 also logged their largest one-day drops in months. Benchmark Treasury yields moved higher on the news, and the dollar gained. “Let’s not forget, you tend to get knee-jerk reactions on Fed Day and then cooler heads prevail the next day,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group in Omaha. “The reality is still we have a strong economy and a Fed that is by no means looking to hike any time soon. There are still cuts, likely coming just a little later in 2025.” As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee cut the Fed funds target rate by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its final policy meeting of 2024. But the central bank also reduced the number of projected rate cuts in the coming year. The policymakers now expect two interest rate cuts by the end of 2025, down from four in September, and set up the likelihood of a pause in January. “The Fed didn’t throw any curveballs, right? They cut as expected, and they’re using language hinting at fewer cuts next year and into 2026,” Detrick added. “The market was holding out hope that maybe there’d be a little more dovishness to the statement, but that wasn’t the case.” In his subsequent press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered assurances that the economy is strong, inflation has come closer to the 2% goal, and monetary policy is well-positioned to deal with risks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,123.03 points, or 2.58%, to 42,326.87; the S&P 500 fell 178.57 points, or 2.95%, to 5,872.03; and the Nasdaq Composite fell 716.37 points, or 3.56%, to 19,392.69. Earlier, European shares closed modestly higher, buoyed by technology stocks and French automaker Renault, but gains were held in check ahead of the Fed’s rate decision. Yields for 10-year U.S. Treasuries gained after the Fed flagged the slower pace of easing. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes rose 11.3 basis points to 4.498%, from 4.385% late on Tuesday. The 30-year bond yield rose 7.3 basis points to 4.6525% from 4.579% late on Tuesday. The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve, rose 10.5 basis points to 4.346%, from 4.241% late on Tuesday. The dollar extended its gains against a basket of world currencies as investors digested the Fed’s revised outlook. The dollar index rose 1.09% to 108.09, with the euro down 1.13% at $1.037. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar strengthened 0.76% to 154.63. Bitcoin accelerated its losses after Powell said the Fed has no desire to hold the cryptocurrency amid debate over whether the incoming Trump administration might build a bitcoin reserve. Bitcoin fell 5.17% to $100,916.00. Ethereum declined 6.14% to $3,692.50. Oil prices settled higher in the wake of the Fed’s decision. U.S. crude rose 0.71% to settle at $70.58 a barrel, while Brent settled at $73.39 a barrel, up 0.27% on the day. Gold fell in opposition to the greenback. Spot gold fell 1.94% to $2,594.24 an ounce. U.S. gold futures fell 2.05% to $2,590.20 an ounce.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited with the right shoulder injury that sidelined him last week and there is growing concern about the long-term status of left tackle Trent Williams. Wednesday's practice was not the start to the NFL workweek head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped after Purdy was unable to bounce back from a shoulder injury in Week 11. Brandon Allen started at Green Bay and the 49ers (5-6) lost 38-10 with the backup-turned-starter committing three turnovers. Williams was reportedly spotted in the locker room with a knee scooter and is experiencing pain walking. He played through an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks Nov. 17. Defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) also missed practice Wednesday, leaving the 49ers to spend the holiday plotting to play the Buffalo Bills (9-2) without the three Pro Bowlers again. "I don't know anyone who gets Thanksgiving off unless maybe you have a Monday night game. You just start a lot earlier and get the players out," Shanahan said. "We cram everything in so the players get out, tries to be home with the family by 5. I usually get home by 7 and they're all mad at me, then get back to red-zone (installation)." The 49ers are in danger of a three-game losing streak for the first time since Oct. 2021. Injuries have been a common thread since September when running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprise scratch with an Achilles injury for the opener. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) is out for the season at a position dinged from top to bottom. Star linebacker Fred Warner also is ailing and said Wednesday that he fractured a bone in his ankle on Sept. 29 against the New England Patriots. The game against the Bills will mark his eighth straight game playing with the injury. "It's something I deal with every game," Warner said. "I get on that table before every game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. But it's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there, you've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level and to win every single week." Shanahan wasn't interested in injury talk. He said the 49ers have not played well in the past two weeks, and puts part of his focus on getting more out of the running game with snow in the forecast on Sunday night. He's not in agreement with pundits who doubt McCaffrey's ability early into his return from injured reserve, with a per-carry average of 3.5 yards compared to 5.4 in 2023. "The speculation on Christian is a little unfair to him," Shanahan said. "Christian is playing very well. He's playing his ass off. To think a guy who misses the entire offseason is going to come back and be the exact same the day he comes back would be unfair to any player in the world." San Francisco opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl in February. His return date is unclear. --Field Level Media
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is making major changes to auto insurance , including rate hikes and switching to a predominantly no-fault claims model. Under the new system, car accident victims in most cases won’t be able to sue the party responsible for their injury and, instead, insurers would pay compensation at rates set by the government. The province said it commissioned two auto insurance reports, which showed that legal fees and legal costs tied to the current system significantly increase premiums. The province added collision-related lawsuits have nearly doubled in Alberta between 2018 and 2022. By cutting down litigation costs, the government estimates that when the new system is in place in January 2027, it could lead to savings of up to $400 per year for the average insurance premium. It’s also promising better support and benefits for those hurt in collisions. “This is a care-focused system,” Smith told a news conference at the legislature Thursday. Until the new model kicks in, insurers will be allowed to raise rates for good drivers up to 7.5 per cent each year, starting in January. The government said the hikes will help insurers pay rising legal costs and payouts along with covering off the impacts of natural disasters like hailstorms. The 7.5 per cent cap is more than double the United Conservative government’s rate increase cap of 3.7 per cent, which is set to expire at the end of the year. The province also rolled out some of the details of the new system. Among the changes, crash victims will be able to sue at-fault drivers for pain and suffering if the at-fault driver is convicted of a criminal offence, such as dangerous driving or impaired driving. If expenses go beyond what’s covered by the standard benefits, injured parties could also sue for out-of-pocket expenses. The government plans to create an independent body to allow those injured in traffic accidents the ability to appeal decisions made by insurers. Good driver rates won’t apply for drivers who switch insurance companies. The changes mirror the kind of litigation currently allowed in Saskatchewan’s no-fault, public system. Based on government-commissioned reports, the changes could lead to the loss of between 650 and 800 legal support jobs. The province has declined to move toward a publicly delivered insurance system, despite estimates it would save drivers even more money in premium payments. Smith has pointed to prohibitively expensive startup costs approaching $3 billion for a public system, not to mention the loss of thousands of private sector jobs. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the price tag for setting up a public option is dwarfed by how much extra Albertans pay in premiums. “(Smith) is basically saying, ‘I don’t want to spend the money, but you get to spend the money when you pay your premium every month,’” Nenshi said. He said the UCP’s solution will only lead to higher premiums. The moves come after the Insurance Bureau of Canada warned the insurance “crisis” wasn’t only hurting drivers. Two private insurance companies have recently left the province while citing the squeeze of higher costs. The Alberta Superintendent of Insurance estimates one-third of the 67 auto insurers in 2023 lost money on the insurance. With files from Karen Bartko, Global News
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NoneNEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.”The Best Show on Right Now Is One You May Not Hear People Talking About
Injuries pile up, 49ers uncertain QB Brock Purdy can return Sunday(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Thursday, Dec. 19 COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S) 5 p.m. ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Norfolk St. vs. Alabama St., Uncasville, Conn. 7:30 p.m. ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Delaware St. vs. Grambling St., Uncasville, Conn. COLLEGE FOOTBALL 7 p.m. ESPN2 — The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston St., New Orleans COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S) 6:30 p.m. ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Louisville vs. Pittsburgh, Semifinal, Louisville, Ky. 9 p.m. ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Penn St. vs. Nebraska, Semifinal, Louisville, Ky. GOLF 3:30 a.m. GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, First Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius 3:30 a.m. (Friday) GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Second Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius NBA BASKETBALL 7 p.m. TNT — Oklahoma City at Orlando TRUTV — Oklahoma City at Orlando (DataCast) 9:30 p.m. TNT — New York at Minnesota TRUTV — New York at Minnesota (DataCast) NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL Noon ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Greensboro vs. South Bay, Orlando, Fla. 1 p.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: Stockton vs. Iowa, Orlando, Fla. 2:30 p.m. ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Grand Rapids vs. Oklahoma City, Orlando, Fla. 3:30 p.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: Raptors 905 vs. Rio Grande Valley, Orlando, Fla. 5 p.m. ESPNEWS — Winter Showcase: Capital City vs. Sioux Falls, Orlando, Fla. 7:30 p.m. ESPNEWS — Winter Showcase: Valley vs. Memphis, Orlando, Fla. NFL FOOTBALL 8:15 p.m. PRIME VIDEO — Denver at L.A. Chargers SOCCER (MEN’S) 3 p.m. CBSSN — UEFA Conference League: HJK Helsinki at Real Betis TENNIS 6 a.m. TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin 11 a.m. TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin 6 a.m. (Friday) TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV .
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers raided a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. The war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Palestinian militants. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, although only two thirds are believed to still be alive. Here’s the latest: WASHINGTON — A leading global food crisis monitor says deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in north Gaza as soon as next month. The U.S.-created Famine Early Warning System Network says that’s because to a near-total Israeli blockade of food and other aid in that part of Gaza. The finding, however, appears to have exposed a rift within the Biden administration over the extent of starvation in northern Gaza. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, disputes part of the data used in reaching the conclusion and calls the intensified famine warning “irresponsible.” Northern Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its 14-month war with Hamas militants. UNITED NATIONS — Israel’s foreign minister has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to condemn recent missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and to condemn the group's Iranian allies for allegedly providing the group with weapons. Gideon Saar said in a letter Tuesday to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States, which holds the council presidency this month, that the Houthis are violating international law and council resolutions. “This Iranian-backed terrorist group continues to endanger Israel’s and other nations’ security, as well as the freedom of maritime navigation, in flagrant violation of international law,” Saar said. “All of this malign activity is done as part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region.” The U.S. Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to an email asking when the council meeting will be held. The Houthis have said they launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea – and on Israel -- with the aim of ending Israel’s devastating air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli war in Gaza followed Hamas’ deadly October 2023 attacks in southern Israel. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military investigation has concluded that the presence of troops inadvertently contributed to the deaths of six hostages killed by their Hamas captors in Gaza. The hostages' bodies were discovered in a tunnel in late August, an event that shook Israel and sparked some of the largest anti-war protests since the war began. The investigation found that the six hostages were killed by multiple gunshots from their captors after surviving for nearly 330 days. The Israeli military’s “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages,” the report found. According to the investigation, the Israeli military began operating in the area where the hostages were being held in southern Gaza about two weeks before their discovery, under the assumption that the chances of hostages in the area was medium to low. On August 27, hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi was found alone in a tunnel , causing the Israeli military to halt operations for 24 hours to determine if there could be other hostages in the area. The military discovered the opening leading to the tunnel where the bodies of the six hostages were located on August 30. A pathological report estimated the six hostages were killed on August 29. The six hostages killed were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin , whose American-Israeli parents became some of the most recognized spokespeople pleading for the hostages’ release, including addressing the Democratic National Convention days before their son’s killing. “The investigation published tonight proves once again that the return of all hostages will only be possible through a deal,” the Hostages Families Forum said in response to the investigation. “Every passing moment puts the hostages’ lives in immediate danger.” JERUSALEM — The Israeli negotiating team working on a ceasefire returned from Qatar to Israel on Tuesday, the prime minister’s office said, after what it called “a significant week” of talks. After months of deadlock, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to reach a deal. According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the proposed agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages, over one-third of whom are believed to be dead. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “some progress” in efforts to reach a deal, but added he did not know how long it would take. CAIRO — Israeli soldiers took control of a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcing all the patients and most of the doctors to leave, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. Some of the patients had to walk to another hospital while others were driven by paramedics, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi. He did not specify how many patients had evacuated. The Israeli military confirmed its troops had entered the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Jabaliya as part of an operation searching for Hamas fighters. The army later said its soldiers had left the hospital. The military said it had assisted with evacuating the patients and had not ordered the hospital closed. However, al-Wahidi said only one doctor and maintenance person were left behind. The Indonesian Hospital is one of three hospitals left largely inaccessible in the northernmost part of Gaza because Israel has imposed a tight siege there since launching an offensive in early October. The Israeli army said Tuesday’s operation at the Indonesian Hospital came after militants carried out attacks from the hospital for the past month, including launching anti-tank missiles and planting explosive devices in the surrounding area. The Health Ministry accused Israel of “besieging and directly targeting” the three hospitals in northern Gaza. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said Israeli drones detonated explosives near the hospital and that 20 people were wounded, including five medical staff. The Israeli military declined to comment on the operation around the hospital. DAMASCUS — Scores of Syrian Christians protested in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, demanding greater protections for their religious minority after a Christmas tree was set on fire in the city of Hama a day earlier. Many of the insurgents who now rule Syria are jihadis, although Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and spent years depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. It remains unclear who set the Christmas tree on fire Monday, which was condemned by a representative of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham who visited the town and addressed the community. “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations," the HTS representative said in a video widely shared on social media. "The Christmas tree will be fully restored by this evening.” On Tuesday, protesters marched through the streets of Bab Touma in Damascus, shouting slogans against foreign fighters and carrying large wooden crosses. “We demand that Syria be for all Syrians. We want a voice in the future of our country,” said Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church as he addressed the crowd in a church courtyard, assuring them of Christians’ rights in Syria. Since HTS led a swift offensive that overthrew President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Syria’s minority communities have been on edge, uncertain of how they will be treated under the emerging rebel-led government. “We are here to demand a democratic and free government for one people and one nation,” another protester said. “We stand united — Muslims and Christians. No to sectarianism.” DOHA — Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said that ceasefire negotiations to end the war in Gaza were ongoing in Doha in cooperation with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators. “We will not leave any door unopened in pursuit of reaching an agreement,” said Majid al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday. Al Ansari added that rumors the ceasefire would be reached before Christmas are “speculation.” The ceasefire negotiations come at a time when winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. Families of the approximately 100 hostages who have been held for 445 days in Gaza are also worried their loved ones will not survive another winter. In a press conference, al-Ansari also called on the international community to lift sanctions on Syria as quickly as possible on Tuesday. “The reason was the crimes of the previous regime, and that regime, with all of its authority, is no longer in place, therefor the causes for these sanctions no longer exist today,” he said. DAMASCUS, Syria — American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group. Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead. Zakka told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad. He added that U.S. President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive. Zakka said he believes Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating. Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip. Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, although he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. TEL AVIV, Israel — Hannah Katzir, an Israeli woman who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and freed in a brief ceasefire last year, has died. She was 78. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of people taken captive, confirmed the death Tuesday but did not disclose the cause. Her daughter, Carmit Palty Katzir, said in a statement that her mother’s “heart could not withstand the terrible suffering since Oct. 7.” Katzir’s husband, Rami, was killed during the attack by militants who raided their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her son Elad was also kidnapped and his body was recovered in April by the Israeli military, who said he had been killed in captivity. She spent 49 days in captivity and was freed in late November 2023. Shortly after Katzir was freed, her daughter told Israeli media that she had been hospitalized with heart issues attributed to “difficult conditions and starvation” while she was held captive. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's military said the projectile was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory, but it set off air raid sirens overnight in the country's populous central area, sending residents looking for cover. Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said a 60-year-old woman was seriously wounded after being hurt on her way to a protected space. There was no immediate comment from Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. It was the third time in a week that fire from Yemen set off sirens in Israel. On Saturday, a missile slammed into a playground in Tel Aviv, injuring 16, after Israel’s air defense system failed to intercept it. Earlier last week, Israeli jets struck Yemen’s rebel-held capital and a port city, killing nine. Israel said the strikes were in response to previous Houthi attacks.
Exposing the Dark Underbelly of the American WestNone
A woman has died after she was discovered in a block of flats suffering . or signup to continue reading Police were called to a unit complex on Vicliffe Avenue in Campsie, a leafy, suburban street in , around 3pm on November 25. The woman had been found in a stairwell in the block of flats with burns to her body, emergency services were told. Paramedics found the woman alive and she was treated at the scene before being taken to Concord Hospital. Police confirmed no one else was found injured at the unit complex. Later the same night, at 9.25pm, police were told the woman had died in hospital. She has not been formally identified but police believe the woman is 44-years-old. Investigators have urged members of the public with information about the woman or her death to contact police. A crime scene has been set up at the Campsie flats as police launched an investigation into the death. Police said a report would be prepared for the Coroner. Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement