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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian insurgents swept into the central city of Hama on Thursday and government forces withdrew, dealing another major blow to Syrian President Bashar Assad days after insurgents captured much of Aleppo, the country’s largest city. The stunning weeklong offensive appeared likely to continue, with insurgents setting their sights on Homs, the country’s third-largest city. Homs, which is about 25 miles south of Hama, is the gate to the capital, Damascus, Assad’s seat of power and the coastal region that is a base of support for him. The offensive is being led by the jihadi group HTS and an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Their sudden capture of Aleppo, an ancient business hub in the north, was a stunning prize for Assad’s opponents and reignited the Syrian civil war that had been largely a stalemate for the past few years. Hama is one of the few cities that has remained mostly under government control in the conflict, which broke out in March 2011 following a popular uprising. By sunset, dozens of jubilant fighters were seen shooting in the air in celebration in live footage from Hama’s Assi Square. The square was the scene of massive anti-government protests in the early days of the uprising in 2011, before security forces stormed it and got the city under control. The Syrian army on Thursday said it redeployed from Hama and took positions outside the city to protect civilians. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgency, announced in a video message that fighters had reached Hama in a “conquering that is not vengeful, but one of mercy and compassion.” Al-Golani is the leader of the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which previously served as al-Qaida’s branch in Syria and is considered a terrorist group by the United Nations as well as countries including the U.S. The group that was known as the Nusra Front in the early years of Syria’s conflict changed its name and said in recent years that it cut ties with al-Qaida. Al-Golani publicly toured Aleppo on Wednesday and spoke about Hama on Thursday from an undisclosed location in what appeared to be a video filmed with a mobile phone. “This is a massive win for the rebels and a strategic blow for the (Syrian) regime,” Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an expert on Syrian groups. She said the question is whether the opposition will be able to reach Homs and take over the area, which she said would be a game-changer. “I think then we are going to have to pause and consider whether or not this regime can actually survive this war,” she added. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country supports the opposition fighters, reiterated during a telephone call with the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres that the Syrian government should urgently engage with its people “for a comprehensive political solution.” Guterres said in a statement later that after 14 years of war in Syria, “it is high time” for all parties to engage seriously in talks to resolve the conflict in line with Security Council Resolution 2254.” That resolution, which was adopted unanimously in December 2015, endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights — an opposition war monitor — said after fierce battles inside Hama, opposition gunmen now control the police headquarters in the city as well as the sprawling air base and the central prison from where hundreds of detainees were set free.LightPath Technologies Introduces New Optical Gas Imaging Camera for Ammonia and SF6 Detection
Indiana got what it wanted Tuesday night in a 97-71 rout of Sam Houston State -- a lopsided victory where its bench played well and it didn't have to go down to the wire. The Hoosiers will look for more of the same Friday night in Bloomington when they continue their homestand against nonconference foe Miami (Ohio). Four players scored in double figures for Indiana (6-2) against the Bearkats, including 18 from reserve Luke Goode. The Illinois transfer hit four 3-pointers in less than four minutes of the first half, enabling the Hoosiers to take a 34-12 lead. Led by Goode, Indiana's bench contributed a whopping 36 points. "I thought it was a total team effort on everybody's part," Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson said. "Helps when your bench come off and play the way they did. Goode was fantastic but everybody off the bench played well." Indiana also got an encouraging 19-point performance from point guard Myles Rice, who struggled a bit in the first seven games in terms of making shots and running the offense. Rice (11.1 ppg) is one of four double-figure scorers in an attack led by Mackenzie Mgbako (16.8). Meanwhile, the RedHawks (5-2) are coming off a 73-60 home win Monday against Air Force. Bellarmine transfer Peter Suder poured in a career-high 42 points on 17-of-21 shooting, the highest-scoring game in program history since Wally Szczerbiak scored 43 in 1999. Suder, who averaged 10.5 ppg as a sophomore last season, is up to 17.4 ppg this season. He's hitting 58.8 percent of his field goals while also chipping in 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals. "I always say players win games, man. Coaches lose games," Miami coach Travis Steele told the Journal-News. "Peter was phenomenal. It was just get out of the way and just let him go." Forward Kam Craft, who Steele landed out of high school when he was still coaching at Xavier, is the RedHawks' second-leading scorer at 14.1 ppg. The Hoosiers have won 22 of the previous 25 meetings, including an 86-56 rout two years ago in Indianapolis. --Field Level MediaStudents work diligently to finish the semester’s projects and study for finals. People throughout the region decorate their homes and businesses for the season and search for the perfect gifts for loved ones as the holidays approach. East Tennessee State University is gearing up for the biggest day of the semester – Commencement – but offers plenty of additional activities for students and the community in the month of December! The following listing includes events that are open to the public and are free unless otherwise noted: Music ETSU BLUE Down Home Takeover December 2-6, 7 p.m. each evening – Down Home, 300 W. Main Street This five-night musical event showcases all the bands in ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies program, which includes not only bluegrass and old-time ensembles, but country, a cappella and Celtic groups, as well. Tickets are $15 at the door; ETSU students with ID receive a discount. Holiday Concert: ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ December 7, performances at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – ETSU Foundation Grand Hall, Martin Center for the Arts Over 250 performers will take part in this beloved ETSU holiday tradition, including the ETSU Chorale, BucsWorth, East Tennessee Belles, Greyscale, Ascension, Percussion Ensemble and Faculty Brass Quintet, along with special guests Matthew Fisher, organ, and Joanna Seiber, harp. Tickets are $15-$25; free for ETSU students with ID. Theater/Cinema Bud Frank Cinema First Friday Screening: ‘Flow’ December 6, 7 p.m. – Bud Frank Theatre, Gilbreath Hall The Bud Frank Cinema’s First Friday Screening on Dec. 6 is “Flow,” a 2024 French film which opens for wide release the same day. “A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, ‘Flow’ follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood.” Bud Frank Cinema Film Screening: ‘Seven Samurai’ December 13, 7 p.m. – Bud Frank Theatre, Gilbreath Hall The Bud Frank Cinema and Tri-City Film Farm present a restoration of “Seven Samurai,” a 1954 film from Japan that tells the story of a 16 th -century village whose desperate inhabitants hire seven samurai warriors to protect them from invading bandits. ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage’ December 17, 7 p.m. – ETSU Foundation Grand Hall, Martin Center for the Arts The timeless, award-winning animated television special by Charles M. Schulz comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation the whole family can enjoy. After the final bow, the audience is invited to join the Peanuts gang in singing traditional Christmas songs and carols. Tickets are $49.50-$139; limited seating is available. Fine Arts ‘FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social and Politically Engaged Art’ Continuing through December 6, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday – Reece Museum This annual exhibit, renowned for its exploration of contemporary social and political movements, features a diverse array of artworks addressing pressing global issues. ‘Stitch Together: The Social Seamstress in Southern Appalachia’ Continuing through January 10, 2025, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday – Reece Museum The Reece Museum hosts this exhibit exploring the social connections of seamstresses by showcasing the fashion and clothing of the museum’s permanent collection. Holiday Fun and More Ice Skating at ETSU Various hours, Thursdays-Sundays through December 21 – University Commons ETSU’s beloved synthetic ice skating rink is open for the holiday season. This year, in partnership with Brightspeed, the rink is free to ETSU students, faculty and staff with valid ID and open to the community with a $5 skate rental for all ages. Hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 5-9 p.m., Saturdays from noon-7 p.m., and Sundays from 2-7 p.m. Great Lecture Series December 6, 2 p.m. – East Tennessee Room, D.P. Culp Student Center The Great Lecture Series celebrates and showcases ETSU faculty who have recently been promoted to full professor, giving them an opportunity to share their work with the broader community. Attendees of this installment will hear from Drs. Brian Johnston, John Rankin and Megan Quinn. Jacob’s Nature Park: As We See It! December 7, 1-2:30 p.m. – Jacob’s Nature Park at Sinking Creek, 1919 Ocala Street This event for the community features five 15-minute presentations by ETSU students on park-specific topics, such as poisonous plants, mushroom coolness, pollinator trivia and more. Interactive activities, games, giveaways and hands-on learning opportunities for all ages are included. ETSU Fall Commencement December 14, 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. – Ballad Health Athletic Center (Mini-Dome) ETSU celebrates its fall 2024 graduating class in two ceremonies (10 a.m. – Quillen College of Medicine, College of Public Health, College of Health Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences; and 2:30 p.m. – Clemmer College of Education and Human Development, College of Business and Technology and College of Nursing). Complete information for graduating students, guests and faculty is available on the Commencement website, etsu.edu/commencement , where livestreaming will be offered for those not attending in person. ETSU Alumni Arctic Adventures: Frost and Fun Skate Night December 19, 5-8:30 p.m. – University Commons The ETSU Alumni Association presents an evening of Frost and Fun at the ETSU synthetic ice skating rink sponsored by Brightspeed. Participants can enjoy popcorn and hot cocoa inside the first-floor lobby of the D.P. Culp Student Center, as well as limited-edition T-shirts, a visit from Bucky, giveaways and holiday music. To learn more about these and other events happening at ETSU, visit the university’s online calendar at etsu.edu/calendar/default.php . For disability accommodations, contact Disability Services at (423) 439-8346.
Sir Keir Starmer must intervene in the case of a dual national who is imprisoned in Egypt, his mother has said 58 days into a hunger strike. Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a 43-year-old British- Egyptian pro-democracy writer, was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news in December 2021. Based on his sentence, he should have been released in September but remains behind bars, according to the Free Alaa campaign which is calling for his release. His 68-year-old mother Laila Soueif is now 58 days into a hunger strike in protest over his continued imprisonment in Egypt. She has met with David Lammy about her son’s case, after urging the Foreign Secretary to take further action to free him. At a press conference in central London on Wednesday, Mrs Soueif said she hoped her message got through to Mr Lammy. “My main message was I am on hunger strike, I am not about to break my hunger strike until Alaa is released,” she said. Mrs Soueif said it was a “lucky break” she had not yet collapsed, not just for her own sake, but to spare the Foreign Secretary and the Egyptian government embarrassment. She added: “I think Mr Lammy did believe my claim. In that sense at least I think this was not a wasted meeting, and we will see how things go from there. “I am still waiting for concrete results. I still believe that there is something that the present British Government can achieve.” Mrs Soueif said she did not agree with suggestions from Mr Lammy that navigating a careful relationship with the Egyptian government because of its influence in Gaza had a bearing on her son’s case. And she added that in a scenario where a “final push” was needed to get her son out of prison, Sir Keir would need to be involved. Mrs Soueif told the press conference: “Since everyone is telling us that this is a personal issue with (Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-) Sisi, then surely the person to push for an end to this personal issue is the Prime Minister. “It is not going to be resolved on a ministerial level, it has to be the Prime Minister.” On her own health, she told the PA news agency she felt “semi normal” despite nearly two months without food. “How long that will last, god knows,” Mrs Soueif added. She had earlier told reporters: “I am still on hunger strike, I am remaining on hunger strike. I believe that it is possible to get this done, and to get this done quickly. “That is what I am betting on. I am betting on that with my health and my life and as I have been saying we have all been given this break. “Let’s use it before we lose it, because if I collapse, obviously that is very bad for me and my family and bad for Alaa but also it is going to be very embarrassing for both the British and Egyptian governments and we really shouldn’t get there.” Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Lammy said he was determined to “see Alaa reunited with his family”. In answer to a question about Mr El-Fattah’s situation, he added: “With the terrible situation in Gaza, it is important that this Government continues to speak to our Egyptian friends who have obviously real proximity to Gaza particularly. “But I understand the strength of feeling and that’s why the Prime Minister’s raised this, I have raised this on successive occasions, and we will continue to lobby – he’s a dual national – we will continue to lobby on his behalf.”CHICAGO — Efforts to transfer a parcel of land in Chinatown from the state to the city were hitting a wall in the spring of 2018, and much of it had to do with a political cold war going on between then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval and Chicago Ald. Daniel Solis, who had backed the opponent of Sandoval’s daughter for county commissioner. Lobbyist Nancy Kimme, a Republican with connections in the administration of then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, called a longtime confidant of Democratic House Speaker Michael Michael Madigan to talk it through. Kimme told Michael McClain that Sandoval was putting the brick on the plan to transfer the land, which was owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation, by amending an existing real estate bill, and it may be because of the blood with Solis. “I believe that Sandoval is just mad at Solis,” Kimme said on the April 2018 call played in Madigan’s corruption trial Thursday. “Kinda makes sense what’s happening,” McClain responded. “Sandoval’s a small man.” The call was one of nearly a dozen played for jurors during Kimme’s testimony so far that have painted a detailed picture of the political mechanizations, power plays, and bruised egos that unfolded in 2018 over the tiny 2 1/2-acre parking lot along Wentworth Avenue that a group of deep-pocketed Chinatown developers wanted to turn into a hotel. Prosecutors allege Madigan agreed to help Solis, whose 25th Ward included the land, with the transfer in return for an introduction to the developers so he could pitch his private real estate firm to do their property tax appeals. But Madigan knew Rauner, his arch political enemy, would never let the land transfer go through if he knew the speaker’s fingerprints were on it. So Madigan enlisted the help of his friend, retired lobbyist McClain, who in turn went to Kimme to try and seal the deal. That’s when the problems with Sandoval, a Democrat who headed the powerful Senate Transportation Committee, reared their head. In call after call, Kimme and McClain commiserated over Sandoval’s boorishness, and also lamented the behavior of his colleague, state Sen. Tony Munoz, who at the time was vying to be the next Senate president. In one call played for the jury, Kimme told McClain, I don’t know why (Sandoval) goes out of his way to piss off the speaker...That’s short-sighted. Madigan could take him out pretty easily.” McClain responded that all Madigan has to do is put up a Latino in Cicero to beat him. A few days later, Kimme and McClain talked about ways to get Sandoval and Munoz to “settle down.” Munoz, Kimme said seemed to be consumed with becoming the Senate president and was “not gonna want to piss off Marty,” “I’m sure that’s why he got involved (in blocking the Chinatown deal) in the first place...Sandoval’s so crazy,” Kimme said. “I don’t believe there is any way for Solis to make peace now,” McClain responded. He said Sandoval “had a rally or something several months ago where Sandoval announced that Alex Acevedo is the next alderman.” Kimme said after a long pause, said, “We’re in the middle of some kind of range war.” On the stand, Kimme was asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz what she meant by that statement. “That they were all shootin’ at each other for different reasons,” Kimme testified. You mean for political reasons? Schwartz asked. “Yes.” McClain said suppose they got the Chinese Chamber of Commerce involved to show Munoz “there is a political consequence.” Kimme said Munoz probably wouldn’t care. “He knows that Marty is a bad enemy to have because he reacts so much.” At the end of the call, Kimme asked, Who is close to Sandoval? “Victor Reyes,” McClain said, the longtime Democratic political consultant and fundraiser. “Who is Reyes close to?” McClain paused for several seconds. “Well...Victor Reyes is close to Victor Reyes,” he said, “But um I got him you know a lot of business over the years.” A few weeks later, Kimme again asked McClain how they could solve the Sandoval issue, maybe “try and get Victor (Reyes) to go after Sandoval and quiet him down?” “I think I ought to call somebody and let ’em know that Sandoval is blowing it up,” McClain responded. “So why don’t you give me a day or two?” Kimme later told McClain that she’d found out Munoz was angry about a city-owned property on Damen Avenue that he’d wanted Solis to sign off on for development, but the alderman was dragging his feet. So she negotiated a plan with Munoz to put both properties in the same bill. “I think that’s a good deal,” McClain said. “That’s why you’re the master.” In May 2018, with the session deadline looming, Kimme reached out to Democratic state Rep. Theresa Mah to make her a sponsor of the land transfer. But the deal was later tabled due to pressure from the community that caused other political heavyweights to oppose it, including then-Secretary of State Jesse White, according to evidence the jury has heard. Sandoval later pleaded guilty to an arrange of bribery schemes unrelated to the Chinatown parcel and was cooperating with investigators when he died of COVID-19 in December 2020. Kimme’s testimony will continue after a lunch break. Madigan, 82, of Chicago, who served for decades as speaker of the Illinois House and the head of the state Democratic Party, faces racketeering charges alleging he ran his state and political operations like a criminal enterprise. He is charged alongside his longtime confidant McClain, 77, a former ComEd contract lobbyist from downstate Quincy. Both men have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors could rest their case in chief as early as next week. Before the jury took their seats Thursday, prosecutors said they want to call former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo as a witness next week. But Acevedo’s attorney signaled that she would try to keep him off the stand on grounds that he is not competent to testify, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu. In addition, Bhachu said, Acevedo has invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify, meaning prosecutors must jump through administrative hoops in order to compel him to the stand. Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat, pleaded guilty in 2021 to a relatively minor tax charge stemming from the federal probe into ComEd’s lobbying practices. He was sentenced to six months in prison. Before his sentencing, his attorneys filed a memo from his doctor on the public docket saying he had “mild cognitive impairment,” gout, hypertension, high cholesterol and depression and anxiety. Acevedo has not testified in any of the Madigan-related trials so far. One of the conspiracy counts against Madigan and McClain alleges that AT&T Illinois boss Paul La Schiazza agreed to pay $22,500 to Acevedo for a do-nothing consulting job in exchange for Madigan’s help passing a bill to end mandated landline service. Acevedo also allegedly was hired by ComEd as a favor to Madigan, one of many people whom prosecutors say were given jobs as part of a bribery scheme. Jurors last month saw a memorable email in which then-ComEd executive Fidel Marquez seemingly lost his cool after Acevedo asked for a job for a friend. “Geez...he has a son and a nephew at ComEd. He’s got a contract at ComEd. Has he no limit?” Marquez emailed McClain. McClain responded using his frequent euphemism for Madigan, saying that Marquez’s rant “sounded like our Friend.” Also Thursday, jurors heard a series of phone calls meant to emphasize Madigan’s influence over state board appointments. “Think about Carrie to go to the Illinois Commerce Commission,” then-state Rep. Michael J. Zalewski told McClain in a November 2018 call, referring to his wife. “Pritzker gets two picks in January and the pay is the same, so it wouldn’t get us a story for bumping her pay, he could say she gets the same amount of money,” Zalewski said. Madigan ended up successfully recommending that Pritzker put Carrie Zalewski on the commission. Madigan and McClain are accused of getting ComEd to hire Michael J. Zalewski’s father, former 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski, as a no-work subcontractor, in order to sway Madigan’s support for utility-friendly legislation. Jurors also heard Madigan tell McClain about a meeting he had with Pritzker in December 2018. Madigan’s former chief of staff testified Wednesday that at that meeting, Madigan suggested Pritzker could reconstitute boards and commissions and appoint all new members. “You can wipe out the board too ... So I put that idea in his head,” Madigan told McClain on the recording jurors heard Thursday. Madigan’s sway over board seats is crucial to prosecutors’ allegations that he was planning to recommend Solis to a lucrative position on a board. Solis has testified he was not actually interested in a seat, but the FBI directed him to ask about it. Jurors last week saw undercover video from an August 2018 meeting in which Solis asked Madigan about a board seat appointment, and emphasized all the business he could bring in for Madigan’s firm. Moments later, Madigan asked Solis to put in a good word with the nonprofit Resurrection Project on behalf of his son Andrew, who worked at an insurance broker. The CEO and co-founder of the Resurrection Project, Raul Raymundo, testified Thursday that Solis had reached out to him in 2018 and asked him to consider meeting with Andrew Madigan. Raymundo subsequently connected Andrew Madigan with the Resurrection Project’s chief financial officer, who ultimately decided to start working with Andrew Madigan’s firm. ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
FORMER BBC Sport commentator Paul Dickenson has passed away aged 74. Dickenson, who specialised in athletics and winter sports for over two decades, died at home on Tuesday. 1 Paul Dickenson has passed away Credit: ALAN TOWSE/FAMOUS His death was announced by the BBC on Wednesday evening. Fans took to social media to pay tribute to the man with an iconic voice. One person wrote: "Really sad to read that Paul Dickenson has died. One of my favourite commentators of all time, his voice is very much missed." While another commented: "Just seen the very sad news that Paul Dickenson has passed away. "Having grown up listening to him, it took me a while to pluck up the courage to talk to him when I was first starting out but, once I did, he was always very supportive and just great company." Dickenson commentated on every Summer and Winter Olympic Games between 1992 and 2014. He is one of only five BBC commentators to call Team GB gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. In 2012 he commentated on Jessica Ennis-Hill's iconic gold medal in the Olympic heptathlon. Most read in Athletics RED HANDED Commonwealth Games chiefs in Northern Ireland to ditch 'offensive' Ulster Banner FAREWELL GEOFF World's strongest man and shot put legend Geoff Capes has died aged 75 GAME ON 2026 Commonwealth Games sports revealed as Glasgow officially confirmed as host TRAGIC PASSING Former African Games champion's body found aged 32 as tributes pour in THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball .
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