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An Israeli airstrike flattened a multistory building in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, according to Palestinian medical officials, after strikes Thursday across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 others. The latest deadly strike hit the urban just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem that the recent ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for a potential deal to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the deadly strike in Nuseirat. Israel says it is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: DAMASCUS, Syria — Mohammad Salim Alkhateb, an official with the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces — an internationally backed group of the opposition in exile — said his group wants to see a transitional government formed via a United Nations-backed process in the wake of Bashar Assad ouster. It is not yet clear if Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, will pursue such a process. The insurgents have said an interim government headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, who is also the head of the “salvation government” of HTS in its former stronghold in northern Syria, will oversee the country until March but have not made clear how the transition to a new, fully empowered government would take place. “The transitional governing body should be formed in Geneva to have international legitimacy,” said Alkhateb, who is now in Damascus. “The transitional governing body, whatever its form, whether it is the ‘salvation government’ or any other, what matters is that it has international recognition.” Alkhateb said that the unexpectedly rapid fall of Damascus and departure of Assad after opposition forces launched their offensive had created confusion and a governance vacuum. A day before the insurgents pushed into Damascus, diplomats from countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia met in Qatar to discuss the situation in Syria. Alkhateb said that they had discussed a scenario in which the rebels would halt their advance, keeping the territory they had captured so far in the north — including Syria’s largest city, Aleppo — and the opposition and Assad’s government would go to Geneva for talks on a political settlement to the conflict. However, he noted, “there were no Syrians in that meeting.” Assad fled to Russia before the rebel forces arrived in Damascus but has not officially announced his resignation, which is “why we are living in a vacuum rather than a political transition,” Alkhateb said. He added that creating a professional army should be a priority of the transitional government. “We do not want a civilian who was trained during the revolution to carry military weapons to become the military,” he said. Israel bombed hundreds of military sites in Syria this week in a wave of airstrikes that destroyed “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s . WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Peirre says Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, “is a top priority for this president.” During a briefing with reporters on Thursday, Jean-Pierre said of Tice, “There is no indication that he is not alive. There’s also no indication about his location or condition.” “What our goal is, is to bring him home. And so, we hope certainly that he is alive and, as we have stated many times before, we are talking through this with the Turks and we want to do everything we can to bring him home,” she said. BEIRUT — Amnesty International said Thursday that four Israeli airstrikes between September and October that killed at least 49 civilians in Lebanon “must be investigated as war crimes.” The rights organization said in a new report that the four strikes targeted homes in the Bekaa Valley, northern and eastern Lebanon, and municipal offices in the south. “These four attacks are emblematic of Israel’s shocking disregard for civilian lives in Lebanon and their willingness to flout international law,” said Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. The rights group said this report was part of its ongoing investigation into violations of the laws of war in Lebanon. Amnesty International investigated four Israeli airstrikes, including one on Sept. 29 in al-Ain that killed all nine members of the same family. On Oct. 21, a strike in Baalbek city in eastern Lebanon killed six members of the same family. Another on Oct. 14 in the village of Aitou in northern Lebanon killed 23 displaced people, including a 5-month-old baby. A fragment from the attack site in Aitou was identified by an Amnesty weapons expert as likely part of a Mk-80 series aerial bomb, weighing at least 500 pounds. These munitions are primarily supplied to Israel by the United States, Amnesty said. The fourth strike Amnesty investigated was the strike that hit the municipal headquarters in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, on Oct. 16, killing 11 civilians including the mayor. “The air strike took place without warning, just as the municipality’s crisis unit was meeting to coordinate deliveries of aid, including food, water and medicine, to residents and internally displaced people who had fled bombardment in other parts of southern Lebanon,” Amnesty said. The rights group said it interviewed survivors and witnesses, examined evidence, and found no military targets near the sites of the four strikes. The Israeli military gave no warnings and did not respond to Amnesty’s inquiries, the group said. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 25 Palestinians and wounding dozens more, Palestinian medics said, just hours after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser to end the war in Gaza. Photos from the scene of the blast that circulated on social media showed a completely collapsed building with people walking through its mangled and charred remains, smoke rising from piles of belongings strewn over the rubble. Officials at two hospitals in the Gaza Strip, al-Awda Hospital in the north and al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, reported they received a combined total of 25 bodies from an Israeli strike on a multistory residential building in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian medics also reported that over 40 people, most of them children, were receiving treatment at the two hospitals. The al-Aqsa Hospital said that the Israeli attack also damaged several nearby houses in Nuseirat. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the deadly strike. Israel is trying to eliminate Hamas, which led the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked . The Israeli military says Hamas militants hide among Gaza’s civilian population. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. food agency is trying to deal with massive needs in Syria not only from escalating war-related food insecurity and an upsurge in displaced people fleeing Lebanon but also the dramatically new environment following the ouster of Bashar Assad, a senior U.N. official says. “It’s a triple crisis and the needs are going to be massive,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday. The WFP estimated that 3 million people in Syria were “acutely food insecure” and very hungry. However, that estimate was made before the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon pushed many Syrian refugees back to their home country, plus the instability caused by the overthrow of Assad. Due to funding cuts, the WFP had been targeting only 2 million of those people, he said. Because WFP has been working in Syria during the 13-year civil war, he said, it has pre-positioned food in the country. It has 500 staff in seven offices nationwide and has operated across conflict lines, across borders, and with all different parties, he said. Skau said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group now in control of Syria, has promised to provide security for WFP warehouses. Humanitarian aid supplies had been looted at U.N. warehouses in the disorder after Assad fell. “We’re not really up and running in Damascus because of the continued kind of uncertainty there,” he said. WFP initially thought of relocating non-essential staff but the situation in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been “quite calm and orderly," he said. In the short term, Skau said, “what we’re seeing is that markets are disrupted, the value of the currency dropped dramatically, food prices are going up, transport lines don’t work,” and it’s unclear who will stamp required papers for imports and exports. This means that a bigger humanitarian response is needed initially, he said, but in the next phase, the U,N. will be looking at contributing to Syria’s recovery, and ultimately the country will need reconstruction. Skau said he expects a new funding appeal for Syria and urged donors to be generous. JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israel’s ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt — key mediators in the ceasefire talks — as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Sullivan said “Hamas’ posture at the negotiating table did adapt” after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. “We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation,” he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. He the U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but it’s hard to know for sure. He also said “the balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israel’s security over the long term,” he said. KHIAM, Lebanon — An Israeli strike killed at least one person Thursday in the Lebanese border town of Khiam, the Health Ministry said, less than a day after Israeli troops to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, Khiam is the first Lebanese town Israel has pull out of since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants began two weeks ago, and marks an important test of . Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency did not provide details on who was killed, and did not report airstrikes elsewhere on Thursday. The Israeli military said the airstrike in Khiam targeted Hezbollah fighters. Lebanese troops deployed in the northern section of the town on Thursday morning and were coordinating with U.N. peacekeepers to finalize Israel’s withdrawal before fully entering into other neighborhoods. An Associated Press reporter who visited Khiam on Thursday observed widespread destruction, with most houses reduced to rubble. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, with collapsed walls and debris scattered across the streets. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, sharply criticized Israel for striking the town less than 24 hours after the Lebanese army returned, saying it was “a violation of the pledges made by the parties that sponsored the ceasefire agreement, who must act to curb Israeli aggression.” The truce was brokered by the U.S. and France. Israel has previously said the ceasefire deal allows it to use military force against perceived violations. Near-daily attacks by Israel during the ceasefire, mostly in southern Lebanon, have killed at least 29 people and wounded 27 others. Khiam, which sits on a ridge less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war. The Lebanese army was clearing debris and reopening roads in the northern section of the town. Civilian access to other areas remained challenging as the army clears roads and works alongside the U.N. peacekeepers to ensure the area is free of unexploded ordnance. AQABA, Jordan -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging the many players in Syria to avoid taking any steps that could lead to further violence. Blinken spoke to reporters in Jordan on Thursday shortly after meeting King Abdullah II as he opened a trip in the region to discuss Syria's future after former President Bashar Assad's ouster. Blinken will next visit Turkey, a NATO ally and a main backer of Syrian rebel groups. Blinken called this “a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors.” He said he was focused on coordinating efforts in the region “to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and establish a government that isn’t dominated by one religion or ethnic group or outside power. Blinken was asked about that had been demilitarized for the past half century. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is temporary and defensive, but also indicated Israel will remain in the area for a long time. Blinken declined to say whether the U.S. supports the move, but said the U.S. would be speaking to Israel and other partners in the region. “I think, across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that, we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Turkish media reports. Kalin was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, surrounded by a large crowd, according to video shown on Turkish television. The visit is highly symbolic. Turkish officials, who supported the opposition against Syria’s government, had predicted at the start of the civil war in 2011 that President Bashar Assad’s government would fall, allowing them to pray at the Umayyad Mosque. JERUSALEM — Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem Thursday, becoming one of a small handful of nations to recognize the city as Israel’s capital and marking a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s international isolation has increased as the war in Gaza drags on, and Paraguay was the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that kickstarted the war. The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea are among the few countries with Jerusalem embassies. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 but it wasn’t recognized by the international community, and most countries run their embassies out of Tel Aviv. Spirits were high at the ceremony marking the embassy’s inauguration Thursday, with Netanyahu and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lavishing praise on Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. “My good friend Santiago,” said Netanyahu, addressing Pena. “We’re a small nation. You’re a small nation. We suffered horrible things but we overcame the odds of history...we can win and we are winning.” Paraguay had an embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, under Former President Horacio Cartes. That embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv by Cartes’ successor, Mario Abdo Benitez, prompting Israel to close its embassy in Asuncion. Saar said Israel and Paraguay shared a “friendship based not only on interests but also values and principles.” He and the Paraguayan foreign minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, signed a series of bilateral agreements and Saar said he would soon visit Asunción with a delegation from the Israeli private sector. “Israel is going to win and the countries we are standing next to Israel, we are going to win," Pena said. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State is renewing calls for Syria’s new leadership to respect women and minority rights, prevent extremists from gaining new footholds in the country and keeping suspected chemical weapons stocks secure as he makes his first visit to the Mideast since the weekend ouster of . Making his 12th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war erupted lasted year but amid fresh concerns about security following the upheaval in Syria, Blinken emphasized Thursday to Jordan’s King Abdullah II U.S. “support for an inclusive transition that can lead to an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” the State Department said. Blinken also repeated the importance the outgoing Biden administration puts on respect for human rights and international law, the protection of civilians and stopping terrorist groups from reconstituting. Blinken met with the monarch and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Aqaba before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Syria and the urgency of securing a long-elusive deal to release hostages and end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Abdullah told Blinken that “the first step to reach comprehensive regional calm is to end the Israeli war on Gaza." GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling on authorities to save evidence from detention centers that were a hub of “unimaginable barbarity” that Syrians have faced for many years and cooperate with international investigators looking into such crimes. Geir Pederson referred to new images from the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital, Damascus, after President Bashar Assad fled Syria as armed groups stormed in to overthrow his government over the weekend. “The images from Saydnaya and other detention facilities starkly underscore the unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured and reported for years,” Pedersen said in a statement. Documentation and testimonies “only scratch the surface of the carceral system’s horrors,” he added. Pedersen urged authorities to cooperate with U.N. bodies like an independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was created in 2011, and an independent group known as the IIIM that was set up five years later to also compile evidence of crimes. ROME — Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialized nations offered their full support for an inclusive political transition in Syria and invited all parties to preserve the country’s territorial integrity. In a message released by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office, the leaders said they were ready to support a transition that “leads to a credible government, inclusive and not sectarian, that guarantees respect for the state of law, universal human rights, including rights for women, (and) the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities.” The leaders also underlined the importance that ousted President Bashar Assad’s government is held responsible for crimes, citing “decades of atrocities.” They said they would also cooperate with groups working to prohibit chemical weapons “to secure, declare and destroy” remaining chemical arms in Syria. Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys. Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organized in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday. Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while U.N. officials have said there is . U.N. agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a U.N. convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination. It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. DAMASCUS, Syria — An American who turned up in Syria on Thursday says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, and ending his family’s 54-year rule. As video emerged online of Timmerman on Thursday, he was initially mistaken by some for who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. The Biden administration is working to bring Timmerman home, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, without offering details, citing privacy. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago, before being detained. He said he was treated well in detention but could hear other men being tortured. AQABA, Jordan — U.S. Secretary of State has arrived in Jordan on his 12th visit to the Mideast since the erupted last year and his first since the weekend ouster of that has sparked new fears of instability in a region wracked by three conflicts despite a in Lebanon. Blinken was meeting in Aqaba with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday before traveling to Turkey for talks with Turkish officials on Friday. The meetings will focus largely on Syria but also touch on long-elusive hopes for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian territory since October 2023. Blinken is the latest senior U.S. official to visit the Middle East in the five days since Assad was deposed as the Biden administration navigates more volatility in the region in its last few weeks in office and as President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of the Syrian conflict. Other include national security adviser Jake Sullivan and a top military commander who traveled there as the U.S. and Israel have launched airstrikes to prevent the Islamic State militant group from reconstituting and prevent materiel and suspected chemical weapons stocks from falling into militant hands. Blinken “will discuss the need for the transition process and new government in Syria to respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” the State Department said. The U.S. would be willing to recognize and fully support a new Syrian government that met those criteria. U.S. officials say they are not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organization designation of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, which was once an al-Qaida affiliate, but stressed they are not barred from speaking to its members. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in a Syrian buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security. After the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli forces that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. The military says it has seized additional strategic points nearby. Israeli officials have said the move is temporary, but Netanyahu’s conditions could take months or even years to fulfill as Syria charts its post-Assad future, raising the prospect of an open-ended Israeli presence in the country. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday that created a vacuum on the border. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said, referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. “That is why Israeli forces entered the buffer zone and took control of strategic sites near Israel’s border.” The statement added that “this deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.” The buffer zone is adjacent to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed. The international community, except for the United States, views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Thursday that the attacker who fatally shot a 12-year-old Israeli boy in the occupied West Bank overnight turned himself in to authorities. The attacker opened fire on a bus near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, critically wounding the boy, who hospital authorities pronounced dead in the early morning. Three others were wounded in the attack, paramedics said. The shooting took place just outside Jerusalem in an area near major Israeli settlements. JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian government has evacuated 37 citizens from Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, officials said Thursday. The evacuees were taken by land from Damascus to Beirut, where they boarded three commercial flights to Jakarta, said Judha Nugraha, director of citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Indonesian Embassy in Damascus said all 1,162 Indonesian citizens in Syria were safe. Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi said the situation in Syria has gradually returned to normal. “I can say that 98% of people’s lives are back to normal, shops are open, public transportation has started running,” Fauzi said, adding that most Indonesian nationals living in Syria had chosen to stay. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 28 people in the Gaza Strip, including seven children and a woman. One of the strikes overnight and into Thursday flattened a house in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies at the hospital’s morgue. Two other strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees . The committees were set up by displaced Palestinians in coordination with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis received the bodies and an AP reporter counted them. The hospital said eight were killed in a strike near the southern border town of Rafah and seven others in a strike 30 minutes later near Khan Younis. began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter and blames U.N. agencies for not distributing it. The U.N. says Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order after Israel repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, make it extremely difficult to operate in the territory. UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday and backing the . The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9 with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions to support the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month . General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions.Papers: Cooper stunned by sacking with Potter a contender to replace himReaves scores 19 in Iona's 72-63 win over Saint Peter's

Nikki Bella enjoys lunch with twin sister Brie in Napa Valley days after Artem Chigvintsev divorce finalized Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By TERRY ZELLER and DEIRDRE DURKAN-SIMONDS and DIANA COOPER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 17:45, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 17:54, 24 November 2024 e-mail 2 View comments Nikki Bella was spotted in Napa Valley with her twin sister Brie, just days after her highly publicized divorce from Artem Chigvintzev was finalized . The 41-year-old retired WWE star appeared to be in excellent spirits as she savored a birthday lunch at the renowned wine country destination on Thursday. Accompanying her were Brie, several gal pals, and her four-year-old son Matteo, whom she shares with the 42-year-old Dancing with the Stars pro. Dressed in a chic, neutral-toned ensemble with sleeveless cream coat, Nikki looked effortlessly stunning as she sipped on an iced coffee while enjoying an outdoor outing with her family. Her radiant demeanor made it seem as though she was miles away from the drama that had recently surrounded her personal life. Despite the divorce settlement and legal complexities—like the dismissal of restraining orders between the exes —Nikki appeared unfazed, enjoying the moment with a calm demeanor. Nikki Bella was spotted in Napa Valley with her twin sister Brie, just days after her highly publicized divorce from Artem Chigvintzev was finalized Also on the outing was Nikki's twin sister Brie Garcia The twins were celebrating their 41st birthday in the famed wine country According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the restraining orders filed against each other were dismissed following a settlement. The documents show that a request to dismiss the temporary restraining orders was filed in Napa County on November 19. Read More EXCLUSIVE Artem Chigvintsev 'lost out on $100k' following domestic violence arrest Before their two-day hearing on December 5, the estranged couple took part in a mediation on November 8, which led to a settlement on all divorce-related matters. The documents also confirm that both temporary restraining orders—filed by Nikki on September 30 and Artem on October 3—were immediately terminated and are no longer in effect. In addition, DailyMail.com obtained court documents of three deputies being subpoenaed to court earlier this month: Deputy Michael Moore, Deputy Gregory Landry and Deputy Ronnie Galindo of Napa County Sheriff's Office. However, since the December 5th hearing was taken off the calendar, the officers are no longer needed in court. In Garcia's, 40, restraining order against Chigvintsev, she claimed he got cut from Dancing with the Stars season 33 a week before his arrest, and began working a construction job she says he felt 'was beneath him.' However in documents filed by Chigvintsev he claimed that was not the case, and that he enjoys construction work. Ahead of their two-day hearing, beginning on December 6, the estranged couple attended a mediation on November 8, resulting in 'memorializing a global settlement of all issues in this Dissolution of Marriage action' (seen in 2017) Chigvintsev was arrested August 29 in Yountville, California in connection with domestic violence , but prosecutors in Napa County ultimately decided against filing criminal charges in the case. Garcia later filed for divorce and unsuccessfully requested sole custody of their son Matteo, four, with the pair granted temporary restraining orders against each other. In legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com and filed October 31 in Napa Superior Court, DWTS pro Chigvintsev - who was axed from the show's latest season - says the trauma of the arrest and false allegations led to him losing substantial income. The documents read: 'It is not true that I have not been able to find other work as a dancer. I normally start jobs in November and it goes for 20 weekends. After the mug shot and the arrest based on her false allegations, I was taken off the website faculty list resulting in loss of over $100k in income.' 'I also lost the social media promotion revenue, which she continues to benefit from as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police, than mine.' At the time, he was seeking Nikki to pay his out-of-pocket expenses because the TRO was granted without enough supporting facts. He is asking her to pay for his rent because 'I was kicked out of the home.' The dancer also wants Nikki to pay for some or all of his lawyer's fees and costs. Chigvintsev claims in the documents that Garcia has 'anger issues' and says: 'She is the one with the temper. I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She yells, and on 8/29/24 was yelling, pursuing me, and was the one who attacked me.' 'It is further a lie that I was growing increasingly angry, snapping at her, and yelling.' The former couple share a four-year-old son Matteo Chigvintsev was arrested August 29 in Yountville, California in connection with domestic violence, but prosecutors in Napa County ultimately decided against filing criminal charges in the case (seen in his mugshot) 'I was not violent with her and did not violently grab or yell at her.' He claims the pair had an argument when he was due to to have surgery but she had to go to New York. He claims: 'We had an argument, but it's not how she describes it. We agreed months before my surgery that she would be there with Matteo. I was supposed to fly to have my surgery on 5/19/24, she forgot about it and booked herself for work in New York.' 'She then told me that her work was more important than my medical procedure, so she ended up leaving. Our son was left with nanny. I canceled my ticket and stayed behind. She then started sending me texts for different flight I could take, so I ended up going because she insisted I go. I have texts to prove this.' In response to the request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order he claimed: 'She abused me, not the other way around. She threw shoes at me, followed me and tried to break her way into the bedroom.' 'I cannot trust her anymore. Not only did she lie to the police so that her career remains intact, ruining mine, but she used the court proceeding to keep our son away from me for almost a month, not letting me see him until this Court issued its 50/50 orders on 10/15/2024, which I am very grateful for,' he wrote. 'Almost a month without Matteo was miserable for me, and I am sure for him as well, and selfish of Wife.' In September, Chigvintsev told People in a statement that he was 'incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against [him] have been dropped.' 'This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed. My focus has always been and will always be, our son Matteo,' he said. Artem met Nikki on DWTS - they competed together on the show in 2017, and went on to marry in 2022; the pair pictured together in 2017 The ballroom dance expert said that he considers fatherhood 'the greatest blessing' and is focused on caring for his son moving forward. 'All along, my main concern has been for him,' Chigvintsev said. 'I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward.' He said to the publication that he was 'hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on' in life. 'I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, and legal team for standing by me during this challenging time,' Chigvintsev said. 'Your support has been invaluable, and I am thankful to everyone who believed in me and saw the truth for what it was. 'I look forward to moving past this chapter and focusing on what truly matters - continue being the best father I can be.' On October 16 the judge ruled that the pair will share custody of their son Matteo, TMZ reported citing court docs, more than a month after Garcia filed for divorce. Garcia had petitioned the court for sole custody of their son; asked for the court to appoint a supervisor for Matteo's visits with the Izhevsk, Russia native; and asked that Chigvintsev be ordered to attend anger management courses; all requests were denied by the court, according to the outlet. Both Chigvintsev and Garcia were ordered by the court to enroll in parenting classes to help them remain cordial as they raise their child following their split. Nikki Bella WWE Share or comment on this article: Nikki Bella enjoys lunch with twin sister Brie in Napa Valley days after Artem Chigvintsev divorce finalized e-mail Add commentVeteran broadcaster Ray Hadley has struggled to hold back tears after hearing his late mother's voice during a highlights package of his career best on-air moments. The 2GB presenter appeared on fellow network stalwart Ben Fordham's breakfast program on Friday ahead of his final show as he retires fulltime from the radio. Fordham played 12-minutes of audio which paid tribute to Hadley's 43-year radio career from calling rugby league games, to the Olympics and hosting his own talkback show. But it was one very brief moment in the middle of the highlights package that touched the 70-year-old the most, leaving him in tears and struggling to find words. "My mother is on the line," Hadley says in the audio being played. "Hello, love. Congratulations. I'm the proudest mother in the world," Elsie Ross-Hadley can be hear saying during a phone conversation on air prior to her death in 2013. Afterwards, Hadley described being "very emotional". "Dear, oh dear. I've heard my mother's voice previously... I wasn't gonna get upset. You've done this to me you little bludger," the outgoing 2GB host said to Fordham. Listeners turning in heard the 70-year-old continue to be in tears. "I was alright until I heard mum. And then I heard my mum," Hadley said. "I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen. The thing that got me the most was mum." Elsewhere in the highlights package, the audience heard Hadley speak to high profile Aussies from state and federal politicians to CEOs of major corporations. His other passion in sport commentating was also featured with the calling of major rugby league games, such as the State of Origin, to covering several Olympic Games. Sky News Australia broadcasted his final minutes on air, with Hadley thanking his friends and hosts at the network in the likes of Laura Jayes and Peter Stefanovic. "I thanked all my staff, I think my family and I'll thank my wife Sophie for their loyal support over a long period of time," he said. "I'd like to think over a period of time I've done plenty of good, and I've probably done some harm as well but the harm is outweighed by the good." Hadley also implored his audience to welcome his successor Mark Levy who starts from next week as he played his outro "The Last Date" by US pianist Floyd Cramer. Asked earlier in the interview about his plans once he steps away from the microphone fulltime on Friday, Hadley said he will ease into retirement with the things he loves. He will play his regular golf on Monday with his buddies, but one hour earlier. The following day the 70-year-old will be at his butcher in Cherrybrook, in Sydney's north-west, to label hams with the owner who he is also friends with. As for his Christmas plans, Hadley will head to the New South Wales Central Coast with his former personal assistant wife Sophie and then later to the Gold Coast. It comes after the veteran broadcaster return to the top of the Sydney radio ratings on Thursday, with his morning show rising 2.5 points to 13.7 per cent of the audience. Hadley has won 161 of the last 162 surveys since 2004. The 70-year-old's return to number one on mornings came after he was shockingly knocked from the top spot by WSFM's Phil O'Neil in the GfK survey last month. "It is a fantastic way to finish my career and the year, and I was in a fairly, I guess, sombre mood when we were beaten, and then after I had time to think about it, I thought it was not a bad run, 20 years at number one, and we got beaten," Hadley said. The broadcaster said he is going out as a "winner".

Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football programColorado is gearing up for the rugged Big 12 schedule, but first the Buffaloes wrap up their nonconference slate with two more games, starting Friday night when they host South Dakota State in Boulder, Colo. Colorado (7-2) has won two straight after competing in the Maui Invitational, most recently a 72-55 win over in-state rival Colorado State. Now the focus turns to South Dakota State and shoring up issues before conference play. "Defensively, we're understanding what our jobs are. Now, we're not where we need to be for sure," coach Tad Boyle said. "But we're making strides in that area. And I think the guys are getting used to playing with each other, understanding each other." The Buffaloes lost a lot of talent from last year's NCAA Tournament team but boast some quality players. Andrej Jakimovski (13.0 points per game), Julian Hammond III (12.3 ppg) and Elijah Moore (12.0 ppg) lead the team in scoring. Sophomore big man Bangot Dak has shown he can be a force after scoring a career-high 16 points in the win over Colorado State. The Jackrabbits (8-4) are coming off a 77-63 loss at Nevada on Wednesday night and complete a two-game trip in Boulder. South Dakota State is led by senior center Oscar Cluff, who tops the team in scoring (17.3 points) and rebounding (11.0) but had a subpar night against Nevada when he scored a season-low six points while battling an ankle injury. "I wish he was feeling a little better," coach Eric Henderson said of Cluff. "He's going to be fine, but he's still nursing that ankle a little bit." Freshman Joe Sayler is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 ppg and has reached double figures in each of the last three games. Sophomore Kalen Garry is third on the Jackrabbits in scoring at 9.6 per contest, an average that has been hurt by his last three games when he has averaged just 5.3 points. --Field Level MediaYouth’s energy makes difference for VM Cabral

Israel and the US want deep political change in Lebanon, including the sidelining of Hezbollah and Iran. In the past few weeks, Israeli forces have killed thousands of Lebanese, obliterated the southern part of the country and displaced about one-fourth of the population. The US and Israeli aims for the war are not only to diminish Hezbollah’s fighting capacity, but to sideline the group and Iran in the region. Host Steve Clemons asks analysts Hassan Mneimneh (Middle East Alternatives) and Ken Katzman (Soufan Group) about the prospects for a ceasefire, and the stakes for Iran, Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel.With Christmas fast approaching many of us will be beginning to think about doing our big festive shop with hundreds of thousands of Brits flocking to stores across the UK. From securing all the favourite food items to scouring the aisles for last minute gifts for that one family member you may have forgotten, those pre-Christmas supermarket trips can be stressful. However, if you want to avoid the mile long queues then you will want to mark December 23, 2024, in your calendar as it is set to be the most chaotic day for shoppers this festive season. According to new data, this is the exact date that people will be rushing to fill their cupboards and fridges with all the festive foods, before beginning their Christmas celebrations. However, the data by Kantar also showed that Brits are more than prepared this year with many already filling up their cupboards. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "There are clear signs that shoppers are already stocking up their cupboards. "Sales of assorted sweet biscuits and biscuits for cheese both doubled in November compared with the month before, while 8% of us bought a Christmas pudding." Their latest figures also show that the cost of an average Christmas dinner for four has risen to £32.57, up 6.5% on last year, largely driven by the price of turkey and Christmas vegetable staples. How to save money on Christmas food Martin Lewis suggests that one key way to save costs is to ‘downshift’ which means to buy non-branded goods. Especially when it comes to food , unbranded goods can help you cut your Christmas food shop costs significantly. On the lead up to Christmas, being conscious of this method could leave you with a good few extra pounds in your pocket, Money Saving Expert says it could save you £1000s. Another way to save some money is to buy chicken or another alternative that is not turkey as this is often much more expensive.By Lagi Keresoma/ Apia, Samoa – 03 December 2024 – Afega village is making a new push to take over land occupied by Leauva’a-uta residents by using heavy machinery to remove concrete and rock walls and digging a ditch around a Catholic church to cut off access to the church. This is the latest development on the land dispute since the Supreme Court issued an order in September to stay the execution of three recent Land and Titles Court decisions that included the eviction of Leauva’a families residing on the disputed lands. The Supreme Court order emphasized the stay of proceedings until the Leauva’a appeal is heard in the Lands and Titles Appeal and Review Court which has yet to be established. Removing stone and concrete fences in last weeks push by Afega village. Afega recognizes only the Lands and Titles Court decisions After a Village Council meeting yesterday, Afega’s spokesman and Member of Parliament, Maulolo Tavita Amosa explained their latest actions saying the meeting was representative of the village despite the absence of some of the family heads at the meeting. Maulolo told the media that there had been nine (9) Lands and Titles Court decisions dating back to the 1930’s when the matter was first brought to court and all decisions name Afega as the owner of the land. “As owners, we will continue to work the land,” Maulolo stated. Maulolo is also adamant that no other court can overrule or change those decisions set down by the Lands and Titles Court which their village is standing by. Last weekend, Afega used heavy machinery to pull down fences on several family homes and dug a ditch around the Catholic Church to cut access to the church and families living behind the church. One of the fences before. And the fence after last weeks work. Some of the families Talamua spoke to yesterday at Leauva’a-uta were clearing out some of their belongings and leaving their homes. They knew the Afega Village Council was meeting yesterday so they wanted to clear some of their belongings before Afega return to continue their work. Leauva’a apply for an ex-parte order of arrest Meanwhile, Leauva’a has already filed a contempt of court application against Afega over breach of court order. Last week, they applied to the Supreme Court for an ex-parte order to arrest members of the Afega village council breaching the court order. When the matter was recalled before Justice Niava Mata Tuatagaloa last week, she told both sides that the solution was “in your hands” and indicated the need for consultation between the disputing parties. “ Soalaupule ma talanoa . Instead, Leauvaa applied to the Supreme Court for an ex-parte order to arrest Afega,” Maulolo told the media. He said that is the reason for the latest dispute.... the application for an ex-parte order to arrest. “We and even our lawyer were not aware of this,” he said. Maulolo said they want peace and harmony but Leauva’a continue to work on the disputed lands. He also blamed the media for “twisting their words which resulted in the public accusing and criticizing Afega.” He said the issue is getting very sensitive and they had advised Leauva’a to discuss matters, however they opted to make announcements on social media. “So the time to discuss is over,” said Maulolo. “We are working and following what has been delivered by the Lands and Titles Court,” he said. Of the 723 acres gifted to Leauva’a, Maulolo said that about 40% of the lands are vacant and overgrown with weeds and forest. But the Leauva’a residents have gone outside of the 723 acres and occupied land Afega claim as theirs that is in the center of the dispute. He also claimed that Leauva’a has sold off some of the lands previously gifted to them.

Books & the Arts / Thomas Müntzer's Misunderstood Revolution The German reformer Thomas Muntzer (1491–1525) and his people during the German Peasants' War (1524–25). Colored engraving. 19th century. (Ipsumpix / Corbis via Getty Images) Whenever and wherever the world has been consumed in the flames of social crisis, prophets of apocalypse have emerged, organizing popular participation in and resistance to political transformations perceived as literally world-ending. Thomas Müntzer, a "radical anti-authoritarian" preacher who was briefly the scourge of 16th-century, Reformation-era Germany, was among the first and fiercest of these doomsaying prophets. Five hundred years have passed since Müntzer led a ragtag, landless army to its death against a reactionary coalition of German nobles, clerics, and landlords. The renegade priest's legacy remains up for debate—he's been valorized as a proto-Marxist hero, vilified in turn by anti-Marxist critics, and even dismissed through a comparison to ISIS. Books in review The Dreadful History and Judgement of God on Thomas Müntzer: The Life and Times of an Early German Revolutionary Buy this book Half a millennium on, a recent biography by British historian Andrew Drummond, The Dreadful History and Judgement of God on Thomas Müntzer: The Life and Times of an Early German Revolutionary, seeks to rehabilitate Müntzer as a flawed but nonetheless inspirational link in a "global" history of anti-authoritarian uprisings. While Drummond carefully presents Müntzer as a man of his time, the Peasants' War (1524–25) in which he played a leading role has its echoes in the French, American, Russian and anti-colonial revolutions of subsequent centuries—and perhaps even in our own era. Müntzer was born in a revolutionary age. Drummond describes a 16th-century Germany in which the opening of trade routes brought about not only plagues, depopulation, and the opportunity for elites to "further enrich and empower themselves," but also the... https://www.thenation.com/authors

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