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Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. stock rises Monday, outperforms marketAH Real Deal: Samsung 2TB Portable SSD drops to $197.67NASHVILLE — It was about as bad of a start that Tennessee could imagine on Saturday afternoon. The Vols allowed Vanderbilt to score 14 points in the first five minutes of the game. However, UT didn’t blink. They raced their way back into the game to win 36-23. “I think this team, as a whole, one of its biggest strengths is its competitive makeup,” Vols head coach Josh Heupel said. “Resiliency. The ability to just go play the next snap.” Vandy (6-6) wasted no time taking control of the contest early, as Junior Sherrill returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Then, on Tennessee’s second play from scrimmage, running back Dylan Sampson lost a fumble. The turnover set up a Sedrick Alexander rushing touchdown, giving the Commodores a quick 14-0 lead. The No. 8 Vols (10-2) didn’t let the game get away from them, though. In fact, the visitors flipped the game on its head, scoring 36 of the game’s next 39 points. Nico Iamaleava led a five-play, 73-yard drive to put Tennessee on the board. After a Sampson run put UT into plus territory, Iamaleava found Dont’e Thornton Jr. on a 28-yard passing strike. Following a Brock Taylor field goal, the 118th meeting between the in-state rivals became all-Vols. It started with a Max Gilbert field goal from 50 yards out that hit the top of the crossbar and went through. Iamaleava and Thornton then linked up again, going for an 86-yard strike to tie the game. The Tennessee offense then was able to execute a 10-play, 96-yard drive to take the lead with a touchdown to close the half. They then doubled-up to start the third quarter, going on a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Tyre West recorded a safety and Gilbert knocked through another field goal to close the run, putting the Vols up 36-17. While Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia threw a fourth-quarter touchdown, Tennessee’s running game was able to ice the contest. Sampson makes more history It seems as though Dylan Sampson can’t play a game without breaking a school-record. As the Vols were bleeding clock in the fourth, Sampson set the UT record for most rushing yards in a single season. It was a mark set by Travis Stephens in 2001, when he ran for 1,464 yards. “I don’t even know if I have the right words to describe ‘D-Samp’ and what he means to our team,” Heupel said. “Just as a player and as a leader. I don’t know if anyone has played the position better than he has this year.” Youngsters stepping up With veterans on offense banged up throughout the game, many of Tennessee’s underclassmen made significant contributions. That effort was led by Iamaleava, who, while the full-time starter under center, is still a redshirt freshman. He went 18-for-26 for 257 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Iamaleava also rushed the ball six times for 42 yards. Freshman Mike Matthews hauled in one of those touchdowns, as he had three catches for 30 yards. Knoxville native DeSean Bishop helped shoulder Sampson’s load in the backfield, amounting 61 yards on 13 attempts. Local Flair Not only did the Vols enter play with former Northeast Tennessee standouts on the roster, but so did the Commodores. Former David Crockett Pioneer Prince Kollie made a tackle and broke up a pass for Vandy. Up Next Both Tennessee and Vanderbilt will await to hear their postseason destinations, which will be announced on Dec. 8.
Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next
McGinley, whose death occurred on Monday, worked for more than 40 years in the Trinity College library, was well known in trade union circles having been a representative and activist involved with the Workers’ Union of Ireland, the Federated Workers’ Union of Ireland and then Siptu . He was also associated with a large number of labour movement campaigns and remained a member of the standing orders committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu). [ Ireland’s unions: ‘We’ve made a lot of mistakes and we haven’t been good at self-criticism’ Opens in new window ] Over the past decade he also ran Umiskin Press, a small independent publishing house specialising in titles about the Irish labour movement by the likes of former government minister Barry Desmond, ex Irish Times journalist Padraig Yeates and historian Francis Devine, who also edited many of the books. The company, which was due to launch its latest title this Friday, took its name from the townland in Kilcar, Co Donegal where McGinley had family roots. He was also a key figure in the Irish Labour History Society and helped organise many conferences and other events. A keen football supporter, McGinley was involved with the Republic of Ireland Supporters’ Club and travelled extensively abroad following the team. Reacting to the news of McGinley’s sudden passing, NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said he was “shocked and saddened” and that he “leaves a great legacy”. Ictu also paid tribute to him on social media. He is survived by his wife, Helen McGinley. Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish TimesSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. “We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end.” Many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. The ruling party risks "further public outrage and national confusion if they don’t find a formula fast for Yoon’s departure,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. PPP chair Han Dong-hun said his party will seek Yoon’s “orderly” early exit but didn’t say when he can resign. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people packed several blocks of roads leading to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied elsewhere in Seoul, calling the impeachment attempt unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued an apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose it. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. “Yoon’s credibility overseas has been undermined by declaring martial law, so he won’t be able to exercise leadership in his foreign policies especially when his days are numbered,” Kim, the analyst, said. “Its government bureaucracy will need to continue business as usual for existing alliance and foreign policy initiatives as best it can because there is a lot of important work to do globally.” Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. On Friday, Han, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s spy agency, told lawmakers Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians including Han, Lee and Woo. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim Yong Hyun resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.
Go Local Holiday Gift GuidePV wholesale dispatches move up after retail slowdown in NovemberWe take the now-discontinued Hyundai i20 N for a farewell drive. It truly is a modern hot hatch great In a few short years, Hyundai N has accomplished a launch-control-worthy 0-60 in terms of brand awareness: thanks largely to the stellar i30 N and Hyundai i20 N hot hatches, N cars have become cult-hero modern classics within their own lifetime. And the halo effect has been transformative for Hyundai’s wider image, too. This most beige of brands was suddenly a maker of all-time-great affordable performance cars (and it’s been able to leverage that appeal with more profitable N Line trim levels for its mainstream models, too). Now it’s starting again – not from square one, but by turning the page to a hefty new chapter. In the past few months, petrol-powered N cars have ended sales in Europe as the N department pivots to performance EVs, the first of which being the well-received Hyundai Ioniq 5 N . To mark the changing of the guard, and take stock of Hyundai’s brief but bright stint as a master of the established hot hatch universe, we’re taking the i20 N on a well-earned adventure. And on these roads it’s hard to shake the feeling it’s been cut down in its prime. It feels as brilliant as ever, alive with an infectious sense of enthusiasm. Front-end grip is so keen it feels like the Pirellis’ compound is laced with mustard. The manual gearbox is joyously swift and slick. And like a few classic small hot hatches, it’s ever-eager to waggle its inside rear wheel in the air. The limited-slip differential – standard-fit on UK-spec i20 Ns – hooks up nicely but there’s impressively little torque-steer. The i20 N’s tail can be quite mobile if you want it to be – particularly on track – but on the road, even in these conditions where the wipers are struggling to keep up with the rain, it’s largely stable and safe but always a giggle. Maybe it’s the psychological link with Hyundai’s vaguely i20-based WRC cars, but the i20 N feels like a rally car on these winding Welsh lanes, gravel rattling in the arches and one-corner, one-turn, no-correction steering inputs. Mind you, it’s not quite one-corner, one-turn because you frequently find yourself fighting against bumps in the road: the i20 N’s MacPherson-front, torsion-beam-rear suspension (with stiffening measures versus a standard i20, to help the N change direction more eagerly) is a little on the unyielding side and it doesn’t breathe with the road like some hot hatches. Unlike its bigger, adaptively damped i30 N brother, it’s on passive dampers (the better to keep the i20 N affordable) but they feel like they get firmer as you ramp through the driving modes, as the steering becomes heavier and transmits more jolts through your arms. Ah yes, the modes: an N car hallmark. As well as the usual Eco, Normal and Sport, there’s a further, more aggressive N Mode and an N Custom mode where you can pick ’n’ mix settings for steering weight, engine map, stability control level and exhaust rowdiness. All are easily toggled by quick-flick shortcut buttons on the steering wheel (you can also easily toggle automatic rev-matching at a single button-press) then you preset your favourite combo. Sound familiar? A little like modern-era BMW M cars, in fact. No coincidence, of course. Shortly after the N subsection of the company had been created, Hyundai poached engineer and manager Albert Biermann from BMW, where he had spent 31 years, including in a pivotal role as chief engineer at BMW M division. It was Biermann who suggested that ‘N’, which had been chosen for the department’s name because it stood for Namyang, Hyundai’s R&D centre in Korea, should also stand for Nürburgring. ‘I suggested we combine it with Nürburgring because nobody [outside of the company] knows Namyang!’ he told me at the 2018 Nürburgring 24 Hour race (in which Hyundai was fielding a two-car i30 team in the TCR class – it would go on to win the WTCR World Touring Car Cup that year). ‘And we make a lot of big development decisions here, on the back-roads and on the track,’ he added. ‘We have tons of wind tunnel data, but final decisions are made here – in corners where you need a big heart, the car must feel planted.’ N engineers (try saying that in a hurry) have competed in the N24 race in development versions of the road cars, too, so the circuit really has played a key role in N cars’ creation. The N section of Hyundai isn’t officially called N ‘division’ – one stop in the alphabet from M division – but it’s hard not to refer to it as such. In 2018, Thomas Schemera, another senior BMW exec, became a further key member of N management. At the launch of the i30 N Fastback – a swoopy three-box quasi-saloon variant – Schemera described the first time he drove the i30 N hatch on which it was based. Multiple configurable modes, raucous exhaust on start-up, torso-hugging seats, purposeful driving position... he recognised Biermann’s influence instantly. The i30 N’s attributes set the template for the N cars that followed. Its spicy suspension set-up, Recaro-style seats, weighty power steering and gurgling, gargling exhaust voice are all there in the Hyundai i20 N too, and it uses the same software for its track-friendly stability control modes – Normal, Sport and Off. The N team were able to get involved in the base car’s development earlier than with the i30, however, so they could set their requirements before the regular i20’s design was frozen. They didn’t have to design a whole new front axle, as they did to transform the standard i30 into the i30 N, for example. I’ve been lucky enough to run both i30 N and i20 N as long-term test cars in the past, and loved them both. The i30 N even more so than the i20 N: there’s something about the older, bigger car’s more muscular character, the extra performance of its brawny 2-litre engine over the 1.6-litre i20 and the sense that it’s a bit of a hot rod, a skunkworks-style development of a very ordinary base car into something special. But the i20 N does feel a more complete, cohesive car: you can tell N division got its mitts on the source material from the start. It’s a superb modern performance car with character to match the great small hatches, but, equally impressively, the i20 N is great at being a normal car, too. It’s more refined than a small, lightweight car has any right to be (at 1190kg, its kerb weight is impressively scant by modern standards). It’s genuinely comfy on a long journey – far more so than a GR Yaris , or a Fiesta ST – and roomy as well. Reasonably frugal too, averaging mid-30s mpg figures, and often close to 40, compared with the thirstier i30 N’s mid-20s during my six months running both. It’s positively luxurious in terms of standard equipment: heated seats and steering wheel; parking sensors and reversing camera; du jour digital dials and a more user-friendly touchscreen than most – although later models such as this one have frustrating touch-sensitive surfaces in place of buttons next to the screen, meaning more eyes-off-road time than with earlier cars. Big-car kit in a supermini space. The graphics on the instrument screen are a bit puerile – rendered carbonfibre in Sport mode, and animated fire crackling around the tacho when you select N Mode – but this is a car with a sense of fun, and goodness knows that’s not a bad thing. A host of performance data can be displayed on the main screen and the instrument panel, from throttle opening and brake pressure to individual temperatures for coolant, oil and the engine itself. The latter in particular shows it’s been engineered by people who care about driving. First time I drove an i30 N (and some earlier BMW M cars), I found the modes slightly gimmicky – sometimes it’s nice to enjoy the purity of a performance car without any modes at all – but they really do bring an extra dimension to the i20 N. You can save fuel and drive around quite unobtrusively in Normal or Eco mode, yet in Sport or N it feels a dramatically more eager machine. And having those presets – stability control all-off or part-off, rev-matching on or not – toggleable straight away from the wheel; there’s a lot to be said for that. It’s not a perfect car, of course. Even in the lightest of its three weight settings, I find the power steering a little heavy for my tastes; its leaden feel actually makes the i20 N feel less nimble than it really is. And the engine feels a little leaden, too. Although the turbocharged 1.6 four has a 350-bar direct-injection pressure and a special ignition system for the i20 N, it’s a little lethargic in nature: a heavy flywheel means that revs take a moment to climb and likewise to die away. Drop out of the powerband and it can take a little while to get back into the turbocharged sweet spot, and sometimes upshifts are a little slurred, like a learner driver accidentally slipping the clutch, because the revs ‘hang’ a little. It doesn’t sound particularly inspiring either, even in the most vocal of the valved exhaust silencer’s three settings. These are the smallest of nits to pick, though. This is a truly great car, and fully deserving of evo ’s five-star rating. And all for a fiver under £25,000. There’s no hot hatch worth the name out there in that bracket now, more’s the pity. And few small hot hatches full stop: no Fiesta ST, no 208 GTi . Only the more grown-up-feeling, less exuberant VW Polo GTI remains, and the upcoming new Mini JCW . If the i20 N is where the 205 GTI dynasty ends, it’s a fitting finale – but what a shame it’s seemingly at a close. The marque's official statement for when the end of i30 N and Hyundai i20 N production for Europe was announced read: ‘Production of the ICE N models has ceased for the European market starting from February, in line with our commitment to offering a zero-tailpipe-emission line-up to our customers by 2035 and to operating 100 per cent carbon neutrally by 2045. Going forward in Europe, Hyundai is developing Hyundai N as a pioneer of high-performance EVs. Our customers will benefit from technological developments that will make EVs even more attractive in the future.’ The first such model, the Ioniq 5 N, is truly impressive. It combines front and rear electric motors for a 600bhp-plus total output, and in many ways makes a virtue of its powertrain; in other ways it deliberately mimics the behaviour of traditional combustion-engined performance cars, with the option to simulate the sound and response of a petrol engine and ‘eight-speed’ paddleshift gearbox. The point is not to fool the driver but to assist them: driving quickly in a silent, gearshift-free EV can be a disorienting, even nauseous experience. A sweep of artificial revs – even hitting a false limiter, should you wait too long to change up in manual mode – builds acceleration in what feels like a more natural crescendo. On upshifts, the system temporarily backs off the power, and on downshifts it uses regenerative braking. You can downshift using ‘engine’ braking to tuck into corners just as you might in an i20N. It’s even been designed to cope with long-ish stints on track (including multiple laps of the Nürburgring, something not necessarily possible in a Porsche Taycan, for example) without overheating. Not easy for an energy-hungry, 2.2-ton EV. (Yes, 2.2 tons.) With regenerative motor braking working together with the friction brakes, Hyundai says the brakes can actually last longer on track than an i30 N’s. You can’t totally disguise its weight and bulk, and the Ioniq 5 N is a car that takes time to get to know properly. You need to delve into all the different modes and sub-modes (and if there were plenty of those in the i20 N, there are far, far more in the Ioniq 5 N) to get the best from it in different scenarios. But its bandwidth – from city driving to motorways to mountain passes to racetracks – is seriously impressive. We’re still at the beginning of understanding its capabilities, but N division has built a genuinely engaging all-electric driver’s car. It doesn’t have the same immediate grin factor as the i20 N, though, and it’s a far from inexpensive car at £65,000. Compared with pricing in the mid-£20k bracket for the i20 N and low-30s for the i30 N, that’s quite a climb, for admittedly quite a car. And one can imagine, given the complexity of the Ioniq 5 N, that Hyundai may not be reaping an enormous profit from each one; like earlier N cars, it functions as a halo product, after all. Hot hatches aren’t the land of milk and honey they once were for major manufacturers, as hatchback sales in general decrease and margins get tighter. The dearth of hot hatches on the market generally, and the high prices of those that remain – £50k-plus for the Civic Type R , £40k-plus for the latest GR Yaris and a £38k starting price for the new Mk8.5 VW Golf GTI – are evidence of that. And tightening emissions regs have played a part in hastening the petrol-powered N cars’ early exit from this market. It’s well under a decade since the i30 N’s launch but it’s hard to remember a time when Hyundai N’s baby-blue signature colour wasn’t a part of the furniture in the hot hatch market. And less than half a decade since the i20 N’s introduction. This drive confirms the baby N car is a true great. Those Antipodean petrolheads in Perth knew that already. And coincidentally, on the evening I’m writing this, three ‘Hyundai N Yard Meets’ are being held concurrently at Caffeine & Machine’s venues. From Western Australia to the West Midlands, it’s truly remarkable that in a short space of time, from a standing start, an automotive sub-brand could become a cult folk favourite with global appeal. And that’s all down to the quality of the cars, and the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N in particular. If the next generation of electric-powered N cars are as impressive as the Ioniq 5 N, that groundswell of good feeling could well continue. But one can’t help but feel a little sad that N division has had to leave the old-school hot hatch party a little early.
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. 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 October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed 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: Dutch court rejects lawsuit from rights groups seeking to halt arms sales to Israel THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. Israel attacks a hospital in northern Gaza, wounding 3 medical staff amid a night of ‘relentless’ bombardment CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . Blinken makes unannounced stop in Iraq amid push to stabilize post-Assad Syria BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. Bahrain says it is willing to provide support for Syria in international organizations DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. Israel’s defense minister asks troops to prepare to remain through the winter on Syria's Mount Hermon JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. Blinken says there's ‘broad agreement’ between US and Turkey on Syria's future ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. Turkey to reopen its embassy in Syria ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. 2 UN aid convoys violently attacked in Gaza, US food agency says UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UN chief urges Israel to stop attacks on Syria UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.