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VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — Valparaiso hired longtime Marietta coach Andy Waddle as its new football coach, athletic director Laurel Hosmer announced Monday. Waddle is scheduled to be formally introduced on campus Wednesday. He spent the last 12 seasons turning around the Division III program located in Southeastern Ohio. There, he went 55-61 after inheriting a winless team. He led the Pioneers to their first 8-0 start last season and matched the 1920 squad's school record with a 13-game winning streak that started in 2023. In 2024, Marietta made its first postseason appearance since 1973. Waddle went 16-5 over the past two seasons and produced seven winning records over the last eight seasons. The Pioneers had only two winning seasons in the previous 20 years. “I think there is a great group of young men on the (Valparaiso) roster, and we’re excited to invest in those student-athletes and continue to add more high-quality people and football players to the program,” Waddle said of the program located in Indiana's northwest corner. “I think Valpo is not only an outstanding fit for me professionally, but also an outstanding fit for me and my family.” Waddle spent eight seasons working with the defense as an assistant for his alma mater, Wittenberg, where he was an all-conference defensive back. He also has coached at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and at Maryville College in Tennessee. “His experience building success and winning culture as a head coach, passion for developing student-athletes on and off the field and high character made it clear he was the right leader for our football program,” Hosmer said in a statement. The move comes two weeks after Hosmer announced the school would not give Landon Fox a contract extension after his deal expired. Fox was 21-42 in six seasons at Valparaiso. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

An Israeli airstrike flattened a multistory building in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, according to Palestinian medical officials, after strikes Thursday across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 others. The latest deadly strike hit the urban Nuseirat refugee camp just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem that the recent ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for a potential deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the deadly strike in Nuseirat. Israel says it is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. Israel’s offensive 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 Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, 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: Syrian exile group says transitional government should be formed through a U.N.-backed process DAMASCUS, Syria — Mohammad Salim Alkhateb, an official with the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces — an internationally backed group of the opposition in exile — said his group wants to see a transitional government formed via a United Nations-backed process in the wake of Bashar Assad ouster. It is not yet clear if Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, will pursue such a process. The insurgents have said an interim government headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, who is also the head of the “salvation government” of HTS in its former stronghold in northern Syria, will oversee the country until March but have not made clear how the transition to a new, fully empowered government would take place. “The transitional governing body should be formed in Geneva to have international legitimacy,” said Alkhateb, who is now in Damascus. “The transitional governing body, whatever its form, whether it is the ‘salvation government’ or any other, what matters is that it has international recognition.” Alkhateb said that the unexpectedly rapid fall of Damascus and departure of Assad after opposition forces launched their offensive had created confusion and a governance vacuum. A day before the insurgents pushed into Damascus, diplomats from countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia met in Qatar to discuss the situation in Syria. Alkhateb said that they had discussed a scenario in which the rebels would halt their advance, keeping the territory they had captured so far in the north — including Syria’s largest city, Aleppo — and the opposition and Assad’s government would go to Geneva for talks on a political settlement to the conflict. However, he noted, “there were no Syrians in that meeting.” Assad fled to Russia before the rebel forces arrived in Damascus but has not officially announced his resignation, which is “why we are living in a vacuum rather than a political transition,” Alkhateb said. He added that creating a professional army should be a priority of the transitional government. “We do not want a civilian who was trained during the revolution to carry military weapons to become the military,” he said. Israel bombed hundreds of military sites in Syria this week in a wave of airstrikes that destroyed “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Biden administration says missing American journalist in Syria ‘is a top priority’ WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Peirre says Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, “is a top priority for this president.” During a briefing with reporters on Thursday, Jean-Pierre said of Tice, “There is no indication that he is not alive. There’s also no indication about his location or condition.” “What our goal is, is to bring him home. And so, we hope certainly that he is alive and, as we have stated many times before, we are talking through this with the Turks and we want to do everything we can to bring him home,” she said. Four Israeli strikes in Lebanon should be investigated as war crimes, rights group says BEIRUT — Amnesty International said Thursday that four Israeli airstrikes between September and October that killed at least 49 civilians in Lebanon “must be investigated as war crimes.” The rights organization said in a new report that the four strikes targeted homes in the Bekaa Valley, northern and eastern Lebanon, and municipal offices in the south. “These four attacks are emblematic of Israel’s shocking disregard for civilian lives in Lebanon and their willingness to flout international law,” said Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. The rights group said this report was part of its ongoing investigation into violations of the laws of war in Lebanon. Amnesty International investigated four Israeli airstrikes, including one on Sept. 29 in al-Ain that killed all nine members of the same family. On Oct. 21, a strike in Baalbek city in eastern Lebanon killed six members of the same family. Another on Oct. 14 in the village of Aitou in northern Lebanon killed 23 displaced people, including a 5-month-old baby. A fragment from the attack site in Aitou was identified by an Amnesty weapons expert as likely part of a Mk-80 series aerial bomb, weighing at least 500 pounds. These munitions are primarily supplied to Israel by the United States, Amnesty said. The fourth strike Amnesty investigated was the strike that hit the municipal headquarters in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, on Oct. 16, killing 11 civilians including the mayor. “The air strike took place without warning, just as the municipality’s crisis unit was meeting to coordinate deliveries of aid, including food, water and medicine, to residents and internally displaced people who had fled bombardment in other parts of southern Lebanon,” Amnesty said. The rights group said it interviewed survivors and witnesses, examined evidence, and found no military targets near the sites of the four strikes. The Israeli military gave no warnings and did not respond to Amnesty’s inquiries, the group said. Israeli strike on a multistory building in Gaza kills at least 25 people and wounds dozens DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser raised hopes about a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Photos from the scene of the blast that circulated on social media showed a completely collapsed building with people walking through its mangled and charred remains, smoke rising from piles of belongings strewn over the rubble. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multistory residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. 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 fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UN food agency faces challenges in Syria UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency is trying to deal with massive needs in Syria not only from escalating war-related food insecurity and an upsurge in displaced people fleeing Lebanon but also the dramatically new environment following the ouster of Bashar Assad, a senior U.N. official says. “It’s a triple crisis and the needs are going to be massive,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday. The WFP estimated that 3 million people in Syria were “acutely food insecure” and very hungry. However, that estimate was made before the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon pushed many Syrian refugees back to their home country, plus the instability caused by the overthrow of Assad. Due to funding cuts, the WFP had been targeting only 2 million of those people, he said. Because WFP has been working in Syria during the 13-year civil war, he said, it has pre-positioned food in the country. It has 500 staff in seven offices nationwide and has operated across conflict lines, across borders, and with all different parties, he said. Skau said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, has promised to provide security for WFP warehouses. Humanitarian aid supplies had been looted at U.N. warehouses in the disorder after Assad fell. “We’re not really up and running in Damascus because of the continued kind of uncertainty there,” he said. WFP initially thought of relocating non-essential staff but the situation in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been “quite calm and orderly," he said. In the short term, Skau said, “what we’re seeing is that markets are disrupted, the value of the currency dropped dramatically, food prices are going up, transport lines don’t work,” and it’s unclear who will stamp required papers for imports and exports. This means that a bigger humanitarian response is needed initially, he said, but in the next phase, the U,N. will be looking at contributing to Syria’s recovery, and ultimately the country will need reconstruction. Skau said he expects a new funding appeal for Syria and urged donors to be generous. A top US official says the truce in Lebanon may help seal a Gaza ceasefire deal JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel’s ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt — key mediators in the ceasefire talks — as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Sullivan said “Hamas’ posture at the negotiating table did adapt” after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. “We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation,” he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. He the U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but it’s hard to know for sure. He also said “the balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel’s security over the long term,” he said. Israel launches deadly strike on a Lebanese border town just hours after withdrawing troops KHIAM, Lebanon — An Israeli strike killed at least one person Thursday in the Lebanese border town of Khiam, the Health Ministry said, less than a day after Israeli troops handed the hilltop village back to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, Khiam is the first Lebanese town Israel has pull out of since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants began two weeks ago, and marks an important test of the fragile truce . Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency did not provide details on who was killed, and did not report airstrikes elsewhere on Thursday. The Israeli military said the airstrike in Khiam targeted Hezbollah fighters. Lebanese troops deployed in the northern section of the town on Thursday morning and were coordinating with U.N. peacekeepers to finalize Israel’s withdrawal before fully entering into other neighborhoods. An Associated Press reporter who visited Khiam on Thursday observed widespread destruction, with most houses reduced to rubble. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, with collapsed walls and debris scattered across the streets. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, sharply criticized Israel for striking the town less than 24 hours after the Lebanese army returned, saying it was “a violation of the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement, who must act to curb Israeli aggression.” The truce was brokered by the U.S. and France. Israel has previously said the ceasefire deal allows it to use military force against perceived violations. Near-daily attacks by Israel during the ceasefire, mostly in southern Lebanon, have killed at least 29 people and wounded 27 others. Khiam, which sits on a ridge less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war. The Lebanese army was clearing debris and reopening roads in the northern section of the town. Civilian access to other areas remained challenging as the army clears roads and works alongside the U.N. peacekeepers to ensure the area is free of unexploded ordnance. Blinken urges the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to violence AQABA, Jordan -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to further violence. Blinken spoke to reporters in Jordan on Thursday shortly after meeting King Abdullah II as he opened a trip in the region to discuss Syria's future after former President Bashar Assad's ouster. Blinken will next visit Turkey, a NATO ally and a main backer of Syrian rebel groups. Blinken called this “a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors.” He said he was focused on coordinating efforts in the region “to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and establish a government that isn’t dominated by one religion or ethnic group or outside power. Blinken was asked about Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone that had been demilitarized for the past half century. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is temporary and defensive, but also indicated Israel will remain in the area for a long time. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. supports the move, but said the U.S. would be speaking to Israel and other partners in the region. “I think, across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that, we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. Turkish spy chief makes symbolic visit to pray in Damascus after Assad's fall ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Turkish media reports. Kalin was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, surrounded by a large crowd, according to video shown on Turkish television. The visit is highly symbolic. Turkish officials, who supported the opposition against Syria’s government, had predicted at the start of the civil war in 2011 that President Bashar Assad’s government would fall, allowing them to pray at the Umayyad Mosque. Paraguay reopens embassy in Jerusalem in diplomatic victory for Netanyahu JERUSALEM — Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem Thursday, becoming one of a small handful of nations to recognize the city as Israel’s capital and marking a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s international isolation has increased as the war in Gaza drags on, and Paraguay was the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that kickstarted the war. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea are among the few countries with Jerusalem embassies. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 but it wasn’t recognized by the international community, and most countries run their embassies out of Tel Aviv. Spirits were high at the ceremony marking the embassy’s inauguration Thursday, with Netanyahu and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lavishing praise on Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. “My good friend Santiago,” said Netanyahu, addressing Pena. “We’re a small nation. You’re a small nation. We suffered horrible things but we overcame the odds of history...we can win and we are winning.” Paraguay had an embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, under Former President Horacio Cartes. That embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv by Cartes’ successor, Mario Abdo Benitez, prompting Israel to close its embassy in Asuncion. Saar said Israel and Paraguay shared a “friendship based not only on interests but also values and principles.” He and the Paraguayan foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, signed a series of bilateral agreements and Saar said he would soon visit Asunción with a delegation from the Israeli private sector. “Israel is going to win and the countries we are standing next to Israel, we are going to win," Pena said. US Secretary of State Blinken renews calls for inclusion, stability in Syria in Mideast visit AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is renewing calls for Syria’s new leadership to respect women and minority rights, prevent extremists from gaining new footholds in the country and keeping suspected chemical weapons stocks secure as he makes his first visit to the Mideast since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad . Making his 12th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war erupted lasted year but amid fresh concerns about security following the upheaval in Syria, Blinken emphasized Thursday to Jordan’s King Abdullah II U.S. “support for an inclusive transition that can lead to an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” the State Department said. Blinken also repeated the importance the outgoing Biden administration puts on respect for human rights and international law, the protection of civilians and stopping terrorist groups from reconstituting. Blinken met with the monarch and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Aqaba before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Syria and the urgency of securing a long-elusive deal to release hostages and end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Abdullah told Blinken that “the first step to reach comprehensive regional calm is to end the Israeli war on Gaza." UN envoy urges authorities to collect evidence from Syrian detention centers GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling on authorities to save evidence from detention centers that were a hub of “unimaginable barbarity” that Syrians have faced for many years and cooperate with international investigators looking into such crimes. Geir Pederson referred to new images from the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital, Damascus, after President Bashar Assad fled Syria as armed groups stormed in to overthrow his government over the weekend. “The images from Saydnaya and other detention facilities starkly underscore the unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured and reported for years,” Pedersen said in a statement. Documentation and testimonies “only scratch the surface of the carceral system’s horrors,” he added. Pedersen urged authorities to cooperate with U.N. bodies like an independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was created in 2011, and an independent group known as the IIIM that was set up five years later to also compile evidence of crimes. G7 leaders say they support an inclusive political transition in Syria ROME — Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations offered their full support for an inclusive political transition in Syria and invited all parties to preserve the country’s territorial integrity. In a message released by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the leaders said they were ready to support a transition that “leads to a credible government, inclusive and not sectarian, that guarantees respect for the state of law, universal human rights, including rights for women, (and) the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities.” The leaders also underlined the importance that ousted President Bashar Assad’s government is held responsible for crimes, citing “decades of atrocities.” They said they would also cooperate with groups working to prohibit chemical weapons “to secure, declare and destroy” remaining chemical arms in Syria. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. Israel's military says it hit Hamas militants in two locations in southern Gaza JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys. Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organized in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday. Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while U.N. officials have said there is no systemic diversion of aid . U.N. agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a U.N. convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination. It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. American who says he crossed into Syria by foot is free after 7 months in detention DAMASCUS, Syria — An American who turned up in Syria on Thursday says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. As video emerged online of Timmerman on Thursday, he was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. The Biden administration is working to bring Timmerman home, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, without offering details, citing privacy. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago, before being detained. He said he was treated well in detention but could hear other men being tortured. US Secretary of State Blinken visits Mideast after Assad's ouster in Syria AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jordan on his 12th visit to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year and his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad that has sparked new fears of instability in a region wracked by three conflicts despite a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. Blinken was meeting in Aqaba with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on Friday. The meetings will focus largely on Syria but also touch on long-elusive hopes for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Blinken is the latest senior U.S. official to visit the Middle East in the five days since Assad was deposed as the Biden administration navigates more volatility in the region in its last few weeks in office and as President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of the Syrian conflict. Other include national security adviser Jake Sullivan and a top military commander who traveled there as the U.S. and Israel have launched airstrikes to prevent the Islamic State militant group from reconstituting and prevent materiel and suspected chemical weapons stocks from falling into militant hands. Blinken “will discuss the need for the transition process and new government in Syria to respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” the State Department said. The U.S. would be willing to recognize and fully support a new Syrian government that met those criteria. U.S. officials say they are not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organization designation of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, which was once an al-Qaida affiliate, but stressed they are not barred from speaking to its members. Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in Syrian buffer zone until border security is guaranteed JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security. After the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli forces pushed into a buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. The military says it has seized additional strategic points nearby. Israeli officials have said the move is temporary, but Netanyahu’s conditions could take months or even years to fulfill as Syria charts its post-Assad future, raising the prospect of an open-ended Israeli presence in the country. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday that Assad’s overthrow by jihadi rebels created a vacuum on the border. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said, referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. “That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border.” The statement added that “this deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.” The buffer zone is adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, except for the United States, views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. Attacker who fatally shot boy on a bus in the West Bank turns himself in, military says JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that the attacker who fatally shot a 12-year-old Israeli boy in the occupied West Bank overnight turned himself in to authorities. The attacker opened fire on a bus near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, critically wounding the boy, who hospital authorities pronounced dead in the early morning. Three others were wounded in the attack, paramedics said. The shooting took place just outside Jerusalem in an area near major Israeli settlements. Indonesia evacuates 37 citizens from Syria JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government has evacuated 37 citizens from Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, officials said Thursday. The evacuees were taken by land from Damascus to Beirut, where they boarded three commercial flights to Jakarta, said Judha Nugraha, director of citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Indonesian Embassy in Damascus said all 1,162 Indonesian citizens in Syria were safe. Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi said the situation in Syria has gradually returned to normal. “I can say that 98% of people’s lives are back to normal, shops are open, public transportation has started running,” Fauzi said, adding that most Indonesian nationals living in Syria had chosen to stay. Israeli airstrikes kill at least 28 people, including 7 children, Palestinian medical officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital’s morgue. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid convoys . The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis received the bodies and an AP reporter counted them. The hospital said eight were killed in a strike near the southern border town of Rafah and seven others in a strike 30 minutes later near Khan Younis. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel’s offensive 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 fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UN General Assembly demands ceasefire in Gaza and backs UN agency helping Palestinian refugees UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban . The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9 with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions to support the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group . General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions.Construction is on TransLink’s first-ever brand-new bus depot dedicated to the future large fleet of battery-electric buses for Metro Vancouver’s public transit network. As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized early this month, for Marpole Transit Centre, including foundation piling, is now underway on a vacant 20-acre industrial site on the Fraser River waterfront in South Vancouver, situated immediately east of SkyTrain Canada Line’s North Arm Bridge. When complete and open in 2028, this bus depot will have the capacity to store, charge, and maintain about 340 battery-electric buses, plus other facilities dedicated to operations and the large workforce of bus drivers. But it will cost substantially more than originally budgeted. Upon inquiry, TransLink confirmed to Daily Hive Urbanized the new Marpole Transit Centre will carry an estimated cost of $848 million. This is nearly three times the preliminary estimate of $308 million in 2021, which subsequently increased to $344 million in 2022, and $498 million in 2023. In addition to the recent steep market inflation in the prices for construction materials, labour, and equipment, the escalation in the construction costs was also due to the need to make “massive changes to the seismic and structural design of the project.” These changes are required under the provincial government’s 2023 update to the BC Seismic Code. Such changes included adding over 3,500 steel foundational piles under the two main buildings and drilling over 17,000 concrete columns into the ground. This work can now be actively seen at the development site. In addition to the challenging soil conditions on the riverbank land area, TransLink notes the required flood protection wall along the foreshore is also more complex than originally expected with the preliminary geotechnical information. According to the , the entire site will be elevated on a platform about 4.6 metres above sea level to serve a “superdyke” function — higher than the existing ground elevation between 2.5 metres and 3.3 metres. The complex will elevated about two metres higher than Kent Avenue along the northern perimeter, and a flood protection wall will be built along the south perimeter fronting the river. Other unexpected site conditions now require TransLink to remove contaminated soil, debris, and buried foundations to improve the ground conditions before building the facility’s foundation. Additionally, there will be numerous buckling-restrained braces to meet the provincial government’s new seismic standards. Generally, TransLink’s existing bus depot facilities have relatively simple configurations, with maintenance/operations buildings adjacent to large surface vehicle parking areas for the overnight storage of buses. However, the significant parking areas for up to 300 buses at Marpole Transit Centre are stacked in the operations building, which is essentially a multi-level parkade structure that spans nearly half of the property’s land area. With a growing shortage of available industrial land for new development in Metro Vancouver, there are growing calls from the development industry to encourage more vertical industrial projects. This bus depot represents the region’s largest example to date of a vertical multi-level industrial development. The last bus depot TransLink constructed from scratch is the Hamilton Transit Centre in Richmond, which reached completion in 2016 at a cost of $136 million. Its industrial location is also on the edge of the Fraser River, and its size is comparable to Marpole Transit Centre, with a land area of 18 acres and a capacity for approximately 300 buses, including 150 compressed natural gas-powered buses. Marpole Transit Centre represents one of the two initial major bus depot facilities that will handle TransLink’s pivot to battery-electric buses. A to expand its capacity and introduce the capability for handling about 100 battery-electric buses. The construction of Marpole Transit Centre allows TransLink to take a significant step toward adopting a battery-electric fleet by replacing aging fossil fuel-powered buses later this decade, while also expanding the overall size of the bus fleet to support new and improved service levels for growing ridership. The complex is jointly designed by WSP Global, Architecture 49, and TWD Technologies. A portion of this industrial waterfront site for Marpole Transit Centre, which has the addresses of 8902-9001 Heather Street and 502 West Kent Avenue, was previously contemplated by the Vancouver Park Board for a . This facility complements TransLink’s nearby Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot, which primarily serves trolley electric buses. Located on the edge of the Fraser River, the Vancouver Transit Centre lies just west of the Marpole Transit Centre, next to the northern end of the Arthur Laing Bridge. Upon completion, Marpole Transit Centre will be a highly visible structure for those entering or leaving Vancouver on the Canada Line. In total, over the coming years, TransLink expects it will need to built to a higher cost standard of handling battery-electric buses. Additionally, other TransLink fleet depot projects have seen a steep cost escalation. The cost of the , serving SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines, has risen from the early design estimate of $658 million in 2021 to $1.299 billion as of December 2024, with construction now well underway. The ongoing construction project of building a has tripled since 2021, now reaching $327 million.

Travis Hunter named AP player of the yearWith drones popping up in the skies from New Jersey to Boston, Massachusetts pols are turning their eyes heavenward and are looking for action. “The public does deserve more information and faster,” U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, said during an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday . The Newton lawmaker’s remarks came the day after Boston police arrested two men who flew a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport Saturday evening. The drone’s proximity to Logan Airport’s airspace posed “serious risks,” so Boston police called in additional resources from Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission and air traffic control, police said. Officers were then dispatched to Long Island, MassLive previously reported. The incident prompted Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to weigh in on X, and note that she was “aware of a growing number of drone sightings across Massachusetts,” and was “monitoring the situation closely.” The Massachusetts State Police were “working together with local and federal partners, and they’re prepared to support federal authorities with jurisdiction over airspace,” Healey added. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., cut right to the chase in a conversation with MassLive on Monday. "What happened at Logan Airport is just plain wrong," he said. “And that has to be policed very closely. We can’t in any way tolerate a potential air catastrophe because of drones that are too close to an airport.” In addition to a tighter regulatory environment, Markey also called for increased consumer awareness. “Hundreds of thousands of people for Christmas are going to receive a drone as a present. We need people who don’t get one to understand they may see a lot more of them in the sky,” he said. Auchincloss, who sits on the House Transportation Committee, said he’d reached out to "the NFL and, in particular, Gillette Stadium and the [New England] Patriots in my district to delegate more authority and more intelligence about unmanned aerial systems to the level of stadium operators and state police so that they can respond more quickly to drone incursions.” On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators. “New Yorkers have tremendous questions about it,” Schumer, the Senate majority leader, told reporters about the drone sightings. “We are going to get the answers for them.” The federal government did little to answer those questions in its own media briefings Sunday morning. “There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.” Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.” Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their remote identification, including the location of their operators. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer wants the federal government to use a recently declassified radio wave technology in New York and New Jersey. The radio wave detector can be attached to a drone or airplane and can determine whether another flying object is a bird or a drone, read its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. Schumer said state and local authorities do not have the authority to track drones. A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies’ authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones. It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator. “What the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department,” U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from.’’ Reporting from The Associated Press is included in this story. More political newsSwitzerland – The Federal Council presents the national hydrogen strategy The basis of the hydrogen strategy is the report “Hydrogen. Overview and options for action for Switzerland”, which the Federal Council adopted on November 15, 2023 in fulfillment of postulate 20.4709. The strategy was developed by an internal administrative support group, an external working group and in exchange with the gas industry and the cantons. Hydrogen and Power-to-X derivatives (PtX derivatives: gaseous or liquid energy sources produced on the basis of hydrogen, such as synthetic methane or methanol) are flexible energy sources and can make an important contribution to a fossil-free energy supply by 2050. The strategy aims to create the necessary framework conditions for this. The prerequisite for this is that hydrogen from CO2-neutral production processes is used. It should be used where it makes economic and ecological sense (high-temperature process heat in industry, peak load coverage in combined heat and power plants and thermal networks, reserve power plants, aviation, shipping and heavy traffic). In addition to domestic production and storage, the connection to the European hydrogen transport network is to be ensured and imports are to be strengthened through international cooperation and partnerships. The hydrogen infrastructure is to be developed along the entire value chain (production, conversion, transport, storage and refueling infrastructure) and Switzerland is to be strengthened as a location for education and innovation through the development of the necessary technologies. There is still no reliable information from the business community on future demand. The hydrogen strategy assumes that demand for hydrogen and PtX derivatives in Switzerland will be rather low until the mid-2030s and can be met mainly through domestic production. In Switzerland, hydrogen can be produced at existing power plants or close to customers who use the hydrogen directly on site or transport it further. Hydrogen is transported in converted or newly built gas pipelines as well as by road and rail. From 2035 onwards, the transport and distribution infrastructure in Europe will probably be expanded to such an extent that imports into Switzerland will be possible. Storage would require large gas storage facilities, which do not yet exist in Switzerland, or the hydrogen will be converted into liquid synthetic energy sources. Domestic demand is expected to increase from 2035 onwards. Since imports from the EU and third countries will be cheaper than domestic production in the long term, the share of imports is expected to increase continuously from then on. However, there are uncertainties regarding the trend in demand. Domestic hydrogen production and storage can be promoted for six years through measures in the Climate and Innovation Act (KlG). In addition, the UVEK and the Federal Department of Finance, with the involvement of the cantons and the owners of the transit gas pipeline, will examine the need for and possibilities of financially securing the transit gas pipeline for connection to the European hydrogen network by the end of 2025. At the same time, the need for the prospect of a promising business model should play a key role in the analysis of any financial security. The development of the Swiss hydrogen market will in future be reflected in the monitoring of the Energy Strategy 2050 and in the future energy perspectives of the UVEK. The UVEK is also developing a concept to provide suitable areas for operators of hydrogen filling stations at the heavy goods vehicle control centers along the national roads. The topic of energy storage is to be discussed at a round table with representatives from the federal administration, the cantons and the energy industry. The development of a hydrogen market in Switzerland requires close cooperation between business, the federal government, cantons, cities and municipalities. The cantons are therefore recommended to develop their own hydrogen strategies, review their development plans and approval practices for possible bureaucratic hurdles, and harmonize their legal framework. In addition, the cantons should work with the energy industry to strengthen training and further education in order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Switzerland – The Federal Council presents the national hydrogen strategy, Thyssenkrupp hydrogen subsidiary Nucera builds up business Thyssenkrupp’s hydrogen subsidiary Nucera earned less operationally in the past financial year 2023/24 (as at the end of September) and is also expecting... Ansys Report Highlights Simulation’s Role in Improving Sustainability Across Industries – including fast-charging batteries and hydrogen fuel cell Companies can use Ansys simulation to measure direct... Worley and ExxonMobil agree EPC terms for USA low-carbon hydrogen project Worley will provide reimbursable Engineering, Procurement and Construction services (EPC) to ExxonMobil for the Enabling Works, Infrastructure...

MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based , built the villa out of , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. Related Articles He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.US stocks close near the lows for the dayNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort?N.W.T. judge dismisses challenge to 2023 Gwichya Gwich'in Council election resultsRachel Reeves humiliated as latest damning charts reveal economic doom

Several years of the Left's lawfare against Donald Trump combined with two assassination attempts, lies about "just like Hitler" and "wannabe totalitarian" backfired epically on the Democrats, culminating in a huge election loss last month. Meanwhile, Trump has managed to maintain a sense of humor about it all along the way. That's apparent yet again based on this meme Trump shared on Truth Social directed at the Democrats and their failed lawfare: Trump's latest post on Truth Social: pic.twitter.com/UNyF4BwPZg Instant classic! Trump on Truth The BOSS 👑 pic.twitter.com/MFDkqivkEy Elon Musk loved it: Haha amazing 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ck8wFQV5KU Somebody please make sure Fani Willis and Alvin Bragg see that one. Trump’s mastery of trolling never ceases to impress The next four years are going to be something else! *** Related: Trump's 'Climate Threats' Have Demoralized the Eco-Scam Crowd (for Good Reason!) JD Vance's Guest in Trump's Suite at the Army-Navy Game a HUGE 'Middle Finger to Alvin Bragg' OUCH! Trump Summed Up Kamala (and the Dems) Biggest Mistake of the Campaign in 2 Short SentencesStrictly Come Dancing's Dianne Buswell was visibly moved to tears on the spin-off show It Takes Two. The emotional moment came during Friday night's final episode of It Takes Two, as hosts Fleur East and Janette Manrara recapped the journey of this year's finalists and welcomed the contestants into the studio to discuss their final dances. Dianne, who is partnered with comedian Chris McCausland in the current series, couldn't contain her emotions after watching a montage of their time on the show. Following the touching video, Janette paused the interview to offer tissues to both Dianne and Chris as tears streamed down the dancer's face. Overwhelmed, Dianne expressed her gratitude towards Chris, saying, "Chris has taught me so much. Mostly about honesty. He's the most honest man I've ever met. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he's taught me just to be myself." Dianne Buswell was left in floods of tears (Image: BBC) Read More Related Articles BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Vito Coppola and Sarah Hadland declare love just before final Read More Related Articles BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Pete Wicks declares love after sweet tribute - but it's not to Maura Higgins She continued to reflect on the lessons she learned from Chris, adding: "I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be this perfect dancer or this perfect person. Chris has just brought out of me something that not many people can," reports the Mirror . Emphasising the value of effort over perfection, she said, "Just giving it your best go, and it doesn't matter if things are perfect like I said before on here. Things can be beautiful without the perfectionism of things." Janette then interjected, reminding them that "winning isn't everything," a sentiment Dianne concurred with. Reflecting on his own experience, Chris shared, "It's just been way more than I thought it would be." Dianne and Chris shared their experience throughout this year's show (Image: BBC) Chris made history on Strictly by becoming the first blind contestant. He's quickly become a beloved fan favourite . After watching Chris with Dianne on It Takes Two, a fan went onto social media and expressed enthusiasm, saying, "The truly wonderful Chris and Dianne for the win... they will, 100%, be getting all my votes." Another supporter was confident in their victory: "Chris and Dianne will win so the others might as well go home now. Either way I'll be happy for him as he's brilliant." And a third viewer praised Chris's journey: "Chris did not have # Strictly on his radar, but now he is in the final. Dianne is now in her second final in a row. The waltz was emotional and Couple's Choice is showmanship and selling it more. The showdance is high energy but ballroom!" It Takes Two is available to watch on BBC IPlayer.(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Sara Harmouch , American University (THE CONVERSATION) The fall of President Bashar al-Assad has left a critical question: After a half-century of brutal dynastic rule has come to an end, who speaks for Syrians now? One group staking a major claim for that role is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which, under the leadership of Abu Mohammad al-Golani, spearheaded the opposition advance that toppled Assad. But what does the group stand for? And who is al-Golani? The Conversation turned to Sara Harmouch , an expert on Islamist militant groups, for answers. What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has its roots in the early stages of the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 as a popular uprising against the autocratic government of Assad. The group originated as an offshoot of the Nusra Front, the official al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was initially recognized for its combat effectiveness and its commitment to global jihadist ideology, or the establishment of strict Islamic rule across the Muslim world. In a shift in 2016, the Nusra Front publicly cut ties with al-Qaida and adopted the new name Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which means “Front for the Conquest of the Levant.” The following year, it merged with several other factions in the Syrian war to become Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or the “Organization for the Liberation of the Levant.” This rebranding aimed to move away from al-Qaida’s global jihadist agenda, which had limited the group’s appeal within Syria. It allowed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to focus on issues specific to Syrians, such as local governance, economic issues and humanitarian aid. Despite these changes, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s core ideology continues to be rooted in jihadism, with the primary objective of overthrowing the Assad government and establishing Islamic rule in Syria. Who is al-Golani? How central is he to the group’s success? Abu Mohammed al-Golani was born Ahmed al-Sharaa in 1982 in Saudi Arabia. Al-Golani spent his early years in Damascus, Syria, after his family returned from Saudi Arabia in 1989. His jihadist career began in Iraq, where he joined fighters aligned with al-Qaida after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion . In 2011, under the direction of Iraqi militant and then-al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, al-Golani was tasked with establishing the Nusra Front in Syria. The group quickly became a formidable force within the Syrian civil war. It was under al-Golani’s leadership that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham sought to portray itself as pragmatic, less focused on global jihad and more on governance issues in the region of Idlib, Syria’s largest rebel stronghold. This shift in strategy forms part of al-Golani’s effort to transform his national and global image from that of a jihadist leader to a more politically viable figure in Syrian politics. Al-Golani’s shift toward a more pragmatic approach, particularly post-2017, has been crucial in helping Hayat Tahrir al-Sham control territories and assert itself as a regional governing force. His recent moves, like adopting a more moderate persona and engaging in traditional public service, reflect al-Golani’s central role in the military and the political evolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – underpinning the group’s hold on power and its efforts at gaining legitimacy both locally and internationally. How did the group rise to become a major force in Syria? To keep power over the territories it controlled, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham employed a mix of strategies that includes establishing governance systems that could provide stability and services while legitimizing their control in the eyes of local populations. Aiming to expand and take more territory, the group’s leaders concluded that it needed to win over the international community to minimize international opposition and effectively work with the broader Syrian revolutionary movement. This involved working with other actors in Syria, aiming to present a united front that could be more palatable to international observers and potential allies. To do that locally, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham brought many groups within Syria under its control. Regionally and internationally, it reshaped its image through public relations campaigns, such as engaging in social services. Since 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been the prevailing force in Idlib , which, after government forces retook control of Aleppo in December 2016, emerged as the last major bastion for various rebel groups. Over the years, the group has solidified its control in the region by functioning as a quasi-governmental entity , providing civil services and overseeing local affairs – such as controlling highways and collecting duties on commercial trucking – despite reports of human rights abuses. In recent years, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s propaganda has emphasized protecting Syrian territory and its people from the Assad government. This has helped the group enhance its position among local communities and other rebel groups. In an effort to further burnish its image, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ramped up its public relations efforts, both at home and abroad. For example, it has engaged with international media and humanitarian organizations to negotiate – and film – aid deliveries to the areas it governs. Doing so helped Hayat Tahrir al-Sham gain some local support , positioning itself as a defender of Sunni Muslim interests. Meanwhile, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham bolstered its military capabilities by establishing a military academy, reorganizing its units into a more conventional military structure and creating specialized forces adept at executing coordinated and strategic attacks. The recent advance appears to be proof that this strategy has paid off. What does the US think of the group and al-Golani? The U.S. has long listed al-Golani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and the Nusra Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. In May 2018, the U.S. State Department expanded this designation to include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. As a result of these designations, the group and its members face legal restrictions, travel bans, asset freezes and banking restrictions. Additionally, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to US$10 million for information on al-Golani. However, news has been circulating that the U.S. is considering removing the $10 million bounty on the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader, while the United Kingdom is thinking of removing the group from its terror list. What happens if al-Golani emerges as a post-Assad leader? First, we should note that these are very early days, and it remains unclear what Syria will look like post-Assad. But based on my years researching Islamic history and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, I’m willing to venture a few educated guesses. Historically, Islamic empires have used distinct governance frameworks to drive their expansion and administration, which might inform Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s approach to mirroring these successful strategies. First, I think al-Golani is likely to strive for authentic religious leadership, positioning himself as a leader whose personal piety and adherence to Islamic principles align with the religious sentiments of the population at large. This could be complemented by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham emphasizing the role of Sunni Islam in Syria’s state functions and integrating religious legal practices into the nation’s laws. Just as it has established on a localized scale, effective administration might become a cornerstone of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham governance. In Idlib, for example, the group established systems for taxation and community engagement. This is essential for building trust, especially among previously marginalized groups. Additionally, by allowing some autonomy for regions within Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham could mitigate the risk of unrest, balancing strict Islamic law enforcement with Syria’s cultural and ethnic diversity. Overall, should Hayat Tahrir al-Sham under al-Golani try to steer the formation of Syria’s new government, we might expect a governance approach that aims for a blend of traditional Islamic governance and modern statecraft, striving to stabilize and unify the diverse and war-torn country. However, the group’s controversial status and history of militant activities could pose significant challenges in gaining widespread international recognition and internal support. Sections of this article were first published in an article for The Conversation on Dec. 2, 2024. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/abu-mohammed-al-golani-may-become-the-face-of-post-assad-syria-but-who-is-he-and-why-does-he-have-10m-us-bounty-on-his-head-245612 .

Karu calls on President to reinstate oversight committees and strengthen democracy"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

Strictly Come Dancing's Dianne Buswell was visibly moved to tears on the spin-off show It Takes Two. The emotional moment came during Friday night's final episode of It Takes Two, as hosts Fleur East and Janette Manrara recapped the journey of this year's finalists and welcomed the contestants into the studio to discuss their final dances. Dianne, who is partnered with comedian Chris McCausland in the current series, couldn't contain her emotions after watching a montage of their time on the show. Following the touching video, Janette paused the interview to offer tissues to both Dianne and Chris as tears streamed down the dancer's face. Overwhelmed, Dianne expressed her gratitude towards Chris, saying, "Chris has taught me so much. Mostly about honesty. He's the most honest man I've ever met. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he's taught me just to be myself." Dianne Buswell was left in floods of tears (Image: BBC) Read More Related Articles BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Vito Coppola and Sarah Hadland declare love just before final Read More Related Articles BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Pete Wicks declares love after sweet tribute - but it's not to Maura Higgins She continued to reflect on the lessons she learned from Chris, adding: "I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be this perfect dancer or this perfect person. Chris has just brought out of me something that not many people can," reports the Mirror . Emphasising the value of effort over perfection, she said, "Just giving it your best go, and it doesn't matter if things are perfect like I said before on here. Things can be beautiful without the perfectionism of things." Janette then interjected, reminding them that "winning isn't everything," a sentiment Dianne concurred with. Reflecting on his own experience, Chris shared, "It's just been way more than I thought it would be." Dianne and Chris shared their experience throughout this year's show (Image: BBC) Chris made history on Strictly by becoming the first blind contestant. He's quickly become a beloved fan favourite . After watching Chris with Dianne on It Takes Two, a fan went onto social media and expressed enthusiasm, saying, "The truly wonderful Chris and Dianne for the win... they will, 100%, be getting all my votes." Another supporter was confident in their victory: "Chris and Dianne will win so the others might as well go home now. Either way I'll be happy for him as he's brilliant." And a third viewer praised Chris's journey: "Chris did not have # Strictly on his radar, but now he is in the final. Dianne is now in her second final in a row. The waltz was emotional and Couple's Choice is showmanship and selling it more. The showdance is high energy but ballroom!" It Takes Two is available to watch on BBC IPlayer.Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara released a statement Friday slamming the "100% false" media reports that suggested he had thrown his final pass for the Hawkeyes. McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion during the Oct. 26 win against Northwestern. Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan has started the last two games for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) but is out with an ankle injury for Saturday's game at Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this week that Jackson Stratton will be the likely starter against the Terrapins if McNamara is unavailable. McNamara's cloudy status prompted speculation on a podcast this week that he was "not mentally ready to play." The podcast hosts from the Des Moines Register and The Athletic also suggested that McNamara -- who played three years at Michigan (2020-22) before transferring to Iowa -- is not "fit to play quarterback in the Big Ten right now." "We don't want to bury his career yet, but it does seem like that interception against Northwestern was his last snap as a Hawkeye," Leistikow said. McNamara, who passed for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games this season, released a statement updating his current status. "My status is the same as it's always been -- a proud member of this football team," he said. McNamara said he has not yet been cleared to play. He said he was cleared to practice on Sunday but suffered an "adverse reaction" and was unable to practice this week and therefore unable to travel with the team to Maryland. "I have been working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequently as possible," McNamara said. "I have every intention to play versus Nebraska next Friday night and I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win." Including his time with the Wolverines, McNamara has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,703 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 34 games. --Field Level Media

PSG beats Toulouse 3-0 and Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over BrestWith the Bruins struggling out the gate of the 2024-2025 season, it’s hard to believe that this team had the best regular season in NHL history only two seasons ago. Although they suffered a heart breaking first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 2022-2023 Bruins had a historical regular season. They finished their 82 game slate with 65 wins and 135 points, earning them the Presidents’ Trophy. Even though their historic season took place only two years ago, Boston’s roster looks completely different now. With many departures of key players, the 2024-2025 Bruins are far away from reaching that same success. They have managed to keep some top contributors such as David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, or Brad Marchand but it seems as though they have lost a lot more than they’ve retained. With that being said, its time to look at some of the team’s departures and where they are now. Patrice Bergeron – retired in 2023 As one of the greatest two-way players to ever lace up a pair of skates, Patrice Bergeron was the heart and soul of this Boston Bruins team. It’s always tough as a team to lose your captain, but it’s even tougher when your captain was a true leader that spent his entire career as a Bruin. After 19 seasons of wearing the Spoked-B, Bergeron’s retirement left Boston without a captain and first line center. David Krejci – retired in 2023 Another locker room leader that spent his entire NHL career in Boston announced his retirement in 2023. Losing the 16 year veteran was another big blow to this Boston team. David Krejci was the second franchise center the Bruins would lose after their historical season. Taylor Hall – Chicago Blackhawks After three seasons as one of Boston’s top forwards, Hall was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023. Although the Bruins needed the cap space, losing one of your most productive forwards will impact your team’s offense. Hall was brought in by Chicago to mentor Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Taylor Hall is currently in his second season as a Blackhawk. Jake DeBrusk – Vancouver Canucks DeBrusk is another impactful forward to add to the list of players Boston has parted ways with. He had been with the Bruins since being drafted by them in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Although he tended to be inconsistent during his time in Boston, they could definitely use his help this year. Jake DeBrusk was traded to the Canucks in 2024. Linus Ullmark – Ottawa Senators Arguably one of the most crucial pieces of the Bruins success in 2022-2023, Ullmark established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL during his time in Boston. Having to split playing time with another top tier goalie like Jeremy Swayman left Boston having to make a decision. Linus Ullmark was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2024 as the Bruins decided to extend Swayman. Other notable losses for Boston since the 2022-2023 season include Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno, and Craig Smith. All of these departures have left Boston very thin in their forwards depth chart. Their offense has yet to really break out this season and hasn’t had the same depth that it used to just two years ago. Losing a Vezina winning goaltender like Linus Ullmark proves to be another big blow as Jeremy Swayman hasn’t gotten off to a hot start this season. With most of the season still left to play, the Bruins look to turn it around and keep their presence in the postseason. This article first appeared on The Sick Podcast and was syndicated with permission.

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