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Over the years, the courses offered in prison school have expanded beyond the national examinations. SINGAPORE – Nakarasan, 49, has been in and out of prison since his teenage years for offences such as robbery, vehicle theft and housebreaking. When he was handed a 10-year prison sentence in 2015, the extent of the time he would be behind bars hit him. “I wanted to change. I realised I was wasting my life,” Nakarasan, who did not want to give his full name, told The Straits Times. Determined to make that his last incarceration, he enrolled in a Nitec course in electronics and computer networking in prison school to give himself a goal to work towards. “I realised that education was my ticket to a new life. I wanted to break free, to live with purpose, and to truly embrace the life I was meant to lead,” he said. Nakarasan, who will be released in March 2025, is now in a halfway house for the last part of his sentence. He continued his studies in prison school in 2023, pursuing a diploma in business practice (administration and management) from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). He completed the course in May 2024, and now works at a pharmaceutical company. “This job has helped me rebuild my life, and I am deeply appreciative of the trust and support I have received along the way,” he said. He is one of 300 people who studied while in prison in 2023. Classes are held on prison grounds in classrooms that – if one looks past the barred windows – resemble those in typical mainstream schools, with whiteboards and tables. Prison guards sometimes patrol the corridor outside the classrooms. Lessons can be held both in person and virtually. Over the years, the courses offered in prison school have expanded beyond the national examinations, giving inmates more chances at better prospects when they return to society. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) collaborated with NP in 2018 to begin offering a diploma in business practice course for inmates. In 2020, a degree programme from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) was added to the prison school. The prison school also started offering the Institute of Technical Education’s Nitec in services course in 2021. The number of inmates taking the diploma course offered by NP has gone up from 16 in 2022 to 38 in 2023. The inmates pursuing degrees also doubled in number, from three in 2022 to six in 2023. SUSS told ST that it has plans to introduce more part-time undergraduate programmes to prison school students. SPS said that about 70 per cent of its inmate population have secondary-level education or below. “Hence, availing education and skills training programmes is important to help raise inmates’ economic capital and increase their employability upon release,” it said. “Ex-offenders who remain employed are at a lower risk of reoffending than those who are not.” The Ministry of Education has offered work attachment opportunities for teachers who are keen to teach at prison school since the 1970s. For the past five years, around 12 teachers have been seconded to prison school yearly, with the average tenure ranging from two to five years, it added. Madam Hernie Salleh taught English in prison school from January 2021 to December 2022. She was initially worried and anxious about teaching in the new environment, which she feared might be daunting. “I was particularly concerned about potential discipline issues and how best to handle or approach them if they arose,” she said. Madam Hernie’s worries were eased on the first day when she saw how excited the class was at meeting a new teacher. The students were respectful in their interactions with her and asked questions politely, she said. “They frequently asked questions about how to improve their English and what they could do to continue learning after class, despite having limited resources in their cells.” Many also shared their aspirations for the future with her, with some telling her they hoped to continue in prison school as far as they could. “Their drive and self-reflection made me pause and think about how much they valued education as a means to better themselves,” she said. “Witnessing the determination of students striving to excel, even under such constrained circumstances, was incredibly inspiring and reinforced the value of education as a tool for transformation.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowNEW DELHI: Adani Group founder Gautam Adani responded for the first time on Saturday (Nov 30) to allegations by US authorities that he was part of a US$265 million bribery scheme, saying that his ports-to-power conglomerate was committed to world class regulatory compliance. The indictment is the second major crisis to hit Adani in just two years, sending shockwaves across India and beyond. One Indian state is reviewing a power deal with the group, France's TotalEnergies decided to pause its investments and political rows over Adani have disrupted India's parliament. "Less than two weeks back, we faced a set of allegations from the US about compliance practices at Adani Green Energy. This is not the first time we have faced such challenges," Adani said in a speech at an awards ceremony. US authorities have accused Gautam Adani, his nephew and executive director Sagar Adani and managing director of Adani Green, Vneet S Jaain, of being part of a scheme to pay bribes to secure Indian power supply contracts, and misleading US investors during fundraisings in the country. Adani Group has denied the allegations, describing them as "baseless" and vowing to seek "all possible legal recourse". "What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for a more resilient Adani Group," Adani said in the northern Indian city of Jaipur. "In today's world, negativity spreads faster than facts, and as we work through the legal process, I want to re-confirm our absolute commitment to world class regulatory compliance," he added, without giving further details. Adani Group's finance chief on Friday rejected the allegations, while the Indian government said it had not received any U.S. request regarding the case. At one point, Adani Group's listed companies saw as much as $34 billion wiped off their combined market value, but the stocks have recovered ground as some partners and investors have rallied behind the conglomerate.
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Colum Eastwood MP has said the Ofcom finding is a “clear demonstration that the North West isn’t a priority for BBC Northern Ireland”. Ofcom said the BBC had broadcast 300 fewer hours of news and current affairs on Radio Foyle in 2023/24 than it was required to. In 2023, the BBC cut its two-hour breakfast show on Radio Foyle down to 30 minutes as part of a number of schedule and programme changes. The decision provoked a number of protests from the public and politicians in Derry. In early 2024 the breakfast show replacement programme named North West Today was extended to an hour – but still an hour shorter than the original morning show. Ofcom said the BBC had informed it that the cuts meant it had "breached its BBC Radio Foyle news and current affairs condition". The operating licence condition requires the BBC to broadcast at least 1,043 hours of news and current affairs programmes (including repeats) on Radio Foyle. In June 2024, the Ofcom report said, the BBC told the regulator it had not met that quota. "In this case, the BBC has missed its quota by 300 hours, achieving only 71% of the required level of output," Ofcom said. The details of the breach are contained in an Ofcom report into the BBC's performance in 2024. BBC said it will be requesting that the regulator amends the operating licence to reflect changes to Radio Foyle’s output. Foyle MP Mr Eastwood said that the decision to seek changes to the license rather than providing the required news content is a” clear demonstration that the North West isn’t a priority for BBC Northern Ireland”. Colum Eastwood MP said: “When the BBC first announced its plan to cut programming at Radio Foyle, communities in the North West were rightly angry. “The decision ignored the unique political, cultural and news environment that exists here, it undermined hardworking staff and it diminished the entire station. It was, and remains, a bad call. “Our cross-party, cross-community campaign to resist the cuts was successful in saving elements of news programming but we were clear that the reduction in news content was a disservice to BBC staff, license fee payers and people who rely on public service broadcasting from Radio Foyle.” “The finding from Ofcom that the BBC breached its operating license by slashing news content in the North West is damning, it damages the credibility of BBC Northern Ireland as a broadcaster and it is deeply embarrassing for senior management. “People in the North West deserve first class public service broadcasting from the BBC. We have talented journalists, producers, researchers and broadcasters who can deliver it. It’s enormously disappointing that we aren’t a priority for BBC Northern Ireland.” The UK's communications regulator publishes annual reports into how the BBC is meeting the needs of viewers and listeners. When imposing the cuts at Foyle in 2023, the BBC said it was “committed to Foyle as a production centre for local and regional content”. The publicly funded corporation also said it would affect many different people within BBCNI. At the time BBC Radio Foyle had around 28 workers at its offices, while more than 600 staff are based in its headquarters in Belfast. According to the regulator's report, the BBC blamed "an internal miscommunication" which meant it "incorrectly believed it would still be able to meet its quota for this condition". "We consider that the quotas included in the Operating Licence are required to ensure the BBC continues to deliver content that reaches and serves all audiences," Ofcom said. "This is particularly the case where the quotas are intended to reach and serve specific audience groups, such as in this instance, where Radio Foyle serves audiences in the North West of Northern Ireland," it continued. "Non-compliance with these quotas is a potentially serious matter." A spokesperson for BBC Northern Ireland said: “We shortened the duration of our weekday news programme, re-directing editorial effort towards enhanced digital news output from/about the North West. And our Foyle newsroom has become an integrated part of the BBC’s region-wide news operation, delivering benefits for audiences and the service that we provide. “We announced these changes in November 2022 and they were the subject of significant discussion. Ofcom approval hadn’t been sought at the time. We set out this mistake clearly in the BBC’s Annual Report and Accounts in July 2024. "We will be requesting that Ofcom amends the operating licence to reflect changes to Foyle’s output.” The regulator said that it would assess the changes when it received the BBC's request and then decide what action to take about the breach of the quota.The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday nominated co-leader Alice Weidel as its first chancellor candidate in the party's 11-year history, setting out its bid for power ahead of a snap election due in February. The party is not likely to form part of a governing coalition any time soon because other parties have ruled out working with it, despite ranking second in opinion polls behind the main opposition conservatives. But a string of state electoral successes by the AfD are increasing pressure on the conservatives in particular to drop their firewall to the party and consider a right-wing coalition, especially given the weakness of their erstwhile traditional partner, the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). "We are the second-strongest force in the nationwide polls and from this we derive our claim to govern, because we want to do better, we want to bring Germany forward again, we want to be at the top of the world again," Weidel told reporters in Berlin from a stage adorned with two large German flags. "Voters clearly want a coalition of conservatives and the AfD," she said. Far-right parties have gained traction across Europe in recent years, also coming to power in Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland. Nominating a candidate could allow the AfD to boost its media presence by participating in campaign debates, said Hans Vorlaender, political scientist at Dresden's Technical University. Long dismissed as a protest party, the AfD is also seeking to establish itself more as a "normal party", said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf. Weidel, 45, who has co-led the party since 2022, is an unlikely public face for a male-dominated, anti-immigration party that depicts itself as a defender of traditional family values and ordinary German working people. She is raising two sons with a Sri Lankan-born, Swiss woman and speaks fluent Mandarin, having done her PhD in economics in China. Before entering politics, she worked for Goldman Sachs and Allianz Global Investors and as a freelance business consultant. Weidel's unusual profile, however, is precisely what makes her an asset to the AfD, according to political analysts who say she could have greater appeal among more moderate Germans who would normally shun a far-right party. In recent years the AfD has tapped into voter worries about high levels of immigration, a possible escalation of the Ukraine war and the crisis of Germany's economic model as well as frustration with infighting in the ruling coalition, which fell apart last month. "Germany is in one of the worst crises of its history," said Weidel, promising a turnaround with the AfD. The party wants to sharply curb immigration, particularly from Muslim countries, turn nuclear power plants back on, exit the European Union - unless it carries out major reforms - and end arms deliveries to Ukraine. Despite being suspected by authorities of pursuing anti-democratic goals, the AfD has earned credibility with some voters for openly addressing hot-button topics before mainstream parties did. The party came first in two state elections in September, despite mass anti-AfD protests and a string of scandals which included a senior figure declaring that the SS, the Nazis' main paramilitary force, were "not all criminals". A survey by pollster Wahlen published on Friday put the AfD on 17%, behind the conservatives on 33%, but ahead of the SPD on 15% and the Greens on 14%. The conservatives, the SPD and Greens all have chancellor candidates. AfD membership has swelled by 50% to about 50,600 over the past year, the party's spokesperson said, though that number represents a fraction (some 14%) of the membership of Germany's biggest parties, the CDU/CSU conservative bloc and the SPD.None
CIAN Healy became Ireland’s most-capped player with his 134th appearance against Australia in Dublin on Saturday. The Leinster prop was presented the history-making cap by IRFU President Declan Madden after the 22-19 win at Aviva Stadium. The Belvedere college man broke the long-standing recording for that was previously held by Brian O'Driscoll . Ireland's win was the third of their Autumn Nations Series 2024 in their last game of the calendar year - the win always marked the IRFU's 150th anniversary. Andy Farrell's men came back in the second half after a disjointed opening period that saw them trail by eight points at the break with Healy coming from the bench to break BOD's record. And after the game before Ireland were presented with the Lansdowne Cup for the narrow win, 37-year-old Healy was officially presented with the record cap. Speaking after the game , Healy simply said: "This is a moment I'll cherish." The loose-head prop's family were on the pitch for the emotional moment as the hugged and kissed him after the momentous achievement. His two children could be seen running around the pitch with their dad and his wife Laura Healy-Smith . Their first son, Beau, was born in January 2021, and is already taking after his old man with a rugby ball. Their second son, Russell , was born in September 2022. His first Ireland cap against the Wallabies in November 2009. 'Church' made his Six Nations bow the following year, and has gone on to win the Championship five times, as well as the 2018 and 2023 Grand Slams. Healy earned his first cap for Leinster at the age of 22 before going on to break the massive total of caps set by rugby legend O'Driscoll. In the 17 years that have followed, he has won four Champions Cups, seven United Rugby Championships, and one European Challenge Cup with his club Leinster. In September, meanwhile, Healy surpassed Devin Toner as Leinster's all-time appearance maker with 281 caps.
The closer a Prince Rupert woman looked at the deer in her yard, the stranger things became for her. “It was the first time I’ve seen anything like that; it was pretty bizarre,” said Joan Dudoward. Dudoward is a senior residing on 11th Avenue East in Prince Rupert. A flash of movement caught her eye as she scrubbed her breakfast plates on a typical Wednesday morning. Peeking out the window above her sink, she gasped— a majestic buck with massive antlers stood gracefully in her yard. “As soon as I noticed the huge buck, I ran and grabbed my camera to photograph it. I’ve been taking photos since I was a teenager...I photograph everything,” she said. She says he cozied up to lie on the grass and stayed for about half an hour. “He was wiggling his ears so I zoomed in and noticed a tag clipped on him,” she said. “I thought, why is this dear clipped? I got very concerned.” Dudoward, driven by her curiosity, noted that one side of the clip was labelled “BC WILDLIFE 06-529,” while the other read “CALL RAP: 877-952-7227.” It was suspicious because the number displayed is very similar but different from the official number of B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service, which is 1-877-952-7277. Also, the legitimate acronym for their hotline, Report All Poachers and Polluters, is “RAPP,” not “RAP,” as indicated on the tag. She called the number on the neon green tag to inquire about the buck, but reached a woman who spoke to her very hurriedly, she said. The woman, who identified herself as Jessica, wanted to send Dudoward a “free medical alert device” that she could wear around her neck. “We’re very excited to tell you about a special promotion for select callers,” Dudoward recalls the woman saying. She was then asked questions such as her age to check eligibility. Jessica then explained that as a senior, the device would help her in emergencies, such as falls, by alerting her immediate contacts. To proceed with delivery, she said she needed some personal information from Dudoward, such as her address. Then, Dudoward was abruptly transferred to another agent who continued the call. But when she tried to ask her about the buck and why the agency had clipped its number on his ear, they wouldn’t respond but instead continued to promote their products “That’s just cruelty to animals. They are targeting seniors for sure, and hurting the deer in the process,” said Dudoward. She wondered how they must have handled the wild animal to dart him. She questioned, “Did they sedate him? What exactly happened there?” She was absolutely shocked. Dudoward couldn’t comprehend why B.C. Wildlife, a legitimate organization, would have put this company’s number on the buck's ear. The incident reminded her of this continued pattern of companies attempting to target elderly and vulnerable individuals. “I also have my mother’s old number, and it gets scam calls all the time,” she said. “How can they do that? Especially to seniors. They are trying to decide if they should pay the rent or get medication,” said Dudoward in frustration. She proceeded to contact the legitimate conservation officer’s number, who, like the local RCMP, didn’t pay much heed to her situation, she said. The next day, Dudoward called the agency’s number on the tag again, and the conversation took a completely different turn. Now, the agent asked if she was 18 and was promoting products aimed at youth. They informed her that she needed to pay $3 through a call paywall to proceed to the next step, during which she would be directed to the free products for which she was eligible. “The message keeps changing; this is so strange,” said Dudoward. The Northern View investigated the call and found that it was an intricately designed AI automated voice call. The system guides the caller through different phases by detecting both their spoken responses and the number keys they press. Contrary to Dudoward’s initial belief, it wasn’t a live human speaking to her, but a pre-recorded one. In fact, similar cases of fraud involving medical alert devices have happened in the U.S. before, prompting the New York State Department of State and the Minnesota Attorney General to issue cautionary alerts for consumers regarding these “robocalls.” The authorities advised seniors to immediately hang up, not press any keys when prompted, and avoid sharing personal information. “Fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians. Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted more than others,” states the Canadian Government on its website. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says that there have been 40,623 reports of fraud this year up to Oct. 31, resulting in a loss of $503 million. Vishing is a social engineering technique that uses voice communication technology. It involves fraudulent phone calls to trick the victim into revealing personal data. The CAFC advises caution during phone calls. They urge people not to hesitate to say no if something feels off and not to feel pressured by urgency or time limits. They also encourage taking enough time to research before sharing personal information. The Northern View contacted the B.C. Wildlife Federation for a comment regarding the tag on the buck. “The Conservation Officer Service darted this deer Nov. 5 to remove wires wrapped around its antlers. The tag is legitimate, but unfortunately has the wrong number on it for RAPP. The new versions of the tag have the correct number and COS will stop using these older tags,” said Jesse Zeman, executive director at B.C. Wildlife Federation. Although the exact cause of this mistake is unclear, anyone who suspects fraud should contact CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or their local police.
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Syrian government forces withdraw from central city of Homs as insurgent offensive accelerates BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian opposition war monitor and a pro-government media outlet say government forces have withdrawn from much of the central city of Homs. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. Losing Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Syria’s embattled leader, Bashar Assad. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's 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. A survey suggests 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 also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 2 Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 104 and 102, return to Hawaii to honor those killed in 1941 attack PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors returned to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. Both are over 100 years old. They joined active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for an observance hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.Gus Malzahn is leaving UCF to become Florida State's offensive coordinator, AP source says
Biden says Assad's fall in Syria is a 'fundamental act of justice,' but 'a moment of risk' WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 Mideast. Will Weissert, The Associated Press Dec 8, 2024 10:50 AM Dec 8, 2024 11:05 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad in Damascus, Syria, Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 Mideast. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the U.S. was not sure of Assad's whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. 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. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP) — The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades , 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 had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. 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. 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. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, 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.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. 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. Trump 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. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, contributed to this report. Will Weissert, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More World News Russian state news agencies say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow and given asylum Dec 8, 2024 10:37 AM Ghana's ex-President John Mahama is set to return after rival concedes election Dec 8, 2024 8:06 AM Ghana's ruling party candidate concedes presidential election to his opposition rival Dec 8, 2024 2:01 AM Featured Flyer