If you know someone who lives and breathes travel, there are so many chic and functional gift options to choose from. Whether they're always headed out on a weekend trip or are no stranger to an international excursion , you can't go wrong with gifting them something that'll make jet-setting off to a new destination easier or more enjoyable. Ahead, we curated a list of gifts for travel lovers, ranging from tried-and-true staples like packing cubes and document organizers to luxe items like a carry-on suitcase to a trendy tumbler that they might not have been willing to splurge on for themselves (but will love as a gift). Keep reading to check them all out, but be warned: you might fall in love with one or two for your own future travels. — Additional reporting by Kelsey Garcia You Can Still Shop Cyber Monday Luggage Deals That Are Editor-Approved Best Suitcase Gift For Travelers Monos Carry-On ($320) For the traveler in your life who always insists on taking a carry-on no matter what, might we suggest this option? Monos suitcases glide effortlessly and look great while on the go. We especially like this banana yellow shade, which is unexpected and will certainly help prevent any incidents of mistaken luggage. Best Tech Gift For Travelers Twelve South AirFly SE Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter Receiver ($30, originally $35) You've likely already seen it on TikTok, and if the traveler in your life doesn't already have it, chances are they want it. This nifty doohickey makes it so that flyers with AirPods or wireless headphones can still connect to in-flight entertainment systems. What will they think of next? Best Gift For Preventing Lost Baggage Apple AirTag 4-Pack ($73, originally $99) This is a smart investment for the frequent traveler, especially those who've dealt with lost luggage in the past. They'll be able to track their bags throughout their travels using the Find My app on their iPhone to make sure their checked luggage is safe and sound. For more details, read our Apple AirTag review . Editor Quote: "When we landed, I was able to see one of the Apple Airtags immediately at our airport, which gave me peace of mind knowing the others would follow shortly, which they did. They're affordable and easy to use; I'll be taking them with me on every trip." — India Yaffe, former associate editor, Shopping Best Packing Cubes Gift Away The Insider Packing Cubes ($45) Packing cubes are a must for seasoned travelers. This packing cube set from Away helps keep clothes tidy, compact, and easier to find once you arrive at your destination (especially if you sort packing cubes by clothing item, which we recommend doing). Plus, there are over ten colors to choose from! Best Weekender Gift Paravel Weekender ($325) This durable weekender bag is equal parts stylish and functional. It's spacious, meant to fit a few days worth of clothing, as well as a toiletry bag and laptop. One PS editor described it as her travel staple . Editor Quote: "Even though the bag itself appears compact, it actually has a ton of space inside. I can fit electronics, multiple cosmetic bags, and any other extras I want readily available with plenty of space to spare." — Macy Cate Williams, former content director, Shopping Best Travel Pillow Gift Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow ($69) Ensure the frequent traveler in your life is comfortable on their flight with this neck pillow, which received a rave review from one PS editor. For further convincing, check out our complete review of the Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow . Editor Quote: "What if I told you that I discovered the ultimate traveling must have that will upgrade your flight experience without having to spend hundreds of dollars? Leave the days of stiff necks behind you." — Indira Diaz, former social strategy coordinator Best Gift For Organized Travelers Cadence Travel Containers ($138) These magnetic, leak-proof, and TSA-approved containers were born to simplify the process of transporting beauty products, pills, and other everyday staples when you're traveling. Still not convinced? Read our review of the Cadence travel case system . Editor Quote: "While using them for my traditional liquids was helpful, it went beyond just that. I started using the capsules for vitamins, jewelry, and even hand lotion. This meant my bag was suddenly filled with far fewer little bottles and baggies and just a handful of these tiny pods." — Krista Jones, former editor, Shopping 7 Nail Strengtheners For Long, Healthy Nails Best Body Care Travel Gift Nécessaire The Body Essentials Trial + Travel Set ($35) The body care brand Nécessaire has developed quite a cult following in recent years. And while any of their products make for a great gift this holiday season, this trial set is perfect for travelers who prefer to forgo the hotel bar soap and bring their own products with them. And since flying can be so dehydrating, the lotion and serum will be especially appreciated. Best Gift For Travelers With Pets Maxbone Global Citizen Pet Carrier Bag ($325) If they're a new dog parent, they'll be delighted to receive this chic carrier that's spacious yet compact enough for easy traveling. Read our complete review of the Maxbone Global Citizen Pet Carrier Bag . Editor Quote: "Its airline-approved size fits under the plane seats (and the top edges can smoosh down as needed), and my 13-pound dog was able to turn around with no problems with space to spare for a toy and a bone, too." — Morgan Ashley Parker, former contributing editor, Shopping Best Gift For the Business Tripper Mark & Graham Essential Tech Folio ($139-$159) This sleek folio keeps electronic devices and chargers neat and tidy. You can even add a monogram to the front for an extra-special touch. Plus, there are plenty of aesthetic options between various color combinations and monogram style. Best Hydration Gift For Travelers Stanley The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler ($45) If they don't already own the ultra-trendy (and TikTok-famous) tumbler , it might just become one of their favorite gifts of the season. It comes in four colors, is dishwasher safe, and boasts an ergonomic, comfortable handle. Best Passport Cover Gift Leatherology Deluxe Passport Cover ($70) There's something so special about a personalized gift, which is why this passport cover earns a spot on our list. It comes in over ten different leather colors and can be monogrammed with their initials in your text style of choice. Best Toiletry Bag Gift For Travelers Calpak Large Clear Cosmetics Case ($62, originally $95) This clear cosmetic case features two spacious zippered compartments that'll store even the most extensive beauty regimens. It comes in this fun papaya color as well as over 15 other colors, so there's something for everyone. Kelsey Garcia (she/her) is the associate content director of PS Balance, where she oversees lifestyle coverage, from relationships to parenting to financial wellness. Kelsey is passionate about travel, dating trends, and changes in the workplace. Before joining the PS team as an editorial assistant in 2015, she interned at Elle and Harper's Bazaar, among other publications. Marisa Petrarca (she/her) is a contributing editor for PS Shopping and has over seven years of experience writing and editing beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content. She was previously the senior beauty editor at Grazia USA and the style and beauty editor at Us Weekly. Now freelancing, her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Allure, Marie Claire, and more.
Coimbatore round upGoogle's US antitrust trial over online ad empire draws to a close - Yahoo Canada Finance
Social Don't miss out on the headlines from Social. Followed categories will be added to My News. Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to an inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump — a perhaps surprising move given the pair’s rocky past. The tech giant’s billionaire CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, dined with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago resort in November, as he tried to patch up relationship with the 78-year-old following the election. The Republican previously was highly critical of Mr Zuckerberg and Facebook – calling the platform “anti-Trump” in 2017. It is understood Meta didn’t make similar donations to President Joe Biden’s inaugural fund in 2020 or to Trump’s previous inaugural fund in 2016. The company confirmed its million-dollar donation to the inaugural fund to US media on Wednesday. While it sounds like a lot of money to the everyman, $1 million is pocket change for Mr Zuckerberg who is worth $214 billion personally and whose company Meta is worth $1.59 trillion. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Picture: AFP MORE: Ivanka reveals ‘hurtful toll’ behind Trump snub Inauguration funds are used to pay for events and activities when a new president takes office — although many see them as attempts to win influence with the new administration. Mr Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US president on 20 January. A rocky past It has been far from smooth sailing between Mr Trump and Mr Zuckerberg in recent years. Things went even further south when Facebook and Instagram suspended the former president’s accounts in 2021, after they said he praised those engaged in violence at the Capitol riot on 6 January. Since then, Mr Trump has slammed Meta – calling Facebook an “enemy of the people” in March. He also said this year that a law banning TikTok in the US would unfairly benefit Facebook. In August, Mr Zuckerberg told Republican politicians in a letter that he regretted bowing to pressure from the Biden administration to “censor” some Facebook and Instagram content during the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Trump will be sworn in next month. Mr Trump wrote in a book published in September that Mr Zuckerberg would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to intervene in the 2024 election. But the president-elect appears to have changed his tune in recent months. He told a podcast in October it was “nice” Mr Zuckerberg was “staying out of the election”, and thanked him for a personal phone call after he faced an assassination attempt. However, there’s a clear favourite for Mr Trump when it comes to tech billionaires — with Elon Musk positioning himself as the president-elect’s ‘first buddy’ because of his extensive donations to his election campaign. The bromance was so strong, it led to Mr Musk being placed in charge of a new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). So if Mr Zuckerberg is trying to impress he might have to dig a little deeper into those pockets. More Coverage Dad, stepmum did unimaginable to girl, 10 Ed Southgate – The Sun TV legend’s bizarre porn mag collection Annette Sharp Originally published as Zuckerberg’s surprising $1m Trump move Read related topics: Donald Trump More related stories Technology How Labor will punish tech giants who don’t pay up The federal government has unveiled its proposal to force tech giants to pay for Australian journalism or risk harsh penalties. See how it affects you. Read more Social ‘Sl*t’: Moment teen model unleashed on mum Court documents reveal what went on at a ritzy Sydney apartment that saw Paris Ow-Yang charged with assault. Read more
NEW YORK – Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement. Recommended Videos In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Greg Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness. “A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show, “The NFL Today” from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season.
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Syria's new authorities say they've secured the release of an American pilgrim imprisoned by AssadMysterious aircraft sightings have been reported around New Jersey lately. The incidents have fueled theories, including that Iran may have launched the systems from a ship. Iran does have drone-carrying vessels, but satellite images show they're far from the US right now. Newly captured satellite imagery shows that Iran's drone carriers are off its southern coast, thousands of miles away from the eastern United States. The images back up the Pentagon's refutation of a New Jersey lawmaker who suggested that one of the Iranian ships was operating nearby and responsible for the rash of reported drone sightings in the congressman's state lately. An image captured on Thursday by Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite-imagery operation, and obtained by Business Insider shows three Iranian vessels that were modified to carry drones in the Persian Gulf off the southern coast of Iran. Iran's drone ships aren't anywhere near the US. There's been significant hysteria surrounding developments in New Jersey, with some misidentifying crewed aircraft as drones. That doesn't, however, mean the US doesn't have a drone problem. The military has been increasingly concerned about the threat posed by drones, which lower the barrier to entry for surveillance and attack operations, as has been seen in global conflicts and a range of incidents in the US. Since mid-November, dozens of suspected drones have been spotted at night flying over New Jersey, including near several military installations, raising concern among civilians and state officials and drawing comparisons to similar incidents in other areas. US Northern Command said it was "aware and monitoring the reports of unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey," including near the Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle. A drone swarm was also observed off the Jersey coast, and have also detailed incidents around critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs and train stations. The Pentagon has assessed that the drones don't appear to be the work of a foreign adversary or entity, but there doesn't yet appear to be any explanation for the mysterious incidents. John Kirby, a White House National Security Council spokesperson, said the US had "no evidence" that the reported drone sightings were a national security or public safety threat. He added that the government hadn't been able to confirm the reported visual sightings and that some suspected drones were crewed aircraft operating lawfully. Amid the confusion about the drones, which have been described as bigger than hobbyist drones and able to avoid detection, a theory about the reported drones emerged from Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who, citing "very high sources," said these drones were linked to an Iranian mothership. "Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones," the Republican congressman told on Wednesday, adding that "it's off the east coast of the United States of America." He said that "they've launched drones." The Pentagon challenged that theory, saying that "there is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States." Iran has turned several container ships into militarized drone carriers in recent years. Satellite imagery disclosed that the newest of the vessels, the Shahid Bagheri, had by the end of November. There was some speculation the ship was off to sea trials. accounts to Iranian coastal waters as recently as Wednesday. The new satellite images BI obtained show the vessels were still there as of Thursday, contradicting Van Drew's claims. He doubled down on Thursday, saying drones could have been launched from hundreds of miles out at sea. The congressman stressed that the drones could be from another adversarial country such as China. "Here's the deal," Van Drews said. "They don't know what it is. They don't know what it's about. They haven't taken one down to analyze it. They have no idea where it came from." "We are not being told the truth," he said. The congressman has said the drones should be shot down. There are real challenges, though, to employing some sort of kinetic or electronic-warfare countermeasures in civilian areas. The military has been grappling with this issue. The reported New Jersey incidents aren't a new phenomenon. They follow other mysterious drone sightings, some in the US and overseas, such as Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and RAF Lakenheath in the UK, which hosts American forces and aircraft. Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of Northcom and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said in October that there had been hundreds of drones reported flying over US military installations in recent years. The general, according to on the roundtable discussion, said many might be hobbyists, but he also said the drone threat and the need to counter it were "growing faster" than the military could react to from a policy and procedure standpoint. The Pentagon recently announced a to address the growing threat posed by uncrewed systems operating over American soil and abroad to US installations and troops. The priority is figuring out . "The Department is mitigating the potential negative effects of unmanned systems on US forces, assets, and installations — at home and abroad. A critical portion of our efforts, particularly in the near-term, comes from improving our defenses, with an emphasis on detection as well as active and passive defenses. The Department will ensure our forces and priority installations have protection," the Pentagon said in a fact sheet. While US officials have said there's no clear link between the New Jersey incidents and America's adversaries right now, the developments still highlight concerns over the national security implications of drone incursions. Just this week, for instance, federal investigators said a Chinese citizen residing in the US was arrested while preparing to board a China-bound flight after being accused of Space Force Base in California. Read the original article on
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I don’t fault President Joe Biden for pardoning his son Hunter. That’s why parents aren’t allowed to negotiate with terrorists. Parents would give away the nuclear codes to help a child who is facing an execution. Others may die because parents give millions of dollars to save a child held by a terrorist, but a parent can’t see the consequences of their actions. They are singly focused on saving their own child. Biden did the same thing for his child in a way. Facing certain jail time, Hunter Biden was not a hostage, but he was found guilty of several federal crimes. Maybe a president should not have the power to pardon his or her own family, but to change that would take a Constitutional amendment. In his statement giving Hunter Biden a pardon for every federal offense known or unknown between Jan. 1, 2014 and now, President Biden said, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice ...” If Biden believes the system has been infected by politics, then why can’t Donald Trump make the same claim? Since Biden appointed the leadership of the Department of Justice, it’s hard to say just how politics infected the process. Hunter Biden’s infractions would be prosecuted if anyone else did the same things he did. That cannot be said about Trump. The charges against him are what legal experts call “novel.” What they mean by that is these cases have never been presented against anyone before under creative charges and interpretations of the law. The two New York cases, one civil and one criminal, would never be charged against anyone else but Trump. The civil case didn’t even have a plaintiff. No one claimed Trump harmed them by claiming what his properties were worth. The banks that loaned him money were all repaid with interest and were willing to do additional loans to the Trump organization. But Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, ran for office claiming she would find something to charge against Trump. They dug. And dug. And dug. And the best they could find was how Trump valued his properties on loans. Those same papers told the lenders they should seek their own appraisals. The New York court rejected expert testimony that stated Trump’s company kept very good records and that the valuations were completely legitimate. The expert witness was not some Trump insider. The witness had testified in multiple white-collar cases in the same courtroom, and his testimony was the basis for several other rulings. But not this one. All of a sudden his testimony was biased. The result was a record-shattering, unprecedented $350 million fine. When the State of New York brings a case against someone without a plaintiff, without a victim, without precedent for any case very being brought, then it is safe to say that “raw politics” have infected the process. In the criminal case against Trump, District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who also ran on a platform that he would get Trump, created a charge of Trump misfiling a legal expense to Stormy Daniels even though the statute of limitations had run out on the case, and he used a “novel” claim that Trump did this to benefit his run for office, even though he was already president when the non-disclosure arrangement was legally made, so he could turn a misdemeanor into a felony, and then he duplicated the charge 37 times. Again, it is clear this was “raw politics” infecting the process. Trump maintained his innocence, but a jury in the deep blue district found him guilty, giving the Democrats what they wanted – Trump was a convicted felon. It’s not clear at all whether or not those charges are going to stick. Judge Merchan has granted the Trump defense team a motion to have the charges and the conviction tossed, and even if he eventually denies the motion, it is almost assured that the appellate court will vacate the case. To this day I still have online exchanges with those who refer to the re-elected president as “convicted felon Donald Trump.” Justice has nothing to do with either of these judgments. Hunter Biden’s convictions for very clear violations of federal law, however, were only skewed in Hunter’s favor. The prosecutor first tried to get Hunter’s charges dismissed in a plea agreement that the judge had never heard before. The DOJ eventually exposed that the wrap on the wrist didn’t apply to all charges, and that led Hunter’s team to withdraw their agreement to pleading guilty to lesser charges. Did politics come into play? Sure, but in Trump’s case it was against him, and in Hunter’s case it was for him. The problem is the Justice Department now has two presidents claiming politics have infected the pursuit of justice. Like any parent, Biden doesn’t care about the fallout. He only wants his son to be protected from jail time. And he made Trump’s case that the system is rigged for the politically connected and against everyday people. Trump is appointing people to rid these departments of the abusers while keeping the legitimate agents who truly seek justice. Trump could not have had a better example than what Biden just did and how he justified his pardon. Trump believes others have been maliciously prosecuted for political reasons including many who were involved in a riot at the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021. Much like Bragg’s attempt to pile on a misdemeanor and turn it into a felony, Biden’s Department of Justice sought to turn a riot into an insurrection. And they went hard after anyone and everyone they could who was even standing outside that day. Trump has stated that he would pardon what he called “political prisoners” when he ran for re-election. And he still won the Electoral College and the popular vote. Now he has the endorsement of Biden to do it and under the exact same circumstances Biden used – raw politics have infected the process. Earl Watt is the owner and publisher of the Leader & Times in Liberal. Watt started his career in journalism in 1991 at the Southwest Daily Times. During his career, the newspaper has won a total of 17 Sweepstakes awards from the Kansas Press Association for editorial content and 18 Sweepstakes awards for advertising. Watt has been recognized with more than 70 first place awards for writing in categories from sports and column to best front pages, best sports pages and best opinion pages. Watt is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and is the descendant of several patriots who fought for America’s freedom and independence.( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matador Technologies Inc. (“ Matador ” or the“ Company ”) wishes to issue a correction related to its previously announced press release dated December 12, 2024, (the " Release ") in which the Company indicated it is focusing on digitizing real-world assets on the bitcoin blockchain, and strategically deploying Bitcoin into other high potential projects building on top of the Bitcoin network. While Matador believes in the potential of utilizing blockchain for data management, scalability, and to incentivize young buyers to participate in the gold market, it has no definitive plans to adopt digitized assets in its service offerings or build on top of the Bitcoin network at this present time, other than in its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold. Matador's focus at the present time remains the development of its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold, as disclosed in its filing statement dated November 29, 2024, (the " Filing Statement ") which continues to be on target for launch in early 2025. At current, the Company plans to incorporate blockchain-based data management technologies in the development of its proprietary application in order to enhance transparency and security, and ensure that transaction data is immutable, easily auditable, and decentralized, to protect against tampering and unauthorized access. To the extent that Matador determines to implement other operations related to Bitcoin or other blockchain technologies, such operations will be subject to the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable regulatory approvals. The Release contains statements attributed to Sunny Ray and Deven Soni, and the 'About Matador' section, which are inconsistent with the business description of Matador as disclosed to the TSX Venture Exchange and as outlined in the Filing Statement. While the Company remains excited for future potential prospects associated with the Bitcoin ecosystem, Matador is currently focused solely upon its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold. For greater certainty, the following section is to replace the 'About Matador' section in the Release: About Matador Technologies Inc. The Company was incorporated under the ABCA on November 1, 2021, and its registered and head office are located at 40 King St. West, Suite 2400, P.O. Box #215, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3Y2. The Company aims to democratize the gold buying experience, combining the best of modern technology and time-proven assets, to create an app that will allow users to buy, sell, and store gold 24/7, with the added security and flexibility of an encrypted mobile application. For additional information, please contact: Matador Investor Relations Contact: Sunny Ray E: ...ork P: 647.297.4760 Connect with Matador: Website | Linkedin | Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements relating to whether or not the Company engages in any future operations related to Bitcoin Ordinals or other blockchain technologies, and other statements that are not historical facts. Wherever possible, words such as“may”,“will”,“should”,“could”,“expect”,“plan”,“intend”,“anticipate”,“believe”,“estimate”,“predict” or“potential” or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions, including regulatory approvals and the availability of financing. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. MENAFN12122024004107003653ID1108988672 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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DAMASCUS, Syria — An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system was suddenly discovered Thursday outside Damascus after being released and handed over to rebel forces, Syria’s new authorities said. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assad’s government, said the group had secured the release of U.S. citizen Travis Timmerman. In interviews with media in Syria, Timmerman said he was imprisoned after crossing from Lebanon into Syria on a Christian pilgrimage. He appeared to be among the thousands of people released from Syria's sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. “We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime,” the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. As footage emerged online Thursday of Timmerman, looking disheveled and disoriented as rebels led him out of a family's home near Damascus, some initially mistook him for Tice. In the video, Timmerman could be seen lying on a mattress under a blanket. A group of men in the video said that he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. A Syrian family told The Associated Press they found Timmerman barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. He appeared cold and hungry, so they brought him back to their home. “I fed him and called a doctor,” said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. Al-Rifai said it was hard to communicate because of the language barrier but it seemed Timmerman had been held by an internal security agency. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the family’s house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, said he met Timmerman at the house and arranged for a car to take him to Damascus, where the new authorities gave the ex-detainee food and water and brought him clothes and shoes. Timmerman had lice in his long, unkempt hair, Mostafa said, and reported walking for 13 miles barefoot before being discovered. Timmerman — now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities — was planning to get to Jordan after his release to obtain a new passport, Mostafa said. Earlier this year, a Missouri State Highway Patrol bulletin identified him as “Pete Travis Timmerman,” 29, and said he had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for “Travis Pete Timmerman,” saying he was last seen at a church in Hungary’s capital, Budapest. Authorities in Missouri and Hungary had shared photos of a young man who strongly resembles the ex-prisoner who identified himself as “Travis Timmerman" in interviews with international news outlets on Thursday. Missouri court records indicate Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles north of Springfield. A graduation list from Missouri State University shows he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in the spring of 2017. Timmerman’s mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told National Public Radio that he returned home to Urbana after working in Chicago for a couple of years. He then left for Budapest with the goal of writing about his Christian faith and helping people, she said. Timmerman had warned her, she added, that his travels might make communication difficult. After losing contact with him during his stay in Hungary, Gardiner later learned that her son had gone to Lebanon. On Thursday, she heard that he was found through the media. “I will hug him. ... And then I probably won’t let him go,” she said, laughing. “I’ll say, well, thank God you’re still alive. And I’m so happy. Our prayers came true." U.S. officials said they were working to confirm Timmerman's identity and provide the support. From Aqaba, Jordan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was “working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria” but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Timmerman, with a scraggly beard and grey sweatshirt, later spoke with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle seven months ago before being detained and held in a cell alone. He said he was treated well in detention but that he could hear other young men being tortured. “It was OK. I was fed. I was watered. The one difficulty was that I couldn’t go to the bathroom when I wanted to,” he said. He said he was only allowed to go three times a day. “I was not beaten, and the guards treated me decently,” he added. Washington's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, traveled to Lebanon earlier this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. On Thursday, Blinken emphasized the administration’s work on Tice's case. “Every single day we are working to find him and to bring him home” Blinken said. "This is a priority for the United States.” Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasn't been heard from since. Assad's government had denied that it was holding him.
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