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TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Vena , the only FP&A platform purpose-built to leverage the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem, was recognized as a Challenger in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Financial Planning Software. We believe Vena is recognized for its strong presence in the manufacturing sector, its ability to support advanced planning use cases and its innovative AI capabilities through Vena Copilot . While we believe Challengers typically prioritize execution over new features, Vena’s roadmap demonstrates a clear commitment to bridging this gap. Recent enhancements, such as the Vena Export API and the upcoming integration of Vena for Microsoft Teams, aim to extend functionality and streamline financial planning workflows. "We’re pleased to be recognized in the Gartner report," said Hugh Cumming, Chief Technology Officer at Vena. "Our Complete Planning platform is designed to empower businesses by combining Microsoft-powered AI, advanced analytics and seamless integration with the tools they use every day. We believe this recognition reinforces our commitment to providing organizations with the confidence and insights to make agile, data-driven decisions that fuel their success." Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Financial Planning Software, 18 November 2024. *Gartner Methodology, Magic Quadrant, https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/magic-quadrants-research GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark and MAGIC QUADRANT is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Vena Vena is the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem for FP&A teams and their collaborators. Vena amplifies Microsoft's world-leading productivity tools, cloud technology and AI innovation to make FP&A, operational planning and adjacent strategic processes more flexible, efficient and intelligent. Thousands of the world’s leading companies rely on Vena to power their planning. For more information, visit venasolutions.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122781133/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact Jonathan Paul Vice President, Content Marketing jpaul@venacorp.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DATA MANAGEMENT DATA ANALYTICS TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE FINANCE NETWORKS SOURCE: Vena Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 01:45 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 01:46 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122781133/en(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .Pep Guardiola sure 75 per cent of Premier League clubs want Man City relegated
Yuval Noah Harari on India’s role in ensuring ‘just end to Russian invasion’ & AI cooperationAP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:08 p.m. EST
It was an accident. My finger hit the wrong button and, in a flash, all my “sent” messages disappeared from their e-mail folder. I panicked. I looked in Trash. They were all there. I copied and pasted them back into the Sent folder. But, the next day, they were gone. I looked all over my desktop for them. I called Apple Support, then Spectrum, then Apple again. Nobody could retrieve them. I had backed up my desktop on Time Machine about 20 days before, but now, all those messages were encrypted and I would have to read them one at a time to know what I had. And there was still no way to get them back into the Sent folder. The genie got out of the lamp. The bird had flown. I consoled myself that much of that information also resided in other specified folders, but it still bothered me to no end that a foolish mistake had wiped them all out. And then, I remembered one of the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous: We’re all human, so we all foul up. And Alexander Pope’s famous saying: “To err is human. To forgive, divine.” Grace is a divine gift that we allow ourselves to participate in. Grace allows us to forgive ourselves for being human, for being fallible. For making mistakes. But the incident also left me with a lingering dread, although briefly, of technology. Now, as you can imagine, this couldn’t possibly last longer than 48 hours. Practically everything I do, from writing this column to the music I listen and play along to, to the soundscapes I create, to navigating my car all rely on technology. And, unlike many folks in my age group, I am on intimate terms with it, which gave me even more cause to pause and reflect. It’s one thing to rely on technology for certain things: your car, your phone, a GPS, texting, voice mails. It’s when we rely on technology for everything that we come closer to trouble. In the play “Inherit The Wind,” Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee write this speech for Colonel Drummond: “Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it...You can have a telephone, but you lose privacy and the charm of distance. Madam, you may vote...but you lose the right to retreat behind the powder-puff or your petticoat....you may conquer the air, but the birds will lose their wonder and the clouds will smell of gasoline.” And, as Mark Twain said: “They have taken a thousand luxuries and turned them into necessities.” We didn’t know how much we would rely on our phones to take and make calls, track our appointments, take pictures of our grandchildren, text a relative in Florida, keep track of the weather or learn about the latest scandal until they became our caretakers and, in some sense, our keepers. And towards the end of the election cycle, it seemed to me that technology was getting a little glitchy, like somebody was tampering with the wires. I am hardly anti-technology. I am against technological abuse. And I see examples of that every day, from folks not looking up when they cross the street to misinformation and name calling online to the spin newscasters place upon a story that’s more entertainment than actual news. Walter Cronkite must be spinning in his grave. On a walk during a lovely October afternoon, Joan found a book about “unplugging” from digital technology. I went online and found these suggestions from another author, Seff Bray, who quoted some famous writers , including one of my favorites, Anne Lamott. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” - Anne Lamott “Technology should improve your life, not become your life.”- Billy Cox “Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”- Cal Newport “The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug.” - Pico Iyer So, it’s not just me. Many people seem to have experienced information/sensory overload and are thinking a cleanse is a good idea. We can’t derive everything from technology, and, in many ways, it robs from us many more things than it bestows upon us. It’s here to stay, so figuring out how to strike a balance between our digital lives and a walk in the sun on a beautiful October afternoon with your loved one should become of paramount importance to each of us. I may have lost some emails, but I gained a new perspective about how important they are or are not to me. You know my feelings about “saving” artifacts from the ravages of time and digitizing them. But, as Joan often reminds me, hard drives aren’t forever either. I plan to gift my granddaughter with some of mine after I pass, but who knows what kind of technology we’ll be looking at in ten or fifteen years? If Elon Musk has his way, humans won’t even be necessary in order to keep the race alive. Ever read “R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)” in high school? I did. Let me tell ya...it doesn’t end well for the humans! RECOMMENDED • silive .com The National Council of Negro Women, Staten Island Section, honors beloved founder Dec. 6, 2024, 6:00 p.m. On ‘Giving Tuesday,’ $75K campaign launched for Staten Island autism empowerment food truck Dec. 3, 2024, 5:40 p.m. Hold those magnificent grey heads high! Comments may be submitted to “Talk To The Old Guy” on Facebook.
Liam Lawson is and will be very much in the limelight during the 2025 Formula 1 season. He is all set to partner with the prolific Max Verstappen but amidst this, the Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has come up with a damning verdict. Helmut Marko has made it known that it will be important for Liam Lawson to accept defeat going up against Max Verstappen . The 27-year-old destroyed Sergio Perez during the 2024 Formula 1 season and it ultimately led to the Mexican’s sacking. Liam Lawson is mentally the strongest of our juniors, although he has little Grand Prix experience . But it’s important to accept alongside Max that you can’t beat him. No one can do that. And in terms of quality, despite his limited Grand Prix experience, Liam has the most potential to develop further . Red Bull does not expect Lawson to get the better of Verstappen. However, from the kiwi’s perspective, this could be hard to digest given every young driver wants to prove himself as one the best by fighting against the big names of the sport. Fighting against Max Verstappen cost several drivers at Red Bull Max Verstappen has been racing for the Red Bull Formula 1 team since 2016. Over the years, he has partnered with several top drivers and has easily, gotten the better of them. In light of this, Helmut Marko warned Liam Lawson to not step on Verstappen’s toes. He is in the team with the best Formula 1 driver and should not try – as many colleagues did – to go looking for it in technology, with absurd set-ups or in terms of strategy. One should accept that he [Verstappen] is the best and not try to beat him. That has gone wrong with all his colleagues . The lights of Perez, Pierre Gasly , Alex Albon , and Daniel Ricciardo , all perished fighting against Verstappen. All of them had a fair shot but none were able to match the magic that the Dutchman was able to produce in a Red Bull challenger. Lawson is coming into Red Bull’s setup with extensive experience of watching Verstappen operate within the Austrian team. Moreover, the former did a decent job in his short 2024 stint with Red Bull’s junior team, VCARB. Keeping in view everything that has been discussed, Lawson will be one of the main talking points in 2025. This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” The Manhattan district attorney's office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions
Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Syrian opposition fighters celebrate Sunday after the Syrian government collapsed in Damascus, Syria. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and residence after President Bashar Assad and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. A man tries to take a lamp Sunday as people search for belongings in the ransacked private residence of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Malkeh district of Damascus, Syria. Russia, a close ally, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and gave instructions to transfer power peacefully. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country's future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and said Assad's fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he told hundreds of people that Assad made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and still split among different armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in some remote areas. Syrian opposition fighters remove a government Syrian flag from an official building Saturday in Salamiyah, east of Hama, Syria. Syrian state television broadcast a video statement early Sunday by a group of rebels saying that Assad was overthrown and all prisoners were released. They called on people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state.” The rebels later announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. The rebels said they freed people held at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed . A video circulating online purported to show rebels breaking open cell doors and freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom appeared shocked and confused. At least one small child could be seen among them. Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi, who appeared on state TV later in the day, sought to reassure Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. People gather Sunday in Manbij, Syria, to celebrate the fall of the Syrian government. Celebrations in the capital Residents of Damascus gathered to pray at mosques and to celebrate in squares, chanting, “God is great.” People also chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Revelers filled central Umayyad Square, where the Defense Ministry is located. Men fired celebratory gunshots and some waved the three-starred Syrian flag that predates the Assad government and was adopted by the revolutionaries. Syrians gather Sunday to celebrate the arrival of opposition fighters in Damascus, Syria. “I cannot express my happiness," said Bassam Masr. “But this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he. I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Soldiers and police left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Videos showed families wandering into the presidential palace, with some emerging carrying stacks of plates and other household items. “Victory to Syria. Syria remains and Assad to hell, to the dustbin of history,” said a man exploring the palace. A man walks by a broken portrait of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad as people search for belongings Sunday in the ransacked private residence of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Malkeh district of Damascus, Syria. Syria’s al-Watan newspaper, which was historically pro-government, wrote: “We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood. We believe and trust that Syria will be for all Syrians.” The newspaper added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements, saying: “We only carried out the instructions and published the news they sent us.” A statement from the Alawite sect — to which Assad belongs and which formed the core of his base — called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad on Sunday in Damascus, Syria. Assad reportedly in Russia Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said in a video statement that the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video shared on Syrian opposition media showed a group of armed men escorting him out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel Sunday. Syrian President Bashar Assad listens May 19, 2023, during the Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight Sunday from Damascus. Russian state news agencies reported that Assad arrived in Moscow with his family and was given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but has contacted the Kremlin for comment. A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, which sought to rehabilitate Assad's image and welcomed high-profile exiles in recent years, declined to comment on his whereabouts when asked by reporters at a conference in Bahrain. Anwar Gargash said Assad's destination at this point is a “footnote in history,” comparing it to the long exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War I. Assad was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war, including a 2013 chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of the capital. Opposition fighters burn down a military court Sunday in Damascus, Syria. Calls for an orderly transition The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall in a matter of days as the Syrian army melted away. Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which provided crucial support to Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him in the final days as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule deals a major blow to Iran and its allies, already weakened by over a year of conflict with Israel . Iran, which had strongly backed Assad throughout the civil war, said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” Syrian opposition fighters take a selfie Sunday at the damaged entrance of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israeli troops had temporarily seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying the move was taken to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. Israeli soldiers walk Sunday near armored vehicles parked along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria. The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS , which has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Its head, al-Golani, has sought to recast the group as a moderate and tolerant force. HTS set up a “salvation government” in 2017 to administer a large region in northwestern Syria under its control. “Golani has made history and sparked hope among millions of Syrians," said Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an expert on Syrian groups. "But he and the rebels now face a formidable challenge ahead. One can only hope they rise to the occasion.” People gather Sunday in Manbij, Syria, to celebrate the fall of the Syrian government. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday. The participants included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed. People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
The power of wordsIran has officially lifted the ban of Meta's WhatsApp messenger and the Google Play Store, a week after the Islamic nation put on hold a stringent Hijab law, which had been passed by the Iranian Parliament in September 2023. Published: December 25, 2024 10:54 PM IST By : Iran has officially lifted the ban of Meta’s WhatsApp messenger and the Google Play Store, a week after the Islamic nation put on hold a stringent Hijab law, which had been passed by the Iranian Parliament in September 2023. According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the decision to lift the ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, came following a meeting in which the heads of all three branches of government, ministers, and members of the Supreme Council, participated. During the meeting, discussions focused on reviewing and adjusting policies surrounding internet governance and restrictions. Following the presentation of assessments from relevant authorities, the council approved changes to the existing internet restrictions, IRNA reported. Iranian authorities have officially lifted the ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store, signalling a significant shift in the country’s internet restrictions, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. “A positive majority vote has been reached to lift limitations on access to some popular foreign platforms such as WhatsApp and Google Play”, IRNA, the country’s official news agency, said in a tweet. The move to lift the ban aligns with the Iranian government’s broader approach to managing its digital landscape, emphasising the importance of regulated cyberspace governance while also stressing the need to support domestic platforms, it said. Sattar Hashemi, Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, also took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the development, stating, “Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions with unity and collaboration. I extend my gratitude to the President, media, and activists for their efforts. We need this solidarity more than ever. This path continues.” ‘Local platforms will be priority’ However, despite lifting the ban on global global services like WhatsApp and Google Play, the Iranian government has emphasised that its approach will continue to prioritise the development and use of local platforms, according to IRNA. Removing curbs on internet usage and platforms was one of the key promises made by President Masoud Pezeshkian during his presidential campaign, and this decision marks an early fulfilment of that commitment. Notably, social media platforms were used widely in Iran during anti-government protests. In September, the US had Big Tech to help evade online censorship in countries with heavy internet censorship, including Iran and Russia. Iran shelves hijab law Meanwhile, the easing of internet curbs comes fresh on the heels of another momentous decision last week when Iran paused the process of implementing a new and stricter hijab law for women. The law had been approved by Iranian parliament in September last year but will on December 18, it was revealed that the law will not be sent to the government for approval. The temporary shelved hijab law levies harsher punishments for women who refuse to wear the hijab and for businesses that serve them, penalties previously rejected by Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian as attempts to restart talks with the West over sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics