INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The National Weather Service at Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon issued a special statement on snow coming Wednesday to central Indiana. In central Indiana, snow showers and snow squalls are expected to develop Wednesday afternoon and evening. These showers have the potential to produce brief periods of heavy snow, whiteout conditions, wind gusts over 40 mph, and flash freezing on surfaces. Conditions can deteriorate rapidly with strong snow showers with little warning. Traveling will likely be hazardous at times, especially during the evening commute. In southern Indiana, the weather service at Louisville, Kentucky also issued a special statement on Tuesday afternoon. “Late Tuesday night a strong upper level disturbance will move into the region from the northwest and produce a band of light snow that is expected to move eastward across southern Indiana and central Kentucky. This band is likely to develop near the I-65 corridor well after midnight and then shift eastward toward the I-75 corridor by sunrise Wednesday. Overnight temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 20s and lower 30s. Some minor accumulations of snow will be possible east of I 65. The recent warmth and warm ground temps will likely limit snow accumulations to elevated decks and roof tops. While road surface temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-upper 30s, bridges and overpasses could become slick Wednesday morning. If you have travel plans for early Wednesday morning, stay abreast of the latest forecasts and weather conditions. Later in the day on Wednesday, scattered snow showers and snow squalls are expected to develop in the afternoon and continue into the evening hours. Little if any accumulation is expected during the afternoon. However, temperatures will drop to near freezing by late afternoon and near sunset which may result in slick spots developing on roads where the snow showers and snow squalls cross. Motorists traveling Wednesday afternoon and evening should exercise caution. Indiana Department of Transportation’s east district, which serves Indianapolis, said in a Tuesday afternoon social media post that its plows have been out preparing the roads for Wednesday’s snow. “We do want to highlight that snow will not be the biggest threat tomorrow, it will be the wind at 35+ mph aka a snow squall,” INDOT’s east district says. A FutureCast image from Storm Track 8 with this story shows the snowfall amounts expected Thursday.[Source: Fiji FA / Facebook] Football fans are in for a nostalgic treat this weekend as the Suva Masters take on Ba Masters in the 3rd Taito Bula Memorial Cup at the Ba Methodist School ground. Suva Masters Vice President, Ravinesh Murti, says the annual event honors the late Taito Bula, who passed away in 2022. Murti highlights the importance of matches like this, which help retired players, aged 40 to 70, stay healthy and engaged through physical activity. Suva’s roster features former district stars, including Suva Football President Maretino Nemani, William Sikuri, Intiaz Khan, Lorima Batirerega, Manoa Masi, Ronald Lawrence, Jone Ratu, Moses and Harish Bali, and others. The Suva Masters team has been preparing rigorously over the past month, playing regular matches every afternoon. Murti thanked the Fiji Football Association for their support and acknowledged the contributions of former players who have moved overseas. The Suva Masters have a strong track record in this event, defeating Ba Masters 2-1 in 2022 and settling for a 1-1 draw last year. The match is set for 3pm on Saturday, with Fiji FA President Rajesh Patel as the chief guest.

Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." Analysis: Collapse of Syria's Assad is a blow to Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — For Iran’s theocratic government, it keeps getting worse. Its decadeslong strategy of building an “Axis of Resistance” supporting militant groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. Hamas has been batttered by Israel's campaign in Gaza. In Lebanon, Israeli bombardment has crippled Iran’s most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time. And now Iran’s longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria, President Bashar Assad, is gone. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer NEW YORK (AP) — The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer has stretched into a fifth day — and beyond New York City. Police say it appears the man left the city on a bus soon after Wednesday's shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The suspect is seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police believe that words found written on ammunition at the shooting scene, including “deny," “defend” and "depose,” suggest a motive driven by anger toward the healthcare company. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. South Korea's democracy held after a 6-hour power play. What does it say for democracies elsewhere? SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A short-lived martial law decree by South Korea's leader last week raised worries about budding authoritarianism around the world. In the end, though, democracy prevailed. President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that he was declaring martial law and giving his government sweeping powers to crack down on protesters, ban political parties and control the media. Members of the military blocked lawmakers from using the legislature's constitutional power to cancel the power grab. But the National Assembly within hours unanimously voted to do so. The stars will come out at the Kennedy Center for Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Raitt and Sandoval WASHINGTON (AP) — Celebrities, cultural icons and a few surprise guests are gathering for the annual Kennedy Center Honors celebration in Washington. This year’s recipients of the lifetime achievement award for artistic accomplishment are director Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, and singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt. In addition, the venerable Harlem theater The Apollo, which has launched generations of Black artists, is being recognized Sunday night. There will be personalized tributes with performances and testimonials from fellow artists during the gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.

Dunn with 28 and Carnegie with 24 highlight No. 13 Georgia Tech women's 100-61 rout of Pittsburgh

DUP ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds were sanctioned in 2000 by Stormont’s leaders over their plan to disrupt the powersharing Executive. Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”

Embiid scores 31 in triumphant NBA return for 76ersBreaking News: Italy is Celebrating Ruffo Caselli's Robotics in Art 12-10-2024 09:34 PM CET | Leisure, Entertainment, Miscellaneous Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Headlineplus Before the advent of AI, there was Cybernetic Existentialism. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/67ec679e5aaa4c7c7c86efddc25617ea.jpeg The Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of Cybernetic Existentialism of New York City announces an upcoming art installation featuring the works of Italian artist Ruffo Caselli. This highly anticipated event will celebrate half a century of Caselli's influential contributions to the art world. Revered as the father of Cybernetic Existentialism, he envisioned a world of robotics and brought it to life on canvas with the incorporation of microchips. Ruffo Caselli, (born 1932 and died in 2020), was a pioneering artist known for merging traditional artistic techniques with cutting-edge technology. He was renowned for his wit and innovation in incorporating microchips into his creations. Based in Milano, Ruffo Caselli actively exhibited his work in prominent galleries, with his most recent exhibition being held at the Azimut headquarters in Via Foro Bonaparte in Milan, running for five months. While the exact details for the upcoming exhibition are yet to be finalized, it is expected to be open to the public in the near future in Genoa. A telepathic observer, supported by a renowned gallery in Manhattan since the early 1980s, displayed his masterpieces from New York across the globe, including South America, South Korea, and Russia. His work from the 1970s and 1980s garnered significant acclaim from art collector and curator Elena Garas, who extensively researched the artist's work for several years and shared her findings through lectures and elegant presentations. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/ac30b6c9bbdae86c16415dff257d7b2c.jpeg Elena Garas introduced Ruffo Caselli work to prestigious galleries and museums, including the Chelyabinsk Historical Museum and the Uray City Museum, with lectures and conferences conducted by Zaitsev Dmitry Stanislavovich, curator of the Ruffo Caselli exhibition in Uray, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, PhD in Cultural Studies, and Strelets Oksana Yurievna, Director of the Museum. For more information, please visit http://www.cyberneticexistentialism.com Please visit the YouTube channel to learn more https://m.youtube.com/@ruffocasellipaintings6978 About Ruffo Caselli Italian artist Ruffo Caselli paints canvasses representing elegant robots dotted with little squares, sensors and microchips. He is one of the world's leading interpreters of the changes that have taken place in our lifetime. About The Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of Cybernetic Existentialism The Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of Cybernetic Existentialism is a presentation platform for TECHNOLOGY IN ART. Carmen Gallo founded the Center in Manhattan in early eighties as a platform to present Art, Philosophy, Technologies and Trends of the Day in Technology. Media Contact Company Name: The Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of Cybernetic Existentialism Contact Person: Media Relations Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=breaking-news-italy-is-celebrating-ruffo-casellis-robotics-in-art ] Phone: 212-7807526 Country: United States Website: http://www.cyberneticexistentialism.com This release was published on openPR.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of the ball. For as well as the Packers (11-5) had been playing down the stretch, they left Minnesota with a rather murky outlook for the playoffs after stumbling into a 17-point deficit that proved too large for their late surge in the 27-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday . “They continued to compete and battle, but you just can’t do that against good teams. The margins in this league, especially against a good football team, are razor thin," coach Matt LaFleur said. "I don’t think we were at our best, but that’s a credit to them in our slow start — and that’s me as much as anybody.” The Packers gained 126 yards in the fourth quarter and still finished with a season-low 271 yards. The defense allowed 441 yards, which was also a season worst. The most glaring set of numbers after this frustrating afternoon, though, was this: 0-5. That's Green Bay's record against the top three teams in the NFC: Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia. There's no shame in losing to those opponents that carry a combined 40-7 record into Monday, particularly when four of those defeats — save for the 10-point loss to the Lions on Nov. 3 — came by a total of 12 points. “It’s not about who we can and can’t beat. We can beat everybody. If we figure out how to finish, we’ll win games,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. But the Packers will more than likely be on the road the entire time they're alive in the playoffs, so any path to the Super Bowl would undoubtedly trigger rematches with one, two or even all three teams from that daunting trio. The Packers clearly aren't overmatched by the Vikings, Lions or Eagles, but in games against those premier foes that significantly shrink the margins for error the Packers have shown a troubling pattern of not meeting the moment with too many ill-timed mistakes and not enough big-time plays. “It's hard when you put yourself in a hole and are down early and just kind of shooting yourself in the foot,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “There’s so much stuff to clean up and get better at, but I think we’re still a really good team. We can put up points. But when you put yourself in a hole, it’s just hard to climb out of that hole. And when it’s a good team like the Vikings, you know, it just makes it even tougher.” The red flag came right away. Josh Jacobs, the NFL 's fourth-leading rusher, had just given the Packers a second first down on the opening drive of the game when defensive tackle Jerry Tillery pushed the ball out and safety Cam Bynum recovered at the Minnesota 38. Jacobs had gone 11 straight games without fumbling until losing one at Seattle on Dec. 15. Now he has coughed up the ball twice in three games. “I feel like it drained the energy out of the team just starting early,” Jacobs said. “I take it personal on getting the team to start fast and things like that. Yeah, that’s on me.” Though the Vikings punted on the subsequent possession, they moved the ball enough to flip the field position. Perhaps wary of the fumble getting in Jacobs' head, LaFleur then called three straight passes from their own 15-yard line, and Love was off the mark on all three to force a punt. After a breakout performance here a year ago in a 33-10 victory over the Vikings that helped the Packers squeak into the playoffs after a rough start and ride the momentum through a first-round win at Dallas, Love looked awfully amid the cocktail of blitzes ordered by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores that fueled a fierce pass rush. He finished 19 for 30 for 185 yards and one touchdown. “They do a good job of keeping a lid on the coverage. That’s how they play," LaFleur said. "We knew that going in, so there was going to be minimal opportunities to push the ball down the field. You've got to be super efficient. You've got to stay on schedule because once they get you into third down, that’s where they’re really good.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLN44bn accrued benefits: Group slams FG over uncovered retirees’ fate

The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country's borders . It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped Syrian President Bashar Assad retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia , Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here's a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that's killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria's warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida's Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria's war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria's opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad's brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory, and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory, and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military's entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.Brad Pitt collapses at Las Vegas Grand Prix as fans left stunnedALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Justin Neely's 16 points off the bench led Albany (NY) to a 77-70 victory against Stony Brook on Sunday. Neely also contributed nine rebounds for the Great Danes (8-7). Amar'e Marshall scored 15 points, going 6 of 9 (3 for 6 from 3-point range). Kacper Klaczek had 10 points and shot 4 for 8 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Ben Wight led the way for the Seawolves (4-9) with 19 points and seven rebounds. Joseph Octave added 13 points and five steals for Stony Brook. Jared Frey finished with 13 points. Albany (NY) took the lead with 19:30 left in the first half and did not give it up. Marshall led their team in scoring with 10 points in the first half to help put them ahead 36-31 at the break. Albany (NY) used an 8-0 run in the second half to build a 19-point lead at 55-36 with 14:01 left in the half before finishing off the win. Albany (NY) plays Saturday against UMass-Lowell at home, and Stony Brook visits Monmouth on Thursday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Syria's new transitional prime minister on Tuesday said it was time for "stability and calm" in the country, two days after longtime president Bashar al-Assad was toppled by rebels in a lightning offensive. The rebels appointed Mohammad al-Bashir as the transitional head of government to run the country until March 1, a statement said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all nations to support an "inclusive" political process in Syria, saying the United States would eventually recognise a government if it meets such standards. "Now it is time for this people to enjoy stability and calm," Bashir told Qatar's Al Jazeera television in his first interview since being appointed. A senior official told US broadcaster NBC that Assad was in Moscow, after he fled Syria as an Islamist-led rebel alliance swept into Damascus on Sunday, ending five decades of brutal rule by his clan. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the rebel offensive, had announced talks on a transfer of power and vowed to pursue former senior officials responsible for torture and war crimes. Jolani on Tuesday sought to allay fears over how Syria would be ruled, telling British broadcaster Sky News that Syria was "exhausted" by war and would not be heading back into one. "Syria will be rebuilt... The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It's going towards stability," he said. "People are exhausted from war. So the country isn't ready for another one and it's not going to get into another one." His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is rooted in Syria's Al-Qaeda branch and is proscribed by many Western governments as a terrorist organisation, though it has sought to moderate its image. Blinken said the future government of Syria should be "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian". Laying out US priorities, Blinken said the new government must "uphold clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities" and allow the flow of humanitarian assistance. The United States wanted the next government to "prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism", he added. Although they no longer hold any territory in Syria, the jihadists of the Islamic State group remain active. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said IS fighters killed 54 government troops after capturing them as they fled across the vast Syrian desert. The UN envoy for Syria said the groups that forced Assad to flee must transform their "good messages" into actions on the ground. "They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness," Geir Pedersen said. "What we need not to see is... that this is not followed up in practice in the days and the weeks ahead of us," he added. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of the risks of sectarian violence and a resurgence of extremism. "We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan." Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed 500,000 people and forced half the country to flee their homes, millions of them finding refuge abroad. Jolani, who now uses his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, vowed: "We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people." The fall of Assad has sparked a frantic search by families of the tens of thousands of people held in his security services' jails and detention centres. As they advanced towards Damascus, the rebels released thousands of detainees, but many more remain missing. Syria's White Helmet rescuers on Tuesday called on Russia to pressure Assad into providing maps of secret jails and lists of detainees as they race against time to release prisoners. A large crowd gathered Monday outside Saydnaya jail, synonymous with the worst atrocities of Assad's rule, to search for relatives, many of whom had spent years in captivity, AFP correspondents reported. "I'm looking for my brother, who has been missing since 2013. We've looked everywhere for him, we think he's here, in Saydnaya," said 52-year-old Umm Walid. Crowds of freed prisoners wandered the streets of Damascus, many maimed by torture, weakened by illness and emaciated by hunger. The United Nations said whoever ended up in power in Syria must hold Assad and his lieutenants to account. UN investigators who for years have been gathering evidence of horrific crimes called Assad's ouster a "game-changer" because they will now be able to access "the crime scene". While Syrians were celebrating Assad's ouster, the country now faces enormous uncertainty, and it is unclear whether the dreams of democracy so many sacrificed their lives for will be realised. Further complicating prospects, the Israeli military said it had conducted hundreds of strikes on Syria over the past two days. Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to stop. "We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop," he said. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Syria's new rulers that he would respond "forcefully" if they allow "Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or permits the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah". Lebanon's Hezbollah meanwhile said it hoped that Syria's new rulers would "take a firm stand against Israeli occupation, while preventing foreign interference in its affairs". The Britain-based Observatory said Israeli strikes had "destroyed the most important military sites in Syria". The monitor said the strikes targeted weapons depots, naval vessels and a research centre that Western governments suspected of having links to chemical weapons production. Israel, which borders Syria, also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone east of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Israel backer the United States said the incursion must be "temporary", after the United Nations said Israel was violating the 1974 armistice. The Israeli defence minister said the military had orders to "establish a sterile defence zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence." bur-ser/jsa/

‘Defund the police’ activist goes viral after everything she owned was stolen

Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”In a groundbreaking announcement, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna revealed that the luxury automaker will supply engines and gearboxes to Cadillac's new Formula One team under a multi-year agreement set to commence in 2026. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York, Vigna expressed pride in Ferrari's selection, noting the company's deep-seated racing heritage. He highlighted the importance of maintaining high performance standards, as the success of Cadillac's team will partially rely on Ferrari's engineering excellence. Vigna also touched upon Ferrari's future vision, announcing plans for the company's inaugural fully-electric vehicle to debut in the fourth quarter of next year. Additionally, he clarified Ferrari's position on cryptocurrency transactions: while the brand accepts them from clients, it does not engage in speculative investments. (With inputs from agencies.)

President Xi Jinping says China will prioritise Climate Change for Pacific Island CountriesFrom wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turnAs Assad falls, Israeli jets destroy his deadly arsenals before they fall to rebelsTravis Hunter is still six months shy of his 22nd birthday, but he already has the entire world at his fingertips. And yet, he has not let the fame or money go to his head. He remains as down-to-earth and mature as you can imagine for a young Heisman Trophy finalist. During a visit to The Pivot podcast, former NFL player Ryan Clark acknowledged this trait that Hunter has and called the two-way star “wise beyond his years.” And Hunter added that he intends to pass that wisdom on to his younger brother. Travis may be just 21 years old, but he’s the oldest of four children in the Hunter clan. He has a younger sister, Taylor, and two younger brothers, Junior and Trayvis. The latter seems to be following in Trav’s footsteps already, as Trayvis has already started to turn heads as a high school sophomore. Travis, however, wants to make sure his brother is “gonna get it just like” he himself got it: on his own. Hunter is speaking to the hustle-and-grind mindset that helped many athletes in previous generations reach the greatest heights in their sport. Things weren’t handed to them. And Travis wants Trayvis to have the same type of mentality he did when he was coming up without a famous older brother. Travis spoke about how “being the oldest” means he has to set an example, not just hold their hands through the process. Travis doesn’t want his newfound wealth and fame to make things too easy for his siblings. But he’s also not ignoring them. The Colorado Buffaloes WR/CB hybrid spoke about how he still supports his brother. He won’t market Trayvis on his social platforms, but he says that his main focus is to “help” him and his other siblings. Trayvis played his freshman season at the same school as Travis: Collins Hill in Suwanee, Georgia. He transferred to Effingham County High School in Springfield, Georgia this past year. As a sophomore, Trayvis—who plays as a receiver like Travis but not as a cornerback—chipped in with 36 receptions for 496 yards and six touchdowns as his team made it to the 5A Georgia state playoffs.