sg777 manila The biggest shake-up in the advertising agency landscape in decades is upon us as Omnicom announces the acquisition of IPG. Omnicom boss John Wren with IPG counterpart Philippe Krakowsky / Omnicom It’s now official. After overnight leaks, Omnicom has today confirmed that it has agreed to acquire its fellow New York-based holding company Interpublic in a deal that would create the world’s largest advertising agency business. In a joint statement, the two companies said their boards had unanimously approved the takeover of IPG (valued at $10.9bn at the close of trading on Friday) by its larger competitor (Omnicom was worth $20.2bn at Friday’s close). The combined group will have net revenue of more than $20bn. This would make it the biggest advertising holding company in the world in revenue terms, shifting the balance of power to the US from Europe, where London-based WPP and Paris-based Publicis Groupe have been battling for supremacy. Just last week, Publicis was touting the news that it was finally about to usurp WPP and become number one holding company by the end of 2024. “This strategic acquisition creates significant value for both sets of shareholders by combining world-class, highly complementary data and technology platforms enabling new offerings to better serve our clients and drive growth,” said John Wren, chairman & chief executive of Omnicom. “This combination represents a tremendous strategic opportunity for our stakeholders, amplifying our investments in platform capabilities and talent as part of a more expansive network,” added Philippe Krakowsky, Interpublic’s chief exec. Wren will remain chairman & chief exec of Omnicom. Phil Angelastro will remain EVP & chief finance officer of Omnicom. Philippe Krakowsky and Daryl Simm will serve as co-presidents and chief operating officers of Omnicom. Krakowsky will also be co-chair of the Integration Committee post-merger Omnicom’s flagship agencies include BBDO, DDB, TBWA, OMD and PHD while IPG counts McCann, FCB, MullenLowe and IPG Mediabrands among its marquee shops. Despite sharing similarly storied histories, their recent fortunes have been contrasting. Omnicom reported 6.5% organic growth year-over-year in its Q3 figures , but IPG’s revenues have been flat, and it is selling off the digital agencies Huge (already gone) and R/GA (on the way – unless this deal offers a buzzer-beater reprieve) in order to improve its balance sheet . “I don’t think there will be too much surprise IPG is being sold given both its operational and share price performance and recent sales of agencies,” wrote the analyst Ian Whittaker. Haven’t we seen this movie before? Omnicom was close to a similarly transformative deal a decade ago when it agreed to a stunning $35bn mega-merger with Publicis Groupe. Announced in July 2013 with a celebratory photo call between then-Publicis chief executive Maurice Levy and Omnicom counterpart Wren in front of the Arc De Triomphe, the so-called “merger of equals” ultimately descended into a power struggle, and the deal collapsed in May 2014. Advertisement It’s a cautionary tale that while the Omnicom-IPG merger has been announced, replete with the customary shot of new partners Wren and Krakowsky together, there will still be much to unpack behind the scenes before any agreement becomes official. The two parties say they expect the deal to close in “the second half of 2025”. What hurdles could stand in the way? As the breakdown of the Publicis Omnicom merger demonstrated, deals of this scale are not straightforward to complete no matter the initial willingness of the parties involved. Holding companies are rife with internal politics, with individual agency brands effectively competing with each other for self-preservation as their behemoth parent companies are squeezed by budget-cutting clients or encroaching tech giants. This has given rise over the last decade to the age of holding company reinvention or – to put it less euphemistically – rationalization. At IPG, this has most recently manifested itself in R/GA being put up for sale and Huge being offloaded to private equity firm AEA Investors last week. “Putting more and more separate branded businesses into big silos is not an option in a deal of this kind,” says Matt Lacey of Waypoint Partners. “Therefore, we are likely to see significant consolidation of agency brands over the next few years, akin to what WPP has been doing .” Advertisement Omnicom and IPG will no longer merely need to work out how to get their own houses in order, but each other’s. This will mean settling issues such as the conflicts of interest that will inevitably arise from their agencies sharing clients in the same categories and the political minefield of who gets the top jobs. ( The battle to choose the CFO was said to be one of the stumbling blocks in the Publicis-Omnicom negotiations ). Perhaps, though, this is where having a clear senior partner will make the process easier than the always fanciful notion that a “merger of equals” could be achievable à la the doomed Publicis Omnicom Group. Both firms being headquartered in the same city may help with the practical challenges that any such merger presents (people, corporate structure, tax, offices, culture etc), but the US dominance may add to the deal’s difficulty. As Whittaker says: “Don’t assume this deal will get regulatory approval ... the Republicans view the advertising/agency industry not as a friend and the new administration [looks] as though it will continue, or accelerate, the Biden administration actions.” How will rivals react? Having gone to the trouble of recruiting Snoop Dogg to celebrate becoming the holding company top dog, the team at Publicis Groupe will not be thrilled at such news dropping this hot only a matter of days later. Until this point, the industry-leading growth of the Arthur Sadoun-led firm had undoubtedly been the holding company story of the year. Expect Publicis now to push the narrative that it has grown to outstrip its competition without having to buy any of them. Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team. Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team. Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum. Curiously, a report did surface on the financial blog Betaville last week suggesting Publicis was lining up a bid for IPG though that rumor was ultimately unsubstantiated. Will this trigger a wave of consolidation across the marcomms space? Many eyes will turn to WPP, likely dethroned either by Publicis, this new entity or both as the world’s biggest holding company after years at the top, in expectation of a response. But perhaps some of the most interesting activity will be a rung down from the super-sized holdcos. As The Drum columnist and Green Square partner Barry Dudley puts it: “The Vivendi break up feels like one can become four, as an undervalued group spins itself out. While Omnicom and IPG coming together is more 1 + 1 equals 1.75.”Jimmy Carter was a presidential paradox – a son of the Deep South devoted to civil rights, a small businessman wary of his party’s labor union base, a devout Baptist abhorred by the rising religious right, a submarine officer who was reluctant to commit American forces in war and a ferocious campaigner who disdained the compromises of governing. He parked politics at the Oval Office door, believing he would be reelected if he did “the right thing,” freeing him to take on challenges other presidents shirked. Congress enacted 70% of his ambitious agenda , a record surpassed only slightly by the fabled President Lyndon Johnson. Carter, who died Sunday at age 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia, was our most accomplished one-term modern president, whose enduring achievements were eclipsed by inflation, Iran, inexperience and interparty warfare. The energy security America enjoys rests on the foundation of his three comprehensive energy bills , ending price controls on domestic production of oil and natural gas, focusing on conservation, and inaugurating the era of wind and solar energy. Average Americans benefited from the consumer advocates he placed in regulatory agencies, along with legislation that opened up transportation to competition, from trucking to railroads to airlines, making air travel affordable for the middle class and clearing the way for new carriers like Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. He even removed Prohibition-era regulations that had blocked the rise of the local craft beer industry and began telecommunications deregulation that ushered in the cable era. Jimmy Carter's extraordinary life: Imperfect in office to consequential former president Jimmy Carter was a clean energy pioneer Carter was the greatest environmental president since Theodore Roosevelt, doubling the size of the national park system through the Alaska Lands Act. With typical attention to detail, he spread a map of Alaska on the Oval Office rug and on his hands and knees persuaded Alaska’s senior Republican senator to accept setting aside over 157 million acres for protection against development. In ethically challenged Washington, Carter's campaign pledges – “ I will never lie to you ” and seeking a government “ as good " as the American people – were translated into lasting reforms: the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act , prohibiting companies from paying bribes to foreign officials to get business; the 1978 Inspector General Act , creating independent inspectors general to root out fraud and abuse in federal agencies; and the 1978 Ethics in Government Act , requiring senior officials to disclose their assets, restrict gifts and limit post-employment lobbying, and authorizing the appointment of special prosecutors to investigate wrongdoing – the precursor to special counsel Robert Mueller and his Russia investigation during the Trump presidency. With Walter Mondale, Carter created the modern vice presidency, making his running mate a full partner in government with a West Wing office and access to all classified papers. He appointed more women and minorities to judgeships and senior posts than all the previous 38 presidents together, and he supported affirmative action , angering his conservative Southern base. Carter's domestic Achilles' heel was also his finest hour: tackling a decade of runaway inflation impervious to traditional remedies. Inflation was high during the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford presidencies and rose further under Carter, with the oil shock and gas lines from the radical Iranian revolution. First lady Rosalynn Carter: From mental health to Camp David to the campaign trail, she made her mark He told us that every measure he tried had failed, and that even if it doomed his reelection he would choose Paul Volcker to chair the Federal Reserve, knowing full well it would mean tight money and sky-high interest rates that his advisers, including me, warned would be political poison. Carter never complained. Volcker’s prescription worked – not in time to earn him a second term, but it laid the foundation for the low inflation we enjoy today, even with the temporary spike from the pandemic recovery. Stronger America at home and abroad In foreign policy, Carter's most lasting success was the greatest feat of personal presidential diplomacy in American history. Deliberately isolated at Camp David for 13 agonizing days in September 1978 with the mutually distrustful Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Carter crafted more than 20 successive draft agreements seeking common ground. With all participants exhausted, Begin was ready to go home. Carter applied a personal touch by inscribing photographs of the three leaders to Begin’s eight grandchildren . The Israeli prime minister’s eyes teared, he relented and the rest is history: For more than four decades, the peace treaty Carter negotiated between Egypt and Israel has been central to Israel’s security and to America’s national interest. A lion at dusk: Jimmy Carter's greatest accomplishments have been in health and welfare Carter made human rights a central tenet and applied those principles to the Latin American dictatorships, creating a new era in hemispheric relations along with the Panama Canal Treaty. With the Soviet Union, he combined soft and hard power: championing human rights for Soviet Jews and others, increasing defense spending, greenlighting military modernization programs (that President Ronald Reagan later built upon) and taking a tough stand on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan . It was confrontation with the Iranian revolution, a conundrum no president has resolved, that brought down Carter. He supported our ally, the shah of Iran, to the bitter end, and urged the shah's army to stand up to the Islamic regime that followed. Carter was the last holdout, and after he agreed to let the shah enter the United States for cancer treatment, radical students took American diplomats hostage in our Tehran embassy. Carter mistakenly promised their families he would put their safety first, giving the Iranians leverage, and refused to blockade Iran’s oil export ports. He holed himself up in the White House to concentrate on their release, keeping the humiliating story on television for 444 nights . The crowning blow was a bold but unsuccessful rescue mission doomed by too few helicopters, unexpected sandstorms, and the failure of our four military services to coordinate the complex mission. But as commander in chief, he took sole responsibility. David Jones, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, recounted to me in an interview for my book what Carter had told him: If the mission succeeded, it would be their success; if it failed, it would be on his shoulders. Carter’s enemies dismissed him as ineffectual, and former President Donald Trump called his accomplishments "peanuts," but they were wrong. Jimmy Carter does not deserve a place on Mount Rushmore with our greatest presidents, but he belongs in the foothills with others who strengthened our country and its place in the world. His vice president, Walter Mondale, put it succinctly in words now etched on the Carter Presidential Library : “We told the truth, we obeyed the law, we kept the peace.” Stuart E. Eizenstat was chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 and held several senior positions in the Clinton administration from 1993 to 2001, including U.S. ambassador to the European Union, undersecretary of Commerce, undersecretary of State and deputy secretary of the Treasury. He is the author of " President Carter: The White House Years ."ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100Jeju Air crash that killed 179 prompts South Korea to probe country's airline operation system

Ottawa Fire Services are reminding residents to be cautious with dogs around icy waters after crews were called to several ice rescues in the last week. Ottawa fire spokesperson Nick Defazio says the ice rescue team was called three separate times for calls regarding dogs going through ice. The rescues included an elderly woman who fell into a pond in Stittsville on Wednesday after trying to pull her dog from the water. The woman was treated for hypothermia symptoms and transported to hospital with serious injuries, paramedics said. Crews also responded to another call in Stittsville and one in Osgoode, Defazio says. No pets suffered serious injuries. The rescues come during the first blast of winter cold this week after a warmer than usual November. Despite temperatures reaching below freezing overnight, the Canadian Red Cross recommends that ice be at least 15 centimetres for a single person or 20 centimetres for a group to stand on the ice. "If your dog does go through the ice, never go in and try to rescue them. Call 911 and try your best to get a visual signal on your pet," Defazio said. "Our ice rescue teams are highly trained, and we have quick response times. The best chance for your pet's survival is to call us." Ottawa fire recommends keeping your dog on leash near open water. Weather conditions in Ottawa are expected to stay mild early this week but will get colder going into the weekend. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader of the insurgency in Syria, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing to ties to al-Qaida. A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's has stretched beyond New York City and continues. Here's what we know so far. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend. Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton. Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them. Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025 Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century. Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people. Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule. Atlantic Dalhousie University study applies artificial intelligence to sustainable dairy farming A researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax is applying modern technology to ancient practice to identify trends in methane emissions from Canadian dairy farms. Federal Government announces more than $1 billion to meet New Brunswick’s electrical needs Natural Resources Canada announced it will spend more than $1 billion for the province of New Brunswick to meet growing electricity demands in a news release Sunday. The 61st Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon raises more than $559,000 for children in need The 61st annual Christmas Daddies Telethon continued its proud Maritime tradition, raising more than $559,000 for children in need on Saturday. Toronto Suspect wanted after victim forcibly confined, assaulted, and threatened with death in Scarborough Police have released images of an individual who allegedly forcibly confined, and assaulted and threatened to kill another person in southwest Scarborough over the weekend. Ontario saw the highest number of whooping cough cases in the last 17 years: report The number of whooping cough cases in Ontario this year has reached a level that hasn't been seen in 17 years. Car crash sends at least 2 to hospital and leaves debris on Mississauga Road At least two people were taken to the hospital after their vehicle crashed into a pole near Winston Churchill Boulevard at Derry Road overnight. Montreal Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend. Quebec reaches agreement in principle with home daycare workers, ending strikes Quebec has reached an agreement with child-care workers who have been on strike for weeks. This Ontario family's car was stolen in Montreal with their dog still in it An Ontario family's car was stolen with their dog still in it. The car was found, but their furry friend is missing. Northern Ontario Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023. How the combination of diapers and splash pads led to 10K illnesses New research is raising concerns about the safety of splash pads, which can be ground zero for germs and greatly increase the risk of spreading disease. Windsor Windsor hockey association holds first Teddy Bear Toss Stuffed animals flew over the glass at the rink inside the Adie Knox Herman Recreation Complex Sunday morning. What’s lowering Detroit River water levels? If you’ve noticed the current along the Detroit River sitting lower than usual, you’re not alone. 'They’re going through hell': TLC Foundation treats children with cancer to free shopping spree The TLC Foundation invited over 200 children from southwestern Ontario to Toys R Us in London, Ont. for a free shopping spree. London Roof of historic hotel collapses in Bayfield A week’s worth of heavy snow coupled with rain overnight in Bayfield proved too much for the roof of the historic Albion Hotel. 'They’re going through hell': TLC Foundation treats children with cancer to free shopping spree The TLC Foundation invited over 200 children from southwestern Ontario to Toys R Us in London, Ont. for a free shopping spree. On the Bright Side with Julie Atchison To brighten your week with good news, CTV London Meteorologist Julie Atchison is showing us the sunny side of things. Kitchener Two 16-year-olds charged with Brantford stabbing Two Brantford teens are accused of a stabbing that sent the victim to hospital with serious injuries. Roof of historic hotel collapses in Bayfield A week’s worth of heavy snow coupled with rain overnight in Bayfield proved too much for the roof of the historic Albion Hotel. Corporate pros trade in ties for tape at 'Battle for the Belt' boxing match A boxing coach in Waterloo Region is bringing a new kind of fight to the ring, in a bold move to prove that grit exists beyond the boardroom. Barrie Pair of sleeping drivers charged in drug bust Two drivers are facing charges after they were allegedly found sleeping in their respective vehicles and possessing a quantity drugs Saturday afternoon in Waubaushene. Driver charged after sliding onto someone’s lawn: OPP Caledon OPP charged a driver after they allegedly slid their vehicle onto someone’s front lawn earlier this week. Small community hosts 27th annual Santa parade Simcoe County saw one of its last Santa Claus parades of the holiday season, as the small community of Anten Mills in Minesing hosted their 27th annual Santa parade Sunday afternoon. Winnipeg Wintery weather warnings in effect for southern Manitoba Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued several snowfall, winter storm and freezing rain warnings for much of southern Manitoba. Snowplows expected to hit Winnipeg streets Sunday evening The weather outside is frightful, but the City of Winnipeg hopes to make roads slightly more delightful – and useable – with its snowplows. Minnedosa residents urged to reduce sewage usage due to winter storm People living in Minnedosa are being asked to reduce their sewage usage or risk a sewage backup in their homes and businesses. Calgary Calgary police stage checkstop on National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day Calgary police launched their first holiday checkstop Saturday night on Stoney Trail. Inglewood’s Blues Can announces closing date – and a new home The Blues Can has a new home. Kiwanis Club and Toys ‘R’ Us team up to give hundreds of kids Christmas gifts Northmount Kiwanis Club of Calgary invited 500 kids to Toys "R" Us for its annual Toy Project Sunday. Edmonton Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton. Drivers face slippery road conditions east of Edmonton into Saskatchewan Freezing rain, snow and plummeting temperatures on Sunday in east-central Alberta are making road conditions slippery. 2 arrested in connection with Friday killing of 20-year-old security guard Two people have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old security guard at a downtown apartment building on Friday. Regina Sask. RCMP arrest 1 suspect in White Bear First Nation killing, 1 still at large Saskatchewan RCMP have arrested one suspect in connection to the Dec. 3rd death of Talon Lonethunder on White Bear First Nation. The remaining suspect in the killing remains at large. Winter storm warnings active across central Saskatchewan As snow continues to fall across the province, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued winter storm warnings for a large tract of central Saskatchewan. Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people. Saskatoon Saskatoon under winter storm warning with freezing rain, heavy snow forecasted A winter storm warning has been issued for the city of Saskatoon and parts of west central Saskatchewan by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). No injuries reported following semi rollover on Sask. highway Battlefords RCMP were on the scene of a single semi rollover on Highway 16 between Delmas and North Battleford Sunday afternoon. Sask. RCMP arrest 1 suspect in White Bear First Nation killing, 1 still at large Saskatchewan RCMP have arrested one suspect in connection to the Dec. 3rd death of Talon Lonethunder on White Bear First Nation. The remaining suspect in the killing remains at large. Vancouver End of the Eras Tour, with Taylor Swift to take final bow in Vancouver Taylor Swift touched down on five continents during her Eras Tour, and now fans from around the world are awaiting its final curtain at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. Here’s when parking passes are required for Mount Seymour People visiting Mount Seymour Provincial Park during the peak winter season will need to book a parking spot in advance, starting on Dec. 12. Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them. Vancouver Island B.C. NDP provincial director hospitalized after 'serious medical emergency' The former B.C. NDP MLA for Chilliwack and newly appointed provincial director, Dan Coulter, is in hospital after suffering a “serious medical emergency,” according to the party. Prince George Taylor Swift fans rent car after flight to Vancouver cancelled A diehard Taylor Swift fan who lives in Prince George, B.C., says a flight cancellation forced her and a group of other Swifties to rent a car and make the near 800-kilometre journey to Vancouver to catch the last dates of the Eras Tour. Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Stay Connected

Lehigh holds off Long Island U late, earn a 60-59 win

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Reserve Jahni Summers led Indiana State past St. Louis Pharmacy on Saturday with 22 points in a 101-53 win. Summers went 8 of 11 from the field (6 for 9 from 3-point range) for the Sycamores (8-4, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Markus Harding finished 6 of 7 from the field to add 13 points. Samage Teel shot 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points. The Eutectics were led in scoring by Ahian Barnett, who finished with 12 points. St. Louis Pharmacy also got 10 points from Moctar Keita. Bryant Odunayo also put up 10 points. Indiana State took the lead with 19:49 left in the first half and never looked back. Summers led their team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 56-19 at the break. Indiana State pulled away with a 13-3 run in the second half to extend a 39-point lead to 49 points. Indiana State visits Ohio State in its next matchup on December 29. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated PressIndiana coach Mike Woodson is happy that his team has won three straight games but concerned that it's committing too many turnovers. Limiting miscues is at the top of his wish list for Monday night's Big Ten Conference opener against visiting Minnesota in Bloomington, Ind. While the Hoosiers (7-2) shot 53.8 percent and dominated Miami (Ohio) 46-29 on the glass during a 76-57 win at home Friday night, they also had more turnovers (16) than assists (15). Having played for Bob Knight at Indiana, Woodson is fanatical about his team executing its offense without making mistakes. "We were taking chances on passes that weren't there," Woodson said. "We have to fix it. If we start Big Ten play like that, it puts you in a hole." In between careless mistakes, the Hoosiers got a huge game out of Oumar Ballo, the Arizona transfer who had 14 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. It was his 35th career double-double but his first at Indiana. Ballo (12.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds) is one of four players averaging double figures for the Hoosiers. They're led by Malik Reneau, who's hitting for 15.4 ppg on 58.9 percent shooting. While Indiana tries to fine-tune its game, the Golden Gophers (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten) aim to get to the .500 mark in conference play after absorbing a 90-72 beating Wednesday night against visiting Michigan State. There was good news for Minnesota in that game. Mike Mitchell Jr. returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a high ankle sprain and drilled 5 of 9 3-pointers in a 17-point performance. Mitchell's shooting should aid an attack that ranks 311th in Division I in 3-point percentage at 29.7 percent as of Sunday. "He's a difference-maker in terms of being able to space the floor," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said of Mitchell. "He provides offensive firepower and a guy who can make shots and take pressure off our offense." Dawson Garcia leads the team at 19 ppg, while Lu'Cye Patterson and Mitchell are scoring 10 ppg. The Hoosiers own a 109-69 lead in the all-time series. --Field Level Media

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to bring tax defaulters into the tax net and take strict action against non-compliance. He made the remarks while presiding over a crucial review meeting on the strategies to enhance revenue collection on Saturday. During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the installation and monitoring of video analytics in the sugar industry. Highlighting the importance of technology, the prime minister said, "Improving the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) performance through technology is the government's top priority." He emphasized that the use of video analytics in the sugar industry would significantly improve revenue collection, eliminate hoarding, and help stabilise prices. "Our utmost effort is to ensure the availability of sugar at an affordable price for the public," he stated, directing regular monitoring of sugar stocks to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain. The prime minister also ordered stringent and indiscriminate action against tax evasion and under-reporting by sugar mills. He underscored that ongoing measures for the FBR's digitization would bring billions of rupees in benefits to the national treasury. Additionally, the prime minister instructed the swift completion of FBR's value chain digitization and called for the rapid implementation of video analytics in the cement and tobacco industries. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik, and senior government officials. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourThe Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are in a two-horse race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Las Vegas and New York are the only two-win squads in the NFL after the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans during the early window in Week 14. Jacksonville's win cleared the path for the Raiders and Giants to keep losing and compete for the top selection. The Jaguars shifted down the draft order, but they are still in the top five at No. 5. Jacksonville's victory produced a crowded set of three-win teams stacked from No. 3 to No. 8 in the draft order. All of those teams have 3-10 records. 1. Las Vegas (2-11) 2. New York Giants (2-11) 3. New England (3-10) 4. Carolina (3-10) 5. Jacksonville (3-10) 6. Tennessee (3-10) 7. New York Jets (3-10) 8. Cleveland (3-10) 9. Cincinnati (4-8) 10. Chicago (4-8) 11. New Orleans (5-8) 12. Dallas (5-7) 13. San Francisco (5-7) 14. Miami (6-7) 15. Indianapolis (6-7) 16. Atlanta (6-7) 17. Los Angeles Rams (6-6) 18. Arizona (6-6) 19. Tampa Bay (7-6) 20. Seattle (7-5) 21. Washington (8-5) 22. Denver (8-5) 23. Houston (8-5) 24. Baltimore (8-5) 25. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) 26. Green Bay (9-4) 27. Pittsburgh (10-3) 28. Minnesota (11-2) 29. Buffalo (10-2) 30. Philadelphia (11-2) 31. Kansas City (11-1) 32. Detroit (12-1) The Raiders and Giants left Week 14 with 2-11 records. The co-worst teams in the NFL lost in different ways on Sunday afternoon. Las Vegas stood no chance in its double-digit loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Giants fell on a missed field goal at the last second to the New Orleans Saints. The Raiders are currently in front of the Giants on the strength of schedule tiebreaker. Las Vegas has a .533 SOS, while the Giants have a .544 SOS. Las Vegas has three home games left in its last four games, but two of them come against potential playoff teams. Its most winnable game left on the schedule is against Jacksonville in two weeks. New York has the tougher closing stretch with home games against Baltimore and Indianapolis and road trips to Philadelphia and Atlanta. The Giants have the better chance of finishing 0-4 based on their opponents, but they've also displayed more fight of late compared to the Raiders. New York lost four of its last five games by five points or less, while Vegas has four double-digit losses in its last five contests. Jacksonville ended its five-game losing streak with an AFC South win over Tennessee. While the win might be huge for confidence within the locker room, it does hurt the Jags' draft stock a bit. The Jags dropped down to the No. 5 overall pick and away from the Raiders and Giants. All three of those teams entered Week 14 with two wins. Doug Pederson's team might drift further away from the top three because it has two winnable games left on its schedule. The Jags visit the Raiders in Week 16 and play the Titans for the second time in Week 17. Two wins in those games would put the Jags closer to No. 10 than No. 5. Whether or not any more wins will help Pederson's job security remains to be seen, but if he is let go, he may end up hurting the team's draft position if the Jags win more games toward the potential end of his tenure.None

Haid has 24 as Cent. Conn. St. beats Quinnipiac 84-80Qatar tribune It seems everyone has a theory on the nocturnal drone sightings that have alarmed residents in the Northeast. They’re from our government, they’re from a foreign country, they’re planes, they’re just normal drones, they’re extraordinary craft that elude regular detection. One thing we are sure of: The Biden Administration has dropped the ball on transparency and communication. Speculation can bloom only when there’s a lack of leadership, or when people don’t trust the powers that be. There have been more than 5,000 sightings reported on the East Coast states in recent weeks, according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security. But White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby led off the weekend by saying there was nothing to fear and that people may be imagining things, according to reports. Over 5,000 sightings is a heck of a lot of imagination. Michael Mastronardy, sheriff of Ocean County, New Jersey, said he sent his own “industrial grade” drone into the air late last week in a bid to follow one of 50 unmanned aerial vehicles a local cop saw “coming off the ocean.” The mysterious drones swiftly maneuvered out of their clutches, Mastronardy told News Nation reporter Rich McHugh. In an interview with Fox News Live on Saturday, former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman theorized that the phenomena might be part of a “classified exercise” mounted by the Biden Administration. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim went out on drone patrol with local police late last week and said he believes some lights in the sky he came across were possibly drones, but most others — after “deeper analysis” — appear to have just been planes, the New York Post reported. The latest word from the White House: “...these aircraft people are seeing are a mix of law enforcement drones, commercial drones and hobbyists. We continue to see nothing that indicates a public safety risk or national security risk,” Kirby said. “There are 1 million drones registered with the FAA here in the United States. Thousands upon thousands fly in our skies legally and lawfully every single day doing all kinds of good things for the public good. The Northeast corridor is one of the busiest,” he said. Lots of drones doing lots of good things. Yet, sources told CNN Monday, the U.S. government is sending drone detection and tracking systems to two military facilities in New Jersey. There are also helicopters monitoring drones in Pennsylvania. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s asking the Department of Homeland Security to deploy special detection systems that use 360-degree technology to detect drones. New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a retired Navy helicopter commander, slammed the Biden administration for a lack of “coordination and communication,” concerning the drones and/or planes, The Hill reported. “After weeks of unidentified-drone sightings over New Jersey...the drones remain unidentified,” she said. This may all be reduced to memes in weeks, or be remembered as the Great Drone Scare of ’24. But one thing is certain: when it comes to taking action, it’s the local pols who are stepping up for concerned constituents and not the feds. And that’s not our imagination. Copy 22/12/2024 10

Palestinian factions say they hope the new Syrian authorities will support Palestine’s struggle for freedom and justice. Palestinian factions have largely expressed support for the Syrian people after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad while saying that they hope the new authorities will support the Palestinian cause. As daylight broke in Damascus in the early hours of Sunday morning, Syrians woke up to a dramatically changed country after opposition forces swept into Syria’s capital less than two weeks into a lightning offensive. Palestinian factions have supported opposing sides of the Syrian war over the past 13 years. Syria – home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees – has played a major role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Here’s how leading Palestinian groups reacted to the fall of al-Assad over the past days: Palestinian Authority (PA) The State of Palestine, run by the PA , said on Sunday that it stands by the Syrian people, “respecting their will and political choices, in a way that guarantees their security and stability and preserves their achievements”. The Palestinian presidency added in a statement that it affirms “the need to respect the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and to preserve its security and stability, wishing continued progress and prosperity for the brotherly Syrian people”. The presidency stressed that political parties should prioritise the interests of the Syrian people and back Palestinians’ “just cause towards freedom and independence”. Hamas Hamas congratulated the Syrian people on Monday for achieving their “aspirations for freedom and justice”. “We stand strongly with the great people of Syria ... and respect the will, the independence, and the political choices of the people of Syria,” the Palestinian group said in a statement. It also urged Syrians to unite and “rise above the wounds of the past”, condemning what it called the “brutal aggression” by Israel against Syria. Hamas added that it hopes that Syria will continue “its historical and pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people”. Hamas sided with the uprising against al-Assad early in the crisis despite its alliance with Iran, which backed the government in Damascus. The Palestinian group’s position cooled down ties with Tehran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but the alliance was eventually revived despite disagreements over Syria. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) The Palestinian faction, which is allied with Hamas and Iran, said the recent developments are a Syrian matter that relates to the “choices of the brotherly Syrian people”. “The Islamic Jihad hopes Syria will remain a true supporter and backer for the Palestinian people and their just cause, as it has always been,” Ziad al-Nakhala, the head of the PIJ, said in a statement. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) The left-wing group that has previously voiced support for the Syrian government, did not address al-Assad’s fall in its first official statement after opposition fighters captured Damascus. Instead, the PFLP focused on condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Syria. “This Zionist aggression against Syrian territory carries dangerous dimensions that require solidarity to confront them,” the group said. “The Front stresses that the Zionist enemy’s air strikes against Syria and its incursion into Syrian territory amount to a dangerous escalation in the aggression against the people and states of the region,” it added. “The enemy is trying to take advantage of the phase of internal changes in Syria to achieve renewed goals of aggression against Syria and its people.” The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Damascus The coalition, which includes several Palestinian factions, described the ouster of al-Assad as an internal Syrian affair. “The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Damascus looks forward sincerely to the Syrian people’s right to determine their future and build a unified, fully sovereign Syria in a framework of freedom, justice, democracy and equal citizenship without discrimination,” the coalition said. It added that it hopes for a “Syria that continues to fulfil its brotherly and national duties towards the Palestinian people”.Robbie Avila scores 19 to lead Saint Louis over winless Chicago State 85-62

European markets set for a flat to lower start to the new trading weekTotal advertising revenue to hit AUD 30.5 billion in 2025: MAGNA 2024

HANSON: What Trump nominees have not done — and will not do

Wrong-way driver arrested after shots fired near Southlake shopping center in Dallas, police say