Srini Venkatramani Joins Blend As Head of Product, Technology, and Customer OperationsBesides the Big Guy himself, what’s red, white and a December holiday staple? The candy cane, of course. Our most recognizable Christmas treat has a sweet albeit unconfirmed history. While its exact inspiration is mysterious, legend goes that it was first introduced back in 1670 in Germany when a choirmaster gave out pulled sugar sticks to settle his rambunctious choirboys during live creche ceremonies. To appease naysayers, it’s said that the sticks were shaped into shepherd’s hooks for religious symbolism and increased acceptance. Another theory for the shape, however, centers around the desire to hang the sugar treats from trees. Originally white, the candy cane crossed the seas to America in 1847 with a Swedish-German immigrant who settled in Ohio and began the tradition of decorating evergreen trees with the canes and other ornaments. Historians say it was not until mass-production systems evolved that the red stripe was introduced, and along the way peppermint flavor was added to the canes. Additional Christianity-based theories say that the red color was to symbolize the blood of Jesus, and the hook was also a “J” for the same reason. From history to stocking stuffer, the candy cane’s connection to Christmas was long ago solidified. Locally, Ye Goodie Shoppe on Keene’s Main Street has been a homemade hard candy go-to for nearly 100 years. The sweet shop has most likely been pulling sugar into the popular cane shape and flavors since around the time it opened in 1931, says owner and candymaker Jason Smart, who has run the shop for the past 24 years. While the recipe for a candy cane is straightforward with simple ingredients like sugar, cream of tartar, water, flavor and color, there is a definite choice made in their recipe process that brings different results, according to Smart. “The big thing at Ye Goodie Shoppe that sets us apart is that our hard candy is made with sugar, not corn syrup,” Smart explained. “The difference, besides shelf-life, is that ours will snap in your mouth. It’s not going to stick to your teeth like canes made with corn syrup.” It’s that craveable snap that brings customers back year after year and keeps Smart busy from the weekend post-Thanksgiving through to Christmas. Each 25-pound batch yields about 100 canes and it takes him around two hours to complete start to finish. For the shop’s peppermint canes, their most popular flavor, he’ll make up to four or five batches per season, while other flavors are limited to one. Wintergreen and spearmint are runners-up in popularity, while cinnamon follows close behind. The maple canes are catching up, though. “If this is a horse race, keep your eye on it,” he joked of the maple cane. Over the years, he’s made tweaks as necessary and this year he’s adjusting the coloring of the cinnamon canes so that they’re easier to differentiate from the other flavors. “Our candy cane process is very old school,” he explained. “We don’t have machines to work the candy; it’s all manual labor. It’s a double-edged sword because there’s no equipment to maintain but my shoulder gets a little sore.” Thankfully, he has a good massage therapist and a good chiropractor, he added with a chuckle. In addition to the large canes, the shop also offers five flavors of bagged, bite-sized cane pieces that customers can purchase in individual flavors or mixed. They’re a nice option for kids, hostess gifts or to put out in a bowl for parties or family get-togethers. “They’re a big, big favorite,” he said. Business has been picking up and will continue to do so through the month, Smart said, adding that customers have been asking for Christmas products earlier and earlier every year. He expects this season to be “fast and furious” with a late Thanksgiving and only three shopping weekends before Christmas. During the week, the shop will generally see a rush around the noon hour and in the evenings. While they aren’t usually open on Sundays, he plans to be open on Sunday, Dec. 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in order to accommodate shoppers. Currently staffing about 15 employees, he says it takes five employees daily (not including himself) to produce the handmade chocolates. They’ll make about 80 to 100 pounds of chocolates a day starting Sept. 1. But don’t wait to the last minute, he urges. At this point, the candy will last until Christmas “unless the dog gets it” and there’s no reason to delay. “I enjoy it,” he said of being Keene’s candy man. “Mostly I enjoy the open-kitchen concept and seeing the looks on kids’ faces as they watch. They really enjoy it, and I have fun with it. Sometimes I make initials for them or have them come out back if time and conditions allow.” While the lines will often be out the door of the shop starting before they open and won’t stop all day with six employees behind the counter, he says they work hard to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone. “I like to say that it’s the friendliest line you’re ever going to meet,” he said. “It’s full of old friends and colleagues. It’s a good time. Candy is a fun business so that’s the way it should be.” Ye Goodie Shoppe is located at 49 Main St. in Keene and is open Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., plus Sunday, Dec. 22. For more information, call (603) 352-0326 or visit yegoodieshoppe.com .90nice 。

The first Thanksgiving? We are accustomed to thinking of the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the neighboring Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts as the first to celebrate Thanksgiving, but some scholars say that isn’t accurate. Here’s the case for other possibilities. The Thanksgiving traditions started by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621 are what most Americans follow. But history shows a celebration to give thanks occurred in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. Not only that, 56 years earlier than the Puritan Pilgrims’ gathering, 800 Spanish settlers who founded the city of St. Augustine celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving along with members of the Seloy tribe. What would’ve been for dinner? In St. Augustine, according to the National Park Service, it could have been cocido, a stew made with salted pork, garbanzo beans and garlic seasoning, accompanied by hard sea biscuits and red wine. If the Seloy contributed to the meal from their food stores, the menu could have included turkey, venison, gopher tortoise, mullet, drum, sea catfish, corn, beans and squash. There are other accounts of thanksgiving celebrations predating the Pilgrims by the French settlers in Florida. An early French account dates to 1564, when persecuted Huguenot settlers celebrated in Northern Florida. A year later the French settlement was wiped out by the Spanish. The first giving of thanks by the English When the first settlers arrived in Jamestown in April 1607 and raised a cross at Cape Henry, claiming the land for England, they may have had a thanksgiving predating their first known observance in 1619. In that year, Berkeley Hundred was settled, one of a number of plantations granted by the Virginia Co. of London to its stockholders. Prior to leaving England in September 1619, ship Capt. John Woodlief received instructions from investors that included these words: “That the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty god.” On Dec. 4, 1619, Woodlief’s ship checked in at Jamestown, the colony’s capital, where a mostly religious thanksgiving ceremony was held, after which the ship sailed up the James River about 30 miles. The Berkeley Hundred plantation was not around long after a growing number of native Powhatan tribal members went to war and drove the settlers out in March 1622. Compare and contrast Jamestown: Traveling aboard the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, 104 men landed in Virginia in 1607 at a place they named Jamestown. It was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Plymouth: Thirteen years later, 102 settlers aboard the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts at a place they named Plymouth. Reasons for the colonies Jamestown: Economic motives prompted colonization in Virginia. The Virginia Co., organized in 1606, sponsored the Virginia Colony. Organizers of the company wanted to expand English trade and obtain a wider market for English manufactured goods. They naturally hoped for profit from their investment in shares of company stock. Plymouth : Freedom from religious persecution motivated the Pilgrims to leave England and settle in Holland, where there was more religious freedom. However, after a number of years the Pilgrims felt that their children were being corrupted by the liberal Dutch lifestyle and were losing their English heritage. News of the English colony in Virginia motivated them to leave Holland and settle in the New World. Early setbacks Jamestown: Inexperience, unwillingness to work and a lack of wilderness survival skills led to bickering, disagreements and inaction at Jamestown. Poor relations with tribes, disease and the initial absence of the family unit compounded the problems. Plymouth: Cooperation and hard work were part of the Pilgrims’ lifestyle. Nevertheless, they too were plagued with hunger, disease and environmental hazards. Religious differences Jamestown: The settlers were members of the Church of England. Plymouth: The Pilgrims were dissenters from the Church of England and established the Puritan or Congregational Church. Government In 1619, the first representative legislative assembly in the New World met at the Jamestown church. Since New England was outside the jurisdiction of Virginia’s government, the Pilgrims established a self-governing agreement of their own, the Mayflower Compact. Thanksgiving Jamestown: On Dec. 4, 1619, settlers stepped ashore at Berkeley Hundred along the James River and, in accordance with company investors’ instructions, celebrated their first official thanksgiving. Plymouth: In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a celebration to give thanks to God for his bounty and blessings. This occasion was the origin of the traditional Thanksgiving as we know it. You can find an interactive map of Historic Jamestown on the National Park Service site here . Sources: National Park Service, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

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The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes works in the pocket against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of Sunday's game in Charlotte, N.C. • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the first half of a Nov. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles. • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to invent the face mask and breaking pro football's color barrier . - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. You may also like: Countries with the most active NFL players - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Syrian rebels appear to have turned to YouTube tutorials to learn how to operate a captured helicopter. The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has seen several rebel factions fighting against the Assad regime. After 13 years of war and a near quarter century of ruling, Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime and the Assad dynasty have fallen, Vox reported. Just checking on YouTube how to fly this captured regime helicopter. #Syria pic.twitter.com/nMQGW6Wr2N On December 5, a video shared on social media by journalist Thomas van Linge shows Syrian rebels seemingly watching YouTube videos to figure out how to fly a helicopter captured from regime forces. "Just checking on YouTube how to fly this captured regime helicopter," van Linge wrote on X . The footage, uploaded to X by van Linge, shows individuals inside the cockpit of the aircraft, reviewing instructional videos on a smartphone. The post quickly went viral, with users commenting on the rebels' ingenuity as well as the broader implications of their reliance on such unconventional methods. Several commenters responded with laughing emojis while one said, "Please show the end result." "How could this go wrong," another asked. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has not commented on the video. It remains unclear whether the rebels successfully managed to fly the helicopter. Originally published by Latin Times

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail on Wednesday as he awaits a May sex trafficking trial by a judge who cited evidence showing him to be a serious risk of witness tampering and proof that he has violated regulations in jail. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian made the decision in a written ruling following a bail hearing last week, when lawyers for the hip-hop mogul argued that a $50 million bail package they proposed would be sufficient to ensure Combs doesn’t flee and doesn’t try to intimidate prospective trial witnesses. Two other judges previously had been persuaded by prosecutors’ arguments that the Bad Boy Records founder was a danger to the community if he is not behind bars. Lawyers did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the decision. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees. An indictment alleges that he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. A federal appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan considers his bail request. Prosecutors have insisted that no bail conditions would be sufficient to protect the public and prevent the “I'll Be Missing You” singer from fleeing. They say that even in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, Combs has orchestrated social media campaigns designed to influence prospective jurors and tried to publicly leak materials he thinks can help his case. They say he also has contacted potential witnesses through third parties. Lawyers for Combs say any alleged sexual abuse described in the indictment occurred during consensual relations between adults and that new evidence refutes allegations that Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.” Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press

NoneA fragile ceasefire in Lebanon has brought relief to many after weeks of intense conflict, reported . Over 3,500 Lebanese citizens have been killed in Israeli strikes, with more than a million displaced. As families cautiously return to devastated homes, the ceasefire is seen as a respite rather than a resolution. Related Story: In Israel, opinions are divided. Some officials criticize the ceasefire, believing it prevents further action against Hezbollah. Northern Israeli towns, heavily evacuated during the fighting, remain ghost towns. Polls reveal public skepticism, with many doubting Hezbollah’s defeat or the ceasefire’s durability. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the pause, citing military achievements, including weakening Hezbollah and severing its ties to Gaza. The decision also allows Israel to regroup and focus on Iran, Hezbollah’s key backer. The ceasefire reflects broader regional tensions. Hezbollah and Iran seek recovery after suffering strategic losses, including the assassination of key leaders. Yet the situation remains volatile, with fears of escalation in Gaza and doubts about lasting peace. Related Story: With Donald Trump set to return to the White House, the Middle East awaits his policies, which could reshape dynamics. Optimists foresee diplomatic outreach, while others fear further conflict and the potential collapse of Palestinian aspirations for statehood. The Lebanon ceasefire offers temporary relief but underscores the region’s entrenched struggles, with fundamental political conflicts unresolved.

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