big fish casino download Hezbollah leaders also signaled tentative backing for the U.S.-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes. An intense bombing campaign by Israel has killed more than 3,700 people, many of them civilians, Lebanese officials say. But while the deal, set to take effect early Wednesday, could significantly calm the tensions that have inflamed the region, it does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Hezbollah, which began firing scores of rockets into Israel the following day in support of Hamas, has previously said it would keep fighting until there was a stop to the fighting in Gaza. Here’s what to know about the tentative ceasefire agreement and its potential implications: The agreement reportedly calls for a 60-day halt in fighting that would see Israeli troops retreat to their side of the border while requiring Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the deal is set to take effect at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday (9 p.m. EST Tuesday). Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River. An international panel lead by the U.S. would monitor compliance by all sides. Biden said the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL , does not provide “effective enforcement” of the deal. A Hezbollah leader said the group's support for the deal hinged on clarity that Israel would not renew its attacks. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Qatari satellite news network Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Tuesday that Israel’s security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France. After months of cross-border bombings, Israel can claim major victories, including the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, most of his senior commanders and the destruction of extensive militant infrastructure. A complex attack in September involving the explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah was widely attributed to Israel, signaling a remarkable penetration of the militant group. The damage inflicted on Hezbollah has come not only in its ranks, but to the reputation it built by fighting Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. Still, its fighters managed to put up heavy resistance on the ground, slowing Israel’s advance while continuing to fire scores of rockets, missiles and drones across the border each day. The ceasefire offers relief to both sides, giving Israel’s overstretched army a break and allowing Hezbollah leaders to tout the group’s effectiveness in holding their ground despite Israel’s massive advantage in weaponry. But the group is likely to face a reckoning, with many Lebanese accusing it of tying their country’s fate to Gaza’s at the service of key ally Iran, inflicting great damage on a Lebanese economy that was already in grave condition. Until now, Hezbollah has insisted that it would only halt its attacks on Israel when it agreed to stop fighting in Gaza. Some in the region are likely to view a deal between the Lebanon-based group and Israel as a capitulation. In Gaza, where officials say the war has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Hamas, including the killing of the group’s top leaders. But Hamas fighters continue to hold scores of Israeli hostages, giving the militant group a bargaining chip if indirect ceasefire negotiations resume. Hamas is likely to continue to demand a lasting truce and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any such deal. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a pointed reminder Tuesday of the intractability of the war, demanding urgent international intervention. “The only way to halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” he said in a speech to the U.N. read by his ambassador.Amazon.com Inc. AMZN founder Jeff Bezos shared insights into his success his approach to achieving massive success. What Happened: Earlier this week, in an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit, Bezos was asked about his confidence in building large-scale companies like Amazon and Blue Origin . Bezos is currently the world’s second richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His net worth currently stands at $240 billion, having increased by $63.4 billion in 2024 till date. While responding, he explained that it is common for people to overestimate risks and underestimate opportunities. Bezos advised entrepreneurs to counteract this tendency by recognizing that perceived risks might not be as significant as they seem, while opportunities could be more substantial than anticipated. He continued saying, "You say it's confidence, but maybe I'm just accepting that human bias and trying to compensate against it." See Also: Trump's AI Czar Plans, Alibaba's New Model, Cathie Wood On Tesla AI, And Musk's Combat Transformation: This Week In Artificial Intelligence The Amazon founder also made another observation, saying, "The second thing I would point out is that thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy." Simply put, he meant to say that if a person believes they can only accomplish small things, they’ll act in ways that make that belief come true. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: During the interview, Bezos also expressed optimism about Donald Trump’s second term, highlighting the potential for reducing regulations. “We do have too much regulation in this country,” he stated while showing willingness to assist in streamlining rules. He also addressed America’s national debt crisis, advocating for a growth-oriented approach to spending cuts. Bezos spoke about the need to boost GDP growth to 3-5% annually while maintaining slower debt growth. In the interview, Bezos also revealed that he is dedicating significant time to ensure Amazon remains a leader in AI. “My heart is in Amazon, my curiosity is in Amazon, and my fears are there and my love is there,” he stated, adding. “I’m never going to forget about Amazon. I’ll always be there to help, and right now, I’m putting a lot of time into it. I can help, and it’s super interesting, so why not?” Price Action: Amazon’s stock climbed 2.94% on Friday, closing at $227.03, before slipping 0.29% in after-hours trading. Year-to-date, Amazon shares have soared 51.42%, outperforming the Nasdaq 100 index's 30.7% gain during the same period, according to data from Benzinga Pro . Amazon’s consensus price target, based on evaluations from 38 analysts, is $238.16, with JMP Securities assigning the highest target of $285 on Nov. 1. Latest ratings from Needham, BMO Capital, and MoffettNathanson average $244.67, implying a 7.8% upside. Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link . Read Next: ESPN Lands On Disney+ in Major Content Fusion: Here’s What It Actually Means Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Tbilisi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Dec, 2024) Thousands of pro-Europe protesters rallied in against the 's decision to shelve accession talks, marking the 11th consecutive day of demonstrations amid a post-election crisis. The country's pro-Western and the president rejected the ruling Georgian Dream party's claimed victory in 26 parliamentary polls and tens of thousands had taken to the streets against alleged electoral fraud. Irakli Kobakhidze's shock decision last week that EU-candidate will not seek the opening of accession talks triggered a fresh wave of protests, which met with a tough response. Kobakhidze has labelled the protesters as opposition-controlled "violent groups", claiming their attempted revolution "has failed" and -- using language reminiscent of Kremlin rhetoric against its political opponents -- to punish "liberal fascists". But the largely peaceful protests have shown no signs of abating, even though turnout by the end of the week was slightly lower compared to previous days. Riot used tear and cannons to disperse the rallies and the said that 402 protesters had been arrested since 28, including "more than 30 on charges" and the remainder for administrative offences. The Georgian Dream 's critics accuse it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards . - 'Can't scare us' - On evening, thousands of people gathered outside the building in the capital , some demonstrators banging on the metal barriers blocking the 's entrance, waving EU flags and loudly blowing horns and whistles, an AFP reporter witnessed. City authorities began setting up a giant tree on the pavement outside during the day, but the installation quickly became a symbolic battleground for protesters. Demonstrators hung on the tree's metallic framework photos of individuals reportedly beaten by -- their faces swollen and bruised -- alongside fliers "Bloody tree." "It's not time for celebrations now," said Nino, 27. The authorities "can't scare us... we are not going to stop." As thousands rallied on Saturday outside , dozens of unidentified masked men stormed the offices of the For Change , brutally assaulting figure Koba Khabazi. The attackers then severely beat two journalists the independent station Pirveli as officers stood by without intervening during the incident near the venue. The Georgian Dream 's security forces had faced persistent accusations of deploying plainclothes security agents to target and political opponents. Kobakhidze announced on Saturday the 's "plan to introduce legislation prohibiting participants at gatherings concealing their faces using any means". The measure "is crucial for preventing violence", he told a conference. - 'Alarming repression' - 's pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the ruling party -- said on Saturday that she had had an "in-depth discussion" with US president-elect and French leader Emmanuel Macron in . She said they had discussed the "stolen and extremely alarming repression against the people of ", adding: "The Georgian people have a friend in ." 's leader Volodymyr Zelensky - who has warned of influence in for months -- said Saturday he fully backed 's anti-government protesters. Zelensky urged to stop "surrendering" to in a meeting with Zurabishvili in . Zurabishvili has alleged widespread fraud in 's parliamentary polls, branding the freshly elected legislature and "illegitimate". With both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis. The , and are among the Western countries to have denounced the crackdown on protests, but the has refused to back down. Thousands have also staged daily protests in other parts of , including the cities of , , , Zugdidi, and Telavi, local reported. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of the country's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting and independent and curbing LGBTQ rights. has warned that such policies are incompatible with EU membership, while domestic detractors accuse the of copying 's playbook. ub-im/rlpThrough a combination of well-executed tactics, bravery on the battlefield, and overall masterful guerrilla warfare, a local resistance group shaped the outcome of the war in the Cumilla region. The Pathaan Bahini, led by Zahirul Haque Pathaan, a Bangalee subedar in the Pakistan Army, operated across a 1,000-square-mile area spanning 13 upazilas in Chandpur, Cumilla, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur. While visiting these districts in June of this year, The Daily Star interviewed over 30 Pathaan Bahini freedom fighters. Initially formed by former personnel and deserters of the Pakistani army, the force eventually grew to over 900 freedom fighters, including members from all walks of life, such as students, youths, and labourers. The force engaged in over 40 battles against Pakistani forces, displaying immense courage and bravery. The details of the war and the heroism of the Pathaan Bahini have been recorded in several books, including "Chandpur Zillar Muktijuddher Itihash" by Shahjahan Kabir, Bir Pratik, and "Muktijuddhe Chandpur" by Dr Delwar Hossain Khan, a Pathaan Bahini member. According to the books, force chief Zahirul was a well-known figure for his role in the 1965 Indo-Pak War, which earned him the "Tamgha-i-Jurat", the fourth highest military award of Pakistan. FORMATION In early 1971, Zahirul, serving under the 1st East Bengal Regiment, was stationed at Jessore Cantonment. In February, he was ordered to transfer to Lahore. However, he instead took a two-month leave to go to his village home in Hajiganj upazila of Chandpur and assess the country's political situation. In March, following Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's call for a non-cooperation movement, a war committee was formed in Chandpur. As per the decision of the committee, a group of 30 young students were recruited for training in the Alipur village of Hajiganj. In the wake of the March 25 massacre, an emergency meeting of the war committee was convened at Paikpara School in Faridganj on April 8. Zahirul was entrusted with the leadership of the Mukti Bahini in Chandpur district. COMMAND STRUCTURE Zahirul initially divided the region surrounding Chandpur into six zones and assigned commanders to each to set up a defensive perimeter. Naik subedar Ali Akbar Patwari was appointed to oversee Hajiganj, Ramganj, Chatkhil, and parts of Raipur. Naik subedar Zahirul Islam was tasked with Matlab upazila; sergeant Joynal Abedin was responsible for Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar; Naik subedar Abdur Rab was assigned to Faridganj, Ramganj, and parts of Raipur; havildar Sirajul Islam was in charge of Kachua upazila; and Nayeb Subedar Mofiz was responsible for the headquarters and Shahrasti upazila. Initially, Paikpara School served as both the headquarters and training camp for the force. However, the headquarters was later relocated to Thakurbari in Pani Ali village of Ramganj upazila in Lakshmipur. The Pathaan Bahini also had an intelligence unit, headed by Zahirul and force director Kalim Ullah Bhuiyan. Born on January 8, 1937, Zahirul Haque Pathaan died on January 27, 2024. Kalim Ullah Bhuiyan died on January 5, 2024. He was born in 1925. FIRST AMBUSH According to the book "Chandpur Zillar Muktijuddher Itihash", the force's first engagement of the war took place in the Gazipur union under Chandpur's Haimchar upazila. On April 27, upon learning that a launch carrying arms and ammunition for the Pakistani army was coming to Faridganj from Chandpur, Zahirul planned an ambush. Talking about the operation, freedom fighter Lutfar Rahman told The Daily Star, "As soon as the launch entered our ambush position near Gazipur Bazar, we attacked the Pakistani soldiers on board from three directions. "Several soldiers were killed, and the rest jumped into the river and fled to Dhanua. The launch, damaged by gunfire, sank in the Manikraj river." The following day, the freedom fighters salvaged the sunken launch, and from inside they recovered a large cache of munitions. LCOALS JOIN THE FIGHT The Battle of Khajuria was different from other battles, for it was joined not only by Pathaan fighters but also by local villagers armed with whatever they could find. According to the book, Bangladesher Swadhinota Juddho - Sector Bhittik Itihash (Sector-2)", on the morning of June 20, two platoons of freedom fighters were positioned at Kamta and Galla to counter the advance of Pakistani forces from Hajiganj and Chandpur. Simultaneously, another platoon was deployed at the WAPDA embankment near Khajuria to resist the Pakistani forces approaching from Ramganj and Noakhali. Another platoon was stationed on the road leading to Sonapur in Noakhali. At noon, as the freedom fighters at the WAPDA embankment sprung a surprise attack on the advancing Pakistani soldiers, the remaining platoons quickly rushed towards Khajuria. The local villagers also joined the fight alongside the freedom fighters. Freedom fighter Delwar Hossain said, "As we chased the Pakistani soldiers, we were joined by thousands of villagers from Khajuria Bazar, Rupsa, and Koroitoli, armed with machetes, axes, and other improvised weapons. Fearing for the safety of these civilians, Pathaan Sahib decided to withdraw and pull everyone back to safety. "As the retreating Pakistani army headed towards Gollak, they were ambushed by the freedom fighters from three sides. The attack resulted in the deaths of eight Pakistani soldiers." BATTLE OF SHASIALI Freedom fighter Sirajul Haque said the force used the school grounds in Battala, Nakipur, Kadra, and South Sahebganj as training camps and established positions in Toragarh, Lotra, Ugaria, and Naringpur Bazars. "Towards the end of the war, due to security concerns, we didn't have a fixed training camp. We would prop up makeshift training camps wherever we sought shelter," said Ajit Saha, another freedom fighter. Shasiali Madrasa in Faridganj served as one such training camp of the Pathaan Bahini. It was frequently targeted by Pakistani troops, resulting in several battles between the Pathaan Bahini and the Pakistani army. One such significant engagement took place on July 29, known as the Battle of Shasiali. On July 29, upon receiving intelligence about a Pakistani convoy of 15-16 boats advancing from Faridganj to capture the camp, Pathaan Bahini laid an ambush to intercept the enemy, said Sirajul Haque. "As the Pakistani soldiers entered the ambush, the freedom fighters opened fire. The surprise attack resulted in the deaths of six Pakistani soldiers, including an officer, and eight policemen, including a sub-inspector from Faridganj Police Station." The retreating Pakistani army encountered resistance from freedom fighters in several areas, including Shasiali, Kamalpur, and Patwari Bazar, leading to skirmishes, said Ajit Saha. "Some fleeing Pakistani soldiers hid in a house in Kamalpur. The freedom fighters surrounded the house and engaged in a fierce gun battle with the trapped soldiers. All the Pakistani soldiers were killed in the ensuing firefight, and Farooq, a freedom fighter, was injured." Other battles fought by Pathaan Bahini include the Battle of Thakur Bazar in Shahrasti in early May; the Battle of Ramchandrapur Kheyaghat in Balakhal, Hajiganj on May 17; the Battle of Naringpur in Shahrasti on July 15; the Battle of Hasnabad in Laksham, Cumilla on August 27-28; the Battle of Suchipara Kheyaghat on September 7; the attack on a Pakistani food convoy in Faridganj; and the Battle of Office Chitoshi on September 29. Additionally, the Pathaan Bahini fought against the Pakistani army on the Meghna River at Mohanpur, Matlab, in the first week of December. In October, Zahirul Haque Pathaan visited Kolkata, met with Sector 2 Commander Khaled Mosharraf, and provided a detailed report on the activities of his force. Following this meeting, Pathaan was appointed as the commander of the Chandpur-Madhumati sub-sector. Chandpur was liberated on December 8. Twenty-one days later, on December 29, the Pathaan Bahini surrendered their weapons at Chandpur Technical High School ground. Translated and edited from Bangla by Subrata Roy.

Exploring The Kingbright L-7113LYD T-1 3/4 (5Mm) Solid State Lamp: A Yellow Light Emitting Marvel

SD-WAN Market: 37% Growth from North America, Report on How AI is Driving Market Transformation - TechnavioOusted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Moscow with members of his family, Russian state media reported Sunday (December 8). Assad, who ruled Syria for 24 years, left the capital, Damascus, following his removal from power amid a prolonged anti-regime uprising. He issued directives for a peaceful transfer of authority before his departure, according to a Kremlin source cited by the TASS news agency. The former Syrian leader and his family have been granted asylum in Russia, the source said. Their arrival in Moscow marks a significant chapter in Syria’s political turmoil, which saw Assad’s government toppled after years of conflict. The Kremlin has not yet commented officially on Assad’s status or any future plans for his role in exile. This is a breaking story. Please refresh the page for latest developments

Barcelona grabs last quarterfinal spot in Women's Champions League with 3-0 win in Stockholm

PARADIGM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIVE WITH INDATA

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two-time defending champion Barcelona clinched the last quarterfinal spot in the Women’s Champions League by beating Hammarby 3-0 in Stockholm on Thursday. Ewa Pajor fired Barcelona ahead with two first-half goals from close range and Aitana Bonmatí finished it off 10 minutes before the final whistle. Following a 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the opening group stage game, Barcelona scored 23 goals in the following four games and conceded one. Man City defeated St. Pölten 2-0 to keep a perfect record and lead Group D with 15 points. Barcelona is three points behind and will host City next Wednesday in the final group game. In Group C, Alessia Russo scored twice and Arsenal beat last-place Vålerenga 3-1 to keep pressure on group leader Bayern Munich. Arsenal produced another dominant display under interim coach Renée Slegers. Frida Maanum also scored for Arsenal and set up Russo's opener. Vålerenga, which retained its domestic league title and just claimed the Norwegian Cup to complete a double, got a consolation goal from substitute Tilde Lindwall. Bayern routed Juventus 4-0 to lead the group with 13 points, one ahead of Arsenal. The two will clash over the top spot in London next week. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Judge says lawsuit over former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr.’s jail death can proceed

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two-time defending champion Barcelona clinched the last quarterfinal spot in the Women’s Champions League by beating Hammarby 3-0 in Stockholm on Thursday. Ewa Pajor fired Barcelona ahead with two first-half goals from close range and Aitana Bonmatí finished it off 10 minutes before the final whistle. Following a 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the opening group stage game, Barcelona scored 23 goals in the following four games and conceded one. Man City defeated St. Pölten 2-0 to keep a perfect record and lead Group D with 15 points. Barcelona is three points behind and will host City next Wednesday in the final group game. In Group C, Alessia Russo scored twice and Arsenal beat last-place Vålerenga 3-1 to keep pressure on group leader Bayern Munich. Arsenal produced another dominant display under interim coach Renée Slegers. Frida Maanum also scored for Arsenal and set up Russo’s opener. Vålerenga, which retained its domestic league title and just claimed the Norwegian Cup to complete a double, got a consolation goal from substitute Tilde Lindwall. Bayern routed Juventus 4-0 to lead the group with 13 points, one ahead of Arsenal. The two will clash over the top spot in London next week. ___ AP soccer:The big picture: TCL, one of the world's largest television manufacturers, has produce five AI-generated short films to air on its free, ad-supported streaming service. The movies, made over a 12-week period, are part of a pilot program meant to normalize AI-created TV shows and movies. While technically impressive at times, the flicks are plagued by the same shortcomings we've seen in other modern AI-generated content. For example, most human characters in the movies exhibit vacant expressions, struggle to vocalize emotion, and move unnaturally. Speech often isn't synched properly with mouth movements. Written words and text are also problematic, usually resulting in in a jumbled mess of undecipherable characters and symbols. And that's just scratching the surface. There are some positives to consider with the current state of AI video – namely, the fact that quality is improving at an impressive rate. As 404 Media highlights , "this is the worst it will ever be" and that's at least something. They were made using a variety of well-known AI tools including Runway, ComfyUI, and Nuke. For its part, TCL didn't simply phone it in. Each film had lots of real people working on them in pre-production and post-production roles. Chris Regina, TCL's chief content officer for North America, told 404 Media that more than 50 people had a hand in creating the content. "These are stories about people, made by people, but powered by AI." Paul Johansson, who directed Sun Day – a film about a girl living on a rainy planet that wins a lottery to see the Sun for the first time, said he understands that technology is coming – fast – and they have to be prepared for it. The fact that humans had a significant role in shaping the films helps push the narrative that AI isn't going to replace real actors in Hollywood – at least, not right away. Assuming AI continues to evolve like it has in recent years, the need for human oversight could taper. The short films, averaging five to 10 minutes in length, are available to view in TCL's streaming app and have also been shared on YouTube.

The latest deadly strike hit the urban Nuseirat refugee camp just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem that the recent ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for a potential deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the deadly strike in Nuseirat. Israel says it is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: DAMASCUS, Syria — Mohammad Salim Alkhateb, an official with the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces — an internationally backed group of the opposition in exile — said his group wants to see a transitional government formed via a United Nations-backed process in the wake of Bashar Assad ouster. It is not yet clear if Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, will pursue such a process. The insurgents have said an interim government headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, who is also the head of the “salvation government” of HTS in its former stronghold in northern Syria, will oversee the country until March but have not made clear how the transition to a new, fully empowered government would take place. “The transitional governing body should be formed in Geneva to have international legitimacy,” said Alkhateb, who is now in Damascus. “The transitional governing body, whatever its form, whether it is the ‘salvation government’ or any other, what matters is that it has international recognition.” Alkhateb said that the unexpectedly rapid fall of Damascus and departure of Assad after opposition forces launched their offensive had created confusion and a governance vacuum. A day before the insurgents pushed into Damascus, diplomats from countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia met in Qatar to discuss the situation in Syria. Alkhateb said that they had discussed a scenario in which the rebels would halt their advance, keeping the territory they had captured so far in the north — including Syria’s largest city, Aleppo — and the opposition and Assad’s government would go to Geneva for talks on a political settlement to the conflict. However, he noted, “there were no Syrians in that meeting.” Assad fled to Russia before the rebel forces arrived in Damascus but has not officially announced his resignation, which is “why we are living in a vacuum rather than a political transition,” Alkhateb said. He added that creating a professional army should be a priority of the transitional government. “We do not want a civilian who was trained during the revolution to carry military weapons to become the military,” he said. Israel bombed hundreds of military sites in Syria this week in a wave of airstrikes that destroyed “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Peirre says Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, “is a top priority for this president.” During a briefing with reporters on Thursday, Jean-Pierre said of Tice, “There is no indication that he is not alive. There’s also no indication about his location or condition.” “What our goal is, is to bring him home. And so, we hope certainly that he is alive and, as we have stated many times before, we are talking through this with the Turks and we want to do everything we can to bring him home,” she said. BEIRUT — Amnesty International said Thursday that four Israeli airstrikes between September and October that killed at least 49 civilians in Lebanon “must be investigated as war crimes.” The rights organization said in a new report that the four strikes targeted homes in the Bekaa Valley, northern and eastern Lebanon, and municipal offices in the south. “These four attacks are emblematic of Israel’s shocking disregard for civilian lives in Lebanon and their willingness to flout international law,” said Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. The rights group said this report was part of its ongoing investigation into violations of the laws of war in Lebanon. Amnesty International investigated four Israeli airstrikes, including one on Sept. 29 in al-Ain that killed all nine members of the same family. On Oct. 21, a strike in Baalbek city in eastern Lebanon killed six members of the same family. Another on Oct. 14 in the village of Aitou in northern Lebanon killed 23 displaced people, including a 5-month-old baby. A fragment from the attack site in Aitou was identified by an Amnesty weapons expert as likely part of a Mk-80 series aerial bomb, weighing at least 500 pounds. These munitions are primarily supplied to Israel by the United States, Amnesty said. The fourth strike Amnesty investigated was the strike that hit the municipal headquarters in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, on Oct. 16, killing 11 civilians including the mayor. “The air strike took place without warning, just as the municipality’s crisis unit was meeting to coordinate deliveries of aid, including food, water and medicine, to residents and internally displaced people who had fled bombardment in other parts of southern Lebanon,” Amnesty said. The rights group said it interviewed survivors and witnesses, examined evidence, and found no military targets near the sites of the four strikes. The Israeli military gave no warnings and did not respond to Amnesty’s inquiries, the group said. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser raised hopes about a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Photos from the scene of the blast that circulated on social media showed a completely collapsed building with people walking through its mangled and charred remains, smoke rising from piles of belongings strewn over the rubble. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multistory residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency is trying to deal with massive needs in Syria not only from escalating war-related food insecurity and an upsurge in displaced people fleeing Lebanon but also the dramatically new environment following the ouster of Bashar Assad, a senior U.N. official says. “It’s a triple crisis and the needs are going to be massive,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday. The WFP estimated that 3 million people in Syria were “acutely food insecure” and very hungry. However, that estimate was made before the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon pushed many Syrian refugees back to their home country, plus the instability caused by the overthrow of Assad. Due to funding cuts, the WFP had been targeting only 2 million of those people, he said. Because WFP has been working in Syria during the 13-year civil war, he said, it has pre-positioned food in the country. It has 500 staff in seven offices nationwide and has operated across conflict lines, across borders, and with all different parties, he said. Skau said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, has promised to provide security for WFP warehouses. Humanitarian aid supplies had been looted at U.N. warehouses in the disorder after Assad fell. “We’re not really up and running in Damascus because of the continued kind of uncertainty there,” he said. WFP initially thought of relocating non-essential staff but the situation in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been “quite calm and orderly," he said. In the short term, Skau said, “what we’re seeing is that markets are disrupted, the value of the currency dropped dramatically, food prices are going up, transport lines don’t work,” and it’s unclear who will stamp required papers for imports and exports. This means that a bigger humanitarian response is needed initially, he said, but in the next phase, the U,N. will be looking at contributing to Syria’s recovery, and ultimately the country will need reconstruction. Skau said he expects a new funding appeal for Syria and urged donors to be generous. JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel’s ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt — key mediators in the ceasefire talks — as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Sullivan said “Hamas’ posture at the negotiating table did adapt” after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. “We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation,” he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. He the U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but it’s hard to know for sure. He also said “the balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel’s security over the long term,” he said. KHIAM, Lebanon — An Israeli strike killed at least one person Thursday in the Lebanese border town of Khiam, the Health Ministry said, less than a day after Israeli troops handed the hilltop village back to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, Khiam is the first Lebanese town Israel has pull out of since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants began two weeks ago, and marks an important test of the fragile truce . Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency did not provide details on who was killed, and did not report airstrikes elsewhere on Thursday. The Israeli military said the airstrike in Khiam targeted Hezbollah fighters. Lebanese troops deployed in the northern section of the town on Thursday morning and were coordinating with U.N. peacekeepers to finalize Israel’s withdrawal before fully entering into other neighborhoods. An Associated Press reporter who visited Khiam on Thursday observed widespread destruction, with most houses reduced to rubble. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, with collapsed walls and debris scattered across the streets. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, sharply criticized Israel for striking the town less than 24 hours after the Lebanese army returned, saying it was “a violation of the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement, who must act to curb Israeli aggression.” The truce was brokered by the U.S. and France. Israel has previously said the ceasefire deal allows it to use military force against perceived violations. Near-daily attacks by Israel during the ceasefire, mostly in southern Lebanon, have killed at least 29 people and wounded 27 others. Khiam, which sits on a ridge less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war. The Lebanese army was clearing debris and reopening roads in the northern section of the town. Civilian access to other areas remained challenging as the army clears roads and works alongside the U.N. peacekeepers to ensure the area is free of unexploded ordnance. AQABA, Jordan -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to further violence. Blinken spoke to reporters in Jordan on Thursday shortly after meeting King Abdullah II as he opened a trip in the region to discuss Syria's future after former President Bashar Assad's ouster. Blinken will next visit Turkey, a NATO ally and a main backer of Syrian rebel groups. Blinken called this “a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors.” He said he was focused on coordinating efforts in the region “to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and establish a government that isn’t dominated by one religion or ethnic group or outside power. Blinken was asked about Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone that had been demilitarized for the past half century. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is temporary and defensive, but also indicated Israel will remain in the area for a long time. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. supports the move, but said the U.S. would be speaking to Israel and other partners in the region. “I think, across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that, we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Turkish media reports. Kalin was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, surrounded by a large crowd, according to video shown on Turkish television. The visit is highly symbolic. Turkish officials, who supported the opposition against Syria’s government, had predicted at the start of the civil war in 2011 that President Bashar Assad’s government would fall, allowing them to pray at the Umayyad Mosque. JERUSALEM — Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem Thursday, becoming one of a small handful of nations to recognize the city as Israel’s capital and marking a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s international isolation has increased as the war in Gaza drags on, and Paraguay was the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that kickstarted the war. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea are among the few countries with Jerusalem embassies. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 but it wasn’t recognized by the international community, and most countries run their embassies out of Tel Aviv. Spirits were high at the ceremony marking the embassy’s inauguration Thursday, with Netanyahu and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lavishing praise on Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. “My good friend Santiago,” said Netanyahu, addressing Pena. “We’re a small nation. You’re a small nation. We suffered horrible things but we overcame the odds of history...we can win and we are winning.” Paraguay had an embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, under Former President Horacio Cartes. That embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv by Cartes’ successor, Mario Abdo Benitez, prompting Israel to close its embassy in Asuncion. Saar said Israel and Paraguay shared a “friendship based not only on interests but also values and principles.” He and the Paraguayan foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, signed a series of bilateral agreements and Saar said he would soon visit Asunción with a delegation from the Israeli private sector. “Israel is going to win and the countries we are standing next to Israel, we are going to win," Pena said. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is renewing calls for Syria’s new leadership to respect women and minority rights, prevent extremists from gaining new footholds in the country and keeping suspected chemical weapons stocks secure as he makes his first visit to the Mideast since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad . Making his 12th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war erupted lasted year but amid fresh concerns about security following the upheaval in Syria, Blinken emphasized Thursday to Jordan’s King Abdullah II U.S. “support for an inclusive transition that can lead to an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” the State Department said. Blinken also repeated the importance the outgoing Biden administration puts on respect for human rights and international law, the protection of civilians and stopping terrorist groups from reconstituting. Blinken met with the monarch and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Aqaba before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Syria and the urgency of securing a long-elusive deal to release hostages and end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Abdullah told Blinken that “the first step to reach comprehensive regional calm is to end the Israeli war on Gaza." GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling on authorities to save evidence from detention centers that were a hub of “unimaginable barbarity” that Syrians have faced for many years and cooperate with international investigators looking into such crimes. Geir Pederson referred to new images from the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital, Damascus, after President Bashar Assad fled Syria as armed groups stormed in to overthrow his government over the weekend. “The images from Saydnaya and other detention facilities starkly underscore the unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured and reported for years,” Pedersen said in a statement. Documentation and testimonies “only scratch the surface of the carceral system’s horrors,” he added. Pedersen urged authorities to cooperate with U.N. bodies like an independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was created in 2011, and an independent group known as the IIIM that was set up five years later to also compile evidence of crimes. ROME — Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations offered their full support for an inclusive political transition in Syria and invited all parties to preserve the country’s territorial integrity. In a message released by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the leaders said they were ready to support a transition that “leads to a credible government, inclusive and not sectarian, that guarantees respect for the state of law, universal human rights, including rights for women, (and) the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities.” The leaders also underlined the importance that ousted President Bashar Assad’s government is held responsible for crimes, citing “decades of atrocities.” They said they would also cooperate with groups working to prohibit chemical weapons “to secure, declare and destroy” remaining chemical arms in Syria. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys. Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organized in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday. Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while U.N. officials have said there is no systemic diversion of aid . U.N. agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a U.N. convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination. It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. DAMASCUS, Syria — An American who turned up in Syria on Thursday says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. As video emerged online of Timmerman on Thursday, he was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. The Biden administration is working to bring Timmerman home, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, without offering details, citing privacy. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago, before being detained. He said he was treated well in detention but could hear other men being tortured. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jordan on his 12th visit to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year and his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad that has sparked new fears of instability in a region wracked by three conflicts despite a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. Blinken was meeting in Aqaba with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on Friday. The meetings will focus largely on Syria but also touch on long-elusive hopes for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Blinken is the latest senior U.S. official to visit the Middle East in the five days since Assad was deposed as the Biden administration navigates more volatility in the region in its last few weeks in office and as President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of the Syrian conflict. Other include national security adviser Jake Sullivan and a top military commander who traveled there as the U.S. and Israel have launched airstrikes to prevent the Islamic State militant group from reconstituting and prevent materiel and suspected chemical weapons stocks from falling into militant hands. Blinken “will discuss the need for the transition process and new government in Syria to respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” the State Department said. The U.S. would be willing to recognize and fully support a new Syrian government that met those criteria. U.S. officials say they are not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organization designation of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, which was once an al-Qaida affiliate, but stressed they are not barred from speaking to its members. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security. After the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli forces pushed into a buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. The military says it has seized additional strategic points nearby. Israeli officials have said the move is temporary, but Netanyahu’s conditions could take months or even years to fulfill as Syria charts its post-Assad future, raising the prospect of an open-ended Israeli presence in the country. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday that Assad’s overthrow by jihadi rebels created a vacuum on the border. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said, referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. “That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border.” The statement added that “this deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.” The buffer zone is adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, except for the United States, views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that the attacker who fatally shot a 12-year-old Israeli boy in the occupied West Bank overnight turned himself in to authorities. The attacker opened fire on a bus near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, critically wounding the boy, who hospital authorities pronounced dead in the early morning. Three others were wounded in the attack, paramedics said. The shooting took place just outside Jerusalem in an area near major Israeli settlements. JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government has evacuated 37 citizens from Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, officials said Thursday. The evacuees were taken by land from Damascus to Beirut, where they boarded three commercial flights to Jakarta, said Judha Nugraha, director of citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Indonesian Embassy in Damascus said all 1,162 Indonesian citizens in Syria were safe. Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi said the situation in Syria has gradually returned to normal. “I can say that 98% of people’s lives are back to normal, shops are open, public transportation has started running,” Fauzi said, adding that most Indonesian nationals living in Syria had chosen to stay. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital’s morgue. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid convoys . The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis received the bodies and an AP reporter counted them. The hospital said eight were killed in a strike near the southern border town of Rafah and seven others in a strike 30 minutes later near Khan Younis. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban . The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9 with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions to support the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group . General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions.

AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone