Latest news with #FourthDivision
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Port Glasgow boss proud of players' efforts despite missing out on league title
PORT Glasgow manager Tam Jamieson says he's proud of his players' efforts despite watching their bid for Fourth Division title glory fall just short on Saturday. Jamieson's men did what was required of them by sweeping aside St Peter's 3-0 at Parklea in their final match of the season in front of a bumper crowd. The Undertakers have known for some weeks that they'll be playing Third Division football in 2025-26, promotion having been secured with a 6-1 win away to Campbeltown Pupils on April 12. But those hoping to see the Undertakers snatch the championship trophy from under the noses of long-time leaders Knightswood saw those dreams dashed as the Glasgow side, who started the final day three points ahead of Jamieson's men, romped to the title with a 5-1 win at home to Eglinton. Missing out on the title, though, didn't dampen the Port players' moods too much, with plenty of celebrations when they returned to the dressing room after the final whistle. Missing out on the title didn't stop Port Glasgow's players celebrating promotion in style. (Image: alex craig) And Jamieson could only hail his troops for doing what was required as results elsewhere went against them. He told the Tele: 'We've said it for much of the season, we weren't going away and we've stayed there all year up until a final kick of the ball. 'Fair play to Knightswood for getting the job done and doing what was required when it mattered most. 'It's important we build now for next season and approach the Third Division as strongly as possible. 'We've finished off with three goals and a clean sheet. We can't really ask for much more. READ MORE: Port Glasgow boss wants home crowd to bring the noise for final day title decider 'The job's done. We've done what we set out to do which was to get the club back into the third division at the first time of asking. 'It was good for Wiggzy [Shaun Wigzell] to finish off with a clean sheet too.' After a goalless first 45 minutes, Port took the lead barely five minutes into the second half thanks to an inspired substitution by Jamieson: Kenny Mearns only had two touches of the ball since his introduction at the interval, but his third, fourth and fifth proved decisive as he picked up the ball with his back to goal before instinctively turning into space and driving the ball into the bottom left corner. Ronnie Wilson thought he'd doubled his side's lead with an hour gone; he did well to win the ball high and tee up Dylan McLaughlin, who saw his effort parried into the path of the stand-in midfielder, and though Wilson timed his follow-up run well, he could only find the side netting from close range. Dylan McLaughlin scored the Port's second and third goals. (Image: alex craig) Their second would come five minutes later after Mearns was scythed down in the penalty area, with McLaughlin refusing to leave anything to chance by rifling the resulting spot-kick into the bottom corner with his right foot. And McLaughlin completed the scoring when he doubled up in style 20 minutes from time thanks to some good work from full-back Josh McGilvarey, who teed up his team-mate nicely for a cool finish into the bottom corner. The win saw the Port finish on 73 points but with the proud record of the highest goal tally in any of the WoSFL's five divisions – a total of 110 across their 30 league fixtures. And Jamieson says that the win caps off the progress that the Undertakers have made over the course of the last 12 months to bounce straight back after their relegation to the bottom tier. He added: 'The progress we've made from the start of the season until now is night and say. Port Glasgow boss Tam Jamieson told the Tele he's delighted with the progress the club has made in the last 12 months. (Image: alex craig) 'Players have joined, players have left. We're delighted with the way the club is going if I'm being honest. 'We just need to add a bit more and hopefully we can kick on again next year.' Joining the Port and Knightswood in the Third Division next season will be Kello Rovers, who also bounced back in style after being relegated 12 months ago and who sealed their promotion with a 3-1 midweek win away to East Kilbride Thistle. The Undertakers' promotion also sets up the juicy prospect of an Inverclyde 'El Clasico' next season after Greenock Juniors missed out on promotion to the Second Division by an agonising one-point margin on the final day.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC
Syrian authorities have arrested a high-ranking officer closely associated with Maher al-Assad, commander of the Fourth Division and brother of the ousted president. The officer was responsible for coordinating between former regime officials and commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Public Security Directorate in Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, announced the arrest of Brigadier General Abdul Karim Ahmed Al-Hamada, who previously oversaw reconciliation efforts with the former regime. He also served as a key liaison between ex-regime officers and IRGC leaders. Security forces have ramped up operations targeting remnants of the deposed Assad regime across various regions of the country. Authorities also detained Lieutenant Colonel Orouwa Deeb, a former officer in the Military Security Branch of Homs province, as he attempted to flee to Lebanon from the town of Al-Aqrabiya in western Al-Qusayr. Local media reported on Friday that Brigadier General Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid, a senior figure in the tribal operations room in Deir ez-Zor, was arrested alongside his son, Ahmed Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid. This came just hours after the arrest of Moayad Al-Duwaihi, known as 'Haj Jawad,' the commander of the pro-IRGC 'Sayyida Zainab Brigade' militia in Al-Mayadin and its surrounding areas in eastern Deir ez-Zor. Earlier, security forces had also apprehended Yasser Matroud, the former head of the media office for the pro-Assad 'National Defense Militia' in Deir ez-Zor. According to local sources, Al-Muhaimid played a significant role last summer as head of the tribal operations room under the Assad regime. He reportedly collaborated with the Fourth Division's 104th Brigade to stoke clashes between tribal forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), allegedly at Iran's direction. In a related development, the Internal Security Directorate announced the discovery of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a well in the town of Al-Madabaa' in eastern rural Homs. Officials stated that the arms were intended for future attacks by former regime operatives, according to Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV. Additionally, the Public Security Directorate in Latakia province uncovered a weapons depot in the city of Qardaha. Security officials also received firearms voluntarily handed over by tribal leaders in the villages of Al-Boudi and Al-Qalai'a in Jableh, as part of ongoing efforts to control the spread of arms and ensure they remain under state control.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Highlights from interview with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa
By Samia Nakhoul, Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Below are highlights from a Reuters interview with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa conducted on Monday. ON VIOLENCE ALONG SYRIA'S COAST "Before carrying our military operation to liberate Syria, we made many contacts with the Alawite, Druze and Christian sects in the country. We built some bridges of trust between us and them. This helped us a lot to enter the battle smoothly. We also instructed our forces before starting the military campaign to take into account entering areas that are somewhat sensitive, and to prevent any cases of revenge and retaliation." See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "Many of the parties that lost in the battle of Syria and benefited from the old state in Syria worked on plans to return to Syria by inciting sectarian strife and conflicts." "This wasn't the first attempt in the coast. There were several attempts, the last of which was about a month and a half ago, to try to destabilize Syria. We put them down through political means and through relations, and they went without significant harm." "After we entered areas where we expected this type of massacre to happen, we increased the presence of security forces in them to maintain civil peace." "Some of the members of the former regime and those who were participating in the regime's large massacres, notably the Fourth Division with its regional affiliations that you know, carried out a large military attack in the coastal region." "This led to the killing of many security forces and some civilians, including Alawites." "We directed the military forces to confront these military complications, but many parties entered the Syrian coast and many violations occurred, some of which were internal and local between those in the coast, and some of which were from groups that came from outside." "The Syrian coast was liberated about three months ago. A month and a half ago, an agreement was reached between the armed factions to join the army. Joining the army does not mean that the process has ended. There is a long programme." "There are also loose weapons in Syria. We emphasize that weapons must be controlled inside Syria and we are working on that gradually, but it takes time." "We formed a fact-finding committee, which also included legal experts, and we gave them deadlines to investigate the facts and verify the videos we saw, including of random killings. We also sent another committee to preserve peace, meaning reconciliation between people, because blood begets more blood." "This committee is made up of the people of the region, including those from the two large sects there." ON COUNTERING GROUPS USING VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS "We confirm that Syria is a state of law. The law will take its course on all. We fought to defend the oppressed, and we won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us." When asked if groups from his defense ministry were involved in the violence, he said: "We need an investigation. There are many ideas, but I do not have specifics or solid proof." ON THE ROLE OF OUTSIDE PARTIES IN SYRIA "There were clear statements from some regional countries that they want to destabilize the situation in Syria. There are some parties that lost out from the new reality in Syria and are trying to reestablish themselves and they only have these cheap means. We have seen their presence in more than one state, focusing on sectarian strife, spreading captagon, and political corruption. These are three components that are present in any country they enter. But we do not yet have clear evidence on which to build conclusions or practical steps." ON MEASURES TO REASSURE ALAWITES AFTER THE VIOLENCE "I sent many committees to reassure people and bring them back. A large number of them returned. They were afraid of something, but when we removed the factions and some of those (fighters) who entered randomly, we sent many committees to bring them back to the country. God willing, everyone will return." ON ISRAEL'S CHARGES AGAINST SYRIA'S GOVERNMENT "We are trying to use patience and wisdom as much as possible. If there are fears, we have announced from the first moments that Syria will not pose a threat to any state in the region or the world. And if there are expansionist motives, the entire world agreed with Syria to condemn Israel's steps in advancing on Syrian territory." In response to Israeli accusations that his forces could carry out a cross-border attack into Israel, he said: "I mean, a delusional person can say whatever they want. Every person can imagine that he is suffering from some danger and carry out a preemptive strike and kill. But that is not justifiable." THE ROLE OF ALAWITES AND OTHER SECTS IN GOVERNMENT "We do not want to distribute positions in Syria as gifts to sects, ethnicities, and other parties - rather, we distribute positions according to competence." ON THE DECISION TO DISBAND THE ARMY AND OFFER AMNESTY "When I expanded the amnesty, I was taking into account civil peace. And I was worried about the excessive talk about transitional justice in a negative way. Because it needs a definition we can rely on. There are people who say they want transitional justice, but they interpret it in their own way. There is a very fine line between transitional justice and risking civil peace. Syrian unity was helped by giving a broad amnesty. This reassured many people." ON CONTACTS WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION "There has not been any direct communication. Via intermediaries, yes." "First, the administration remains new, and the Syrian file is not on the priority list of the United States of America. I believe this question should be directed to them. Syria's door is open for communication with any state." ON DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA AND FUTURE RELATIONS "Russia is a major state and Syria has close, old and deep ties with it. Through the liberation battle, we took this issue into account. We tolerated the bombardment and did not target them directly in order to make room for meetings and dialogue between us after liberation." "What has happened until this moment is that we agreed to review the old agreements between Russia and Syria, but we have not had time yet to get into the details of the deal's format." "We do not want there to be a rift between Syria and Russia, and we do not want the Russian presence in Syria to pose a danger or threat to any country in the world, and we want to preserve these deep strategic relations." Asked whether Syria had made a request to Russia to hand over Bashar al-Assad, he said: "I would like to refrain from answering this question." ON SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON SYRIA "Syria has the tasks of establishing security after the chaos that has occurred and this is closely linked to building the economy, which cannot be done except with lifting sanctions. We cannot control security in the country while sanctions are imposed on us." ON BEING IN THE PALACE ONCE USED BY ASSAD "To be honest, my chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner. I have a balcony that overlooks Damascus. When I look at Damascus every day, I say: how could the previous regime look at Damascus and feel comfortable with what was happening there." "I am determined to transform the palace so that it can produce good for Syria." ON THE TIMETABLE TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT "Soon, God willing. There is a constitutional declaration that must precede the government formation which will hopefully come soon. Right after that, we will announce the government in a short time." Asked if that would happen in March as previously stated, he said: "God willing."
Reuters
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Highlights from interview with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa
DAMASCUS, March 11 (Reuters) - Below are highlights from a Reuters interview with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa conducted on Monday. ON VIOLENCE ALONG SYRIA'S COAST "Before carrying our military operation to liberate Syria, we made many contacts with the Alawite, Druze and Christian sects in the country. We built some bridges of trust between us and them. This helped us a lot to enter the battle smoothly. We also instructed our forces before starting the military campaign to take into account entering areas that are somewhat sensitive, and to prevent any cases of revenge and retaliation." "Many of the parties that lost in the battle of Syria and benefited from the old state in Syria worked on plans to return to Syria by inciting sectarian strife and conflicts." "This wasn't the first attempt in the coast. There were several attempts, the last of which was about a month and a half ago, to try to destabilize Syria. We put them down through political means and through relations, and they went without significant harm." "After we entered areas where we expected this type of massacre to happen, we increased the presence of security forces in them to maintain civil peace." "Some of the members of the former regime and those who were participating in the regime's large massacres, notably the Fourth Division with its regional affiliations that you know, carried out a large military attack in the coastal region." "This led to the killing of many security forces and some civilians, including Alawites." "We directed the military forces to confront these military complications, but many parties entered the Syrian coast and many violations occurred, some of which were internal and local between those in the coast, and some of which were from groups that came from outside." "The Syrian coast was liberated about three months ago. A month and a half ago, an agreement was reached between the armed factions to join the army. Joining the army does not mean that the process has ended. There is a long programme." "There are also loose weapons in Syria. We emphasize that weapons must be controlled inside Syria and we are working on that gradually, but it takes time." "We formed a fact-finding committee, which also included legal experts, and we gave them deadlines to investigate the facts and verify the videos we saw, including of random killings. We also sent another committee to preserve peace, meaning reconciliation between people, because blood begets more blood." "This committee is made up of the people of the region, including those from the two large sects there." ON COUNTERING GROUPS USING VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS "We confirm that Syria is a state of law. The law will take its course on all. We fought to defend the oppressed, and we won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us." When asked if groups from his defense ministry were involved in the violence, he said: "We need an investigation. There are many ideas, but I do not have specifics or solid proof." ON THE ROLE OF OUTSIDE PARTIES IN SYRIA "There were clear statements from some regional countries that they want to destabilize the situation in Syria. There are some parties that lost out from the new reality in Syria and are trying to reestablish themselves and they only have these cheap means. We have seen their presence in more than one state, focusing on sectarian strife, spreading captagon, and political corruption. These are three components that are present in any country they enter. But we do not yet have clear evidence on which to build conclusions or practical steps." ON MEASURES TO REASSURE ALAWITES AFTER THE VIOLENCE "I sent many committees to reassure people and bring them back. A large number of them returned. They were afraid of something, but when we removed the factions and some of those (fighters) who entered randomly, we sent many committees to bring them back to the country. God willing, everyone will return." ON ISRAEL'S CHARGES AGAINST SYRIA'S GOVERNMENT "We are trying to use patience and wisdom as much as possible. If there are fears, we have announced from the first moments that Syria will not pose a threat to any state in the region or the world. And if there are expansionist motives, the entire world agreed with Syria to condemn Israel's steps in advancing on Syrian territory." In response to Israeli accusations that his forces could carry out a cross-border attack into Israel, he said: "I mean, a delusional person can say whatever they want. Every person can imagine that he is suffering from some danger and carry out a preemptive strike and kill. But that is not justifiable." THE ROLE OF ALAWITES AND OTHER SECTS IN GOVERNMENT "We do not want to distribute positions in Syria as gifts to sects, ethnicities, and other parties - rather, we distribute positions according to competence." ON THE DECISION TO DISBAND THE ARMY AND OFFER AMNESTY "When I expanded the amnesty, I was taking into account civil peace. And I was worried about the excessive talk about transitional justice in a negative way. Because it needs a definition we can rely on. There are people who say they want transitional justice, but they interpret it in their own way. There is a very fine line between transitional justice and risking civil peace. Syrian unity was helped by giving a broad amnesty. This reassured many people." ON CONTACTS WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION "There has not been any direct communication. Via intermediaries, yes." "First, the administration remains new, and the Syrian file is not on the priority list of the United States of America. I believe this question should be directed to them. Syria's door is open for communication with any state." ON DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA AND FUTURE RELATIONS " Russia is a major state and Syria has close, old and deep ties with it. Through the liberation battle, we took this issue into account. We tolerated the bombardment and did not target them directly in order to make room for meetings and dialogue between us after liberation." "What has happened until this moment is that we agreed to review the old agreements between Russia and Syria, but we have not had time yet to get into the details of the deal's format." "We do not want there to be a rift between Syria and Russia, and we do not want the Russian presence in Syria to pose a danger or threat to any country in the world, and we want to preserve these deep strategic relations." Asked whether Syria had made a request to Russia to hand over Bashar al-Assad, he said: "I would like to refrain from answering this question." ON SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON SYRIA "Syria has the tasks of establishing security after the chaos that has occurred and this is closely linked to building the economy, which cannot be done except with lifting sanctions. We cannot control security in the country while sanctions are imposed on us." ON BEING IN THE PALACE ONCE USED BY ASSAD "To be honest, my chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner. I have a balcony that overlooks Damascus. When I look at Damascus every day, I say: how could the previous regime look at Damascus and feel comfortable with what was happening there." "I am determined to transform the palace so that it can produce good for Syria." ON THE TIMETABLE TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT "Soon, God willing. There is a constitutional declaration that must precede the government formation which will hopefully come soon. Right after that, we will announce the government in a short time." Asked if that would happen in March as previously stated, he said: "God willing."
Jordan Times
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Syria monitor says security forces kill four in former Assad bastion
A member of the security forces of Syria's new authorities stands guard near one of the bases of the Fourth Division on the outskirts of Damascus on December 26, 2024 (AFP photo) BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) - A Syria war monitor said Wednesday that four civilians have been killed in a security operation in the coastal city of Latakia that was launched after a deadly attack on security services. Latakia province is a former stronghold of the government of ousted president Bashar Al Assad and the heartland of his family's Alawite minority. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the operation in the city's Daatur district killed "four civilians", including two "guards at a local school" on Tuesday and two construction workers on Wednesday. State media said that forces launched the campaign after "militia remnants" supporting Assad killed two personnel in an ambush. Mustafa Kneifati, a security official in Latakia province, said that "during the operation, the criminal cell threw bombs at the security patrols, wounding a number of personnel". "Our forces responded immediately to the sources of fire and managed to arrest a number of people involved in these criminal acts, and neutralised a number of others," Kneifati added in a statement on the interior ministry's Telegram channel. The Observatory said "a cautious calm" returned to Daatur "after the arrest of a number of residents and wanted persons". Restoring and maintaining security across Syria remains one of the most pressing challenges for the new authorities after Islamist-led rebels overthrew Assad on December 8. Latakia initially saw heightened tensions and violence, including reprisals against people seen as linked to the former government, though incidents have decreased somewhat despite occasional attacks on checkpoints, according to the Observatory. Page 2
