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Opposition fighters are closing in on Syria’s capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria’s army has abandoned key cities in the west and south with little resistance. Nervous residents in Damascus describe security forces on the streets. The state news agency has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad has left the country. Who are these ? If they enter Damascus after taking , what then? Here’s a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and his government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria’s 13-year . The aim? Overthrow the government This is the first time that opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the Syrian capital since 2018, when the country’s troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The approaching fighters are led by the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, , or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Both have been entrenched in the northwest. They launched the shock offensive on Nov. 27 with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest. The HTS has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. But the group said in recent years it cut ties with al-Qaida, and HTS has sought to remake itself in recent years by focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action. HTS leader Abu told CNN in an exclusive interview Thursday from Syria that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad’s government. Possible rifts ahead The HTS and Syrian National Army have been allies at times and rivals at times, and their aims might diverge. The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara. has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive. Whether the HTS and the Syrian National Army will work together if they succeed in overthrowing Assad or turn on each other again is a major question. Others take advantage While the flash offensive against Syria’s government began in the north, armed opposition groups have also mobilized elsewhere. The southern areas of Sweida and Daraa have both been taken locally. Sweida is the heartland of Syria’s Druze religious minority and had been the site of regular anti-government protests even after Assad seemingly consolidated his control over the area. Daraa is a Sunni Muslim area that was widely seen as the cradle of the uprising against Assad’s rule that erupted in 2011. Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018, but rebels remained in some areas. In recent years, Daraa was in a state of uneasy quiet under a Russian-mediated ceasefire deal. And much of Syria’s east is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States that in the past has clashed with most other armed groups in the country. Syria’s government now controls just four of 14 provincial capitals. What’s next? Much depends on Assad’s next moves and his forces’ will to fight. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have started carrying out the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs. If that city is captured, the link would be cut between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. “Homs to the coastal cities will be a very huge red line politically and socially. Politically, if this line is crossed, then we are talking about the end of the entire Syria, the one that we knew in the past,” said a Damascus resident, Anas Joudeh. Assad appears to be as allies Russia and Iran are distracted by other conflicts and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah has been weakened by its war with Israel, now under a fragile ceasefire. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is calling for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition,” saying the situation is changing by the minute. He met with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. President-elect Donald Trump in his on the developments in Syria said the besieged Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on social media.

David Sacks —AFP WASHINGTON—US President-elect Donald Trump on late Thursday named former PayPal chief operating officer David Sacks as White House “AI and crypto czar.” The wealthy tech entrepreneur will take on a newly created role advising the Trump administration on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI). “David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness,” Trump said in a social media post. “He will safeguard Free Speech online and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship.” Sacks will also lead a presidential council of advisors on science and technology, according to Trump. The entrepreneur, whose wealth has been estimated in the billions of dollars, is considered part of a so-called PayPal Mafia cadre of influential tech entrepreneurs that includes Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. The group was part of that company’s founding era and members have thrown their clout behind conservative political policies and candidates. READ: Trump going berserk, targets birthright, naturalized citizens Sacks backed JD Vance as Trump’s running mate in the recent US presidential election, hosting Vance on his podcast in the process. After PayPal was bought by eBay in 2002, Sacks went on to help create other tech firms, including Yammer, which was bought by Microsoft. Sacks, who like Musk was born in South Africa, also took to investing in start-ups. Musk met with US lawmakers Thursday to discuss his plans for overseeing radical government spending cuts under the incoming administration. Trump rewarded the Tesla, X and SpaceX chief for his support during the White House campaign by naming him head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the office, dubbed Doge, has a purely advisory role, Musk’s star power and intense influence in Trump’s inner circle bring political clout. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . During Trump’s election campaign, Musk vowed to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion.Banks puts up 22 in UMBC's 84-71 win against TowsonNone

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Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordBaltimore lawyers begin presenting $5 billion request for ‘full response to the opioid epidemic’Judge Approves Extension in Case Alleging Intellectual Property Impropriety by China-Based Genimous

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Appalachian State hired South Carolina offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains to be its next head coach, the school announced Saturday. Loggains received a five-year contract. The 44-year-old longtime NFL assistant has previous with stints as offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans , Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Advertisement He joined his alma mater, Arkansas, in 2021 as tight ends coach, and has been at South Carolina the past two seasons. The 14th-ranked Gamecocks are 9-3 this season and rank third in the SEC in rushing at 188 yards per game behind freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers. App State is coming off a 5-6 season that led to the firing of coach Shawn Clark after five seasons. We got our guy! Welcome to App State, @Dowell_Loggains ! 📰 https://t.co/qd6g6L7g9I #GoApp pic.twitter.com/RjiTbvXz4L — App State Football (@AppState_FB) December 7, 2024 (Photo: John Adams / Icon Sportswire)

Nasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimates

Robinhood Markets Grows Into 'Best-In-Class' Brokerage, Analyst SaysREGINA - A report from Saskatchewan's privacy commissioner says hackers obtained health records of more than 7,200 residents earlier this year. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * REGINA - A report from Saskatchewan's privacy commissioner says hackers obtained health records of more than 7,200 residents earlier this year. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? REGINA – A report from Saskatchewan’s privacy commissioner says hackers obtained health records of more than 7,200 residents earlier this year. The report says the breach affected Innomar clinics, which offer lab testing in four locations across the province. It says hackers gained access to a server in January at one of the organization’s affiliate companies, allowing them to access Innomar’s systems. The report says the company took immediate steps to contain the breach and notified patients in May. It adds there is no evidence of ongoing unauthorized activity and the company has taken steps to prevent a future breach. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The privacy commissioner has recommended the company offer those affected credit monitoring for at least 10 years. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024. Advertisement

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Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None

Published 4:48 pm Friday, December 6, 2024 By Data Skrive Ranked squads are on the Saturday college basketball schedule for four games, including the Louisville Cardinals taking on the UConn Huskies. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Want to earn some cold hard cash this winter? The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is looking for a few snow-loving New Yorkers who enjoy the great outdoors, heavy lifting and making extra cash. Recruitment is now underway for emergency snow shovelers to work the 2024-2025 winter season to help DSNY workers keep streets clear of the white fluffy stuff. Emergency snow shovelers are per-day workers who remove snow and ice from bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants and step streets after heavy snowfalls. Shovelers are paid $18.54 an hour to start and $27.81 an hour in overtime each week. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the United States and capable of lifting lots of heavy snow. Anyone interested in applying must register for an application appointment online at nyc.gov/snow . The appointments take place at DSNY garages located in 59 sanitation districts throughout the five boroughs . The department is asking applicants to bring two small photos, an original and copy of two forms of ID, and their Social Security card to their appointments . Will NYC be a winter wonderland? NYC has so far remained snow-free , even as New York State was buried in nearly five feet of snow in some regions last week. In 2023, NYC saw a measly 2.3 inches of snow–the least amount of the cold white precipitation since record-keeping in the city began, according to NBC New York . But with temperatures expected to dip below freezing in the Big Apple before the official first day of winter on Dec. 21, snow shovelers could be in for some busy working days this year.

Opposition fighters are at Damascus' gates. Who are they and what now?The chief of Ankaful, in the Cape Coast metropolis of the Central Region, Nana Oburasankoma Ansah, has engaged stakeholders in the Central Region on ways to uphold peace before, during and after the upcoming elections. Addressing the gatherings on the purpose of the day’s event, Nana Oburasankoma Ansah, noted that the the world cannot overemphasise the value of peace. He mentioned African countries like Rwanda, Sierra Leone, La Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, and others who failed to manage their electoral processes in the past, which resulted in violence that maimed and killed several citizens, and displaced thousands. The quest for a peaceful election led him to invite stakeholders like the Peace Council, NGOs that preach peace, the Electoral Commission Ghana, political parties, the ECG and telecommunication agencies in the country to ways to ensure peace during the election period. He pleaded with the entire citizenry, especially, the youth not to allow greedy and evil politicians to manipulate and incite them to cause mayhem, before, during and after the December 7 elections. Nana Oburasankoma Ansah further advised the youth to love one another, saying the NPP and NDC supporters are Ghanaians, so they are one family. He noted that hatred, violence and disunity have no place in Ghana. He urged them to vote based on policies instead of religion, ethnicity or social class. The chairman of the Central Regional Peace Council, Rt. Reverend Richardson Aboagye Andam, who doubles as the Methodist Bishop of the Cape Coast Diocese, commended Nana Oburasankoma Ansah for his desire for peace. Rt. Reverend Richardson Aboagye Andam disclosed that the core mandate of the Peace Council is to ensure peace prevails or address issues confronting Ghana’s peace without having to wait till problems arise before finding antidotes to them. He asked Ghanaians to eschew fake news sharing, as that could jeopardise peaceful co-existence among the people. He condemned defacing posters belonging to political opponents, citing such acts could cause clashes among party supporters. He further advised the citizenry to report activities that could mar the elections. Rt. Reverend Richardson Aboagye Andam pleaded with all registered voters to join queues and wait patiently for their turns to cast their votes. He urged Ghanaians not to go to polling stations with dangerous weapons. Some of the traditional rulers present urged the youth to remain tolerant, and avoid violence and asked them to embrace peace at all times. Representatives of the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Telecommunication network companies pledged to do their bit for a stable electricity power supply and communication network before, during and after this year’s elections. The representative of the Ghana Prisons Service disclosed that doors to various prison camps in the country are ready to welcome individuals who may ferment troubles. The event offered an opportunity for the participants to ask questions on issues bordering their minds.