
Germany probing possible security lapses after Christmas market attack
Syrian government forces withdraw from central city of Homs as insurgent offensive acceleratesPresident-elect Donald Trump laughed off liberal angst over tech mogul Elon Musk’s growing political influence and affirmed that the space and Tesla guru won’t be president. Last week, after Musk helped gin up political opposition to a government funding measure, Democrats dubbed him “President Musk” and seemingly angled to exploit his and Trump’s egos to pit them against each other. “All the different hoaxes, and the new one is, ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk,’ ” Trump, 78, griped to a crowd at Turning Point Action’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sunday. “No, no. That’s not happening. “I’m safe. You know why? He can’t be. He wasn’t born in this country.” Under Article II of the Constitution, only natural-born citizens can be eligible for the presidency. Musk was born in South Africa and became a US citizen in 2002. Since Trump’s election victory, Musk, 53, has spent weeks hunkered down in at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago, Fla., estate, sitting in on key meetings with Trump and offering his advice on policy decisions. A chorus of Democrats have latched onto the world’s richest man’s pronounced political influence and worked to get under Trump’s skin by trying to suggest that the president-elect’s sway has been diminished. But Trump declined to take the bait Sunday and instead heaped praise on Musk, crowing about how the SpaceX founder’s company caught its Starship super heavy lift rocket with Mechazilla in October at Starbase. The president-elect also commended Musk for helping him win in Pennsylvania and supplying Internet access through Musk’s Starlink set-up to storm-ravaged stretches of North Carolina. “Elon’s done an amazing job. Isn’t it nice to have some smart people that we can rely on? Don’t we want that? He’s done a great job,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy, and we want to have him.” Trump has tapped Musk, alongside biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to helm the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which despite its name, is not actually a government department. Musk rankled Democrats and even some Republicans last week when he publicly assailed a compromise measure intended to prevent a government shutdown. The billionaire tycoon railed against a litany of provisions in the more than 1,500-page bill in X posts for his 208.7 million followers to see, whipping up opposition against it. Later, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance came out publicly against the stopgap measure, sending House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) back to the drawing board. Ultimately, the House of Representatives passed a dramatically pared-down spending patch to keep the government’s lights on through mid-March. Johnson has also downplayed any concerns about Musk. “I love Elon. He’s a force multiplier for us,” Johnson recently told a customer during a stop at Target, which was caught on video.Buckeyes head football coach Ryan Day chastised for role in Ohio State-Michigan postgame brawl, while Sherrone Moore is praised | Sporting News
US sanctions founder of Georgia’s ruling political party
US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems?Southwest Airlines says it is ending its cabin service earlier on its flights starting next month. Beginning on Dec. 4, a company spokesperson said, flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The change in procedure is designed to “reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries” for crew members and passengers, the company said. For passengers, that means they will need to do the usual pre-landing procedures — such as ensuring their seatbelts are fastened and returning their seats to an upright position — earlier than before. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. More than one-third of all airline incidents in the United States from 2009 through 2018 were related to turbulence, and most of them resulted in one or more serious injuries but no damage to the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board reported . In May, a 73-year old man died on board a Singapore Airlines flight when the plane hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean. The airline had also previously announced other changes. Starting next year, Southwest will toss out a half-century tradition of “open seating” — passengers picking their own seats after boarding the plane.
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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Caolan Boyd-Munce admits his late strike against Rangers was a satisfying one for him personally after a challenging few months. St Mirren clinched the three points late-on in Paisley on Boxing Day thanks to a perfect goal from Boyd-Munce which saw the Buddies win 2-1. And while it was sweet for Buddies fans after a 13-year wait to see a league win on home soil over the Glasgow giants, it was extra special for the Northern Irish matchwinner. With the recent birth of baby son Roux, the 24-year-old admits that it has been a challenging few months for him and partner Joanne. “It meant a lot,” he said. “I had my little baby born in September and it felt a little bit like when the world gets on top of you. Even though it’s not; it’s not big issues but it does. It feels like it, especially with a little one coming. “You have always got that little bit of pressure and you don’t know when the next good moment is going to come. Renfrewshire Live, the new free app dedicated to bringing you around the clock breaking news, is now available to download. Powered by the Paisley Daily Express, Renfrewshire Live is your go-to source for news, features and sport with live coverage provided direct to the app, seven days a week. The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages. There is also a dedicated St Mirren section that will follow every kick of the ball with the Buddies. Available on both Android and Apple. D ownload here: smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial “It’s a strange feeling, you’re dreaming about it and everything. So, when that went in, the relief kind of just left me a little bit. It was class. All he [baby Roux] does is smile, to be fair. He’s probably crying because he’s seen it go in. That’s when it changes!” Victory over Rangers means it's three wins on the bounce for Saints who are sitting nicely within the Premiership's top six ahead of Sunday's visit of Dundee. They are six points clear of Hibernian in seventh place, who notched up a huge win over their city rivals Hearts, and are also seven points off faltering Aberdeen in third place. And Boyd-Munce says the late goals plundered in recent games with St Johnstone, Ross County and Gers is a show of character from his team-mates – even when the chips are down. Boyd-Munce said: “It’s character, isn’t it? Even last year, to be fair, I think the Aberdeen game last year summed it up when Toyosi [Olusanya] scored the last-minute winner. “It’s one thing we’ve always got. I don’t think anyone’s ever really questioned that, whether they’ve come out and questioned other things. But especially when it’s people like Oisin [Smyth] who hasn’t played much. “He waited for his chance, two games in a row he’s scored. A winner against Ross County as well. I think it shows that everyone has to be ready, everyone has been ready and, yeah, it’s testament to character. Boyd-Munce added of the build up to his goal: “As soon as he [Evan Mooney] set it to me, I was like: ‘I can’t miss this’. “I do it all week in training, then get to the game and never get the chance to shoot. So, I was like, ‘do you know what, today, I’m just making the box’. “As soon as I hit it I knew. You knew about it as soon as the ball went in, you heard the noise. I don’t know if it was just because it was Christmas or what! But you felt it.” Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter hereGoogle CEO Pichai tells employees to gear up for big 2025: ‘The stakes are high'