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Germany fears outside hand in deadly Lithuania jet crashSNYDER — This little village of 300 has become such a manufacturing powerhouse, its population more than doubles when the morning shifts start at the four factories lining the highway. One company alone employs 250 people making big aerial ladder trucks for fire departments all over North America. The town also boasts another firm making smaller fire engines, still another assembling specialty vehicles for the water well industry, as well as a new food processor. “We build some pretty cool stuff here,” said Jeff Hunke, who grew up in Snyder and owns and runs Hunke Manufacturing. “I mean, this little town puts aerial ladders in New York City.” Workers assemble fire apparatus at the Smeal facility in Snyder on Nov. 25. But Snyder isn’t the only place in Nebraska where manufacturing booms. Nebraska in recent years has been undergoing a bit of a manufacturing renaissance, with the 109,000 people currently employed in the industry representing a 23-year high. People are also reading... Nebraska’s manufacturing employment is up over 9% in the past five years alone, adding more than 9,000 jobs. That growth, by percentage, is nearly 16 times the national rate and one of the highest among the states. “There is clearly a lot of wind behind the sails of manufacturing in Nebraska,” Tim Carpenter, chief executive of David City trailer manufacturer Timpte, said during a recent manufacturing conference in Omaha. Industry officials and economists cite a number of reasons for the recent momentum. The state is strong in food processing, one of the fastest growing manufacturing sectors. It also boasts many agriculture-related durable goods manufacturers that have been boosted by a strong farm economy over the last decade. It’s believed Nebraska has also benefited from a national trend of American firms seeking to source more of their supplies domestically after the disruptions to worldwide supply chains caused by the 2020 pandemic. More than anything, the state has long enjoyed a stellar base of makers and creators who take pride that their products are not only made in America, but made in Nebraska. Manufacturing is the state’s second-largest industry after agriculture, with more than one in 10 Nebraska jobs in the sector. Many of the jobs are rooted in rural communities, manufacturers decades ago realizing they could find a strong blue-collar workforce in those areas — many of them kids who grew up working on farms. “The quality of the employees, the work ethic, provides a good asset for us,” said Mark Kreikemeier, president of Snyder’s Danko Emergency Equipment. Cheyenne Renter buffs the finish on a truck at Danko Emergency Equipment Co. in Snyder, on Nov. 25. The state’s central location, midway between coastal markets, and availability of cheap electricity and business tax incentives have also historically made Nebraska a productive place for making things. “Frankly, we have a lot of really good manufacturers in the state who are eager to grow,” said K.C. Belitz, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. “So it’s been really impressive.” The impressive growth comes despite the labor shortage that has long plagued the state. The state chamber of commerce believes as many as 8,000 manufacturing jobs are currently going unfilled simply because firms can’t find the workers. “Here, we’re all fighting for the same employee,” Kreikemeier said. Kreikemeier and others say the situation has recently gotten a little better, thanks to a plethora of new apprenticeship and internship programs through local high schools and community colleges. That, too, has likely helped to propel some of the recent job growth. Now the industry’s impressive run could either be enhanced or tested with the upcoming change of administration in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to boost American manufacturers by putting heavy tariffs on foreign imports, particularly from China. That would raise the price of products coming in from those countries and make American-made products more competitive. Some American manufacturers embrace the change as helping them compete against countries that are unfairly subsidizing their manufacturers. “We can go back to American-made parts, and get them on time, because today we're buying so much from China,” Danko’s Kreikemeier said. But most economists, and even some manufacturers, are skeptical of Trump’s plan. They say such tariffs would raise prices for consumers, risking more inflation and interest rate hikes. They also say new tariffs would inevitably invite retaliatory tariffs from other countries that would in turn make American exports less competitive. “If you can find an economist who thinks you should raise tariffs, give me a call,” said Creighton University economist Ernie Goss. “Two areas we do well in (in Nebraska) are agriculture and manufacturing, and both of them depend on free trade.” Decades of manufacturing declines before resurgence Between 1998 and 2009, Nebraska shed nearly 20% of its manufacturing jobs. It was part of a broader national slump that began in the late 1970s, largely fueled by increased automation, a rise of service jobs and globalization of production. In Nebraska, the decline was probably best symbolized in 2008. That’s when the owner of the 84-year-old Vise-Grips plant in DeWitt — the little town where the locking pliers had been invented — shuttered it and outsourced the production to China. Some 330 local residents were thrown out of work. It’s been said the deindustrialization that hammered blue-collar workers in recent decades helped fuel the rise of Trump’s Make America Great Again political movement. But the past manufacturing slump makes the recent resurgence in Nebraska all the more impressive. Manufacturing jobs in Nebraska were growing somewhat before the pandemic but then surged coming out of it. During 2022, Nebraska manufacturing employment jumped 4% — the biggest one-year increase since 1994. They’ve continued to rise on nearly a monthly basis — up another 2.8% so far this year. The 109,000 manufacturing jobs as of October were at their highest number in Nebraska since September 2001. The growth has also stood out nationally. Nebraska’s 9% growth in the industry since the end of 2019 compares to growth of about one-half of 1% nationally. One recent study ranked the state’s manufacturing jobs growth between 2020 and 2023 the sixth highest among all states, trailing only Nevada, Montana, Utah, Florida and Arizona. Iowa ranked 24th, with a fraction of Nebraska’s growth. Nebraska’s gains have come despite some recent weakening in the farm economy. They've also come even as some production tasks have become increasingly automated. Some Nebraska manufacturers say automation has actually been a force multiplier for them, machines handling some of the more rote and repetitive work and freeing up workers to perform higher-value tasks. “There’s growth in employment, growth in GDP, and growth in interest among young people on what a career in manufacturing looks like,” said Mike Johnson, who leads the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s efforts to boost manufacturing. A panel discussion at the chamber’s recent manufacturing conference focused on efforts to recruit and develop more workers. Snyder is a town with a large manufacturing footprint for a town of less than 300 people. The Nebraska Department of Education is preparing to roll out a new online portal that can match manufacturers looking for workers with school districts and students looking for such opportunities. Officials at Lozier, a builder of store shelves and fixtures that has long been an important employer in northeast Omaha, said they recognized years ago that with an aging Baby Boomer workforce, the company would need to get aggressive if it was going to have the workers it needs. So in 2012, Lozier partnered with Metropolitan Community College on an apprenticeship program in which the company provides candidates on-the-job training and pays for their schooling. Today, nearly a third of Lozier workers have come through the program. “After two years, they’ll have a degree, they’ll have experience and money in their pocket, and a job waiting for them,” said Lozier’s Ralph Kleinsmith. Good-paying jobs, too, he said — paying between $65,000 and $70,000 per year, with overtime. National studies show manufacturing workers generally earn more than comparable workers in the rest of the private sector, with a premium for those in highly-skilled niches. Besides good pay, the industry has much else to offer, industry advocates say. “What’s the coolest thing about manufacturing: We build stuff,” said Jim Townsend of Kawasaki in Lincoln, which this year celebrated 50 years of operations. According to data compiled by IndustrySelect, Omaha and Lincoln have the most manufacturing employees in Nebraska at 26,000 and 24,000 workers, respectively. Other big manufacturing cities include Grand Island (nearly 8,000) and Columbus (more than 5,000). But few Nebraska communities can claim more manufacturing firms or workers per capita than Snyder. The four manufacturers in town collectively employ almost 400 workers, drawing most of them from other towns and cities in a 60-mile radius. Snyder may be the only town of 300 that features rush hour traffic congestion, as at quitting time vehicles back up a quarter mile along Nebraska Highway 91 at its intersection with U.S. 275. The town’s proud manufacturing heritage can largely be traced to one man: Don Smeal. Smeal in 1955 founded a local repair shop for implements and equipment. Some time later, a man asked him to build a specialized derrick truck for use in the water well industry. Then in 1963, the Snyder rural fire district asked Smeal to build it a 42-foot ladder truck. Smeal Fire Apparatus Company was born. Smeal is no longer a local family-owned firm, acquired years ago by a national manufacturer. But it remains rooted in Snyder under the Smeal name, and three Smeal family members still work at the plant — one of them is Snyder’s mayor. Sparks flew and machinery roared on the production floor last week as workers took raw aluminum and steel and cut it, bent it, formed it, welded it and assembled it into bodies that would then be mounted on truck chassis. The complexities of a fire truck and all their gadgets mean jobs not just for welders, but plumbers and electricians, too. At the end of the line, a brightly painted new fire truck comes out, ready for delivery. “You’re not going to find a more cool product to build than a fire truck,” said Kevin Strudthoff, general manager of the Smeal facility, as he watched a woman on the line weld components into place. “It’s an opportunity for a Nebraska-made product to go out throughout the United States. When you talk to the folks on the floor, they do take pride in that.” Strudthoff said the company has about 20 more workers than it did a year ago, and could use 20 more if he could find them. Across the street from the Smeal plant is Hunke Manufacturing, a 30-employee firm which traces its roots to Smeal. A worker welds at Hunke Manufacturing in Snyder on Nov. 25 It was formed in 2012 when Smeal’s original derrick truck business was spun out. It’s now owned and run by Jeff Hunke, a grandson of Don Smeal, who proudly proclaims it the nation’s largest manufacturer of hoist vehicles for the water well service industry. Hunke said his roster of work orders has never been so full, so he can use a few more workers if he can find them. Not only does Hunke sell all over the country, it has an export business, too. Down the highway to the east of Smeal and Hunke is Danko, another spin-off from Smeal. In 1974, Dan Kreikemeier, who was Don Smeal’s first employee, started his own firefighting vehicle firm. His son now serves as president and the firm employs over 60 people, specializing in making smaller all-terrain trucks that can fight brush fires. Last month, Cheyenne Renter was giving a final buff to the paint job of a fire truck before adding the stripes and graphics. She said she loves being able to see the finished product and “knowing what you do helps people.” The newest manufacturer on the block in Snyder is Wonder Meats, which opened last year in a plant that had recently been vacated by Omaha Steaks. It now employs about 45 people producing Philly-steak beef and chicken products for wholesale. Its New Jersey-based owners are also looking to expand the plant. “I think the story of our little town and the industry it has is something to be very proud of,” said Marla Prenzlow, a longtime Snyder resident who now manages the plant. “I know Wonder Meats plans to have the same longevity the other businesses have achieved.” The Nestle Purina plant in Crete has been utilizing a new Boston Dynamics Robot Dog in its manufacturing area to prolong the life of their machines and prevent breakdowns. These industries had the biggest swings in job openings These industries had the biggest swings in job openings Job openings have been at some of their lowest levels nationally since February 2021 , Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. However, openings remain elevated compared to the two years before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 8.1 million open jobs at the end of May 2024—about 1 million above pre-pandemic levels. While Americans still find themselves largely employed, their capacity to resign and switch jobs is quickly falling to levels before the Great Resignation, when the quit rate reached 3% at its peak in spring 2022. Across industries, employers continued adding jobs, upping employment by 272,000 in May , with the majority of gains in health care, government, and leisure and hospitality. The unemployment rate remained relatively consistent, measuring at 4%. Excess labor demand is declining , and the labor market is rebalancing, Conrad DeQuadros, a senior economic adviser at Brean Capital, told Reuters. For workers, this means less confidence in finding new employment outside their current jobs. For employers, it could mean tempering wage inflation as demand for labor slows. To discover which industries are driving the job market, Stacker used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover report to see which industries added jobs in May and which saw openings shrink. Industries are ranked by the percent change in job openings from May 2023 to 2024 and appear from the largest decreases to the largest increases. Monthly data is preliminary. The BLS records job openings on the last business day of the month and calculates the rate as a percent of total employment plus job openings within the industry. The list below provides a snapshot of the economic activity across categories—retail, finance, construction, and more. You may also like: A look at the average consultant salary by industry #18. Retail trade - Total job openings, May 2024: 478,000 --- Annual change: -274,000 (down 36.4%) --- One-month change: -16,000 (down 3.2%) - Job openings rate: 3% #17. Accommodation and food services - Total job openings, May 2024: 771,000 --- Annual change: -374,000 (down 32.7%) --- One-month change: -147,000 (down 16%) - Job openings rate: 5.1% #16. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities - Total job openings, May 2024: 350,000 --- Annual change: -167,000 (down 32.3%) --- One-month change: +16,000 (up 4.8%) - Job openings rate: 4.7% #15. Wholesale trade - Total job openings, May 2024: 188,000 --- Annual change: -79,000 (down 29.6%) --- One-month change: -1,000 (down 0.5%) - Job openings rate: 3% #14. Nondurable goods manufacturing - Total job openings, May 2024: 174,000 --- Annual change: -54,000 (down 23.7%) --- One-month change: +17,000 (up 10.8%) - Job openings rate: 3.5% You may also like: Workers suffer the most injuries in these 25 jobs #13. Information - Total job openings, May 2024: 134,000 --- Annual change: -28,000 (down 17.3%) --- One-month change: +24,000 (up 21.8%) - Job openings rate: 4.2% #12. State and local education - Total job openings, May 2024: 295,000 --- Annual change: -47,000 (down 13.7%) --- One-month change: +26,000 (up 9.7%) - Job openings rate: 2.7% #11. Construction - Total job openings, May 2024: 339,000 --- Annual change: -38,000 (down 10.1%) --- One-month change: +2,000 (up 0.6%) - Job openings rate: 4% #10. Mining and logging - Total job openings, May 2024: 27,000 --- Annual change: -3,000 (down 10%) --- One-month change: +3,000 (up 12.5%) - Job openings rate: 4.2% #9. Real estate and rental and leasing - Total job openings, May 2024: 112,000 --- Annual change: -9,000 (down 7.4%) --- One-month change: -32,000 (down 22.2%) - Job openings rate: 4.3% You may also like: A tale of two nurses: How average travel nurse compensation compares to all US nurse salaries #8. Professional and business services - Total job openings, May 2024: 1.5 million --- Annual change: -112,000 (down 7%) --- One-month change: +44,000 (up 3.1%) - Job openings rate: 6.1% #7. Arts, entertainment, and recreation - Total job openings, May 2024: 151,000 --- Annual change: -5,000 (down 3.2%) --- One-month change: 0 (up 0%) - Job openings rate: 5.4% #6. Private educational services - Total job openings, May 2024: 184,000 --- Annual change: -6,000 (down 3.2%) --- One-month change: -34,000 (down 15.6%) - Job openings rate: 4.5% #5. Health care and social assistance - Total job openings, May 2024: 1.6 million --- Annual change: -43,000 (down 2.6%) --- One-month change: +78,000 (up 5%) - Job openings rate: 6.8% #4. Federal government - Total job openings, May 2024: 176,000 --- Annual change: +2,000 (up 1.1%) --- One-month change: +37,000 (up 26.6%) - Job openings rate: 5.5% You may also like: As more women are diagnosed with ADHD, here's how their work environment can set them up for success #3. Finance and insurance - Total job openings, May 2024: 325,000 --- Annual change: +25,000 (up 8.3%) --- One-month change: +5,000 (up 1.6%) - Job openings rate: 4.6% #2. State and local government - Total job openings, May 2024: 615,000 --- Annual change: +61,000 (up 11%) --- One-month change: +117,000 (up 23.5%) - Job openings rate: 6% #1. Durable goods manufacturing - Total job openings, May 2024: 428,000 --- Annual change: +63,000 (up 17.3%) --- One-month change: +97,000 (up 29.3%) - Job openings rate: 5% #18. Federal government - Total job openings, June 2024: 106,000 --- Annual change: -58,000 (down 35.4%) --- One-month change: -62,000 (down 36.9%) - Job openings rate: 3.4% #17. Mining and logging - Total job openings, June 2024: 20,000 --- Annual change: -9,000 (down 31.0%) --- One-month change: -6,000 (down 23.1%) - Job openings rate: 3.1% #16. Construction - Total job openings, June 2024: 295,000 --- Annual change: -119,000 (down 28.7%) --- One-month change: -71,000 (down 19.4%) - Job openings rate: 3.5% #15. Retail trade - Total job openings, June 2024: 549,000 --- Annual change: -159,000 (down 22.5%) --- One-month change: +43,000 (up 8.5%) - Job openings rate: 3.4% #14. Nondurable goods manufacturing - Total job openings, June 2024: 164,000 --- Annual change: -44,000 (down 21.2%) --- One-month change: -11,000 (down 6.3%) - Job openings rate: 3.3% You may also like: 20 of the highest-paying cities for travel nurses #13. Information - Total job openings, June 2024: 112,000 --- Annual change: -30,000 (down 21.1%) --- One-month change: -25,000 (down 18.2%) - Job openings rate: 3.6% #12. Wholesale trade - Total job openings, June 2024: 245,000 --- Annual change: -54,000 (down 18.1%) --- One-month change: +47,000 (up 23.7%) - Job openings rate: 3.8% #10. Durable goods manufacturing - Total job openings, June 2024: 323,000 --- Annual change: -47,000 (down 12.7%) --- One-month change: -88,000 (down 21.4%) - Job openings rate: 3.8% #8. Health care and social assistance - Total job openings, June 2024: 1.6 million --- Annual change: -137,000 (down 7.8%) --- One-month change: -62,000 (down 3.7%) - Job openings rate: 6.7% #7. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities - Total job openings, June 2024: 406,000 --- Annual change: -31,000 (down 7.1%) --- One-month change: +62,000 (up 18.0%) - Job openings rate: 5.3% #6. Professional and business services - Total job openings, June 2024: 1.5 million --- Annual change: -43,000 (down 2.8%) --- One-month change: -27,000 (down 1.8%) - Job openings rate: 6.1% #5. Finance and insurance - Total job openings, June 2024: 308,000 --- Annual change: -4,000 (down 1.3%) --- One-month change: -39,000 (down 11.2%) - Job openings rate: 4.4% #2. State and local education - Total job openings, June 2024: 290,000 --- Annual change: +14,000 (up 5.1%) --- One-month change: +24,000 (up 9.0%) - Job openings rate: 2.6% #1. State and local government - Total job openings, June 2024: 698,000 --- Annual change: +34,000 (up 5.1%) --- One-month change: +94,000 (up 15.6%) - Job openings rate: 6.8% The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Syrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . Russian state news agencies were reporting that President Bashar Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were given asylum. Russia said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction in Syria and is poised to chart the country’s future. He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Here's the Latest: The Israeli military said on Sunday it was reinforcing a barrier along its border with Syria as part of its “enhanced preparedness” in the area following the fall of the Assad regime. Israel released images of the construction, which showed bulldozers digging what appeared to be a trench. The army said in a statement that the barrier was named “New East.” Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began building what could be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. Over the weekend, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border with Syria. Russian state news agencies reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and been given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but had contacted the Kremlin for comment. CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad's downfall by moving into more Syrian territory. Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974. In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.” UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.” KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule - a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. "Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state. Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X. The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.” Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. BEIRUT - The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles. Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.” He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement. AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution. “There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime," said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. "There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.” Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and "we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.” Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes... I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.” BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government. “Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday. The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.” BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.” The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.” It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.” Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran - once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad - has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups. CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria. “It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.” Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade. DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically. In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square. But for some the celebration was bittersweet. “I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours - he has been detained for 13 years.” TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning. Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.” Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there. DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday. The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday's strike. The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike. Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest.
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