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BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Press
After spending months watching them from a distance, a leopard breeding center in Saudi Arabia announced the birth of triplet cubs, a “major milestone” for the species. The Arabian leopards, a critically endangered leopard subspecies, were born over the summer , according to a Dec. 11 news release from The Royal Commission for Alula’s (RCU) Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Center and Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization. The litter includes two male and one female leopard, the organizations said. “Carefully observed via CCTV so as not to disturb them, the cubs are already displaying distinctive personalities, with the two males proving to be particularly boisterous, climbing rocks in their enclosure and play fighting with each other,” RCU and Panthera said. “The female, on the other hand, is much shyer and more attached to their mother.” According to available records, their birth marks the third Arabian leopard triplets to be born in captivity in the past three decades, the organization said, and the first triplet birth in Saudi Arabia. Wildlife staff may watch the cubs through video, but all three babies have also had their first vaccinations and health checks, including the determination of their sexes, according to the organizations. “Despite their young age, individual social behaviors are emerging between the cubs, with the males described by staff as ‘naughty, rough-and-tumble,’ while the female is ‘sweet and attentive,’” RCU and Panthera said. Arabian leopards spend around a year and a half with their mothers, establishing a social hierarchy and learning to live with one another as they age, the organizations said. The cubs also join some other new arrivals. “The center has enjoyed something of a baby boom recently, with the triplets’ arrival coming less than a month after twin cubs were born on earlier in the year,” RCU and Panthera said. “The twins, one male and one female, are both attached to each other and to their mother, following her everywhere. They are growing and getting braver, spending the majority of their time hiding between rocks and playing together.” The center now houses 32 leopards, nearly doubling their starting population of 14 in 2020. Arabian leopards have been classified as critically endangered since 1996, with around 100 estimated to still live in the wild, RCU and Panthera said. Seven leopards were born last year, and the center has welcomed five so far in 2024. The animal care team uses cameras in order to limit the amount of human interaction the leopards have, with hopes that they can be reintroduced into the wild, Stephen Browne, vice president of wildlife and natural heritage at the center, said in the release. “These efforts will ultimately lead to Arabian leopards once again roaming free in Alula’s protected nature reserves,” Browne said. The Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Center is in west-central Saudi Arabia, just east of the Red Sea. Tiny endangered cheetah cubs cuddle up in Ohio zoo’s nursery. See them snuggle ‘Playful’ and curious baby baboon delights visitors at NC Zoo. See him jump around This story was originally published December 12, 2024, 2:06 PM.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It's the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had COVID-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press. Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement . “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.” The clemency follows a broad pardon for his son Hunter , who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. He’s also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office. Clemency is the term for the power the president has to pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or to commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesn’t exonerate the wrongdoing. It’s customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms. Those pardoned Thursday had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran. The president had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. He's also broadly pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron. Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners. His attorney general, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions. Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty but he never did, and now, with Trump coming back into office, it’s likely executions will resume. During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic. More clemency grants are coming before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but it's not clear whether he'll take action to guard against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of the power. The president has been taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months — before the presidential election — but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. But those who received the pardons would have to accept them. New California Sen. Adam Schiff, who was a part of the House committee that investigated the violent Jan. 6 insurrection, said such a pardon from Biden would be “unnecessary,” and that the president shouldn’t be spending his waning days in office worrying about this. For Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., another target of Trump's threats, said in a statement this week that his suggestion that she and others be jailed for the investigations "is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.” Before pardoning his son, Biden had repeatedly pledged not to do so. He said in a statement explaining his reversal that the prosecution had been poisoned by politics. The decision prompted criminal justice advocates and lawmakers to put additional public pressure on the administration to use that same power for everyday Americans. It wasn’t a very popular move ; only about 2 in 10 Americans approved of his decision, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Wesley Celichowski's 22 points helped Air Force defeat Stony Brook 69-61 on Saturday. Celichowski shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for the Falcons (3-7). Ethan Taylor scored 17 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caleb Walker shot 6 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Seawolves (2-7) were led by CJ Luster II, who recorded 27 points. Stony Brook also got 13 points from Collin O'Connor. Andre Snoddy finished with 11 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated PressNone
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Shares of EQTEC plc ( LON:EQT – Get Free Report ) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 0.45 ($0.01) and last traded at GBX 0.46 ($0.01), with a volume of 1508898 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.48 ($0.01). EQTEC Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of £1.20 million, a PE ratio of -2.73 and a beta of 2.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 2.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average is GBX 0.63 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 0.96. EQTEC Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) EQTEC plc licenses and sells its proprietary advanced gasification technology that generates green energy from municipal, agricultural and industrial waste, biomass, and plastics in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, European Union, and the United States. The company operates in two segments, Technology Sales and Power Generation. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for EQTEC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EQTEC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
BTS RM’s Inclusion On Organization’s Role Model List Sparks Heated DebateVegas Golden Knights (13-6-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (9-10-2, in the Metropolitan Division) Philadelphia; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights after the Flyers took down the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in overtime. Philadelphia has a 5-6-0 record in home games and a 9-10-2 record overall. The Flyers are fourth in NHL play with 92 total penalties (averaging 4.4 per game). Vegas has a 5-4-2 record in road games and a 13-6-2 record overall. The Golden Knights have a 13-2-2 record in games they score at least three goals. Monday's game is the first time these teams meet this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Travis Konecny has 11 goals and 14 assists for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has scored goals over the last 10 games. Pavel Dorofeyev has 10 goals and three assists for the Golden Knights. Alexander Holtz has scored goals over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 5-4-1, averaging 2.7 goals, five assists, 3.7 penalties and eight penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.4 assists, 2.8 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game. INJURIES: Flyers: None listed. Golden Knights: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated Press
'Forever Present' campaign revives the iconic A Diamond is Forever tagline and celebrates the diamond dream NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- De Beers Group today launched a new marketing campaign, 'Forever Present', to reinforce desirability for natural diamonds over the key holiday gifting season in the U.S. The campaign sees the return of the iconic 'A Diamond is Forever' tagline following its reintroduction to De Beers' category marketing activities last year. Highlighting a diverse array of gifting opportunities for natural diamonds this holiday season, the campaign celebrates familial, friendship and romantic relationships under the premise that 'natural connections deserve natural diamonds', making them the ideal choice for celebrating special moments with special people. The campaign reinforces the notion that natural diamonds are a store of emotional value that enable precious memories to remain 'forever present'. The campaign features diverse real-life couples, illustrating unforgettable moments and key milestones worth celebrating with the most special people in our lives, bringing the true essence of their relationships to life on screen. Showcasing classic jewellery designs including studs, tennis bracelets, anniversary bands, three-stone rings and solitaire pendants, the campaign speaks to a broad audience of U.S. gift-givers. The campaign will run nationally throughout the U.S. across digital platforms, social media including Instagram and TikTok, and out-of-home including major airports. To enhance its reach and impact and support U.S. independent jewellery retailers, the campaign assets will also be made available free-of-charge to retailers planning to invest in natural diamond marketing this holiday season. Sandrine Conseiller , CEO of De Beers Brands, said: "De Beers' iconic natural diamond category campaigns have shaped desire for natural diamonds over many decades. We're proud to build on this tradition by reviving and refreshing one of our most legendary taglines "A Diamond Is Forever" this holiday season. With a modern sensibility and playful colloquial language, this latest campaign encapsulates the unique qualities of natural diamonds, positioning them as the perfect choice for celebrating life's most cherished milestones." The Forever Present campaign follows the recently launched Worth the Wait campaign, a collaboration between De Beers Group and Signet Jewelers. While Worth the Wait is focused on soon-to-be-engaged Millennial and Gen Z audiences, Forever Present appeals to gift-givers of all ages by showcasing the connection between natural diamonds and creating precious memories with loved ones this holiday season. Retailers interested in learning more about the Forever Present campaign and how they can participate can visit: adiamondisforevermarketing.com . The campaign is featured on @Adiamondisforever on Instagram and TikTok. The Forever Present campaign assets are available to download here . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/de-beers-group-launches-holiday-campaign-for-natural-diamonds-302314554.html SOURCE De Beers Group
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