d2d roulette

d2d roulette Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Dec 22 (PTI) The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is considering automation and the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence chatbot to "enhance transparency and efficiency in pilgrim services" at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, an official said on Sunday. TTD Executive Officer J Syamala Rao stated that the temple administration is exploring "futuristic technologies" to expedite accommodation, darshan, and other services while improving overall transparency and efficiency. "To accelerate accommodation, darshan, and other services for the multitude of visiting pilgrims and to enhance transparency and efficiency, TTD is considering automation instead of manual operations. We are also exploring the introduction of an AI chatbot for pilgrim services," Rao said while addressing reporters at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala. According to the EO, TTD’s ultimate goal is to "enrich the pilgrim experience while leveraging technology", all the while safeguarding "the spiritual and cultural sanctity" of Tirumala for future generations. Rao further noted that the temple administration is aligning with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of blending "traditional aesthetics with modern functionality" in Tirumala’s development. He added that TTD aims to position the world’s richest Hindu temple as a model pilgrimage center under its "Vision 2047", in alignment with the state government’s Swarna Andhra-2047 initiative. The vision emphasises planned development, environmental management, and heritage conservation in Tirumala, Rao said. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

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Manmohan Singh’s life and work, 1991-2014 will be a golden chapter in India’s history: ChidambaramSeoul: Embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote on Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ousting and deepen political chaos in South Korea , with a survey suggesting most South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. A protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul’s national assembly on Saturday. Credit: Bloomberg Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP), but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the national assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon’s impeachment or resignation. The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said the opposition would soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new motion after a new parliamentary session opens on Wednesday. Loading “We’ll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We’ll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year’s end.” Many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 21⁄2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it increase. The ruling party risks “further public outrage and national confusion if they don’t find a formula fast for Yoon’s departure”, said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington.

South Korean president avoids impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law

Homebound seniors living alone often slip through health system’s cracksImran Khan's wife emerges as Pakistan protest figure

Last week, I went to the Originator Connect holiday party and conference in Irvine. It was a good opportunity to sniff out innovative mortgage financing tools aimed at helping consumers just like you. For me, the find of the day was a home equity line of credit (HELOC) allowing bank statement deposits to be used as an income qualifying substitute for tax returns. I’ve come across bank statement fixed-rate second mortgages, where an applicant must pull all the money out at once, but I’ve never come across this concept for HELOCs. The big advantage with a HELOC is it allows you to borrow and pay it back, sort of like a business line of credit or a credit card, but at significantly cheaper rates. Many self-employed borrowers can show a nice flow of income through bank deposits, but the money doesn’t translate well enough when it comes to claiming enough qualifying net income on a tax return. Legitimate (or even illegitimate) expenses claimed on tax returns whittle down the taxable income. Hence, the bank statement loan program works for those who are unable to meet “full documentation” income and debt-ratio qualifications. What’s the catch? A borrower is going to pay a higher rate and more fees on this HELOC compared with a standard bank HELOC. Beggars can’t be choosers. If you can’t get a bank HELOC, you may be able to get a bank statement HELOC. Here’s an example: $500,000 loan, 75% loan-to-value and 740 middle FICO score offers a start rate of 10.125%. Assume points and closing costs of $7,000. Compare that to a full doc (tax returns to provide the income) bank HELOC, to which you might be paying zero costs with a starting rate of 8.25%. Among the program highlights: This twist on a HELOC is available for owner-occupied residences, second homes and investment properties. The maximum loan amount is $750,000. The borrower must pull out at least 80% of the line amount at closing. You cannot pay any of it back for 90 days. It’s a 20-year term. You can borrow and pay back for the first five years at interest-only payments. A borrower will have an additional 15 years to pay the line back. Also, you can pull out as much as 85% of the equity from your property. American Business Media (the conference organizer) arranges 30 shows a year around the United States. I asked the director of events, Navindra Persaud, what was the hottest topic for mortgage brokers these days. “Navigating higher (mortgage) rates and finding diversity to their (consumer) product offerings,” he told me. Speaking of diversity, another very interesting program is another version of fog-the-mirror lending (if you can fog a mirror, we’ll give you a loan). If you have the same or more liquid assets compared with the loan balance, no questions are asked about any job or income. That section of the application is left blank. For example, you are applying for a $750,000 mortgage. You are currently unemployed. And you can show $750,000 of money between your bank and brokerage accounts. You qualify for this fog-the-mirror-2.0 loan. As an aside, fog-the-mirror 1.0 includes no job or income, just nine months of payment reserves and excellent credit. No need to be able to match your mortgage balance with your liquid assets. Fog the mirror 1.0 carries a 8-8.5% interest rate on a 30-year fixed with about 2 points cost. The version 2.0 rate is between 7.5% and 8% with 2 points. Related Articles Housing | 30-year mortgage down to October levels at 6.69% Housing | Privatizing Fannie Mae would cause mortgage rates to soar, economist says Housing | FHFA loan limits rising to $1.2 million in LA and OC, top $806,000 in Inland Empire Housing | California affordability fixes: 3.5% loans, 50% raises, or 33% home-price cuts? Housing | ‘Difference is Trump’: American homebuyers brace for rate pain Other exotic loans Mixed-use: More and more new buildings are offering a combination of retail space and homes. Industry jargon for this is “mixed use.” For the most part, it’s hard to find mixed-use financing. One lender allows residential or commercial zoning for two to eight units, with a loan amount up to $2 million. Not bad. The rate is roughly 7.25% for a 30-year fixed with 2 points. Foreign borrowers: ITIN (individual taxpayer identification number) in lieu of a Social Security number, DACA and foreign national loans all were on display. The foreign national loan required zero U.S. credit, so long as the borrower is putting at least 30% down. The investor-borrower cannot reside in the U.S. Talk about the world being your oyster. When mortgage shopping and there seems to be nothing you want or need, be sure to have at least three mortgage brokers tell you the same thing: “It’s not out there.” Otherwise, keep looking, because you just might find a program that fits your needs. Freddie Mac rate news The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.69%, 12 basis points lower than last week. The 15-year fixed rate averaged 5.96%, 14 basis points lower than last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 2.8% mortgage application increase compared with one week ago. Bottom line: Assuming a borrower gets the average 30-year fixed rate on a conforming $806,500 loan, last year’s payment was $183 more than this week’s payment of $5,199. What I see: Locally, well-qualified borrowers can get the following fixed-rate mortgages with one point: A 30-year FHA at 5.625%, a 15-year conventional at 5.5%, a 30-year conventional at 6.25%, a 15-year conventional high balance at 5.99% ($806,501 to $1,209,750 in LA and OC and $806,501 to $1,077,550 in San Diego), a 30-year-high balance conventional at 6.5% and a jumbo 30-year fixed at 6.375%. Eye-catcher loan program of the week: A 30-year mortgage, with 30% down locked for the first 5 years at 5.875% with 1 point cost. Jeff Lazerson, president of Mortgage Grader, can be reached at 949-322-8640 or jlazerson@mortgagegrader.com .

Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed and President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

India, Kuwait elevate ties to strategic partnership following PM Modi's talks with top Kuwaiti leadership“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few metres from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and UN colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said. UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay later said the injured person was with the UN Humanitarian Air Service. Our mission to negotiate the release of staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport... — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) Israel’s army later told The Associated Press it was not aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military in a statement said it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel’s military added it had “capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively”. The strikes, carried out over 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned” as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths and showed broken windows, collapsed ceilings and a bloodstained floor and vehicle. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The US military has also targeted the Houthis in recent days. The UN has said the targeted ports are important entry points for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, while other missiles and drones have been shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor in what it says is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The UN Security Council has an emergency meeting on Monday in response to an Israeli request that it condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying them with weapons.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — As the Buffalo Sabres’ losing streak grew to six games on Saturday afternoon against the Utah Hockey Club , you could hear the sounds of a fan base at its wits’ end. One day earlier, general manager Kevyn Adams spoke about the state of the team in a press conference that did not go over well with fans . His quotes about Buffalo not being a “destination city” weren’t a hit. Neither was his statement that, “we don’t have palm trees. We have high taxes.” Those weren’t words fans were interested in hearing after they have endured 13 straight seasons without the playoffs, four of which have come with Adams as general manager. Advertisement So a few fans showed up for the Sabres’ game against Utah on Saturday with inflatable palm trees. Another had a sign with palm trees and a message that read, “Here’s your palm trees.” That may have been the extent of the fan unrest if the Sabres had managed to play an inspired game and stop their winless streak at five. Early in the game, it looked like the Sabres might even get a badly needed feel-good day at the rink. In the first period, Tyson Kozak scored the first goal of his NHL career on a hard-charging play at the net. Two nights ago, the native Manitoban had what would have been his first goal in his first NHL game against Winnipeg , but it was called back after a goalie interference review. This goal counted, but it ended up as a footnote in an otherwise miserable game for the Sabres. A moment Tyson Kozak will never forget! 😁 https://t.co/abTYN4BTS9 pic.twitter.com/And9zvtHtR — NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2024 In the second period, the Sabres came unglued. They were outshot 13-5, while Utah had a 14-2 advantage in scoring chances and an 8-1 advantage in high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five. Utah scored three goals that period and ended up with five straight goals on their way to a 5-2 win. It was the second time in three games the Sabres have allowed five straight goals within a game. That caused a frustrated fan base to become restless in the third period. There was a fan in the 300s trying to start a “Where is Terry?” chant, referring to team owner Terry Pegula, who was likely on his way to Los Angeles for the Buffalo Bills game against the Los Angeles Rams. Then there were the “Fire Kevyn!” chants that grew louder as Utah’s lead grew. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was irritated after the game. The 64-year-old coach came back to Buffalo thinking he was taking over a team ready to win. Now 27 games into the season, he’s dealing with a group of players that is repeating the same bad habits and making the simple plays look difficult. Advertisement “I think you can guess how I’m feeling,” Ruff said. “My job is to get them out of it, to stay with the process, don’t deviate. This was mentally one of the weakest games I’ve seen, you go offside that number of times. You don’t execute the small play. If you look at the execution on two of the goals, we could have got it out of our zone. Getting it out of our zone has been a big deal. We’ve talked about, ‘Get it out of our zone.’ We turned two pucks over on two goals that it’s on our tape and it results in a goal. The execution part and us executing at a high level was not good. We have to get back on the ice and practice the simple stuff that leads to better results.” “It’s not a care thing,” added Sabres forward Jason Zucker . “This room cares. This room has a lot of guys who care and want to do the right thing. It’s about doing it time and time again.” Ruff explained some of the lack of execution as players, “Feeling pressure.” But then followed it up with a question that will define this season for the Sabres as they slipped to 11-13-3, good for a .463 points percentage, 24th in the league. “Can you handle pressure?” he said. One player who has proven he can handle it in the past is Bowen Byram , who won a Stanley Cup with Colorado . He thought the Sabres were “outworked” and “out-competed” and noted that’s not a recipe for winning many games. “It hasn’t been good enough,” Byram said of the losing streak. “We’ve got to find a way to play well, especially when you’re down in the standings like we are right now. You can’t afford to give up easy points or get blown out of games. You have to be able to have a sniff every night.” Quick hits 1. Rasmus Dahlin missed his second straight game since back spasms forced him out of the loss to Colorado on Tuesday. Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson are both still out, too, but Ruff said they are getting closer to returning. Jack Quinn was a healthy scratch for the second straight game Advertisement 2. Byram had a strong game filling in for Dahlin. The Sabres outshot Utah 9-1 and didn’t allow a single high-danger chance when he was on the ice at five-on-five. There’s not a lot of room for silver linings in a game like that, but Byram was solid. 3. Beck Malenstyn tried to put a charge into the Sabres in the second period. He went hard on the forecheck and laid a big hit. He then dropped the gloves and fought Michael Kesselring . That was after Utah had already scored two goals 24 seconds apart earlier in the period. The Sabres allowed three more goals before finally answering. Malenstyn’s line with Kozak and Nicolas Aube-Kubel wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against. 4. Up next, the Sabres play the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers to finish a five-game home stand that has started 0-2-1. They came into this game with an 18 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to The Athletic ’s model. “We’re not playing well enough and we’re definitely not playing consistent enough,” Zucker said. “That’s on us in this room. We’ve got to fix it and we will.” (Photo: Chris Conaway Jr. / NHLI via Getty Images)

Facebook Messenger Twitter Whatsapp Email The U.S. Department of Commerce has selected GlobalFoundries to receive up to $1.5 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities intended to bolster the semiconductor supply chain by supporting multiple of the company’s sites across the northeast U.S. The National Institute of Standards and Technology said Wednesday the CHIPS investment is intended to boost U.S. competitiveness in the semiconductor industry by enhancing GF’s manufacturing facilities in New York and Vermont. CHIPS Investment Meant to Boost Production, Employment Rate The $1.5 billion fund will be included in GF’s planned $13 billion investment over the next 10 years or so for the modernization of the company’s existing sites in New York and Vermont. In addition, GF will build a new facility in New York. These facilities manufacture current-generation chips utilized for critical industries such as automotive, smart mobile, aerospace, defense and communications semiconductor technologies. Aside from strengthening the nation’s supply chain resilience, the investment is expected to generate around 9,000 construction and 1,000 manufacturing jobs. It will also support the Upstate New York Investing in America Workforce Hub, which aims to train New Yorkers for jobs in the semiconductor supply chain. “By investing in GF’s domestic manufacturing capabilities, we are helping to secure a stable domestic supply of chips that are found in everything from home electronics to advanced weapons systems,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo . Thomas Caulfield , president and CEO of GF, stated, “GF’s essential chips are at the core of U.S. economic, supply chain and national security. We greatly appreciate the support and funding from both the U.S. government and the states of New York and Vermont, which we will use to ensure our customers have the American-made chips they need to succeed and win.”PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Honey, they shrunk the catalogs. While retailers hope to go big this holiday season , customers may notice that the printed gift guides arriving in their mailboxes are smaller. Many of the millions of catalogs getting sent to U.S. homes were indeed scaled down to save on postage and paper, resulting in pint-sized editions. Lands’ End, Duluth Trading Company and Hammacher Schlemmer are among gift purveyors using smaller editions. Some retailers are saving even more money with postcards. Lisa Ayoob, a tech-savvy, online shopper in Portland, Maine, was surprised by the size of a recent catalog she received from outdoor apparel company Carbon2Cobalt. “It almost felt like it was a pamphlet compared to a catalog,” she said. Catalogs have undergone a steady recalibration over the years in response to technological changes and consumer behavior. The thick, heavy Sears and J.C. Penney catalogs that brought store displays to American living rooms slimmed down and gave way to targeted mailings once websites could do the same thing. Recent postal rate increases accelerated the latest shift to compact formats. The number of catalogs mailed each year dropped about 40% between 2006 to 2018, when an estimated 11.5 billion were mailed to homes, according to the trade group formerly known as the American Catalog Mailers Association. In a sign of the times, the group based in Washington rebranded itself in May as the American Commerce Marketing Association, reflecting a broadened focus. But don't expect catalogs to go the way of dinosaurs yet. Defying predictions of doom, they have managed to remain relevant in the e-commerce era. Retail companies found that could treat catalogs with fewer pages as a marketing tool and include QR and promo codes to entice customers to browse online and complete a purchase. Despite no longer carrying an extended inventory of goods, catalogs are costly to produce and ship. But they hold their own in value because of growing digital advertising costs, helping retailers cut through the noise for consumers barraged by multi-format advertisements, industry officials say. In an unlikely twist, notable e-commerce companies like Amazon and home goods supplier Wayfair started distributing catalogs in recent years. Amazon began mailing a toy catalog in 2018. That was the same year Sears, which produced an annual Christmas Wish Book Wish starting in 1933, filed for bankruptc y. Fans of printed information may rejoice to hear that apparel retailer J.Crew relaunched its glossy catalog this year. Research shows that the hands-on experience of thumbing through a catalog leaves a greater impression on consumers, said Jonathan Zhang, a professor of marketing at Colorado State University. “The reason why these paper formats are so effective is that our human brains haven’t evolved as fast as technology and computers over the past 10 to 20 years. We retain more information when we read something on paper. That's why paper books remain relevant," Zhang said. “The psychology shows that three-dimensional, tactile experiences are more memorable.” Pint-sized presentations still can work, though, because the purpose of catalogs these days is simply to get customers’ attention, Zhang said. Conserving paper also works better with younger consumers who are worried about the holiday shopping season's impact on the planet, he said. Postal increases are hastening changes. The latest round of postage hikes in July included the category with the 8.5-by-11-inch size that used to be ubiquitous for the catalog industry. Many retailers responded by reducing the size of catalogs, putting them in a lower-cost letter category, said Paul Miller, executive vice president and managing director of the American Commerce Marketing Association. One size, called a “slim jim,” measures 10.5 by 5.5 inches. But there other sizes. Some retailers have further reduced costs by mailing large postcards to consumers. Lands' End, for one, is testing new compact formats to supplement its traditional catalogs. This year, that included folded glossy brochures and postcards, along with other formats, Chief Transformation Officer Angie Rieger said. Maine resident Ayoob said she understands why retailers still use catalogs even though she no longer is a fan of the format. These days, she prefers to browse for products on the internet, not by flipping through paper pages. “Everybody wants eyeballs. There’s so much out there -- so many websites, so many brands,” said Ayoob, who spent 35 years working in department stores and in the wholesale industry. Targeting customers at home is not a new concept. L.L. Bean was a pioneer of the mail-order catalog after its founder promoted his famous “Maine Hunting Shoe” to hunting license holders from out-of-state in 1912. The outdoor clothing and equipment company based in Freeport, Maine, is sticking to mailing out regular-sized catalogs for now. “By showcasing our icons, the catalog became an icon itself,” L.L. Bean spokesperson Amanda Hannah said. "Even as we invest more in our digital and brand marketing channels, the catalog retains a strong association with our brand, and is therefore an important part of our omni-channel strategy, especially for our loyal customers.”

Israeli air strikes on Yemen airport ‘were metres from WHO chief’Wesley Bell renews push to oust St. Louis County councilman who hired stepdaughter