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Israel said Tuesday it had bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal after jihadi-led Syrian insurgents ousted President Bashar Assad over the weekend. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. The United States said Tuesday it would recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million, becoming a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Here's the Latest: WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was on the ground in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with a Kurish-led, U.S.-allied force at several bases in the country's east, U.S. Central Command said. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla visited with U.S. military commanders and troops as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, and U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for details about his visit or with whom he met. U.S. officials said they did not know what his message to the SDF was. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. In a press release, Central Command said Kurilla received an “assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation.” Kurilla then went on to Iraq where he met with leaders in Baghdad. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says it still getting reports about the looting of warehouses with humanitarian aid in a number of areas in Syria, including around the capital Damascus. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that U.N. agencies and their partners are working to identify the extent of looting at the warehouses, including those of U.N. agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Dujarric said U.N. aid officials report that “the humanitarian situation remains volatile across Syria, with reports of people continuing to be displaced.” Humanitarian officials reported that 25 trucks carrying U.N. aid crossed from Turkey to northwest Syria, which the situation is now relatively calm, the U.N. spokesman said. All 11 receptions opened in Idlib in the northwest to host newly displaced families were empty as of Monday, Dujarric said. In the northeast, he said, authorities report that as of Tuesday 100,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Tal Rifaat and other parts of Aleppo governorate. Dujarric said the U.N.’s partners report that “reception centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have reached full capacity, and more than 200 sites – including municipal buildings, schools, mosques, and stadiums – are being used to accommodate newly displaced people.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said Tuesday that “unidentified gunmen” crossed the border from Syria into eastern Lebanon's Bekaa province and approached a Lebanese border post. In a statement, the army said the gunmen fired into the air and seized equipment from an evacuated Syrian army post in the outskirts of Kfar Fouq, near Rashaya al-Wadi, in the western part of Bekaa province. Lebanese army personnel responded with warning shots, forcing the group to retreat back into Syrian territory. The Lebanese army did not report any injuries or provide further details about the identity of the gunmen. WASHINGTON — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched multiple drones and a missile at three commercial ships being escorted in the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy ships, a U.S. official said Tuesday. There was no damage and no injuries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said U.S. Navy destroyers, and Navy helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft shot down four of the drones and the missile. The three U.S. affiliated flagged ships were sailing east toward Djibouti. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping through the key waterway for more than a year, attacks they say are meant to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said it bombed more than 350 sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. There is concern that, with the sudden collapse of the Syrian government, weapons stockpiles could be seized by jihadi militants. Warplanes hit what Israel said were Syrian air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, the Israeli army statement said. In naval operations overnight Monday, Israeli missile ships struck two Syrian navy facilities simultaneously — Al-Bayda port and Latakia port — where the army said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli did not specify how many Syrian naval vessels were hit. The private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era Syrian navy missile ships were hit. Israeli officials said earlier that Israel also targeted alleged chemical weapons sites. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that his country’s military launched a wave of airstrikes across Syria to destroy the toppled government’s leftover “military capabilities,” and said Israel wants relations with the new government emerging Syria. Hours after Israeli warplanes pounded Syria, Netanyahu said Israeli doesn’t want to meddle in Syria’s internal affairs, but would take necessary steps to protect Israel's security and prevent jihadi militants from seizing the Syrian army assets. He warned that if the new Syrian government “allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us -- we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.” He spoke in a video statement recorded at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, after his first day of testimony in his corruption trial. DAMASCUS, Syria — In Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar Assad for the third day on Tuesday despite Israeli airstrikes across the country. Insurgents who recently took control of the capital city tried to impose a new rule banning the celebratory gunfire. There were a few violators, and much less deafening gunfire. Protesters climbed the square's central monument to wave the Syrian revolutionary flag. On the ground, crowds chanted: “Out with Bashar! Out with Bashar!” Assad fled to Russia over the weekend after a lightning rebel offensive toppled his brutal police state. Demonstrators from different provinces marched in the square in groups, celebrating Assad's fall. Men on motorcycles and horses paraded into the square. One woman from Idlib province shouted that the Israeli strikes ruined the joy of ousting Assad. “Why are you striking us? We just deposed a tyrant,” she said. “Give us peace. Leave us alone,” said Ahmed Jreida, 22, a dentist student, when asked about the Israeli airstrikes. Hamzeh Hamada, 22, said this was the first time he had gone out to a demonstration. “We want the country to get better, to live in dignity and be like other countries that respect citizens’ rights and where there are no bribes,” he said. “We have suffered a lot from bribes. ... We had to bribe people for very minor things; things that should be our right.” Abdul-Jalil Diab was taking a stroll with his brothers in another square in western Damascus. He said he came back from Jordan the day Damascus fell. He was there studying German to prepare to move to Germany and said he is now reconsidering his plans. He was ecstatic, saying words can’t describe how he feels. “We are happy to get rid of the corrupt regime that was based on bribes. The whole country feels better. Everyone is happy and celebrating,” Abdul-Jalil Diab said. QAMISHLI, Syria — Residents of northeast Syria in the area around Qamishli airport said Tuesday they heard explosions overnight after an airstrike hit trucks loaded with rockets and ammunition that were heading to a military base in Tartab. “We don’t know the story. It was only in the morning when we realized they are trucks loaded with ammunition, leftovers of the former army, the regime,” said Ibrahim al-Thalaj, who lives near the base. He said residents assumed that the strikes were Israeli. Israel has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure after Syrian insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad. However, Turkish security officials said Tuesday that the strike in Qamishli was carried out by Turkey, targeting weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian army and seized by Syrian Kurdish militants. The explosions lasted for over 20 minutes after the strike, and many houses in the surrounding area were damaged as a result, residents of the area said. “We just felt a strike hitting. It hit the first one (truck) and we saw the other trucks retreating back, and from there rockets and shells started flying over,” said Hamid al-Asaad, an eyewitness from Qub al-Zeki village in Qamishli. “We were sitting when these explosions started to hit the house,” said Mahmoud Hamza of Tartab. “It was hitting randomly and we didn’t know where it was coming from. ... Once we got out of our house, a rocket hit the house.” There were no details released by the local Kurdish administration regarding the explosions, but members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces blocked the road to the base. BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat is concerned that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected. “The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers on Tuesday during a special hearing. “There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence, extremist resurgence and the governance vacuum, all of which must be averted. We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan,” she said. “The rights of all Syrians, including those of many minority groups, must be protected,” she said. “It is crucial to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, and to respect its independence, its sovereignty, as well as the state institutions.” Kallas also said the collapse of the government has shown that Assad’s backers in Russia and Iran “could neither afford to do it any longer, nor had any interest of being present in the aftermath.” “They are weakened, distracted and overstretched in other theaters in the broader Middle East, but also in Ukraine,” she said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, has attacked a convoy of trucks that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials said Tuesday. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeast Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organization because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, he group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces. By Suzan Fraser WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling its approval of Israel’s strikes against Syrian military and alleged chemical weapons targets and the seizure of a buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad government. “These are exigent operations to eliminate what they believe are imminent threats to their national security,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, saying the U.S. would leave it up to the Israelis to discuss details of their operations. “They have as always the right to defend themselves,” Kirby said. He declined to detail and U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Israelis that went into the strikes. Kirby said the White House was reasserting its support of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement, but didn’t criticize the Israeli seizure of the demilitarized zone. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly. He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with. Blinken says Syrians should decide their future and that other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere. “The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process,” he said. “We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Jihad Mustafa Shibani was taking his new motorcycle for a spin with a friend around the house of the deposed Syrian president in western Damascus on Tuesday. Shibani was released from prison a week before the capital Damascus fell, after he served two years on charges of buying his motorcycle using foreign currency on accusations he was dealing in dollars. He was tortured for 15 days and and given a quick trial where he was sentenced for two years, he said. He was released the day Aleppo fell to the insurgents. “Everything was banned in Syria. The (Assad loyalists) only could use it,” Shibani said. He said he has never been to this neighborhood, because it was taken over by Assad, his family and supporters. “For 50 years, my family’s house is near here, and we don’t know anything about it. ... The Syrian people had been oppressed, you can’t imagine.” Shibani said he has no fear of the rebel newcomers who have taken control of the country. “We are not afraid. There can be no one more unjust than Bashar. Impossible.” BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister is in contact with security and judicial officials to follow up on reports that senior members of President Bashar Assad’s government have fled to Lebanon. Najib Mikati’s office quoted him as saying that Lebanon abides by international laws regarding people who cross its borders. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that several top security officials have entered Lebanon over the past two days. Abdurrahman added that Syria’s former intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, who is wanted in Lebanon over two bombings in 2012 in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens, was allegedly brought to Lebanon by the Hezbollah militant group and was staying in a southern suburb of Beirut where the group has deep support. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, whose ministry is in charge of border crossings, told reporters Tuesday that no person who is wanted in Lebanon entered the country through legal border crossings. There are dozens of illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria where people are usually smuggled in and out of Lebanon, but it was not possible to independently confirm whether Mamlouk had entered Lebanon. GENEVA — The United Nations says humanitarian operations in two major areas in northwestern Syria have resumed, deploying food, medical supplies, fuel and other needed services and supplies. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that some health facilities were “overwhelmed” – in part due to staff shortages – and many border crossings have been closed, disrupting supply chains. OCHA said humanitarian operations in some parts of northwestern Syria were put on hold in the early days of the recent escalation, and resumed on Monday. “As of yesterday, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo have resumed operations,” Laerke told reporters at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. He said the three border crossings from Turkey used by the U.N. to deliver assistance into Syria remain open and “we are providing assistance in the northwest, including to those who have been newly displaced.” Even before the latest escalation, which led President Bashar Assad to flee the country, nearly 17 million people in Syria needed humanitarian assistance. More than 1 million have been displaced across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs since the escalation. JERUSALEM — Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.” Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. DAMASCUS, Syria — Members of the Syrian government under ousted President Bashar Assad will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The departing government met with al-Bashir for the first time since Assad fled Damascus over the weekend. Al-Bashir had previously led the “salvation government” running the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria. Al-Bashir told reporters after the meeting that the ministers discussed transferring the portfolios to the interim government during the transitional period until the beginning of March. He said that in the coming days the new government will decide on each ministry. DAMASCUS, Syria — Banks and shops are reopening in Damascus after the chaos and confusion of the first two days following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Sadi Ahmad, manager of Syria Gulf Bank, said life is returning to normal. A customer who came to withdraw money from an ATM was surprised to see it functioning. At the historic Hamadiyeh market, fighters who seized power were still standing guard but shops had reopened — even an ice cream stand. Resident Maysoun Al-Qurabi said she was initially “against what happened,” referring to the insurgency, but changed her mind after seeing footage of rebels releasing inmates from the notorious Saydnaya prison. “People are at ease and secure now,” she said. “Before, people were hungry and scared.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Minority Christians in Syria have been living in a state of uneasy anticipation since insurgents headed by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control after ousting President Bashar Assad. Mazen Kalash, a resident of Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, said he wants to know the plans of the new government that will be formed by the rebels. “The important thing is to feel safe, bring order, law and respect to the citizens,” he said. “We need to be able to work whatever we want and do whatever we want without any interference from anyone.” The insurgents have so far attempted to reassure minorities that they will be protected. Large numbers of Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population, fled after the civil war erupted in 2011. Many of those who stayed supported Assad out of fear they might be targeted by Islamist insurgents. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media moguls. “There has never been such a biased media in any democracy ... as there is in Israel,” Netanyahu told the court, describing his testy relationship with the press. He is accused of exchanging regulatory favors with media bosses for more positive coverage of himself and his family. He has denied wrongdoing. GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria says armed groups that drove out President Bashar Assad have “been sending good messages” about national unity and inclusiveness but acknowledges that a Security Council resolution still counts the leading one as a terrorist group. With Syria’s future and stability still very much in flux since Assad’s departure over the weekend, Geir Pedersen suggested that the international community needs to help the country get through this turbulent moment. “We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things are not settled,” Pedersen told reporters at U.N. offices in Geneva on Tuesday. “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the U.N. and the international community.” Referring to Israeli military strikes in Syria, Pedersen said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.” The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which grew out of an al-Qaida-affiliate called the Nusra Front that the Security Council listed as a terror group in a 2015 resolution. “This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us,” Pedersen said. “But we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.” “The reality so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people,” he said. “They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness, and frankly speaking, also, we have seen in (the captured cities of) Aleppo and in Hama ... reassuring things on the ground." Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency and the founder of both groups Nusra and HTS, cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016 and says he is committed to pluralism and religious tolerance. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory, saying it was in violation of a 1974 agreement on a buffer zone inside Syria. “We strongly condemn Israel’s violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria, and its advance into Syrian territory,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused Israel of “displaying a mentality of an occupier” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability had emerged in Syria. The statement also reiterated Turkey’s support to Syria’s “sovereignty, political unity, and territorial integrity.” Israeli troops on Sunday entered the buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war and the military said it would deploy in “several other places necessary for (Israel’s’) defense.” TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he works 17 to 18 hours a day and that he is engulfed in meetings, especially during the past year that Israel has been fighting wars. Netanyahu was testifying in his long-running corruption trial. He has denied charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. “If only I could steal away five minutes to enjoy some time with my wife,” he told the court Tuesday. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military official says troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning.” The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory. The buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by the U.N. after the 1973 Mideast war. Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Israel sent troops into the buffer zone. It said the move was temporary and was aimed at preventing attacks. It said the 1974 agreement establishing the zone had collapsed and that Syrian troops had withdrawn from their positions. Israel has also carried out airstrikes across Syria in recent days targeting what it says are suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the United States. The rest of the world views the strategic plateau as occupied Syrian territory. — By Joseph Krauss DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel’s air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in different parts of Syria as its ground forces move north of the Golan Heights along the border with Lebanon, according to an opposition war monitor. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that since the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, Israel’s air force has carried out more than 300 airstrikes against research centers, arms depots and military infrastructure across Syria, as well as a naval base along the Mediterranean coast. Associated Press journalists in Damascus witnessed intense airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight into Tuesday morning. Photographs posted online by activists showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes. Meanwhile, Israeli troops marched along the border with Lebanon and now control a long stretch on the Syrian side facing Lebanon’s Rashaya region, according to the war monitor's head, Rami Abdurrahman, and the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria. Israeli troops are now about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, according to the monitor. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone in Syria and a wave of Israeli airstrikes launched after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” Israel sent troops into a buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. It said the move was temporary and was taken to prevent any cross-border attacks after Syrian troops withdrew. Israel has also carried out heavy airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets from falling into the hands of extremists. Saudi Arabia has been in talks with the United States in recent years over normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, American assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program and a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state. But the kingdom has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with the Hamas militant group. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , allegations Israel adamantly rejects.Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies at 100( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 23, 2024) - Hypercharge Networks Corp. (TSXV: HC) (OTCQB: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) (the " Company " or " Hypercharge "), a leading, smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider and Network operator, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alex McAulay as the Company's Chief financial Officer, effective January 10, 2025. In connection with the appointment of Mr. McAulay, the Company has approved a grant of 100,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") and 100,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") pursuant to the Company's equity incentive plan. The Options are exercisable at the closing price of the Company's shares on January 10, 2025, for a term of 4 years, and the RSUs are to vest as to 100% on January 10, 2026. The Company is also pleased to announce the promotion of Roy Quiñones, CPA, CMA, from Accounting Manager to Controller, effective January 1, 2025. Mr. Quiñones has been with Hypercharge since May 2022, and has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Company's financial operations. "We are thrilled to welcome Alex as our new CFO and member of the executive team. Alex is a seasoned CFO with extensive public company experience, and his financial leadership will help guide us through the next phase of our journey," said David Bibby, President & CEO of Hypercharge. "I would also like to congratulate Roy on his well-deserved promotion to Controller, and to take this opportunity to thank Navraj Dosanjh, our outgoing CFO, for his dedication to Hypercharge over the past two years." -##- About Hypercharge Hypercharge Networks Corp. (TSXV: HC) (OTCQB: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) is a leading provider of smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for residential and commercial buildings, fleet operations, and other rapidly growing sectors. Driven by its mission to accelerate EV adoption and enable the shift towards a carbon neutral economy, Hypercharge is committed to offering seamless, simple solutions including industry-leading hardware, innovative and integrated software, and comprehensive services, backed by a robust network of public and private charging stations. Learn more: . On behalf of the Company, Hypercharge Networks Corp. David Bibby, President & CEO Contact Media & Investor Relations: Kyle Kingsnorth, Head of Marketing ... | +1 (888) 320-2633 Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "could", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit SOURCE: Hypercharge Networks Corp. 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Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute winner gave them victory after they had twice squandered the lead in Germany. John McGinn and Jhon Duran goals at the start of each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. But Barkley had the final say less than two minutes after coming off the bench as his deflected effort earned the points which sent his side third in the new Champions League league phase. The top eight automatically qualify for the next stage and with games against Monaco and Celtic to come, Unai Emery’s men are a good bet to avoid the need for a play-off round in their first foray in this competition. Leipzig are out, having lost all six of their games. Villa enjoyed a dream start and were ahead with less than three minutes on the clock. Matty Cash, playing in a more advanced position on the right, crossed for Ollie Watkins, who nodded down into the path of McGinn and the skipper made no mistake from close range. That gave the visitors confidence and they had enough chances in the first 15 minutes to have the game wrapped up. Lucas Digne’s cross from the left was begging to be converted but Watkins could not make contact from close range and then Morgan Rogers shot straight at Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Then Youri Tielemans found himself with time and space on the edge of the area from Watkins’ tee-up but the Belgium international disappointingly dragged wide. All that good work was undone in the 27th minute, though, as Emiliano Martinez was left red-faced. The Argentinian was too casual waiting to collect Nicolas Seiwald’s long ball and Openda nipped in to get the ball first and tap into an empty net. pic.twitter.com/LGoAMrLkQy — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 Duran was introduced at the break and needed just a couple of minutes to fire a warning when he drilled wide after a loose ball fell to him 14 yards out. But the Colombian got his goal in the 52nd minute, though it was another moment for the goalkeeper to forget. Duran was invited to drive forward and unleashed a 25-yard shot, which was hardly an Exocet, but still was too much for Gulacsi, who barely even jumped. It was his 10th goal of the season and sixth from the bench as he continues his super-sub role. 😍 pic.twitter.com/ZHeVFiYUW9 — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 The striker was not complaining and he thought he had doubled his tally shortly after when he converted Cash’s centre but the provider was ruled offside by VAR. Five minutes later, Villa found themselves pegged back again with a finish of real quality. Openda was sent clear by another long ball and his cross was perfect for Baumgartner to cushion a far-post volley back across goal and into the corner. Digne brought a save out of Gulacsi and then Openda shot straight at Martinez as both sides pushed for a winner. It was Villa who got it as Barkley saw his deflected effort wrong-foot Gulacsi and hit the back of the net.

Everus ( NYSE:ECG – Get Free Report )’s share price traded down 5.8% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $69.08 and last traded at $69.31. 169,504 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average session volume of 672,639 shares. The stock had previously closed at $73.61. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ECG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Everus in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer began coverage on Everus in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $70.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson started coverage on Everus in a research note on Monday, November 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Everus from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. View Our Latest Analysis on ECG Everus Stock Performance About Everus ( Get Free Report ) Everus Construction Group is providing a full spectrum of construction services through its electrical and mechanical and transmission and distribution specialty contracting services principally in United States. Its specialty contracting services are provided to utility, transportation, commercial, industrial, institutional, renewable and other customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Everus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Everus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian Press

Two people were taken to hospital as 60 firefighters tackled a blaze following an explosion in a street in east London. Footage on social media showed the moment of the blast at the terraced building in Ley Street, Ilford, which sent debris onto the road as vehicles, including a double decker bus, were nearby. At the fire’s height, the first floor and loft conversion were fully alight and two people were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service, the London Fire Brigade said. Crews worked hard and have brought the fire in under control. Firefighters will remain on scene throughout the evening. Two people were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. The cause of the fire is under investigation. — London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) The alarm over the fire, at the terraced house which had been converted into flats with a loft conversion, was raised at 4.09pm. Station commander Darren McTernan is at the scene and he said: “Firefighters worked hard to bring this fire under control. Crews will remain on scene throughout the evening. “Ley Street remains closed between Eastern Avenue and Vicarage Road, impacting traffic in the surrounding area, so please continue to avoid the area if you can. “One of the brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to help fight the fire from above. The brigade’s drone team were also deployed to the incident, offering the incident commander an aerial view of the scene.” Crews from Ilford, Dagenham, Barking and surrounding fire stations were sent to the scene. The cause of the fire, which was brought under control by 6.23pm, is being investigated. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We sent resources including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic practitioner, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team (Hart). “We treated three people. We took two to hospital and discharged a third at the scene.”

Stock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened weekLGBTQ+ rights advocate warns Republicans against focusing on transgender restrictions

Collective Mining Ltd. ( TSE:CNL – Get Free Report )’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$6.10 and last traded at C$5.91, with a volume of 64927 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$5.97. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Scotiabank set a C$8.50 price objective on Collective Mining and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. View Our Latest Analysis on CNL Collective Mining Stock Performance Collective Mining Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Collective Mining Ltd., an exploration and development company, focuses on identifying and exploring prospective gold projects in South America. The company explores for gold, silver, and copper deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Guayabales project consisting of 26 claims with a total area of 4,780.98 hectares located in the Caldas department of Colombia; and the San Antonio project covering an area of 4,729 hectares located in the department of Caldas, Colombia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Collective Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Collective Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Last December came the completion of four full decades of trying to Change The Culture, or to at least Stop The Bleeding, and this column takes not even a quantum of solace in the fact that those things are difficult while Battling The Injury Bug, so At The End Of The Day, we failed to Take Care Of Business, much less Impose Our Will on the indomitable forces that make sports coverage a perpetual black forest of clichés. Or something. In other words — and this whole misbegotten effort has been one long doomed experiment in encouraging the search for other words — you've stumbled upon the 41st annual rendering of the Trite Trophy, which dishonors the worst cliché of the year in sports, and sometimes beyond. If that sounds to those still reading like some incorrigible stupidity, we like to think of it around here as a vaguely charming stick-to-itiveness, a construction so favored by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan that on this there is widespread agreement: Ain't no stick-to-itiveness like Mike Sullivan stick-to-itiveness when it comes to stick-to-itiveness. The baddest cliché slingers in sports history all share a certain stick-to-itiveness, something I discovered recently while wobbling into an MLB Network feature on the 1968 World Series between Detroit and St. Louis. Even 56 years in the rear view, the raw audio of the era included the observations that the Tigers, down three games to one, Have Their Backs To The Wall because There Is No Tomorrow, and worse, had Put All Their Eggs In One Basket by going with Mickey Lolich in Game 5. Thinking Outside The Box before that cliché was even invented, they put the very same eggs in the same Lolich container three days later and wound up absconding with All The Marbles. Fast-forward 56 years, and Mike Tomlin is still talking marbles, describing on his pregame show this week a situation when "all the marbles are on the table." I'm not sure playing marbles on a table is optimal, even in a Hostile Environment, but Mike, You Do You. Once they're in the bloodstream, sports clichés never go away. As we've learned so painfully about our linguistic and etymological habits, It Is What It Is, even if that's the stupidest cliché of all time, in or out of sports, and as such the only two-time winner of the Trite Trophy. Could we see a Three-Peat? In a column about cliché avoidance? Nope. Not with sports constantly mainlining updated nonsense that seems to calcify into cliché status almost overnight, much in the way baseball has elevated High Leverage Situation to a spot where commentators seem compelled to use it any time anything might actually, you know, happen. This is anathema to baseball, seems to me, as the beauty of it is that you can lose a game on the first pitch. While I'm at it, RIP Rickey Henderson, who hit 81 homers as his team's first batter of the game, which does not seem low leverage in any way. BTW, do the game's best hitters still Rake? Because I'm hearing about a lot of guys who Mash. Pitchers who keep wandering into those High Leverage Situations risk throwing something that Caught Too Much Of The Plate, resulting in a bat catching too much of the ball, triggering a Go Ball with some frightening Exit Velocity. As former Pirates great Steve Blass likes to tell fans, the only time he thinks of Exit Velocity is when he's on the toilet. Lest anyone stand accused of Saying The Quiet Part Out Loud, the Trite Trophy Committee (me) acknowledges a bias toward football with the annual award, but only in the way that Oscars tend to favor the more recently released films. Baseball's myriad clichés and those from the other sports just aren't as annoying In The Moment, or just aren't Clicking On All Cylinders. You really don't want your cylinders to be clicking, anyway, so the persistence of that reflex Defies Logic. Further, football suffers no shortage of commentators trying to Force The Issue, as when Matt Millen this fall praised Penn State running back Kaytron Allen for "running behind his pads." Hard to run out in front of them, but I took this to mean Allen was Getting Downhill, which I'm told is what you want to do even though every football field looks flat as a puddle to me. For spontaneous invention of fresh football terminology, few can match the sheer creativity, if not Sheer Athleticism, of the great Steelers radio color man Craig Wolfley. Describing a play on which linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble against the Ravens, Wolf called Robinson "twitchier than a sneeze" and always ready to pounce, "like a cat in a rat factory." There's a rat factory? Wolf also said that a run by Najee Harris was the result of "pure ham-hock strength and lower-back leverage." See? A Low Leverage Situation. We've somehow reached the point in the big show when we award the annual Mixologist Medal, which goes to the person who inadvertently started dealing one cliché but finished another, as when Hines Ward once said, "they'll have their hands cut out for them," or "you have to take off your hat and hand it to them." Steelers analyst Chris Hoke was a nominee this year for saying Mason Rudolph got "the raw end of the stick," not to be confused with the short end of the deal, and former Pirates pitcher Jeff Karstens countered with the observation that Paul Skenes "has a big enough name that he'll put seats in the stands." But the medal goes reluctantly to Fox analyst Tom Brady. Though the mix was perhaps minimal, Brady managed to put two sleepy clichés back to back with his observation that the Ravens are "absolute sleeping giants," as opposed to the hypothetical sleeping giants, and that "you can't sleep on this team." So congrats to the GOAT, even as he's putting me to sleep. That Guy Is A Dog emerged as a cliché this football season, as well as That Guy Is A Problem, a fresher version of You've Got To Account For Him. Don't much know what to make of all that, except it reminds me of something I once heard in the neighborhood: That Guy Has A Dog Who Is A Problem! I'd tell you confidently that no such cliché holds a chance against Iconic, but Iconic has itself become such a cliché that All Bets Are Off. Iconic, just in this year, attached itself to everything from ice balls to sandwiches to space telescopes, just about everything but icons. Just saying that maybe we want to Tap The Brakes on Iconic is all. Same goes for You Can't Say Enough About whom or whatever, even as the person speaking is trying his damnedest to say enough about whom or whatever. We're approaching the moment just about no one has been waiting for, so before we introduce our 2024 finalists and the cliché that will take the whole nine-yard ball of wax, we acknowledge a few annoyances that were In The Discussion. What the heck is a Rising Junior anyway? Someone who is going to be a junior in college at some point, if you can find him In The Portal? At that stage of life, I remembering being more a floundering sophomore than a Rising Junior. No consideration was given to Moonball, a long pass from Russell Wilson apparently, even if the Steelers quarterback has been quite forthcoming on its backstory. His deep accuracy has earned the praise of coach Tomlin: "He can drop it into your right front shirt pocket, if you will," to quote the HC. I will, but most shirt pockets are on the left, and no football jerseys have pockets, which you know because guys would be whipping cell phones out of those Early And Often. Now a very Special Shout Out to all of the horrid clichés in our live audience here at Stage TT (snort) and especially to some our past winners. Great to see you Shy Of The First Down, Short Of The Line To Gain, Goin' Up Top (never down bottom), Put This Team On His Back, Extend The Play With His Legs, Create Plays With His Legs, Slow To Get Up (like me), Overcoming Adversity, Look In The Mirror, 50-50 Ball, That Thing Parted Like The Red Sea, That's Gonna Get Called Every Time, Red Zone, Crunch Time, Gut Check, He Went To The Well Once Too Often, Smash-mouth Football, Manage The Game, and Don't You Dare Tell Me I Forgot One Because I Simply Lack The Time And Space Besides If I Could Forget Even One I Wouldn't Have Been Doing This For 41 Years! Here are our finalists, beginning with our second runner-up: Late Hands. One of the freshest clichés of 2024, Late Hands is getting invoked with burgeoning frequency as a way to explain that a pass catcher needn't indicate to his defender with his hands or arms that a football is on the way. He should instead use Late Hands. Hey, I Get It. The first runner-up: Climb The Pocket. This inane construction (formerly Step Up In The Pocket) was an Absolute Beast in 2024 but remains perfectly useless except perhaps as a salve for the football commentators' obsession with Getting Vertical, which is way more critical in basketball. Our winner — and as ever, don't go on the field at the conclusion of the Trite Trophy column — is Pulling Out All The Stops, a cliché so ancient and doggedly undecorated we couldn't bear to see it On The Outside Looking In any longer. It's as ubiquitous today as when it was created in the late 15th century, when stops were first employed on pipe organs, even if they were not in the original game plan of offensive coordinator Ctesibius of Alexandria, who invented pipe organs a few millennia earlier. Teams are still Pulling Out All The Stops, which I gather means making every possible effort and calling on all resources, though it's literally from the Greek meaning Geez That Organ Is Loud! Happy New Year, everybody. OBLIGATORY LIST OF PAST WINNERS 2023: Stay on schedule 2022: The emotional roller coaster 2021: The COVID list 2020: Out Oo an abundance of caution 2019: Not his first rodeo 2018: RPO 2017: High point the football 2016: In the protocol 2015: Next man up 2014: Shy of the first down 2013: Going forward 2012: Take a shot down the field 2011: Are you kidding me? 2010: At the end of the day 2009: Dial up a blitz 2008: Manage the game 2007: They're very physical 2006: It is what it is 2005: It is what it is 2004: Shutdown corner 2003: Cover 2 2002: Running downhill 2001: Put points on the scoreboard 2000: Walk-off homer 1999: Somebody's gotta step up 1998: Eight men in the box 1997: Show me the money 1996: Been there, done that 1995: West Coast offense 1994: Red zone 1993: It hasn't sunk in yet 1992: Mentality of a linebacker 1991: You don't have to be a rocket scientist 1990: Smash-mouth football 1989: He coughs it up 1988: They went to the well once too often 1987: Gut check 1986: Crunch time 1985: Throwback 1984: Play 'em one game at a time ©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Will Rohit Sharma play in the India vs Australia fifth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25? Fans might be left with this question after the India national cricket team captain, after showing a lot of promise early on, was dismissed by his opposite number in Pat Cummins as he attempted an aggressive shot. Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child, has had a forgettable time in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with a string of poor scores. And after his dismissal on Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), fans on social media called for him to sit out of the SCG Test. Rohit Sharma Wicket Video: Watch Pat Cummins Dismiss Indian Captain for Another Low Score in IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test 2024 . Rohit Sharma has not had a good time in Test cricket in 2024. In 26 innings, Rohit Sharma has scored just 619 runs at an average of just 24.76 with two centuries and two fifties. After batting in the middle order in the second and third Test matches, Rohit Sharma reclaimed his opening spot, a ploy that did not work out at all. It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma features in the SCG Test. 'Usko Daant Mat Dikha Jyada Yaar' Rohit Sharma's Hilarious Comment to Ravindra Jadeja Caught On Stump Mic During Day 4 of IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test 2024 Goes Viral (Watch Video) . Will Rohit Sharma Play in IND vs AUS 5th Test at SCG? This will be something that will be interesting. While Rohit Sharma's form has been poor, he is still the captain and it will be a bold move if he chooses to drop himself from India's playing XI for the fifth Test against Australia. While there might be speculations that he might or should drop himself, nothing on that record can be said with certainty. The 38-year-old's poor form might cause him to not feature in the IND vs AUS SCG Test match and in such a scenario, Jasprit Bumran can captain the India national cricket team with Shubman Gill also returning to the playing XI. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2024 08:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).

"Georgia's own President" - President Carter remembered in Atlanta