
The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fansVANCOUVER — The Better Business Bureau in British Columbia is warning Taylor Swift fans of scams ahead of the superstar's Vancouver concerts, highlighting one case in which a social media profile was allegedly hacked and used to sell fake tickets. It says $2,000 was stolen from fans hoping to attend the shows, which will be at BC Place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The warning comes after police in Toronto last month arrested a woman for allegedly selling about $70,000 worth of fake Swift tickets ahead of the concerts there. The Better Business Bureau said in a news release on Monday that the case in B.C. was reported on its Scam Tracker database. It said the complainant, who wasn't identified, reported that scammers took over her social media profile and used its messaging function to trick people into buying "non-existent concert tickets." The bureau said people needed to be vigilant when buying tickets online, especially for major events such as Swift's concerts that could be "a hot spot" for scammers. It advised fans to buy tickets from trusted vendors or reputable brokers while also double-checking with sellers about the tickets' authenticity even if they are a friend or an acquaintance. Using credit cards for the purchase may also grant consumers some protection, the bureau said. "If someone claims to be selling tickets to a sold-out concert just before the date or at an amazing price, think twice," it said. "Scammers love to prey on fans of any artist or sporting event by claiming to have impossible-to-get-tickets for them." Swift's three sold-out shows at Vancouver's B.C. Place end her record-breaking Eras Tour. As the city prepared for thousands of fans to descend, transit operator TransLink said Monday it would provide extra bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus services on all three concert nights. It said the West Coast Express commuter train would also run on Saturday, leaving Mission, B.C. at 4 p.m. to head into the city and then returning from Vancouver's Waterfront Station at midnight. The statement said fans could expect a singalong on the SeaBus and live performances at Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station near B.C. Place, with extra staff working to help manage crowds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. The Canadian Press
AMGEN TO PRESENT AT CITI'S 2024 GLOBAL HEALTHCARE CONFERENCECadre Holdings CEO Warren Kanders sells $1.66 million in stock
Will New Year's Eve be loud or quiet? What are the top 2025 resolutions? AP-NORC poll has answersAP News Summary at 4:47 p.m. EST
Prince Andrew is in trouble, once again, and this time around it involves his nonprofit Pitch@Palace, that Andrew has allegedly been accepting payment from a suspected Chinese "spy," referred to as "H6" in court. Daily Express US reached out to royal biographer Andrew Lownie , who just finished his new book, Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York, and to him, the alleged stealing part is way worse than the dealing (with a "spy") part , on which he expands. Mr Lownie has been working on the joint biography for the past four years, has interviewed over 100 people, and as a result, he has insider knowledge on both Andrew and the case at hand. Andrew and Fergie won't join Royal Family at Christmas after 'spy scandal' Prince Andrew's links to Chinese spy branded 'extremely embarrassing' The royal expert said: “Pitch@Palace was not meant to be a private money-making operation for Andrew, and that’s what it’s turned out to be, and that’s the crime.” He added: “Whether it’s a Chinese spy? That’s just icing on the cake.” Andrew ’s relationship with H6, whose full name is Yang Tengbo, goes back ten years, which is the same time Andrew’s nonprofit Pitch@Palace was founded. Andrew’s friendship with Tengbo is coming up now because Tengbo was banned from entering the UK. Tengbo, who was solely referred to as "H6," up until recently, put in an appeal to the immigration court. it was known that a 50-year-old man, from China , had been excluded from the UK, and people close to the situation knew it was Tengbo. Lownie said: “He wasn’t named in the court, he’s known as H6, but it was very clear when they said he was a 50-year-old man, a lot of us who know about these things, worked out that the 50-year-old man was the guy Tengbo.” He added: “All the press knew and he said, ‘You might as well release my name.’” “So, that’s that. They began digging. They looked into accounts and they could see the relationship between Andrew and Tengbo.” DON'T MISS: Sarah Ferguson leaves royals fearing 'real threat' over Prince Andrew row Andrew's future at Royal Lodge home as one issue could still seal his eviction Prince Andrew will play 'every move' in battle against brother King Charles During a recent tribunal, Dan Jarvis, UK security minister, said: “The first duty of any government is national security, so we welcome the court’s decision in upholding the Home Office’s position in regards to the exclusion of H6, who can now be named as Yang Tengbo.” He added: “H6 had been in a position to develop relationships with prominent UK figures, which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese communist party including the united front work department.” In regards to how Andrew’s nonprofit Pitch@Palace comes into play — a charitable initiative meant to give entrepreneurs a chance to meet with investors — Tengbo was a senior member of the committee of Pitch@Palace in China. According to BBC’s Royal Correspondent, Sean Coughlan, a letter was found in Tengbo’s possesion, which suggests Andrew may have been in a compromised position, possibly a target, where it described the Duke of York as being: "In a desperate situation and will grab onto anything." It seemed like Andrew was trying to redeem himself for his misdoings by setting up Pitch@Palace, but in fact, it set off a chain of events. The nonprofit gave BBC producer Sam McAlister an inroad to the Palace, which turned into three months of negotiations, resulting in the Newsnight interview, and from there, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and his royal duties. Lownie doesn't believe Andrew was looking for redemption, instead, the nonrpoft was a way for him "to get involved with all of these dodgy business people after he got sacked as Special Representative.” In recent reports, Tengbo is referred to as an “alleged spy” or “suspected spy,” but according to Lownie, that’s just to avoid liability, and it is in fact known that Tengbo works with the Chinese secret state. Tengbo has refuted the allegations in a statement read out by Sky News. He said: “I’ve done nothing wrong or unlawful, and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded.” He added: “The widespread description of me as a spy is entirely untrue.” The Chinese foreign ministry supported Tengbo in his defense. Lin Jian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said during a press conference: “China’s actions have been upright and above the board and has never engaged in deception of interference.” He added: “Such groundless hype based on one’s own judgment is not worth refuting.” The big concern is that Andrew has spent a lot of time with Tengbo and it’s not clear what was discussed, which is between Andrew and MI6, said Lownie. According to the well-informed author, he said: “There have been reports that MI6 are investigating, these reports are based on leaks MI6 have clearly given to the press. He added: “Anyone who was consorting with a Chinese spy would be under investigation, whether a member of the Royal Family or not.” “We just don’t know what he’s told the Chinese about stuff he’s learnt. Or how they can use their relationship with him, for example, to get access to particular people to get information, we just don’t know, and that’s presumably a matter between him and MI6.” Andrew’s relationship with Tengbo is one thing, but his misuse of his royal status is what stands out to the royal expert. Lownie said: “There are security implications, but really, it just doesn’t look good — Andrew does mix with quite a lot of important people, he does have access to quite a lot of important information." He added: “The main thing here is that he should not be making money exploiting his position as a royal.” “It just doesn’t look good, however innocent he may be, and discreet he may be, it just shows him to being greedy and naive.” Lownie has been researching Andrew and Fergie for the past four years, talking to lots of people — over 100 — who know the pair or have crossed paths with them and were eager to chat about the Yorks. If royal biographies are your thing, this is the one for you, and it’s the first of its kind, a joint biography on both Andrew and Fergie. We asked Lownie what readers can expect of the new book, he said: “There’s a lot of deep digging here. There’s going to be a lot of new revelations about ALL the York family.” Lownie’s new book, Entitled: The Controversial Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York , is scheduled to release in 2025 with an exact date still to come.Democrat Jamie Raskin is running for top Judiciary post in bid to counter TrumpWASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced Monday that he will run to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee next year, directly challenging fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler as the party prepares to fight a second Trump administration and an emboldened Republican majority. “House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy,” Raskin wrote in a letter to colleagues. “That is our historic assignment now. We dare not fail.” Raskin said in the letter — obtained by The Associated Press — that he decided to run for the post after spending the week consulting with House Democrats and “engaging in serious introspection” about where the party is following their stunning electoral defeat last month that handed Republicans control of Congress and the White House. While currently the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Raskin said that come next year, the Judiciary Committee under his leadership would become “the headquarters of Congressional opposition to authoritarianism” as well as other efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to thwart the Constitution. Being the face of the resistance against Trump is not new territory for Raskin who spent the last two years on Oversight as the most vocal defender of President Joe Biden and his family as they faced a sprawling Republican investigation — encouraged by Trump — into their various business affairs. Raskin, who is a former constitutional law professor, also helped draft articles of impeachment against the incoming president for his encouragement of the violent mob on Jan. 6, 2021, and led the impeachment prosecution in the Senate. But by throwing his hat in the ring, Raskin is inviting what a bitter intra-party fight with Nadler, who is currently serving his 17th term in Congress and who has held the top spot on Judiciary since 2019. Democrats have over the years rarely broken from the seniority system for committee assignments, no matter how long someone has held a position, making the outcome of the race uncertain. Both men did not respond to requests for comment but Raskin closed his letter by praising Nadler, saying that he made this decision “with respect and boundless admiration” for him. “If I’m lucky enough to be chosen for this responsibility in the 119th Congress, I will turn to Jerry first and throughout for his always wise counsel and political judgment,” Raskin added.
Apple’s UK engineering teams have ‘doubled in size in five years’On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that while he sides more with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in the debate over immigration, “you’ve got to secure the border if you want the American people to support immigration.” Brooks said, “I’m more on the Ramaswamy-Elon Musk side. But I have to say they’re unbelievably condescending in the way they express themselves, like, calling people ignorant, Ramaswamy saying, you people don’t know how to raise your kids, basically.” Later, he added, “I think if you want to have an American populace that supports immigration, you have to control your borders. We’ve seen that in Germany. We’ve seen that all around the world. And so, the fact that it seems out of control to people, a lot of people say, what’s going on here? And then we’ve had, frankly, immigration policies that allow those of us in the educated class to have cheap labor, but a lot of people who are working and competing for those people for those jobs, they feel we are ignoring the plight of them as other people come in and take their jobs. And so, there’s a class angle here. But — so, you’ve got to secure the border if you want the American people to support immigration.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
The Deputy Senate president, Senator Barau Jibrin, on Saturday, awarded scholarships to 70 qualified students to pursue Masters degrees in AI and Robotics Engineering, among others in India. Barau said that he would continue to identify and sponsor qualified students of the state origin for Masters degrees for foreign studies, irrespective of their economic, social status or political inclinations,” According to him,” I will continue to identify and sponsor qualified students of the state origin for higher degrees in relevant fields of study in foreign institutions of higher learning for their growth and development. “I don’t know any of you; you were selected based on merit and not any other consideration, whether political, social or economic.” He then called on the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of Kano State and Nigeria during their pursuit of knowledge in the foreign nation. The Senator also charged them to study hard and justify the sponsorship for the benefit of themselves, their parents, Kano State and Nigeria. He also advised them to focus on their studies to graduate with flying colours and return home to develop themselves, their home state and the nation. The students were granted a foreign scholarship by the Barau Jibrin Foundation. Speaking at the occasion the State Chairman of the APC, Prince Abdullahi Abbas, commended Sen.Barau for the gesture, and described it as the move that would further develop the beneficiaries for their own good, Kano State and Nigeria. He assured that the APC would replicate a similar programme when it captured power in the state, come 2027. Prince Abba then urged the students to study hard and justify the scholarship granted them,be good Ambassadors of the state and Sen.Jibrin. Highlights of the occasion included the presentation of a package to the students containing their travel documents, laptop computers, Hijab for the female ones among them, and a copy of the Holy Qur’an. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Christmas: Senator Barau urges prayers for economic growth
Manmohan Singh: technocrat who became India's accidental PMIllegal SIM card racket busted, 8 heldArab League urges Iran not to fuel 'strife' in Syria