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lure fishing Vivek Ramaswamy, an outspoken ex-biotech executive turned fierce critic of the industry’s main regulator, is now in a position to reshape the agency he derides as the “Failed Drug Administration” in ways that could benefit him personally. Newly tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead an initiative to slash the federal bureaucracy, Ramaswamy has heaped criticism on the Food and Drug Administration for “ unnecessary barriers to innovation .” At the same time, the company he founded, Roivant Sciences, is pursuing studies for three drugs that, if positive, could land before the FDA during Trump’s second term. His stock in Roivant is worth about $670 million.Syria's de facto leader said Sunday it could take up to four years to hold elections in Syria, and that he plans to dissolve his Islamist group that led the country's insurgency at an anticipated national dialogue summit for the country. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group leading the new authority in Syria, made the remarks in an interview with Saudi television network Al-Arabiyya. It comes almost a month after a lightning insurgency led by HTS overthrew President Bashar Assad's decades-long rule, ending the country's uprising-turned civil war that started back in 2011. Al-Sharaa said it would take time to hold elections because of the need for Syria's different forces to hold political dialogue and rewrite the country's constitution following five decades of the Assad dynasty's dictatorial rule. Also, the war-torn country's battered infrastructure needs to be reconstructed, he said. “The chance we have today doesn’t come every 5 or 10 years,” said al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani. “We want the constitution to last for the longest time possible.” Al-Sharaa is Syria's de facto leader until March 1, when Syria's different factions are set to hold a political dialogue to determine the country's political future and establish a transitional government that brings the divided country together. There, he said, HTS will dissolve after years of being the country's most dominant rebel group that held a strategic enclave in the country's northwest. Earlier, an Israeli airstrike in the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday killed 11 people, according to a war monitor, as Israel continues to target Syrian weapons and military infrastructure even after the ouster of Assad. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the airstrike targeted a weapons depot that belonged to Assad’s forces near the industrial town of Adra, northeast of the capital. The observatory said at least 11 people, mostly civilians, were killed. The Israeli military did not comment on the airstrike Sunday. Israel, which has launched hundreds of airstrikes over Syria since the country's uprising turned-civil war broke out in 2011, rarely acknowledges them. It says its targets are Iran-backed groups that backed Assad. Unlike his criticism of key Assad ally Iran, al-Sharaa hoped to maintain “strategic relations” with Russia, whose air force played a critical role in keeping Assad in power for over a decade during the conflict. Moscow has a strategic airbase in Syria. The HTS leader also said negotiations are ongoing with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria, and hopes that their armed forces will integrate with the Syrian security agencies. The Kurdish-led group is Washington’s key ally in Syria, where it is heavily involved in targeting sleeper cells belonging to the extremist Islamic State group. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have been clashing with the SDF even after the insurgency, taking the key city of Manbij, as Ankara hopes to create a buffer zone near its border in northern Syria. The rebels attacked near the strategic northern border town of Kobani, while the SDF shared a video of a rocket attack that destroyed what it said was a radar system south of the city of Manbij. In other developments: — Syrian state-run media said a mass grave was found near the third largest city of Homs. SANA said civil defense workers were sent to to the site in al-Kabo, one of many suspected mass graves where tens of thousands of Syrians are believed to have been buried during a brutal crackdown under Assad and his network of security agencies. — An Egyptian activist wanted by Cairo on charges of incitement to violence and terrorism, Abdulrahman al-Qardawi, was detained by Lebanese security forces after crossing the porous border from Syria, according to two judicial and one security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to to talk to the press. Al-Qardawi is an Egyptian activist residing in Turkey and an outspoken critic of Egypt's government. He had reportedly visited Syria to join celebrations after Assad's downfall. His late father, Youssef al-Qaradawi, was a top and controversial Egyptian cleric revered by the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. He had lived in exile in Qatar for decades. — Lebanese security forces apprehended an armed group in the northern city of Tripoli that kidnapped a group of 26 Syrians who were recently smuggled into Lebanon, two Lebanese security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information with the media. The Syrians included five women and seven children, and security officials are working to return them to Syria.TORONTO - Canada’s main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

The Jewish sect, Lev Tahor, has accused Guatemala authorities of religious persecution. Guatemalan authorities have recovered several children taken by members of an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect who had broken into a care centre where they were being held. Officials said that members of the Lev Tahor sect had entered the shelter on Sunday in an effort to take back 160 minors who had been taken from the sect’s compound on Friday in a police raid. Authorities accuse the sect of child sexual abuse. Some of the children were found on Sunday, while others were recovered early on Monday, according to the AFP news agency. The farm compound in Oratoria, southwest of Guatemala City, was raided on Friday by authorities to rescue children and adolescents who “were allegedly being abused by a member of the Lev Tahor sect”, said Minister of the Interior Francisco Jimenez. Nancy Paiz, a prosecutor at Guatemala’s Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking, said at a news conference : “Based on the statements of the complainants, the evidence obtained, and the medical examinations, it was possible to establish that there are forms of human trafficking against these minors, such as forced marriage, abuse and related crimes.” About 100 of the children’s relatives who belong to the sect gathered on Sunday outside a care centre in Guatemala City, where the children were being held, to demand their return. Sect members then “broke into” the centre at about 4:30pm local time (22:30 GMT), “forcing open the gate and abducting the children and adolescents sheltered there”, a statement from the Attorney General’s Office said. “We want them to let the children out of here,” Uriel Goldman, a representative of the families, told the AFP outside the centre before the attempted recapture of the minors. Those outside the shelter tried to prevent the authorities from bringing back the minors, leading to some scuffles with police, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. With police help, the centre “managed to locate and protect everyone again”, the Attorney General’s Office said, although the Secretariat of Social Welfare of the Presidency later clarified that some had “evaded” authorities and a search alert has been activated. Lev Tahor has also accused local authorities of religious persecution. “The authorities... tell lies with false accusations,” Goldman said. The Lev Tahor community, founded in 1988 in Israel, practise an austere form of Judaism with interpretation of Jewish law that includes long prayer sessions and arranged marriages. The community settled in Mexico and Guatemala between 2014 and 2017. In 2022, a Mexican police operation in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on the Guatemalan border rescued a group of children and adolescents from a Lev Tahor camp, whose members were arrested on suspicions of participating in abuses against minors. The Jewish Community of Guatemala in a statement said the sect was foreign to its organisation and expressed its support for Guatemalan authorities in carrying out the necessary investigations “to protect the lives and integrity of minors and other vulnerable groups that may be at risk”. It called on the “government and diplomatic corps of countries from whose nationalities make up members of Lev Tahor, to join forces to protect those whose rights may be violated”. The minors are now under the protection of the government and investigations remain under way.

Speaker stresses dialogue to resolve issues

Late kickoff return TDs by Turpin and Thomas spark the Cowboys as they end their 5-game skid

Behind a defense that spent the afternoon slowly squeezing hope out of its adversaries on the other side of the ball, Becker completed a wire-to-wire run as the top team in Class 4A with a 24-8 victory over Totino-Grace in the Prep Bowl on Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The win gave the Bulldogs their fourth state championship in program history. Becker, which completed an undefeated season at 13-0, held Totino-Grace to 55 yards of total offense in the first half while building a 14-0 halftime lead, made possible by a 32-yard score from Landon Kujawa and a a 54-yard touchdown run by Carter Reckelberg. Totino-Grace (12-1) couldn’t muster much to cheer about in the second half, either. Becker increased its led to 21-0 just 18 seconds into the third quarter when Sawyer Brown intercepted a pass near the sideline and returned it 30 yards to the end zone. Kicker Evan Norberg added a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Totino-Grace cracked the scoreboard on a 1-yard pass from Jake Person to Luther Bunge with 1:10 left in the game, followed by a two-point conversion. Becker held Totino-Grace to 152 yards of total yards.

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)— A former US lawmaker who was Donald Trump’s first pick to run the Justice Department regularly paid for lurid sex sessions at drug-fuelled parties, including with a 17-year-old school girl, according to a scathing congressional report released Monday. Matt Gaetz also regularly used cocaine and ecstasy, and bought marijuana from his Capitol Hill office, said the 37-page document, the culmination of a long-running probe by the House Ethics Committee. “The committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” panel investigators wrote. Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing — pointing to the Justice Department’s decision not to bring charges against him in 2023 after a criminal probe — and the report came out as his lawsuit to block its release was denied. Congressional investigators found that the 42-year-old Republican broke multiple Florida laws on sexual misconduct, although they cleared him of federal sex trafficking violations. The report listed payments by Gaetz totalling more than US$90,000 to 12 women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use” between 2017 and 2020. They focused on a 2018 trip to the Bahamas during which Gaetz is alleged to have had sex with four women and to have taken party drug ecstasy, a Schedule I substance in the same legal category as heroin. The ex-congressman is an incendiary figure with few friends on Capitol Hill, but was a staunch Trump loyalist and a favorite of the president-elect’s ardent supporters. Tech billionaire Elon Musk — who is Trump’s incoming “efficiency czar” but has inserted himself into all manner of decision-making in the presidential transition process and in congressional politics — lauded Gaetz as America’s “Hammer of Justice” when he was nominated. “Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X. “He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison.” Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump nominated him for US attorney general — but that was after he had just been reelected for the session beginning in January and there is nothing to stop him taking up his seat. The allegations against Gaetz had been openly discussed for years before he was tapped by Trump, and he withdrew from consideration when it became clear he lacked the backing from Republicans to win Senate confirmation. Gaetz posted a series of tweets refuting some of the report’s allegations, including that he paid for sex. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Women told congressional investigators they were paid for sex at parties and other events by Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida who was jailed for 11 years. One encounter allegedly involved a 17-year-old, who told the committee she had sex with Gaetz twice at a July 2017 party. “Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. At the time, she had just completed her junior year of high school,” the report says. All the women who testified said the sexual encounters with Gaetz were consensual. Gaetz denied having sex with a minor in written responses to the committee.

Mississauga, ON, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EllisDon Corporation and Impulse Partners are pleased to announce a successful second round of its ConTech Accelerator program. From over 165 submissions, 30 were selected as the top contenders. Following a series of interviews, representatives from the eight finalist startups traveled to EllisDon's Mississauga office to pitch their innovative ideas in person. "Building on the success of our inaugural accelerator, we're thrilled to see even greater reception in this second year,” said Brandon Milner, CIO, Senior Vice President of Digital & Data Engineering, EllisDon. During the three-day event, EllisDon provided a guided project tour as well as access to field teams, operations managers, and executives from the C-Suite who were present for the pitches and offered candid feedback on what they saw. "The overwhelming response we've received this year-from our partners at Impulse to the startups who joined us in Mississauga-confirms we're on the right track,” said Hammad Chaudhry, Vice President of Innovation & Construction Technology, EllisDon. "Our combined tech and domain expertise, allows us to drive innovation with a focus to benefit those in the field.” EllisDon and Impulse Partners would like to congratulate all eight finalists for making the decision a difficult one. The winners of the 2024 ConTech Accelerator are: SALUS: A safety management software that integrates company safety programs into a comprehensive system to manage health and safety. By gathering data and information from the field, SALUS bridges the gap between the office and field operations, transforming how clients run their businesses. EHAB: Helping the construction industry better understand the impacts of climate change on projects and plan accordingly. EHAB's products assist construction companies, general contractors, designers, and clients in adapting to the climate crisis. SPECTER AUTOMATION: The first and only 3D model look-ahead planning tool that helps teams build six-week lookahead plans by visualizing data to better communicate to the field. Specter offers the most natural way to plan, document, and communicate on-site processes. With the completion of this phase, EllisDon and Impulse Partners will now work with the winners to help develop their products, collaborate with them in the field, and deploy industry expertise where it is needed most-in helping the latest technologies find a place in one of the world's oldest industries. CONTACT: Raphaela Mandel EllisDon Corporation [email protected]

Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens funding cuts to sanctuary cities and NPR with DOGE committeeNone

How 2024 became the year of Taylor SwiftBefore the puck drops at 7:00 PM ET in Saturday’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Columbus Blue Jackets, here are the best bets you should be considering, whether you’re looking to place a single wager or have your eyes set on building a parlay. Sign up for ESPN+ today to watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more. Bet on this or any NHL matchup at BetMGM. Pick OU: Over 6.5 (model projecting 6.7 goals) Bet on the total at BetMGM today! Hurricanes Moneyline: -249 Blue Jackets Moneyline: +202 Place your moneyline bet at BetMGM now! Prediction: Carolina 4, Columbus 3 Looking for officially licensed NHL gear? Fanatics has jerseys, hats, apparel, memorabilia, trading cards, collectibles and more. Watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more streaming all season on ESPN+. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

NoneCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Kylan Boswell had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and Tomislav Ivisic scored 23 points to lead No. 24 Illinois to a 117-64 victory over winless Chicago State on Sunday. Boswell was one assist shy of his first triple-double and got it with a pass that set up Keaton Kutcher’s 3-pointer with 1:47 left. It was the seventh triple-double in program history. Dre Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 16 points, Kasparas Jakucionis had 14, Will Riley had 13 and Morez Johnson Jr. had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (9-3). Gabe Spinelli, son of first-year Chicago State coach Scott Spinelli, led the Cougars (0-15) with 20 points and Noble Crawford scored 15. Illinois led 60-24 at halftime and built its lead to as many as 58 points in the second half. Takeaways Illinois: This wasn’t much of a test for the Illini, who were facing a winless team that doesn’t have a player averaging in double figures and gives up 83 points per game. But it gave them a chance to shake off the rust from having a week off following their Braggin’ Rights win over Missouri on Dec. 21. Chicago State: It was another bad day for the Cougars, who were outrebounded 47-23, committed 15 turnovers and shot 37%. On a positive note, they were 4 for 4 at the free-throw line. Key moment A 14-point run over a 2 1/2-minute stretch early in the first half extended an 8-7 Illinois lead to 22-7 and propelled the Illini to the lopsided win. Key stat The Illini shoot a lot of 3s. They came into the day averaging 32 per game, No. 6 in the nation, and went 15 for 33. Up next Illinois plays Thursday at No. 9 Oregon. Chicago State plays Friday at Wagner. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and Steve Stein, The Associated Press

From Kangol hats to Starter jackets to the freshest Air Force Ones, rappers have always been expected to . But while they’ve been known to accessorize with some pretty expensive jewelry, designer handbags weren’t always part of the look. But these days, it’s not uncommon to see some of the most popular male rappers in the game with a luxury handbag on their arm – in case you were wondering, we’re talking Hermés and Louis Vuitton here. In a post he tagged “Rappers wearing purses,” Instagram user made a video pointing out some of the rappers who have been spotted in these streets with handbags in their hands. And the internet seems to be fairly divided on the issue. Some love the way the guys are using handbags as another expression of their personal style. “Man these dudes have better looking purses then women do Damm😂,” While others think the guys should leave the bags to the ladies. “Since when did men start wearing purses?🤨” Whether you love or hate the trend, you can’t deny that these guys have great taste in accessories. Besides, it’s way better than having your keys, cell phone and a messy wallet stuffed in your pocket, right? Check out these rappers who have their style in the bag. 2 / 15 Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams isn’t just a talented musician, he’s also the Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuitton. So he had to represent with this mini Speedy bag at an event in Paris. 3 / 15 Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Pharrell is photographed with the Towel Effect Tote Bag from his . 4 / 15 Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams Pharrell was famously spotted carrying this oversized purple croc Birkin. 5 / 15 A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky is seen out and about in Los Angeles – one hand holding onto his love, Rihanna, and the other carrying a big blue tote. 6 / 15 A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky’s adidas X Gucci crossbody bag at an event for his Mercer + Prince Blended Canadian Whisky in Atlanta in 2022 isn’t just fly, it’s functional. He keeps his hands free to carry his own whisky. 7 / 15 A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky But this red crossbody bag is a look he’s not exactly proud of, as he told 8 / 15 Travis Scott Travis Scott Travis Scott makes an oversized croc Birkin werk with a t-shirt and jeans, 9 / 15 Travis Scott Travis Scott There’s nothing basic about Travis Scott’s all-brown look that he sets off with an amazing Louis Vuitton tote. 10 / 15 Lil Uzi Vert Lil Uzi Vert Lil Uzi Vert carries a custom Chrome Hearts Birkin bag while performing at Coachella in 2024. 11 / 15 Tyler the Creator Tyler the Creator Tyler the Creator shows up with a supersized Speedy bag at the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week. 12 / 15 Young Thug Young Thug Young Thug keeps his stuff together in a black crossbody bag while out and about in Lagos. 13 / 15 Gunna Gunna “Baby Birkin” artist Gunna shows off his own designer tote at the BET Awards. 14 / 15 Offset Offset Everyone needs a basic black tote bag like the one Offset is carrying on the red carpet of the 2023 GQ Men of the Year Party in Los Angeles. 15 / 15