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Government’s ‘Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day’ post sparks backlash: ‘Glad this type of bulls— will end’

Government’s ‘Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day’ post sparks backlash: ‘Glad this type of bulls— will end’

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a “Happy Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day!” post on Sunday, earning backlash, with people expressing eager anticipation for the change in presidential administrations next month. “Today on Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day, everyone deserves to feel seen, respected and supported—no matter who they love. Create a world where everyone feels proud to be themselves!” HHS declared in the tweet. Stephen Miller, who previously served in President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration and will serve in the upcoming administration as well, responded to the HHS post by noting, “Sanity is returning to HHS in 43 days.”  BIDEN LEGACY INCLUDES RELENTLESS PUSH FOR TRANSGENDER AGENDA Referring to the HHS post, Fox News Contributor Caitlyn Jenner replied to Miller, “Please! This is just absurd.”  Elon Musk responded to Jenner, noting, “At this point, I’m just confused. I have no idea what they even mean.” “DITTO,” Jenner replied. WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS TRANS ACTIVIST FOR GOING TOPLESS AT PRIDE MONTH EVENT: ‘INAPPROPRIATE AND DISRESPECTFUL’ GOP lawmakers indicated that they look forward to Trump taking office on Jan. 20. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who will become a senator next month, tweeted, “Glad this type of bulls— will end on Jan 20! Can’t come soon enough.” 3 MONTHS AND 28 DAYS: LGBTQ EVENTS CLOG CALENDAR AS WHITE HOUSE FACES BACKLASH OVER EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT  “This entire Administration is nothing but activists … not public servants. January 20 can’t get here soon enough,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., noted. “Liberals are concerned @RobertKennedyJr might make this agency weird?” former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., posted.

‘Warrior whose vote cannot be bought’: Hundreds of vets pour out in support of Tulsi Gabbard for DNI

‘Warrior whose vote cannot be bought’: Hundreds of vets pour out in support of Tulsi Gabbard for DNI

First on Fox: Hundreds of veterans across the nation are offering their unequivocal support to former Democrat Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration, Fox News Digital has learned.  “President Donald Trump’s selection of Tulsi Gabbard reflects a profound recognition of her steadfast dedication to our nation and her unwavering commitment to safeguarding the American people. While most Americans know Tulsi as a fearless and principled Congresswoman who stood up to entrenched political systems, we know her as a fellow veteran—one whose worldview was forged through the crucible of serving in combat zones and a lifelong devotion to service,” reads a letter, “American Veterans for Tulsi Gabbard,” which was published Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital.  More than 250 veterans signed the letter, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn, former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, Arizona Rep. Rep. Eli Crane, Florida Rep. Brian Mast and political commentator Jack Posobiec.  “Because of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Tulsi answered the call of duty, enlisted in the Army, and stepped away from her position as a Hawaii State Representative when she volunteered to deploy to Iraq with her unit. Instead of using her political status to avoid deployment, Tulsi volunteered to serve in a medical unit in Iraq, directly facing the harsh realities, costs, and traumas of war,” the letter continues. TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ “Her commitment to service did not end there,” it added, before pointing to Gabbard’s 22 years of standing “shoulder-to-shoulder with her fellow servicemembers,” including when she served in the House.  TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ‘LISTENS’ AND ‘RECOGNIZES’ CHALLENGES AMERICANS FACE “As a Member of Congress and as a civilian, Tulsi has been a stalwart advocate for veterans’ health concerning toxic exposures and cancer care as a result of our fellow veterans’ military service. Tulsi’s life exemplifies a rare blend of selflessness, courage, and leadership—qualities desperately needed to reform and strengthen our intelligence community,” the letter says.  Nearly 70% of the veterans who signed the letter worked in special operations and/or intelligence, while about 54% of the signatories are retired service members, and the vast majority of signers overall saw combat while in the military, Fox News Digital learned.  Trump nominated Gabbard just days after his election win over Democrat Vice President Harris last month, arguing Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.” The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters.  TULSI GABBARD ‘GRATEFUL AND HONORED’ TO BE OFFERED DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE POSITION Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years.  She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race.  Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign.  She is anticipated to head to Capitol Hill this week to speak with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and GOP leadership to rally support for her confirmation proceedings. Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries, a narrative the veterans combated in the letter.  “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes, and so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for example, recently said of Gabbard.  DEMOCRATS TRASH TULSI GABBARD AFTER TRUMP TAPS HER FOR DNI POST The veterans hit back at such critics, saying they are spreading “baseless lies” because they are “unable and unwilling to challenge the substance of her views.” WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET “We are appalled by the baseless attacks questioning Tulsi’s loyalty to our great nation. For over 20 years and across multiple combat deployments, Tulsi has risked her life to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. These attacks insult not only her, but every one of us Veterans who have served our country,” the letter reads.  “Tulsi’s patriotism, shaped on the battlefield, mirrors the values and aspirations of the American people far more than the failed policies of so called ‘experts’ in Washington, who have been part of the problem for too long.” Gabbard has been outspoken against creating new wars, declaring in her speech in October during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally that a vote for Harris was a vote for “war.” “I’ve served now for over 21 years. I’ve deployed to different war zones three times over that period, and I’ve seen the cost of war for my brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price. I carry their memories and their sacrifice in my heart every day. So, this choice that we have before us as Americans is critical. It’s important to us. It’s important to those of us who serve, who have volunteered to put our lives on the line for the safety, security and freedom of our country and our people,” she said. GOV KRISTI NOEM REFLECTS ON TRUMP WIN, SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘TRY TO PUT WOMEN IN A BOX’ “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney. And it’s a vote for war, more war, likely World War III and nuclear war. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them, and who has demonstrated already that he has the courage and strength to stand up and

South Africa vs Pakistan – T20 series: When, where, teams, head-to-head

South Africa vs Pakistan – T20 series: When, where, teams, head-to-head

Who: South Africa vs PakistanWhat: T20 international cricket seriesWhen: December 10, 13, 14 at 16:00 GMTWhere: Durban, Centurion, Johannesburg South Africa and Pakistan will look to shake off a string of poor results in T20 internationals when the two sides meet in a three-match series starting Tuesday. The runners-up of the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, South Africa in 2024 and Pakistan in 2022, have both seen their T20 fortunes drop in recent bilateral T20 series. South Africa were at the receiving end of a 3-1 thrashing against world champions India at home and while Pakistan managed to beat Zimbabwe 2-1, they were handed a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in November. The hosts will be led by stand-in skipper Heinrich Klaasen as Aiden Markram has been rested for the Test leg of Pakistan’s tour of South Africa. Meanwhile, Pakistan have taken the opposite route, choosing to rest leading pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Tests as they look to manage his workload before the home ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Advertisement Pakistan’s new limited-overs captain Mohammed Rizwan returns to lead the side after sitting out the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe. What’s the full match schedule of the Australia vs Pakistan T20 series? First T20: Tuesday, December 10, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban Second T20: Friday, December 13, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at SuperSport Park, Centurion Third T20: Saturday, December 14, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg How can I follow the South Africa vs Pakistan T20 series? Al Jazeera’s live text and photo coverage of each game will begin three hours before the match start time. South Africa vs Pakistan: T20 head-to-head record South Africa and Pakistan have been facing each other in T20Is from the earliest days of the format and their first game took place in February 2007, a few months before the African nation hosted the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In total, the teams have played 22 T20 matches with nearly even results. Pakistan hold a slight edge with 12 wins, while the Proteas have won 10. Form guide: South Africa The World Cup runners-up have endured a forgettable run in T20Is format since the June 29 final in Barbados. In their three bilateral T20I series since the World Cup, the Proteas have lost 3-1 to India at home, drawn 1-1 with Ireland in the United Arab Emirates and lost 3-0 away to the West Indies. Last five results (latest first): L L W L L Form guide: Pakistan Similar to South Africa’s run in T20s since their appearance in the final, Pakistan, have been in a downward spiral since their runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in 2022. Advertisement Since losing to England in the Melbourne final, Pakistan have lost three of their six bilateral series. Their only series victories have come against Zimbabwe (2-1) and Ireland (2-1). The 2009 champions have lost away to England (2-0), drawn at home against a depleted New Zealand side (2-2), lost away to New Zealand (4-1) and away to Afghanistan (2-1). Last five results (latest first): L W W L L South Africa team news The hosts will be led by the swashbuckling batter Klaasen in Markram’s absence with Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Tristan Stubbs also sitting out. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi return to the T20 side for the first time since the T20 World Cup. Squad: Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen. Pakistan team news After resting a number of T20 regulars for the series against Zimbabwe, including captain Rizwan, Pakistan have brought back Rizwan and Babar for the South African tour. Shaheen Afridi will lead the pace attack along with Haris Rauf, but Naseem Shah will miss out. Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan. Adblock test (Why?)

Beirut under Israeli bombing

[unable to retrieve full-text content] As Israel continues to bomb Lebanon, as much as a quarter of the country’s residents are displaced.

Syrians who fled home rejoice at Assad’s ouster, although some are cautious

Syrians who fled home rejoice at Assad’s ouster, although some are cautious

Beirut, Lebanon – Youssef Salah and Mohammad Mahmoud exchanged joyful cheek kisses from their motorbikes in Cola Roundabout, a busy transport hub in Beirut. “Today is the best morning,” the smiling Mahmoud, 20, said. “We feel the biggest joy,” he gestured at Ali al-Abed, 20, who was seated behind him. “We’re from Deir Az Zor,” al-Abed said, adding: “Free Deir Az Zor, write it down like that!” A man from south Lebanon buying breakfast from a kaak (a type of Arabic bread) vendor shouted over: “Who will rule you now? The Americans, the Israelis?” “I don’t know, but it’s been 13 years,” Mahmoud shouted back. “Khalas [enough]!” The three young men were beaming the morning after the end of the al-Assad dynasty’s rule in Syria after 53 years. A lightning offensive by Syrian opposition groups that freed people in regime prisons and took big cities – Aleppo, Hama, Homs and finally Damascus – took just more than a week. Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1971, and his son Bashar succeeded him in 2000, after Hafez’s death. Advertisement Syrians rose against the regime in 2011 but faced a brutal crackdown that devolved into a war involving regional and international actors. As of the end of November, more than five million Syrians were refugees around the region and millions more were internally displaced. Syrians who had to flee their homeland to escape the violence spoke to Al Jazeera about the tumultuous feelings they woke up to on Sunday. Echoes of cruelty Most around the region welcomed the end of the al-Assad dynasty. “One heart isn’t enough to hold this great joy,” Yehya Jumaa, a Homsi in Jordan, told Al Jazeera. “We need 10 hearts to bear this joy.” Yet, the regime has fallen, but the echoes of its brutality live on through the damage it has done to many of its people. Mohammad, 33, a Homsi in Chtoura, Lebanon, said three of his relatives were released from prison on Sunday, but others were still missing. However, Mohammad said, the veil of fear of speaking the truth had lifted. Abdelmonieim Shamieh in Amman, Jordan [Habib Abu Mahfoudh/Al Jazeera] “In the past, if you approached me, I wouldn’t have talked. But now we aren’t scared,” he said, standing outside a shopping centre in Chtoura, about half an hour’s drive from Beirut. “All the fear is gone.” Behind him, Syrians rejoiced and chanted loudly: “God, Syria, freedom and that’s all!” Jumaa was also saddened, he said, by the state of the prisoners who were released from regime prisons. “So many had no idea what had been going on for years. Some thought it was [late Iraq strongman ] Saddam Hussein who had liberated them.” Advertisement Aleppan Abdelmonieim Shamieh, who is also in Jordan, said he, too, had experienced al-Assad’s prisons when he was taken as a high school student in 1982. “I was overcome with joy, with tears at the sight of the detainees … when I was in the prison cells, I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears the torture prisoners suffer, something no human can bear.” “Many of my friends [who were arrested with him] died under torture,” Shamieh said. Going home? In Cairo, Egypt, two young Syrians spoke of returning to their homeland, even though only one of them is old enough to remember the land he left. Amjad, 22, is a happy man as he went through his shift. Amjad is full of hope that he will be able to go home [Al Jazeera] His Egyptian co-workers had rejoiced with him, hugging and congratulating him for what happened in Syria. “Now I can go back and live in my country,” he said with tears in his eyes. He had fled Syria two years ago, to get away from a brutal conscription service that could last up to eight years as al-Assad tried to shore up his forces. Now, he does not have to stay away. “As soon as my UN card expires, in two months, I will travel.” A few blocks over, 16-year-old Suleyman Sukar is minding the shop at the small roastery his family co-owns. The teen got no sleep on Saturday night as the family waited for developments in the approach to Damascus, yet seemed alert enough on Sunday, teeming with thoughts. He was only four years old when his family had to flee Ghouta in 2012 as regime attacks intensified, he said. So he remembers very little of his beloved Syria. Advertisement Instead, his attachment to “home” came through the memories of his parents and brothers, and through talking to his extended family back home. Settling in Egypt was not easy for the Sukars as his parents had to work odd jobs for seven years before they saved enough to open the roastery. Suleyman got no sleep on Saturday night as his family waited for news of the fall of Damascus [Al Jazeera] But it does not matter, Suleyman said. As soon as things were stable in Syria, they would go home. Suhaib al-Ahmad, a 58-year-old grocer in the Turkish capital, Ankara, agrees and believes Syrians abroad should contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland. “We must return with hearts full of hope and work to restore Syria as it was and even better,” he said “I hope this joy is a good omen for Syria and its people … I also hope Syria’s future will be bright, just as we always dreamed.” Back at Tariq el-Jdideh, Beirut, Bishar Ahmad Nijris stood, jubilant, chatting at his fruit stand. “It’s a victory for the whole world,” Nijris, 41, said. “There’s no more oppression and we can all live as one people, without sectarianism … That’s what we want.” Suhaib al-Ahmad set up a grocer’s in Ankara when he fled the fighting in Syria [Zaid Isleem/Al Jazeera] Nijris is also a veteran of al-Assad’s prisons after being arrested and held without charges for two months in Mezzeh prison in 2013. He hails from