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SYRIA BEIRUT — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government denied 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Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it.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. 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 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. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. 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 years-long siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. 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 Pedersen, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis "that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians." They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Abdurrahman 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. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
GLP-1 nonresponders: Up to 1 in 5 people don't lose weightUnlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Four leading companies partner in support of education and workforce development mission NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the BayPort Foundation, Ferguson, Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of HII, and Virginia Natural Gas announced that the Newport News Education Foundation has been awarded the $500,000 Accelerating Change Together (ACT) Grant to support the Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) New Teacher Institute (NTI) program. The ACT Grant extends the four companies' existing charitable giving and social impact efforts to its education and workforce development mission. The three-year, $500,000 step-down grant will provide the funding necessary for NTI to answer the regional call to build a workforce pipeline to expand its new first—and second-year teacher programs. It will also fund the development of a model program, provide credentialing assistance, and invest in Career and Technical Education and English as a Second Language teachers. The ACT Grant will assist the Newport News Education Foundation in raising funding to guarantee support for the NTI program. The expiration of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds could have several consequences as districts look to trim expenses and consolidate operations. ESSER was a one-time emergency relief program designed to support K-12 schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-one nonprofits submitted an ACT Grant application. The Contributions Committee selected the Newport News Education Foundation application based on its ability to address the specific needs outlined in the ACT Grant application, including a sound financial investment and an original, innovative, and sustainable project plan to impact a target population/community. The ACT Grant initiative launched in 2022, and the first recipient was the Virginia Beach Education Foundation and Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), new two-year, half-day Advanced Technology Center Renewable Energy Technologies program. For additional information on the ACT Grant, please visit actgrant.org . B-roll of the NNPS NTI program facility and check presentation is available upon request. About BayPort Foundation BayPort Foundation is the charitable arm of BayPort Credit Union, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and was established to extend the credit union's philosophy of "people helping people." The Foundation is an extension of the credit union's charitable giving. BayPort Credit Union commits more than half a million dollars in annual corporate donations and pays all the Foundation's overhead to ensure that 100% of the Foundation donations support its mission. For more information, visit bayportfoundation.org . About Ferguson Ferguson (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG) is the largest value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in our $340B residential and non-residential North American construction market. We help make our customers' complex projects simple, successful and sustainable by providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, HVAC, appliances and lighting to PVF, water and wastewater solutions and more. Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson has sales of $29.6 billion (FY'24) and approximately 35,000 associates in nearly 1,800 locations. For more information, please visit corporate.ferguson.com . About HII HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, please visit hii.com . About Virginia Natural Gas Virginia Natural Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Virginia Natural Gas provides natural gas service to nearly 300,000 customers in southeast Virginia. Named a Top Workplace in 2024, Virginia Natural Gas also has been recognized as one of the safest, most reliable and customer-focused natural gas service providers and is consistently ranked in the top quartile for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit virginianaturalgas.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/500-000-act-grant-awarded-to-fund-newport-news-public-schools-new-teacher-institute-program-302329370.html SOURCE BayPort Credit Union
NoneTampa Bay Buccaneers can distance themselves in NFC South race on Sunday | Sporting News
Ukraine Loses Over 40 Percent of Land Held in Russia's Kursk Region, Says Kyiv SourceHe took aim at the High Court where the case was heard, claiming it was “not a court of hard evidence and truth” but a “kangaroo court of opinions and feelings”. Conor McGregor McGregor with partner Dee Devlin at the High Court James Lawrence Nikita Hand pictured after her High Court win Conor McGregor has launched a vile and astonishing attack on the woman who accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel after she won her claim for damages in a High Court civil case. In an online rant posed this afternoon, McGregor struck out at Nikita Hand who was awarded almost €250,000 in damages after a jury in the civil case found McGregor had assaulted her in the Beacon Hotel. McGregor, who was branded a “devious coward” by John Gordon SC, representing Ms Hand during the trial, also said that what his co-defendant James Lawrence, who was found not liable for damages, was “put through” was “disgraceful”. He took aim at the High Court where the case was heard, claiming it was “not a court of hard evidence and truth” but a “kangaroo court of opinions and feelings”. “We are not done yet,” he vowed in the bizzare rant. “Not by a long shot. No chance. On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal!” McGregor with partner Dee Devlin at the High Court The UFC star and his associate James Lawrence were both sued by hair colourist Nikita Hand (35) who said she was raped by both men at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Both men denied the claims and said that the sex was consensual. All three gave evidence during the trial that commenced on November 5. McGregor has also shared a post on his Instagram stories written by Lawrence saying he “won” his case and that he would be suing Nikita Hand who, he said, was “fully liable for all my legal fees” for “damages”. James Lawrence Mr Gordon, who told the jury they had witnessed stress, anger, vitriol and “serial lying” during the hearing, said his client had been “badly beaten up” by Mr McGregor at the Beacon Hotel. Mr Gordon said she had told Mr McGregor that she did not want to have sex with him as she had a tampon in, and that they were in a friend group with his partner Dee Devlin. He said Mr McGregor would not take no for an answer. Mr Gordon said aspects of Mr McGregor’s evidence – including claims of “athletic” sex, that Ms Hand had “swan dived” into a bath, and that she may have been “knocked about” while being out for three days – did not answer the questions put to him in court. He said: “You are being sold a pup by this arrogant man.” He added: “Mr McGregor – far from dealing with it – has run away from it.” Mr Gordon told the jury “there is no answer to his appalling behaviour”. He said there was a “litany of corroborative evidence” confirming his client’s story, adding that she suffered from PTSD from a violent assault. Mr Gordon said Mr McGregor’s case was built on “trying to throw as much dust in your eyes as possible”. The jury agreed, and yesterday evening returned their verdict that they found McGregor had assaulted Ms Hand in the Beacon Hotel, awarding her almost €250,000 in damages. The jury found that James Lawrence did not assault Ms Hand. While McGregor appeared emotional in the immediate aftermath of the jury’s verdict in the High Court, he has since taken to social media where he has vowed to appeal the decision. Nikita Hand pictured after her High Court win Just hours after he left the court with partner Dee he tweeted that he felt “disappointed” and would be appealing. He added: “I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide,” in the now-deleted tweet. He also engaged in a vicious spat with Youtuber and arch-rival Jake Paul, following the verdict. Paul had taken a shot at McGregor and UFC president Dana White on social media, posting: “Dan hits his wife. Conor's convicted of rape. But I'm the bad guy?” McGregor hit back in more deleted tweets by replying: “No you're a gay little nerd,” accompanied by a laughing emoji. Paul later added: “Calling someone gay and thinking you are hitting them with a zinger shows how cooked Conor's brain is from all the coke. Shout out to all the nerds.”
NoneUroGen Pharma ( NASDAQ:URGN – Get Free Report ) ‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by equities researchers at D. Boral Capital in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $25.00 target price on the stock. D. Boral Capital’s price objective points to a potential upside of 103.42% from the stock’s previous close. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on URGN. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of UroGen Pharma in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Guggenheim began coverage on shares of UroGen Pharma in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $40.00 price objective on shares of UroGen Pharma in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, EF Hutton Acquisition Co. I raised shares of UroGen Pharma to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UroGen Pharma currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $43.70. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on UroGen Pharma UroGen Pharma Stock Up 0.7 % UroGen Pharma ( NASDAQ:URGN – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.55) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.84) by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $25.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.68) EPS. Analysts forecast that UroGen Pharma will post -3.1 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On UroGen Pharma A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of URGN. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of UroGen Pharma by 90.9% during the third quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 8,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 3,856 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in UroGen Pharma by 221.8% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 8,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $109,000 after buying an additional 5,890 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new position in UroGen Pharma in the 2nd quarter worth $199,000. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in UroGen Pharma in the 3rd quarter worth $155,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in UroGen Pharma in the 3rd quarter valued at about $168,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.29% of the company’s stock. UroGen Pharma Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) UroGen Pharma Ltd., a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of solutions for urothelial and specialty cancers. It offers RTGel, a novel proprietary polymeric biocompatible, reverse thermal gelation hydrogel technology to improve therapeutic profiles of existing drugs; and Jelmyto for pyelocalyceal solution. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than UroGen Pharma How to Calculate Stock Profit Fast-Growing Companies That Are Still Undervalued What Are Dividend Contenders? Investing in Dividend Contenders Top Cybersecurity Stock Picks for 2025 Roth IRA Calculator: Calculate Your Potential Returns Archer or Joby: Which Aviation Company Might Rise Fastest? Receive News & Ratings for UroGen Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UroGen Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Scholars explore religion's role in fostering global peace, harmony
GLP-1 nonresponders: Up to 1 in 5 people don't lose weightAQABA, Jordan (AP) — Top U.S. officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel’s 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad , while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. Trump has demanded the immediate release of hostages , threatening on social media that otherwise there would be “HELL TO PAY,” and has urged the U.S. not to get involved in Syria , where some 900 troops are based to combat the Islamic State militant group. Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Sullivan expressed cautious optimism that conditions were ripe for halting the long-running conflict before the Biden administration leaves office. “I wouldn’t be here now if I didn’t think this thing was just waiting until after January 20,” he said of when Trump will be inaugurated. The war erupted with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 others hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials, caused widespread displacement and led to severe hunger across the territory. U.S.-led ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered throughout the war, with the warring sides blaming each other for the failure. Israel has said it is seeking the destruction of Hamas’ governing and military capabilities, at times pressing ahead with the offensive in the face of U.S. calls for restraint. Hamas, meanwhile, has stuck to its demands that any ceasefire include a permanent end to the fighting and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The U.S. has backed Israel with key military and diplomatic support. But at times, it also has appeared helpless in urging Israel to minimize civilian casualties and to enable the delivery of more humanitarian aid into Gaza . Sullivan said the rapid-fire changes across the region have improved the chances for success. He said Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, ending more than a year of fighting, the collapse of Syria’s government and the heavy blow Israel has inflicted on Hamas have all changed the negotiating climate. He also said there has been good cooperation with the incoming Trump administration , with widespread agreement between them. “The surround sound of these negotiations is different today than it has been in the past,” Sullivan told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I got the sense from the prime minister that he’s ready to do the deal,” Sullivan added. “We see movement from Hamas.” Sullivan is now scheduled to head to Qatar and Egypt, which have served as mediators throughout the war. Any deal would include the release of hostages held by Hamas, an exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and a surge in badly needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel says Hamas is holding about 100 hostages — at least one-third of whom are believed to have died. As Sullivan was in Israel, Blinken met with Jordanian and Turkish leaders to push for a peaceful transition of power in post-Assad Syria. “We’re back in the region at a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, after meeting with King Abdullah II. He said the U.S. was working with its regional partners to help Syria “transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and toward a new government that isn’t dominated by any single religious or ethnic group, by an outside power or the Islamic State militant group. “We’re determined to do everything we can, working in close coordination with partners, to help the Syrian people realize that aspiration,” Blinken said. Syria is home to an array of armed groups with competing interests and allies. In northern Syria, U.S.-backed Kurdish separatists are battling to fend off fighters supported by Turkey. In the country’s center and northeast, the extremist Islamic State group maintains a presence that generates concern for the U.S. And the rebels, hailing mainly from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, face the daunting task of creating a transitional government for the war-ravaged country. The leader of Syria’s biggest rebel faction is a former al-Qaida commander whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group is poised to chart the country’s future. The U.S. and the U.N. have designated the hardline Sunni Islamist group a terrorist organization. The goal of creating a free and pluralistic Syria will be a challenge given the bad blood stretching across Syria’s sectarian lines after over half a century of Assad family rule and more than 13 years of civil war that claimed an estimated 500,000 lives. Blinken started his trip in Jordan, a close U.S. ally whose fragile economy has been strained over the years by an influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. He then went to Turkey — a backer of Sunni rebels but a foe of the Kurds. In a late-night meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a VIP lounge at Ankara’s airport, Blinken pressed the importance of keeping up the fight against IS. Officials called it an effort to urge the Turks not to launch military operations against U.S.-backed Kurdish rebels who Washington believes have been critical to battling IS. Blinken “emphasized the need to ensure the coalition to defeat ISIS can continue to execute its critical mission,” the State Department said, using another acronym for the Islamic State group. Israel, meanwhile, has sent troops into Syria — its northern neighbor — and seized a former buffer zone that had been demilitarized since a 1974 truce. Israel has described it as defensive, meant to protect its border and prevent armed groups from seizing weapons left behind by Assad’s army. Netanyahu said Thursday that the move was temporary. But he said Israel would remain inside Syria until another party can secure the border, raising the likelihood of a prolonged and open-ended presence. Sullivan tried to play down the Israeli move, noting that Assad was toppled just days ago and it is too early to jump to any conclusions. But Blinken was more cautious as he called for restraint by all regional players with interests in Syria. He said the U.S. is “already talking to Israel” and others about the future of Syria. “Across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed from Washington.Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender
Spain is blessed with a multitude of beautiful seaside resorts, providing the ideal destination for those looking for some rest and relaxation. Last year saw a staggering 85 million tourists from all around the world visit the country. One resort increasingly popular with visitors is the vibrant and dynamic city of Vigo in Galicia . The city offers a perfect blend of rich history, thriving culture and natural beauty. With its bustling harbour, beautiful beaches and renowned seafood cuisine, Vigo is fast becoming a must-see destination. However, local authorities have become increasingly frustrated with people relieving themselves on the beaches and in the sea. As a result, they have introduced a ban on urinating in public, with fines of up to €750 (£622) payable for any breach of the new regulations. To help motivate a change in the behaviour of beach goers, local officials have installed a wide network of public toilets along the seafront. Vigo has become famous for its associations with the Jules Verne story Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In the story, Captain Nemo travels with the Nautilus to Vigo harbour, so as to stock up on gold. In the Vigo estuary, there are believed to be dozens of sunken galleons loaded with gold from the Americas and treasures that have never been unearthed. Oysters are a favourite local dish and there are plenty of restaurants serving the speciality, as well as octopus in paprika. It's also worth walking through the Casco Vello (the old town), that is filled with Renaissance-era architecture and centred on the fresco-filled, 19th-century Concatedral de Santa María church. Stone steps lead up Rua Baixada O Forte to a hilltop garden and lookout over the harbour, and cobbled lanes open onto Plaza de la Constitución, framed by grand arcades lined with artisan stores. A visit to the Cíes Islands is also a must-do. They are part of the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park and are an archipelago of three islands, two connected by a sandy strip called Rodas Beach. They are a small paradise of crystal-clear waters, with a natural environment that makes them a unique observatory of fauna and flora.
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