Chargers QB Justin Herbert does not practice because of left ankle injuryUS announces new Ukraine weapons package

Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Related Articles TV and Streaming | Lehigh Valley arts school grad finishes second on ‘The Voice’ TV and Streaming | Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way? TV and Streaming | ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ TV and Streaming | Column: 40 years after it premiered, ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ remains one of the best Doyle adaptations TV and Streaming | What to watch: ‘Flow’ and ‘The Order’ are both worth your attention Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Netflix continues to express confidence that its streaming platform is prepared to handle the massive audiences expected for a pair of Christmas Day NFL games along with the start of its live coverage of the World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" next month. Concerns were raised after users experienced issues with buffering and low quality feeds during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match last month. Netflix has exclusive rights to stream NFL games on Christmas Day between the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. Beyonce is scheduled to perform during halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, which could create more server traffic Netflix must take into account. It's a major test after the company reported an average global live audience of 108 million viewers for Paul's victory over Tyson in Arlington, Texas. Downdetector.com , which tracks service outages, announced that there were 90,000 issues reported at one point. "It was a big number, but you don't know, and you can't learn these things until you do them, so you take a big swing," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria told Front Office Sports. "Our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, and stabilized it, and many of the members had it back up and running pretty quickly. But we learn from these things. "We've all obviously done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready for the NFL and Beyonce, and so we're totally ready and excited for WWE." WWE president Nick Khan told FOS that Raw's tone and content will not change as it moves to the streaming service, with its first event of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 6. "There's some online chatter about, ‘oh, it's going to be R-rated, or for us old folks, X-rated.' That's definitely not happening," Khan said. "It's family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It's going to stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship continues to develop." --Field Level Media

Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘disappointed’ and ‘hurt’ after cutting ties with Man UtdIncreasing Prevalence Of Medical Conditions: A Key Driver Transforming The 3D Printed Implants Market 2024As Pete Hegseth - president-elect Trump's pick for SecDef - runs the gauntlet of the nomination process, amid a cornucopia of media amplified unsubstantiated accusations against him , Sirius XM host Megyn Kelly has warned that the political establishment, both Democrats and Republicans, are attempting to derail Trump’s second term before it has even begun by targeting his cabinet picks. As Steve Watson writes at Modernity.news, Kelly pointed to Pete Hegseth, who who is fighting to stay in the running for Secretary of Defense amid a cornucopia of media amplified unsubstantiated accusations against him. Kelly warned that if Hegseth falls like Matt Gaetz did, then RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and anyone else Trump picks will likely be next. “If you don’t think they’re going to do this to RFK Jr., you haven’t been paying attention,” Kelly urged. “I realize that Pete has his belly exposed. He has not led a perfect life, and there’s plenty if you want to start attacking his character in terms of his marital history and so on,” Kelly noted. “But as he said to me yesterday, he found around 20, I think it was 18 or so, he found his two J’s: his wife, Jen and Jesus, and started changing his life in a profound way,” she further explained. The host continued, “Let’s say they get Pete’s scalp like they got Matt Gates’s scalp, Bobby Kennedy’s history makes Pete look like the consummate Boy Scout. He looks like he’s ready to enter the priesthood.” “He’s a lot older, with a lot more of a checkered past... It’s not going to be pretty at all. So we are really at a crossroads here about whether we are going to sacrifice these nominees because of checkered personal pasts or not. It’s not going to get easier after Pete,” Kelly emphasized. But, as Gery Berntsen writes at American Greatness , when Pete Hegseth is confirmed as Secretary of Defense, he will be a forceful agent of change for the betterment of the United States of America. The abridged version of a famous Machiavelli quote, “Nothing is more difficult or dangerous than to attempt to change the order of things,” is in full view as we watch the process of confirming President Trump’s Secretary of Defense. When Pete Hegseth is confirmed as Secretary of Defense, he will be a forceful agent of change for the betterment of the United States of America. President-elect Trump’s nominee, retired Army National Guard Major and Fox News host Peter Hegseth, is receiving considerable fire amid allegations of misconduct while CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). I am writing this article because I was one of the founding members of CVA . I am an Air Force veteran and retired senior operations officer and chief of station in the Central Intelligence Agency. While at the CIA, I held major field command positions and was a senior manager in the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center (CTC). I led the CIA’s largest paramilitary element on the ground during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, seizing Kabul, initiating the battle of Tora Bora, and leading teams around the globe in several dangerous crises. I worked hand in glove with the most important elements of the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, and the FBI to secure and safeguard American interests. Based on 30 years of this experience and my personal knowledge of Pete Hegseth, I have no doubt that he will excel as Secretary of Defense. Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) was created by a small group of veterans and one non-veteran who had all worked together in the failed 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain. In 2011, a member of that team contacted me and told me he had funding to create a nationwide veterans organization focused on addressing veteran needs, educating the public, and building support for those ideas. CVA was created as a 501(c)(3), and I was asked to be its first CEO. I did not accept the position, as it would have required me to relocate to the Washington, D.C., area and I had just bought a home in Florida. I was also busy managing a security company in Afghanistan. I was then asked whether I would agree to become the Southeast Coordinator for CVA and work under Pete Hegseth. He was twenty years my junior but had served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and GITMO. I read some articles by Hegseth, had seen him interviewed on television, and went to Washington, D.C., to meet him and the team. He was humble, direct, and smart. It was clear to me that he was policy-driven and capable, though only in his mid-30s. He was familiar with my published work and that of many others involved in counterterrorism and the war against Islamic radicalism. And critically, in our earliest discussions, he made it clear that he understood that taking care of our veterans’ medical needs was paramount. He made healthcare the immediate focus of CVA. His vision matched the core values of the organization. While I was focusing on building out a solid ground game, Pete was challenging VA shortcomings, holding their feet to the fire on behalf of American veterans. As a concerned veteran, I was impressed. Pete recruited other veterans like me who had significant national security backgrounds to build out the national organization. This was the very thing required of his position. He met with policymakers and funding sources who could move our organization forward. We held dozens of events together over several years. We drank coffee by the gallon, but I never witnessed any performance impaired by alcohol. In fact, he handled a situation well that involved an employee who did have an alcohol-related incident. That man had a drinking problem and had made a pass at a female coordinator under his supervision. As I addressed the situation, I called Pete. After I described what happened, Pete was decisive. He asked me to place the employee in rehab, reassign him, and counsel him against ever doing that sort of thing again. We placed a letter in the employee’s personnel file and protected the female employee’s privacy and interests. This demonstrates Pete’s decisiveness, concern, and responsibility for CVA and its personnel. These decisions were made in a single day. Senators interested in the moral compass of CVA should consult other senior managers from the organization. I will provide any interested senator with the names and contact information of people who conducted dozens of events and worked closely with Pete Hegseth for several years. One policy issue addressed by Hegseth garnering much attention is his stated opposition to women in combat. Looking to the Afghan conflict ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ as a recent example, women made up approximately 10 percent of the force on the ground. They are in theatre and add great value as pilots, medical personnel, and intelligence personnel. Their work is high quality, but using them in combat arms needs to be addressed honestly. The reality is very few men are capable of serving in a line infantry and combat arms-oriented unit. The demands on soldiers and Marines in terms of strength and physical endurance are beyond what civilians can comprehend. In college football or NFL practice, participants arrive fresh, work out for three to five hours, then take a shower and go home and sleep. In a line infantry element, significant and exhausting physical efforts go on day after day, hour after hour, with almost no sleep. Soldiers and Marines may be in battle for extended periods of time fighting for their very lives. There surely are a minuscule number of women in the country with the ability and desire to serve in the arduous conditions of battle; however, this number is so small that it makes writing policy on the matter difficult. Pete Hegseth’s view on the matter is formed by recent deployments. It better represents reality than the current Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, the SecDef who helped surrender Afghanistan disgracefully and needlessly to an untrained and unorganized gang. Pete Hegseth would never have allowed such a surrender. In 2016, I endorsed candidate Donald J. Trump. I was the fourth and final speaker before Sarasota County GOP Chairman Joseph Grutters would present candidate Trump at his first Florida rally at the Sun Dome in Tampa. Endorsing Trump created a conflict with the 501(c)(3) status of CVA, so I resigned in order to campaign freely for Trump. I have held senior positions in the national security apparatus during times of combat and crisis. I have seen what is required of an effective leader, and I know Pete Hegseth will be an effective leader. Though not seeking employment, I would have no hesitation serving under Pete Hegseth if he were the Secretary of Defense. He has sound judgment on policy, management, and national security priorities. When making policy, he will remember the lessons of Armed Forces veterans who recently served in combat zones. Members of the U.S. Senate, I recommend you vote to confirm him. Trump reaffirmed support for Hegseth Thursday, issuing a statement defending him. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind,” Trump said. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” the president-elect further urged. Hegseth has committed to staying in contention as the defense secretary.

Hair removal, in any capacity, is not typically an enjoyable experience. Traditional removal methods come with irritation, tedium, and temporary fixes that require constant repeats — waxing or shaving means regular waxes and shaves. Laser hair removal technology is a breakthrough, but it also comes with side effects of its own like pain and discomfort. Plus, you have to visit a clinic every time you want that done. Ulike offers a unique technology, called IPL, that uses light to target melanin or pigment in the hair to disrupt its growth cycle. Over time, it helps prevent hair regrowth without damaging the skin. If you want to give it a try, now’s a great time because Ulike is offering some excellent Black Friday and Cyber Week discounts. Let’s discuss. Get up to $140 off Air X and Air 3 from Ulike For Black Friday, Ulike is offering some incredible deals on its IPL hair removal systems. To get the deals, you just have to use the promo code AFFBLCM at checkout. That brings the price of Ulike’s Air X and Air 3 down to: — $189 $329 57% off — $289 $429 32% off The Ulike Air X will deliver up to 94% hair reduction in just two weeks of continuous use. Meanwhile, the Air 3 takes slightly longer, offering 93% hair reduction in four weeks. You’ll see visible results before then, of course. Here’s how it works: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) targets the melanin or pigment inside hair follicles. The light interrupts the hair’s growth cycle, causing it to go back thinner and slower. Over time, it will stunt hair growth altogether. Within weeks one to four you conduct regular timed sessions to remove the hair. Beyond that, from weeks five to twelve, you only need minimal touch-ups. The biggest thing to note about the process is that it is most effective with lighter skin tones and darker hair colors. Ulike Holiday Gift Boxes make great presents You can always order the Ulike hair removal devices separately if you prefer. But for the holidays, there is a gift box option, as well, that includes accessories. In the box, you get the purple Ulike Air 10, two tubes of Aloe Vera gel, IPL goggles for eye protection, a prep razor, a travel case for bringing the device with you anywhere, and more. It’s a great gift idea for those fashionable people in your life who want to get rid of unsightly body hair. We all know someone. Come on, make their day. Normally $419, you can save $120 on that holiday gift set, bringing the price down to a cool $299.Archer and Anduril have announced a partnership to develop a hybrid VTOL military aircraft for the US military. The Air Force is already one of the main investors in Archer's eVTOL aircraft. Another major investor is United Airlines (which is also one of the first to order the future Boom Overture supersonic passenger jet currently in development ). The think tank, Rand, recently recommended that the United States Air Force invest into investing in eVTOL aircraft and said they have a number of uses (mostly transportation around bases and not for deployment). The Air Force also tasked Joby Aviation to supply an experimental eVTOL aircraft (delivered in September 2023). This was part of the Air Force's Agility Prime program that seeks to " hardness commercial offerings with military applications through investment in emerging technologies such as transformative vertical lift, distributed electric propulsion, electric, hybrid-electric, hydrogen, and other novel power generation sources ." 1 A hybrid VTOL military aircraft The delivery date for the Archer VTOL aircraft is not known Delivery date: Unclear Payload capacity: Unknown Propulsion: Hybrid "next generation" Anduril and Archer are planning to build a hybrid VTOL aircraft (not a fully eVTOL aircraft). Archer claims it is able to rapidly develop advanced VTOL aircraft "using existing commercial parts and supply chains ." It adds that Anduril contributes " deep expertise in artificial intelligence, missionization, and systems integration. " The company asserts this pooling of talents will enable them to develop " VTOL capabilities at a fraction of the cost of more traditional alternatives ." Archer has established a new company called Archer Defense which will be responsible for developing a new, hybrid-propulsion VTOL model that Archer describes as "next generation." It is unclear what form this aircraft may take. It may be based on Archer's Midnight aircraft currently in development. Midnight is purpose built to carry passengers in an urban flying taxi role (something like in the 1960s sitcom, the Jetsons ). Archer plans to replace 60-90-minute commutes by car with 10-20-minute electric air taxi flights. The US military clearly sees a military role for the aircraft. Rand suggested they could " replace car transport of security forces at the Malmstrom Air Force Base missile fields and other very large facilities. " The think tank also suggested they could serve as an alternative in some situations when tactical airlifters (like the C-130) are not available. The company has already received the CFR Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate. 2 Archer's Midnight Midnight has flown over 100 mph Weight: 6,500lbs Number of flight: 7 (as of 8 June 2024) First transition flight: 8th June 2024 On 12 June 2024, Archer reported reaching a major milestone completing a transition flight at speeds of 100+ mph with its Midnight aircraft. The flight occurred on 8th June. The company reported, " Archer has now achieved transition with two different full-scale eVTOL aircraft." Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft built to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal change time between the flights. Archer has now received its Part 135 and Part 145 certificates from the FAA and is one of only two companies in the world to have its final airworthiness criteria for an eVTOL aircraft issued by the FAA. According to the company, Midnight is now in the final implementation phase of its Type Certification program. Transition is well known in the industry as a "very difficult" milestone few companies have reached. Archer stated that Midnight weighs 6,500lbs and is believed to be one of the world's largest eVTOL aircraft to complete transition. A transition flight occurs when an aircraft takes off vertically like a helicopter, accelerates forward, transitions from thrust-borne to wing-borne flight line an airplane with tilt propellers (like the Marine Corps CV-22 Osprey and Army's V-280 Valor tiltrotors). The aircraft then lands vertically. Archer first performed a transition flight in November 2022 with its first-generation full-scale eVTOL aircraft. Archer Aviation announces being on course for conducting over 400 test flights in 2024, having already conducted 233 for FAA certification. 3 Investors in Archer Archer recently raised $430 million in equity Investors: United Airlines, Stellantis, Wellington Management, 2PointZero (a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’ IHC) Existing Air Force contract: For six eVTOL Midnights (valued up to $142 million) United Airlines order: Up to $1.5 billion for hundreds of Archer eVTOL aircraft To support its efforts to develop the new VTOL aircraft, Archer has raised $430 million in additional equity capital (this was with participation from Stellentis (the automobile conglomerate that includes Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, Fiat, Peugeot, and other car brands), United Airlines , and other investors like Wellington Management. According to Archer, the total capital the company has raised is $2 billion to date (which it says makes it well-positioned with no near-term financing needs). Archer states , " United has placed an up to $1.5B order for hundreds of our aircraft. As our go-to-market operating partner in the U.S. we have jointly announced several planned routes, including the industry’s first-announced point-to-point eVTOL route from Manhattan to Newark Liberty International Airport ." The United States Air Force is Archer's first customer. In August 2024, the Air Force received the first of six Midnight eVTOL aircraft from Archer. The contract is worth up to $142 million and provides the Air Force with another eVTOL aircraft to evaluate alongside its Joby eVTOL aircraft received in 2023. FLYING stated, " Defense leaders are drawn to the aircraft’s unique combination of vertical takeoff and landing capability and low noise profile ." It also stated that the Air Force has " performed simulations of medical evacuation, cargo, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) flights [on the Midnight aircraft] ". The United States's military innovation is rapidly innovating to develop new systems and to counter emerging threats. 4 Tale of two start-ups Both Anduril and Archer were founded in the 2010s Anduril founding: 2017 Archer founding: 2018 Headquarters: Archer San Jose, California/Andruil Costa Mesa, California Anduril and Archer are both new California startup companies. Andruril was founded in 2017 and is a defense technology company specializing in autonomous systems. Notably, Anduril's Fury drone has been selected (along with General Dynamics' XQ-67A) to move forward with the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program - a program to develop advanced AI-driven loyal wingman drones to pair with manned fighter jets. Besides advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) aka drones, Anduril is also developing a number of counter-drone systems, semi-portable autonomous surveillance systems, and networked command and control software. Current Anduril military projects include Fury, Roadrunner, Advanced Battle Management System / Joint All-Domain Command & Control, Project Maven, Ghost Shark, and Bolt/Bolt-M. Archer was founded in October 2018 and specializes in developing eVTOL aircraft to create an air taxi service. Archer is seeking to develop eVTOL aircraft that will allow people to take flying taxi rides in and around cities. In 2021, United Airlines invested in Archer and ordered two hundred Archer electric aircraft (Southwest Airlines has also signed a deal with Archer for eVTOL aircraft to connect terminals). Archer is far from the only startup company with a revolutionary design to catch the military's eye. JetZero has been contracted by the Air Force to build a full-scale blended wing body aircraft (to be used in a transport and tanker role). SpaceX (now more of a mature company than a startup) has drawn the attention of the Air Force with its Starship ( which could be used in a cargo/transport role to ferry men and suppliers almost anywhere in the world within minutes). 5 Could be unpiloted Example 'manned' aircraft made autonomous: B-21 Raider (optionally manned), F-16s (as part of Project VENOM) Example "unmanned" aircraft with manned option: Scaled Composites (Northrop Grumman) M437 Vanguard Anduril core system: Lattice OS It is unclear if the hybrid VTOL aircraft being developed for the US military will be piloted, unpiloted, or optionally piloted (even the new Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is optionally piloted). The aircraft developed by Archer thus far have been piloted, however, the fact that Archer is developing the aircraft with the aid of Anduril suggests it may be autonomous. Anduril specializes in autonomous systems. The Air Force is also exploring ways to make existing aircraft autonomous (according to FLYING , it has contracted Merlin Labs to " give current and future American tankers the ability to adapt missions on the fly without human intervention. " Another company the Air Force is contracting for autonomous technology is Reliable Robotics. Anduril states on its website , "Unlike traditional defense contractors who focus primarily on hardware, Anduril’s core system is Lattice OS, an autonomous sensemaking and command & control platform that serves as the core platform for our suite of capabilities ." It says " The next generation of military technology will depend less on advances in shipbuilding and aircraft design than on advances in software engineering and computing. " Anduril's engineers are experts in AI, robotics, advanced sensors, secure networking, aerospace, virtual reality technology, aircraft modeling, and simulation. Over 20% of its team are military veterans - this helps the company develop products that are properly suited to the needs of the servicemen and women on the battlefield. The Model 435 Vanguard is being developed as an optionally manned platform likely to speed up development and add flexibility.None

Tillis kicks off 2026 campaign season, potentially his most expensive Senate race yetBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.Van Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell in charge following his compatriot’s sacking in October. He left the club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment but was only out of work for two weeks after being appointed Leicester’s new manager on a deal until 2027. The 48-year-old had a glittering playing career with United and was disappointed his return had to end so soon. “The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I’m here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it,” he said. “So I was disappointed, yeah, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave. “The only job I would take as an assistant was at United because of the bond that I have with the people in the club and the fans. “But in the end I got my head around it because I also understand the new manager. I’m in football long enough, and I’ve managed myself, that you can think of a situation, me being there, I understand. “I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager, and that helped a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits.” The Dutchman takes on a difficult job at the King Power Stadium as he is tasked with keeping Leicester in the Premier League. He inherits an influential dressing room, which has seen a number of managers come and go over the last few years. Ruud's here for his first press conference as our Manager 😃 — Leicester City (@LCFC) Van Nistelrooy revealed he has done his due diligence and also let the players know as well. “It’s the only way you can work. It’s mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone,” he said. “With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That’s important, that there are good people there. “I look at the players how they play. I obviously don’t know them but I got general information and the individuals that they are a good bunch of people. That was important for me to get in.”