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Gophers QB Max Brosmer commits to play in bowl gameBy Tom Ozimek Contributing Writer President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of former public defender Kash Patel to serve as FBI director in his administration. “I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump wrote in a post on social media on Saturday. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.” Patel, who served as chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense during Trump’s first term in office, has been critical of the way the FBI operates. In a recent interview, Patel said he would shut down the bureau’s headquarters in Washington, and turn it into a museum, relocating the agency to outside the Beltway. “I’d shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state. And I’d take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals,” he said. Trump said that Patel played a key role in revealing what he described as the Russia collusion “hoax” and that he would advocate for “truth, accountability and the Constitution.” “Kash did an incredible job during my first term, where he served as chief of staff at the Department of Defense, deputy director of national intelligence, and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials,” Trump wrote. “This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring back fidelity, bravery and integrity to the FBI.” Patel reacted to the news in a brief post on social media: “Thank you Everyone #Victory.” In his upcoming role, pending Senate confirmation, Patel will work closely with Bondi, who was recently nominated by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, recently told Fox News that he would back Patel, describing him as a “great” and “smart” candidate who “knows a lot about law enforcement.” “He’s loyal to the president. And those are pretty much the top requirements,” he said. Patel is aligned with Trump’s view that the nation’s law enforcement and national security agencies require a thorough overhaul to address perceived bias and to hold them accountable for what Trump and his allies have described as unwarranted investigations and prosecutions. In his bestselling memoir titled “Government Gangsters,” Patel describes the current political moment as a “battle between the people and a corrupt ruling class,” identifying key figures and strategies he believes have been used by this permanent government bureaucracy to undermine elected officials and shift power away from voters. The book has been endorsed by Trump, who described it as a “brilliant roadmap highlighting every corrupt actor, to ultimately return our agencies and departments to work for the American People.” Trump’s nomination of Patel as the next FBI director signals a challenge to what critics have increasingly referred to as a “two-tier system of justice” within the federal government. Patel’s record of exposing corruption and advocating for structural reforms within national security agencies aligns with Trump’s stated vision of dismantling what he describes as the entrenched “deep state.” Current FBI Director Christopher Wray has served in that role since 2017 after Trump fired James Comey and nominated Wray for the job. Prior to that, Wray served as a federal prosecutor and a Justice Department official. Normally, FBI directors are selected to serve 10 years, meaning Wray would not have to step down until 2027. If confirmed, Patel’s tenure could mark a significant shift in the culture and operations at the FBI.Guglielmo Vicario injury: Tottenham rocked by major new blow as goalkeeper undergoes surgeryFormer Israeli president celebrates country’s oldest university with colourful comments
Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way?Senior VCK leaders are convinced that the party’s president, Thol. Thirumavalavan, would take decisive action against the deputy general secretary, Aadhav Arjuna, who recently attacked the DMK in the presence of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder Vijay at a book launch function. While Mr. Thirumavalavan had been supportive of Mr. Arjuna, the manner in which the latter’s speech has been perceived by senior party leaders has left him with limited options. In his speech, Mr. Arjuna mainly hinted that the DMK was functioning like a “monarchy”, and that the 2026 Assembly election would put an end to such a rule — a comment he had earlier made while speaking to The Hindu. He had also claimed that a company “affiliated to the ruling party” was controlling the film industry. ‘Clear indiscipline’ VCK general secretary D. Ravikumar said: “There will be a discussion within the party, and he [Mr. Thirumavalavan] will take the final decision [on Mr. Arjuna’s future in the party]. Our leader had asked him not to speak about electoral politics and the DMK at the function. We also have to think about the impact of sacking a non-Dalit office-bearer, and the perception it would create about the party. There is clear evidence of indiscipline on his part...” The VCK’s floor leader in the Assembly, Sinthanai Selvan, said the party would need to follow rules laid down in its bylaw on the removal of non-Dalits from positions in the party. “We have a rule that a non-Dalit holding a party position cannot be removed by his immediate superior. He/she can only be removed by the appropriate executive council. In this case, the party’s senior leaders will discuss the issue, and our president will take a final call,” he added. ‘Taken to the brink’ Despite Mr. Thirumavalavan’s repeated assurance that his party continued to be in the DMK front, another VCK MLA said Mr. Arjuna’s remarks had taken the alliance to the brink. “Either Mr. Arjuna should face disciplinary action, or we should break away from the DMK alliance. We cannot be in the alliance while allowing him to stay in his party post,” the MLA said. “Mr. Thirumavalavan feels Mr. Arjuna has crossed the line,” he added. High-level meeting Earlier, addressing presspersons in Madurai, Mr. Thirumavalavan said the party would hold a high-level meeting and decide on the action to be taken against Mr. Arjuna. He said that though the VCK was launched as a Dalit party, the “determination to expand it” required the inclusion of non-Dalits into its fold. Hence, as the leader, he had the responsibility to protect them, he added. On PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss’s comment that Mr. Thirumavalavan was more concerned about his party’s allies than B.R. Ambedkar, he said, “He speaks as per the agenda given to him. It [the remark] need not be taken seriously.” “I was not under any compulsion from allies [not to take part in the book launch function], nor did I have any hesitation in sharing the dais with Mr. Vijay. I refused to do so on account of those who would cook up stories to create confusion,” he added. (With inputs from Madurai). Published - December 09, 2024 12:29 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
Israel 's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 12 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Airstrikes kill at least 12 Massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. No casualties were reported after many residents fled the targeted sites. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatieh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that at least 12 people were killed in the strikes in the Tyre province, adding to the more than 3,700 people in Lebanon who have been killed since Israel launched its invasion two months ago. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians, and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. The latest round of airstrikes came weeks after Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military had previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire.” Hopes grow for a ceasefire Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were “close to a deal." “It can happen within days,” he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. Two Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Netanyahu’s security Cabinet had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, but they said it remained unclear whether the Cabinet would vote to approve the deal. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that he expected a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to have stages and to be discussed by leaders Monday or Tuesday. Still, he warned, “it’s not going to happen overnight.” After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force. Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel is demanding the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government has said that such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. A ceasefire could mark a step toward ending the regionwide war that ballooned after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. The lack of a ceasefire has emerged as a political liability for Israeli leaders including Netanyahu, particularly while 60,000 Israelis remain away from their homes in the country's north after more than a year of cross-border violence. Hezbollah rockets have reached as far south into Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers died fighting in the ground offensive in Lebanon. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest of Iran’s armed proxies, is expected to significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition. While the proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.” If the ceasefire talks fail, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “it will mean more destruction and more and more animosity and more dehumanization and more hatred and more bitterness.” Speaking at a G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, the last summit of its kind before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office, Safadi said such a failure "will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction.” ___ Federman reported from Jerusalem and Metz from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Nicole Winfield in Fiuggi, Italy, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Canada's Trudeau survives third no-confidence vote