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Three generations of Lebanese know the pain and suffering resulting from Israeli invasions of their country. Equally, three generations of Israelis know the cost – if not the futility – of invading Lebanon. The invasion of 1982 was intended to beat back Palestinian militant groups, install a pro-Israel government and provide “40 years of peace”. Instead, it birthed Hezbollah. In the 42 years since, Israeli soldiers have entered Lebanon twice more – in 2006, and again this year – to try to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah. This year’s invasion is already three weeks longer than the last. It has been far more injurious to Lebanese civilians, too; more than 3,000 have been killed since October, while nearly a quarter of the country has been displaced. And while Israeli forces have killed several senior Hezbollah commanders as well as the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah remains a political force in Lebanon. Tuesday’s news of a ceasefire, therefore, is not the product of an overwhelming Israeli victory. It has emerged, more likely, out of a growing realisation in both sides that a victory scenario does not exist. Hezbollah, for its part, has already drawn the ire of many Lebanese for dragging them to war and holding the political system in the country hostage. Despite the heavy price Lebanon has paid, Hezbollah had remained stubborn in rejecting solutions for the country’s many troubles. Also, its attacks have made little material difference in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 44,000 Palestinians and brought the enclave to complete ruin. And yet, Israel cannot afford to wage a war on two fronts forever. Hezbollah may be both injured and embarrassed, but it is not defeated. Meanwhile, discontent is growing among many Israelis – their government appears no closer to freeing the remaining hostages in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems uninterested in a ceasefire deal there, and has used a televised speech to say the ceasefire in Lebanon will allow it to refocus on its operations in Gaza. The proposed 60-day ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered by the US, would see Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah commits to withdrawing its forces north of the Litani River. The Lebanese Army will deploy in southern Lebanon alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force, restoring state control to an area that was previously almost exclusively the domain of Hezbollah. That would be a good thing for Lebanese sovereignty, though it is undercut somewhat by Israel’s insistence that it be allowed to bomb Lebanon unilaterally if it perceives a threat in the future. The deal is, in broad strokes, a restoration of the terms set out by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which encapsulated the ceasefire terms that ended the 2006 war. The events of the past year – in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon – have left the world in fear that things will never again be the same in the Middle East. In light of this, a return to a status quo of sorts, at least in southern Lebanon, would give some hope that the wider spiral of violence can yet subside. There are plenty of spoilers that could blow up this deal. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right Israeli minister, has been vocal in his opposition, arguing that Israel should not withdraw until Hezbollah is destroyed. A statement from Israeli army spokesman Col Avichay Adraee telling Lebanese civilians that they are prohibited from entering villages under Israeli eviction orders or areas near Israeli troops strikes another discordant tone. One can only imagine the reaction if Hezbollah were to issue a similar edict to displaced Israeli northerners wanting to return to their homes. On the Lebanese side, there is virtually “zero trust” that Israel will stick to the terms, one official told The National. In the absence of any trust, many things can go wrong. This is why the diplomatic efforts seen thus far must be maintained. A sustained commitment from Washington to an American-led committee that will oversee the development of a permanent ceasefire – especially during the current US political transition – is vital. Similarly important are the moves taking place in Lebanon to elect a president and restore some kind of political stability. If this ceasefire can be made to hold while diplomats work to untangle the knots in Israel’s other conflicts, then eventually there will be reason to trust again. There is nothing to be gained by Israel, Lebanon or Hezbollah by allowing this moment of cautious optimism to be squandered.
WASHINGTON — Austin Tice’s entire family visited Washington this week in a show of force to the outgoing Biden administration, asserting they have fresh, reliable information that he is alive and pressing top White House and State Department officials to leverage dramatic changes on the battlefield in Syria to secure a breakthrough in the case of the missing journalist. Tice’s parents, Debra and Marc Tice, have frequently visited the capital to advocate for their son, who went missing as a freelance journalist covering Syria’s civil war in 2012. But this visit was the first of its kind from the entire Tice family since he first disappeared over 12 years ago. Little progress has been made on Tice’s case over those years, spanning three presidents and a transformed Middle East. But a resurgence in Syria’s war over the past month after years of frozen frontlines has created new opportunities and perils for the American, a former U.S. Marine and Texas native. “Today is a day full of emotions. The news that we’re hearing from the Middle East – that kind of thing can unsettle a mom,” Debra Tice told reporters at a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday. “There are all kinds of ways this can go.” She told reporters that the family had a new source telling them that Austin Tice remains alive and healthy. The family is working to be able to share more information with the public, she said. “We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government that Austin Tice is alive – Austin Tice is treated well,” Debra Tice said. Debra and Marc Tice both said the Biden administration is declining to make the new information public. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the family’s statement. Syria erupted in civil war in 2011 following a brutal crackdown on democratic protesters by the Assad government. Tice traveled to the country to cover the conflict the following year for McClatchy, The Washington Post and other publications. U.S. officials believe he was detained at a Syrian government checkpoint southwest of Damascus on Aug. 14, 2012. A video emerged six weeks after his disappearance purporting to show him in captivity. With assistance from Russia and Iran, the Assad regime was able to push back an array of opposition forces that increasingly fractured throughout the war. The rise of Islamic State in the country also led to an international military offensive in northern Syria that culminated in 2017. Ever since, Assad’s hold on power has appeared stable. But a surprise offensive launched by a united front of rebel forces last month has put Assad’s army on the run for the first time in years. In a span of mere weeks, the Syrian army has retreated from Aleppo, Hama and Homs, cities where Assad spent years fighting to regain control. The offensive is being led by Tahrir al-Sham, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. It is not immediately clear how the resurgence of military action in Syria might affect negotiations over Tice. But U.S. officials are watching the developments closely to monitor for any new opportunities to engage on his case, an official told McClatchy. Tice’s family met with State Department officials on Thursday and with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday, a White House official confirmed in a statement. “President Biden and his team have worked around the clock, often in partnership with key allies, to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained abroad so that they can be reunited with their families, and the administration will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the term,” the official said. Speaking to the press on Friday, Austin Tice’s father, Marc, said that Sullivan told the family the administration had done everything it could think of to reach a breakthrough in his case. But his family believes the government has exerted more effort to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans in Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Gaza than they have for their son. Similarly, at the State Department meeting, “there were complaints and finger pointing about who is preventing things from happening, and who’s responsible for doing what,” Marc Tice said. “We think this is a time of opportunity, actually, and there’s no time like now to start doing the right thing.” Last month, as Syrian regime lines were collapsing before the rebel advance, the White House said that Assad’s refusal to participate in a political process with the opposition, and his reliance on Russia and Iran, had “created the conditions now unfolding, including the collapse of Assad regime lines in northwest Syria.” “The United States, together with its partners and allies, urge de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and a serious and credible political process that can end this civil war once and for all with a political settlement,” Sean Savett, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “We will also continue to fully defend and protect U.S. personnel and U.S. military positions, which remain essential to ensuring that ISIS can never again resurge in Syria.” Debra Tice was skeptical of the policy, questioning why the administration would support the rebel advance on Assad forces. Biden officials have made clear they are not a part of the offensive. “I don’t really understand what’s happening in Syria,” she said. “I’m upset by the fact that terrorists are tearing up Aleppo, killing people in Aleppo. I don’t understand that. I don’t understand why our government isn’t running in saying we are not going to allow a terrorist entity to take over Syria.” “There are people feeling like it’s possible this could be Austin’s release. I certainly pray that that’s it,” she added.” Long-stalled talks In August, marking 12 years since Tice’s disappearance, President Joe Biden issued a statement that his administration had “repeatedly pressed the government of Syria to work with us so that we can, at last, bring Austin home.” “The freedom of the press is essential, and journalists like Austin play a critical role informing the public and holding those in power accountable,” Biden said. “We stand in solidarity with Austin, his family, and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad. I will continue to do everything possible to advocate for and pursue his release and support his loved ones until he is safely returned home.” In 2022, Biden met with Tice’s parents at the White House and vowed to engage the Syrians directly over Tice. In a statement at that time, the president expressed “certainty” that Assad had held him in Syrian custody, without specifying when, where or in what condition. During the Obama administration, the CIA obtained Syrian government records indicating Tice had at one point been processed through the Syrian court system. Biden’s team had been hopeful the following year that quiet talks with Damascus could produce a breakthrough. But Hamas’ attack on Israel, and the war that followed in Gaza and Lebanon, disrupted the discussions. Officials in the first Trump administration also attempted to directly engage with the Syrians to secure Tice’s release, traveling to Damascus in an effort to do so. But Assad aides refused to acknowledge Tice’s case during that meeting, insisting the U.S. government renew its recognition of Assad as the leader of Syria – and a full withdrawal of U.S. troops in the country there to combat Islamic State – before even uttering his name, U.S. officials told McClatchy. In August, marking the anniversary, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Tice had been held in “unknown conditions” and issued a plea to Syria to open an honest dialogue on his case. “For more than a quarter of his life, Austin has been separated from his family and kept in unknown conditions,” Blinken said. “We know the Syrian government has held Austin, and we have repeatedly offered to find a way to bring him home.” “This has gone on for far too long,” Blinken added. “We call on the Syrian government to work with the United States to end Austin’s captivity.” U.S. officials told McClatchy this week that the government’s knowledge of Tice’s condition and whereabouts remain unchanged. ©2024 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.NoneIfedi starts at left tackle for Browns in prime-time matchup against AFC North-leading Steelers
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Lesco power losses on top in Punjab Lesco’s power losses stand at 13.1% against Multan Electric Power Company’s 11.9% by end of November 2024 Technicians work on high-voltage power lines. — AFP/File LAHORE: Despite running much-touted year-long drive against power theft, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has emerged as primary offender in power losses, according to latest official data. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Lesco’s power losses stand at 13.1 percent against Multan Electric Power Company’s (Mepco) 11.9 percent by end of November 2024 as it becomes the biggest power pilferer in the Punjab province, according to Power Information Technology Company (PITC) data. Despite persistent efforts to curb power theft by the incumbent government, Lesco continues to grapple with significant losses. Lesco has a higher monthly and progressive T&D loss percentage compared to Mepco. This indicates that Lesco is losing a larger portion of electricity during transmission and distribution. While still having significant T&D losses, Mepco has shown some improvement in recent months, as indicated by the negative monthly losses. This suggests that Mepco is making concerted efforts, unlike Lesco, to reduce its losses. Headquartered in provincial capital, Lesco is a public sector power distribution company that supplies electricity to more than 6.4 million consumers in the districts of Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura, Nankana and Kasur in the province of Punjab. The power utility is one of the largest distribution companies and feeds electricity in the heart of the country where better law and order situation and other factors warrant efficient distribution system with least power losses. According to the data, Lesco’s T&D losses for November 2024 progressively swelled to the top if compared other distribution companies working in the province. In comparison, Gujranwala Electric Power Company’s (Gepco) losses stand at 6.7 percent, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) at 6.0 percent, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) 4.6 percent and MEPCO at 11.9 percent. Lesco’s performance has been a subject of scrutiny and criticism for several years. The company has consistently struggled with high transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, low recovery rates, and unreliable power supply. When contacted, Lesco spokesperson did not offer any comment on company’s abysmally poor performance. Without denying the rising trend in power utility losses, he said he could share company’s version tomorrow.
SAINT PAUL, Minn., Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce signed a preliminary memoranda of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act to provide up to $16 million in proposed direct funding to SkyWater Technology Foundry, Inc. to modernize its facility in Bloomington, Minn. A milestone for the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition, this preliminary announcement is the second for a Minnesota-based semiconductor manufacturer, following the $525M announcement for Bloomington-based Polar Semiconductor in May. The bipartisan 2022 CHIPS Act encourages semiconductor manufacturing in the United States by investing $50 billion to bolster the nation's production of advanced semiconductors, used in many electronics from phones and computers to electric vehicles and weapons systems, as well as boosting America's semiconductor research and development sector. "We built the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition to help Minnesota semiconductor companies win federal CHIPS funding and secure our region's role as a national leader in this strategic global industry," said Peter Frosch, president and CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership. "This announcement demonstrates that Minnesota's collaborative approach—to bring industry, academia and government together around a shared opportunity—is creating more good jobs and accelerating our region's innovation economy." Latest win for the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition This landmark investment in SkyWater Technology represents another major win for a member of the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition. The coalition was formed by the GREATER MSP Partnership in late 2022 after the passing of the federal CHIPS and Science Act. Composed of more than 70 organizations, including manufacturers, supply-chain partners, education and training providers, labor organizations, and state and local governments, the coalition is working together to supercharge the state's already robust semiconductor and microelectronics industry. Collaborations like the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition underscore the strength, vitality and global significance of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul regional economy. "Our region is collaborating at scale to tackle some of our greatest national and global challenges, including renewing the competitiveness of America's semiconductor industry while ensuring our economic security and creating good jobs," Frosch said. "Our ability to create collaborative solutions is a competitive advantage that's enabling us to become the problem-solving capital of the new economy." SkyWater's win validates the work of the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition over the last two years, including the development of a workforce partnership, an employer-led workforce group made up over 20 microelectronics employers, educational institutions, training providers and governmental agencies working together to implement solutions that will increase the semiconductor and microelectronics talent pool in Minnesota. The CHIPS workforce partnership meets regularly to facilitate stronger collaboration among microelectronics employers, educational institutions, training providers and community-based organizations. Funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), including Drive for 5 Initiative competitive grants and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership, has been instrumental to advancing these workforce initiatives. Bold vision for Minnesota's semiconductor industry The Minnesota CHIPS Coalition seeks to make Minnesota a top-10 leader for semiconductor learning, development and manufacturing, adding 10,000 more jobs to an industry critical to national and economic security. The Minnesota CHIPS Coalition was successful in its effort to position the need for financial support from the State of Minnesota with the passing of the Minnesota Forward Fund during the 2023 legislative session, including dedicated state-matching funds for federal CHIPS awards. Investments from federal and state agencies boost Greater MSP's ability to deliver economic growth, technological innovation and inclusive job development. "Federal investments like this one are key to the growth of our regional and state economy, driving technology development and building prosperity for all Minnesotans," Frosch said. "Thanks to dedicated state-matching funds through the Minnesota Forward Fund, the region's semiconductor industry is scaling." About the GREATER MSP Partnership GREATER MSP is the economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis Saint Paul region. GREATER MSP is a coalition of more than 4,500 individuals from more than 300 leading businesses, universities, cities, counties and philanthropic organizations working together to accelerate competitiveness and inclusive economic growth of the 15-county Minneapolis–Saint Paul region while leading the nation in tackling the most difficult challenges of the new economy. For more information, go to greatermsp.org . Media Contact Don Ball GREATER MSP 612-810-3153 don.ball@greatermsp.org © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Gurgaon: Police arrested three persons for allegedly operating an online betting racket here, officials said on Friday. Cops received a tip-off on Thursday that some people were running an illegal call centre in a flat here, they said. Following this, they raided the flat and found the three accused playing games and betting online. They arrested three people from the spot who revealed that they were paid Rs 30,000 in salary to use their friend's money on an online betting app, police said. The accused were identified as Vinod Kumar, Vinit and Neerap. An FIR was registered under Section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Gambling Act and under the Information Technology Act, they said. Police have recovered two cars, 19 mobile phones, five laptops, a smartwatch, a webcam, i-pad, a Wi-Fi box, a passport, an arm license, 10 cartridges, nine chequebooks, one passbook, 19 ATM cards from their possession, they added. PTI
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ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta.