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DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "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. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.
El Salvador's Congress on Monday approved a bill promoted by President Nayib Bukele to roll back a ban on the mining of gold and other metals, dismaying environmentalists. The small Central American nation became the world's first country to outlaw metal mining in 2017, warning of the harmful effects of the chemicals used, like cyanide and mercury. The move by Bukele's predecessor, former left-wing rebel Salvador Sanchez Ceren, reflected a growing rejection of mining by rural communities in the region. But last month, Bukele, who is popular at home for his crackdown on street gangs, signaled that he wanted to change course. The bill to bring back metal mining was approved by 57 deputies out of a total of 60, said Ernesto Castro, head of the legislature -- which is dominated by the ruling party -- as environmental campaigners protested nearby. Critics fear that mining will pollute the Lempa River, which runs through a potential mining zone proposed by Bukele and supplies water to 70 percent of the inhabitants of the capital and surrounding areas. "This wretched mining will punish the people, it will contaminate our waters and rivers and that's an attack on life," activist Vidalina Morales told reporters. Bukele said last month that El Salvador, a country of 6.6 million people, had "potentially" the largest gold deposits per square kilometer in the world. "God placed a gigantic treasure underneath our feet," he wrote on social media, arguing that the mining ban was "absurd." "If we make responsible use of our natural resources, we can change the economy of El Salvador overnight," he said. The new law stipulates that the state will be the only entity authorized to search for, extract and process mined metals. However, the government may do so through companies in which it is a shareholder. The bill prohibits the use of mercury in mining operations, which may not be carried out in protected natural areas or places with important water sources. A survey by Central American University published on Monday revealed that 59 percent of respondents do not consider El Salvador "an appropriate country for metal mining." Since El Salvador dollarized its remittances-reliant economy in 2001, it has registered average annual growth of 2.1 percent. Twenty-seven percent of Salvadorans live in poverty, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and 70 percent of the workforce operates in the informal sector. Elsewhere in the region, Costa Rica and Honduras have banned open-pit mining, and Panama declared a moratorium on new mining concessions last year after mass protests over plans for a huge copper mine. ob/fj/dr/jgcCollege GameDay Fans Not Happy With Saturday's Guest PickersOklahoma State's 3-point accuracy sends Miami to defeat
Charity recipient video goes viral and reconnects singer to her Albanian communityTo say the Golden State Warriors need a win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday would be an understatement. After starting the season 12-3, the Warriors now find themselves 15-12 overall and have not won back-to-back games in a month. For the Golden State to get back on track, they are going to need everyone healthy, which isn't necessarily the case for Draymond Green at the moment. After missing two games at the start of the month due to a calf injury, Green recently missed the Warriors' 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Now, he is once again on the injury report ahead of this critical game with Indiana. This has led many Warriors fans to ask the question, "Is Draymond Green playing against the Pacers?" Draymond Green injury status vs. Pacers Green sat out Saturday's win... Brett Siegel
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They are the cornerstone of law and order - providing law abiding folk with vital assistance and acting as a deterrent to the bad guys. But as our investigation reveals the humble police station is under threat. Hundreds have been sold off by the Tories over the past decade raising half a billion pounds. But the vanishing nicks have sparked concern over rising crime in communities across the UK. Our probe found 579 stations police houses and plots of land have been sold by forces in England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. The total raised was a staggering £462,085,828. It covers 30 of 45 forces who answered Freedom of Information requests. The Met raked just short of £190m with huge deals from 2013-23. Chelsea police station was sold for £40m in 2015. The station in Belgravia prime real estate because of its location went for £75m in June 2022. West End police station on Savile Row brought in £56m to the Met on March 29 2021. Thames Valley made £27.3m West Midlands £15.4m Northumbria almost £34m and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight £62.5m. Police Scotland sold the most with 115 station sales and seven more up for sale. They did not give a figure for the amount raised. All the forces were asked how the money was spent. Hampshire Constabulary stressed that all sale proceeds were ring fenced for capital investment. But the vast majority stated that the money was taken back into their overall policing budgets. Stations are not just disappearing in city centres our probe showed they are being lost in rural locations. Worried residents told us how criminals are being given “a free rein” in crime-plagued estates. The latest Office For National Statistics figures reveal that knife-enabled crime in England and Wales rose by 4% in the year ending June 2024 with 50,973 offences. It marked a significant 80 percent increase over the past decade. Offences involving firearms rose by six percent to 6,268 offences to 5,917 in 2023 with a 24 percent increase in the use of imitation firearms. Robbery went up by eight percent while shoplifting offences rose by 30 percent to 443,995 overall. One city of around 347,000 people will be left with just one police station after yet another sell-off was announced. In Sunderland Tyne and Wear the Farringdon Hall site in the west of the borough is now a pile of rubble. It stood at the heart of a community where locals now feel “abandoned” by police. For eight and half years the former station stood derelict with vandals lighting fires inside. With the closure of Washington police station announced in September Sunderland’s urban area will have just one station Southwick. Farringdon Labour councillor Phil Tye said: “It’s a relief to see it now demolished because it’s been a danger to the community when once it was there to keep it safe. “However that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that the ward I represent has lost its police station and along with it any real visible police presence in the community. “I believe Sunderland as a whole is now dangerously exposed with only one working police station left in a city of this size. It’s a very worrying situation.” Local John Bruce 52 said: “The Tory government is to blame for the fact we no longer have a police station they’ve all closed because there’s been no money to keep them open. “I think Keir Starmer is a law and order man and I trust him to put more police on the street because we need them. You only have to look back a month two when we had rioting from people in Sunderland who said they were protesting about immigration. “It was a disgrace and they had to bring police in from all over to deal with it. There’s no visible police presence any more you never see them walking around and the criminals feel like they have free rein.” Anthony Stephenson 34 added: “The only time you see a police officer walking around is when there has been a road accident. “They’re not out on the streets not even the community support officers who you used to see in the fairly recent past. Closing down police stations can never be a good thing and it does affect the way people feel about their own security.” Sunderland City Council confirmed in September that the local authority had been notified about the plans to sell the building. Northumbria Police said: “Washington Police Station is an old building which is no longer fit for purpose and would require considerable investment if we were to retain the site.” They added the premises had not been open to the public “for a number of years”. But local Josephine Johnson 85 fondly remembered better days. She said: “It’s a real shame to see all these police stations closing in a place where so many people live. “When I was growing up every area had a police station but on our estate there were also two police houses where the police officers and their families lived. They were part of the community and everyone knew them and where they were if they were needed. “Things have changed so much now and it’s certainly not for the better. People feel less safe than they used to.” And Rhoda Armstrong 77 said: “There are a lot of people in Washington it’s a big place with no police station at all. It is a concern that if something happens it’s going to take a long time for anyone to reach you.” In Heswall an affluent town on the Wirral Merseyside Police sold the local police station for £1.3m in 2022. It has been turned into a pub the Harry Beswick which recently won an award for its design. Resident Neville Hope 62 an accountant said: “We are fortunate to live here but I don’t think it’s as safe as it once was. You hardly ever see a bobby on the beat now. With a lack of police presence there’s no deterrent for criminals.” Pam Walton 57 a dental hygienist added: “It is just a sad reflection that whatever government is in power there always seems to be cutbacks. All we ever hear from politicians is that they will put more police on the streets but it never seems to happen. “My friend was broken into recently and when she reported it to the police all they asked about was if there was any CCTV. When she said no she was given a crime number and told it was very unlikely anyone would be caught. It appears the police have just given up.” Russell Dakin 80 a retired engineer added: “I remember when almost every town had its own police station. Some of the smaller villages even had a police officer living there. If you had a problem you could just walk into the police station and find someone there. Communities left in fear of crime after police stations close - while the great Tory sell-off made millions “I don’t know if it actually made the town safer by having a police station but somehow it gave you some reassurance.” In the community of Selsey in East Sussex where the town council serves a population of 11,000 the local police station is on the market for 420,000 after being sold off. Coun Andrew Brown 49 a member of the Local Alliance party said: “I have lived here all my life and it was sad when it closed. It is not that they are not dealing with crime but it is about the perception of the local people they want to see bobbies on the beat. “Unfortunately the reality is that it is now dealt with by an inspector in Chichester.” In Durham the force has steadfastly refused to close any stations and they have an intercom system in 14 stations during hours when they are not manned giving a direct link to central control. Mike Barton the former chief constable of Durham Police who retired five years ago warned the sale of stations was “short-sighted.” Terry Fisher property expert at webuyanyhome.com said their FOI research showed that the sale of police stations had raised a “staggering amount of money”. He added: “While there has been a move away from some city and town centres since the Covid pandemic with more people working from home and shopping online there is still a great demand for prime real estate in prime locations - and price tags match that demand. “There are also a number in rural areas that are becoming more popular with homebuyers as they take advantage of improving technology to be able to work remotely.” A Home Office spokesman said having officers ‘visible in our communities’ remained a priority. They added: “We are committed to ensuring thousands of additional police officers police community support officers and special constables are out patrolling towns and communities as part of our mission to deliver safer streets.”
The Albanese government dropped six separate documents explaining what is happening on climate change and clean energy on Thursday in an annual event some call "climate Christmas". Here is some of what we learned. Emissions are falling – but not fast enough The latest Australian emissions data tells a slightly complicated story, mainly due to the Covid-19 shutdown years. Have emissions increased under Labor, as the Coalition and Greens claim? Or is that just in comparison with those during lockdowns? Emissions fell slightly last financial year – about 3m tonnes, or a 0.7% drop – and are now estimated to be 28.2% below 2005 levels. This followed a small post-pandemic rise the year before. A progress report by the Climate Change Authority gives the backdrop to this: pollution declined rapidly when Covid hit, largely because we stopped driving and flying as much, and has plateaued over the three years since. Its conclusion is that emissions are falling but not fast enough. Labor has passed its proposed social media ban for under-16s. Here's what we know – and what we don't Read more Climate pollution needs to be reduced on average by 15m tonnes a year between now and 2030 to reach the government's legislated target (a 43% cut below 2005 levels). Projections suggest this is possible under existing policies – if everything goes according to plan. The biggest driver of this should be the capacity investment scheme, a program to underwrite 32GW in new large-scale renewable energy and batteries before the end of the decade. That is roughly equivalent to building half the current capacity of the grid again. But it is worth remembering what scientists say: that Australia should be making a deeper cut by 2030 and setting a much more ambitious target for 2035 in the months ahead, to live up to... Adam Morton , Petra StockHere's Jason: Kelce will host late-night show on ESPN beginning final week of NFL season
Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it?NoneRestaurant Brands International Inc. stock rises Thursday, still underperforms market
National HomeCorp announces affordable new homes now selling at Meadows of Chandler in Chandler, Texas
Drama surrounds final three F1 races of seasonSam Darnold sensed the backside pressure as soon as he dropped back with Minnesota trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter in Seattle, so he moved into a safe space in the pocket and did precisely what the Vikings would prefer him to do with the game on the line. He threw the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson. The perfectly placed throw near the sideline beat double coverage for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Vikings back in front with 3:51 remaining in a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks on Sunday. “It was a great call,” said Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores, all season highs. “I’m not going to say too much about that play, but something went on where me and Sam were on the same page, and he found me and we went up.” The Vikings were understandably coy about the context around the go-ahead touchdown , when Darnold made a difficult on-the-run pass just over cornerback Tariq Woolen that Jefferson deftly twisted to catch next to his backside hip so he could shield the ball from late-breaking safety Julian Love. Darnold saw Love's shoulders initially shaded inside just enough to believe he couldn't retreat fast enough to prevent Jefferson from getting the ball. Jefferson also applied some improvisation to his route that Darnold clearly and properly read during the play. “I want those guys to have some freedom in those moments,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “We do a lot of things with Justin and Sam, seeing the coverage and then with some route opportunities to get to at the line of scrimmage, and I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff.” Darnold's long-delayed breakout performance under O'Connell has been one of the stories of the NFL this season, one that wouldn't have unfolded as neatly for the third overall pick in the 2018 draft without such synergy between him and his superstar wide receiver. If the Vikings (13-2) win their last two games, they will not only be NFC North champions for the second time in three years but also get the No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye in the NFC for the playoffs. “Every single game we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity, overcome the different stuff defenses have thrown towards us," Jefferson said. “Sam has done a great job being a leader.” What's working The pass rush was strong, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and pressure leading to both interceptions of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The Vikings were credited with eight hits on Smith. What needs help The Vikings converted only three of 12 third downs, their second-worst rate of the season. Stock up Theo Jackson, who saw significant playing time at safety with Harrison Smith out, had the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds left. Stock down Tight end Josh Oliver has played 47% of the snaps the last two games, his two lowest usage rates of the season. He dropped the only pass he was thrown on Sunday. Injury report The defense ought to get a big boost this week with the expected return of the 13-year veteran Smith from his first absence in two years when he was sidelined at Seattle with a foot injury. Linebacker Ivan Pace, who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain, is also on track to be back with his return to practice. Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond, who didn't play against the Seahawks because of a concussion, has made progress through the protocol, O'Connell said. Backup cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was inactive at Seattle with a hip injury, will continue to be evaluated throughout the week. Key number 13.6% — That's the third-down conversion allowance rate for the Vikings over the last two games, with Chicago and Seattle combining to go just 3 for 22. The Vikings rank second in the NFL in third-down defense at 33.7% for the season and also rank second on fourth down at 36.7%. Up next The Vikings host Green Bay on Sunday, with the kickoff moved to the late afternoon showcase spot on Fox. If Minnesota loses to the Packers, the Lions will clinch the NFC North and the Vikings would open the playoffs on the road as the No. 5 seed at best. Even if the Lions were to lose at San Francisco on Monday night, the Vikings would need to win at Detroit on Jan. 5 to take the division title. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
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