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Israel approves proposed ceasefire with Lebanon's HezbollahNorth Korea's Kim vows the toughest anti-US policy before Trump takes officeUS identifies 9th telecom hacked by China-based group Salt Typhoon
Government accused of illegal welfare payment cancellationsSyria’s embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports. Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians — including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad — to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said. The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended “until further notice” at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension. Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the at the embassy. Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad — who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity — had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syria’s new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assad’s rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the country’s religious minorities. However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The country’s new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons. There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkey’s hand in Syria, with anxiety. Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group — as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to “discuss the latest developments in Syria.” “Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government,” the statement said, adding that they “also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security” of Turkey and Syria. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish women’s groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand women’s rights in the new Syria. Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government “is worse than Bashar” and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who “don’t accept any role for women.” While the country’s new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions. “Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria,” said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization. “... Women’s rights should not be ignored.” ___
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Authored by Rudy Blalock via The Epoch Times, Mexico is developing a new cellphone app for its citizens who are in the United States illegally so they can notify their family members and the nearest Mexican consulate if they are facing deportation, according to a Mexican official on Friday. The move comes in response to potential mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States under the incoming Trump administration. Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, said the app is currently in small-scale testing, and it “appears to be working very well.” De la Fuente described it as a “panic button” in a statement to The Associated Press. “In case you find yourself in a situation where detention [by U.S. immigration authorities] is imminent, you push the alert button, and that sends a signal to the nearest consulate,” he said. De la Fuente did not say whether the app includes a feature to cancel an alert if detention does not occur. In addition to the app, the Mexican government has established a 24-hour call center to address questions from its citizens illegally in the United States or those who are unsure of their status. Mexico has also bolstered its consular staff and legal aid resources to assist illegal immigrants in navigating the deportation process. According to Mexican government estimates, there are approximately 11.5 million migrants with some form of legal residency in the United States and 4.8 million who are there illegally. The app is expected to be fully launched in January, coinciding with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. During his campaigning, Trump repeatedly said he would implement mass deportations once back in office. The development also comes amid ongoing discussions between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regarding immigration policies. Trump recently claimed a victory in stopping illegal immigration through Mexico following a conversation with Sheinbaum. Trump stated on his Truth Social account that Sheinbaum “agreed to stop Migration through Mexico.” Sheinbaum’s own social media post suggested a different perspective, stating, “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.” Sheinbaum further said that Mexico is already addressing migrant caravans, saying, “I told him the caravans are not reaching the northern (U.S.) border, because Mexico is taking care of them.” The conversation between the two leaders occurred shortly after Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his strategy to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump described the potential tariffs as “effectively closing our Southern Border.” Citing data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, AP reports that arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 40 percent from an all-time high in December, largely attributed to increased Mexican vigilance around rail yards and highway checkpoints.The Indian arm of UK-headquartered pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has laid off more than 125 employees from its biopharmaceutical business unit, according to people aware of the development. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Among them are some 20 senior managers and 110 executives at various levels in the sales department, the people cited earlier told ET. The downsizing has affected employees across the board and includes those having put in 15 years in the company, they said. AstraZeneca India confirmed that the headcount has changed but did not say how many jobs have been cut. "In the biopharmaceutical business unit, we are furthering efforts to deliver the next generation of therapeutics in our pipeline, focusing on specialists, science and innovation, while improving access of our existing portfolio in specialist disease areas," a company spokesperson said in an email response to ET's query. The company statement said, "This has led to strategic restructuring of our biopharmaceutical team impacting certain roles. We are fully cognizant of the impact this has caused, and our first responsibility remains towards our employees and meeting the needs of patients." 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The unit sold some of the old, legacy brands such as anti-cholesterol brand Crestor, clot buster Brilinta and Forxiga, one of the best prescribed brands for the treatment of diabetes. Along with a few other brands, the annual sales from the biopharma unit were around ₹400 crore, according to an industry source. However, the loss of patent exclusivity of these brands in India resulted in a deluge of generic drugs in the market. "When dapagliflozin (Forxiga) lost its patent rights four years ago, at least 250 generic substitutes came in. It gets tough for MNCs to compete on pricing," the source said. However, AstraZeneca's ambitions for India remain. A significant traction is seen in its new wave of patented drugs like Tagrisso for lung cancer, Koselugo for a rare genetic disorder, Breztri (drug to treat COPD) and Enhertu used in the treatment of breast and gastric cancer. In that direction, AstraZeneca said in the statement, "Our aspiration to be pioneers in science has increased our focus on specialist disease areas where we can make the most meaningful difference in helping people with cancer, other chronic and rare diseases." Over the last few years, AstraZeneca has seen a series of job cuts in its core India operations, while it has continued to invest and ramped up capacity at its global capability centres at Bengaluru and Chennai to support research and innovation efforts. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )