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The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country's borders . It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped Syrian President Bashar Assad retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia , Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here's a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: Why does the fighting at Aleppo matter? Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that's killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. U.S. & World Teacher dies of rabies after a bat got into her classroom and bit her Trump nominates Kash Patel to serve as FBI director The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria's warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. What do we know about the group leading the offensive on Aleppo? The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida's Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria's war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria's opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad's brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory, and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory, and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. What's the history of Aleppo in the war? At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military's entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.NoneA CUSTOMER at Home Depot was left fuming recently when they were presented with certain options at checkout. The shopper said their local store featured mostly self-checkout kiosks available while getting what they needed. While self-checkouts are fairly common at retailers nowadays and are becoming even more of a focus at many shops nationwide, some consumers are adamant about having traditional checkout lanes with a cashier assisting. A select few have even gone as far as to threaten to boycott retailers who put self-checkouts in place of cashiered service. "Attn: Home Depot and any other stores considering replacing HUMAN BEINGS with self-checkout," fumed a shopper, Theresa, in a post to Facebook earlier this month. "I WILL NO LONGER BE SHOPPING IN YOUR STORE!" Read More on Home Depot "If we just keep doing it, they will continue to push the non-human agenda," the added. Theresa recounted her recent experience at Home Depot , where she discovered specifically asking for a cashier avoided paying at self-checkout kiosks. A Home Depot employee had asked her whether she was paying cash or credit in the self-checkout line, and she gave him the one-word answer of "human" instead, which seemingly worked. "When the kid helping to move the self-checkout line along at Home Depot asked cash or credit, I said HUMAN please," Theresa recalled. Most read in Money "This woman who was assisting said I agree, I'll help you. I paid and left." Even with long lines at traditional checkouts in other stores like Stop & Shop , Theresa added that she would wait "triple the amount of time" to checkout just to not support self-checkouts. It wouldn't be the first time Home Depot shoppers have issued complaints about self-checkout in recent months. CART CHAOS Some carts at the home improvement retailer now have locking technology to prevent theft. Earlier this month, a customer who bought two faucet covers worth $5 claimed her cart was locked after paying for her items and attempting to exit the store. It allegedly prompted an employee to come over and verify before digitally unlocking the cart. Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft. Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members. Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead. While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance. One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks. However, that test run has been phased out. At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout. Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience. As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US. Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines. The shopper, Patrica, said she'd be "going to Lowe's in the future" in a post on X. "They don't treat customers like thieves," she fumed. SCREAM AND SHOUT In October, a customer, Carl, claimed in a post on X that the Home Depot employees at the self-checkout area within his store would yell at him "like going through a TSA line." It too frustrated him so much that he said he would "drive a little farther to Lowe's now" instead. Home Depot responded to Carl and empathized, noting it would take action to re-train staff. "I understand your frustration with the self-checkout," a spokesperson replied. "Thank you for sharing your experience. We will use this feedback as an internal coaching opportunity." The U.S. Sun previously contacted Home Depot for more information on the situation but did not hear back. Read More on The US Sun Another shopper was furious recently after they were allegedly refused a refund for a specific reason. Home Depot will also temporarily close all of its over 2,000 stores nationwide in the coming days, and Lowe's won't be available either.fortune ox blaze 。

NoneFIFA confirms 2034 World Cup coming to Saudi ArabiaGreg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness. “A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships and the following year hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta. But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show, “The NFL Today” from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season. “Like all who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, yet also so very grateful to have known him in my life,” Clark Kellogg, a CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst, said in a statement. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.” Gumbel, the older brother of sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. He won local Emmy Awards during his long career and was the recipient of the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting. Outside of his career as a sportscaster, he was affiliated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its board of trustees. He also was a member of the Sports Council for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for 16 years. Associated Press reporter Mike Sisak contributed.

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