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DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad , gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” “I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said. “And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.” Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. “I didn’t step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. “Since 11 or 12 years, I haven’t been this happy.” Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was “fear and trepidation for what’s to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build.” Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children — a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. “Unified Syria to build Syria,” the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad’s security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine — originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted — said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze.” The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians — especially its many minority communities — that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds . Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS — and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey’s Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant” — referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group — also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh — doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. “Having put Daesh back in its box, we can’t let it out, and we’re determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.BOSTON , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors (the "Board") of The China Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") has declared a distribution in the amount of $0.1497 per share. The distribution is comprised entirely of ordinary income. The dividend will be payable on January 10, 2025 , to stockholders of record on December 30, 2024 , with an ex-dividend date of December 30, 2024 . The Fund has a Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan (the "Plan") in which each stockholder automatically participates, unless the stockholder instructs Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (the "Plan Agent"), in writing, to have all distributions, net of any applicable U.S. withholding tax, paid in cash. If the Fund's shares are trading at a premium to the net asset value ("NAV") per share of the Fund on the distribution payment date, the Plan provides that stockholders will be issued Fund shares valued at NAV. If the Fund's shares are trading at a discount to the NAV per share, stockholders will be issued shares of the Fund valued at market price. Stockholders will not be charged a fee in connection with the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. A stockholder may terminate his or her participation in the Plan by notifying the Plan Agent in writing at the address below. Stockholders who have questions regarding the distribution may contact EQ Fund Solutions, LLC at 1-888-CHN-CALL (246-2255). The Fund is a closed-end management investment company with the objective of seeking long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities (i) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is in the People's Republic of China (" China "), or (ii) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is outside of China , or constituting direct equity investments in companies organized outside of China , that in both cases derive at least 50% of their revenues from goods and services sold or produced, or have at least 50% of their assets, in China . While the Fund is permitted to invest in direct equity investments of companies organized in China , it presently holds no such investments. The Fund's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CHN." The Fund's investment manager is Matthews International Capital Management, LLC. For more information regarding the Fund and the Fund's holdings, please call 1-888-CHN-CALL (246-2255) or visit the Fund's website at www.chinafundinc.com . For more information about the Plan or to terminate your participation in the Plan, please contact Computershare Trust Company, N.A. at c/o The China Fund, Inc. at P.O. Box 43078, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3078, by telephone at 1-800-426-5523 or via the Internet at www.computershare.com/investor . View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-china-fund-inc-declares-distributions-302331625.html SOURCE The China Fund, Inc.

Oxfordshire’s new MPs reflect on Tory wipeout in 2024 electionDrones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightingsNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 53-36 victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women's Battle 4 Atlantis on Sunday. The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday's first semifinal. Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers. Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Tar Heels held Villonova's leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line. Ustby had seven points and Donarski scored five to guide the Tar Heels to a 17-7 lead after one quarter. Donarski scored five more in the third quarter to help North Carolina turn a 30-18 lead at halftime into a 44-23 advantage heading to the final period. North Carolina shot 40% from the floor, made 5 of 17 from beyond the arc (29.4%) and 4 of 6 at the foul line. Villanova shot 23.5% overall but made 5 of 18 from distance (27.8%) and 7 of 10 free throws. The Tar Heels scored 15 points off of 21 Villanova turnovers. They turned it over 14 times but it led to only three points for the Wildcats. North Carolina outscored Villanova 30-14 in the paint and never trailed. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

The end is nigh for the Staten Island vampire roommates Nandor ( Kayvan Novak ), Nadja ( Natasia Demetriou ), Laszlo ( Matt Berry ), and Colin Robinson ( Mark Proskch ) and their human pal Guillermo ( Harvey Guillén ) as FX ‘s What We Do in the Shadows prepares to present its series finale episode on Monday, December 16th. In anticipation of the show’s ending, TV Insider caught up with stars Novak, Guillén, Berry, and Proksch alongside creatives Paul Simms , Sarah Naftalis, and Sam Johnson in our studio at New York Comic Con to discuss the final season. So, do they stick the landing? It’s a question that looms over the show as we anticipate the finale episode, but according to Proksch, they do indeed. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheerANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey on Friday ousted two more elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office and replaced them with state-appointed administrators, citing terrorism-related charges against them. With their ouster, the number of elected mayors that have been sacked since October rose to six. An Interior Ministry statement said the mayor of the mainly Kurdish-populated provincial capital of Tunceli was removed from office due to his past conviction and an ongoing investigation for links to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The district mayor for Ovacik, in Tunceli province, was sacked due to his past conviction of membership in the PKK, the statement said. The two mayors belong to the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, which is the third-largest party represented in Parliament. They were elected to office in local elections in March. Among those previously ousted was the mayor of Esenyurt, a district in Istanbul, who is a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, CHP. The mayor, Ahmet Ozer, was arrested last month, for alleged connections to the PKK. Several other pro-Kurdish mayors have similarly been ousted from office following past elections. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has defended the mayors' removals saying they are part of efforts to maintain security. Opposition parties and human rights groups, however, accuse the government of undermining democracy and say the charges brought against the mayors are often politically motivated. The PKK, which has led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since the 1980s, is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people.The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.The Blackhawks were blown out for the second time in three days Sunday after suffering that fate only once in their first 35 games. The ejection of forward Tyler Bertuzzi in the second period permanently shifted the momentum in the Hawks’ 5-1 loss to the Stars, who took the lead 12 seconds into the ensuing five-minute power play and never looked back. The Hawks have been outscored 11-3 in their last two games — they lost to the Sabres 6-2 on Friday — and will head into the Winter Classic on Tuesday in ugly form. Before the holiday break, a 6-3 loss Oct. 22 to the Canucks had been the only game in which they weren’t in striking distance in the third period. ‘‘It’s been tough after the break,’’ forward Teuvo Teravainen said. ‘‘A couple of really bad games. Pretty disappointing.’’ The Hawks played well in the first period and took a short-lived lead on a power-play goal by Connor Bedard , but they lost all energy after Bertuzzi’s elbowing penalty against former Hawks forward Colin Blackwell . It was a relatively innocuous hit to be upgraded to a major after review, and Teravainen said he didn’t think it should have been. The Stars then pulled away early in the third period, scoring twice against goalie Arvid Soderblom in a three-minute stretch in which defenseman Seth Jones said the Hawks ‘‘just sucked.’’ Interim coach Anders Sorensen used the same forward lines he used Friday, exemplifying one difference between him and former coach Luke Richardson , who became a serial shuffler in his final months. Sorensen said Saturday he wanted to ‘‘give guys another opportunity to redeem themselves.’’ That didn’t happen, but the line combinations weren’t really to blame. He did change the defensive pairs, however, and fans were bewildered to see Jones and T.J. Brodie — two veterans who have struggled recently — on the top pair. Their confusion proved justified, as both endured rough nights yet again. Jones was a minus-three and Brodie a minus-two. Sorensen later admitted the two ‘‘could be better.’’ For that matter, Bedard was a minus-four, although Sorensen said ‘‘some of [the goals] weren’t necessarily on him.’’ Bertuzzi’s surge Aside from his ejection, Bertuzzi has been a bright spot recently, arguably benefitting more than any Hawks player from the coaching change and all it has brought. The extra offensive-zone possession time gives him more opportunities to get set up in the crease. Bertuzzi has nine points — including six goals — in 11 games under Sorensen after notching an assist on Bedard’s goal in the first period. Classic anticipation The Hawks will head outside Monday to practice on the completed Wrigley Field rink, acclimating to the surface before the Winter Classic on Tuesday. Because Soderblom started in goal Sunday, Petr Mrazek likely will start Tuesday against the Blues, who lost to the Sabres 4-2 in their final game before the big event. As we’ve known all along , it won’t exactly be an impressive on-ice matchup. With plenty of fans already in town ahead of time, the United Center was packed Sunday with a sellout crowd of 20,627, the Hawks’ highest attendance of the season and second-highest of the last two seasons — topped by only Chris Chelios Night. The weather forecast for Tuesday has improved a bit in recent days. As of late Sunday, the Weather Channel was forecasting rain in the morning and clouds in the afternoon, which would work fine for the 4 p.m. game. The 40-degree high won’t be nearly as problematic as rain would be.

Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh and Opposition Member of Parliament Ketan Lal, who were both at the COP 29 meeting in Baku have exchanged harsh words on social media. Mr Lal stated despite pushing his way into the delegation at the last minute, after it had already been finalized, Mr Charan’s presence in Azerbaijan added little value to Fiji’s efforts. “He traveled in business class, with stopovers in Sydney and Dubai, all at the expense of taxpayers, yet only managed to attend two side events during the entire trip in Baku Azerbaijan,” said Mr Lal. “Even more troubling is that his speeches at these events were written by the same hardworking staff who were tirelessly negotiating on Fiji’s behalf until the early hours of the morning.” Mr Lal claimed Mr Singh was “lost and found” during the whole conference. “This is a blatant misuse of government funds and resources. Minister Charan not only wasted taxpayers’ money but also collected a hefty allowance for what amounted to a ceremonial appearance.” Mr Singh also posted a rebuttal on social media, stating “I am not like you here as a lapdog of another political party wasting Fiji’s taxpayers fund.” “By the way I didn’t even hear you on any side events at this COP29.” “You should be ashamed of traveling on the strength of Peoples Alliance majority led Government.’ “Please refund all your air ticket and per diem claims to the state if you walk your talk.”

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