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wild aces lottery After acquiring the Arcadium Lithium operations, mining company Rio Tinto has now announced a US$2.5 billion investment to expand lithium carbonate production at its Rincón de Salta project. This will be the Anglo-Australian company’s first commercial-scale operation, and obtained its Environmental Impact Declaration a year ago. The investment decision, which will be presented for Argentina’s RIGI large investment regime, demonstrates “the company’s commitment to establishing a first-class battery materials portfolio,” Rio Tinto told the Herald ’s sister title, Energy Report , in a statement. The Rincón project involves the extraction of brine through a series of production wells and processing and effluent facilities, along with its associated infrastructure. The total production capacity is 60,000 tonnes of high-quality lithium carbonate for batteries per year. That figure includes an initial 3,000-tonne plant and a 57,000-tonne expansion plant. The project uses direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, a process that helps conserve water, reduces effluents, and produces lithium carbonates more consistently than other methods. You may also be interested in: RIGI: understanding Argentina’s new large investment regime The company reports that Rincón’s expected lifecycle is 40 years, with the construction of the expanded plant slated to begin in mid-2025, subject to permit approval. “First production is expected to begin in 2028, followed by three years of increased activity until the maximum capacity is reached, which will generate a significant number of jobs and economic opportunities for local businesses,” the company stated in a press release. Rio Tinto Group’s chief executive officer, Jakob Stausholm, welcomed the investment decision. “The attractive long-term outlook for lithium driven by the energy transition supports our investment in Rincón. We are dedicated to developing this world-class resource at a large scale and at the low end of the cost curve. We are also committed to meeting the highest ESG standards, using our advanced technology to halve the amount of water used in the refining process while continuing to strengthen our mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities and the province of Salta,” he said. Rio Tinto’s plans to enter the RIGI Company sources confirmed that the intention is to incorporate this investment into the RIGI. “Argentina’s economic reforms and the RIGI provide a favorable investment climate, with benefits such as lower tax rates, accelerated depreciation, and regulatory stability for 30 years, which protects the project from future policy changes and further safeguards investors.” You may also be interested in: Argentina launches RIGI with changes in the fine print Stausholm added: “Thanks to exceptional resources, a skilled workforce, and favorable economic policies in Argentina, we are in an excellent position to become one of the world’s leading lithium producers. This investment, along with our Arcadium acquisition proposal, ensures that lithium will be one of the key pillars of our raw materials portfolio for the next decades,” Stausholm added. Rio Tinto buys Arcadium Lithium The mining company announced in October that it had acquired Arcadium Lithium for US$6.7 billion in cash. Globally, Arcadium has 1,300 employees, manages resources in Argentina and Australia, and operates conversion plants in the U.S., China, Japan, and the United Kingdom. It also has production projects in Canada. The sale, which is expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2025, includes all of Arcadium’s operations in Argentina: the Fénix and Sal de Vida projects in Catamarca, and Olaraoz I and II and Cauchari projects in Jujuy. The Fénix project, owned by Livent before being acquired by Arcadium, currently has a production of 20,000 metric tonnes of lithium carbonate in situ and another 9,000 metric tonnes of lithium chloride in the town of Güemes, an external plant located on the Salta plains. With that acquisition and the decision to expand its own Salar de Rincón plant, there is no doubt that Rio Tinto has a clear goal with lithium for the next decade. “The investment will support Argentina’s current ambition to become one of the world’s leading lithium producers,” the company said. Rio Tinto invests in copper in San Juan Rio Tinto, through its tech subsidiary Nuton, recently confirmed a new US$35 million investment for McEwen Copper’s Los Azules copper project, in the San Juan town of Calingasta. With the funds from the acquisition, the world’s second-largest mining company will boost work on the feasibility study for the San Juan copper project, which is expected to be published in the first half of 2025. Michael “Mike” Meding, Vice President of McEwen Copper and General Manager of the Los Azules project, told Energy Report that with this purchase, Nuton has now invested US$100 million, confirming the growing value of the initiative. “This fourth investment by Rio Tinto is an expression of confidence in the project, its leadership, and development, in a project that, measured in resources (according to Mining Intelligence), is the eighth largest in the world in terms of resources,” Meding said. You may also be interested in: UK Ambassador Kirsty Hayes: British companies are taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approachKSPI INVESTOR ALERT: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Announces That Joint Stock Company Kaspi.Kz Investors With Substantial Losses Have Opportunity To Lead Class Action LawsuitHow Gen X and millennials are changing the face of the traditional family office as they inherit over $80 trillion

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Chilean minister arrives to push free trade dealThe latest news from down under is rather baffling. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 passed by the Australian Senate last week seeks to ban children below the age of 16 from using social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, Snapchat, Instagram and X. While it might take about a year for the new law to fall in place, the debates have already started raging. TikTok, one of the channels to be affected by the ban, purportedly aimed at protecting children, has warned of serious ramifications. It would push children to the darker corners of the internet, it said. The channel has been completely banned in India since 2020. Many other countries already have different types of restriction on its use, including Australia where the app cannot be used in government devices. So the latest ban for children below 16 is only a natural corollary to the way TikTok has been perceived there all along. But what makes skeptics laugh over the ban is the feasibility of its implementations though that should not be a reason for withholding the imposition of reasonable restrictions on anything, including social media that has been taking human society on a different kind of rollercoaster ride of late. In India, where a random politician or bureaucrat is definitely capable of conjuring up such a ban for children, claiming that the younger generation was going to the dogs mainly because of their addiction to social media, it would be really interesting to watch the game unfold in reality if at all it happens. Because in the Indian context, 70 per cent of the children access social media from their parents’ phones. And 80 per cent of the parents navigate online only with the help of their children. To put it otherwise, not many children below the age of 16 have the privilege of owning and using mobile phones on their own volition. Even in other countries, including Australia, there is no technologically sound age verification method to weed out juveniles from the highly cacophonous social media crowd. Also to be honest, by removing persons below 16 years of age from their roster, the social media channels will stand to lose most of its ardent and regular users. While it is not known if the ramifications of having only people above 16 years on the roll call will reflect on the balance sheet of the companies that own the apps, most of the apps, other than a few popular early channels, might have very few users left. True it is preposterous to break our heads over social media, which actually has no positive role on human existence or on the overall development of society. Yet, since social media has intertwined with our lives, we cannot completely ignore its presence if we aspire to have a meaningful and informed existence. So even if we have lived complete lives before the advent of social media or smartphones or even mobile phones, the latest technological advances that have changed the way we communicate cannot be just overlooked. So, to see social media as a bane for children – children alone – is nothing but childish because the evolution of the social media itself was around the younger generation with its new value systems, aspirations and outlooks. Children should only be allowed to seamlessly integrate with the system and not sought to be segregated till they reached a particular age. Monitoring the use of smartphones and parental restrictions on social media is one thing but a government law to bar them from accessing social media is another thing. I am not sure if the Australian government has any statistics to prove that social media’s dark side has the potential to ruin young lives more than that of older people. Or has it found out that excessive use of social media has caused physical and health challenges to children more than adults? Or has it been proved that young impressionable minds could be negatively influenced by social media than grown up people? Empirical evidence might prove that adult lives, too, are jeopardized by social media as much as that of children. For, as we know, social media is used by individuals and groups to look for and get whatever they want. It is not that social media itself imposes anything on its users, whether they are young or old. So by allowing children to use it with parental guidance and observation nothing is going to go wrong. In fact, if adults find their emotional needs met through social media, children, too, can get that done. Also it is not that social media offers a platform for drug pushers, pedophiles and sexual predators alone. It is also used by the spiritually inclined to sell their religious ideas and propagate their faiths.

Published 14:31 IST, November 30th 2024 Gains in Dalal Street were led by Bharti Airtel which recorded its 18-month best intraday rally on Friday, surging as much as 6% and ending 4.30% higher. Stock Market Outlook: The stock market regained its momentum in the last trading session of the week, closing notably higher after a drastic collapse on Thursday despite continued foreign investors selling woes. The BSE Sensex gained 760 points 0.96 per cent on November 29 to end above the mark of 79,800, in contrast to its Asian peers which ended lower except China. The Chinese financial markets inched higher on the hopes that US trade tariffs on the world’s biggest manufacturer would be lower than the markets previously anticipated. Gains in Dalal Street were led by Bharti Airtel which recorded its 18-month best intraday rally on Friday, surging as much as 6 per cent and ending 4.30 per cent higher at Rs 1,627.45. Following the Teleco major, Sun Pharma, Mahindra & Mahindra, Adani Ports, and Reliance were among the top gainers yesterday. FPI Selling Continues The Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) sold more Indian equities worth Rs 19,169.90 crore on Friday with a net value of a total of Rs 4,383.55 crore in FPI selling. Domestic investors which also includes cash-heavy mutual funds in the country, continued the buying spree with Rs 5,723.34 crore worth of net buying in the markets on the last trading session of the week. Top Stocks To Remain Under Watch Here are the top stocks which are likely to remain under focus in the upcoming week. BEML: After securing a Rs 3,658 crore order from Chennai Metro, the brokerage firms have upped the target price of BEML and the stock of the company is likely to remain in focus. Ambuja Cement: Motilal Oswal sees a 38 per cent upside in Ambuja Cements as the potential to deliver strong growth and attractive valuation. The stocks which currently trade at Rs 534 per equity share is likely to remain in focus in December’s first week Mahindra & Mahindra: The domestic brokerage firm Nirmal Bang has given a buy rating to Friday’s top gainer with a 17 per cent upside. With best-in-class EV features and aggressive pricing, Nirmal Bang believes that stock can hit the target price of Rs 3,004 per equity share. Updated 14:31 IST, November 30th 2024

A combined total of 10 goals on 106 shots wasn't enough for the Kelowna Chiefs and Osoyoos Coyotes to settle the score in regulation on Friday, Nov. 29. In an action-packed game, the Chiefs beat the Coyotes 6-5 in a shootout at Sun Bowl Arena. Kelowna's powerplay was clicking all night and it started when Luke Rishaug scored at the 10:52 mark of the first period. After the first period, the floodgates opened as both teams went back and forth scoring goals. Aiden Morcom scored on the powerplay to double Kelowna's lead but just 27 seconds later, Osoyoos' Dexter Materi scored to cut he deficit to one. The Coyotes then got goals from Austin Cooper (shorthanded) and Spencer Fleck (powerplay) to take a 3-2 lead. But 1:11 later, Ben Henshall scored for the Chiefs to tie the game. With just 22 seconds left to go in the frame, Rishaug scored his second goal of the game, on the powerplay once again, to give Kelowna a 4-3 lead heading into the third. Less than five minutes into the third period, Morcom scored his second of the contest to give Kelowna a two-goal lead again. But as they saying goes, a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey and that's proved to be true as the Coyotes got goals from Mathieu Lessard at the 9:39 mark and Scott Dyck at the 13:34 mark to tie the game 5-5. The rest of regulation and overtime solved nothing so the game went to a shootout. In the skills competition, Jake Kessler and Owen Miller scored for the Chiefs to give Kelowna the win. Chiefs goaltender Max Fowle made 43 saves in the win while Coyotes goaltender Hunter Arntsen made 52 saves in the loss. Kelowna (9-8-0-2) welcomes the Columbia Valley Rockies (12-10-0-0) to Rutland Arena on Saturday night. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

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Members and friends of the Aiken County Veterans Council had several local retirement homes on their radar Dec. 6, with continuation of the group's annual Operation St. Nick tradition, offering thanks and encouragement for veterans in their senior years. Visitors handed out gifts and shared some laughter and stories. North Augusta City Council member David Buck was among those visiting Pruitt HealthCare , in North Augusta. "I've been on city council for about a year and a half ... and that's been my favorite event that I've done so far," he recalled. Dwight Bradham , Aiken County's director of veterans affairs, was part of a gathering at Cumberland Village . Vintage 1940s and 1950s Army vehicles were part of the procession, assisting with a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus. A mechanical problem, however, put veteran Bill Monahan's 1953 Dodge pickup out of action, so a 1941 scout car with twin machine guns got the assignment. Santa officially arrived on the front bumper while Ms. Claus opted to walk a few yards to the entrance. Bradham, recalling the visit, said he "could definitely see the joy on some of these veterans' faces, because this time of year, for veterans, it can be very, very emotional." Marine Corps League supports community with Toys for Tots program He added, "It can get tough – a lot of low points for people, with mental health and stuff like that – so having this little ray of sunshine, this little snowflake come down and letting them know, 'Hey, you're not forgotten, and we appreciate you,' it really does brighten their day and can make for a much happier season for them." Lowell Koppert, chairman of the veterans council, produced the Operation St. Nick idea five years ago, while serving in Afghanistan. It was "kind of a no-brainer," he said, in terms of reaching out for support from fellow officers and reaching out throughout the community. He credited fellow veteran Sheila Pate, the council's secretary, with excellent work in organizing the annual effort. Koppert addressed the Cumberland Village gathering – veterans, employees and families alike – and pointed out that the gifts represented a broad range of well-wishers, including sponsors who helped fill stockings that were handed out Friday. Handwritten thank-you letters from children in local schools were sometimes among the packages. "We appreciate you guys having us," Koppert said. "We appreciate you helping facilitate all of this is, but this really is ... an Aiken County project. It's Aiken County that's wrapping their arms around you right now, to say merry Christmas and thank you for your service." Longtime red kettle bell-ringer has veteran status in two armies Cumberland Village residents on hand for the Friday gathering included Nick Kiraly, who first served in the Navy for four years and went on to devote most of 23 years to the Air Force. He had several family members – a nephew, the nephew's wife and their four children, all visiting from Chatham, New York – on hand for Operation St. Nick. "I was an Air Force combat controller. I made 647 parachute jumps. I have Parkinson's, so I fall back easy ... and I also got two Bronze Stars – one for Laos, when I was in Laos, and I was also in the Grenada operation, in 1983." He also smiled and acknowledged the unwelcome mechanical surprise. "I was getting a little impatient, because they were getting delayed ... It turned out very, very nice. I was going to say we need to buy Santa Claus a watch. I suggested that to them."This is Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggest the country may be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Here’s what to look for in the contest. Voters will choose 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But on Oct. 13 Benediktsson decided his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tómasdóttir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,’’ said Vilhjálmur Bjarnson, a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” The splintering of Iceland's political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after its debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,’’ said Eva H. Önnudóttir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighboring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. Repeated eruptions of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudóttir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,'' she said. —— Kirka reported from London.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Sam Lewis' 18 points helped Toledo defeat Defiance 111-49 on Saturday. Lewis also had five rebounds for the Rockets (6-3). Javan Simmons scored 16 points while shooting 8 of 9 from the field and 0 for 3 from the line and added eight rebounds. Sonny Wilson finished 7 of 10 from the field to finish with 16 points. Jalen Brown finished with 12 points for the Yellow Jackets. Connor Bush added eight points for Defiance. Donovan Stone finished with eight points. Toledo took the lead with 19:42 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 55-23 at halftime, with Simmons racking up 14 points. Toledo extended its lead to 90-34 during the second half, fueled by a 16-3 scoring run. Grgur Brcic scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as their team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

As we enter into Christmas week, the holiday season is peaking. And as many gather with family and friends around the Christmas tree, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it truly is a joyous holiday season. Because this time of year is of special importance to many peoples and faiths. From the day the baby Jesus arrived in his unique incarnation as God-made-man, to the menorah that miraculously burned for eight days in the ruined Temple of Jerusalem, to the celebration of family, community and culture that is Kwanzaa. And during occasions that are often diminished by commercialization, it is time to stress the simple joys of the season; the common thread running through December holidays is a focus on togetherness with loved ones and celebrating the joys of life. Because in times often clouded by uncertainty and fear of what might loom ahead, these few weeks in December offer opportunities to appreciate the truly valuable elements in life. Things not found in our paychecks, stock portfolios and television sets, or even under our decorated trees, but in our relationships with each other and in our capacity to love and cherish love. That could be the love of our families, our neighbors, or love expressed through stretching out a helping hand to those less fortunate and reconciling with those whom we have wronged or have wronged us during the year. It is a time to put our petty cares aside and embrace all that is joyous in our lives. And while it may seem an overly romanticized notion of the holidays in a world pocked with injustice, inhumanity and bloodshed, those small acts of kindness that the power of the season, and the true meaning behind it, can bring out in us shouldn’t be left unacted upon. All of the world’s wickedness can be outdone only by the good. While it is especially easy, these days, to ruminate on all that is bad in the world, do take the time to remember and reflect on the fact that there is plenty of good in the world, too. Plenty of good that each and every one of us can do for each other today and tomorrow. So as you gather between now and the new year, remember not your material wants but the reasons we gather in the warmth of our homes and share these times with those we care about most — not for the gifts off our wish lists, but for the love of each other and the gifts that life brings. Merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and happy holidays to all. A version of this editorial was first published by the short-lived Long Beach Register in 2013The state of Ohio has finally reached the point of the year when it will have more consistent winter weather conditions. Pesky insects like mosquitos and houseflies seem to be a distant summer memory, said Thomas Becker, an OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources educator in Lorain County, in a news release. “You’d think we’d be done dealing with insects this time of year, but somehow, every year some manage to sneak their way into our homes,” Becker said. Stink bugs and lady beetles tend to be the more common home invaders this time of year. Specifically, with brown marmorated stink bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles, both non-native species, Becker said. It can be hard to predict when there could be large outbreaks of these insects, but outbreaks aren’t necessarily going to be widespread, he said. Regardless of low pressure or high pressure from these insects, it still can be a good idea to do what you can to prevent them from making it into your living space, Becker said. “You might even make your home heating system more efficient in the process of sealing up cracks and crevices where these critters might squeeze in,” he said. Outdoors, lady beetles can be beneficial. Lady beetle adults and larvae will feed on pests like aphids, Becker said. Stink bugs, whether they are indoors or outdoors, always are going to be a pest, he said. They can use their piercing-sucking mouthpart, called a proboscis, to suck juices out of fruits and vegetables. It is not all that uncommon to find stink bug damage on tomatoes, peppers or apples. “Indoors, both the stink bugs and lady beetles are not of much harm to us, but certainly an annoyance,” Becker said. “Believe it or not, it is not the goal of the insects to make it all the way into our homes; they are looking for a sheltered place to overwinter.” The insects will accumulate fat in the late summer, then look for a sheltered place that is cool enough to slow their metabolism, so they don’t burn through their fat stores during the winter, Becker said. This makes places like attics, garages, exterior walls and window frames perfect overwintering sites, he said. However, sometimes that heat that initially draws the insects to to homes draws them all the way inside living spaces, Becker said. “This is a fatal mistake on the insect’s part,” he said. “Once they enter the living space, our homes are warm enough that their metabolism never slows. “They eventually burn through their fat reserves and die of starvation.” The best way to deal with stink bugs and lady beetles entering the home is to prevent them from getting in, to begin with. Inspect areas around doors and windows to see if there are any gaps around the frames that could allow for entry. Small gaps easily can be filled with good, flexible caulking. Larger gaps may require some insulating foam. Worn-out screening or door sweeps also can serve as entry points, so check those areas as well, Becker said. Another thing to inspect would be any vents, whether they be for an attic or kitchens and bathrooms. If they are unprotected or unscreened, these also are easy points of entry for insects. “When we do find that one of these home invaders has breached our defenses, there are a couple of ways to dispose of them without swatting or smashing them, since damaging their bodies can have an unpleasant odor and can leave stains,” Becker said. “Having a bottle with some soapy water to knock them into is one strategy, especially if there is only a small number present. “If there is a large number, you may reach for the vacuum, but first, we need to make our vacuum bug safe. If we were to just suck up all the insects without making it bug-safe, we would essentially create a bug blender that would result in a smelly vacuum cleaner and home.” Residents can make their vacuum cleaner bug-safe by fixing a nylon stocking to their vacuum hose with a rubber band. Then the insects get caught in the stocking instead of making it all the way into the vacuum. “So, don’t be too alarmed if you find stink bugs or lady beetles in your home,” Becker said. “Hopefully, some of these suggestions can help you avoid some human-insect conflict this winter.” Thomas Becker can be reached at 440-326-5851 or becker.643@osu.edu.Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed and President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. 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. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

Once synonymous with modesty and decorum, tights, pantyhose, and stockings have dramatically transformed over the decades. These once-functional garments, originally designed to cover and conceal, now play a pivotal role in the broader narrative of fashion, body image, and self-expression. Their journey from being a tool of societal propriety to an emblem of modern sensuality reflects significant shifts in cultural attitudes. The origins of tights and stockings date back to the Renaissance when men primarily wore them as a status symbol. By the 20th century, women had embraced them as essential components of modest dressing. In the post-World War II era, sheer nylon stockings were considered a marker of refinement and femininity. They were a practical solution for achieving the appearance of flawless legs, often paired with midi skirts and modest heels. “Initially, they were all about elegance, modesty, and societal decorum. But as societal views on body image and personal empowerment have shifted, these garments evolved too. They’ve transformed into tools for embracing individuality and celebrating the body, challenging traditional ideas of conformity. This shift reflects how comfortable people have become with their bodies, embracing fashion as a tool for celebrating individuality.” says Artist/Fashion Designer Venkat Gaddam (Hyderabad) Pantyhose gained popularity in the 1960s with the rise of miniskirts, offering a seamless alternative to garters and stockings. At this stage, legwear was still deeply tied to the concept of covering up, serving as a social expectation for women in professional or formal settings. By the late 20th century, legwear began shedding its conservative connotations. Designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood reimagined tights and stockings as bold fashion statements. The rise of punk and grunge aesthetics saw fishnet stockings, once relegated to burlesque shows, embraced by mainstream audiences. Instead of symbolizing modesty, they exuded rebellion and sensuality. In pop culture, icons like Madonna and Cher significantly transformed legwear into a symbol of empowerment and sexuality. Music videos and concert performances frequently showcased tights and stockings styled provocatively, influencing an entire generation’s perception of these garments. Today, tights, pantyhose, and stockings are celebrated as versatile fashion accessories. They are no longer confined to neutral shades or understated styles. Bold patterns, bright colours, and unconventional textures dominate collections by luxury brands and fast fashion retailers alike. Gucci, Prada, and Wolford, among others, have contributed to this evolution by showcasing legwear as high-fashion staples on the runway. Sheer tights with back seams, embellished stockings, and patterned hosiery have become synonymous with elegance and seduction. Fishnets, once a countercultural symbol, are now paired with tailored blazers and designer heels, seamlessly blending edginess with sophistication. “Societal attitudes toward body image have grown to champion confidence, boldness, and self-expression. This has made tights not just an accessory but a statement. You see them in vibrant hues, with daring patterns, and even sheer designs that turn them into expressions of art and power. What was once about subtlety is now about confidence and reimagined sensuality. Fashion has transformed these pieces into canvases that resonate cultural and personal freedom,” says Venkat. This transition reflects broader societal changes. As traditional notions of modesty have loosened, there is greater acceptance of individual expression and body positivity. Women now embrace their legs not as parts to hide but as canvases for creativity. Hosiery enhances this confidence, offering a way to play with fashion and express personality. Moreover, the normalization of lingerie as outerwear and the rise of athleisure have further blurred the lines between function and aesthetics. Hosiery, too, has evolved beyond its utilitarian roots to become a central element of self-expression. The resurgence of hosiery in modern wardrobes also speaks to the power of nostalgia and reinvention. While tights and stockings were once imposed as societal expectations, they are now worn as choices—deliberate acts of styling that reflect confidence and agency. For many, these garments are not just fashion but statements of empowerment. This shift has been bolstered by social media, where influencers and celebrities routinely showcase bold legwear looks. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have democratised fashion trends, allowing hosiery to find its place in everyday ward-robes, from casual streetwear to high-glam ensembles. The evolution of tights, pantyhose, and stockings from symbols of modesty to icons of sensuality mirrors the broader cultural journey toward embracing individuality and rejecting rigid norms. In today’s fashion landscape, hosiery is not merely an accessory but a powerful tool for self-expression. As societal attitudes continue to evolve, these garments remain at the forefront of conversations about style, confidence, and modern sensuality—a testament to their enduring allure and adaptability.Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed and President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. 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. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.It might seem like the year 2024 would last forever, but there's only a few weeks left before we turn the calendar to 2025 . If you're lucky enough to get some quiet during the December holidays, it can be a great time to assess your financial situation and make changes to boost your tax refund (or lower your tax liability) before filing your tax return in 2025 . These tax strategies could help you reduce your tax burden, but you'll need to act soon, as some steps require preparation to complete before Dec. 31, 2024. Read more: Best Tax Software It's worth taking the time now to review your tax situation, as a little effort now could pay off big later. Read on to find end-of-the-year tax tips to set you up for the upcoming tax season. 1. Double-check your paycheck for tax withholding The US has a "pay as you go" model of income tax, which is why your employer withholds money from your paycheck and freelancers have to pay estimated taxes quarterly . Failure to pay enough taxes during the year can result in a penalty at tax time. Your employer determines the amount withheld from your paycheck by your W-4 tax form, which includes your filing status and estimated tax deductions. The end of the year is a great time to review your W-4 and current withholding to decide if you want to change it. The IRS' Tax Withholding Estimator tool lets you estimate your current withholding and projected tax refund in order to adjust your W-4 form. You can submit an updated W-4 form to your company at any time, and your employer must institute your changes by the start of the first payroll period, which is 30 days or longer after your W-4 submission. 2. Sell any losing stocks to offset your capital gains It's been a huge year for stocks in 2024 -- the S&P 500 index is up a whopping 30% -- but there are still plenty of stocks that lost money this year. One bright spot of potential stock losses is the opportunity to practice " tax loss harvesting ." This tax strategy works by realizing losses or selling your stocks and assets that have lost value, to offset other capital gains you may have earned. For example, if you made $25,000 in profit on a real-estate sale in 2024 but lost big on an investment in a struggling stock (like Intel ), you can sell your securities and subtract the financial loss of that investment from your capital gains. If you have $25,000 in stock losses, you'll offset the $25,000 you earned from the real-estate sale to eliminate that tax burden. Capital gains include any income that you earn through the sale of assets, such as stocks, real estate, cars, furnishings or any other tangible properties, but you must actually sell assets to realize losses and offset gains. 3. Maximize contributions to your retirement account Retirement funds like 401(k) accounts and IRAs provide one of the most productive tax deductions because you can reduce your tax bill while building a nest egg for the future. If you can afford it, max out your possible contributions to any retirement account before the end of the year. The deduction limit for 401(k) contributions for 2024 taxes is $23,000, and that does not count employer contributions. A worker in the 24% tax bracket could knock almost $5,000 off their tax bill just by saving money for the future. Crank up the percentage of your regular 401(k) contribution for the last pay periods of 2024 to make the most of your potential retirement deductions. If you're over 50, you can contribute more to your 401(k) with "catch up" contributions totaling $7,500 per year (or $30,000 total) in 2024, if permitted by your 401(k) plan. You don't even need to be "behind" on your 401(k) contributions to make additional deferrals to your account. For IRAs, the maximum amount of tax-deductible contributions for 2024 is $7,000, or $8,000 if you are over 50. The amount of money that you can deduct from your taxes depends on both your income and whether or not you have a work-provided retirement plan. 4. Make your home more energy efficient Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 , there are major incentives to making your home "greener" in 2024. The law boosted the amount of tax credits you can get for increasing your home's energy efficiency. For this tax year, the residential clean energy credit -- which gives money back for installing solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, fuel cells and battery storage -- is still at 30%. Tax credits have more of an impact on your tax bill than deductions. While deductions lower your level of taxable income, tax credits directly reduce the amount of taxes that you owe to the IRS. Installing a solar energy system, wind turbine or geothermal heat pump can now give you 30% of the cost back if completed before Jan. 1, 2025. In California, the average cost of solar installation is $11,563. If you made that average improvement to your home in 2024, you'd knock $3,467 off your taxes. Tax credits for energy improvements aren't limited to alternative energy. Simply installing new, qualified Energy Star-certified furnaces and boilers can reap tax credits too, although smaller than for alternative energy. Be sure to check the manufacturer's tax certification statement, as not every Energy Star-certified product is eligible. 5. Do you want to defer an end-of-year bonus or payment? It's not always easy to postpone payment from your employer, but if you receive an end-of-year bonus and are looking to decrease your taxable income as much as possible this year, consider asking your company to pay you in January. Similarly, if you're a freelancer or contractor and you want to reduce your taxable income for 2024, consider delaying your invoices until December so that you don't get paid until January. You're only postponing the payment of income taxes on that money until your 2025 taxes are due, so you'll need to strategize on whether this year or next would be better for earning that money. 6. Donate to charities now if you want more deductions If you itemize your tax deductions and like to contribute financially to the causes and groups that you support, do it before the end of the year to best reduce your taxable income for 2024. Most taxpayers can generally deduct charitable donations up to 50% of their taxable income. Before donating to anyone, make sure that your contribution will be tax deductible by searching the IRS' tax-exempt organization database . All valid charities and nonprofits will also have a tax identification number that identifies them as tax-exempt. 7. Check required minimum distributions from IRAs and 401(k) accounts US tax law requires that Americans start receiving distributions from their personal or work-provided retirement accounts when they reach a certain age. Starting in 2023, the SECURE 2.0 Act raises that age from 72 to 73, for those who turned 72 after Dec. 31, 2022. These distributions are mandatory for 401(k) plans, traditional IRAs, profit-sharing plans and pensions. They're not required for Roth IRAs while the owner is alive. Required minimum distributions, or RMDs, are calculated by adding up all of the money in your retirement accounts and dividing by an IRS life expectancy factor. The Securities and Exchange Commission provides a simple calculator that incorporates the latest IRS life expectancy tables. While the administrator of your retirement plan is required to follow tax law for RMDs, it's up to you to make sure you're getting the right amount. If you don't meet the required amount for your RMD, you'll face the harshest IRS penalty around. The excise tax on RMD failures has been 50% in the past, but the SECURE 2.0 Act reduces that penalty to 25%, and even further to 10% if the RMD is corrected within two years. Still, if you were required to withdraw $20,000 in 2024 but only received $10,000, you could be on the hook for a $2,500 penalty. It's definitely worth double-checking your RMD for 2024 and withdrawing more money if required. 8. Combine your medical expenses into one year Medical expenses can be a significant deduction for many taxpayers, but the IRS only allows you to deduct expenses that are in excess of 7.5% of your AGI. For example, if your AGI is $50,000, and you spent $5,000 on medical expenses, you can deduct $1,250 ($5,000 - ($50,000 x 7.5%)) from your taxable income. For that reason, it can be advantageous to group all of your major medical expenses into one year. These expenses can include surgeries, preventative care, hospital visits, dental care, prescription medicine, glasses, hearing aids and mental health care like therapy, as well as transportation costs to and from providers. If you're approaching 7.5% of AGI in medical expenses this year, consider making as many of your anticipated health-related purchases by the end of December. Get your teeth straightened, buy those new glasses or schedule that elective surgery by the end of 2024, and you'll maximize your medical deductions. Similarly, if you're not approaching that 7.5% of the AGI threshold for medical expenses in 2024, hold off on any non-urgent health-related purchases until January when they could be more advantageous for next year's income taxes. 9. Strategize your business expenses If you're self-employed or a freelancer, deducting your business expenses can save you considerable money on taxes. Depending on how much you've already spent on your professional work this year, you might consider prepaying for next year's expenses before the end of 2024 in order to reduce your tax burden. For example, instead of buying supplies a month at a time, you could order and pay in December 2024 for supplies that you'll use for several months of 2025. The timing of your deductions might depend on whether you use a cash method of accounting or accrual basis, but front-loading business expenses for next year is a time-tested way of reducing your taxable income for the current year. It's very important to note that everyone's tax situation is different. These end-of-year tax tips may be effective for you, but there is no "one size fits all" approach to tax preparation. Be sure to consult a tax professional before making any major tax decisions. For more on the 2024 tax season, see how much income brackets and the standard deduction are changing in 2025 .

CLEVELAND (AP) — Je'Shawn Stevenson scored 23 points as Cleveland State beat Midway University 116-60 on Sunday. Stevenson shot 8 of 11 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line for the Vikings (8-6, 2-1 Horizon League). Dylan Arnett scored 18 points and added six rebounds. Tahj Staveskie shot 4 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. The Eagles were led in scoring by Jalen Cincore, who finished with 13 points. Decoreio Smith added 11 points and Creshaun Brown scored eight. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .World Series vision that got Nathan Eovaldi to the Rangers is the same one that got him to re-sign