Syrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full a dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's 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. A survey suggests 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 also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor recalls confusion and chaos during Japanese bombing 83 years ago PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors are planning to return to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. They are each over 100 years old. They will join active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for a remembrance ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.Trump vows an additional 10% tariff on China, 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico
4 card poker game
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What really happened in town on Saturday afternoon
NoneAP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:19 p.m. EST
The Current 20:06 Rudeness rampant in classrooms, say teachers An Ontario teacher says "manners have gone out the door" in classrooms since the pandemic, and new research agrees that kids have become ruder to both teachers and each other. "There's a lot more outbursts," said Marylinda Lamarra, a secondary school teacher in the York Catholic District School Board in Ontario. "Students feel empowered to just speak out whenever they have a question on their mind ... or they ask to go to the bathroom, mid-sentence while I'm teaching," she told The Current . Lamarra said students struggle to pay attention through a whole lesson and can't seem to manage their own disruptive behavior. They're also ruder to each other, and often can't resolve conflicts without resorting to yelling. "It's just become increasingly more noticeable post-COVID," she said. They were at home behind a screen ... They could do what they wanted - Marylinda Lamarra A recent study from Brock University found a significant increase in classroom incivility since the pandemic. Researchers asked 308 Ontario kids aged nine to 14 to fill out a survey, which asked if they ever engaged in rude or disruptive behaviour. That includes things like texting in class, interrupting or talking over a teacher, or packing up before the lesson is even over. The Brock team also spoke with 101 primary educators about their experiences in the classroom. That data was collected in fall 2022 and compared to surveys previously conducted in fall 2019. The results showed a significant increase in classroom incivility, even though other issues raised in the survey — such as bullying and emotional wellbeing — showed little change. Natalie Spadafora, who led the study, said that while some of the behaviours may just seem like minor annoyances, they shouldn't be dismissed. "Cumulatively, we know from teachers, students and our research that it can have negative effects," said Spadafora, a post-doctoral fellow and adjunct professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. "We know that left unchecked, it can escalate to higher level anti-social behaviour." Teacher Marylinda Lamarra says disruptive behaviour is 'more noticeable post-COVID.' (Submitted by Marylinda Lamarra) 'At home behind a screen' Lamarra thinks pandemic shutdowns and remote learning played a role in this spike in incivility, especially for younger kids who lost out on learning how to behave in a classroom setting. "They were at home behind a screen with no classroom instruction or decorum ... They could do what they wanted, and they seem to have brought that into the classroom," she said. Lamarra said educators did expect they'd have to play catch up to get kids "back on track," but it hasn't been easy. "There are students who have made the shift back, it's just been slower than anticipated," she said. Spadafora thinks the pandemic did have an impact, but pointed out that generational and technological factors may also play a role. "Ten years ago ... texting during class wasn't an item on our scale, but now it definitely is," she said. "I would say behaviours change over time, right?" Researcher Natalie Spadafora says that disruptive behaviour can escalate if left unchecked. (Submitted by Natalie Spadafora) She added that many of these issues are not kids intentionally trying to cause harm. She gave the example of packing up books before a lesson has ended and while a teacher is still teaching, because a kid is keen to get to recess or home at the end of the day. Those kids are thinking "about themselves or their social life" but "forgetting about the group dynamic and what that might be implicating on a broader scale," she said. Getting 'back to basics' Lamarra said it can be frustrating to deal with these disruptions, but she has to maintain her composure as a teacher and help her pupils improve their behaviour. "I think we just need to get back to the basics where we're teaching that civility, we're teaching proper manners," she said. She added that "parents do have a role to play in teaching their kids how to cope in the classroom, how to cope in society. We need to give them those skills." New school year offers no relief for Canadian teachers amid ongoing shortages Teacher shortage has staff across Canada working 'in survival mode' She worries that if kids don't learn how to behave with civility in the classroom, that bad behaviour will show up in wider society as they get older. Spadafora agrees that it's important to foster civility at a young age. "Civil children means civil adults, and that's what we all want," she said.From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turnINDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton finished with 34 points and 13 assists and made a season best nine 3-pointers on Monday night, leading the Indiana Pacers past the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 114-100. Haliburton's tiebreaking 3 with 3:06 to go and Bennedict Mathurin's alley-oop dunk off Haliburton's pass with a minute left finally secured the win. Myles Turner added 17 points, including seven straight during a fourth-quarter flurry that swung the momentum back to the Pacers. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 24 points, matching his season high. CJ McCollum added 23 points in his first action in nearly a month, and Elfrid Payton dished out a career high 21 assists — the most in an NBA game this season. The Pelicans have lost five straight, this one with WNBA star Caitlin Clark watching inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse to the delight of some girls dressed in Clark's Indiana Fever and Iowa jerseys. Takeaways Pelicans: With four projected opening day starters sitting out because of injuries (Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson), it's hard to read much into Monday's result. McCollum's return could be a promising sign. Pacers: Indiana also has been less than full strength with Andrew Nembhard (knee) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) out again. Still, it's used the first two games of a four-game home stand to pull within two games of .500. New Orleans Pelicans' Trey Murphy III dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Indianapolis. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings Key moment With the score tied at 104, Haliburton knocked down a 3, followed with a layup and then fed Mathurin for the dunk that brought the crowd to its feet. The Pelicans didn't recover from that flurry. Key stat Haliburton has scored 73 points in his last three games, his top scoring output over a three-game stretch this season. His previous high was 58. Up next New Orleans returns home to host the Toronto Raptors while the Pacers host the Portland Trail Balzers on Wednesday night.