Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges
N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson was named head coach at Marshall on Sunday, shortly after Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff’s hiring was announced at Southern Miss. Gibson, 52, will take his first head-coaching job in college and return to his home state, where he served two stints at West Virginia over the past two decades. The terms of Gibson’s deal were not immediately disclosed. “We could not be happier to welcome Tony Gibson home as our 32nd head coach at Marshall University,” school President Brad Smith said in a statement. “Coach Gibson has led some of the top programs on the national level, but in the end, his heart desired to return to the mountains from which he came.” Gibson’s hiring was announced less than an hour after Huff was named coach at Southern Miss. Huff coached Marshall to a 31-3 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt championship game on Saturday night. Marshall (10-3) won seven straight games for its first 10-win season since 2015. Gibson coached defensive backs at West Virginia under Rich Rodriguez from 2001 to 2007. He returned in 2013 under Dana Holgorsen as safeties coach, then became defensive coordinator a year later and stayed until Holgorsen left at the end of the 2018 season. Gibson spent six seasons at N.C. State. He had other assistant coaching stints at Pitt and under Rodriguez at Michigan and Arizona. N.C. State’s defense ranked near the bottom of the ACC this season, allowing 30.5 points and 385 yards per game. The Wolfpack’s best season under Gibson was in 2022, when it tied with Louisville for the fewest points allowed at 19.2 per game and was second in yards allowed at 327. “My family and I are excited to start this journey, but we all thank you for your support and the wonderful memories,” Gibson wrote to the N.C. State community in a post Sunday on the social media platform X. Gibson, who is from Van, West Virginia, graduated in 1994 from Glenville State, where he played defensive back. “We have recruited a proven coach that aspires to be at Marshall and to sustain the success we have come to appreciate and expect,” athletic director Christian Spears said in the statement. “We can’t wait to get started with him and his staff.” One of Gibson’s first tasks will be replenishing Marshall’s roster. The Thundering Herd signed only 11 recruits in the recent early signing period.None
Suspect in killing of CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse
The Liberal government is pulling out the federal wallet to put more money into people’s pockets over the holidays, but its recently announced affordability measures create winners and losers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that the federal government will remove the goods and services tax on a slew of items for two months, starting Dec. 14. But in provinces where the provincial and federal sales taxes are blended together into a harmonized sales tax, Canadians will get a larger break. The federal government also plans to send $250 cheques to Canadians who were working in 2023 and earned up to $150,000. That means Canadians who were not working in 2023, including those who were receiving social assistance or were in retirement, will not be sent a cheque in April. In the House of Commons on Friday, NDP MP Peter Julian called the government out for not including Canadians with fixed incomes. “Why are Liberals excluding seniors and people with disabilities from the real help they need this holiday season? Why won’t Liberals help them, too?” Julian asked during question period. At a news conference on Friday, Trudeau said that the federal government has already stepped up to help the most vulnerable Canadians and that it is now time to give a hand to workers. “Over the past number of years, we have been extraordinarily present in helping the most vulnerable Canadians,” Trudeau said, mentioning the boost to old-age security for seniors aged 75 and older and the Canada Child Benefit. “But as I travel across the country, I do regularly hear from working Canadians who are having trouble making ends meet, but saying, ‘look, I don’t have kids. I’m not a senior yet, and I’m facing challenges.’” The GST break, which is expected to cost the federal government $1.6 billion, will apply to a number of items including children’s clothing and shoes, toys, diapers, restaurant meals and beer and wine. It also applies to Christmas trees — both natural and artificial — along with a variety of snack foods and beverages, and video game consoles. Meanwhile, 18.7 million people will receive a check this spring, costing the government about $4.7 billion.
Horizon Kinetics CEO Murray Stahl buys $546 in common stockAn American University professor quoted in a recently published Star article labeled Kari Lake a "flawed candidate." That is fictitious logic by an egotistically bloated, politically biased academic. In reality, the flawed candidate was Ruben Gallego, who outspent his opponent over 2 to 1 to eke out a slim electoral victory. This 2 to 1 figure does not include the millions of dollars of in-kind contributions provided Gallego by fawning, biased, DNC gravitating media outlets. Clearly, the cost per vote for Gallego far exceeded that spent by Kari Lake. If Lake is so flawed, how come she accomplished so much with so little? Rich Wiersma Catalina Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star. Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
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What is on the mind of an apartment owner who rents a 70 sq.m. flat, in an old building in Athens’ central Pangrati district, for 800 euros? It is renovated, but it is squeezed in a narrow street, with a tiny balcony. It is not the only egregious example. Dozens of such ads for rentals are published daily or recycled in groups with desperate people looking for an apartment and telling their stories. Eurostat data summarize this unbearable socioeconomic reality: Greeks pay, on average, 37% of their income on housing, the highest percentage in the EU. In cities, they pay over 40%. The government attempts to intervene with moderate housing programs. However, in the meetings between the two sides, the owners and the renters, logic seems to have been abandoned. So, apart from the facts (that low wages are not balanced by existing tax cuts) and the inevitable domino effect (one problem affects the other), there are also the absurd demands that appear daily. Obviously, the owners also have their own arguments: Collecting rent often contributes to a low pension or limited finances. Still, ruthless exploitation cannot become a synonym for “utilizing” an asset. Furthermore, the Greek stock of properties for sale or rent is old, with their average age exceeding 40 years. It is not only the purchase and rental market in Greece that is unregulated, but also the behavior of the owners. Negotiations with potential renters do not obey any rules, but only the mentality of “take it or leave it.” The network of causes that connects and influences the issue of housing is complicated – it starts with tax evasion and ends with meager salaries. Once again, the extended family is called upon to fill the gaps, to weave a safety net for its younger members, to grant or share housing. The consequences for the balance of this social ecosystem are obvious. Within this complex reality, in addition to the lack of housing offered for rent or purchase, another element emerges: the surge of blind self-interest, a product of the most solid individualism, that is not only strengthened by poverty but also by the unaccountability of Greek society.
California native Dr. Henry Aryan is a board-certified neurosurgeon. He completed a fellowship in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of complex spinal disorders and neurospinal oncology at UC San Francisco Medical Center's neurosurgery and orthopedics departments. The Golden State-born doctor received his undergraduate degree in cybernetics with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles. He then studied at UC Irvine, completing his neurosurgery residency at nearby UC San Diego, before embarking on his fellowship at UC San Francisco Medical Center. In the years since, he has excelled as an innovator, contributing massively to the increasingly technology-forward spinal surgery field. That includes filing a number of cutting-edge device patents and authoring dozens of medical textbooks and other pivotal written works. Cutting-Edge Device Patents Dr. Henry Aryan has secured multiple device patents during his career and has authored numerous highly regarded medical texts, several of which have close ties to his patent innovations. His work in correcting spinal deformities and treating trauma-related spine conditions have been pivotal in advancing neurosurgical innovations and vastly improving patient outcomes. Among Dr. Aryan's patents are the apparatus and method for facilitating intervertebral arthrodesis and disc space preparation to treat spinal degenerative disease. The neurosurgeon specializes in complex spine surgery, including surgery for spinal tumors, minimally invasive spine surgery, artificial disc placement, and spinal radiosurgery. A passionate innovator, he also specializes in breakthrough robotic-guided spine surgery. Also known as robot-assisted spine surgery, the pioneering surgical procedure uses robotic technology to help surgeons perform spinal procedures with greater-than-ever precision and control. Innovation in Medicine As a leading neurosurgeon, Dr. Henry Aryan routinely performs various increasingly innovative patient outcome-focused procedures. Examples include anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, microdiscectomy, laminectomy, and spinal-instrumented fusion of the cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spine. He's also an authority on ALIF, TLIF, and XLIF lumbar fusion techniques. His work has seen him invited into numerous national and international professional organizations and societies. That includes his appointment as Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at UC San Francisco. The number of peer-reviewed publications authored by the clinical professor, surgical innovator, and medical patent holder now tops 75. Elsewhere, the California-based board-certified neurosurgeon is a highly regarded member of the International Neurosurgery Children's Association and the International Spine & Brain Foundation. These two vital charitable organizations provide much-needed free pediatric neurosurgical care in countries worldwide. *The San Francisco Examiner newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards on Thursday in Greenvale, N.Y. Heather Khalifa/Associated Press WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, said he can’t guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers, and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect’s interview also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning that “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: HEMS ON WHETHER TRADE PENALTIES COULD RAISE PROCES Trump has threatened broad trade penalties but said he didn’t believe economists’ predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. households won’t be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That’s a different approach from Trump’s typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are “going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. SUGGESTS RETRIBUTION WHILE CLAIMING NO INTEREST IN VENGEANCE The president-elect offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning the election, despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot of his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. He underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that.” (T he nation’s chief law enforcement officer is the U.S. attorney general, not the president.) At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it. ... So was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his second pick to be attorney general: “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump’s inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is reportedly considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” SWIFT ACTION ON IMMIGRATION IS COMING Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens – although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back” – suggesting he would send U.S. citizens “back” to the country of their parents’ birth. COMMITS TO NATO (WITH CONDITIONS), WAFFLES ON PUTIN Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance – “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate cease-fire in the conflict. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” FED’S POWELL IS SAFE, BUT NOT FBI’S WRAY The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell’s term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any such assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump’s pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? ‘Somebody’ is the man that you’re talking about.” ABSOLUTE ON SOCIAL SECURITY, NOT SO MUCH ON ABORTION AND INSURANCE Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We’re not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said, adding that “we’re not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit, I mean, are – things do – things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts of a plan” to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. But he did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo, or how he could deliver on his promise to create “better health care for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. 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 . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury convicted two men on Friday of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida, were part of a sophisticated illegal operation that has brought increasing numbers of Indians into the U.S., prosecutors said. They were each convicted on four counts related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the country illegally. “This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and of those criminal organizations that value profit and greed over humanity,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said. “To earn a few thousand dollars, these traffickers put men, women and children in extraordinary peril leading to the horrific and tragic deaths of an entire family. Because of this unimaginable greed, a father, a mother and two children froze to death in sub-zero temperatures on the Minnesota-Canadian border,” Luger added. The most serious counts carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Associated Press before the trial. But federal sentencing guidelines rely on complicated formulas. Luger said Friday that various factors will be considered. in determining what sentences prosecutors will recommend. Federal prosecutors said 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son, Dharmik, froze to death Jan. 19, 2022, while trying to cross the border into Minnesota in a scheme Patel and Shand organized. Patel is a common Indian surname, and the victims were not related to Harshkumar Patel. The couple were schoolteachers, local news reports said. The family was fairly well off by local standards, living in a well-kept, two-story house with a front patio and a wide veranda. Experts say illegal immigration from India is driven by everything from political repression to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to navigate legally. Much is rooted in economics and how even low-wage jobs in the West can ignite hopes for a better life. Before the jury’s conviction on Friday, the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, saw testimony from an alleged participant in the smuggling ring, a survivor of the treacherous journey across the northern border, border patrol agents and forensic experts. Defense attorneys were pitted against each other, with Shand’s team arguing that he was unwittingly roped into the scheme by Patel. Patel’s lawyers, The Canadian Press reported , said their client had been misidentified. They said “Dirty Hary,” the alleged nickname for Patel found in Shand’s phone, is a different person. Bank records and witness testimony from those who encountered Shand near the border didn’t tie him to the crime, they added. Prosecutors said Patel coordinated the operation while Shand was a driver. Shand was to pick up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, prosecutors said. Only seven survived the foot crossing. Canadian authorities found the Patel family later that morning, dead from the cold. The trial included an inside account of how the international smuggling ring allegedly works and who it targets. Rajinder Singh, 51, testified that he made over $400,000 smuggling over 500 people through the same network that included Patel and Shand. Singh said most of the people he smuggled came from Gujarat state. He said the migrants would often pay smugglers about $100,000 to get them from India to the U.S., where they would work to pay off their debts at low-wage jobs in cities around the country. Singh said the smugglers would run their finances through “hawala,” an informal money transfer system that relies on trust. The pipeline of illegal immigration from India has long existed but has increased sharply along the U.S.-Canada border. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border in the year ending Sept. 30, which amounted to 60% of all arrests along that border and more than 10 times the number two years ago. By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates more than 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Jamie Holt, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said the case is a stark reminder of the realities victims of human smuggling face. “Human smuggling is a vile crime that preys on the most vulnerable, exploiting their desperation and dreams for a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering endured by this family is unimaginable and it is our duty to ensure that such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.” One juror Kevin Paul, of Clearwater, Minnesota, told reporters afterward that it was hard for the jurors to see the pictures of the family’s bodies. He said he grew up in North Dakota and is familiar with the kind of conditions that led to their deaths. “It’s pretty brutal,” Paul said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.” Goldberg reported from Minneapolis.Max Stock Limited: Immediate report of changes to interested party holdings
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2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border