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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria amid an opposition offensive that has reached the capital's suburbs, declaring , "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” Trump's first extensive comments on the dramatic rebel push came while he was in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral. He argued that Syrian President Bashar Assad did not deserve U.S. support to stay in power. Assad's government has been propped up by the Russian and Iranian military, along with Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias, in a now 13-year-old war against opposition groups seeking his overthrow. The war, which began as a mostly peaceful uprising in 2011 against the Assad family's rule, has killed a half-million people, fractured Syria and drawn in a more than a half-dozen foreign militaries and militias. The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group and says has links to al-Qaida, although the group has since broken ties with al-Qaida.” The insurgents have met little resistance so far from the Syrian army. The Biden administration has suggested that their fast-moving advances toward Damascus demonstrate just how distracted those countries are by the war in Ukraine and other conflicts, but said that the U.S. is not backing the offensive and has not suggested the U.S. military will intervene. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, including U.S. forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have nonetheless been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration on how the U.S. would handle the sudden rebel advances against Assad. The United Nations' special envoy for Syria called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition” in Syria. In his post, Trump said Russia “is so tied up in Ukraine” that it “seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.” He said rebels could possibly force Assad from power. The president-elect condemned the overall U.S. handling of the war, but said the routing of Assad and Russian forces might be for the best. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he wrote in Saturday's post. An influential Syrian opposition activist in Washington, Mouaz Moustafa, interrupted a briefing to reporters to read Trump’s post and appeared to choke up. He said Trump’s declaration that the U.S. should stay out of the fight was the best outcome that the the Syrians aligned against Assad could hope for. Rebels have been freeing political detainees of the Assad government from prisons as they advance across Syria, taking cities. Moustafa pledged to reporters Saturday that opposition forces would be alert for any U.S. detainees among them and do their utmost to protect them. Moustafa said that includes Austin Tice, an American journalist missing for more than a decade and suspected to be held by Assad. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham renounced al-Qaida in 2016 and has worked to rebrand itself, including cracking down on some Islamic extremist groups and fighters in its territory and portraying itself as a protector of Christians and other religious minorities. While the U.S. and United Nations still designate it as a terrorist organization, Trump's first administration told lawmakers that the U.S. was no longer targeting the group's leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani.By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.
Special teams miscues prove costly for Bears in overtime loss to VikingsDakar — Le député Pape Djibril Fall (Samm sa kaddu, opposition), a préconisé, vendredi, le rétablissement du chemin de fer pour favoriser le transport de masse et rapprocher les zones de production des zones de consommation. "Rien que dans le département de Podor, les pertes post agricoles liées au transport sont estimés plus de 50 milliards de francs CFA par CFA. D'où l'importance de rétablir le chemin de fer pour rapprocher les zones de production des zones de consommation », a-t-il déclaré, après la Déclaration de politique générale du Premier ministre Ousmane Sonko. Le rétablissement du chemin de fer permettra par la même occasion de développer le transport de masse des personnes et des marchandises et de réduire les nombreux accidents routiers enregistrés chaque année dans le pays, selon lui. Il a par ailleurs plaidé pour le développement du logement social à travers la fiscalité. Lire l'article original sur APS .
Tottenham return to Southampton on Sunday for the first time since Antonio Conte’s explosive post-match rant, but current boss Ange Postecoglou has not lost any of his determination to succeed at the club. Conte’s last public act as Spurs head coach after a 3-3 draw at St Mary’s in 2023 was to launch a furious tirade against his own “selfish” players who he claimed “don’t want to play under pressure” before he seemed to turn on the board as he questioned the club’s ongoing trophy drought. Eight days later Conte had left Tottenham by mutual consent after a whirlwind 16-month period, with Postecoglou his eventual permanent successor. A post shared by Antonio Conte (@antonioconte) Postecoglou has been in charge of the Premier League club for two months longer than the Italian, but managed 12 fewer matches and is currently in the middle of an injury crisis which has resulted in a drop in form, with Spurs only able to claim one victory from their last eight fixtures. However, when Postecoglou was asked if he would jump ship in the wake of making remarks like Conte did in March, 2023, he said: “Look, I don’t think it’s fair to comment. “Antonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that. “I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. “I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn’t wavered one little bit. “I love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it.” Postecoglou was Celtic boss when Conte’s extraordinary 10-minute press conference made waves around the world, but acknowledged being aware of his predecessors’ comments and attempted to explain the psyche behind why a manager would make such a move. “I was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it,” Postecoglou smiled. “I think you know when a manager gets to that point that there’s obviously some underlying issues. “I think most of the time when managers do that they’re trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team. “In difficult moments, what you want from your leaders is action rather than inaction of just letting things drift along. He did it to try and get a positive impact on the group, one way or another. We’ve all been in that situation as a manager where you feel this is time to send a message.” Postecoglou sent out his own message on Thursday after a 1-1 draw away to Rangers when he insisted Timo Werner’s display “wasn’t acceptable” at Ibrox. Werner was replaced at half-time following an error-strewn performance, but was not alone in being below-par in Glasgow. A day later Postecoglou explained how with Spurs missing several key first-teamers, the onus is on their fit senior players to deliver a level of application and commitment – and admitted Werner will be required at St Mary’s on Sunday. “I’ve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I’m pulling kids out of school, I literally am,” Postecoglou mentioned in reference to 16-year-old duo Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett, who have recently made the bench. “That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them. “In normal times if you have a poor game, there’s a price to pay. It doesn’t exist right now. We need everybody we’ve got.”George Russell 's escalating feud with Max Verstappen is capturing the attention of the Formula 1 paddock, with suggestions emerging that there may be a political or strategic angle behind the Mercedes driver's actions. The controversy began in Qatar over a qualifying penalty, where Russell claims Verstappen threatened him with "violence" after the stewards' meeting. The dispute has since drawn in their team bosses, with Mercedes' Toto Wolff accusing Red Bull 's Christian Horner of acting like a "yapping little terrier." Horner responded in Abu Dhabi on Friday, saying, "I'd rather be a terrier than a wolf." At the centre of the feud, Russell accused Verstappen of being a "bully" and threatening to "put me on my f*cking head in the wall." "I think Russell's being a bit intense," former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde told Viaplay. "He is really going way too far." Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko defended Verstappen, claiming the Dutchman was truthful about the incident. "I believe him when he says that Russell didn't stick to the truth in his portrayal of events," Marko told Sport1. "Max is going to be a father, but that will only make his naturally strong character even stronger. He doesn't let himself be manipulated and always says what he thinks." Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher sided with Verstappen, saying, "Russell reacted too sensitively. He's playing the drama queen a little too much." McLaren's Lando Norris agreed, noting that Verstappen isn't attempting to intimidate others. "I don't think Max is trying to intimidate anyone. He just says it as it is, even if these days people don't always want to hear the truth," Norris commented. Reports indicate that the tension carried over to the end-of-season drivers' dinner in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen greeted Russell with a "Hi George," but Russell responded by moving his chair to the opposite end of the table. Dutch GT3 driver Indy Dontje suggested that Russell's behaviour might compromise his role as senior director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA). "That's a bit of a problem now because in principle he should represent the group of drivers, but he has indicated that he has no respect for one of them," Dontje told Ziggo Sport. Speculation is also growing that Russell's actions might be politically motivated. Dontje hinted that Russell could be preparing for Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes in 2026. "Maybe he knows that Max is coming that way in 2026," Dontje speculated. "If he ends up sitting next to Max, it's war. Otherwise, he could even take his seat away. He is setting something up." Red Bull's Marko, however, is keen to move on. "We have to focus on the car," he said. "If the drivers are fighting with each other, it has nothing to do with fixing the technical problems with our car." body check tags ::
NoneThe Chandigarh traffic police collected a whopping ₹ 22.69 crore in fines from traffic violators this year till December 24. The figure was almost half, at ₹ 10.35 crore, last year. A total of 9.68 lakh challans were issued this year out of which, 1,40,286 were generated by on-the-spot enforcement devices while the majority—8,28,672 challans—were issued using ITMS (Integrated Traffic Management System) cameras. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sumer Pratap Singh, said, “A significant number of challans are now being issued through CCTV cameras, which highlights the increasing role of technology in our traffic enforcement efforts. Violators have an option to pay challans online through links directly sent to them on their system. This shift allows us to monitor violations more efficiently and ensures that offenders are held accountable.” Under the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), more than 2,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in the city at 47 odd traffic junctions to keep a check on traffic violators. A dedicated fibre network (250km) has been laid with CCTVs being installed at 267 locations. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ram Gopal, who is also heading the PCCC, said, “Our teams at PCCC monitor traffic violations round-the-clock in three shifts: morning, afternoon, and night. Each shift is staffed by 30 to 32 operators who are dedicated to tracking and addressing traffic violations.” Rudesh Kumar, project manager at ICCC, explained, “Under this project, there are 2,100 CCTV cameras installed across Chandigarh. What sets this system apart from other cities is that it is AI-driven. This means that the cameras are capable of automatically detecting and recording traffic violations, even when an operator is not actively monitoring the system. The system is programmed to recognise specific traffic offences as defined in the system’s database. Once a violation is detected in the camera, it automatically captures it. The operator later reviews the footage, confirms the violation, and then issues the challan. In contrast, in other cities, the operator manually observes the footage in real time and issues a challan based on their assessment.” Red-light jumping most frequent offence An analysis of the data reveals red light jumping as the most frequent offence, accounting for 4,89,382 challans, nearly 50% of the total violations. Speeding followed with 1,45,307 challans. Violations of helmet rules were also a significant concern, with 84,616 challans issued to riders without helmets. “The highest number of challans are issued for red-light jumping, as 40 major junctions in the city are equipped with cameras that detect this violation. As a result, violators who jump red lights are captured more frequently. In contrast, there are currently 10 cameras monitoring for speeding violations. However, there are plans to expand the network by adding more cameras in the future,” added Kumar.Ange Postecoglou fights on as Tottenham return to scene of Antonio Conte rant
