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Prince Andrew stated he “ceased all contact” with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy who has been barred from the United Kingdom. Notably, the Duke withdrew from royal duties in 2019 following public backlash over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke’s office explained in a statement that the businessman, identified as H6, was introduced to Andrew through official channels, and “nothing of a sensitive nature” was ever discussed, per Daily Mail . This controversy arose as H6, banned from entering the UK on national security grounds, lost an appeal against the decision. The ban was implemented by then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman in March 2023, following claims that H6 could facilitate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials, potentially enabling political interference by the Chinese state. ALSO READ| American publication once loyal to Meghan Markle now nukes her rapid ‘flopping’ projects Prince Andres responds to national security briefing A briefing to the home secretary in July 2023 highlighted these risks, citing H6’s “close confidante” with Andrew as part of the threat. The Duke’s statement clarified, “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty's Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.” “He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security,” it added. The businessman excluded from UK over links to Chinese communist party The businessman reportedly attended Andrew's birthday party in 2020 and was involved in communications suggesting he could act on the Duke's behalf when dealing with Chinese investors. A letter from Andrew’s adviser, Dominic Hampshire, described H6 as sitting “at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.” This and other documents were discovered on H6’s devices during a 2021 search at a UK port. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) upheld the decision to exclude H6 from the UK, citing his covert activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The tribunal concluded that Braverman was justified in her actions, calling the exclusion “proportionate.” ALSO READ| Why King Charles III is ‘losing patience’ with Prince Andrew? Interestingly, reports indicate that British intelligence briefed King Charles III in an emergency meeting about the alleged security breach. “The King has been briefed about this situation regarding the suspected Chinese spy and is very aware of what has been and what is being done about it,” a royal source told The Mirror UKMinnesota will try to bounce back from two straight losses when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (5-3) are coming off a 57-51 loss against Wake Forest on Friday, which followed a 68-66 overtime loss against Wichita State on Thursday. Both games took place at the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Minnesota coach Ben Johnson cited inconsistency on offense as the main reason for his team's recent skid. "We're painfully figuring that out," Johnson said. "I thought our defense, though, (Thursday and Friday) has proven this is a top-40 or top-30 defense. We've got to be able to show up with offense and free throws." Golden Gophers starter Lu'Cye Patterson said he and his teammates remain confident in their potential as the Big Ten conference season approaches. "We just have to keep doing what we're supposed to do and keep our level of defensive play up," Patterson said. "It's going to win us a lot of games. The offense is going to come." Bethune-Cookman (2-5) will try to play spoiler on the road. The Wildcats have split their past two games as they beat North Dakota 79-67 on Tuesday and lost to Gardner-Webb 79-64 on Wednesday, both games played in the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. Four players for Bethune-Cookman scored in double digits in their most recent game. Reggie Ward Jr. and Daniel Rouzan led the way with 14 points apiece, Trey Thomas scored 13 and Brayon Freeman chipped in 10. Bethune-Cookman is coached by Reggie Theus, who enjoyed a long NBA career and coached the Sacramento Kings for parts of two seasons. Theus said the Wildcats were in better position to compete this season compared with a season ago. "We've got a lot of depth, and we have age and experience," Theus said. "One of the biggest differences in our team is that we have great size now, where last year we were pretty small." Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota with 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Patterson is next with 10.1 points per contest. Bethune-Cookman is led by Freeman, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Thomas (11.7 points per game) and Ward Jr. (11.0) also are scoring in double digits. --Field Level MediaTurkish Airlines to Begin Operations at The New Terminal One at JFK and Unveil World-Class LoungeNone
Israel said Tuesday it had bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal after jihadi-led Syrian insurgents ousted President Bashar Assad over the weekend. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. The United States said Tuesday it would recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million, becoming a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Here's the Latest: SAYDNAYA, Syria — Tens of thousands came to Saydnaya Prison from all over Syria after the fall of former President Bashar Assad to search for their loved ones. The place so notorious for its horrors was long known as “the slaughterhouse.” For the past two days, all have been looking for signs of loved ones who disappeared years or even decades ago into the secretive, sprawling prison just outside Damascus. But hope gave way to despair Monday. People opened the heavy iron doors lining the hallways to find cells inside empty. With sledgehammers, shovels and drills, men pounded holes in floors and walls, looking for what they believed were secret dungeons, or chasing sounds they thought they heard from underground. They found nothing. Insurgents freed dozens of people from the Saydnaya military prison on Sunday when Damascus fell. Since then, almost no one has been found. “Where is everyone? Where are everyone’s children? Where are they?” said Ghada Assad, breaking down in tears. An estimated 150,000 people were detained or went missing in Syria since 2011 — and tens of thousands of them are believed to have gone through Saydnaya. WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was on the ground in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with a Kurish-led, U.S.-allied force at several bases in the country's east, U.S. Central Command said. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla visited with U.S. military commanders and troops as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, and U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for details about his visit or with whom he met. U.S. officials said they did not know what his message to the SDF was. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. In a press release, Central Command said Kurilla received an “assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation.” Kurilla then went on to Iraq where he met with leaders in Baghdad. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says it still getting reports about the looting of warehouses with humanitarian aid in a number of areas in Syria, including around the capital Damascus. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that U.N. agencies and their partners are working to identify the extent of looting at the warehouses, including those of U.N. agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Dujarric said U.N. aid officials report that “the humanitarian situation remains volatile across Syria, with reports of people continuing to be displaced.” Humanitarian officials reported that 25 trucks carrying U.N. aid crossed from Turkey to northwest Syria, which the situation is now relatively calm, the U.N. spokesman said. All 11 receptions opened in Idlib in the northwest to host newly displaced families were empty as of Monday, Dujarric said. In the northeast, he said, authorities report that as of Tuesday 100,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Tal Rifaat and other parts of Aleppo governorate. Dujarric said the U.N.’s partners report that “reception centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have reached full capacity, and more than 200 sites – including municipal buildings, schools, mosques, and stadiums – are being used to accommodate newly displaced people.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said Tuesday that “unidentified gunmen” crossed the border from Syria into eastern Lebanon's Bekaa province and approached a Lebanese border post. In a statement, the army said the gunmen fired into the air and seized equipment from an evacuated Syrian army post in the outskirts of Kfar Fouq, near Rashaya al-Wadi, in the western part of Bekaa province. Lebanese army personnel responded with warning shots, forcing the group to retreat back into Syrian territory. The Lebanese army did not report any injuries or provide further details about the identity of the gunmen. WASHINGTON — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched multiple drones and a missile at three commercial ships being escorted in the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy ships, a U.S. official said Tuesday. There was no damage and no injuries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said U.S. Navy destroyers, and Navy helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft shot down four of the drones and the missile. The three U.S. affiliated flagged ships were sailing east toward Djibouti. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping through the key waterway for more than a year, attacks they say are meant to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said it bombed more than 350 sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. There is concern that, with the sudden collapse of the Syrian government, weapons stockpiles could be seized by jihadi militants. Warplanes hit what Israel said were Syrian air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, the Israeli army statement said. In naval operations overnight Monday, Israeli missile ships struck two Syrian navy facilities simultaneously — Al-Bayda port and Latakia port — where the army said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli did not specify how many Syrian naval vessels were hit. The private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era Syrian navy missile ships were hit. Israeli officials said earlier that Israel also targeted alleged chemical weapons sites. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that his country’s military launched a wave of airstrikes across Syria to destroy the toppled government’s leftover “military capabilities,” and said Israel wants relations with the new government emerging Syria. Hours after Israeli warplanes pounded Syria, Netanyahu said Israeli doesn’t want to meddle in Syria’s internal affairs, but would take necessary steps to protect Israel's security and prevent jihadi militants from seizing the Syrian army assets. He warned that if the new Syrian government “allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us -- we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.” He spoke in a video statement recorded at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, after his first day of testimony in his corruption trial. DAMASCUS, Syria — In Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar Assad for the third day on Tuesday despite Israeli airstrikes across the country. Insurgents who recently took control of the capital city tried to impose a new rule banning the celebratory gunfire. There were a few violators, and much less deafening gunfire. Protesters climbed the square's central monument to wave the Syrian revolutionary flag. On the ground, crowds chanted: “Out with Bashar! Out with Bashar!” Assad fled to Russia over the weekend after a lightning rebel offensive toppled his brutal police state. Demonstrators from different provinces marched in the square in groups, celebrating Assad's fall. Men on motorcycles and horses paraded into the square. One woman from Idlib province shouted that the Israeli strikes ruined the joy of ousting Assad. “Why are you striking us? We just deposed a tyrant,” she said. “Give us peace. Leave us alone,” said Ahmed Jreida, 22, a dentist student, when asked about the Israeli airstrikes. Hamzeh Hamada, 22, said this was the first time he had gone out to a demonstration. “We want the country to get better, to live in dignity and be like other countries that respect citizens’ rights and where there are no bribes,” he said. “We have suffered a lot from bribes. ... We had to bribe people for very minor things; things that should be our right.” Abdul-Jalil Diab was taking a stroll with his brothers in another square in western Damascus. He said he came back from Jordan the day Damascus fell. He was there studying German to prepare to move to Germany and said he is now reconsidering his plans. He was ecstatic, saying words can’t describe how he feels. “We are happy to get rid of the corrupt regime that was based on bribes. The whole country feels better. Everyone is happy and celebrating,” Abdul-Jalil Diab said. QAMISHLI, Syria — Residents of northeast Syria in the area around Qamishli airport said Tuesday they heard explosions overnight after an airstrike hit trucks loaded with rockets and ammunition that were heading to a military base in Tartab. “We don’t know the story. It was only in the morning when we realized they are trucks loaded with ammunition, leftovers of the former army, the regime,” said Ibrahim al-Thalaj, who lives near the base. He said residents assumed that the strikes were Israeli. Israel has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure after Syrian insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad. However, Turkish security officials said Tuesday that the strike in Qamishli was carried out by Turkey, targeting weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian army and seized by Syrian Kurdish militants. The explosions lasted for over 20 minutes after the strike, and many houses in the surrounding area were damaged as a result, residents of the area said. “We just felt a strike hitting. It hit the first one (truck) and we saw the other trucks retreating back, and from there rockets and shells started flying over,” said Hamid al-Asaad, an eyewitness from Qub al-Zeki village in Qamishli. “We were sitting when these explosions started to hit the house,” said Mahmoud Hamza of Tartab. “It was hitting randomly and we didn’t know where it was coming from. ... Once we got out of our house, a rocket hit the house.” There were no details released by the local Kurdish administration regarding the explosions, but members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces blocked the road to the base. BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat is concerned that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected. “The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers on Tuesday during a special hearing. “There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence, extremist resurgence and the governance vacuum, all of which must be averted. We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan,” she said. “The rights of all Syrians, including those of many minority groups, must be protected,” she said. “It is crucial to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, and to respect its independence, its sovereignty, as well as the state institutions.” Kallas also said the collapse of the government has shown that Assad’s backers in Russia and Iran “could neither afford to do it any longer, nor had any interest of being present in the aftermath.” “They are weakened, distracted and overstretched in other theaters in the broader Middle East, but also in Ukraine,” she said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, has attacked a convoy of trucks that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials said Tuesday. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeast Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organization because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, he group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces. By Suzan Fraser WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling its approval of Israel’s strikes against Syrian military and alleged chemical weapons targets and the seizure of a buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad government. “These are exigent operations to eliminate what they believe are imminent threats to their national security,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, saying the U.S. would leave it up to the Israelis to discuss details of their operations. “They have as always the right to defend themselves,” Kirby said. He declined to detail and U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Israelis that went into the strikes. Kirby said the White House was reasserting its support of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement, but didn’t criticize the Israeli seizure of the demilitarized zone. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly. He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with. Blinken says Syrians should decide their future and that other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere. “The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process,” he said. “We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Jihad Mustafa Shibani was taking his new motorcycle for a spin with a friend around the house of the deposed Syrian president in western Damascus on Tuesday. Shibani was released from prison a week before the capital Damascus fell, after he served two years on charges of buying his motorcycle using foreign currency on accusations he was dealing in dollars. He was tortured for 15 days and and given a quick trial where he was sentenced for two years, he said. He was released the day Aleppo fell to the insurgents. “Everything was banned in Syria. The (Assad loyalists) only could use it,” Shibani said. He said he has never been to this neighborhood, because it was taken over by Assad, his family and supporters. “For 50 years, my family’s house is near here, and we don’t know anything about it. ... The Syrian people had been oppressed, you can’t imagine.” Shibani said he has no fear of the rebel newcomers who have taken control of the country. “We are not afraid. There can be no one more unjust than Bashar. Impossible.” BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister is in contact with security and judicial officials to follow up on reports that senior members of President Bashar Assad’s government have fled to Lebanon. Najib Mikati’s office quoted him as saying that Lebanon abides by international laws regarding people who cross its borders. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that several top security officials have entered Lebanon over the past two days. Abdurrahman added that Syria’s former intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, who is wanted in Lebanon over two bombings in 2012 in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens, was allegedly brought to Lebanon by the Hezbollah militant group and was staying in a southern suburb of Beirut where the group has deep support. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, whose ministry is in charge of border crossings, told reporters Tuesday that no person who is wanted in Lebanon entered the country through legal border crossings. There are dozens of illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria where people are usually smuggled in and out of Lebanon, but it was not possible to independently confirm whether Mamlouk had entered Lebanon. GENEVA — The United Nations says humanitarian operations in two major areas in northwestern Syria have resumed, deploying food, medical supplies, fuel and other needed services and supplies. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that some health facilities were “overwhelmed” – in part due to staff shortages – and many border crossings have been closed, disrupting supply chains. OCHA said humanitarian operations in some parts of northwestern Syria were put on hold in the early days of the recent escalation, and resumed on Monday. “As of yesterday, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo have resumed operations,” Laerke told reporters at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. He said the three border crossings from Turkey used by the U.N. to deliver assistance into Syria remain open and “we are providing assistance in the northwest, including to those who have been newly displaced.” Even before the latest escalation, which led President Bashar Assad to flee the country, nearly 17 million people in Syria needed humanitarian assistance. More than 1 million have been displaced across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs since the escalation. JERUSALEM — Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.” Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. DAMASCUS, Syria — Members of the Syrian government under ousted President Bashar Assad will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The departing government met with al-Bashir for the first time since Assad fled Damascus over the weekend. Al-Bashir had previously led the “salvation government” running the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria. Al-Bashir told reporters after the meeting that the ministers discussed transferring the portfolios to the interim government during the transitional period until the beginning of March. He said that in the coming days the new government will decide on each ministry. DAMASCUS, Syria — Banks and shops are reopening in Damascus after the chaos and confusion of the first two days following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Sadi Ahmad, manager of Syria Gulf Bank, said life is returning to normal. A customer who came to withdraw money from an ATM was surprised to see it functioning. At the historic Hamadiyeh market, fighters who seized power were still standing guard but shops had reopened — even an ice cream stand. Resident Maysoun Al-Qurabi said she was initially “against what happened,” referring to the insurgency, but changed her mind after seeing footage of rebels releasing inmates from the notorious Saydnaya prison. “People are at ease and secure now,” she said. “Before, people were hungry and scared.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Minority Christians in Syria have been living in a state of uneasy anticipation since insurgents headed by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control after ousting President Bashar Assad. Mazen Kalash, a resident of Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, said he wants to know the plans of the new government that will be formed by the rebels. “The important thing is to feel safe, bring order, law and respect to the citizens,” he said. “We need to be able to work whatever we want and do whatever we want without any interference from anyone.” The insurgents have so far attempted to reassure minorities that they will be protected. Large numbers of Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population, fled after the civil war erupted in 2011. Many of those who stayed supported Assad out of fear they might be targeted by Islamist insurgents. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media moguls. “There has never been such a biased media in any democracy ... as there is in Israel,” Netanyahu told the court, describing his testy relationship with the press. He is accused of exchanging regulatory favors with media bosses for more positive coverage of himself and his family. He has denied wrongdoing. GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria says armed groups that drove out President Bashar Assad have “been sending good messages” about national unity and inclusiveness but acknowledges that a Security Council resolution still counts the leading one as a terrorist group. With Syria’s future and stability still very much in flux since Assad’s departure over the weekend, Geir Pedersen suggested that the international community needs to help the country get through this turbulent moment. “We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things are not settled,” Pedersen told reporters at U.N. offices in Geneva on Tuesday. “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the U.N. and the international community.” Referring to Israeli military strikes in Syria, Pedersen said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.” The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which grew out of an al-Qaida-affiliate called the Nusra Front that the Security Council listed as a terror group in a 2015 resolution. “This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us,” Pedersen said. “But we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.” “The reality so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people,” he said. “They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness, and frankly speaking, also, we have seen in (the captured cities of) Aleppo and in Hama ... reassuring things on the ground." Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency and the founder of both groups Nusra and HTS, cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016 and says he is committed to pluralism and religious tolerance. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory, saying it was in violation of a 1974 agreement on a buffer zone inside Syria. “We strongly condemn Israel’s violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria, and its advance into Syrian territory,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused Israel of “displaying a mentality of an occupier” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability had emerged in Syria. The statement also reiterated Turkey’s support to Syria’s “sovereignty, political unity, and territorial integrity.” Israeli troops on Sunday entered the buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war and the military said it would deploy in “several other places necessary for (Israel’s’) defense.” TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he works 17 to 18 hours a day and that he is engulfed in meetings, especially during the past year that Israel has been fighting wars. Netanyahu was testifying in his long-running corruption trial. He has denied charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. “If only I could steal away five minutes to enjoy some time with my wife,” he told the court Tuesday. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military official says troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning.” The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory. The buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by the U.N. after the 1973 Mideast war. Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Israel sent troops into the buffer zone. It said the move was temporary and was aimed at preventing attacks. It said the 1974 agreement establishing the zone had collapsed and that Syrian troops had withdrawn from their positions. Israel has also carried out airstrikes across Syria in recent days targeting what it says are suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the United States. The rest of the world views the strategic plateau as occupied Syrian territory. — By Joseph Krauss DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel’s air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in different parts of Syria as its ground forces move north of the Golan Heights along the border with Lebanon, according to an opposition war monitor. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that since the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, Israel’s air force has carried out more than 300 airstrikes against research centers, arms depots and military infrastructure across Syria, as well as a naval base along the Mediterranean coast. Associated Press journalists in Damascus witnessed intense airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight into Tuesday morning. Photographs posted online by activists showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes. Meanwhile, Israeli troops marched along the border with Lebanon and now control a long stretch on the Syrian side facing Lebanon’s Rashaya region, according to the war monitor's head, Rami Abdurrahman, and the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria. Israeli troops are now about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, according to the monitor. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone in Syria and a wave of Israeli airstrikes launched after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” Israel sent troops into a buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. It said the move was temporary and was taken to prevent any cross-border attacks after Syrian troops withdrew. Israel has also carried out heavy airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets from falling into the hands of extremists. Saudi Arabia has been in talks with the United States in recent years over normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, American assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program and a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state. But the kingdom has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with the Hamas militant group. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , allegations Israel adamantly rejects.NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that's he's preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect's threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park." Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn't a trolling-free zone for Trump's adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A." In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden's spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump's taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
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Blame it on the food and drink?Milestone at Hydrogen Dialogue – KEYOU hands over first 18t truck to pioneer customer EP TransJAMAICA, N.Y. , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) today announced that Turkish Airlines will begin operations at the new terminal when it opens in 2026. Turkish Airlines will also unveil a brand new, state-of-the-art lounge for its premium customers, launching the next phase of the award-winning airline's growth at its top U.S. gateway. The New Terminal One, set to be the largest international terminal in the United States , will offer best-in-class amenities and innovative technology for a transformational and efficient travel experience. The New Terminal One is a key component of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class gateway, which will include two new terminals, the modernization and expansion of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation center, and an entirely new, simplified roadway network. Turkish Airlines, which currently flies 19 times weekly from JFK Airport to its hub at Istanbul , providing seamless connections to its extensive global network, will continue to offer top-tier service from the new terminal. As part of its expansion in the JFK market, Turkish Airlines will open an 11,000-square-foot lounge in the New Terminal One – twice the size of the airline's lounge at the existing Terminal 1. The new lounge will feature premium amenities, expansive views of JFK Airport's airfield and provide direct boarding access to aircraft, offering unmatched convenience for Turkish Airlines' business class customers and top-tier frequent flyers. Recognized for its exceptional in-flight service, Turkish Airlines recently received the World Class Award from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) for the fourth consecutive year, placing it among just 10 airlines in the world to have received this prestigious recognition. Turkish Airlines was also chosen as the Best Airline in Europe nine times by Skytrax. Over the years Turkish Airlines also received accolades from Skytrax and other prestigious organizations numerous times for its Business and Economy Class offerings and Lounges. Turkish Airlines offers service to 351 destinations, including 25 in the Americas. Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance and will join other alliance members at the New Terminal One: LOT Polish Airlines, EVA Air and Air China. "We are thrilled to welcome Turkish Airlines to the New Terminal One at JFK, where their commitment to world-class customer service aligns perfectly with our mission to provide an unparalleled customer experience," said The New Terminal One Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Aument . "We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Turkish Airlines to elevate the travel experience for customers from 2026 and beyond." Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee Prof. Ahmet Bolat stated: "We are excited to bring Turkish Airlines' world-class service to the New Terminal One at JFK, further enhancing our passengers' travel experience with a state-of-the-art-lounge. This move underlines our commitment to continue our growth in the U.S market." In addition to Turkish Airlines, the New Terminal One has partnered with several other global carriers, including Air France, KLM, Etihad, LOT Polish Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, Air Serbia, SAS, Neos and Philippine Airlines. Air China is also partnering with the terminal on elevating the travel experience for Chinese customers visiting New York . The New Terminal One is focused on improving the customer experience by collaborating with potential airline partners. This includes working with airline teams across all customer journey touchpoints. Set to be JFK Airport's largest terminal when complete, the New Terminal One will offer a world-class customer experience and additional widebody aircraft gate capacity – providing international airlines a unique opportunity to grow their service at JFK, the top global gateway to the U.S. About The New Terminal One The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport is a bold and exciting project to develop a world-class international terminal that will serve as an anchor terminal in the Port Authority's $19 billion transformation of JFK into a global gateway to the New York metropolitan area and the United States . The New Terminal One will set a new standard for design and service, aspiring to obtain a Top 5 Skytrax ranking and be considered one of the finest airport terminals in the world. The New Terminal One is being built on sites now occupied by Terminal 1 and the former Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, where it will anchor JFK's south side. Construction is taking place in phases. The first phase, including the new arrivals and departures halls and first set of 14 new gates, is expected to open in 2026. At completion, anticipated in 2030, the New Terminal One will be 2.6 million square feet, making it the largest terminal at JFK and nearly the same size as LaGuardia Airport's two new terminals combined. The New Terminal One will be a 23-gate, state-of-the-art, international-only terminal. Sustainably designed and future-focused, the terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology, and an array of amenities, all designed to enhance the customer experience and compete with some of the highest-rated airport terminals in the world. The New Terminal One consortium of labor, operating, and financial partners is led by Ferrovial, JLC Infrastructure, Ullico, and Carlyle. The New Terminal One is being built by union labor and is committed to local inclusion and labor participation, focusing on diversity and capacity-building opportunities, including ambitious participation goals of 30% for minority and women-owned enterprises, 10% for local business enterprises and 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. To learn more about the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, visit https://www.anewjfk.com/projects/the-new-terminal-one/ About Turkish Airlines Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 491 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 351 worldwide destinations in 130 countries (298 international destinations and 53 domestic destinations within Turkiye). More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/turkish-airlines-to-begin-operations-at-the-new-terminal-one-at-jfk-and-unveil-world-class-lounge-302331710.html SOURCE The New Terminal One at JFK
It’s time for our roundup of the biggest Pinocchios of the year. President-elect Donald Trump featured on this list for the 10th straight year. As usual with Trump, it’s hard to isolate a particular falsehood, but we focused on four — two having to do with immigration, one on tariffs and another on the unemployment rate. His running-mate, JD Vance, also landed on the list (not for the first time) for an immigration-related claim that Trump echoed in a presidential debate. In fact, five of the 12 claims below relate to illegal immigration — showing it was a potent issue in the election season. President Joe Biden merited two spots, for a false claim on the inflation rate and for a roundup of his unverified claims about his life (this is a perennial). Biden’s flip-flop on pardoning his son Hunter earned a bonus award. This list has no particular order. President-elect Donald Trump. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post “The Harris-Biden administration says they don’t have any money [for hurricane relief]. ... They spent it all on illegal migrants. ... They stole the FEMA money just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them.” — President-elect Donald Trump, Oct. 3 Trump sought to weaponize Hurricane Helene relief efforts, accusing the Biden administration of failing to provide adequate assistance. As part of his critique, he claimed there was no money available for hurricane relief because it was spent already to handle the surge of migrants at the southern border. This was false: Money was not running short, and the Biden administration did not spend FEMA disaster money on migrants. What’s even richer is that when Trump was president, he did exactly what he claimed Biden did — funding migrant programs with FEMA disaster aid. In 2019, the Trump administration, in the middle of hurricane season, told Congress that it was taking $271 million from DHS programs, including $155 million from the disaster fund, to pay for immigration detention space and temporary hearing locations for asylum seekers who had been forced to wait in Mexico. Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama). Melina Mara/The Washington Post “I spoke to a woman who shared her story with me. She had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at the age of 12 .... President Biden’s border policies are a disgrace.” — Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), March 7 In the centerpiece of the Republican response to State of the Union, Britt told a long story about a victim of sex trafficking who she suggested was recently abused in the United States and suffered because of President Biden’s policies. But Biden had nothing to do with the travails of Karla Jacinto Romero, later identified as the person Britt referenced in the speech. In fact, Jacinto was never trafficked to the United States; she worked in Mexican brothels during the George W. Bush administration. Vice President-elect JD Vance. Allison Robbert for The Washington Post “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” — Vice President-elect JD Vance, Sept. 9 Vance sparked one of the oddest controversies of the campaign season by falsely claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets — a tweet inspired by a false rumor on a Facebook post about migrants eating cats. His running-mate piled on during his Sept. 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” Soon after, bomb threats repeatedly forced the evacuation of schools and government offices in the city. Amid the backlash, Vance doubled down, insisting he had raised legitimate issues that were ignored or belittled by the media. But Ohio officials said the claims of pet-eating migrants were not true. President Joe Biden. Allison Robbert for The Washington Post Inflation “was at 9 percent when I came in and it’s now down around 3 percent.” — President Joe Biden, May 14 Inflation was an albatross for Democrats in this election year. After decades of stable prices — inflation of about 2 percent a year — the sudden increase early in President Joe Biden’s term was a shock, both for consumers and policymakers. Inflation, as measured by the year-over-year percentage change in the consumer price index, spiked to a 9 percent annual rate in June 2022 — the highest level in 43 years. By Election Day, it had fallen below 3 percent, but that was not good enough for many Americans. Biden tried to explain that inflation was largely the fault of the coronavirus pandemic, not his policies, and that his administration has made strides in reducing it. But in doing so, he was sloppy in his phrasing. He flatly has said inflation was 9 percent when he became president — when it was actually 1.4 percent. Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks Oct. 1 at campaign event at Discovery World in Milwaukee. AP photo “Over 13,000, the exact number’s 13,099, convicted illegal, alien murderers are now on the loose.” — Trump, Oct. 1 Illegal immigration surged during the Biden administration, and Trump made many false claims about the issue during his campaign. This statement — which became a standard line in his speeches — was especially egregious. Trump twisted a report on the number of noncitizens with criminal convictions that were not detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make it sound like they had been released under Biden. But the data went back 40 years. Most of these killers are in some sort of detention (just not ICE), and have been since before Trump was president. President Joe Biden, with his fingers crossed, speaks to reporters Nov. 26 after being asked a question about a Gaza ceasefire, at the White House in Washington. AP photo Biden, like many politicians, likes to tell stories — stories in which he tries to connect his own life with his audiences’, and that make up an essential part of his persona. But throughout his career, Biden’s propensity to exaggerate or embellish tales about his life have led to doubts about his truthfulness. That hasn’t changed in his last year as president. He claimed “I used to drive an 18-wheeler” — not true, but an amalgam of driving a school bus in college and being a passenger on a 47,000-pound cargo truck. He said he was a list of 10 most eligible bachelors; no such list can be found. He said he was the first in his family to go to college — but evidence suggests his father did. And he claimed he was the state runner-up in scoring in high school football; he was in fifth place. Jesse Watters appears on Fox News “The Five” in New York on Oct. 10, 2019. AP photo “Tyson Foods has its eyes on a different class of workers. The company is now offering new jobs to asylum seekers in other states .... They’re firing Americans and offering perks to illegals.” — Fox News prime-time host Jesse Watters, March 14 Watters put Tyson Foods, the nation’s largest meat-packer, in the spotlight. With his platform on Fox News, he generated a firestorm on the right by claiming that Tyson was firing workers in Perry, Iowa, “one of the great American suburbs,” and hiring undocumented immigrants elsewhere in the country. An investment fund that claims it invests only in companies with conservative values earned headlines by announcing it had divested its Tyson stock. But Watters misleadingly connected two unrelated events — in a textbook example of how events taken out of context can be weaponized for political purposes. FILE – Shipping containers are stacked at a port in Tianjin, China, Jan. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) “A tariff is a tax on a foreign country. That’s the way it is, whether you like it or not. A lot of people like to say it’s a tax on us. No, no, no. It’s a tax on a foreign country. It’s a tax on a country that’s ripping us off and stealing our jobs. And it’s a tax that doesn’t affect our country.” — Trump, Aug. 17 Trump has said he will impose an across-the-board tariff on all imported products. But in making the case for his policy, he repeated the false claim he made often during his first term as president — that the entire tariff is paid by a foreign country. Economists do not debate this fact; they agree that tariffs — essentially a tax on domestic consumption — are paid by importers, such as U.S. companies, which in turn pass on most or all the costs to consumers or producers who may use imported materials in their products. Even an economist recommended by the Trump campaign said a 10 percent tariff would increase prices for consumers. In this courtroom sketch, defendant Alexander Smirnov speaks Feb. 26 in Federal court in Los Angeles. William T. Robles via AP When House Republicans prepared to impeach President Biden (remember that?), the star witness was supposed to be a confidential FBI source who alleged that Biden and his son Hunter Biden had each been paid $5 million to oust a Ukrainian prosecutor and protect a Ukrainian energy company that placed Hunter on its board. The source’s allegations were discovered because of a project launched by then-Attorney General William P. Barr soon after Trump was impeached for the first time. The FBI, however, decided the claims were not worth pursuing. Then-Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) publicly released the FBI’s 2017 interview with the source, forcing the reevaluation. Investigators determined he had lied, even when given a chance to recant, and Alexander Smirnov was arrested in February when he landed in Las Vegas. The Biden impeachment effort quickly collapsed. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during a Jan. 21 campaign stop in Rochester, N.H. AP photo “We had the best unemployment rates ever. And they were real unemployment, not like you have today where nobody’s working and they consider it to be.” — Trump, Jan. 21 Trump rode to victory in 2024 in part because of Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy, especially inflation. The unemployment rate, however, was a bright spot — the lowest numbers in 70 years. So Trump reached back to the playbook he used in the 2016 election, when the economy was also on an upswing — suggesting the unemployment numbers are fake. That was false. And naturally he falsely claimed that he had the best unemployment rate ever — when in fact Biden beat him. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania). Melina Mara/The Washington Post “McCormick’s promised the richest people in America a massive tax break. To pay for it, he’s made clear he’ll slash your Medicare and Social Security and cut Medicaid for nursing home care.” — Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Oct. 10 The Senate race between Casey, the incumbent, and former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick was one of the closest in the nation. In an ad, Casey walked out of a bank vault as he complained that McCormick’s “billionaire buddies” have spent $150 million attacking him. Then he did something unusual — he directly attacked McCormick as having “made clear he’ll slash your Medicare and Social Security and cut Medicaid for nursing home care.” Usually, negative ads use voice-overs or text to make incendiary claims as a way to shield the candidate from possible fact checks. McCormick had said no such thing, and Casey’s campaign had no evidence to back up the claim. The ad did not seem to help Casey, who lost the race by about 15,000 votes out of 7 million cast. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California). Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post “Something I’ve heard that doesn’t seem to be being covered are the Epstein files. These files were released. And, like, Donald Trump is sort of all over this.” — Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California), July 9 Florida Circuit Judge Luis Delgado unsealed nearly 200 pages of grand jury testimony related to the 2006 Florida case involving disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was alleged to have raped teenage girls. Trump’s name was not mentioned in any of the transcripts, but that did not stop Lieu from relying on dubious social media posts to claim that there was something about Trump in the documents. “One of the highest trending hashtags on Twitter right now is about Trump and Epstein,” he told reporters. But when we explored what was available in the public record, we found no credible allegation had emerged to connect Trump to any of Epstein’s crimes. President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden walk Nov. 29 in downtown Nantucket Mass. AP photo On June 13, Biden was emphatic: “I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter ... I’m not going to do anything. I said I’d abide by the jury decision, and I will do that. And I will not pardon him.” Less than six months later, there was the flip-flop: The president not only pardoned his son for his conviction on three felony gun charges, three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses — he issued a sweeping pardon that absolved Hunter Biden of any possible federal crimes he might have committed between 2014 and 2024. As we reported, the arguments he marshaled in defense of a pardon could have been made back when he firmly stated that he would not pardon his son. He also never addressed the fact that he once pledged not to pardon his son — a clear but unacknowledged “flip-flop” from a previously held position. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . 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TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Edesa Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:EDSA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing host-directed therapeutics for immuno-inflammatory diseases, today reported financial results for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 and provided an update on its business. During the fiscal year, the company pivoted the in-house development of its anti-TLR4 drug candidate, EB05 (paridiprubart), to a U.S. government-funded study investigating novel threat-agnostic host-directed therapeutics in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Given this opportunity, Edesa is also amending a development and drug manufacturing project for the same asset that is supported by the Government of Canada. The company said that the goal is to maximize synergies between the two government-funded projects. For its anti-CXCL10 program, Edesa intends to manufacture EB06 and submit related data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of an investigational new drug (IND) application. The manufacturing of clinical-grade drug batches and initiation of the patient enrollment is subject to funding. Edesa anticipates topline results for this Phase 2 study could be available within as few as 12 to 18 months following regulatory clearance in the U.S. The study is currently approved in Canada. "This year, Edesa maintained its momentum despite the headwinds in the drug development sector, and we once again validated our TLR4 technology with a third competitive government award,” said Par Nijhawan, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Edesa Biotech. "I have maintained my strategic support financially and I believe that our team can continue to advance and expand our development pipeline and partnerships.” Edesa's Chief Financial Officer Stephen Lemieux reported that financial results for the fiscal year benefited from prudent use of working capital and effective financial management, including a more than 20% decrease in operating expenses. "Following the end of the fiscal year, we strengthened our balance sheet, and with two governments now funding the advancement of our anti-TLR4 technology, we have improved our position for future financing, potential strategic arrangements as well as other opportunities to advance our pipeline.” Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024 Total operating expenses decreased by $2.2 million to $7.0 million for the year ended September 30, 2024 compared to $9.2 million for the prior year: For the year ended September 30, 2024, Edesa reported a net loss of $6.2 million, or $1.93 per common share, compared to a net loss of $8.4 million, or $2.93 per common share, for the year ended September 30, 2023. Working Capital At September 30, 2024, Edesa had cash and cash equivalents of $1.0 million and negative working capital of $0.2 million. Subsequent to the fiscal year end, the company received $1.5 million in gross proceeds under a securities purchase agreement with an entity affiliated with Edesa's Chief Executive Officer and Founder, and $0.6 million in net proceeds, after deducting sales agent commissions, from common shares sold under an at-the-market offering program. Calendar Edesa management plans to participate in one-on-one meetings during JP Morgan week, which begins on January 13, 2025, in San Francisco, California. Attendees interested in meeting with management can request meetings through the conference organizers or by contacting Edesa directly at [email protected] . About Edesa Biotech, Inc. Edesa Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDSA) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative ways to treat inflammatory and immune-related diseases. Its clinical pipeline is focused on two therapeutic areas: Medical Dermatology and Respiratory. In Medical Dermatology, Edesa is developing EB06, an anti-CXCL10 monoclonal antibody candidate, as therapy for vitiligo, a common autoimmune disorder that causes skin to lose its color in patches. Its medical dermatology assets also include EB01 (1.0% daniluromer cream), a Phase 3-ready asset developed for use as a potential therapy for moderate-to-severe chronic Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD), a common occupational skin condition. The company's most advanced Respiratory drug candidate is EB05 (paridiprubart), which is being evaluated in a U.S. government-funded platform study as a treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a life-threatening form of respiratory failure. The EB05 program has been the recipient of two funding awards from the Government of Canada to support the further development of this asset. In addition to EB05, Edesa is preparing an investigational new drug application (IND) in the United States for EB07 (paridiprubart) to conduct a future Phase 2 study in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Sign up for news alerts . Connect with us on X and LinkedIn . Edesa Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "might," "potential," or "continue" and variations or similar expressions, including statements related to: Edesa's ability to pivot the in-house development of its anti-TLR4 drug candidate; the company's plans to amend its contribution agreement with the Government of Canada; the company's goal to maximize synergies between two government-funded projects; Edesa plans to manufacture EB06 and submit related data to the FDA as part of an IND application; the company's plans to manufacture clinical-grade drug and initiate patient enrollment; the company's plans to finance clinical and manufacturing activities; the company's estimate that topline results for its Phase 2 vitiligo study could be available within as few as 12 to 18 months following regulatory clearance; the company's belief that in 2024 it maintained its momentum despite the headwinds in the drug development sector and once again validated its TLR4 technology with a third competitive government award; the company's belief that its team can continue to advance and expand its development pipeline and partnerships; the company's belief that its fiscal year financial results benefited from prudent use of working capital and effective financial management; the company's belief that with two governments funding the advancement of its anti-TLR4 technology, it has improved its position for future financing, potential strategic arrangements and alternatives as well as other opportunities to advance its pipeline; and the company's timing and plans regarding its clinical studies in general. Readers should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as all such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results or future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such risks include: the ability of Edesa to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize any of its product candidates, the risk that access to sufficient capital to fund Edesa's operations may not be available or may be available on terms that are not commercially favorable to Edesa, the risk that Edesa's product candidates may not be effective against the diseases tested in its clinical trials, the risk that Edesa fails to comply with the terms of license agreements with third parties and as a result loses the right to use key intellectual property in its business, Edesa's ability to protect its intellectual property, the timing and success of submission, acceptance and approval of regulatory filings, and the impacts of public health crises. Many of these factors that will determine actual results are beyond the company's ability to control or predict. For a discussion of further risks and uncertainties related to Edesa's business, please refer to Edesa's public company reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the British Columbia Securities Commission. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change. Except as required by law, Edesa assumes no obligation to update such statements. 2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 Gary Koppenjan Edesa Biotech, Inc. (289) 800-9600 [email protected]
NetEase Inc NTES shares are under pressure, down 4.4% to $96.49 Tuesday afternoon, as China's latest economic data highlights a challenging environment for consumer-driven sectors. November trade figures revealed a 3.9% year-over-year drop in imports, signaling weakening domestic demand. This is a troubling indicator for NetEase, whose revenue heavily depends on consumer spending on online games, digital content and other services in China. What To Know: NetEase faces mounting challenges in a market overshadowed by a housing crisis and sluggish economic activity. Despite promises of fiscal and monetary stimulus from Beijing , investors remain skeptical of their efficacy given China's towering debt levels and recent signs of deflationary pressures. This casts doubt on the broader recovery of consumer spending, critical for NetEase's sustained growth. Adding to NetEase's woes, geopolitical tensions and regulatory uncertainties loom over China's tech sector. While exports showed growth, driven by manufacturers rushing to meet U.S. demand before potential tariffs, this trend offers little benefit to NetEase, whose core operations are domestically focused. Without a stronger rebound in domestic consumption, NetEase may struggle to meet growth expectations, putting downward pressure on its stock. Read Also: Trump’s Tariff Storm: 3 Survival Strategies US Companies Are Using To Fight Back Investors can gain exposure to NTES by investing in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF KWEB . How To Buy NTES Stock By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for NetEase – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company. Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy ‘fractional shares,' which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. For example, some stock, like Berkshire Hathaway, or Amazon.com, can cost thousands of dollars to own just one share. However, if you only want to invest a fraction of that, brokerages will allow you to do so. In the the case of NetEase, which is trading at $96.61 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 1.04 shares of stock. If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to ‘go short' a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline. According to data from Benzinga Pro , NTES has a 52-week high of and a 52-week low of © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.PORTLAND, Ore. -- A businessman with no experience in public office is taking over as mayor of Oregon’s biggest city as it embraces an entirely new system of government — one that’s so different, the City Council chambers had to be completely renovated. Portland voters last month elected Keith Wilson, a trucking company executive and founder of a nonprofit working to increase homeless shelter capacity. He ran on an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness within a year and will be sworn in Thursday alongside a council expanded from five seats to 12. Portland is contending with homelessness, public drug use and a rising cost of living. Wilson, a Portland native, plans to reach his goal of ending unsheltered homelessness by increasing the number of nighttime walk-in emergency shelters in facilities such as churches and community centers. His message appeared to have resonated in a city where surveys conducted over the past few years have shown that residents view homelessness as a top issue. He ran against three outgoing City Council members. The mayoral race , which featured 19 candidates, was thrown open when Mayor Ted Wheeler decided against seeking reelection after holding the city’s top post since 2017. Wheeler rose to national prominence in 2020 as nightly protests erupted on Portland streets and around the country in response to the police killing of George Floyd . The field of candidates in council races was crowded as well, with nearly 100 running for the new seats that were elected by voters in individual districts rather than citywide. The 130-year-old City Hall was renovated for $8.3 million to accommodate the increase in members. The new dais can now seat 12 people; floor layouts were changed to create more office space; and technology, seismic and accessibility updates were added throughout the building. “Remodeling council chambers is a once-in-a-generation activity,” Maty Sauter, director of Portland's Bureau of Fleet and Facilities, told the outgoing City Council as it held its last meeting on Wednesday in the new chambers. “We've been able to reuse this 1895 facility and make it modern, contemporary and useful.” It’s going to take time for the new government to figure out which of the many changes are working, said Chris Shortell, associate professor of political science at Portland State University. In another first for City Hall, Wilson and the incoming Council members were elected under Portland's new system of ranked-choice voting . A candidate would win if they were the first choice of more than 50% of voters in the first round. Otherwise, a second round would eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and their supporters’ votes go to their next choice. The process would repeat until someone emerges with a majority of votes. Some 34% of voters ranked Wilson as their first choice, according to final results. The new City Council will hold its first meeting in January.
TheMaryBurke: Revolutionizing Gaming Content! A New Era of Interactive StreamingAAP legislator Naresh Balyan was arrested here on Saturday in connection with an extortion case lodged last year, police said. The MLA from Delhi's Uttam Nagar Assembly segment was called to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch office in R K Puram for questioning and was later arrested, they said. The development came hours after the BJP alleged that Balyan was involved in extortion activities and questioned why AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has not taken action against him. The Aam Aadmi Party defended Balyan, claiming that his arrest was illegal. The MLA had refuted the BJP's allegations and said he would lodge police cases against those who "spread lies" about him. A police official said that an audio clip of a conversation purportedly between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan, currently based abroad, had gone viral on social media. The conversation involved discussions about collecting extortion money from businessmen, he said, adding further investigation and interrogation was underway. Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Leadership Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that since Kejriwal has started raising the issue of law and order and rising crime in Delhi, the BJP and the central government are "trying to harass and conspire against his party leaders". "Balyan has been arrested under this conspiracy and the charges against him are baseless," Singh claimed. "The BJP leaders have played a fake audio despite the High Court's order against it. Balyan himself complained to the police about multiple threats received by him from the gangster Kapil Sangwan," he claimed. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
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President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. RELATED STORY | Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are discussing tariffs. What should consumers expect? Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton. The Lakers also sent forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn on Sunday. Russell averaged a career-low 12.4 points for the Lakers this season in a diminished role under new coach JJ Redick, who had vowed to unlock the point guard’s formidable offensive game. Instead, Russell was removed from the starting lineup early in the season, and he struggled to make a consistent impact as a reserve, with his shooting percentages declining significantly. The 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith isn’t a top scorer, but he is a steady 3-and-D wing who fills an obvious need for the Lakers. Los Angeles has had inconsistent wing play and has lacked an effective defender at the key position during the long-term injury absence of Jarred Vanderbilt , who hasn’t played since Feb. 1. Finney-Smith averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds this season for the Nets, who acquired him from Dallas in the February 2023 in the trade of Kyrie Irving. Finney-Smith has been limited to five games this month by a sprained ankle and a bruised calf, but the 31-year-old played 27 minutes against San Antonio on Friday. RELATED COVERAGE Quotes on LeBron James, the NBA’s scoring king who turns 40 on Monday With LeBron James turning 40, a look at statistical NBA milestones at that age LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA’s all-time scoring leader Redick and Finney-Smith were teammates with the Mavericks during the 2020-21 season, and Redick has expressed admiration for Finney-Smith’s hard-nosed game. Milton is joining his sixth NBA team in less than two years, including his third trade in 11 months. He is averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 assists per game this season as a Nets reserve. Russell is being traded by the Lakers to the Nets for the second time in his career. He also made the move in 2017 after spending his first two NBA seasons with Los Angeles, which drafted him in 2015. Russell earned the only All-Star selection of his career during his two seasons in Brooklyn. Russell has been traded five times in the past 7 1/2 years. The 10-year pro excelled for the Lakers during their run to the 2023 Western Conference finals after returning to the team in February of that season, although he got benched during that final playoff series against Denver. Russell remained a fairly consistent scorer last year while setting a new franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season, but his career-long problems with offensive inconsistency and defensive ability kept him out of Redick’s plans this year. With Russell’s departure, Gabe Vincent is the only true point guard left in the Lakers’ rotation, although LeBron James often fills the role of initiating their offense. The Lakers (18-13) have won five of six heading into their visit from Cleveland on New Year’s Eve. The trade continues a roster restructuring by the Nets, who traded former Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to Golden State two weeks ago. Schröder was Brooklyn’s third-leading scorer, while Finney-Smith was its fourth-leading scorer. The Nets have been one of the NBA’s lowest-scoring teams this season, so Russell should have plenty of chances to make an offensive impact. Brooklyn has lost three of four heading into its road game against Orlando on Sunday. Russell’s $18.7 million contract expires this summer, while Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Lewis was the Lakers’ second-round pick in 2023, but he played in just 41 games over the past two seasons while shuttling to the G League. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBAThe Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) is getting a new operator and a makeover that will outfit NYC choppers’ home base with new infrastructure while improving the quality of life for New Yorkers , the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) said . Downtown Skyport — a joint venture between ground infrastructure company Skyports Infrastructure and airport designer Groupe ADP— is the new operator of the city-owned heliport following a “ competitive ” request for proposal process and public hearing , EDC officials said Monday . The change also includes plans to improve the heliport with a more modern take-off and landing process for new NYC choppers, reducing noise and improving air quality for neighboring New Yorkers. The centerpiece of the future heliport makeover is the new charging infrastructure to support incoming eVTOL air vehicles —short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft—powered by batteries. These devices hover in the sky like helicopters. “W ith their expertise in global transportation, Downtown Skyport is perfectly positioned to advance the Adams Administration’s vision of transforming DMH into a hub for cutting-edge mobility, ” said EDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. eVTOL aircraft will also help assist in that last-mile effort to bring maritime deliveries to shore. “B y integrating eVTOL technology, a quieter, greener alternative to traditional helicopters and facilitating maritime freight and last-mile deliveries, this initiative will not only reduce truck traffic but bring huge quality of life improvements for all New Yorkers, ” Kimball said. NASA experts describe other benefits of eVTOL as having the “ potential to transform air mobility across a wide range of government applications. ” In other words, eVTOL aircraft have the potential to assist in firefighting, public safety, disaster relief, law enforcement, and similar efforts in the future . Downtown Skyport will take over DMH’s management by early 2025. It will continue existing operations and upgrade the city-owned heliport to provide the supporting infrastructure. The target for completing the design and permitting process for the new charging infrastructure for eVTOL aircraft and last-mile maritime infrastructure is 2026. Cortney Koenig Worrall, president and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance, a coastal protection group, said eVTOL aircraft are good for the environment because they are a “ cleaner ” helicopter alternative. “B y transitioning to cleaner helicopter alternatives and expanding the Blue Highway, we can reduce truck traffic, decarbonize transportation, and strengthen water-based solutions that support a more sustainable and resilient future for New York City,” Koenig Worrall said. She said that eVTOL, by lessening carbon emissions, will make the revamped DMH a “significant step forward” for the city’s environment. “ The New York City blue economy plays a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and addressing supply chain challenges. The selection of Downtown Skyport to lead the next phase of operations at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport marks a significant step forward in the City’s commitment to blue economy innovation, ” Koenig Worrall added. Manhattan/Staten Island Assembly Member Charles Fall underscored the Waterfront Alliance’s sentiments that eVTOL technology will help make the city “ greener ” and and added that it will lessen the noise level from helicopters. “T he noise and environmental impact of the heliport have been long-standing concerns for our residents, and I’m proud to see NYCEDC take these steps toward a quieter, greener, and more innovative future, ” Fall said. “ I’m glad to have worked with them on this, and I’m excited to see how this transformation improves the quality of life for our neighbors while setting a new standard for sustainable transportation .”All-star Scottie Barnes returns to Raptors lineup vs. Timberwolves
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Updated Nov. 30 with confirmed details for U.S. and U.K. pricing and further addition of other Apple products. Black Friday is here. Which means the Apple Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping event has now gone live down under and have now rolled out in the U.K. and U.S. Here are all the details, for all products, including the Mac, which attracts the highest-value gift cards. One of the benefits of Apple’s system is that the shopping event continues to the end unlike price offers that suddenly sell out. Apple Shopping Event: The Dates And Deals The event runs from the moment midnight strikes on Friday, Nov. 29 through to the following Monday, Dec. 2 inclusive in your time zone. Instead of knocking money off its products, Apple’s technique is to provide a gift card that can be spent anywhere instore or online with Apple. So, if you’re planning to buy other stuff from Apple, it works out just as good as a discount. Apple Shopping Event: MacBook Air Offers Before we get to the iPhone and iPad, there are also gift cards available for those after a new Mac. Note that the latest releases, that is the iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac mini are not included in the shopping event, which leaves just the MacBook Air. Here’s what’s on offer. The most affordable model in the shopping event is the MacBook Air 13-inch with M2 chip. It sells for $999 and up. You’ll score a $150 gift card if you buy this laptop, or a £120 gift card in the U.K. or A$240 gift card in Australia. Move up to the most recent MacBook Airs and there are bigger-value gift cards on offer. Get a $175 gift card, or £140 card or A$280 gift card if you buy the MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 processor, which costs $1,099 or more. There’s also the MacBook Air 15-inch model. If you buy this, which costs from $1,299, you’ll snag a $200 gift card, or a £160 gift card in the U.K. and A$320 down under. Other products attracting gift cards include the HomePod (not the HomePod mini) which sells for $299. Grab a gift card worth $50, £40 or A$80 in Australia. Apple TV 4K costs from $129 and comes with a $25 gift card, or £20 in the U.K., which means an A$80 card in Australia. You can also claim a gift card worth $25, £20 or A$40 in Australia with either the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil 2nd generation, both of which cost $129. Apple Shopping Event: iPhone Offers Buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 14 or iPhone SE, means it will come with a gift card. In Australia, Apple says that you can snag a gift card of A$120 with an iPhone 15, while an iPhone 14 comes with a gift card worth A$80. The most affordable iPhone, the latest iPhone SE, comes with a A$40 gift card. In the U.S., this means you’re eligible for a gift card worth $75 if you buy an iPhone 15, which costs $699 for the model with 128GB storage, $50 gift card with iPhone 14 ($599 and up) and $25 with an iPhone SE, which costs $429. In the U.K., it’s now confirmed that a £60 gift card is on offer with iPhone 15, £40 gift card with iPhone 14 and £20 card with the iPhone SE. Apple Shopping Event: iPad Offers A bigger Apple gift card is available when you buy an iPad, specifically, an iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad (10th generation). In Australia, the iPad 10 th generation attracts a A$80 gift card, iPad Air A$120 and iPad Pro A$160. In the U.S. that means a $50 gift card with iPad 10 th generation, $75 with iPad Air and $100 gift card with iPad Pro. Across the pond in the U.K., you can snag a £40 gift card with the iPad 10 th generation, £60 card with iPad Air and £80 gift card with iPad Pro. Other Apple Products As for other Apple products which now attract gift cards, the Apple Watch SE which costs from $249 in the U.S. comes with a $50 gift card—in the U.K. the £219 price for the smaller-sized SE gets a £40 gift card with it. AirPods Max cost $549 but you can score a $75 gift card with a purchase, and in the U.K. the £499 Max come with a £60 gift card. AirPods Pro 2 cost $249 (£239 in the U.K.) and come with a $50 or £40 gift card, respectively. And the new AirPods 4 get a $25 or £20 gift card. Pricing starts from $129 and £129.