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Syria rebels enter strategic city of Homs

JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-warAnother week, another opportunity to grab some free games! Epic Games and Amazon Prime Gaming are back with a new selection of titles you can claim at no cost. The Epic Games Store is offering Brotato this week. The game will be available to claim from November 29 to December 5, 9:30 PM IST. In addition, Epic Games is also hosting the , which includes discounts on various games, including AAA titles. Good day for some mashed potatoes. Or maybe just to let a potato do some mashing! 🥔 Grab Brotato for FREE this week: — Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) Amazon Prime Gaming is offering the following titles: In order to claim these titles, the user must have an active subscription of . The Amazon Prime Gaming subscription costs ₹1,499 annually. Brotato Brotato is a top-down arena shooter roguelite game where players control a potato wielding six weapons at a time, fighting aliens. Players can also create their own builds and setups. The game was developed and published by Blobfish and was released on June 23, 2023. Elite Dangerous Elite Dangerous is a multiplayer online space simulation game developed and published by Frontier Developments. It was released on April 2, 2015. In the game, players begin with a small ship, which they can build on, explore, and more. The game features a dynamic economy and a background simulation that influences the political landscape of the galaxy based on player actions.FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Wesley Celichowski's 22 points helped Air Force defeat Stony Brook 69-61 on Saturday. Celichowski shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for the Falcons (3-7). Ethan Taylor scored 17 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caleb Walker shot 6 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Seawolves (2-7) were led by CJ Luster II, who recorded 27 points. Stony Brook also got 13 points from Collin O'Connor. Andre Snoddy finished with 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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SHRM Foundation and Clarvida Announce Partnership to Champion Inclusive Hiring Through Untapped Talent InitiativeLindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhillsNinja has launched its Boxing Day sales for 2024, offering discounts on everything from air fryers to knife blocks. Many of the deals are even better than Black Friday, like this offer on the Ninja kettle which is now at its lowest ever price, or come with freebies and bonus items. However, shoppers eager to get their hands on one of Ninja's latest bestsellers have discovered a way to stack deals and get it for a fraction of the sale price. The Ninja Sip Perfect Travel Mug , which only launched in the UK this month, already has a loyal following among coffee and tea drinkers, with many calling it the 'perfect' insulated cup. The travel mug is available in three stylish colours: black, white and green. It was originally priced at £29.99, but the Boxing Day sale has reduced it by a third to £19.99, a significant saving for anyone wanting to grab this game-changing gadget. READ MORE: The Best Boxing Day travel deals to book now to save on your 2025 holiday READ MORE: Charlotte Tilbury launches Boxing Day sale with up to 40% off makeup and skincare favourites However, savvy shoppers have found a way to get it for even less thanks to a money-saving site. Bargain hunters who sign up with TopCashback in time for the Boxing Day sales can get the mug for £3.66 by signing up as a new member, claiming a free £15 signup bonus and cashback, and then clicking through to buy the travel mug . The innovative brand, known for revolutionising UK homes with its tech-savvy gadgets ranging from air fryers to barbecues, has launched a travel mug that's far from ordinary. The Sip Perfect , as it's called, features a lockable lid making it completely leak-proof and is equipped with a unique HeatStore technology that cools drinks down to the ideal sipping temperature in minutes and maintains it for hours. Despite being on the market for just a few weeks, the Sip Perfect boasts an impressive average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Ninja's website, with customers lauding its quality and value for money. One satisfied customer labelled it as 'top class', albeit a tad heavy, adding: "I had high expectations of this product as Ninja has a reputation for quality and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint. As an outreach worker a good thermal cup is an important part of my "kit" I decided to use this mug for a few days before writing the review to make sure I had put it through its paces. "It looks great and has the quality finish you expect from Ninja . It didn't leak even when in the bottom of my bag. I followed the instructions about preheating the cup and I think my filter coffee was hotter than when I poured it from the pot. It stayed hot for several hours which is brilliant when you are away from access to drink making facilities. I used the cup while working from home and again it kept my drink hot for hours." One satisfied customer raved about the Ninja travel mug , saying: "It's easy to clean, looks great and has a tough external shell. It fitted nicely into the cup holder on my car. The only slightly negative thing I would have to say about this cup is, it's a bit heavy but worth dealing with that as the product is a good one. I'm very impressed." A mum also sang its praises, writing: "This is perfect. As a new mum with a newborn baby I use this to keep my tea, hot chocolate and cappuccino nice and hot. I take this out with me whilst travelling and I love it! The only thing I would suggest is that they could add handles to the cup as well." Another fan highlighted the cup's practicality, saying: "The cup is stylish and keeps drinks hot for quite a number of hours. It washes well both in the dishwasher and by hand and it is easy to separate the different parts. The cup doesn't fit in my car's central cup holders but fits in the door. The cup doesn't leak but I would have preferred a lid that closes automatically once you stop pressing on it because I have forgotten to close it a few times, this is user error." However, one reviewer was less enthusiastic, writing: "Doesnt keep drinks hot for long. I have the flask and that keeps hot drinks hot all day so I thought the travel mug would be the same. I should have just stuck to the flask. Not worth buying." For coffee lovers, finding the perfect travel mug is like discovering the Holy Grail. If this deal - which slashes the price of the Ninja mug to less than many takeaway lattes - doesn't tempt you, there are plenty of other fabulous options also discounted in various winter sales. Coffee aficionados seeking an alternative premium mug can snag 26% off the Contigo Luxe on Amazon right now. Usually priced at £39, it's now down to just £28.99. Also on Amazon, Dualit offers a gorgeous brushed stainless steel option currently reduced to £19.99. Stanley's iconic Aerolight , the hot drink version of the Quencher, comes in slightly cheaper than the celeb-loved cold drink cup. It's available in eleven colours with prices starting from £33 on the Stanley website , but if you're not picky about colour, you can get one from £30 on Amazon , according to Wales Online .

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Jim Gaffigan is experiencing a major glow-up lately. He’s looking slim, trim and well-styled in a hip suit and glasses on a recent morning in a posh room at the Peninsula Hotel. His vibe is a lot different from the hefty, pale, Midwestern Everyman whom a lot of people think of when they hear his name. But if you’ve tracked his recent trajectory, the recent evolution shouldn’t come as a surprise. From touring with comedy megastar Jerry Seinfeld to portraying Tim Walz for five weeks on “Saturday Night Live,” Gaffigan’s fit physique and wry, clean humor are meeting the moment by popping up in places that bring together the biggest crowds to laugh as a family about topics we can all relate to at a time when we need it most. On Friday, his 11th stand-up special, “The Skinny,” premieres on Hulu as part of the new brand rollout dubbed “Hulu Laughing Now,” featuring 12 new comedy specials per year on the streaming platform. We spoke to Gaffigan about the inspiration behind his new hourlong special, the pains of parenting teenagers and how growing his career while his body gets slimmer is only the beginning of his new chapter in comedy. This interview was edited for length and clarity. In your new special “The Skinny,” obviously you talk about the fact that you’ve had a body transformation. What inspired you to make a change to become Slim Jim? I wish there was some romantic story surrounding it, but it really came down to my doctor who brought it up. [She said,] “I’ve noticed you’ve gained a fair amount of weight.” In the ’90s I was working out twice a day to be thin. And then once I had kids, I was desperately trying to find time to work out. And then it just got to a point where my knees didn’t work. So [my doctor] said, “You can try these appetite suppressants.” And I’m like, “Yeah, sure!” but I didn’t have an expectation it would work. Even when I was working out twice a day — I have a joke where I was like, “I need to work out a lot just to look like someone who doesn’t work out.” And so I was pleasantly surprised when it worked. What are some vices, especially being on the road as a comic, that you’ve had to give up? I can’t tell you how much this drug curbs this insatiable eating I have, but it also curbs other things. So if I have one drink, then I’m like, I’m good, or if I have any kind of compulsive behavior, it kind of diminishes. I mean, I joke around in the special that I feel no joy, but it kind of makes you behave like an adult, which is weird. Describe the process of whittling down the material for “The Skinny.” What do you hope that audiences will get to see from you in terms of what’s going on with your life and your comedy? Stand-up has changed so much. The notion that people are putting out multiple specials didn’t exist when I started with stand-up, but I think that people who consume a stand-up comedian’s material, there’s a familiarity, but it’s like a friendship. You can’t have the exact same conversation, even though we all have friends where it’s like we’re having the same conversation about high school — it has to be different. You both have to challenge each other. So for me, working on the special or working on this new hour that I’m working on now, it’s self-assignment. So some of it, as any creative person, it’s like, “What can I talk about that is embarrassing or is revealing?” I think that people who have tracked me along the way in my stand-up will be interested in my view on parenting. I’ve always had the view that I suck at it, but I have a greater empathy for what all parents are dealing with it. And I think also parents of this era, we’ve made mistakes. And it doesn’t help with social media and the apps and screens. And that’s something that’s revealed in doing my stand-up and in reading some of the parenting books. I don’t know if you have kids, do you have kids? No, I’m still happy. [Laughs] There’s books that reveal the mistakes [we] have made. Parents of teenagers have this perspective. Adults have an impression of what their teenage years were like and I’m providing this point of view of what it’s like to live with these people. It’s kind of a cliché, but raising teenagers is like raising a mentally ill person. It sounds harsh — we know there’s a natural separation process where teenagers challenge things, but I love that I’ve gained this perspective of “Was my dad a d— or maybe I was a d—?” Maybe it’s kind of basic, but that’s something that’s universal. We all went through being teenagers and not necessarily the conflict but the misunderstanding between the teenager and the parent, which I find fascinating. Do you think the stress of raising your own teenagers feel s like payback for how you were as a teen? I would say I was a good teen. I was very hardworking. I would say that my dad was unnecessarily annoyed by some of my behavior. And now I’m kind of like, “Oh, I get it. I totally get what his annoyance was.” And these are your children and you’d do anything for them. But there is a bafflement. I talk about it [in the special] where you have this sweet 12-year-old and then they change. And I’m obviously using hyperbole and exaggeration, but there is a shift. And what’s so great about touring with the material is that it’s a conversation, so the feedback from the audience can prove your premise or your theory. So even older parents, empty nesters, can say, “Oh yeah, that’s true.” The hyperbolic, humorous statement you’re making is only funny because it’s grounded in a shared experience. One of the things that is unique about your comedy is that it’s not about trying to say something necessarily outlandish. It’s about bringing people together in a way by poking fun at everyone at the same time. How did you hone your comedic voice and why do you think your brand of comedy is important these days, when so many comedians — or just comedy in general — is really dedicated to getting a reaction by saying something overtly controversial? A joke is a surprise, and irreverence is kind of a shortcut to that surprise. And, by the way, we all love it, but I kind of nerd out [when talking about the idea that] there is an aftertaste to comedy. We all have that really kind of bitchy friend that makes us laugh, that is kind of a little mean, but then afterward we feel a little guilty [because] I know they went too far, or, you know, I shouldn’t have laughed at what they said. I believe there is an aftertaste so you can take that short-term approach. ... I think some comedians just do what they have to do. Irreverence is also something where it’s not in my wheelhouse, some comics are really good at it, and that is their thing. ... I believe you can be respectful and highlight some important stories and also present the humor of it. Considering how long it’s taken for you to build a career, it’s cool to see you popping up on “SNL” as Tim Walz, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, appearing in movies... This is a pretty big comeback era for you — you are smaller but your career is getting bigger, does that feel weird? That’s funny — yeah, doing those shows with Jerry, I never had an expectation that that would happen. Jerry has a clear and concise view and philosophy on stand-up and comedy that when you talk to him, you feel like you’re talking to Aristotle. He’s kind of like a stoic [who reminds you to have] control of your material. You don’t get caught up in what the trend is of the moment. You work on evolving your act and your writing. The “SNL” experience was so surreal, because I never auditioned for “SNL.” I was presented an opportunity to audition to be a writer, but I was like, “I want to be an actor,” so I was resistant. But the opportunity to be in that orbit of this last vestige of American live television that still exists with its impracticalities ... there’s no replicating it. What “SNL” has done for 50 years is insane. So even when we were there [filming] and I’m sitting in a room with Dana Carvey, or you look out and you see Jon Lovitz or Chris Rock, it’s just bizarre. So gaining access to that is really an amazing thing.