SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the leading connectivity cloud company, today announced that it will host an Investor Day on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The event is expected to start at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Pacific time) and conclude at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern time (12:30 p.m. Pacific time). This event will be held at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, NY. A live webcast will also be accessible from the Cloudflare investor relations website at cloudflare.NET . A replay of the presentations will be available following the completion of the event. About Cloudflare Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET) is the leading connectivity cloud company. It empowers organizations to make their employees, applications and networks faster and more secure everywhere, while reducing complexity and cost. Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud delivers the most full-featured, unified platform of cloud-native products and developer tools, so any organization can gain the control they need to work, develop, and accelerate their business. Powered by one of the world’s largest and most interconnected networks, Cloudflare blocks billions of threats online for its customers every day. It is trusted by millions of organizations – from the largest brands to entrepreneurs and small businesses to nonprofits, humanitarian groups, and governments across the globe. Learn more about Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud at cloudflare.com/connectivity-cloud . Learn more about the latest Internet trends and insights at radar.cloudflare.com . Follow us: Blog | X | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219983219/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Information Phil Winslow, CFA ir@cloudflare.comPress Contact Information Daniella Vallurupalli press@cloudflare.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NETWORKS INTERNET SECURITY TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SOURCE: Cloudflare, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 04:15 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 04:13 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219983219/enJerusalem/Beirut: Hezbollah launched approximately 200 rockets into Israel on Sunday as Israel prepared to initiate a new wave of airstrikes on Beirut. The Israeli military said in a statement that the rockets, fired by Hezbollah militants , targeted northern and central Israel and included three drones. It added that the country's aerial defence systems intercepted only some of the rockets. A launcher from which projectiles were fired toward the Haifa Bay area was struck by the military. At least eight people were injured by the afternoon. In Kfar Blum, close to the Israel-Lebanon border, first responders with the Magen David Adom rescue service said they treated a man who sustained serious wounds. A five-story residential building in Haifa, the largest city on Israel's northern coast, was evacuated due to fears of collapse after it was struck by a rocket, the Fire and National Rescue Authority reported. Additional damage was reported in the northern cities of Kiryat Shmona and Ma'alot, as well as near Petah Tikvah in central Israel. Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for missile and drone strikes on a military target in Tel Aviv, in retaliation for Israel's recent airstrikes on Beirut, Xinhua news agency reported. The attacks were carried out at 06:30 am local time (0430 GMT) "with a salvo of high-quality missiles and a squadron of attack drones," and "the operation achieved its goals," Hezbollah said in a statement, without specifying its target and the precise location. The group said in other separate statements that it also launched for the first time "an air attack with a squadron of suicide drones on the Ashdod naval base, 150 km from the Lebanese-Palestinian border." The group also claimed launching drone attacks on a newly-established operations room for the Israeli army in the settlement of Metula in northern Israel, and missile attacks on other northern cities including Hatzor Haglilit, Ma'alot, and Kfar Blum. Lebanese military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that violent clashes have been ongoing since the early hours of Sunday between Hezbollah members and Israeli forces that had advanced in Lebanon's southeastern town of Khiam, the village of Yaroun in the central sector, and the village of Chamaa in the western sector of the border area. The Israeli army blew up about 18 houses on the eastern edge of Khiam, including the municipality building, they said. Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out seven raids on towns and villages in eastern Lebanon and 10 on those in the south, and the Israeli artillery shelled 11 border towns and villages in southern Lebanon with about 50 shells, they added. The Israeli military also announced plans to renew airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb, urging residents to evacuate the area in a post on social media platform X. On Saturday, Israel carried out at least three waves of strikes on the Lebanese capital, killing at least 20 individuals and injuring 66 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Since September 23, the Israeli army has intensified its air attack on Lebanon in an escalation of conflict with Hezbollah. Israel further initiated a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon in early October.Best Bets for NCAA Basketball Picks Against the Spread for Sunday, November 24
Shares of Moderna, Inc. ( NASDAQ:MRNA – Get Free Report ) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twenty-two research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have issued a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $84.00. MRNA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Moderna from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Leerink Partners dropped their price objective on shares of Moderna from $60.00 to $48.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Friday, November 8th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Moderna from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MRNA Insider Transactions at Moderna Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moderna Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MRNA. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Moderna by 12.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,847,212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,125,899,000 after acquiring an additional 1,823,276 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,069,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $470,670,000 after purchasing an additional 178,115 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Moderna by 21.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,224,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $349,166,000 after purchasing an additional 906,114 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Moderna by 0.5% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,890,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,023,000 after buying an additional 19,819 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its stake in Moderna by 0.5% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,648,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $388,743,000 after buying an additional 18,728 shares in the last quarter. 75.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Moderna Stock Up 7.5 % MRNA opened at $41.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.20. Moderna has a one year low of $35.80 and a one year high of $170.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.06 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $55.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $94.65. Moderna ( NASDAQ:MRNA – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.89) by $1.92. The business had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.25 billion. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 17.68% and a negative net margin of 43.77%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($1.39) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Moderna will post -9.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Moderna ( Get Free Report Moderna, Inc, a biotechnology company, discovers, develops, and commercializes messenger RNA therapeutics and vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases in the United States, Europe, and internationally. Its respiratory vaccines include COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, spikevax, and hMPV/PIV3 vaccines; latent vaccines comprise cytomegalovirus, epstein-barr virus, herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, and human immunodeficiency virus vaccines; public health vaccines consists of Zika, Nipah, Mpox vaccines; and infectious diseases vaccines, such as lyme and norovirus vaccines. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Moderna Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Moderna and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Duke's Cooper Flagg thrives in first true road environment, quieting Arizona crowd with 24 points TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg got his first taste of a true college road atmosphere on Friday night, playing in front of a raucous announced crowd of 14,634 at Arizona’s McKale Center. For a few early moments, he looked a little nervous. It was fleeting. Flagg scored 16 points in the second half, finishing with a game-high 24 as No. 12 Duke pulled away for a 69-55 win over No. 17 Arizona. The preseason All-American shot 10 of 22 from the field, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists, two blocks and a steal. 76ers center Joel Embiid sidelined due to swelling in his left knee and will miss two games PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers say center Joel Embiid is managing swelling in his left knee and will miss a second consecutive game Sunday. The Sixers issued a statement on the condition of the 2023 NBA MVP at halftime of Friday’s NBA Cup game against the Brooklyn Nets, saying the decision to sideline Embiid was made along with the team’s medical staff. Embiid was ruled out prior to Friday’s game against the Nets due to what the team described as left knee injury maintenance. The Sixers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Austin Hays, Kyle Finnegan, Brendan Rodgers and Jordan Romano among 62 new free agents NEW YORK (AP) — Outfielder Austin Hays, right-hander Kyle Finnegan and second baseman Brendan Rodgers were among 62 players who became free agents when their teams failed to offer 2025 contracts. Right-hander Jordan Romano, left-hander Patrick Sandoval and outfielders Michael Tauchman and Ramón Laureano also were among the players cut loose, many of whom would have been eligible for salary arbitration. Washington cut right-hander Tanner Rainey, its last remaining player from the 2019 World Series champions. Finnegan and Hays are former All-Stars. US ski star Shiffrin leads World Cup slalom after 1st run and closes in on career win No. 99 GURGL, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin closed in on what would be the American ski star’s career win No. 99 by setting the pace in the opening run of a women’s World Cup slalom. Shiffrin wasn’t clean going into the steep of the Kirchenkar course but gained time on all competitors with a near-flawless finish section. Wendy Holdener was fastest at the first two splits and the Swiss racer trailed Shiffrin by 0.13 seconds at the finish. Shiffrin says she was feeling "a little bit funky on some spots.” A victory would give Shiffrin five chances to compete for win No. 100 during a North American sweep of the World Cup starting next week. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Russell puts Mercedes on pole at Las Vegas and Verstappen nips Norris in championship battle LAS VEGAS (AP) — George Russell put Mercedes on the pole for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in an upset over teammate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was fastest in the first two practice sessions with Russell fastest in Friday night’s third and final session. But come qualifying, Hamilton made two mistakes in the final group and wound up a distant 10th. Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc seemed to sweep the front row until Russell’s late lap pushed Sainz to second. Pierre Gasly slid into third, and Leclerc wound up fourth. Championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull qualified fifth for Saturday night's race. Verstappen needs only to score three points more than challenger Lando Norris to win his fourth straight world championship. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. Chase Elliott named NASCAR's most popular driver for 7th straight season CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott has been named NASCAR's most popular driver for the seventh straight year. He was announced Friday at NASCAR's annual season-ending awards ceremony. It's the only major NASCAR award determined solely by the vote of race fans. Elliott beat out Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, per results released by the National Motorsports Press Association. Bill Elliott, Chase's father who is nicknamed “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,” was named NASCAR’s most popular driver a record 16 times before removing his name from the ballot. Either an Elliott or Earnhardt has won NASCAR’s most popular driver award for 34 consecutive years. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.”None
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Las Vegas Grand Prix Puts Luxury on Overdrive and Delivers High-Octane Hospitality( MENAFN - PR Newswire) BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2014, Lei Zhen, a graduate from Tsinghua University in Beijing, chose to settle in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). He decided to start his business in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, and make the innovative application of new materials with nano silver wire its core product. When the central government established the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in 2021, Lei relocated his company there, making full use of Macao and Hengqin's capital, talent and taxation advantages to scale up production. "Hengqin has a vast industrial space and a good supporting environment, which can provide a broad stage for the development of Macao's high-tech and diversified industries," he said. Today, the cooperation zone has become a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, hosting nearly 6,500 Macao-invested enterprises and providing a platform for new industries. "Macao plus Hengqin" is becoming a new demonstration to enhance the practice of "One Country, Two Systems," a new highland to promote the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and a new platform to realize the country's high-level opening up, said Chinese President Xi Jinping during an inspection tour of the cooperation zone on Thursday as part of his three-day visit to the Macao SAR. New highland for innovation Hengqin is located at the southern tip of Zhuhai and is separated from Macao by a narrow stretch of water. Since its establishment, the cooperation zone has served as a vital platform for promoting Macao's appropriate economic diversification. It has enabled Macao to develop industries such as high-end manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine, financial services, and cultural tourism. Today, the cooperation zone is home to 30 national and provincial-level technological innovation platforms, 268 national high-tech enterprises, and 41 provincial-level specialized and sophisticated enterprises. Currently, the cooperation zone has established innovation platforms, such as the Macao-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley, and has drawn several innovative resources, such as industry-university-research bases of Macao universities and high-tech enterprises and talents. Hailing the progress made in the cooperation zone, President Xi said the level of integration between Hengqin and Macao has gradually improved and that its role of supporting Macao's appropriate economic diversification is becoming prominent. In recent years, the Macao SAR has also promoted the implementation of major sci-tech projects and important innovation platforms locally, making it a new technological platform for global innovation and a gathering place for talents. "Macao Science 1" is the first space science satellite program jointly developed by the Chinese mainland and Macao. With the highest accuracy of geomagnetic field detection in China, the satellite will significantly improve the country's space magnetic survey. Visiting the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Thursday, Xi said the satellite is an example of deepened high-tech cooperation between Macao and the mainland, showcasing Macao's sci-tech sector's outstanding innovative and creative capabilities. Cultivating young talents The Macao SAR has also become an ideal place for entrepreneurs thanks to its open business environment and the opportunities provided by the cooperation zone. Today, industry-university-research demonstration bases of the University of Macau and MUST have been established in Hengqin, and four state key laboratories in Macao have set up branches in the zone, carrying out the transformation and industrialization of university scientific and technological achievements. As of November 2024, Hengqin had incubated 898 entrepreneurship projects for young people from Hong Kong and Macao, with 815 projects from Macao. Meeting with Macao residents living in Hengqin and young entrepreneurs from Macao who have startups in the zone, President Xi emphasized that Hengqin's development provides great opportunities for Macao's youth to achieve their ambitions and expressed hope that more young people from Macao will build remarkable careers there. "The building of the cooperation zone is reshaping the regional concepts and career plans of Macao youth. The younger generation is paying more attention to the development potential of the mainland's vast market," said Ip Kuai Peng, vice rector of the City University of Macau. It is imperative to attach great importance to education from a strategic perspective, lay out the system of disciplines, and cultivate high-quality talents to meet the needs of the development of both the country and the Macao SAR, President Xi said during his visit to MUST. For more information, please click: MENAFN19122024003732001241ID1109014947 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
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Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.