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Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death rowAbu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. As he entered Damascus behind his victorious fighters Sunday, he even dropped his nom de guerre and referred to himself with his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. Insurgents control Damascus, Assad has fled into hiding, and for the first time after 50 years of his family’s iron hand, it is an open question how Syria will be governed. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war. Many of them fear the possibility that Sunni Islamist extremists will take over. The country is also fragmented among disparate armed factions, and foreign powers from Russia and Iran to the United States, Turkey and Israel all have their hands in the mix. Hours after Damascus' capture, the 42-year-old al-Sharaa made his first appearance in the city's landmark Umayyad Mosque, declaring Assad's fall “a victory for the Islamic nation.” A senior rebel commander, Anas Salkhadi, appeared on state TV to declare, “Our message to all the sects of Syria, is that we tell them that Syria is for everyone.” Al-Sharaa, who has been labeled a terrorist by the United States, and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS – many of whose fighters are jihadis -- now stand to be a major player. For years, al-Sharaa worked to consolidate power, while bottled up in the province of Idlib in Syria’s northwest corner as Assad’s Iranian- and Russian-backed rule over much of the country appeared solid. He maneuvered among extremist organizations while eliminating competitors and former allies. He sought to polish the image of his de-facto “salvation government” that has been running Idlib to win over international governments and reassure Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities. And he built ties with various tribes and other groups. Along the way, he shed his garb as a hard-line Islamist guerrilla and put on suits for press interviews, talking of building state institutions and decentralizing power to reflect Syria’s diversity. “Syria deserves a governing system that is institutional, no one where a single ruler makes arbitrary decisions,” he said in an interview with CNN last week, offering the possibility HTS would eventually be dissolved after Assad falls. “Don’t judge by words, but by actions,” he said. Syrian opposition fighters seize ammunition abandoned by the army in the town of Khan Assubul, Syria, southwest of Aleppo, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) Al-Golani’s beginnings in Iraq Throughout his rise through extremist ranks, al-Sharaa was only known by the jihadi nickname he adopted, Abu Mohammed al-Golani. His ties to al-Qaida stretch back to 2003, when he joined insurgents battling U.S. troops in Iraq. The Syrian native was detained by the U.S. military but remained in Iraq. During that time, al-Qaida usurped like-minded groups and formed the extremist Islamic State of Iraq, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In 2011, a popular uprising in Syria against Assad triggered a brutal government crackdown and led to all-out war. Al-Golani’s prominence grew when al-Baghdadi sent him to Syria to establish a branch of al-Qaida called the Nusra Front. The United States labeled the new group as a terrorist organization. That designation still remains in place and the U.S. government has put a US$10 million bounty on him. The Nusra Front and the Syrian conflict As Syria’s civil war intensified in 2013, so did al-Golani’s ambitions. He defied al-Baghdadi’s calls to dissolve the Nusra Front and merge it with al-Qaida’s operation in Iraq, to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Al-Golani nonetheless pledged his allegiance to al-Qaida, which later disassociated itself from ISIS. The Nusra Front battled ISIS and eliminated much of its competition among the Syrian armed opposition to Assad. If you're on Telegram, subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on top stories In his first interview in 2014, al-Golani kept his face covered, telling a reporter for Qatari network Al-Jazeera that he rejected political talks in Geneva to end the conflict. He said his goal was to see Syria ruled under Islamic law and made clear that there was no room for the country’s Alawite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities. Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized military armored vehicle on the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) Consolidating power and rebranding In 2016, al-Golani revealed his face to the public for the first time in a video message that announced his group was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham -– the Syria Conquest Front -- and cutting its ties to al-Qaida. “This new organization has no affiliation to any external entity,” he said in the video, filmed wearing military garb and a turban. The move paved the way for al-Golani to assert full control over fracturing militant groups. A year later, his alliance rebranded again as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -– meaning Organization for Liberating Syria -- as the groups merged, consolidating al-Golani’s power in northwest Syria’s Idlib province. HTS later clashed with independent Islamist militants who opposed the merger, further emboldening al-Golani and his group as the leading power in northwestern Syria, able to rule with an iron fist. With his power consolidated, al-Golani set in motion a transformation that few could have imagined. Replacing his military garb with shirt and trousers, he began calling for religious tolerance and pluralism. Complete coverage of conflicts in the Mideast He appealed to the Druze community in Idlib, which the Nusra Front had previously targeted, and visited the families of Kurds who were killed by Turkish-backed militias. In 2021, he had his first interview with an American journalist on PBS. Wearing a blazer, with his short hair gelled back, the now more soft-spoken HTS leader said that his group posed no threat to the West and that sanctions imposed against it were unjust. “Yes, we have criticized Western policies,” he said. “But to wage a war against the United States or Europe from Syria, that’s not true. We didn’t say we wanted to fight.”

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Studs and Duds: Knicks bring down the house in Capital One Arena against WizardsWhat will Kristaps Porzingis’ workload look like as he takes the court for the first time this season? Joe Mazzulla wouldn’t say. But he expects the 7-foot-2 center to make an immediate impact for the Celtics. “I don’t really know on the minutes,” Mazzulla said before Monday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden. “He’s worked hard. He’s in good shape. We’ll put him in a position to be healthy and successful and do what’s best for the team, and I think pretty consistent just based on his work ethic and what he’s done to get to this point.” Mazzulla said he knew for “probably a week or so” that Porzingis would make his season debut against the Clippers after undergoing offseason leg surgery and sitting out Boston’s first 17 games. He anticipates an “adjustment period” as opponents determine the best methods of guarding Porzingis, who rejoins a Celtics offense that’s attempted nearly 100 more 3-pointers than any other NBA club. Defensively, Boston will benefit from Porzingis’ versatility and rim protection. “With him, you’re able to play different,” Mazzulla said. “You’re able to switch less, keep your matchups a little bit different. We haven’t had as much versatility with him out, so we’ll look to have a little bit more versatility. I expect him to start impacting that tonight.” No other Celtics player can replicate Porzingis’ skill set on both ends of the floor, but Boston won 14 of its first 17 games without him — after going 31-6 in games the big man missed last season. Mazzulla was asked whether the Celtics considered slow-playing his return, which was not expected to come until December at the earliest. “I just listen to when they tell me he’s ready to play,” Mazzulla replied. Mazzulla would not say whether Porzingis would have a specific minutes limitation against the Clippers. His top two backups, Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring), both were ruled out for Monday’s game, leaving Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta as the only other bigs on Boston’s depth chart. “We’re going to do what’s best for him and do what’s best for the team,” Mazzulla said.ASPI Stock News: Shareholder Rights Law Firm Robbins LLP Urges ASP Isotopes Inc. Stockholders ...

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Big Australian names David Warner and Steve Smith may have gone unsold on the second day of the Indian Premier League auction, but there were no such concerns for 13-year-old left-handed batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The youngster, who made his debut in India’s domestic Ranji Trophy at 12, was sold for $200,000 to Rajasthan Royals after a bidding war with the Delhi Capitals at the auction in Saudi Arabia. Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Suryavanshi hit a 58-ball hundred in the youth Test against Australia under-19s in October, but made one and three in his other innings in the two-match series. He is the youngest player to be selected at the auction. The previous youngest was Prayas Ray Barman, signed five years ago by Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was groundhog day for Warner as he again went unsold at the auction, likely ending a lucrative, run-laden connection with the blockbuster Twenty20 competition. The explosive opener has scored 6565 runs at a strike rate of 140 and has an average above 40 in the IPL, but as on the first day, none of the 10 franchises were prepared to invest in the 38-year-old left-hander. Smith also went unsold having set his stall out at the same base price of two crore ($365,000). Despite pairing with Ricky Ponting as Washington Freedom’s captain and coach to win Major League Cricket in the US, Ponting wasn’t keen on taking another punt on Smith. Instead he packed his new Punjab Kings team with other Aussies, signing Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and Xavier Bartlett to join Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who were acquired on day one. Nor was there any interest in English bowling veteran James Anderson. Seeking to make an IPL debut at the age of 42, he did not even come up in the bidding. The biggest-earning Australian on day two was Tim David, the big-hitting all-rounder joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $550,000. Close behind was Spencer Johnson. He was a Ponting target but Kings were outbid by Kolkata Knight Riders who offered $510,000. However, Ponting did then land Hardie for $225,000 and, after missing out on Nathan Ellis (who went to Super Kings for $365,000), signed Bartlett, the top wicket-taker in BBL last summer, for $145,000. Ponting had begun by signing the only one of the three Aussie keepers on the market to be sold. Alex Carey may be Australia’s Test wicketkeeper but Inglis has the gloves in the white-ball game and it showed as he went for $475,000. Carey and another gloveman, Josh Philippe, would later go unsold. There were also no bids for Jason Behrendorff, Matt Short and Lance Morris while other Australians who had put themselves forward did not even make the bidding stage. There is hope, though, for them and for the likes of Warner and Smith as between now and March players will inevitably be injured or, for personal reasons, pull out, creating late vacancies. The biggest signing of the day was Bhuvneshwar Kumar who joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $2 million. AAP News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .Costco membership fees may seem steep, but the treasure trove within its warehouse walls are often worth the cost. From ten-pound snow crab to indoor saunas, Costco isn't shy about carrying high-end items. One of the most exciting finds for bourbon lovers has been the Blanton's Single-Barrel Bourbon whiskey. While typically priced around 150 dollars, some have gone as low as 60 dollars — a significant discount. However, there's a catch — it's not available at all Costco stores. This premium bourbon has been spotted at select locations, including Washington D.C. and Burbank, California, but availability varies. Costco rotates its whiskey selection, so while it may not always be on shelves, it's worth keeping an eye out. If you're lucky enough to find it, be aware that there's a one 750-milliliter bottle limit per membership at select locations. However, bringing a friend along with a separate membership can help if you're looking to stock up. Costco frequently rotates its whiskey selection, but with an alcohol content of 46.5 percent and the accolade of "the world's first single barrel bourbon," this Costco item is hard to resist. A grand opening of a new Costco is a perfect opportunity to snag some high-end brands for more reasonable prices if you're worried about items being in stock. Just remember: Not all locations sell alcohol, so double-check before visiting your local Costco. Quality bourbon doesn't have to break the bank If you're not familiar with terms like "single barrel" and "bourbon," you're not alone. Bourbon, especially single barrel bourbon varieties can be intimidating initially. 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In a surprising turn of events, the Gomoa Central Constituency, a stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the past eight years, has been won by independent parliamentary candidate Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus. In an exclusive interview with 3news on December 8, A-Plus expressed his joy over his victory, though he emphasized that his excitement was not simply due to winning, but rather because of the promise of change and development for the constituency. “I am not excited because I have won, but I am happy because Gomoa Central is going to see something new, a change that will bring changes. Gomoa Central will witness development both in infrastructure and in the lives of the people,” he stated. A-Plus, who campaigned on the platform of change and improvement, revealed that the outcome of the election did not surprise him. He highlighted that the constituency had faced significant hardships over the past eight years under the previous leadership. “All politicians should note that there’s a challenge in Ghanaian politics and things have changed. Gone are the days 10-20 years ago when Ghanaians voted because of material things,” he remarked, emphasizing the shift in voter priorities. Addressing the challenges in the constituency, A-Plus vowed to focus on addressing the issues that had been neglected by past leaders. “I gave Ghanaian politicians the opportunity to do what is right and also serve the people, but they refused. So, I am here to do it myself,” he declared. Meanwhile, some constituents expressed their reasons for supporting A-Plus. One local, Stephen, explained that he and his friends decided to vote for A-Plus because they were dissatisfied with the previous female leadership. “We thought a woman could bring change, but eight good years have been wasted, and besides, men can lead better than women,” he said. On the other hand, some supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate expressed disappointment with the outcome. “We are disappointed, but it’s ok,” one NDC sympathizer noted, reflecting the mixed emotions among the electorate. The win by A-Plus marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Gomoa Central, signaling a demand for change and a new direction for the constituency.

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