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Mikaela Shiffrin's bid for a milestone 100th alpine World Cup victory was on hold after the US superstar crashed out of the Killington giant slalom won by Sweden's Sara Hector on Saturday. Shiffrin, already the owner of the most World Cup victories in history, was poised to claim a once unimaginable century after topping the first-run times. She looked on course for the win when she crashed heavily in the second leg and Sweden's Olympic gold medaallist Hector emerged with the victory with a total of 1min 53.08sec. Shiffrin, whose mistake rounding a turn caused her to lose her balance and slide through a gate, lost one ski and careened into the catch-fencing. She was taken from the course on a sled, offering a wave to fans on her way. The extent of any possible injuries she might have suffered was not immediately known. "Mikaela took the sled down and is currently being evaluated," USA Ski & Snowboard said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. "More info to come, but take solace in the fact that she asked about her splits." Shiffrin, 29, already has 13 more World Cup wins than the most successful man, Ingemar Stenmark, and 17 more than the second woman, compatriot Lindsey Vonn. Needing three wins to hit 100 to start the season, she bagged her 98th and 99th career titles with back-to-back slalom wins in Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria. That gave her a chance to complete her century in front of home fans in Killington, not far from where she attended Burke Mountain Academy as a youngster. Shiffrin -- who has won six slaloms at Killington but never a giant slalom -- was greeted by ecstatic cheers as she crossed the finish line of the first leg atop the times. She was 17-hundredths of a second ahead of Hector after the second sector of her second run. But her day ended not in celebration but in the 21st "Did Not Finish" in her 274 career starts. Vonn, who has just announced plans to come out of retirement, posted on social media: "Hope @MikaelaShiffrin is OK." Hector was delighted with her win, while sympathetic to Shiffrin. "I'm very happy, after going through a difficult period," she said. "Obviously, I'm very sad for Mikaela who was skiing so well. "I saw her fall. My heart goes out to her," she added. Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic finished second, 54-hundredths of a second behind Hector, and Switzerland's Camille Rast was third, 1.05 seconds back. The women are scheduled to race a slalom on Sunday. bbKNOXVILLE — After a scoreless first quarter caused some panic among Tennessee fans on Saturday, the Vols turned to Ol’ Reliable: Dylan Sampson. The running back capped off a nine-play drive with a 14-yard rushing touchdown, putting UT on the board early in the second. The rout was on from there, as Tennessee moved past UTEP 56-0 to stay alive for the College Football Playoff. “Offensively, we were just a little bit off in some ordinary, simple things,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “It was quarterback, it was offensive line, in a couple of our targets.” Sampson’s score broke another pair of Tennessee school records, both previously belonging to Gene McEver. He scored his 22nd total touchdown on the year, a new single-season mark, and also totaled 132 points for the campaign. McEver scored 130 to set the record in 1929. From that point, No. 11 Tennessee (9-2) put the game on cruise control. The Vols followed up the Sampson rushing score with another golden scoring chance, due to a Rickey Gibson III forced fumble in UTEP territory. They cashed it in four plays later, as Nico Iamaleava threw a touchdown to Squirrel White. UTEP (2-9) forced a punt, but it only delayed the orange onslaught. Iamaleava found Ethan Davis on a pair of pass plays to extend the lead. Then, the Vols executed the two-minute drill to perfection to take a 28-0 lead into the halftime break. The redshirt freshman closed the drive with eight seconds left, hitting senior Bru McCoy in the corner of the end zone. It was the first receiving touchdown of the season for McCoy. “Bru is one of the greatest team guys I’ve ever been around,” Heupel said. “He’ll do anything for anyone. Will play without the ball in his hands as hard as anybody I’ve been around. Takes great pride in that.” Coming out of halftime, the two California natives connected in the checkerboards, again, this time from seven yards out. Tennessee’s other McCoy, cornerback Jermod, also had a solid outing to close the home slate. In the first quarter, he intercepted Miners quarterback Skyler Locklear near the end zone. On the day, he had both the pick and a pass breakup on his line. It wasn’t just Sampson doing damage on the ground, as the Vols ran for 241 yards and four touchdowns. Peyton Lewis scored a pair of those touchdowns, both coming in the third quarter. However, it was still the Baton Rogue native leading the attack, finishing with 77 yards on 11 attempts. Cam Seldon added in a garbage time score to bring the final to 56-0. He ended the day with nine carries for 44 yards. Through the air, Iamaleava went 17-of-23 for 209 yards and four touchdowns. He was also sacked three times, though. The Miners were doubled up in total yardage, getting out gained by the Vols, 460-230. A lot of that came at the line of scrimmage, at Tennessee held UTEP to just 2.1 yards per carry while averaging 6.2 yards per rush, themselves. Up Next The Vols close the regular season next Saturday at Vanderbilt, with a potential College Football Playoff berth at stake. Meanwhile, the Miners will play their final game of the year at New Mexico State.

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Morning Bid: China inflation, global political uncertainty bubbling up - ReutersMPs who backed assisted dying Bill suggest concerns could see them change stanceFirst 12-team CFP set: Oregon seeded No. 1, SMU edges Alabama for final spot

Morrissey throws 67-yard TD pass to Calwise Jr. to lift Eastern Kentucky over North Alabama 21-15This decision made by Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, will allow time for consultation with affected ZEP holders and stakeholders on the future of the current dispensation. The extension comes after a court ruling that declared the Minister’s decision to terminate the ZEP as procedurally unfair and unconstitutional. The ruling, made by the Pretoria High Court, affected approximately 178,000 Zimbabwean nationals who hold the permit. “I, Dr L. A. Schreiber, MP, Minister of Home Affairs, with the powers bestowed upon me in terms of section 31(2)(b) of the Immigration Act, (“Immigration Act”) have decided to extend the validity of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (‘ZEP’) until 28 November 2025 in order for me to fulfill the duty placed on me by the Gauteng High Court to consult the affected ZEP holders and all other stakeholders on the future of the current dispensation,” the Minister stated in a statement. “The reactivation of the Immigration Advisory Board (‘IAB’) is currently underway and its first task will be to consider, advise and enable the steps required for compliance with the Order of the High Court on the future of the ZEP.” He added: “In order to give the IAB time to properly do its work, and a fair process to be followed, I direct that: ....existing ZEPs shall be deemed to remain valid for the next (12) twelve months; no holder of a ZEP may be arrested, ordered to depart or be detained for purposes of deportation or deported in terms of section 34 of the Immigration Act for any reason related to him or her not having any valid exemption certificate; “....the holder of an exemption certificate may be allowed to enter into or depart from the Republic of South Africa in terms of section 9 of the Immigration Act, read together with the Immigration Regulations, 2014, provided that he or she complies with all other requirements for entry into and departure from the Republic, save for the reason of not having a valid visa endorsed in his or her passport.” The Minister further announced that no ZEP holder should be required to produce a valid exemption certificate, visa or an authorisation letter to remain in South Africa as contemplated in section 32(1) of the Immigration Act when making an application for any category of the visa for temporary sojourn in the Republic as contemplated in section 10(2) of the Immigration Act. ZEP holders are individuals who hold a special permit, allowing them to live and work in South Africa. The permit was introduced in 2009 to provide a safe haven for Zimbabweans fleeing economic and political instability in their home country. The extension of the ZEP validation provides temporary relief for holders who were facing uncertainty and potential deportation. The long-term fate of the ZEP, however, remains uncertain, with the South African government yet to announce the ultimate fate of the exemption permit.NORAD’s Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids

Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest

Dublin Fingal West General Election 2024 updates: Tears of joy as Sinn Féin’s Louise O'Reilly is electedLimited again, 49ers QB Brock Purdy still fighting sore shoulderRICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — Matt Morrissey threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Calwise Jr. that ended the scoring midway through the fourth quarter and Eastern Kentucky beat North Alabama 21-15 on Saturday for its fifth straight win. TJ Smith drove North Alabama to the EKU 45-yard line before he threw an interception to Mike Smith Jr. to end the game. Smith threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dakota Warfield to give North Alabama a 15-14 lead with 10:37 to play. Morrissey completed 9 of 15 passes for 154 yards and added 60 yards on the ground with a touchdown run. Brayden Latham added 103 yards rushing on 19 carries that included a 2-yard score for Eastern Kentucky (8-4, 6-2 United Athletic Conference). Smith was 23-of-39 passing for 325 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for North Alabama (3-9, 2-5). Tanaka Scott had 109 yards receiving and a touchdown catch. ___ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Retailers coax Black Friday shoppers into stores with big discounts and giveaways NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers in the U.S. have used giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts to reward shoppers who ventured out on Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving still reigns for now as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. Analysts reported seeing the biggest crowds at stores that offered real savings. They say many shoppers are being cautious with their discretionary spending despite the easing of inflation. Stores are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Online sales figures from Thanksgiving Day gave retailers a reason to remain hopeful for a lucrative end to the year. Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans swept to power on Election Day and now control the House, the Senate and the White House, with plans for an ambitious 100-day agenda come January. Their to-do list includes extending tax breaks, cutting social programs, building the border wall to stop immigration and rolling back President Joe Biden's green energy policies. Atop that list is a plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring tax cuts that were a signature domestic achievement of Republican Donald Trump’s first term as president. It's an issue that may define his return to the White House. The ruble's in a slump. For the Kremlin, that's a two-edged sword Russia’s ruble is sagging against other currencies, complicating the Kremlin’s efforts to keep consumer inflation under control with one hand even as it overheats the economy with spending on the war against Ukraine with the other. Over time a weaker ruble could mean higher prices for imports from China, Russia's main trade partner these days. President Vladimir Putin says things are under control. One wild card is sanctions against a key Russian bank that have disrupted foreign trade payments. If Russia finds a workaround for that, the ruble could regain some of its recent losses. Why your favorite catalogs are smaller this holiday season PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — While retailers hope to go big this holiday season, customers may notice that the catalogs arriving in their mailboxes are smaller. Many of the millions of catalogs getting sent to U.S. homes were scaled down to save on postage and paper. Some gift purveyors are sending out postcards. In a sign of the times, the American Catalog Mailers Association rebranded itself in May as the American Commerce Marketing Association. Despite no longer carrying an extended inventory of goods, industry experts say catalogs help retailers cut through the noise and still hold their own in value because of growing digital advertising costs. Massachusetts lawmakers push for an effort to ban all tobacco sales over time BOSTON (AP) — A handful of Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to persuade their colleagues to support a proposal that would make the state the first to adopt a ban meant to eliminate the use of tobacco products over time. Other locations have weighed similar “generational tobacco bans.” The bans phase out the use of tobacco products based not just on a person's age but on birth year. Lawmakers plan to file the proposal next year. If approved, the bill would set a date and ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after that date forever, eventually banning all sales. Vietnam approves $67 billion high-speed railway project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south. It is expected to cost $67 billion and will stretch 1,541 kilometers (957 miles). The new train is expected to travel at speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph), reducing the journey from the current 30 hours to just five hours. The decision was taken by Vietnam’s National Assembly on Saturday. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and Vietnam hopes that the first trains will start operating by 2035. But the country has been beleaguered by delays to its previous infrastructure projects. Inflation rose to 2.3% in Europe. That won't stop the central bank from cutting interest rates FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro currency rose in November — but that likely won’t stop the European Central Bank from cutting interest rates as the prospect of new U.S. tariffs from the incoming Trump administration adds to the gloom over weak growth. The European Union’s harmonized index of consumer prices rose 2.3 percent, up from 2.0% in October, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. However, worries about growth mean the Dec. 12 ECB meeting is not about whether to cut rates, but by how much. Market buzz says there could be a larger than usual half-point cut in the benchmark rate, currently 3.25%. Stock market today: S&P 500 and Dow post gains and close out best month of 2024 NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed with solid gains as Wall Street put the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188 points, or 0.4%. The Nasdaq added 0.8%. Friday was an abbreviated trading day, with stocks closing at 1 p.m. ET and the bond market an hour later. Investors were looking to see how much shoppers are willing to spend on gifts for the holidays. Black Friday unofficially kicked off the holiday shopping season, although retailers had been offering early deals for weeks. Macy’s and Best Buy each gained around 2%. From T-shirts to thongs, how indie film merchandise became a hot commodity LOS ANGELES (AP) — Merchandise is nothing new. But in recent years, movie-inspired streetwear has exploded in popularity among film buffs, thanks in part to viral marketing campaigns put on by independent film studios. Take the hourslong line for one-day-only “Anora” pop-up in Los Angeles, for instance. Clothes are promoted as trendy and in limited supply and are often made in collaboration with popular brands. The experience of watching movies has become a less collective one in recent years. For many fans, repping their favorite films in public is a way to combat that. Santa's annual train visit delivers hope and magic to one corner of coal country ON BOARD THE SANTA TRAIN (AP) — Since 1943, the people of Appalachian Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee have looked forward to Santa’s arrival. Not in a sleigh on their rooftops, but on a train. At each stop of the CSX Santa Train there are dozens to hundreds of people. Many crowd around the back, where Santa and his helpers toss stuffed animals. Meanwhile groups of volunteer “elves” fan out with gifts, making sure every child goes home with something. Many of the children who line the tracks on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa, are the third, fourth or fifth generation to do so. Sandra Owens has been coming for 43 years and now brings her grandchildren. She says, “The faces of the kids, that’s what makes me happy. You can’t see anything better.”

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — 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 Middle East. Biden spoke at the White House hours after after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country following more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family . Biden said the United States was monitoring reports of the whereabouts of Assad, with Russian state media saying he had fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. 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, after a meeting with his national security team. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled 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 said it had no intention of intervening. 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. Biden said he intended for those troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted “precision air strikes" on IS camps and operations in Syria. U.S. Central Command said the operation hit more than 75 targets. “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try and take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its credibility, and create a safe haven," Biden said, using a different acronym for the group. "We will not let that happen.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which the U.S. says is a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida, although the group says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. “We will remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.” He added that the groups are “saying the right things now.” “But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Biden said. A senior Biden administration official, when asked about contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leaders after Assad's departure, said Washington was in contact with Syrian groups of all kinds. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the U.S. has focused over the past several days on chemical weapons that had been controlled by the Assad government, aiming to ensure they were secured. Still, 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. Like Biden, Trump, who takes office in five-plus weeks, 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.” 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. The president-elect 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. "We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. "We believe he’s alive, we think we can get him back but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable.” The president added: “We have to identify where he is." The U.S. has no new evidence that Tice is alive but continues to operate under the assumption that he is, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, added that the U.S. will continue to work to identify Tice's whereabouts and to try to bring him home . ___ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, and Aamer Madhani and AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

Canada got back in the win column at the world junior hockey championship. It wasn't pretty. Oliver Bonk, Caden Price and Mathieu Cataford, into the empty net, scored as the wobbly host country picked up an unconvincing 3-0 victory over Germany on Sunday. Carter George made 25 saves to register the goaltender's second straight shutout for the Canadians, who were coming off Friday's stunning 3-2 upset loss to Latvia in a shootout. Nico Pertuch stopped 33 shots for Germany, which dropped its Group A opener at the men's under-20 tournament to the United States 10-4 before falling 3-1 to Finland. Canada entered with a 17-0 record all-time and a combined 107-26 score against Germany at the world juniors, including last year's 6-3 victory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and an 11-2 drubbing at the 2023 event in Halifax. Despite another sub-par performance, the victory sets up a New Year's Eve matchup against the U.S. for first place in the pool after the Americans fell 4-3 to the Finns in overtime earlier Sunday. Canada suffered one of the powerhouse nation's worst defeats in tournament history Friday when Latvia — outscored 41-4 in four previous meetings at the event — shocked the hockey world. ROUNDUP Sweden punches quarterfinal ticket at world juniors with high-scoring win over Switzerland And while the plucky Latvians were full marks for their victory, the Canadians were largely disjointed and surrendered the middle of the ice for long stretches despite firing 57 shots on goal. There was more of the same Sunday. Head coach Dave Cameron made a couple of changes to Canada's lineup — one out of necessity and another for tactical reasons. With star defenceman Matthew Schaefer, who could go No. 1 at the 2025 NHL draft, out of the world juniors after suffering an upper-body injury against Latvia, Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio drew in. Cameron also sat forward Porter Martone in favour of Carson Rehkopf. Canada opened the scoring on the power play, which also had a new look after going 1-for-7 through the first two games, when Bonk scored from his normal bumper position in the slot off an Easton Cowan feed at 9:40 of the first period. Bonk on the power play! 🚨Bonk sur le jeu de puissance! 🚨#WorldJuniors | #MondialJuniorpic.twitter.com/0sgvrTI8zg — @HockeyCanada Sam Dickinson then chimed a one-timer off the post on another man advantage before George, who was in goal for Canada's 4-0 opener against the Finns, made a couple of stops on the penalty kill inside a red-clad Canadian Tire Centre. Petruch made a big stop off Tanner Howe in the second before also denying Calum Ritchie from the slot on a power play, but the Canadians again looked completely out of sorts against what was a decidedly inferior opponent on paper. Berkly Catton hit another post for Canada early in the third. Tanner Molendyk also found iron. Unable to register a 5-on-5 goal against either Latvia or Germany through more than 120 minutes of action, Price scored on a shot that caromed off the end boards and went in off Pertuch with 4:58 left in regulation to make it 2-0 before Cataford iced it into the empty net on another nervy night for the 20-time gold medallists. Meanwhile, the U.S. beat Latvia 5-1 on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the Europeans' upset of Canada. American captain Ryan Leonard said the Latvians were impressive — even on short rest. "That team's no joke," said the Washington Capitals prospect. "You can't really treat anyone different, especially in this short of a tournament." Canada now turns its attention to Tuesday's clash against the U.S.TEHRAN - The fall of the Syrian government has underscored the precarious future of the Mediterranean country amidst the ongoing chaos. Armed groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which controlled much of northwest Syria for years, launched a surprise offensive on November 27. They seized some major cities and towns, including Aleppo, Hama and Homs and entered the capital Damascus early Sunday. Armed men appearing on Syria’s state TV announced the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The president is believed to have left the country for an undisclosed location. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said on Sunday that state institutions will be supervised by Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali until they are handed over. Some regional and Western countries have welcomed the toppling of the Syrian government. Some people in Syria have also celebrated Assad’s ouster. Nonetheless, concerns are growing amid a chaotic situation in the country. According to the Associated Press, people in Damascus have rushed to stock up on supplies. It reported that many shops in the capital have been shuttered and those still open have run out of staples such as sugar. Items have also been sold at three times the normal price. The AP also said thousands of others have gone to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. But Lebanese border officials closed the main Masnaa border crossing late Saturday. Recent developments in Syria have turned the spotlight on possible scenarios that could unfold. Frist of all, the role of armed groups in determining Syria’s future should come under close scrutiny. The HTS has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. But, al-Jolani has sought to transform the group’s public perception by cutting ties with al-Qaida. He has promised to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Al-Jolani’s pledges and remarks have aroused suspicions. Al-Qaida and ISIL, also known as ISIS and Daesh, perpetrated heinous crimes in Syria in the wake of the unrest in the country that followed the 2011 Arab Spring. Al-Jolani’s gestures seem to be a PR stunt with the aim of distracting from the past behavior of his group’s members. The HTS rule may lead to the resurgence of terrorists and extremists who wreaked havoc in the region for years. Second, the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Assad government could result in civil war. The absence of a stable central government could pit Syrians against each other, plunging the country into absolute chaos. This might result in major bloodshed with regional consequences. Third, armed groups would have never been able to launch their lightening offensive and seize territory in Syria without foreign support. Turkey is among the countries that stand accused of aiding and abetting the HTS. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pursuing geopolitical objectives in Syria. Besides, Ankara does not want to see the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are mainly made up of Kurdish fighters, gain more territory in Syria. The Eurasian country is also grappling with the high number of Syrian refugees in the country. Turkey has been hosting millions of Syrian refugees over the past years. The Erdogan government now wants to return the refugees to Syria to provide some relief to the Turkish economy. But it remains unclear whether the HTS rule will help Turkey achieve its objectives. Israel along with some of the Persian Gulf countries and Western states have also supported anti-Syria militant groups such as the HTS. Consequently, Syria may turn into a theater for foreign powers seeking to exploit the chaos, yet the Syrian populace will bear significant costs of such interventions. Fourth, resentment against Israel over its genocidal war in Gaza has been on the rise across the globe. But the HTS and its allies have yet to publicly state their stance regarding Israel. Militants that occupied parts of Syria following the chaos created by the Arab Spring, did not fire a single bullet toward Israel. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Israel opened its borders with Syria in order to provide medical treatment to terrorists affiliated to al-Qaida and its offshoot Nusra Front who had been wounded in fighting. The prominent American newspaper reported at that time that the Nusra Front "hasn't bothered Israel since seizing the border area last summer" along the Golan Heights. The Nusra Front was formed in 2012 by ISIL from which it split a year later and declared allegiance to al-Qaeda. It severed ties with al-Qaeda and joined with other factions to rebrand as HTS in 2017. For now, the reluctance of the HTS to adopt a tough position towards Israeli crimes demonstrates that there is honor among thieves! If the HTS decides to transform Syria into an Israeli vassal, people will not remain silent in the face of rising anti-regime sentiment. Presently, the writing is on the wall for regional and international actors who have made miscalculations as well as those who are walking on the air in the face of the overthrow of President Assad. Failure to form an inclusive government in Syria will create a powder keg, the consequences of which will spill over into the entire region. Such repercussions will deal serious blows to the interests of regional countries. Undoubtedly, turmoil in West Asia will adversely impact the interests of Western countries including the United States.Boise State's legacy includes winning coaches and championship moments

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Fall is the best time to think about cooking soup. Here’s 5 recipes you’ll want to try