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They're here and they're spectacular. The rosters for the Four Nations Face-Off in February are set. We saw Sweden and Finland's rosters announced earlier on Wednesday, but now that we've got the rosters for Canada and Team USA it's time to dig in on how the American lineup shakes out. After all the leaks and rumors, we know who Team USA coach Mike Sullivan has to work with to try and win gold in the first-ever event. Many of the names are not a surprise. Heck, most of them shouldn't be a surprise given how we've been trying to pin down how it'll look for months now, but there are still plenty of takeaways from the way the United States group looks, and we've got some thoughts. There are winners and losers out of all of this and we're breaking them down for you. As always, let us know what you think of the roster and our thoughts in the comments, we want to hear 'em. One of the classic tropes with team building for a short tournament is how coaches and GMs alike want to have a veteran presence on the team. Veterans, of course, are more mature, more experienced, and (ideally) less rattled in big moments. They've been there before, and they know what it takes to persevere, and coach Mike Sullivan has exactly that kind of team to work with for the Four Nations Face-Off. The US roster has more players born before 1994 (five) than players born after the year 2000 (three). What they get with veterans like Chris Kreider, Brock Nelson, J.T. Miller, Connor Hellebuyck and Vincent Trocheck are guys who have been through it all and have lived the experiences of playing in big games. That's not even taking into account other "older" guys like 30-year-olds forward Jake Guentzel who played for Sullivan and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 or defenseman Jaccob Slavin playing for a perennial contender in Carolina. When going up against Canada who attacks with wave after wave of the best players in the world, that experience (ideally) helps to battle against them and not get stunned at potentially watching one of the scariest five-man units ever put together coming at them or defending against their own attack. Being a deer in the headlights in this kind of tournament turns you into roadkill fast. Putting a roster together is difficult because there are hard decisions to be made at every position, but the United States brain trust better hope they don't lose because of a lack of goal-scoring. Three of the top five American goal-scorers did not make the roster. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (16), Sabres center Tage Thompson (13) and Devils winger Stefan Noesen (13) did not make the cut up front. USA GM Bill Guerin opted for a little more defense and snarl with Vincent Trocheck along with size and strength around the net with Chris Kreider and Brock Nelson. Caufield, Thompson and Noesen are certainly more likely to be classified as shooters with Caufield and Thompson being especially dangerous on the power play and with the puck on their stick. At 23 years old, Caufield will certainly be a candidate for the Olympics in a couple years and Thompson at 27 years old should be as well. At 31, Noesen will need to keep being an advanced stat machine while also continuing to score goals to get more attention. We knew that no matter what, Team USA's goaltending was going to be unmatched for this tournament and the selections of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman hammer that home. With Thatcher Demko still battling back from injury, these three goalies were destined to get the call for the 4 Nations Face-Off and it's hard to go wrong in picking any of them to start any game at all. Sure, Sweden and Finland have excellent depth, and Canada is going to find a way to make it work for themselves by having an incredible team in front of their netminders, but this trio for the U.S. is a dream team type setup. You'd have to expect Hellebuyck to be the No. 1 with Oettinger backing up while Swayman holds it down to pinch hit, but honestly, if anyone struggles at all, there is no reason to worry about switching things up because there's very little drop in quality. The only downside, of course, is only one goalie can play at a time. It's a wealth of riches in goal for the Americans and they've got a Scrooge McDuck money bin to swim around in. Arguably one of the best parts of best-on-best international tournaments is how naturally heated the games get, particularly when it's a rivalry matchup. Emotions are already running high with guys representing their country and attempting to prove they're the best hockey nation in the world. It's that emotional side that makes the Team USA roster so much more dangerous and deeply frustrating. Mike Sullivan will be able to potentially run a line out there with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk together with Vincent Trocheck at a given moment means opponents have to do their best to turn the other cheek and skate away. If opponents give into the poking, prodding, chirping and cheap-shotting they'll get to experience at the Tkachuk's hands, they'll wind up in the penalty box and allowing a team as stacked as the United States with Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor and Adam Fox among everyone else to get on the power play is a recipe for disaster and an easy loss. Make no mistake, the Tkachuk brothers are there because they're tremendous all-around players who can fill up the net and set up linemates for scoring opportunities. But they're also there to make sure whoever they're up against has a miserable experience for 60 minutes each game. Sometimes picking a team isn't always about picking the absolute best players no matter what. Like it or not, politics plays a role in how a roster is assembled and when there are so many hard choices to make, there are tiebreakers involved, and managers are going to go with the players they know best. For Team USA GM Bill Guerin that meant keeping the peace at home in Minnesota. If there was a toss-up on defense between, say, Capitals veteran John Carlson, Shayne Gostisbehere of Carolina and Wild youngster Brock Faber, the question you have to ask is who does Guerin know best? Faber is an outstanding defenseman already in the NHL, but he's also the youngest member of Team USA at 22 years old. He's worthy of selection, but he's also currently ninth among American defensemen in scoring. You can have the same discussion about Matt Boldy getting the call up front over the likes of Cole Caufield, Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller, Alex Tuch, or Stefan Noesen. Some of those guys are older and some are stronger in specialist roles than Boldy and others have more international experience, but while Boldy is among the top American scorers this season, the ultimate tiebreaker is that Guerin makes the final call and he wants his guy there because he trusts him. If there's some kind of awkward comfort here it's that even in picking an international all-star roster, sometimes it's more about who you know than what you do even if what you do is freakin' good anyway.Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records Wednesday on hopes about easing US monetary policy, shrugging off political upheaval in South Korea and France. All three major US indices scored records, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing above 45,000 for the first time. "The market at this point is looking for excuses to go up, and there's not really anything that might work against that narrative," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. "Over the last couple of days, it's managed to ignore all sorts of inconvenient things and decided that the situation in France doesn't matter for them," Sosnick said of the stock market. "The situation in Korea doesn't matter." South Korea's stock market fell less than feared and the won rebounded from earlier losses after President Yoon Suk Yeol swiftly reversed a decision to impose martial law. In Europe, Paris stocks managed to advance as France's government faced looming no-confidence votes. Late Wednesday in Paris, French lawmakers voted to oust the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after just three months in office, pushing the country further into political uncertainty. For the first time in over sixty years, the National Assembly lower house toppled the incumbent government, approving a no-confidence motion that had been proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far-right headed by Marine Le Pen. "Political turmoil in both France and South Korea provide a uncertain backdrop for global markets, with the likely removal of both Barnier and Yoon bringing the potential for both countries to find a fresh direction," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. Thomas Mathews, head of Asia-Pacific markets at Capital Economics, said the losses in Seoul could have been "much worse" had the president not aborted his plan. "Rarely does a combined sell-off in a country's stocks, bonds and currency feel like a relief rally," he said. Oil prices turned lower after surging around 2.5 percent Tuesday, mainly after the United States sanctioned 35 companies and ships it accused of involvement with Iran's "shadow fleet" illicitly selling Iranian oil to foreign markets. Major producers at the OPEC+ grouping led by Saudi Arabia and Russia were set to meet Thursday to discuss extending output limits. Back in New York, major indices were led by the Nasdaq, which piled on 1.3 percent to finish at a third straight record. Wednesday's gains came after payroll firm ADP said US private-sector hiring in November came in at a lower-than-expected 146,000 jobs, while a survey from the Institute for Supply Management showed weaker sentiment than expected in the services sector. But the lackluster data boosts expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this month. At a New York conference, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained from tipping his hand, but he "didn't say anything that would scare the market," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare. O'Hare noted that Wednesday's gains were led by large tech names such as Nvidia and Microsoft, which are major AI players. The boost followed strong results from Salesforce, which was the biggest gainer in the Dow with an 11 percent jump. New York - Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 45,014.04 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.6 percent at 6,086.49 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.3 percent at 19,735.12 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 8,335.81 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.7 percent at 7,303.28 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.1 percent at 20,232.14 (close) Seoul - Kospi Index: DOWN 1.4 percent at 2,464.00 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent at 39,276.39 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 19,742.46 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,364.65 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0510 from $1.0509 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2702 from $1.2673 Dollar/yen: UP at 150.56 yen from 149.60 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.71 from 82.92 pence Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.8 percent at $72.31 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.0 percent at $68.54 per barrel burs-jmb/jgcThe Maple Leafs were forced to recall Fraser Minten earlier than expected due to injuries, but the former 2nd-round pick has adjusted very well, according to Craig Berube. Through five games with the Leafs since being recalled, Minten has registered 2 goals and 4 points and has looked every bit the part of a third-line NHL center. Brad Treliving, the Leafs' general manager, has already admitted he would have preferred to keep Minten in the minors , but that an injury to David Kampf forced his hand. After taking two months and missing all of training camp to recover from the high-ankle sprain he suffered at the 2024 Prospect Showcase, Minten has not looked out of place, according to Berube, who had some high praise for the rookie following Monday's victory in which Minten scored. So, how has Minten looked in Berube's eyes? Here's what the Leafs' bench boss had to say: The line was really good tonight for us, and he was very good.' As the Leafs begin to get healthier up front, the staff and management will have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to assignments, but it appears as though Minten has done enough so far to prolong his stay with the big club. Not only does Craig Berube seem impressed with his play, but should it continue to trend upward, Minten may help Treliving when it comes to bolstering the roster for the post-season. If he can adequately play the role of 3C, it will allow Treliving to focus his attention elsewhere. Only time will tell, but for now, it seems Minten isn't going back to the AHL anytime soon. This article first appeared on Maple Leafs Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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South Korea’s markets vulnerable after weekend of political stalemateIsraeli airstrikes killed a hospital director at his home in northeastern Lebanon and six others, while at least five paramedics were killed by Israeli strikes in the country's south on Friday, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. The United Nations reported heavy clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. Four Italian peacekeepers were lightly wounded when a rocket, likely fired by Hezbollah, hit their base, the U.N. said. A full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in September after nearly a year of lower-intensity conflict. More than 3,640 people have been killed in Lebanon and 15,350 wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation and ground invasion, the Health Ministry said Friday. In Gaza, Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of the territory, wounding nine medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, the hospital director said Friday. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry said. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 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 — Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza, wounding nine medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, its director said Friday. Hossam Abu Safiya said strikes before dawn Friday hit the entrance of the emergency unit as well as in the hospital courtyard. He said six staff were wounded, including two critically. Friday night, he said an armed drone hit the entrance again, wounding three staffers. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Abu Safiya said the strikes caused damage to the functioning of the generator and disrupted oxygen supplies. The hospital is currently treating 85 wounded, 14 children in the pediatric ward and four newborns in the neonatal unit, he said. During the past month, Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit several times, was put under siege and was raided by Israeli troops, who are waging a heavy offensive in the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp and towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military says it detained Hamas fighters hiding in the hospital, a claim its staff denies. BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike killed the director of a university hospital and six others at his home in northeastern Lebanon, state media said. The strike targeted Dr. Ali Allam’s house near Dar Al-Amal Hospital, the largest health center in Baalbek-Hermel province, which has provided vital health services amid Israel's campaign of airstrikes, the Health Ministry said. State-run media reported that the strike came without warning. The ministry described his death as a “great loss,” and provincial governor Bachir Khodr said in a post on X that, “Mr. Allam was one of the best citizens of Baalbek.” In two separate episodes on Friday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed five paramedics with Hezbollah's medical arm, the Health Ministry said, describing it as “war crime.” The militant group provides extensive social services, including running schools and health clinics. In a report published Friday, the World Health Organization said nearly half of all attacks on health care in Lebanon since Oct. 7, 2023, have resulted in fatalities. “This is a higher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe,” WHO said. In Lebanon, 226 health workers and patients were killed and 199 were injured between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 18, 2024, the report said. The Health Ministry said Friday that 3,645 people have been killed in nearly 14 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, while 15,356 were wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation in late September. The death count includes 692 women and 231 children. UNITED NATIONS – Two rockets hit a headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, injuring four Italian peacekeepers, the United Nations says. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rockets were likely launched by Hezbollah militants or by affiliated groups Friday, impacting a bunker and a logistics area in the southwest headquarters at Chamaa. One of the structures that was hit caught fire, and the blaze was swiftly put out by U.N. staff, he said. According to Italy’s Defense Ministry, some glass shattered due to the explosion, hitting the four soldiers. Dujarric said the four injured peacekeepers were receiving treatment at the medical facility of the mission, known as UNIFIL. “Thankfully, none of the injuries are life-threatening,” he said. Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the attack on the UNIFIL base “intolerable.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace, and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Dujarric said Friday’s attack was the third on Chamaa in a week and came amid heavy shelling and ground skirmishes in the Chamaa and Naqoura areas in recent days. UNIFIL’s main headquarters is in Naqoura. Friday’s attack follows a rocket attack on a UNIFIL base east of the village of Ramyah on Tuesday that injured four peacekeepers from Ghana. Dujarric said UNIFIL strongly urges Hezbollah and its affiliates and Israel to avoid fighting near its positions, which are supposed to be protected. “We remind all parties that any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law” and the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, he said. BEIRUT — Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and the southern port city of Tyre on Friday, after the Israeli army issued several evacuation warnings saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites. The strikes in Beirut came dangerously close to central Beirut and Christian neighborhoods. One strike hit a building housing a gym and medical and beauty clinics, located just meters (yards) from a Lebanese army base. “What is there in the building to target? This attack they carried out on us in this building is a criminal and vile act,” resident Hassan Najdi told The Associated Press. “Because if their intention is targeting Hezbollah, this building has nothing to do with Hezbollah.” Najdi said he purchased an apartment in the building last year but had not yet moved in. He allowed a displaced family to move in and urgently asked them to evacuate after receiving the Israeli warning. The blasts sent plumes of smoke into the air and shattered glass in the vicinity. No casualties have been reported, but the strikes caused damage to nearby infrastructure and a key road connecting central Beirut to its southern suburbs. “We remain steadfast,” said Ali Daher, an employee at a mall facing the targeted building. “Everything that is lost can be replaced, and whatever is destroyed can be rebuilt in (no time).” In Tyre city, the Israeli military conducted multiple airstrikes after a series of warnings, claiming the targets belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz unit, accusing it of firing projectiles into Israel. The Israeli military carried out other airstrikes across Lebanon, many without warnings, as heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in villages along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified. ROME — Italy said Friday it plans to discuss the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court over the Israel-Hamas war when it hosts Group of Seven foreign ministers next week. Premier Giorgia Meloni insisted that one point remained clear for Italy: “There can be no equivalence between the responsibilities of the state of Israel and the terrorist organization of Hamas.” Italy is a founding member of the court and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. But Meloni’s right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement Friday, Meloni said Italy would study the reasonings behind the decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy respects the ICC and supports it. “But at the same time we are also convinced that the court must have a judicial role, and should not take up a political role.” Tajani will host G7 foreign ministers Monday and Tuesday outside Rome for the final meeting of the Italian G7 presidency. “As far as decisions are concerned, we will take them together with our allies,” Tajani said. During the G7 meetings, “we will talk about this with my allies there, and we will see what to do next.” Another member of the governing coalition, the outspoken Transport Minister Matteo Salvini was more defiant in supporting Israel. “If Netanyahu comes to Italy he will be welcomed,” Salvini was quoted by Italian media as saying. This item has been updated to correct that Salvini spoke of a potential Netanyahu visit to Italy, not Israel. ROME — Four Italian soldiers were slightly injured after two exploding rockets hit the United Nations' peacekeeping mission base on Friday in Chamaa in southern Lebanon, Italy's defense ministry said. Initial information suggested that two rockets hit a bunker and a room of the mission base, damaging the surrounding infrastructure, the ministry said. Shattered glass hit the four soldiers. The incident was the latest in which UN peacekeeping posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called Friday's attack “intolerable.” He said he will try to speak to the new Israeli Defense Minister to ask him “to avoid using the UNIFIL bases as a shield.” Crosetto said the conditions of the four Italian soldiers “did not cause concern.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday said she learned about the new attack with “deep indignation and concern.” Meloni reiterated that “such attacks are unacceptable,” renewing her appeal for the parties on the ground “to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.” GENEVA — The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world. The U.N. health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more. WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat. Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah militants in the country two months ago. The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday. JERUSALEM — Israel’s new defense minister said Friday that he would stop issuing warrants to arrest West Bank settlers or hold them without charge or trial — a largely symbolic move that rights groups said risks emboldening settler violence in the Israeli-occupied territory. Israel Katz called the arrest warrants “severe” and said issuing them was “inappropriate” as Palestinian militant attacks on settlers in the territory grow more frequent. He said settlers could be “brought to justice” in other ways. The move protects Israeli settlers from being held in “administrative detention,” a shadowy form of incarceration where people are held without charge or trial. Settlers are rarely arrested in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has spiraled since the outbreak of the war Oct. 7. Katz’s decision was celebrated by far-right coalition allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister and settler firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir applauded Katz and called the move a “correction of many years of mistreatment” and “justice for those who love the land.” Since Oct. 7, 2023, violence toward Palestinians by Israeli settlers has soared to new heights, displacing at least 19 entire Palestinian communities, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on settlers and within Israel have also grown more common. An increasing number of Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention. Israel holds 3,443 administrative detainees in prison, according to data from the Israeli Prison Service, reported by rights group Hamoked. That figure stood around 1,200 just before the start of the war. The vast majority of them are Palestinian, with only a handful at any given time Israeli Jews, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked. “All of these detentions without charge or trial are illegitimate, but to declare that this measure will only be used against Palestinians...is to explicitly entrench another form of ethnic discrimination,” said Montell. BERLIN — A German official has suggested that his country would be reluctant to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The ICC’s warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, in an awkward position. The government said in a statement Friday that it is one of the ICC’s biggest supporters, but “at the same time, it is a consequence of German history that unique relations and a great responsibility connect us with Israel.” The government said it takes note of the arrest warrants and that “we will examine conscientiously the domestic steps.” It said that any further steps would only be an issue if a visit by Netanyahu or Gallant were “foreseeable.” Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit was pressed repeatedly at a regular news conference on whether it would be conceivable to arrest an Israeli prime minister. He replied: "It’s hard for me to imagine that we would carry out arrests in Germany on this basis.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday refused to comment on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, saying that the court's rulings are “insignificant” for Russia, which doesn’t recognizes the court’s jurisdiction. The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other top Russian officials, accusing them of war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has brushed off the warrants, saying that in Moscow’s eyes they’re “null and void.” Asked if the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and others can help resolve the tensions in the Middle East, Peskov said: “Well, in general, the actions of the ICC are unlikely to help anything. That’s the first thing. And secondly, we don’t see any point in commenting on this in any way, because for us these rulings are insignificant.” DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Large crowds of displaced people crammed themselves in front of a bakery in the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row, desperate to get their share of bread after bakeries closed for five days due to a flour shortage and the lack of aid. “I am a 61-year-old man. This is the third day that I have come to Zadna Bakery and I still cannot get bread ... I have children to feed,” said Majdi Yaghi, a displaced man from Gaza City. The price of a small bag of pita bread increased to $16 by Friday, a stark increase from about 80 cents last month. A bag of pasta now costs $4 and a small bag of sugar costs nearly $14. That has left many Palestinian families surviving on one meal a day and reliant on charitable kitchens to survive. In Khan Younis, women and children lined up at the al-Dalu charitable kitchen for bulgur, the only food available at the makeshift charity. One of the workers there, Anas al-Dalu, told the AP that they cook ten pots every day of either rice, beans, or bulgur. But that hardly fills the need for the thousands of people displaced in the area. “The charity here is in a difficult situation. It is a drop in the ocean, and there is no aid or charities. There is nothing," said Nour Kanani, a displaced man from Khan Younis. “It is a crisis in every sense of the word. There is no flour, no charities, and no food.” BEIRUT — Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers. A spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring “heavy clashes” in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL’s headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon’s southern edge close to the border with Israel. “We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: “Yes for the moment.” Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded.

Texas and Georgia are battling for recruiting supremacy before duking it out for a Southeastern Conference title. Alabama, which also appears to be headed to the playoffs, is right behind them. The two Atlanta-bound and presumably playoff-bound SEC powers are leading the way in recruiting league-wide and nationally during the early signing period that started Wednesday. They’ll meet Saturday in the SEC championship game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They’re currently No. 1 (Texas) and No. 2 (Georgia) nationally, but the SEC holds a sweep of the top three with the Crimson Tide ranked third in Kalen DeBoer’s first full recruiting cycle. The league holds eight of the top 11 spots. The final rankings are pending the decision of the nation’s top uncommitted prospect, defensive tackle Justus Terry, who is expected to choose among three SEC schools: Georgia, Texas and Auburn. Leader of the pack The Longhorns landed four five-star prospects, per the 247Sports composite rankings of recruiting sites. They also picked up No. 1-ranked athlete Michael Terry III on signing day when he chose Texas over Nebraska. Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns class is led by five-star safety Jonah Williams of Galveston, Texas, the nation’s No. 8 overall prospect, according to the composite rankings. They signed five-star wide receivers Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench, along with edge rusher Lance Jackson. Only Florida’s Ffrench was from out of state. Georgia had pledges from five five-star prospects entering signing day, led by No. 3 overall recruit defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, edge rusher Isaiah Gibson and linebacker Zayden Walker. Alabama got a potential successor to quarterback Jalen Milroe. Keelon Russell of Duncanville, Texas, is rated as the No. 2 quarterback and overall prospect per the composite rankings. Best of the rest Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has been touting his recruiting success frequently as building a solid foundation amid losing records in his first two seasons. The Tigers are currently at No. 6 and landed a much-needed quarterback in five-star Deuce Knight from Lucedale, Mississippi. LSU had the eighth-ranked class, a group led by five-star prospects in cornerback DJ Pickett, running back Harlem Berry and offensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Texas A&M stands at No. 9 after late flips in five-star signees in wide receiver Jerome Myles (from USC) and offensive tackle Lamont Rogers (Missouri). The Aggies are followed in order by LSU, Tennessee and Florida. The Volunteers were still awaiting the letter-of-intent from top-five prospect offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who has been committed since August but is reportedly considering Ohio State. The Gators’ class was highlighted by five-star receiver Vernell Brown III. Under the radar Ole Miss wide receiver signee Caleb Cunningham is too highly rated to be truly under the radar for most programs. But Lane Kiffin has built the Rebels into an SEC contender largely with transfers, not blue-chip high school recruits. Cunningham, who de-committed from Alabama on Nov. 13, is rated as the No. 2 receiver and 18th-best player in the class. Ole Miss is looking for a replacement to star receiver Tre Harris. Star of the class Alabama’s Russell was the highest-rated recruit and plays at the most prized position. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder led Duncanville High School to state championships in 2022 and 2023 and was MVP of the Elite 11 quarterback competition this year. Alabama returns Ty Simpson and Austin Mack at quarterback, so there may not be a pressing need for an immediate impact. Biggest surprises Myles was a big addition to the Aggies at a position of need. The nation’s No. 5 receiver and 23rd-rated recruit had decommitted from USC after visiting College Station last weekend. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko’s team is down to five scholarship receivers entering the postseason. Billy Napier and Florida flipped four-star safety Lagonza Hayward from rival Tennessee. Hayward ranks as the No. 9 safety in the country and had decommitted from the Vols on Sunday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 football throughout the season. . AP college football: andIndia's luxury property market is a boon to Trump's business$204 Million From Feds Will Help Fix Sinking West Side Canal

WASHINGTON — The economic and technological rivalry between the United States and China has come to the drone market, where Chinese-made flying devices are a dominant player. Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S. drone industry. A defense bill that passed Congress last week would bar new Chinese drones from DJI Technology and Autel Robotics should a review find them to pose an “unacceptable” risk to U.S. national security. But American users, from police officers to farmers, mappers and filmmakers, have come to rely on Chinese-made drones, especially those by DJI. Here are things to know about the debate. Lawmakers say the drones pose a national security threat Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be U.N. ambassador, has led House efforts to ban new Chinese drones, saying Americans have become too dependent on them. “It is strategically irresponsible to allow Communist China to be our drone factory,” she argued. It was the role of drones in everyday life that drove Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to get Congress to restrict the purchase of Chinese drones by federal agencies. Those restrictions were included in a bill that Democratic President Joe Biden signed last year. Scott has compared Chinese drones to spy balloons that could “gather data or carry harmful payloads” across America, posing risks to military bases, critical infrastructure and natural resources. Drones made by DJI dominate the US market DJI, named in the bill, is the best-known Chinese drone brand. The company has the lion’s share of the global drone market and is a dominant player in the U.S. market. Its drones have been used by first responders to locate disaster victims, mappers to survey roads and utility lines, mosquito control officers to reach swarms of larvae, and filmmakers to capture aerial footage. Founded in 2006 and based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, DJI makes devices that are known for their affordability and high performance. They are even used on the battlefield in Ukraine by both sides, even though DJI does not make military drones. As U.S.-China relations soured, DJI drones have come under scrutiny. The U.S. government has put the company on several blacklists citing human rights concerns as well as alleged links to the Chinese military. DJI has denied any wrongdoing, and is suing the Pentagon over the designation that it is a Chinese military company. U.S. customs officials have also blocked some DJI shipments over concerns that the products might have been made with forced labor. DJI has called it “a customs-related misunderstanding." DJI has also expressed concern about the review of Chinese drones included in the defense bill., saying it doesn't allow the company to defend itself. It called for "a fair right of reply to any findings.” Users say Chinese drones can't be easily replaced Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, bean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader. A drone spreader costs $35,000, while a ground sprayer would cost $250,000, he said. As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby formula to those who are stranded — something he did after Hurricane Helene. “I am not going to say I won’t love to have U.S. drones, but I don’t see the American drones as anywhere close to the DJI drones in terms of reliability, ease of use, and just the user-friendly software,” Hedrick said. “The U.S. drones are not as good as DJI ones but cost twice as much.” At the Interior Department, the ban on foreign-made drones has resulted in a “loss of opportunities to collect data on landscape, natural and cultural resources, wildlife and infrastructure,” according to a September report by the Government Accountability Office. Michael Robbins, president and chief executive officer of AUVSI, an advocacy group for unmanned vehicles such as drones, argues against an immediate ban. Instead, the group has urged the government to support the domestic drone-making industry through investment so it can catch up with its Chinese competitors in both capability and cost.A protestor wearing a face mask of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in a rally calling for his impeachment in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec 8. SEOUL – Traders are bracing for a period of sustained volatility in South Korean assets as markets reopen on Dec 9, with the won and stocks seen under initial pressure after a weekend of high drama deepened the political crisis. Trading desks are assessing a possibility of a prolonged stalemate after Dec 7’s impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol failed. With Mr Yoon facing intense pressure to resign, ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon on Dec 8 said Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will manage the nation’s affairs while his party prepares an orderly exit plan for the President. Opposition lawmakers slammed the decision as unconstitutional and thousands took to the streets to protest. The opposition parties, which together control a majority in parliament, have said they will push quickly for another impeachment vote. The South Korean currency has crept lower in the days following Mr Yoon’s shock declaration of martial law on Dec 3, a decision he reversed within hours after parliament unanimously rejected it. “Had the impeachment motion gone through on Saturday, it would have been over, but Yoon still has control over the military,” said Mr Seo Sang-Young, a market strategist at Mirae Asset Securities. “The ruling party’s boycott will only prolong the domestic uncertainty.” That means volatility will increase, he added, with the market reacting differently by industry. Domestic demand needs an inflow of tourists, and with the tourism balance already negative, this could make things worse, he noted. Chinese tourists visiting South Korea could drop by 19 per cent to 830,000 in the first quarter of 2025 from a year ago on fears of social unrest following the brief imposition of martial law. Such concerns may linger through the Chinese New Year break, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report. South Korea’s currency, which regained some ground after plunging on Dec 3, briefly dipped again on Dec 6 when a local newspaper reported Mr Yoon may reimpose martial law. It was the worst performing in Asia last week, down almost 2 per cent against the US dollar. “While the martial law declaration has proved short-lived, the won remains weaker than pre-announcement levels and vulnerable to a further drop,” wrote strategists at Barclays. “With the situation remaining highly fluid, the won may remain volatile in the short term.” The Kospi equity benchmark has fallen 2.9 per cent since the short-lived martial law decree, with significant intra-day swings on Dec 6 as traders weighed each political development. “This political instability will have different impacts on different sectors,” said Mr Jung In Yun, chief executive at Fibonacci Asset Management Global, who expects the drama to persist throughout next year. “Exporting companies will likely rebound soon.” “Investors will focus on corporate earnings for the next quarter and assess the impact of the weaker won,” he added. “The Kospi will likely rebound in late December as investors start to segregate political and market issues.” Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said South Korea will deploy all available measures to deal with the fallout from the political crisis. He said at a media briefing on Dec 8 that the ministry has been cooperating with the Bank of Korea to take pre-emptive measures to respond to volatility in financial and foreign-exchange markets. Intervention could reduce immediate losses for the won, said Mr Sean Callow, senior FX analyst at Intouch Capital Markets in Singapore. “There is likely to be some disappointment over the failed impeachment vote” despite Korean authorities’ efforts to calm investor nerves, he added. “Markets will fear political paralysis so long as Yoon holds on and the PPP protects him from impeachment.” Mr Callow said the underlying trend for the won is still on the downside because of risks linked to the incoming Trump administration’s vow to impose sweeping tariffs. The won was 0.5 per cednt weaker against the dollar at the close on Dec 6, before the failed impeachment attempt. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. 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