Promotion Affirms Company's Commitment to Galvanize New Era of Tech-Driven Real Estate Investment NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Underscoring its commitment to revolutionize investment strategies by leveraging advanced technologies to drive investor value, real estate investment firm AWH Partners announces the promotion of Devashish (Dev) Sharma to director of analytics. Sharma, who has been with the New York -based firm since July 2023 , has played a pivotal role in enhancing returns for investors by strengthening the integration of technology and data analytics in his previous role in asset management. In this new position, he will leverage the firm's data assets to create insights that sharpen acquisition strategies, improve asset performance, and strengthen overall decision-making and corporate governance, ultimately driving superior outcomes for stakeholders. In leading this newly created role, Sharma will focus on enhancing AWH Partners' cross-functional data ecosystem and optimizing technology-enabled processes to deliver actionable investment insights, streamline analysis, automate recurring tasks, and identify market opportunities ahead of industry trends. By developing business intelligence tools and mechanisms, he will ensure the firm's leadership and continuity in hospitality real estate, delivering enhanced transparency and scalability of tech-driven initiatives to foster sustainable growth and maximize investor returns. With dual master's degrees in business administration and hospitality management from Cornell University , Sharma has 13 years' experience across investment banking, real estate financing, hotel acquisition and hotel asset management. Before relocating to the U.S. for his graduate studies, Sharma was the investment manager at SAMHI Hotels, which specializes in hotel investments in India , and an associate investment manager at Piramal Fund Management, one of the first firms to enter real estate fund management in India . His global expertise in real estate financing and operational excellence has directly contributed to the success of the firm's high-value investment portfolios. "Dev brings a truly exceptional background to this new role with his experience in real estate financing and data analytics, as well as earning advanced degrees in business and hospitality from one of this country's premier Ivy League universities. Since joining AWH, he has demonstrated dedication and passion for helping the firm realize the next level of data-driven decision-making," said Chad Cooley , co-founder and managing partner of AWH Partners. "His work has strengthened our ability to deliver consistent value to our investors, helping us stand out in an increasingly competitive market." AWH Partners has made substantial investments in technology to identify and acquire differentiated investment opportunities in a highly competitive marketplace. This position underscores the firm's strategic focus on combining innovation and expertise to generate superior investor outcomes. By empowering its team with leadership opportunities, AWH Partners fosters an environment where talent thrives, furthering its goal of shaping the future of real estate investment. Sharma's leadership will continue to advance the firm's mission to deliver sustainable growth and performance across its portfolio. A native of India , Sharma is a chartered accountant and earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Sri Venkateswara College at the University of Delhi in 2009. Sharma's global perspective and track record of integrating analytics into investment strategies position him as a key player in advancing AWH Partners' investor-centric vision. "My goal is to further integrate analytics into every aspect of our investment process to ensure we are at the forefront of data and technology use in real estate investment worldwide," he said. About AWH Partners: AWH Partners (AWH) is a leading national platform for hotel real estate investment, management and development. Privately held, it was founded in 2010 by alumni of The Blackstone Group and The Related Companies. The firm partners with marquee institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals around the world. Its portfolio includes properties from renowned brands, including the Marriott and Hilton corporations, as well as independently branded assets. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/awh-partners-promotes-dev-sharma-as-director-of-analytics-302330763.html SOURCE AWH Partners

NEW YORK , Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is redefining market landscape - The global cloud storage services market size is estimated to grow by USD 123.84 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 19.56% during the forecast period. Growth in data generation is driving market growth, with a trend towards high adoption of cloud storage services by SMES. However, vendor lock-in issues poses a challenge. Key market players include Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Cloud Software Group Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., Hitachi Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., InterVision Systems LLC, Microsoft Corp., NetApp Inc., Nutanix Inc., Oracle Corp., Pure Storage Inc., Rackspace Technology Inc., ServiceNow Inc., Tencent Holdings Ltd., and Toshiba Corp.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Key Market Trends Fueling Growth Cloud storage services have seen adoption in business environments due to their flexibility, scalability, and convenience. Agile IT companies are increasingly turning to cloud storage solutions for their data needs, from small businesses to large enterprises. Cloud storage providers offer various models, including public, private, and hybrid, catering to different business requirements. Key trends include the integration of AI and automation for data management, ensuring data security and integrity. Big data and IoT proliferation necessitate cloud storage for handling large volumes of data. Rapid deployment and reduced CAPEX are also driving the adoption of cloud storage services. Cloud storage solutions offer user-friendly interfaces, seamless monitoring, and reliable uninterrupted services. Data encryption, backup, and synchronization are essential features for safeguarding critical information. Service providers offer customizable storage models, including block, file, and object storage, catering to various use cases. Cloud storage services enable IT hardware savings, quick deployment, and easy accessibility for remote workforces. The technology development also supports database sharing, EC2 Console, and edge computing. With the increasing use of connected devices, cloud storage is essential for data generation and management. Cloud storage services are not just for IT environments but also for verticals like government, healthcare, and finance, ensuring data security and compliance. The market continues to grow, with Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Microsoft Azure leading the way. The future of cloud storage services includes advanced features like self-driving cars, remote sensing, and real-time data processing. Enterprises worldwide, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), are prioritizing cost reduction by embracing new technologies. Cloud storage services have emerged as a preferred choice for SMEs due to their limited IT resources and budget. Instead of managing their own data centers, SMEs can access IT resources like storage and servers on-demand through cloud solutions. Cloud storage offers cross-platform solutions, enabling SMEs to develop web, desktop, and mobile applications for various device types and architectures. The flexibility to scale resources up or down according to requirements makes cloud storage an economical and efficient choice for SMEs. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges Cloud storage services have become essential for businesses of all sizes, enabling convenient access to data from anywhere, at any time. However, the market faces several challenges. Agile businesses require quick deployment and scalability, making AI and automation crucial for cloud storage solutions. Big data and data volume necessitate adoption of public and private cloud storage. Data security, integrity, and encryption are paramount, with ransomware and malware posing significant threats. IT environments, including cloud applications, edge computing, and IoT, proliferate, necessitating flexible, user-friendly, and scalable models. Hybrid cloud solutions offer the convenience of public cloud with the security of private cloud. SMEs and large enterprises seek reliable, cost-effective options, while verticals like government, healthcare, and finance prioritize data safeguarding. Cloud storage providers must offer seamless monitoring, customization, and backup. Service providers must ensure uninterrupted services, handling data generation from connected devices and containerized workloads. Rapid deployment, reduced CAPEX, and accessibility are essential for businesses during economic downturns. Cloud storage solutions must cater to the increasing demands of technology development, database sharing, and software stack synchronization. Cloud storage services must be secure, reliable, and offer user-control. They must support various storage models, including block, file, and object storage, and cater to the needs of various industries, including self-driving cars, remote sensing, and remote work. Ultimately, cloud storage services must be convenient, reliable, and cost-effective, enabling businesses to focus on their core competencies. Vendor lock-in is a significant challenge in the cloud storage services market, preventing customers from easily transitioning between vendors. This issue arises when a customer becomes dependent on a specific vendor due to the use of their proprietary technology or solutions. The lack of standardization in cloud computing exacerbates this problem, making it difficult for customers to switch to alternative vendors. Applications built on specific platforms and tools further complicate the situation. To address this concern, there is a growing need for standardization and interoperability in cloud storage services. This will enable customers to freely choose the vendor that best suits their needs without facing undue barriers to migration. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This cloud storage services market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Solutions 1.2 Services 2.1 Large enterprises 2.2 SMEs 3.1 North America 3.2 APAC 3.3 Europe 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Solutions- Cloud storage solutions hold a significant position in the component segment of the global cloud storage services market in 2023. These solutions cater to unique customer requirements and generate value through offerings like data security, file synchronization and sharing, disaster recovery, and data backup and recovery. The solutions segment encompasses various cloud-based storage solutions such as file storage and sharing, primary storage, disaster recovery, and backup storage. The popularity of cloud storage solutions among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) due to their scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and security features. Solutions like Google Drive and Dropbox provide a range of storage options and top-level encryption for data protection. With the shift to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cloud storage solutions have become indispensable for enabling file sharing and collaboration between teams. Microsoft OneDrive is an example of a cloud storage solution offering file-sharing features. The increasing demand for cloud storage solutions is driven by their scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, security, and file-sharing capabilities, making them a vital component for end-users in data storage and sharing. Consequently, the growth of the global cloud storage services market is anticipated to be fueled by the solutions segment during the forecast period. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The Cloud Storage Services Market is experiencing exponential growth due to the increasing adoption of cloud technologies by businesses of all sizes. Agile and flexible cloud storage solutions cater to various use cases, including cloud object storage for unstructured data, block storage for databases, and file storage for traditional applications. Big data and IoT generate massive volumes of data, necessitating scalable and secure cloud storage solutions. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are transforming cloud storage, enabling data analysis, and improving business continuity. AI-driven data management tools ensure data integrity and security, while edge computing reduces latency and enhances performance. Cloud-based storage solutions offer cost savings, ease of deployment, and seamless integration with cloud applications. Cloud archival storage is an essential component for long-term data retention and disaster recovery. Overall, cloud storage services provide and reliable infrastructure for managing and securing data in the digital age. Market Research Overview Cloud Storage Services Market: Unleashing the Power of Agile and Scalable Data Storage Cloud storage services have revolutionized the way businesses handle data, enabling convenient customization, rapid deployment, and uninterrupted services. The market is witnessing adoption across various verticals, from large enterprises to SMEs, due to its flexibility, reliability, and reduced CAPEX. The proliferation of cloud technologies, including AI and automation, is driving innovation, with cloud storage solutions offering advanced features like data encryption, integrity, and security. The market caters to diverse storage needs, from file storage and block storage to cloud object storage and cloud archival storage. Cloud storage services are integral to cloud applications, hybrid cloud, and edge computing, ensuring seamless monitoring and safeguarding data from malware and ransomware attacks. The Internet of Things (IoT) and remote work have further fueled the demand for cloud-based storage, with connected devices and containerized workloads generating massive data volumes. Cloud storage providers offer various storage models, including public, private, and hybrid cloud storage, catering to the unique requirements of different IT environments. The market is expected to continue its rapid growth, driven by technology development, increased data generation, and the need for business continuity and data backup. With user-friendly interfaces, convenient accessibility, and scalable models, cloud storage services are an essential component of modern IT infrastructure. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Component Solutions Services End-user Large Enterprises SMEs Geography North America APAC Europe South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE TechnavioRobinson has 15 in Delaware State's 80-77 win against LoyolaWashington • Matt Gaetz, who faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, abruptly withdrew his bid to become attorney general Thursday in the first major political setback for President-elect Donald Trump since his election this month. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations, but his prospective nomination ran into trouble in the Senate, where Republicans were deeply reluctant to confirm someone to run the same Justice Department that once investigated him on suspicion of sex trafficking an underage girl even though no charges were brought. In announcing his withdrawal a day after visiting the Senate, Gaetz insisted that he had strong support among fellow Republicans. But two people with direct knowledge of Gaetz’s thinking said he had made the decision to pull out after concluding that he would not have the votes in the Senate for confirmation. The people asked for anonymity to discuss his private decision-making. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on social media. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.” He added, “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.” Trump responded with his own social media post expressing appreciation for Gaetz. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do,” the president-elect wrote. Trump did not indicate whom he might select as attorney general instead. The collapse of Gaetz’s prospective candidacy just 16 days after the election appeared to be the earliest such failed Cabinet pick in modern history and underscored the haphazard way that Trump has gone about assembling his new administration. He picked Gaetz almost on a whim last week without extensive vetting, knowing that allegations were out there but essentially daring Senate Republicans to accept him anyway. What remained unclear Thursday was whether Gaetz’s withdrawal would embolden Senate Republicans to challenge other contentious Cabinet choices, such as Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host tapped for defense secretary; or Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the conspiracy theorist and vaccine skeptic selected for secretary of health and human services. Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault but denies it, while Kennedy has been accused of groping a family babysitter, which he has said he does not remember doing. Hegseth was on Capitol Hill on Thursday accompanied by Vice President-elect JD Vance, still serving as a senator from Ohio, to build support for his own nomination. He rejected the allegation that he had attacked a woman at a Republican conference in Monterey, California, in 2017. A police report released Wednesday said that he had blocked a hotel room door when the woman tried to leave and sexually assaulted her. Police did not charge him, and Hegseth has insisted the encounter was consensual, but three years later he paid her a settlement with a nondisclosure agreement. His lawyer has said last week that the woman “extorted him” and that Hegseth paid her because even false accusations would have been damaging to his career. “As far as the media is concerned, I’ll keep this very simple,” Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday. “The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared. And that’s where I’m going to leave it.” The storm surrounding Gaetz had drawn attention away from some of the other contested picks that otherwise might have generated more opposition. Few said much, for instance, when Trump named Todd Blanche, his own criminal defense attorney, and two other lawyers who represented him against indictments, to the top Justice Department positions below attorney general. With Gaetz drawing the most fire, it became increasingly clear that confirmation was unlikely. Trump had privately told people that Gaetz had less than even odds of surviving the confirmation process, but he was making calls on his behalf in the hopes of shifting what the Senate would consider acceptable. Gaetz told people close to him that after conversations with senators and members of their staff, he had concluded that there were at least four Republican senators in the next Congress who were implacably opposed to his nomination: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the newly elected John Curtis of Utah. Collins said in a statement after Gaetz’s withdrawal that he had “put country first” and had made “the best decision that Mr. Gaetz could have made.” Murkowski declined to answer any questions about the matter. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said it was “pretty obvious” that Gaetz did not have the votes to be confirmed. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who had sparred with Gaetz previously but had not indicated whether he would vote against him, said the withdrawal recognized reality. “I think because of the reports that were coming out, it was probably a good decision,” he said. Gaetz, who represented Florida in the House until resigning last week after being tapped by Trump, had been one of the most unpopular Republicans in the Capitol, particularly after instigating the far-right revolt that toppled Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He stepped down from his House seat two days before the House Ethics Committee was slated to produce a report on his activities, bringing an end to the investigation since he was no longer a representative in the panel’s jurisdiction. Republicans on the committee blocked release of the report in a meeting Wednesday. Senators of both parties made clear that they were intent on seeing the report before voting on his confirmation. Gaetz’s withdrawal came a day after The New York Times reported that federal investigators had established a set of payments that he and his associates made in connection with drug-fueled sex parties from 2017 to 2020. Two women who have testified that he hired them for sex were among those who received money from Gaetz, according to a document obtained by the Times. A lawyer for the two women said payments to them totaled around $10,000. Another woman who was 17 at the time she attended one of the parties received a payment from a friend of Gaetz, according to the document. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the case against Gaetz, but their chart of payments was obtained by the ethics committee, which was investigating whether Gaetz had sex with the woman when she was underage. Trump disregarded any concerns about the scandals in selecting Gaetz after his advisers deadlocked over other choices, including Andrew Bailey, the attorney general of Missouri; and Robert J. Giuffra Jr., a top lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell. Gaetz’s selection was pushed heavily by Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s legal adviser, who has helped stock his Justice Department at the top levels. Trump seemed attracted to Gaetz as attorney general especially because of the former congressman’s willingness to blow things up. The president-elect remains deeply angry at the Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute him in connection with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and hoard classified documents. He has also indicated that he wants to use the Justice Department to go after his political adversaries. Gaetz appeared to be in sync with this thinking. A vocal and bombastic critic of the Justice Department, Gaetz has suggested abolishing the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and even the Justice Department as a whole. He introduced legislation last year to eliminate the ATF, which regulates firearms dealers and fights gun crimes. Gaetz’s decision to resign his House seat right away, rather than wait for confirmation, now leaves him without a position in Washington. While he was just reelected this month, he made clear in his resignation letter last week that he would not serve his new term. “I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress,” he wrote. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack on a cold but sunny day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote on X. “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Lindsey Vonn reacts after her run at a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, Vonn wound up 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’" Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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About 15 minutes before this match Emiliano Martínez was introduced on to the pitch for a touch of grandstanding, to commemorate the Argentinian becoming the first goalkeeper to win the Yashin Trophy twice. Then, about an hour later, Martínez exhibited quite why he is held in such high esteem, not that Aston Villa supporters required a reminder. Martínez’s fantastic, impulsive save to thwart Francisco Conceição midway through the second half denied Juventus the chance to seize the lead. Goalline technology showed Martínez kept the ball out by a few millimetres, a shaving of the starry Champions League ball remaining on and not over the Villa goalline. Juventus, regulars on this stage compared to Villa, got the point they probably deserved. The Juventus captain, Manuel Locatelli, stuck out a left boot to prevent John McGinn from converting a Leon Bailey cutback and in the first half Lucas Digne rattled the crossbar with a free-kick from the edge of the box. For Villa, a draw against the Serie A team will surely be seen as credible, but Unai Emery’s side are now winless in seven matches. The last time Villa went seven games without a win was under Dean Smith four years ago, when they – just about – escaped relegation, when McGinn and Ezri Konsa, an unused substitute here, were in the starting lineup. Emery has not gone seven games without a win since being dismissed by Arsenal in November 2019, a defeat at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, when Martínez was in goal for Emery, the final straw of a difficult run. Emery went six games without a win at the end of last season, when qualification for this competition had been rubber-stamped. For Villa, there is no need to panic, but a tricky run could feasibly be extended to eight matches by the time they head home from Chelsea on Sunday. On the eve of this game the Juventus manager, Thiago Motta, accused Unai Emery of bluffing after his Villa counterpart, who was Motta’s coach in the twilight of his career at Paris Saint-Germain, suggested he would be happy with a point. Motta insisted it was a poker face on Emery’s part and perhaps because Juventus arrived here so light on numbers. Juventus flew to England with a 17-man squad, minus Dusan Vlahovic, their star striker. Douglas Luiz, who has struggled since swapping Birmingham for Turin, was absent from the team sheet because of a muscle injury. The Serie A club named six substitutes, two of which were goalkeepers. Villa, meanwhile, welcomed back Boubacar Kamara into the base of midfield and Emery pushed John McGinn forward into a role behind Ollie Watkins. Morgan Rogers operated off the left flank. There was the familiar rally cry from Emery in his programme notes at the prospect of another memorable evening against a European superpower, even if their reputation has faded so slightly in recent years. Regardless of Juventus’s rich and storied past and Emery was adamant Villa had to be much improved to take anything from the game. Leon Bailey made a fast start, cutting in off the right flank to fire a shot at goal but this match was stodgy for almost all 46 first-half minutes. Villa’s frustrations were typified by the moment Youri Tielemans, the recipient of an early yellow card, was left hopping on the spot after the line to Watkins was snipped by an alert Federico Gatti in the Juventus defence. Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'. If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version. In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications. Turn on sport notifications. Until Watkins registered the first shot on target, spinning in the box after seamlessly latching on to Kamara’s cannoned effort. Watkins swivelled neatly and sent a left-foot shot at goal off his laces, forcing the Juventus goalkeeper, Di Gregorio, into a fine save. From the leftovers of the subsequent corner Matty Cash saw a stinging effort blocked. Lucas Digne bent a free-kick on to the crossbar after Pierre Kalulu, a walking yellow card, was eventually booked by the referee for crunching Watkins. At the other end Francisco Conceição moseyed down the right flank before squeezing a weak shot at the near post, allowing Martínez to gather comfortably. Conceição was busy and proved difficult to get to grips with, his cross a few minutes into the second half the trigger for a handball shout against Pau Torres. Juventus hounded in packs. Khéphren Thuram sent a shot wide after Teun Koopmeiners shifted the ball infield after seizing on a loose pass by Bailey, who was almost punished for his high-wire act in keeping the ball in on the opposite touchline.Juventus’s big chance dropped on 65 minutes. Koopmeiners’s corner zoomed towards the back post, Conceição eluded Rogers and headed goalwards unmarked. For a split second, the Portuguese appeared to peel away in celebration, before realising Martínez had somehow prevented his header from going over the line. The goalkeeper plunged down to his right to repel the ball with his right glove, goalline technology showing he did just enough. Villa supporters crooned Martínez’s name in unison. Three minutes of second-half stoppage time had been and gone when Morgan Rogers thought he had snatched victory with surely the final kick. Teun Koopmeiners conceded a cheap foul on halfway, allowing Villa one last chance to pump the ball into the box. Diego Carlos rose to challenge the Juventus goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, in pursuit of the high ball but it ran free and Rogers simply hooked the ball into an empty net. A VAR review apparently penalised the Villa centre-back. As Carlos headed down the tunnel, he offered the Spanish referee, Jesús Gil Manzano, a filthy look.

Matt Gaetz's Withdrawal: A New Twist in Trump's Cabinet Puzzle

An Israeli airstrike flattened a multistory building in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, according to Palestinian medical officials, after strikes Thursday across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 others. The latest deadly strike hit the urban Nuseirat refugee camp just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem that the recent ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for a potential deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the deadly strike in Nuseirat. Israel says it is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. Israel’s offensive 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 Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, 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: DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser raised hopes about a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Photos from the scene of the blast that circulated on social media showed a completely collapsed building with people walking through its mangled and charred remains, smoke rising from piles of belongings strewn over the rubble. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multistory residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. 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 fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency is trying to deal with massive needs in Syria not only from escalating war-related food insecurity and an upsurge in displaced people fleeing Lebanon but also the dramatically new environment following the ouster of Bashar Assad, a senior U.N. official says. “It’s a triple crisis and the needs are going to be massive,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday. The WFP estimated that 3 million people in Syria were “acutely food insecure” and very hungry. However, that estimate was made before the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon pushed many Syrian refugees back to their home country, plus the instability caused by the overthrow of Assad. Due to funding cuts, the WFP had been targeting only 2 million of those people, he said. Because WFP has been working in Syria during the 13-year civil war, he said, it has pre-positioned food in the country. It has 500 staff in seven offices nationwide and has operated across conflict lines, across borders, and with all different parties, he said. Skau said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, has promised to provide security for WFP warehouses. Humanitarian aid supplies had been looted at U.N. warehouses in the disorder after Assad fell. “We’re not really up and running in Damascus because of the continued kind of uncertainty there,” he said. WFP initially thought of relocating non-essential staff but the situation in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been “quite calm and orderly," he said. In the short term, Skau said, “what we’re seeing is that markets are disrupted, the value of the currency dropped dramatically, food prices are going up, transport lines don’t work,” and it’s unclear who will stamp required papers for imports and exports. This means that a bigger humanitarian response is needed initially, he said, but in the next phase, the U,N. will be looking at contributing to Syria’s recovery, and ultimately the country will need reconstruction. Skau said he expects a new funding appeal for Syria and urged donors to be generous. JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel’s ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt — key mediators in the ceasefire talks — as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Sullivan said “Hamas’ posture at the negotiating table did adapt” after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. “We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation,” he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. He the U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but it’s hard to know for sure. He also said “the balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel’s security over the long term,” he said. KHIAM, Lebanon — An Israeli strike killed at least one person Thursday in the Lebanese border town of Khiam, the Health Ministry said, less than a day after Israeli troops handed the hilltop village back to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, Khiam is the first Lebanese town Israel has pull out of since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants began two weeks ago, and marks an important test of the fragile truce . Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency did not provide details on who was killed, and did not report airstrikes elsewhere on Thursday. The Israeli military said an airstrike targeted Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, without saying if the strike was in Khiam. Lebanese troops deployed in the northern section of the town on Thursday morning and were coordinating with U.N. peacekeepers to finalize Israel’s withdrawal before fully entering into other neighborhoods. An Associated Press reporter who visited Khiam on Thursday observed widespread destruction, with most houses reduced to rubble. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, with collapsed walls and debris scattered across the streets. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, sharply criticized Israel for striking the town less than 24 hours after the Lebanese army returned, saying it was “a violation of the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement, who must act to curb Israeli aggression.” The truce was brokered by the U.S. and France. Israel has previously said the ceasefire deal allows it to use military force against perceived violations. Near-daily attacks by Israel during the ceasefire, mostly in southern Lebanon, have killed at least 29 people and wounded 27 others. Khiam, which sits on a ridge less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war. The Lebanese army was clearing debris and reopening roads in the northern section of the town. Civilian access to other areas remained challenging as the army clears roads and works alongside the U.N. peacekeepers to ensure the area is free of unexploded ordnance. AQABA, Jordan -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to further violence. Blinken spoke to reporters in Jordan on Thursday shortly after meeting King Abdullah II as he opened a trip in the region to discuss Syria's future after former President Bashar Assad's ouster. Blinken will next visit Turkey, a NATO ally and a main backer of Syrian rebel groups. Blinken called this “a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors.” He said he was focused on coordinating efforts in the region “to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and establish a government that isn’t dominated by one religion or ethnic group or outside power. Blinken was asked about Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone that had been demilitarized for the past half century. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is temporary and defensive, but also indicated Israel will remain in the area for a long time. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. supports the move, but said the U.S. would be speaking to Israel and other partners in the region. “I think, across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that, we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Turkish media reports. Kalin was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, surrounded by a large crowd, according to video shown on Turkish television. The visit is highly symbolic. Turkish officials, who supported the opposition against Syria’s government, had predicted at the start of the civil war in 2011 that President Bashar Assad’s government would fall, allowing them to pray at the Umayyad Mosque. JERUSALEM — Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem Thursday, becoming one of a small handful of nations to recognize the city as Israel’s capital and marking a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s international isolation has increased as the war in Gaza drags on, and Paraguay was the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that kickstarted the war. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea are among the few countries with Jerusalem embassies. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 but it wasn’t recognized by the international community, and most countries run their embassies out of Tel Aviv. Spirits were high at the ceremony marking the embassy’s inauguration Thursday, with Netanyahu and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lavishing praise on Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. “My good friend Santiago,” said Netanyahu, addressing Pena. “We’re a small nation. You’re a small nation. We suffered horrible things but we overcame the odds of history...we can win and we are winning.” Paraguay had an embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, under Former President Horacio Cartes. That embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv by Cartes’ successor, Mario Abdo Benitez, prompting Israel to close its embassy in Asuncion. Saar said Israel and Paraguay shared a “friendship based not only on interests but also values and principles.” He and the Paraguayan foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, signed a series of bilateral agreements and Saar said he would soon visit Asunción with a delegation from the Israeli private sector. “Israel is going to win and the countries we are standing next to Israel, we are going to win," Pena said. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is renewing calls for Syria’s new leadership to respect women and minority rights, prevent extremists from gaining new footholds in the country and keeping suspected chemical weapons stocks secure as he makes his first visit to the Mideast since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad . Making his 12th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war erupted lasted year but amid fresh concerns about security following the upheaval in Syria, Blinken emphasized Thursday to Jordan’s King Abdullah II U.S. “support for an inclusive transition that can lead to an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” the State Department said. Blinken also repeated the importance the outgoing Biden administration puts on respect for human rights and international law, the protection of civilians and stopping terrorist groups from reconstituting. Blinken met with the monarch and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Aqaba before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Syria and the urgency of securing a long-elusive deal to release hostages and end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Abdullah told Blinken that “the first step to reach comprehensive regional calm is to end the Israeli war on Gaza." GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling on authorities to save evidence from detention centers that were a hub of “unimaginable barbarity” that Syrians have faced for many years and cooperate with international investigators looking into such crimes. Geir Pederson referred to new images from the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital, Damascus, after President Bashar Assad fled Syria as armed groups stormed in to overthrow his government over the weekend. “The images from Saydnaya and other detention facilities starkly underscore the unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured and reported for years,” Pedersen said in a statement. Documentation and testimonies “only scratch the surface of the carceral system’s horrors,” he added. Pedersen urged authorities to cooperate with U.N. bodies like an independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was created in 2011, and an independent group known as the IIIM that was set up five years later to also compile evidence of crimes. ROME — Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations offered their full support for an inclusive political transition in Syria and invited all parties to preserve the country’s territorial integrity. In a message released by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the leaders said they were ready to support a transition that “leads to a credible government, inclusive and not sectarian, that guarantees respect for the state of law, universal human rights, including rights for women, (and) the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities.” The leaders also underlined the importance that ousted President Bashar Assad’s government is held responsible for crimes, citing “decades of atrocities.” They said they would also cooperate with groups working to prohibit chemical weapons “to secure, declare and destroy” remaining chemical arms in Syria. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys. Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organized in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday. Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while U.N. officials have said there is no systemic diversion of aid . U.N. agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a U.N. convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination. It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. DAMASCUS, Syria — An American who turned up in Syria on Thursday says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. As video emerged online of Timmerman on Thursday, he was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. The Biden administration is working to bring Timmerman home, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, without offering details, citing privacy. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago, before being detained. He said he was treated well in detention but could hear other men being tortured. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jordan on his 12th visit to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year and his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad that has sparked new fears of instability in a region wracked by three conflicts despite a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. Blinken was meeting in Aqaba with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on Friday. The meetings will focus largely on Syria but also touch on long-elusive hopes for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Blinken is the latest senior U.S. official to visit the Middle East in the five days since Assad was deposed as the Biden administration navigates more volatility in the region in its last few weeks in office and as President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of the Syrian conflict. Other include national security adviser Jake Sullivan and a top military commander who traveled there as the U.S. and Israel have launched airstrikes to prevent the Islamic State militant group from reconstituting and prevent materiel and suspected chemical weapons stocks from falling into militant hands. Blinken “will discuss the need for the transition process and new government in Syria to respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” the State Department said. The U.S. would be willing to recognize and fully support a new Syrian government that met those criteria. U.S. officials say they are not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organization designation of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, which was once an al-Qaida affiliate, but stressed they are not barred from speaking to its members. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security. After the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli forces pushed into a buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. The military says it has seized additional strategic points nearby. Israeli officials have said the move is temporary, but Netanyahu’s conditions could take months or even years to fulfill as Syria charts its post-Assad future, raising the prospect of an open-ended Israeli presence in the country. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday that Assad’s overthrow by jihadi rebels created a vacuum on the border. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said, referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. “That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border.” The statement added that “this deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.” The buffer zone is adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, except for the United States, views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that the attacker who fatally shot a 12-year-old Israeli boy in the occupied West Bank overnight turned himself in to authorities. The attacker opened fire on a bus near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, critically wounding the boy, who hospital authorities pronounced dead in the early morning. Three others were wounded in the attack, paramedics said. The shooting took place just outside Jerusalem in an area near major Israeli settlements. JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government has evacuated 37 citizens from Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, officials said Thursday. The evacuees were taken by land from Damascus to Beirut, where they boarded three commercial flights to Jakarta, said Judha Nugraha, director of citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Indonesian Embassy in Damascus said all 1,162 Indonesian citizens in Syria were safe. Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi said the situation in Syria has gradually returned to normal. “I can say that 98% of people’s lives are back to normal, shops are open, public transportation has started running,” Fauzi said, adding that most Indonesian nationals living in Syria had chosen to stay. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital’s morgue. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid convoys . The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis received the bodies and an AP reporter counted them. The hospital said eight were killed in a strike near the southern border town of Rafah and seven others in a strike 30 minutes later near Khan Younis. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel’s offensive 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 fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban . The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9 with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions to support the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group . General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions.The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves at home rather than spending a weekend in Las Vegas when they begin the post-NBA Cup portion of their schedule Friday night against the Washington Wizards. The Cavaliers have won 21 of their first 25 games, giving them the best record in the NBA. But two of the four losses came to the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks in group play of the NBA Cup, allowing the Hawks to advance into the event's quarterfinals while the Cavaliers got an unexpected four-day break. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Stacker ranked the best films of 2024 so far using data from Metacritic as of Dec. 2, 2024. Check back to see this list evolve as the year concludes. Click for more. The best movies of 2024 so far

Hacker scores 21, Bellarmine beats NAIA Brescia 94-66BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Kino Lilly Jr.'s 21 points helped Brown defeat Canisius 83-76 on Saturday. Lilly shot 5 of 13 from the field, including 5 for 9 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line for the Bears (3-3). Landon Lewis scored 17 points and added eight rebounds. Lyndel Erold shot 5 for 9 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 16 points. Paul McMillan IV finished with 25 points for the Golden Griffins (0-7). Cam Palesse added 22 points for Canisius. Anthony Benard had seven points, eight assists and two steals. The Golden Griffins prolonged their losing streak to seven in a row. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .