NoneHowever, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali for the first time. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonised by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Mr Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.plinko casino game real money 。

The International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has been repudiated by Republican lawmakers in the , who have threatened to sanction the court and invoke US law to shield Israeli officials from prosecution. Within hours of the ICC's announcement, Congressman Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be the next national security advisor, the court has "no credibility" and that it can "expect a strong response" when the Trump administration comes into office in January 2025. In response to the ICC, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham the court "a rogue and politically motivated organization that is trampling on the very concept of the rule of law". "I am confident that President Trump understands that the Court’s actions against Israel sets the foundation for the ICC to come after the United States one day. We must respond forcefully to the Court for our own good," he said. Graham previously welcomed the ICC arrest warrant issued in March 2023 against Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it "a step in the right direction for the international community". The calls for sanctioning the ICC also came in quickly from Republican members of Congress. Jim Risch, the ranking member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, used the social media account of the Foreign Relations Committee to advocate sanctions against the ICC. "The ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu & Gallant is a complete disgrace," Risch said. "The US must move forward with sanctions against this corrupt organization." I cannot emphasize enough my strong objection to what the ICC has done to the State of Israel. The ICC is a rogue and politically motivated organization that is trampling on the very concept of the rule of law. I made it abundantly clear that I believe this entire process is an... On Thursday morning, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, six months after chief prosecutor Karim Khan requested them. This is the first time in the court's 22-year history that it has issued arrest warrants for western-allied senior officials. The Hague-based court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the Hamas military chief better known as Mohammed al-Deif, despite Israeli claims that he was killed in Gaza. All individuals have been accused of a range of war crimes and crimes against humanity after 7 October 2023, when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel led to a full-fledged Israeli war on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians while recently expanding into an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Senator Bill Hagerty, who has been reported to be a candidate for the role of treasury secretary under the Trump administration, accused the court of antisemitism and issued a cryptic threat against the ICC. "This sham of a body masquerading as a 'court' has no jurisdiction over Israel or the US. The consequences of this shameful act will be felt soon," he . Tim Scott, a US senator who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the ICC ruling showed the court is "nothing more than an anti-Israel propaganda machine and a useful pawn for Iranian-backed terrorists". As much as Republicans were furious at the ICC's arrest warrants, Democrats largely remained quiet in the hours following the decision. At the time of publication, many Democrats had yet to publicly comment on the Thursday ruling by the international court. Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American member of the US Congress, issued a statement welcoming the ICC ruling, describing it as "long overdue". "Today’s historic arrest warrants cannot bring back the dead and displaced, but they are a major step towards holding war criminals accountable. Netanyahu and Gallant must be arrested and brought before the ICC," Tlaib said in her statement, which was shared with Middle East Eye. "Those American officials facilitating this genocide can no longer deny that their Israeli counterparts have used starvation as a weapon of war against a captive civilian population." Other Democrats, meanwhile, joined in the chorus of Republican anger at the ICC. "No standing, relevance, or path. Fuck that," Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman on X, finishing his post with an emoji of the Israeli flag. Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat from California, echoed the call for imposing sanctions against the ICC. "Given this outrageous perversion of justice and abetting of Hamas's tactics by the ICC, I believe the US must act swiftly to sanction the ICC," Sherman said in a statement. "We cannot allow the politicized distortion of international law and institutions go without consequence."

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Girls basketball roundup: Austin pours in 28 as Spring Garden wins in Champions semifinalsSyrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home

NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge. Two months off did nothing to slow the world's No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year. Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend. Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn't feel that way to him. "Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much," Scheffler said. "A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things." Asked if he felt any frustration he didn't take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused. "I think in this game I think a lot of all y'all are looking for perfection out of us," he said. "Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased." Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend. Thomas wasn't concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green. "You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are," Thomas said. "He's a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I'm honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It's a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you're on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies." Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind. No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn't always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole. Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It's the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet. He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Rivalry Closes Non-Brokered Private Placement Of Approximately $2.0 Million

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