fish farming Jaguar’s new branding | Sport and Israel | Jonathan Liew’s words | ‘Remote’ Scotland | CapitalismThere's no defending Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, especially amid his latest free-agent class

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HETIAN, China , Nov. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 28 , good news came from Hetian Power Supply Company of State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd.. Since the official launch of the company's full power outage information perception platform in July 2023 , it has been in stable operation for more than a year and has achieved remarkable results. According to the latest data, the platform has sent more than 74,000 monitoring and warning SMS work orders so far, which has greatly improved the speed of fault recovery and reduced the distribution network failure by more than 60% year-on-year, providing a more reliable guarantee for the safe use of electricity for users in the Hetian area. The company has always been committed to improving the intelligence level of the power grid and ensuring the safety and stability of power supply. By integrating advanced information technology and data analysis means, the platform can realize the perception of full voltage and all types of power outage faults in the entire distribution grid within 30 seconds, which greatly improves the timeliness and accuracy of fault handling processes. In the past year or so, the platform has not only significantly improved the accuracy of fault location, but also made the research and judgment process more efficient and scientific. Operation and maintenance personnel can quickly grasp the fault information and take targeted repair measures, thus greatly shortening the power outage time and reducing the inconvenience and losses to users.SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law, as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon's ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president's impeachment. Yoon's martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon's impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. "We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea," party leader Lee Jae-myung said. "We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end." Many experts worry Yoon won't be able to serve out his remaining 2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties' efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. The ruling party risks "further public outrage and national confusion if they don't find a formula fast for Yoon's departure," said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. PPP chair Han Dong-hun said his party will seek Yoon's "orderly" early exit but didn't say when he can resign. Protests against Yoon are swelling On Saturday, tens of thousands of people packed several blocks of roads leading to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP's headquarters near the Assembly, shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon's supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied elsewhere in Seoul, calling the impeachment attempt unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn't reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result "very regrettable" and an embarrassing moment for the country's democracy. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. The president apologizes for turmoil Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued an apology over the martial law decree, saying he won't shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose it. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country's political turmoil, "including matters related to my term in office." "The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot," Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a "den of criminals" bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces." The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. "Yoon's credibility overseas has been undermined by declaring martial law, so he won't be able to exercise leadership in his foreign policies especially when his days are numbered," Kim, the analyst, said. "Its government bureaucracy will need to continue business as usual for existing alliance and foreign policy initiatives as best it can because there is a lot of important work to do globally." Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon's martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon's speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon's early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon's speech was "greatly disappointing" and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon's martial law "unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup." Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon's wife. Yoon accused of ordering arrests of politicians On Friday, Han, who criticized Yoon's martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country's defense counterintelligence commander to arrest unspecified key politicians based on accusations of "anti-state activities." Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea's spy agency, told lawmakers Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians including Han, Lee and Woo. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim Yong Hyun resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week. The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a dramatic 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100Alaraby Television Network was awarded the Best Digital Live Streaming Service in the Arab World during an awards ceremony organised by the World Social Media Forum, held in the Jordanian capital, Amman. This recognition crowns the channel's efforts in providing outstanding digital content that meets audience needs and keeps pace with the rapid development of digital media and live broadcasting. This is achieved through the latest production and broadcasting technologies across various platforms, including social media networks and the official website. Additionally, Alaraby Television Network has been showcasing its content, which includes the news channel 'Alaraby TV', the variety channel 'Alaraby 2' and exclusive digital content 'Alaraby Tube' and 'Alaraby Podcast' through the Alaraby Plus platform which is attracting a record number of subscribers since its launch recently. The subscribers are benefiting from free on-demand access to all programmes. The grand ceremony was attended by regional and international media, with Alaraby TV's correspondent in Jordan, Laith al-Jabour, receiving the award on behalf of the network. He commented on the backstage of the event: "I am proud of this well-deserved achievement. I thank all my colleagues in the network for their continuous efforts to deliver the best." Shaker al-Masri, head of digital marketing at Alaraby Television Network, emphasised Alaraby TV's "commitment to providing multiple viewing options for its programmes to serve audiences in Arab countries and the diaspora. This considers time differences and facilitates content access, especially for Alaraby TV's special coverage, which social media algorithms might otherwise limit." Alaraby Television Network will celebrate its 10th anniversary next month, during which further development plans will be unveiled, reaffirming its commitment to excellence and innovation in delivering high-quality and professional media services. Related Story Alaraby TV wins Shorty Awards Audience honour Alaraby TV launches programme on situation in Gaza and Lebanon

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton, who dealt with post-election blowback for his comment that biological males shouldn’t compete in women’s sports, is slamming the local media for trying to “inflame” his remarks.Rusk County students attend AgriLife Youth Beef Field Day

Enzo Maresca ‘thankful’ for connection at Leicester ahead of return with ChelseaLiverpool moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title as a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Luis Diaz , Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah , Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota were on target for the rampant Reds in east London as they ended the year as huge favourites to deliver just a second league title in 35 years. Nottingham Forest are the surprise closest challengers in second, but Arsenal and Chelsea can close the gap when they are in action later in the week. Arne Slot has repeatedly stressed nothing can be won yet with Liverpool still one game shy of the halfway mark in the Premier League. But the Dutchman's succession of Jurgen Klopp continues to look flawless after a 23rd win in 27 matches in all competitions. "I enjoyed it a lot because it doesn't happen many times that I could just sit back and enjoy," said Slot. Diaz had been rested for the 3-1 win over Leicester on Boxing Day and it was the Colombian who opened the floodgates on 30 minutes at the London Stadium. His intended pass into Curtis Jones rebounded back into his path off a West Ham defender and he dispatched his shot low into the corner. Mohammed Kudus was inches away from an equaliser when his effort came back off the post. But another heavy home defeat puts Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui back under pressure after a four-game unbeaten run. "We are talking about the best team in the Premier League and around the world, but at home and in front of our fans, I am very sorry about this," said Lopetegui. Two goals in four minutes just before half-time killed the game as a contest. Salah's delightful turn helped tee up Gakpo to roll in his ninth goal in 14 games. Advertisement (function(v,d,o,ai){ai=d.createElement('script');ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);})(window, document, '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-ndtv-v1/vdo.ai.js'); The Egyptian then curled in at Alphonse Areola 's near post, with some help from the West Ham goalkeeper, to hit the 20-goal mark for the eighth consecutive season since joining Liverpool in 2017. Speculation over Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Virgil van Dijk's futures has not derailed Liverpool's flying start under Slot. All three could discuss a move to a foreign club on a free transfer next season within days, but remain focused for the moment on winning a second Premier League title together. "The only thing in my mind is that I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of it," said Salah. "That is the only thing I have focused on. I will do my best to win the trophy. We are in the right direction but there are other teams trying to catch up with us. We just need to stay humble and go again." Rumours over Alexander-Arnold's potential move to Real Madrid have resurfaced again in the Spanish media over the past week and the England international showed why he is a man in demand with a thunderous strike that deflected in off Max Kilman. Jota's appearance as a substitute was further evidence of the extra firepower Liverpool enjoy over their title rivals. The Portuguese set the seal on a dominant win with the finish for the fifth goal, but had another sumptuous Salah assist to thank for it. Salah jinked his way beyond three West Ham defenders before laying the ball to Jota for his 13th Premier League assist of the season to go with 17 goals in 18 games. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The 41-year-old has been in charge of the Baggies since October 2022, recording 47 wins from his 107 matches in charge. Having established West Brom as a Championship promotion contender since his arrival, the Spaniard has recently been linked with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton. However, according to Marca , it appears that it will be a La Liga club that push through a deal for his services. © Imago Earlier in the day, Valencia made the decision to part ways with Ruben Baraja courtesy of their lowly position in Spain's top flight. Just 12 points have been accumulated from 17 matches to leave Valencia sitting second-bottom in the table , four points adrift of safety. Despite recent draws with Alaves and Espanyol, the club's board have preferred to go in a different direction, sacking the club legend after 78 matches in charge. An earlier report suggested that Corberan and Quique Sanchez Flores were the two candidates in contention to replace Baraja, yet it now appears that a concrete decision has been made to go with Corberan. Valencia are allegedly prepared to pay the £2.8m release clause in his contract with Corberan having already given the green light to a move. Providing that a deal goes through as expected, Corberan will be returning to a club where he spent time in their academy ranks and 'B' team as a player. © Imago West Brom have endured a relatively positive campaign thus far, collecting 35 points from their 22 matches in the second tier of English football. Although they have suffered just three defeats, there have been 11 draws, yet they are within two points of fifth-placed Blackburn Rovers in the Championship table . Furthermore, the West Midlands outfit have lost just one of their last 14 games and prevailed in two of their most recent three fixtures.

Kemi Badenoch has long proved herself to be a gaffe-prone politician - and that trend has not ended since she was elected Tory leader. In the the race to replace Rishi Sunak , the former Business Secretary found herself at the mercy of headline after headline amid interview car crashes and bizarre moments. At the Tory conference in September, she caused a huge row after claiming maternity pay was "overburdening businesses". Elsewhere during the conference she said between 5% and 10% of civil servants are "should-be-in-prison bad" . This would mean between 25,000 and 50,000 were put behind bars. During the same month she was mocked after claiming she became working class when she got a job in McDonalds. Since becoming the leader of the Conservative Party on November 2, Ms Badenoch has had a rocky road. Her performances at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions clash with Keir Starmer have been branded underwhelming - and the latest YouGov polling shows more than half of Brits think she does not look like a Prime Minister in waiting. Here The Mirror takes a look at some of her top gaffes and weird moments since becoming Tory leader. 1. Partygate was 'overblown' A day after becoming Tory leader, Ms Badenoch thought it would be a good idea to declare Boris Johnson a "great" Prime Minister and that the Partygate scandal was "overblown". In her first major interview since winning the contest to replace Mr Sunak , Ms Badenoch suggested the problem instead was with the Covid fines. During his time in No10, Mr Johnson became the first sitting PM to be sanctioned by police after he was found to have breached his own Covid rules. Despite being among dozens who resigned from his government in July 2022, Ms Badenoch told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I thought he was a great Prime Minister. "But there were some serious issues which were not being resolved and I think that during that tenure the public thought that we were not speaking for them or looking out for them, we were in it for ourselves." She went on: "Some of those things I think were perception issues, a lot of the stuff that happened around partygate was not why I resigned. I thought that it was overblown. We should not have created fixed penalty notices, for example. That was us not going with our principles." She added that the public was "not wrong to be upset about partygate", but said : "The problem was that we should not have criminalised everyday activities the way that we did." At the time, chair of the Labour Party Ellie Reeves said: “Listening to Kemi Badenoch dismiss Partygate as 'overblown' will add insult to injury for families across Britain who followed the rules, missing loved one’s deaths and family funerals, whilst her colleagues partied in Downing Street." 2. Misleading attack at PMQs At the start of November Kemi Badenoch used her first PMQs session to launch a misleading attack on the Government over defence spending. The new Tory leader told MPs there was nothing in the October Budget on defence spending. In fact Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an additional £2.9billion for the Ministry of Defence and said the Government would "set a path" to spending 2.5% of GDP on defending the country. Ms Badenoch told the PM: "His Chancellor's Budget did not even mention defence. The Chancellor's budget last week was a copy and paste of Bidenomics. It turns out that a high spending, high borrowing, high inflation approach is less popular than she may have thought." The PM shot back: "The one thing I learned as leader of the opposition it is a good idea to listen to what the Government is actually saying. I think she said defence wasn't mentioned in the Budget. It was seven days ago and it is absolutely clear and central to the Budget." He said that the Government is committed to bringing defence spending to 2.5% - and pointed out that the last time this was achieved was under the last Labour government. 3. Sandwich In December Kemi Badenoch triggered a bizarre row after launching an attack on sandwiches - and dismissing them as not "real food". It caused Keir Starmer to issue a defence of sandwiches as a "great British institution" . In a magazine interview, she said "lunch is for wimps" before ranting: "I don't think sandwiches are a real food, it's what you have for breakfast." Describing her daily routine, Ms Badenoch said: "What's a lunch break? Lunch is for wimps. I have food brought in and I work and eat at the same time." She added that she "will not touch bread if it’s moist”. And in another weird turn, she revealed that she sometimes has a steak brought to her as she works. No10 was having none of it. The PM's official spokesman said at the time: "I think he was surprised to hear that the leader of the Opposition has a steak brought in for lunch. The Prime Minister is quite happy with a sandwich lunch." He added that the PM "enjoys a tuna sandwich and occasionally a cheese toastie". Ms Badenoch's rant was a far cry from her predecessor's equally odd moment, in which Mr Sunak claimed his favourite meal is "sandwiches" in a cringe-worthy appearance on ITV's This Morning in July. 4. Criticism of PM backfires In another wobbly PMQs moment in November, Ms Badenoch appeared to read from her pre-prepared lines as she attacked the government's "cruel family farms tax" over a changes in October's Budget. But it landed her in trouble when moments after she attempted to attack Mr Starmer on his "scripted lines". It caused a severe mocking from the PM , who drew loud laughter from the Labour benches. He responded sharply: "I'm happy to help the leader of the opposition. If she's going to complain about scripted answers, it's probably best not to read that from a script. "I'm glad she's raised farmers. Because the budget last week put £5billion over the next two years into farming. That's the single biggest increase, unlike the £300million which was underspent under the last government. But when it comes to inheritance, the vast vast majority of farmers will be unaffected, as she well knows; as they well know." 5. Flat-rate tax is an attractive idea In December Ms Badenoch came under fire after suggesting millionaires should pay the same rate of tax as the poor. The Tory leader faced comparisons to Liz Truss after saying a flat tax rate is a "very attractive" idea. She made the comments at a theatre that was ironically showing a pantomime of Robin Hood - the heroic character known for helping the poor. Ms Badenoch said the country couldn't afford to introduce a flat rate of tax at the moment and that the cost of welfare, such as benefits, in the country needs to be "turned around" to do so. The comments triggered comparisons to disastrous ex-PM Ms Truss , who tried to push for tax cuts for the rich but crashed the economy with her unfunded promises. At the time in 2022, Ms Truss admitted her plans would disproportionately benefit wealthy people. Currently British people pay different levels of tax depending on their tax band - which is determined by how much they earn. Critics have warned that introducing a flat rate in the UK would mean low paid earners would face a tax rise, while high earners would face a tax rise. Labour analysis showed that Ms Badenoch's idea could see low earners facing a £1,200 tax hike , while the highest earners would get a tax cut of more than £5,000. A Labour spokesman hit back: “ Kemi Badenoch needs to come clean about how much she would hike taxes on working people to pay for tax cuts for the super-rich. While Labour protects working people with no tax rises on their payslips, the Tories are bringing out the ghost of Christmas past with these Truss-style tax cuts for millionaires. They haven’t listened and they haven’t learnt.” 6. Row with Nigeria A row erupted earlier in December between Kemi Badenoch and the Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hit out at the Tory leader for having talked down Nigeria. Ms Badenoch, who was born in the UK but mostly raised in the West African country, previously said "fear was everywhere" during her childhood in Lagos. Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima suggested Ms Badenoch could "remove the Kemi from her name" if she was not proud of her "nation of origin". During a speech, he said his government was "proud" of her "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin." The audience applauded him as he added: "She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria." He compared her comments to Mr Sunak's pride in his Indian heritage, describing him as "a brilliant young man" who "never denigrated his nation of ancestry". Ms Badenoch's spokesman hit back that she "stands by what she says" and "is not the PR for Nigeria". "She is the leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country," he said. "She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words." 7. Fumbling words in PMQs In another on-edge moment in PMQs, confusion circled the chamber as Ms Badenoch fumbled her words - which ended up making no sense. Talking about Mr Starmer's Cop29 trip, Ms Badenoch said: "I welcome the Prime Minister back from his trip to Azerbaijan where he has unilaterally made commitments that will make life more experience (sic) back home." MPs in the Commons wondered what she was talking about... As she continued, it became apparent she had meant to say "expensive". She went on: "He has made life more expensive with his unilateral commitments but speaking of making life more expensive, will the Prime Minister confirm that he will keep the cap on council tax?" The PM replied: "She talks of the trip to Cop. I'm very proud of the fact that we're restoring leadership on climate. That will be measured in lower bills, on energy independence and the jobs of the future." He added: "On the question of councils, she knows what the arrangements are." Be the first with news from Mirror Politics BLUESKY: Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here . And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan , Jason Beattie , Kevin Maguire , Sophie Huskisson , Dave Burke , Ashley Cowburn , Mikey Smith POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell , hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. 8. Bizarre agreement with PM In another weird PMQs moment in November, Ms Badenoch attacked Labour's economic announcements - including on money for local authorities - before bizarrely agreeing with Mr Starmer's comeback. In her rant, the Tory leader called Rachel Reeves a "copy and paste chancellor" and claimed "it is clear they had not thought through the impact of the Budget". But Mr Starmer hit back and said Labour's October Budget "does not increase tax on working people" and is putting huge investment into the NHS, schools and housing. The PM added: "If she's against those things, she should say so." In response, Ms Badenoch surprisingly agreed: "I'm not against any of those things, of course not, none of us are against any of those things. But he has confirmed that he does not know what is going on. "The Prime Minister probably does not realise that on Monday the Ministry for Communities, Local Government and Housing revealed that councils will need to find an additional £2.4 billion in council tax next year. That is a lot more than £600 million. I know that he has been away, but did the Deputy Prime Minister who runs that department make him aware of their £2.4billion black hole?" Mr Starmer replied: "Let me get this straight, she doesn't want any of the measures in the Budget, but she wants all the benefits. So the budget management is back after two weeks in office. They've learned absolutely nothing. We put forward a Budget which takes the difficult decisions, fixing the £22billion black hole, investing in the future of our country. They say they want all of that, but they don't know how they're going to pay for it - same old Tories." 9. Laughing at MP's question In November Ms Badenoch was called out on social media for laughing after an MP criticised her for saying maternity pay is "excessive". The new Tory leader came under fire at the Conservative Party conference in September that maternity pay had gone “too far”. She rowed back on her comments after widespread criticism, claiming “of course” she believes in maternity pay. But she maintained that maternity pay - as well as minimum wage - was "overburdening businesses" . During the PMqs session, Labour MP Lloyd Hatton asked Mr Starmer : "Members have raised their concerns of a range of damaging policies pursued by the Leader of the Opposition. These include voting against critical investment for our NHS , stating maternity pay is excessive and that the minimum wage is a burden, and even backing harmful backing when last in government." The camera then cut to Ms Badenoch laughing on the opposition benches in the Commons. Ms Badenoch hit back: "The Prime Minister can plant as many questions as he likes with his backbenchers but at the end of the day I am the one he has to face at the despatch box."Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime is nearing collapse as rebel forces began to encircle Damascus. In the suburbs of the capital, were seen tearing down posters of Assad and a bust of his father, former president Hafez al-Assad. On Saturday, Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] had reached the edges of Damascus, as thousands of pro-regime soldiers made a chaotic retreat into neighbouring Iraq. Syria’s rebels said on Saturday night that they have started entering the key city of Homs, while there were reports that government forces have been withdrawing. Syria’s state news agency denied earlier reports that , his close ally, claiming that he continued to govern from Damascus. “[We condemn] rumours and false news about President Bashar al-Assad leaving Damascus ... [Assad is] following up on his work and national and constitutional duties from the capital,” it said. Following the statement, a source told CNN that Assad was “nowhere to be found” at his usual residences in the capital. On Saturday night, HTS said a group of senior regime officials were negotiating over the terms of their defection. The Assad regime tried to reassure panicking residents by claiming it had “unbreakable” defences around the capital. Mohammed al-Rahmoun, the Syrian interior minister, told state TV that there was “a very strong security cordon on the outskirts of Damascus and no one can break it.” A spokesman for the Syrian army said it was reinforcing its lines “throughout the Damascus countryside” and carrying out operations in the “Hama and Homs countryside [in central Syria] and the northern Daraa countryside,” referring to areas under threat or already captured by the rebels. But residents of Damascus on Saturday began to flee the city and close their shops. “I’m very scared, for me and for my unborn daughter,” Rania, who is in her eighth month of pregnancy, told AFP. “I’ve been trying to buy medicine since this morning but I cannot find what I need.” Another resident said: “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not,” adding that prices had rocketed amid panic-buying. On Saturday night a Syrian rebel commander, Hassan Abdul Ghany, said the rebels have also overrun an army camp and several villages near Homs, another key strategic city on the road to Damascus. and other rebel forces has sparked widespread predictions that the end could be near for Assad, who has ruled Syria with unparalleled brutality over the past 13 years. Russia and Iran, Assad’s closest allies, and Turkey on Saturday called for “dialogue” with rebel forces and a diplomatic solution. Moscow’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that the regime still had Russian support. President-elect Donald Trump called for the United States not to get involved, adding that Russia had been so preoccupied with the war in Ukraine that it “seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria.” “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, and the united states should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, said he hoped that neighbouring Syria “finds peace” as its people were “ tired of war, blood and tears.” Video footage recently filmed in the suburbs of Damascus appeared to show regime soldiers changing out of their uniforms into civilian clothing to evade capture by approaching rebel forces. In the Druze neighbourhood of Jaramana, on the outskirts of Damascus, residents were filmed pulling down a bust of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father. Anti-regime protesters were also tearing down posters of Assad himself in some Damascus suburbs. Some protesters gathered at regime buildings and security offices and demanded that they evacuate, according to Ryan Marouf, an activist and the editor of the news website Suwayda 24. Beyond Damascus, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) raised their flag over the eastern city of Deir el-Zor, the third city to be lost by Assad this week. Turki Al-Mahlawi, the mayor of the border town of Al-Qaim, claimed that 2,000 Syrian soldiers have abandoned their dictator and sought refuge in Iraq. The advance of various rebel groups has caught Assad’s allies off guard, as it was widely presumed that he had near-total control over Syria, where a civil war has been grinding on since 2011. In Qatar, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, called for an immediate ceasefire after a meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts. “The most important thing is to start political talks between the Syrian government and legitimate opposition groups,” he said. “We will oppose this [uprising] in every possible way, we will support the legitimate Syrian authorities. And at the same time, of course, we will actively promote the need to resume dialogue with the opposition,” added Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. Geir O Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, said that the situation was changing “by the minute,” and that he was consulting with Iran, Russia, Turkey, Britain, the US and EU leaders. “The need for an orderly political transition has never been more urgent, starting with the urgent formation of inclusive and credible transitional arrangements in Syria. For this we need an urgent serious process fundamentally different from what has gone on before,” he said. Iran, which has backed Assad throughout the civil war, seems to be losing hope that the Syrian dictator will remain in power for much longer. “He has proven that no matter how much support he receives, he cannot push back even a few terrorists from his territory,” one IRGC official told the Sunday Telegraph. “He’s just a moron who couldn’t build a proper government in 10 years, and his forces surrendered without firing a single bullet,” a member of the Iran-linked Basij paramilitary group in Tehran said. Iranian militia groups, which are now fleeing the country, posted videos of themselves online bidding tearful farewells to the Sayyidah Ruqayya shrine in Damascus. 07:46 PM GMT That’s all for now We’re pausing our live coverage for now. Check back to for the latest updates. 06:44 PM GMT Assad ‘nowhere to be found’ in Damascus The Syrian regime insists Assad remains in the capital. But a source with knowledge of the situation inside the city has told CNN that he is not at any of the locations he would usually be found in. The source said the presidential guard is no longer stationed at Assad’s official residence. 06:42 PM GMT Battle for Homs continues AFP news agency reports: A Homs resident said he had seen the rebels advance past a Syrian Air Force base, in the north of the city, that was considered a major defensive area. The resident later said fighting was audible in the city outskirts. An opposition figure in touch with rebel command and a Syrian army source both also said the insurgents were inside the city. Seizing Homs, an important crossroads between the capital and the Mediterranean, would cut off Damascus from the coastal stronghold of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, and from Russia’s air and naval base. In the south, the rapid collapse of government control could allow a concerted assault on the capital, the seat of Assad’s power, where residents said electricity cut out on Saturday. 06:37 PM GMT Pictured: Residents as Hama is captured by rebels 06:15 PM GMT Panic in Damascus Residents of the Syrian capital were panic buying on Saturday as rebels closed in on the city. Many shops in the city shut their doors while others ran out of staple goods such as sugar, a resident told the Associated Press. Prices for some items had tripled, they said. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” 05:30 PM GMT Syria army says boosting deployment around Damascus and in south The Syrian army said it was strengthening its defence lines around Damascus and in the south on Saturday, as panic spread in the capital after the rebels said they were drawing close. “Our armed units are reinforcing their lines throughout the Damascus countryside and the southern region,” a spokesperson for the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said in a televised statement. He also said the army was launching operations against rebels in the “Hama and Homs countrysides (in central Syria) and the northern Daraa countryside” in the south. 04:52 PM GMT Syria minister says ‘very strong’ security cordon around Damascus Syria’s interior minister told state TV that security forces had imposed an impenetrable cordon around Damascus on Saturday, as fighters opposing the government said they were nearing the capital. “There is a very strong security and military cordon on the far edges of Damascus and its countryside, and no one... can penetrate this defensive line that we, the armed forces, are building,” interior minister Mohammed al-Rahmoun told state TV from Damascus. 04:51 PM GMT Pictures from Hama after rebel take-over 04:33 PM GMT Syrian rebel commander says rebels have overrun villages around Homs A Syrian rebel commander, Hassan Abdul Ghany, said that rebel forces had overrun an army camp and a string of villages around the city of Homs. 04:27 PM GMT Syrian rebels say they will protect governmental, international and UN offices in Syria Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, said it has a duty to protect governmental, international and UN offices in Syria. 04:15 PM GMT Israel army says assisting UN forces in ‘repelling attack’ in Syria The Israeli army said that its troops were assisting UN peacekeeping forces in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights in repelling an attack “by armed individuals”. “A short while ago, an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria,” the army said in a statement, referring to a town on the edge of the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights. “The (Israeli army) is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack.” 04:05 PM GMT Syrian rebels enter suburbs of Homs Syrian rebels entered suburbs of the key city of Homs on Saturday, sources said, pressing a lightning week-long advance as front lines collapse across the country and government forces battle to save president Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule. A Homs resident, and army and rebel sources, said the insurgents had breached government defences from the north and east of the city. The Syrian military did not immediately comment on the reports. Fighting has raged around the north of strategically vital Homs since late on Friday with government forces reinforcing and using intense airstrikes to hammer the rebels. Insurgents also seized almost the entire south-west within 24 hours and advanced to within 30 km (20 miles) of Damascus as government forces fell back, rebels said. 03:52 PM GMT UN envoy says political transition in Syria ‘never been more urgent’ The need for orderly political transition in Syria has never been more urgent, the UN envoy for Syria said. Speaking at a briefing in Doha, Geir Pedersen called for calm and avoidance of bloodshed in Syria. Mr Pedersen also met with US representatives and other western envoys in the Qatari capital. 03:39 PM GMT Turkey’s Erdogan says he hopes Syria ‘finds peace’ Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hopes neighbouring Syria “finds peace”, as rebels fighting to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad advance towards the capital, Damascus. “Our wish is for our neighbour, Syria, to find the peace and tranquillity it has been dreaming of for 13 years,” said Mr Erdogan, a key player in the region, adding that Syria “is tired of war, blood and tears”. Turkey, which has a long border with Syria, has become home to about three million Syrian refugees since the start of the civil war in 2011. “Our Syrian brothers and sisters deserve freedom, security and peace in their homeland,” Mr Erdogan added, voicing hope “to see a Syria where different identities co-exist in peace”. 03:28 PM GMT Pictures of the day 03:17 PM GMT Trump says US should ‘not get involved’ in Syria war President-elect Donald Trump has said the US should not be involved in the conflict in Syria, where rebel forces are threatening the government of president Bashar al-Assad. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Mr Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He posted the message shortly before he was to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron while in Paris for the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame cathedral. 03:10 PM GMT Around 2,000 Syrian troops cross to Iraq, Iraqi mayor says Around 2,000 Syrian troops have crossed the border into Iraq and sought refuge, Turki Al-Mahlawi, the mayor of Al-Qaim border town, told Reuters on Saturday. Some of the troops were wounded and are currently receiving medical treatment, he added. 02:56 PM GMT Syria state media denies Assad has left country Syria’s state news agency has denied rumours that president Bashar Assad has left the country, and said he is at work in Damascus. It condemned “rumours and false news about President Bashar al-Assad leaving Damascus,” adding that Mr Assad “is following up on his work and national and constitutional duties from the capital”. 02:44 PM GMT More than 1,000 Syrian soldiers ‘cross to Iraq’ More than 1,000 Syrian army soldiers crossed to Iraq on Saturday, the Iraqi state news agency said. 02:39 PM GMT Watch: Assad soldiers reportedly changing into civilian clothes Video reportedly shows soldiers of the Assad regime changing into civilian clothes in broad daylight near Damascus, as rebels begin to encircle the city. 02:33 PM GMT Russia’s Lavrov says Moscow will oppose Syrian rebel offensive ‘in every possible way’ Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow would oppose Syrian insurgents Hayat Tahrir al-Sham by all means possible, Russian state news agency RIA reported. RIA cited Mr Lavrov as telling journalists at a forum in Qatar that the militants’ offensive had been planned long in advance, and represented an attempt to change dynamics on the ground in Syria. It quoted him as saying: “We will oppose this in every possible way, we will support the legitimate Syrian authorities. And at the same time, of course, we will actively promote the need to resume dialogue with the opposition.” 02:28 PM GMT Iran’s Araqchi says Moscow, Tehran and Ankara want end to fighting in Syria Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said after meeting his counterparts from Russia and Turkey in Doha on Saturday that the three countries agreed that the fighting in Syria should be immediately halted, Iranian state media reported. In remarks largely similar to those of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Mr Araqchi said: “The most important thing is to start political talks between the Syrian government and legitimate opposition groups.” 02:16 PM GMT Syria rebels encircle Damascus in major threat to Assad regime Syria’s rebels have begun to encircle Damascus in a major threat to the survival of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. “Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital, Damascus,” said Hassan Abdel Ghani, a commander with the Islamist-led alliance that launched the offensive. Earlier on Sunday, a war monitor said that the rebels had advanced to within 20 kilometres of the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces had ceded more key ground, losing control of all of southern Daraa province and evacuating posts in Quneitra, near the Israel-annexed Golan Heights. The monitor said government forces were also pulling out of towns as close as 10 kilometres from the capital. On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Assad’s family had already fled to Russia. 02:12 PM GMT Pictured: SDF fighters raise their flag over captured regime town Fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition raise a flag in the eastern city of Deir el-Zor after capturing it from government forces on Friday. The town was the regime’s main foothold in the eastern Syrian desert and was the third major city to fall out of president Bashar al-Assad’s control. The SDF has not been part of the main Syrian rebel offensive, which is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). SDF troops have fought SNA forces in northern Aleppo, but it has not reported any clashes so far with HTS. 02:03 PM GMT Russia, Iran and Turkey call for talks between Assad and ‘legitimate’ opposition Russia, Turkey and Iran made a joint call for talks between the Syrian government and the “legitimate” opposition on Saturday. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that the call should should be heeded by “everyone on the ground”. It came after top diplomats from the three nations met in Doha, Qatar, earlier on Sunday for discussions on the situation in Syria. It is not immediately clear which rebel factions were meant by “legitimate” opposition. Russia on Sunday labelled Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, Syria’s most powerful rebel group, as a terrorist organisation and that it would oppose it “in every possible way”. 01:49 PM GMT Rebels capture swathes of southern Syria amid government collapse Rebel forces have captured swathes of territory and several cities across the south of Syria as they advance on Damascus from three directions. The Syrian army is understood to have redeployed to the embattled city of Homs in central Syria, leaving rebels able to capture the southern provincial capitals of Daraa and Sweida early on Saturday morning. Within the last hour, rebel forces were reported to have captured the town of Al-Kiswah, which is roughly 10 miles south of Damascus. 01:36 PM GMT Hello and welcome to our live coverage We’re bringing you the latest updates as Syria’s rebels begin to encircle Damascus in a major threat to the survival of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

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