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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday appointed two new Ministry Secretaries. The letters of appointment were handed over yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. Accordingly, President’s Counsel Ayesha Jinasena was appointed as the Justice and National Integration Ministry Secretary, while Malarmathi Gangadharan was appointed as the Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Ministry Secretary.Maud Maron vs DA Alvin Bragg is a winnable race for Republicans
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Lions receiver Jameson Williams won't be charged for having a gun in a car
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US
Former New York Governor George Pataki is blasting the Empire’s State’s “ignorant” clean energy plans as “pie-in-the-sky” nonsense that will never happen. New York has passed unsustainable laws that would require “net-zero carbon emissions by 2040,” and “70 percent renewable electricity sources by 2030.” But Pataki is calling out these mandates as nonsense and says the state will never reach the mandated goals, the New York Post reported. “We have an enormous, looming gap between energy use and energy generation in New York State.” That gap stands at about 50 percent already, he said during an appearance Sunday on 770 WABC’s The Cats Roundtable show. Pointing out the obvious — that the renewable energy plans are absurd because the sun doesn’t always shine for solar, nor does the wind always blow to turn wind turbines — the Republican, who was New York’s governor from 1995 to 2006, excoriated the Democrat establishment’s “ignorant” long-term energy plans. The law, signed by former Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2019, requires the state to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030, and 85 percent by 2050. These plans, Pataki said, are “incredibly short-sighted and ignorant.” “That’s just not going to happen. We need to continue to have fossil fuel generation whether we like it or not,” he scoffed. And with the energy gap already as big as it is, the mandates will make matters worse. “We’re going to see the need for energy in New York State probably double between now and 2040. But we don’t have the ability right now, or the planning, to fill that gap in any way that is actually going to work,” he explained. “We have to start now planning to put new [energy] sources [into effect]. The most logical ones are small nuclear reactors that can generate power locally and fuel an entire community with zero emissions,” Pataki said, suggesting the nuclear energy is one solution. “I hope the state gets its act together and starts looking at that in an aggressive way very soon,” Pataki concluded. Sitting state Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has mentioned nuclear power as a solution to the state’s growing needs. But aside from releasing a “draft blueprint” for energy solutions, no actual move toward nuclear has come from Albany. But there are already warnings that the big switch away from oil and natural gas will cause New York homeowners to suffer under skyrocketing costs for heating and powering their homes, not to mention the strain on the power grid as more and more homes end up being forced to ditch gas and oil and rely completely on electricity. Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHustonBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.
Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened weekSyrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies
Tweet Facebook Mail A couple has survived croc-infested territory in 40-degree heat for three days after they were swept away by floodwaters in outback Queensland . The couple, aged in their 50s, and their two dogs were stranded for three days in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria, north-west of Staaten River National Park. They were swept away on December 5 and had no food or water, surviving by drinking from the river. READ MORE: How an iconic TV show unlocked a 60-year-old mystery A couple have survived croc-infested territory in 40 degree heat after being swept away by floodwaters. (Lifeflight) It's believed the 4WD they were travelling in was overcome by a large wave of floodwater at a river crossing. They managed to escape the vehicle and make it to shore. The man then swam back into croc-infested waters to free their two dogs. With no phone or reception, the pair scrawled "SOS" in the dirt, which was later spotted by a LifeFlight helicopter from the air. READ MORE: Home invasion leaves one man dead, sparks police chase on NSW North Coast The pair were treated for dehydration and exposure. (LifeFlight) They were airlifted to hospital and treated for dehydration and exposure, alongside their two dogs. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .
‘THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT’: Trump Rages Against US Intervention in SyriaFall is the best time to think about cooking soup. Here’s 5 recipes you’ll want to try
