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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the U.S. was not sure of Assad's whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria's backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad's grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP) — The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades , because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump's social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Assad's fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia's war in Ukraine , noting that Assad's allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. Vice President-elect JD Vance , a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad's ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin's government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders . Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS," he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. "We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, contributed to this report. Will Weissert, The Associated PressJuan Soto has made a decision. The star outfielder reportedly agreed to a 15-year, $765-million deal with the New York Mets , according to multiple reports on Sunday. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history. The Mets, along with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox , Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers , were linked to Soto throughout the free agency process since the season concluded. Soto, 26, was one of the most high-profile free agents in recent history given his age and abilities. The four-time All-Star had 41 home runs and 109 RBIs with a .289 batting average last season for the Yankees. Previously, he played for the Washington Nationals from 2018 to 2022 and the San Diego Padres from 2022 to 2023. In his seven-year career, Soto has 201 home runs and 592 RBIs with a World Series win in 2019, five Silver Slugger awards and a batting title in 2020. He was a key part of the Yankees' run to the World Series in 2024, batting .327 with four home runs in 14 postseason games before New York lost the Fall Classic to Los Angeles. Snatching Soto away from a crosstown rival is another victory for Steve Cohen, who hasn't been shy about spending since buying the Mets in 2020. His team made the National League Championship Series last season for the first time since 2015. The hope, obviously, is that a player of Soto's caliber will put the Mets over the top with their World Series drought now reaching 39 years. Retaining Soto had been the Yankees' top priority this offseason -- and keeping him away from rivals in Queens, Boston and Los Angeles would have been a huge victory for owner Hal Steinbrenner. The Yankees went from 82-80 in 2023 to Game 5 of the World Series in 2024, largely due to Soto being added to the lineup. He and Aaron Judge formed one of the scariest power duos in the league, but their partnership lasted just one season. With Soto now signed, business could pick up with transactions expected across the league at the winter meetings this week. Executives arrived in Texas for the annual event on Sunday and will stay through Thursday.

NCAA agrees to waiver for JUCO players after Diego Pavia lawsuit injunctionDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russian state news agencies are reporting that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but has contacted the Kremlin for comment. RIA also cited an anonymous Kremlin source that Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. The report did not give further details. Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday. Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Joyful crowds gathered in squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and residence after President Bashar Assad and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. Russia, a close ally, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country's future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the sprawling Umayyad Mosque and called Assad's fall “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he told hundreds of people that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and still split among armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in some remote areas. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement early Sunday saying Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They called on people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state.” The rebels later announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. The rebels said they freed people held at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed . A video circulating online purported to show rebels breaking open cell doors and freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom appeared shocked. At least one small child was seen among them. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he,” said one relative, Bassam Masr. "I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi later appeared on state TV and sought to reassure Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. Damascus residents prayed in mosques and celebrated in squares, calling, “God is great.” People chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Revelers filled Umayyad Square, where the Defense Ministry is located. Some waved the three-starred Syrian flag that predates the Assad government and was adopted by the revolutionaries. Elsewhere, many parts of the capital were empty and shops were closed. Soldiers and police left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Videos showed families wandering the presidential palace, some carrying stacks of plates and other household items. “It’s like a dream. I need someone to wake me up," said opposition fighter Abu Laith, adding the rebels were welcomed in Damascus with “love.” At the Justice Ministry, where rebels stood guard, Judge Khitam Haddad said they were protecting documents from the chaos. Outside, some residents sought information about relatives who disappeared under Assad. The rebels “have felt the pain of the people,” said one woman, giving only her first name, Heba. She worried about possible revenge killings by the rebels, many of whom appeared to be underage. Syria’s al-Watan newspaper, which was historically pro-government, wrote: “We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood.” It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements, saying it “only carried out the instructions.” A statement from the Alawite sect that has formed the core of Assad's base called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video shared on Syrian opposition media showed armed men escorting him from his office and to the Four Seasons hotel on Sunday. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad, 59, took a flight early Sunday from Damascus. A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, which had sought to rehabilitate Assad's image and has welcomed high-profile exiles in recent years, declined to comment on his whereabouts. Anwar Gargash said Assad's destination at this point is a “footnote in history,” comparing it to the long exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War I. The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall within days as the Syrian army melted away. Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which provided crucial support to Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule was a major blow to Iran and its allies, already weakened by conflict with Israel . Iran, which had strongly backed him throughout the civil war, said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israeli troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions. Israel's military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety, and didn’t respond to questions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied, and the Arab League on Sunday condemned what it called Israel’s efforts to take advantage of Assad’s downfall occupy more territory. The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS , which has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Al-Golani, has sought to recast the group as a moderate and tolerant force. “Golani has made history and sparked hope among millions of Syrians," said Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group. "But he and the rebels now face a formidable challenge ahead.” The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday. They included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced a new government Monday, after the previous Cabinet collapsed in a historic vote prompted by fighting over the country's budget. The government, put together by newly named Prime Minister Francois Bayrou , includes members of the outgoing conservative-dominated team and new figures from centrist or left-leaning backgrounds. Coming up with a 2025 budget will be the most urgent order of business. The new government enters office after months of political deadlock and crisis and pressure from financial markets to reduce France’s colossal debt. Macron has vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027, but has struggled to govern since snap elections in the summer left no single party with a majority in the National Assembly. Since his appointment 10 days ago, Bayrou has held talks with political leaders from various parties in search of the right balance for the new government. Some critics on Monday were angry at Bayrou for consulting with Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, and some argue the government looks too much like the old one to win lawmakers’ trust. Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned this month following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly , leaving France without a functioning government. Le Pen played a key role in Barnier’s downfall by joining her National Rally party’s forces with the left to pass the no-confidence motion. Bayrou will need support from moderate legislators on the right and left to keep his government alive. Banker Eric Lombard will be finance minister, a crucial post when France is working to fulfill its promises to European Union partners to reduce its deficit, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. Lombard briefly worked as an adviser to a Socialist finance minister in the 1990s. Bayrou has said he supports tax hikes championed by his predecessor, but it’s not clear how the new government can find the right calculation for a budget that satisfies a majority of lawmakers angry over spending cuts. Hard-right Bruno Retailleau stays on as interior minister, with responsibility for France’s security and migration policy. Sebastien Lecornu, who has been at the forefront of France’s military support for Ukraine, remains defense minister, while Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who has traveled extensively in the Mideast in recent weeks, also retains his post. Among new faces are two former prime ministers. Manuel Valls will be minister for overseas affairs, and Elisabeth Borne takes the education ministry.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Syrian opposition fighters celebrate Sunday after the Syrian government collapsed in Damascus, Syria. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and residence after President Bashar Assad and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. A man tries to take a lamp Sunday as people search for belongings in the ransacked private residence of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Malkeh district of Damascus, Syria. Russia, a close ally, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and gave instructions to transfer power peacefully. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country's future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and said Assad's fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he told hundreds of people that Assad made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and still split among different armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in some remote areas. Syrian opposition fighters remove a government Syrian flag from an official building Saturday in Salamiyah, east of Hama, Syria. Syrian state television broadcast a video statement early Sunday by a group of rebels saying that Assad was overthrown and all prisoners were released. They called on people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state.” The rebels later announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. The rebels said they freed people held at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed . A video circulating online purported to show rebels breaking open cell doors and freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom appeared shocked and confused. At least one small child could be seen among them. Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi, who appeared on state TV later in the day, sought to reassure Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. People gather Sunday in Manbij, Syria, to celebrate the fall of the Syrian government. Celebrations in the capital Residents of Damascus gathered to pray at mosques and to celebrate in squares, chanting, “God is great.” People also chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Revelers filled central Umayyad Square, where the Defense Ministry is located. Men fired celebratory gunshots and some waved the three-starred Syrian flag that predates the Assad government and was adopted by the revolutionaries. “I cannot express my happiness," said Bassam Masr. “But this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he. I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Soldiers and police left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Videos showed families wandering into the presidential palace, with some emerging carrying stacks of plates and other household items. “Victory to Syria. Syria remains and Assad to hell, to the dustbin of history,” said a man exploring the palace. A man walks by a broken portrait of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad as people search for belongings Sunday in the ransacked private residence of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Malkeh district of Damascus, Syria. Syria’s al-Watan newspaper, which was historically pro-government, wrote: “We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood. We believe and trust that Syria will be for all Syrians.” The newspaper added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements, saying: “We only carried out the instructions and published the news they sent us.” A statement from the Alawite sect — to which Assad belongs and which formed the core of his base — called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad on Sunday in Damascus, Syria. Assad reportedly in Russia Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said in a video statement that the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video shared on Syrian opposition media showed a group of armed men escorting him out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel Sunday. Syrian President Bashar Assad listens May 19, 2023, during the Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight Sunday from Damascus. Russian state news agencies reported that Assad arrived in Moscow with his family and was given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but has contacted the Kremlin for comment. A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, which sought to rehabilitate Assad's image and welcomed high-profile exiles in recent years, declined to comment on his whereabouts when asked by reporters at a conference in Bahrain. Anwar Gargash said Assad's destination at this point is a “footnote in history,” comparing it to the long exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War I. Assad was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war, including a 2013 chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of the capital. Opposition fighters burn down a military court Sunday in Damascus, Syria. Calls for an orderly transition The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall in a matter of days as the Syrian army melted away. Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which provided crucial support to Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him in the final days as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule deals a major blow to Iran and its allies, already weakened by over a year of conflict with Israel . Iran, which had strongly backed Assad throughout the civil war, said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israeli troops had temporarily seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying the move was taken to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. Israeli soldiers walk Sunday near armored vehicles parked along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria. The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS , which has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Its head, al-Golani, has sought to recast the group as a moderate and tolerant force. HTS set up a “salvation government” in 2017 to administer a large region in northwestern Syria under its control. “Golani has made history and sparked hope among millions of Syrians," said Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an expert on Syrian groups. "But he and the rebels now face a formidable challenge ahead. One can only hope they rise to the occasion.” People gather Sunday in Manbij, Syria, to celebrate the fall of the Syrian government. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday. The participants included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed. People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Giants' 10th straight loss showed once again that they need a young QB

By KELVIN CHAN, Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Looking for a new social media platform because X, Threads and Mastodon just aren’t cutting it? You could try Bluesky . People seeking to avoid chaos, noise and political bluster in the aftermath of the U.S. elections are noticing a different mood on the Bluesky social platform, where the vibe is seemingly welcoming and there are noticeably fewer trolls. The site announced it had rapidly added more than a million new users in the week after Election Day, and has emerged as one of the fastest growing rivals to Elon Musk’s X and similar platforms. If you’re tempted to check out the new space, here’s a guide on how Bluesky works: Maybe you’re not ready to commit to adding yet another social media account. No problem — you can still look around on Bluesky without signing up because all posts and profiles are public. You might get a sense of deja vu because the platform’s look and feel are very similar to X. That should be no surprise because Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was an early Bluesky champion. (Dorsey’s no longer involved with Bluesky, which is owned and run by its executive team as a public benefit corporation.) If you take the plunge and get an account, you’ll need a username. You’ll notice Bluesky handles are a little bit different because they end by default in the site’s domain, .bsky.social. You can personalize your handle to make it more memorable, by using your own website’s domain or buying a custom one through Bluesky. But it might not be something most newbie users need or want to do right away. Bluesky boasts that it gives users “algorithmic choice” to tailor the content they’re shown instead of leaving it up to the whims of a centralized system. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see,” it says . Related Articles What it means is that you can follow custom feeds set up by other users, or design your own. If you tap #Feeds in the menu on the left, you’ll see some default offerings like Cat Pics and Gardening. My Bangers is a list of your most popular posts by likes and Catch Up shows the site’s most popular posts from the past 24 hours. You can find more by doing a search and tapping the Feeds button. There’s also the usual “Discover” feed of suggested posts and a chronological feed of accounts that you follow. To help new users settle in, Bluesky has starter packs of recommended feeds and accounts to follow, which anyone can create and share. They don’t show up in Bluesky’s search results but can be found in directories online . Or someone might share one with you. After I signed up, a colleague pointed me to one for major news outlets . There are tens of thousands of starter packs, ranging from broadly appealing topics like Taylor Swift to niche interests like cargo bikes or U.K. comedians . You can follow the whole pack or scroll down the list to choose individual accounts. What about people you followed on X? There’s a browser extension tool called Sky Follower Bridge that will help you find X users who’ve migrated to Bluesky. But check before clicking the follow button to make sure it’s not a different user using the same display name or handle. Ready to join the conversation? You can write posts or reply to others but keep it short because there’s a limit of 300 characters — 20 more than on X. You can also upload photos and videos, though videos can’t be longer than 60 seconds. GIFs and emojis are, of course, available too. You can still @ people by typing in their username, like posts by tapping a heart icon or use hashtags to highlight a theme. Bluesky has added a menu to hashtags, so when you click on one you’ll get different options for seeing, or muting, posts on that topic. Bluesky’s decentralization ethos extends to the content control options it offers. For starters, users can choose in their settings menu whether to see replies, reposts or quote posts in their feed. Specific words or tags can be muted temporarily, or forever, while accounts can be muted or blocked individually, or in bulk by adding them a moderation list. You can even fine tune the level of adult content that shows up in your feed. Bluesky has a team of content moderators to police the site for material that’s illegal or breaks the rules. But it’s also taking a different approach by open sourcing its content moderation system in an attempt to resolve problems with traditional moderation services which it says “lack transparency and user control.” So, individuals or groups can set up their own content filters, or labelers, that go beyond what Bluesky offers. These labelers can be used to categorize content or users, which can then be blocked or hidden. But they could also be used for informational or creative purposes, like curating or verifying content. There are labelers to identify images generated by artificial intelligence or to fact check news posts. You can find lists of labelers online. After I subscribed to a U.S. politics labeler, some posts in my feeds were flagged “!Donald Trump” or “!Democrat politician” and hidden unless I click Show. Follow Kelvin Chan on Bluesky Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.Goodbye to Social Security checks – These are the other benefits that almost no one knows about from the SSA

NEWS BRIEF Fortinet has finally patched a critical security vulnerability in its Wireless LAN Manager (FortiWLM) that could allow unauthenticated sensitive information disclosure. And, when chained with another issue, it could lead to remote code execution (RCE), a researcher warned. The bug ( CVE-2023-34990 , CVSS 9.6) was first disclosed in March, when it was described as an "unauthenticated limited file read vulnerability" without a CVE. "This issue results from the lack of input validation on request parameters allowing an attacker to traverse directories and read any log file on the system," Horizon3.ai security researcher Zach Hanley, who reported the bug to Fortinet, noted in March. He has confirmed to Dark Reading that the bug patched this week is the same issue. He added, "Luckily for an attacker, the FortiWLM has very verbose logs — and logs the session ID of all authenticated users. Abusing the above arbitrary log file read, an attacker can now obtain the session ID of a user and login and also abuse authenticated endpoints." NIST's National Vulnerability Database (NVD) has noted that the flaw can also be used to "execute unauthorized code or commands via specially crafted Web requests" — thanks to the access it provides to those authenticated endpoints. The bug affects FortiWLM versions 8.6.0 through 8.6.5 (fixed in 8.6.6 or above) and versions 8.5.0 through 8.5.4 (fixed in 8.5.5 or above). Hanley back in March flagged a potential exploit chain as well: When CVE-2023-34990 is combined with an authenticated command-injection bug that Fortinet patched last year ( CVE-2023-48782 , CVSS 8.8), it becomes another recipe for RCE. This second issue allows an attacker who has used CVE-2023-34990 to gain access to an authenticated endpoint to, from there, inject a crafted malicious string in a request to the /ems/cgi-bin/ezrf_switches.cgi endpoint that will be executed with root privileges. "Combining both the unauthenticated arbitrary log file read and this authenticated command injection, an unauthenticated attacker can obtain remote code execution in the context of root," Hanley explained. "This endpoint is accessible for both low privilege users and admins." Admins should patch the Fortinet appliances ASAP, given the vendor's status as a most-favored cyberattack target . Tara Seals has 20+ years of experience as a journalist, analyst and editor in the cybersecurity, communications and technology space. Prior to Dark Reading, Tara was Editor in Chief at Threatpost, and prior to that, the North American news lead for Infosecurity Magazine. She also spent 13 years working for Informa (formerly Virgo Publishing), as executive editor and editor-in-chief at publications focused on both the service provider and the enterprise arenas. A Texas native, she holds a B.A. from Columbia University, lives in Western Massachusetts with her family and is on a never-ending quest for good Mexican food in the Northeast.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court (SC) is slated to hear on Monday, December 9, a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the inclusion of political parties under the anti-sexual harassment law. The petition impleads the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the National People’s Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Aam Aadmi Party, in the memo of parties. As per the list of cases to be heard, which was published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Manmohan will take up the matter for hearing on December 9. The PIL seeks a declaration that political parties are bound to follow the procedure for the protection of women in the workplace under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Further, it seeks direction to constitute a grievance redressal mechanism against sexual harassment as per the directions of the Supreme Court in the Vishaka vs State of Rajasthan case. The petition aims to ensure that political parties comply with the POSH Act and provide a safe work environment for women, free from sexual harassment,” said the plea filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The petitioner, Yogamaya M.G., a practising advocate at the Supreme Court and women’s rights and empowerment through her work. With millions of members across political parties, it is clear that politics plays a significant role in Indian society, said the petition, adding that the presence of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to address sexual harassment is inconsistent across these parties. The PIL contended that the lack of standardised ICCs across political parties may lead to inadequate reporting and addressing of sexual harassment cases, varied levels of protection and support for victims and perpetuation of a culture that tolerates or ignores sexual harassment. It said that the petition aims to ensure that Indian political parties prioritise creating a safe and inclusive environment for women to participate in politics.

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Sells 4,101 Shares of Commercial Metals (NYSE:CMC)

Chinese "Space Transportation" company, Lingkong Tianxing Technology, has successfully tested its new JinDou400, also known as JinDouyun, ramjet detonation engine nearly twice the altitude of commercial passenger planes and more than doubling the Concorde's fastest speeds during its test. The state-of-the-art engine's successful Mach 4 flight (3,106 mph / 5,000 km/h) at 65,000 ft (19,812 m) marks a crucial step for the Chinese company as the engine is going to be the heart of the future Yunxing supersonic passenger plane, also designed by Space Transportation. Traditional ramjet engines work by relying on the aircraft's speed to scoop up and compress air into the engine. This compressed air mixes with fuel, ignites, and produces thrust. The engine doesn't have moving parts like turbines or compressors. It relies solely on the fast-moving air. The JinDou400, however, uses detonation combustion instead of a regular, steady burning flame. It creates controlled explosions ( ) in the combustion chamber which are far more powerful and efficient than regular combustion (at high speeds), allowing the engine to produce more thrust with less fuel and work effectively, but only at much higher speeds. The exact dimensions of the JinDou400 engine haven't been publicly confirmed, but reports suggest the engine measures roughly 10 ft (3 m) in length and about 12 inches (0.3 m) in diameter. The JinDou400 produces an impressive 882 lbf of thrust (400 kgf), which is fairly remarkable for an engine of that size. As ramjets forego moving parts like the compressor and turbine components found in traditional turbojets, the design is more compact, lightweight, efficient, and cost-effective to produce. Those advantages also have a downside: ramjets are entirely ineffective at low speeds and are often accompanied by turbojets to handle subsonic flight, where the airspeed isn't enough to feed . A Yunxing prototype airframe has reportedly been flown successfully at Mach 4 on October 26th, 2024, , and Space Transportation "aims to have a full-sized supersonic passenger jet ready for its maiden flight in 2027." If the Yunxing seems familiar, it's likely because its design closely resembles the already proven high-speed airframe of the hybrid turbojet/ramjet-shod SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird had a publicly confirmed speed of Mach 3.3 (2,193 mph / 3,529 km/h) at an altitude of 85,069 ft (25,929 m). There are reports of it having flown faster, but nothing on official record. The full capabilities of , though 26 years out-of-service, remain classified. The Yunxing promises to be significantly faster than the SR-71 using its JinDouyun ramjet detonation engines. The Yunxing is also said to incorporate VTOL capabilities into its design. That is, it will be capable of vertical take-off and landing, a feature unique to an aircraft of that design and speed rating. The technology that will be used for VTOL capabilities hasn't been released yet, but we'll certainly update when that information becomes public. American company Astro Mechanica believes it also offers a solution for both subsonic supersonic speeds with its . Its unique design uses electric motors to power a turbine and compressor separately, allowing it to "switch modes" from turbofan to turbojet, to ramjet, effectively. Boom Supersonic is another US-based company looking to and have already garnered interest from airline companies like United Airlines. In the meantime, we'll all still be eagerly awaiting . Source:FDA Grants IDE Approval for the Pivotal Trial of the JuxtaFlow® Renal Assist Device (RAD)

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iShares Agency Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGZ) Stock Position Lowered by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.Chandigarh, Dec 8 (PTI) Technology used in crime investigations under the new criminal laws is "foolproof", provided protocols are strictly followed, Chandigarh DGP SS Yadav said on Sunday. Under the new laws, it is mandatory to record every step of the investigation, from receiving a distress call on the 112 emergency response helpline to the collection of evidence, which is video recorded, photographed and digitally uploaded on the special application E-Sakshya -- a cloud-based service operated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Also Read | Chennai Shocker: College Student with Mental Health Issues Allegedly Raped by 10 Men Over 10 Months; 2, Including Minor, Arrested. The laws also require the use of various applications for fingerprint detection, facial recognition, prosecution, trial and court procedures, making the entire process -- from emergency response to investigation, chargesheet and trial -- seamless. Yadav said the new laws and processes ensured the investigations were swift, time-bound, legally tenable, self-evident and self-presentable, unlike the previous system, which had a lot of subjectivity. Also Read | Bareilly Shocker: Woman Who Killed Newborn Daughter by Throwing Toddler in Pond in UP After Argument With Husband Awarded Life Imprisonment. Asked if the dependence on technology made investigations vulnerable to hacking or misuse, Yadav said, "The technology is always foolproof if the protocol is followed and remains intact. In the E-Sakshya application, from origin to end, there is the same hash value, ensuring continuity of the process and a foolproof system." "Our officers can only use tablets issued by the administration to collect evidence and follow procedures, so the chances of abuse are minimal," he added. A hash value is a unique numerical identifier representing the contents of a file or data on a digital device. Every step -- from the distress call, dispatch of a PCR van, and the arrival of a forensic team at the scene -- is now recorded on dedicated devices with timestamps, which must be provided to the court, he said. Yadav noted that evidence collection could not be tampered with, as the process -- including the recording of witness statements -- was directly uploaded to the cloud with timestamps through the E-Sakshya application. A certificate is generated, which is provided to the court within 48 hours, he said. A massive infrastructure upgrade was carried out to ensure the full implementation of these processes. Chandigarh set up 80 videoconferencing facilities with various agencies -- hospitals, forensics and administrative offices -- besides training of all stakeholders on the new platforms, he said. Five subdivisional magistrate offices were designated for private citizens to appear via videoconferencing to record their testimony, officials said. The court information system was upgraded to version 4.0 to synchronise with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), and Internet bandwidth increased to 150 Mbps to handle all data uploads and downloads smoothly, they added. Yadav said, "The new laws reflect a modern and developed India. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were introduced during the British era after the first rebellion for independence in 1857 to keep India under colonial rule. The focus of the new laws is on citizens and quick justice delivery." He said new provisions were introduced to address crimes against women and children, snatching, economic offences and mob lynching. The provisions in the IPC and the CrPC were no longer in line with social realities, the evolving nature of crimes, and societal needs, he said. "All stakeholders -- police, hospitals, forensics, and courts -- are connected through a dashboard on a specialised application. Chandigarh has made it operational, and other states are working to implement it under the guidance of the Union home ministry. The aim is to ensure the crime investigation process is technically superior, modern, and reflects a new India," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Harris Dickinson toys with ambiguity in ‘Babygirl,’ and keeps a secret from Nicole Kidman