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President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday vowed to name a new prime minister in the coming days to prevent France from sliding deeper into political turmoil, rejecting growing pressure from the opposition to resign. Macron adopted a defiant tone in an address to the nation, seeking to limit an escalating political crisis after Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government was ousted in a historic no-confidence vote. Contemporary France's shortest-serving premier, Barnier resigned after Wednesday's parliamentary defeat in a standoff over the budget forced his government to step down, the first such toppling of a French administration in over 60 years. Macron now faces the task for the third time this year of selecting a new prime minister and did not come up with a name in his address. "I will appoint a prime minister in the coming days," he said, adding this person would be charged with forming a "government of general interest" with a priority of passing a budget. He also lashed out at the French far right and hard left for uniting in an "anti-republican front" to bring down the government. He said lawmakers had "knowingly" chosen "to topple the budget and the government just days before the Christmas holidays." The French presidency said earlier that Barnier and his ministers would remain "in charge of daily business until the appointment of a new government". Limiting any impression of political chaos is all the more important for Macron given that on Saturday he will host world leaders -- including US President-elect Donald Trump -- for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after a devastating 2019 fire. Pointing to how the edifice was rebuilt within the five-year timeline he had set, Macron said: "It's the proof we're able to do great things, that we can do the impossible." In an unusual move, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, France's top diplomat for just two-and-a-half months, urged unity in a message on social media, saying "instability is vulnerability" at a time of international uncertainty. A majority of lawmakers on Wednesday supported the no-confidence vote proposed by the hard left and backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen. Barnier's ejection in record time came after snap parliamentary elections in June resulted in a hung parliament. No political force was able to form an overall majority and the far right held the key to the government's survival. The trigger for Barnier's ouster was his 2025 budget plan, including austerity measures unacceptable to a majority in parliament, but which he argued were necessary to stabilise France's finances. On Monday he forced through a social security financing bill without a vote, but the ousting of the government means France is still without a budget. New legislative elections cannot be called until a year after the previous ones in summer 2024. But while Macron has more than two years of his presidential term left, some opponents are calling on him to resign to break the deadlock. According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro daily, 59 percent of French want the president to step down, while a survey by Harris for RTL put the figure even higher, at 64 percent. Bur Macron said: "The mandate that you gave to me democratically (in 2022 elections) is a five-year mandate and I will exercise it fully, right up to the end." "The 30 months we have ahead of us must be 30 months of useful action for the country." But he admitted his decision to call snap parliamentary elections this summer that resulted in a hung parliament "was not understood". "Many have blamed me for it and I know, many continue to blame me. It's a fact and it's my responsibility," he said. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said that Macron was the "cause of the problem" in France "and would go due to the force of events" before his term ends. Barnier is Macron's fifth prime minister since coming to power in 2017. Each successive premier has served for a shorter period and, given the composition of the National Assembly, there is no guarantee that Barnier's successor would last any longer. Loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron's centrist ally Francois Bayrou have been touted as possible contenders, as has former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Bayrou, who leads the MoDem party, had lunch with the president at the Elysee, a source close to him told AFP. sjw/ah/gv
Apellix Launches US1 Power Wash Drone, Enhancing Industrial Cleaning EfficiencyNoneBlack Friday and Cyber Monday e-commerce sales broke records again this year, with Adobe pointing out that US sales increased 10.2% YoY to $10.8 billion on Black Friday while Cyber Monday sales rose 7.3% YoY to ~$13.3 billion. Peak sales hit $15.8 million per minute on Monday evening. Shopify is a major beneficiary of Black Friday sales, and coming off a strong Q3, saw another record-breaking holiday. Shopify’s growth was quite strong at two times higher than overall Black Friday sales, with GMV increasing 22% YoY to a record $5 billion. For Black Friday/Cyber Monday, GMV rose 24% YoY to $11.5 billion with peak sales hitting $4.6 million per minute. POLAND - 2023/03/07: In this photo illustration a Shopify logo seen displayed on a smartphone. ... [+] (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Q3 was strong with revenue growth accelerating to 26% YoY, operating income more than doubling YoY and FCF margin approaching 20%, the true test will be Q4. Shopify will need to prove to the Street that it can continue to re-accelerate revenue into 2025 given the strong Black Friday trends and international expansion efforts. Shopify Revenue Growth Reaccelerates in Q3 Shopify reported a strong third quarter earlier in November, with revenue growth reaccelerating more than 500 bp sequentially. Q3 revenue increased 26.1% YoY to $2.16 billion, with growth accelerating from 20.7% in Q2. Excluding logistics (comps from Q2 23 to Q2 24), Q3 was the sixth consecutive quarter with revenue growth of >25%. For Q4, management guided revenue growth in the mid- to high-20% range, benefiting from the holiday season and building upon Q3’s growth. Given the recent data on Black Friday sales, Shopify is well on its way to deliver on this guide. FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Stop Sending Texts Microsoft’s New Update—Bad News Confirmed For 400 Million Windows Users FBI Warns Smartphone Users—Hang Up And Create A Secret Word Now Shopify's revenue growth reaccelerated in Q3 after decelerating for five consecutive quarters. Shopify pointed out three key drivers of revenue growth and strength in Q3: · Strong GMV growth · Subscription Solutions revenue growth · Increased Payments penetration I break these key points down for you below. GMV Driven by European Growth of 35% International helped to drive the beat this quarter, with GMV “outside North America growing 33% in Q3. European GMV grew greater than 35% as our largest markets of the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands continue to gain traction.” Global GMV increased 24% to $69.7 billion in the third quarter, the fifth quarter in a row where growth exceeded 20%. This was driven by same-store sales growth by Shopify and Shopify Plus merchants (organic growth from existing stores), as well as that international strength. Shopify Plus is tailored to large and enterprise businesses, offering exclusive conversion and automation features and lower fees to help drive growth for those merchants. Additionally, Q3 offline GMV was up 27% YoY, and has more than doubled in just the past three years. Q3 B2B GMV grew over 145% YoY, and has now had five consecutive quarters of triple-digit growth. This shows Shopify’s diversity ability to grow beyond digital stores for small-to-medium sized retail customers, which had driven the bulk of the business during the stock’s Covid surge. The expansion into Europe also shows promising signs of Shopify’s ability to scale globally in a more meaningful way. The company stated they “made enhancements to localization, shipping, and compliance, and are pairing that with intensified marketing efforts” for Europe. Black Friday was also strong and an early indicator for Q4, with Shopify recording $5 billion in GMV for the holiday, a 22% YoY increase, in-line with last year’s growth. Deutsche Bank analysts noted that this GMV puts Shopify on track to hit Q4 GMV expectations of $92.8 billion, correlating to a 23.6% YoY increase, about in line with Q3’s growth rate. To note, GMV growth of 24% lags revenue growth of 26%. This is not necessarily a negative; however, it does hint that customer spending could be slowing slightly, and a further decoupling of the two rates could suggest a revenue re-acceleration may be short-lived if this decoupling continues. Subscriptions: MRR Accelerates 3-Points Shopify’s Subscription Solutions revenue, the second stated driver of revenue growth, increased 26% YoY to $610 million, and represents 28% of revenue. Growth has decelerated from 34% YoY in Q1 and 27% YoY in Q2, but MRR trends point to growth stabilizing around 26% or reaccelerating slightly come Q4 and into 2025 with some pricing and merchant growth tailwinds. In Q3, MRR growth accelerated 3 points to 28% YoY, up from 25% in Q2, reaching $175 million. Plus contributed 31% of MRR, flat with last quarter, while Plus, Standard and Point of Sale all saw “continued growth” in Q3. In Q3, MRR growth accelerated 3 points to 28% YoY, up from 25% in Q2, reaching $175 million. Shopify Payments up 31%, Shop Pay up 42% Shopify Payments facilitated $43 billion in GPV in Q3, up 31% YoY, with penetration rising to 62% of GMV (compared to 58% last year). Shop Pay similarly increased 42% YoY to $17B in GMV. Management attributed the strength in payments to a few factors: strong performance of merchants utilizing Payments, more of which are Plus subscribers, higher global adoption of payments; and increasing penetration of Shop Pay. For Q4, Payments are likely to provide a headwind down the line, due to holiday season dynamics. In Q3, the lower margins on Payments came from a higher mix of Shopify Plus merchants, which are larger enterprises at a fixed rate, and due to a higher mix of credit card usage compared to debit card usage. Shopify explained that Q4 “sees a higher percentage of revenue from Payments given the high-volume holiday selling season,” and as a result, management expects “higher dollar losses on Payments” due to that volume growth. Q4 Earnings Pop May be Short-Lived Analysts are forecasting that Shopify regresses back towards revenue growth in the 20% range by FY25. Currently, Shopify is estimated to report 27.2% YoY growth in Q4, supported in part by 24% YoY growth in Cyber Week GMV. This would mark a sequential acceleration of 110 bp, and 360 bp faster growth than the 23.6% recorded last Q4. Analysts are forecasting that Shopify regresses back towards revenue growth in the 20% range by ... [+] FY25. Shopify’s revenue growth is more correlated to GMV growth now as opposed to 2022 and early 2023. For example, Shopify was reporting revenue growth rates >10 percentage points higher than GMV growth due to GPV growth, pricing and merchant revenue growth. By Q4 2023, revenue growth became much more closely tied to GMV – Shopify reported 23.2% GMV growth in that quarter and 23.6% revenue growth, and in Q1 2024, GMV growth was 22.8% versus revenue growth of 23.4%. However, Q3 showed a larger decoupling of the two, with GMV growth of 24.0% lagging revenue growth by more than 2 percentage points. Q3 showed a larger decoupling of GMV and revenue growth, with GMV growth of 24.0% lagging revenue ... [+] growth by more than 2 percentage points. This suggests that if GMV growth begins to peak in Q4 and decelerate, revenue growth may soon follow if Shopify cannot push GPV growth to >30% or pull additional levers such as pricing to maintain a high-20% revenue growth rate. To point out, analysts currently expect GMV growth of ~23.6% in Q4, again much slower than the 27.2% estimated revenue growth rate, though increased Payments volume will play a role in that. Moving into 2025, if GMV trends towards 20%, there’s risk that revenue growth will follow. These are a few things that I’m watching for as I continue to evaluate Shopify. I provide weekly deep dives, real-time trade alerts and weekly webinars to evaluate positions and discuss potential entries and exits. Learn more here . Executing Well with 132% Growth in Adjusted Operating Income Shopify is executing very well despite margin headwinds, driving operating income growth well in the triple digits despite contracting gross margins in Q3. Corporate gross margin contracted 90 bp, dropping from 52.6% last year to 51.7%, weighed down by Merchant Solutions (accounting for 55% of gross profit dollars), where gross margin contracted 130 bp to 39.7%. Management added that Payments had an adverse impact to Merchant Solutions’ gross margin for two reasons: it accounted for a larger portion of revenue, while it also had lower margins due to higher Plus merchant mix on a fixed rate and a higher credit card mix compared to debit cards. Despite the headwinds to gross margin, Shopify’s cost optimization efforts are bearing fruit. Gross profit increased 24% YoY, or $217 million in dollar terms, while operating expenses increased just 7% YoY, or $56 million in dollar terms. This drove a 132% YoY increase in adjusted operating income from $122 million in $283 million, or 13.1% of revenue. This led to a 99% increase in adjusted net income, excluding equity investment impacts. Q4 is expected to see this dynamic continue, despite more margin headwinds. Based on management’s guidance, gross margin is expected to contract 3.2% QoQ and 1.1% YoY while operating income is projected to increase 2.8% QoQ and increase 2.5% YoY. Shopify Stock Has Potential Catalysts Ahead Shopify has a couple catalysts ahead, one in moving upstream to capturing more enterprises on the platform, and the other within AI and automation features facilitating daily workflows for merchants. In Q3, management highlighted that the quarter was “an exceptional quarter in terms of new enterprise-level brands” from all verticals coming to Shopify. Management said that enterprise “is a massive opportunity to build for the long term,” with the opportunity only beginning to bud, with just 16 enterprise launches in Q3. Shopify believes it offers a value proposition for enterprises to switch to its platform due to flexibility and speed. To demonstrate this, management explained that “one merchant recently brought over 44,000 SKUs to Shopify in less than three minutes, a task that used to take hours if not days. This significant reduction in data migration hassle is a big deal as it removes major friction point for merchants looking to move to Shopify.” Migrating over more enterprise brands in the coming quarters can provide tailwinds to both GMV and GPV, bringing more sales and more payment transactions to the platform. The data migration point ties hand in hand with another catalyst for Shopify, arising from AI and automation features. Shopify is working on improving merchant automation, from data migration to inventory management and more. Shopify Flow, which is Shopify’s low-code workflow automation app that empowers merchants to build custom automations has been improved with 304 new actions in the API. Shopify Inbox is now utilizing AI to assist merchants in quickly responding to customer inquiries, while new automations for tax filings and VAT were added to Shopify Tax. Shopify is also implementing artificial intelligence to drive higher levels of personalization for customers, and in turn, drive higher value for merchants. President Harley Finkelstein explained Shopify thinks “search and AI together makes the Shop search way more relevant, way more personalized,” and that “the change that we've made, in some cases, have led to an 18% increase in sessions where a buyer engages in a recommendation with our new home feed.” To that extent, Shopify announced that Mikhail Parakhin recently joined as CTO, after spending more than a decade at Microsoft helping to launch Copilot and spearheading search and AI innovations at Yandex. Shopify said that Parakhin “brings a wealth of experience in AI and search technologies” and “in just over two months since he joined us, he has already made a significant impact enhancing our products.” Technical Analysis: As long as any weakness can hold $89.95, I expect the uptrend to push into the $132 region and then the $150 - $190 region. If any further weakness cannot hold $89.95, then the odds SHOP will push higher go down significantly. It is well above this level, so we should continue to look higher. As long as any weakness can hold $89.95, I expect the uptrend to push into the$132 region and then ... [+] the $150 - $190 region Once it gets to the $132 - $190 region, what next? This is where SHOP gets a little tricky. The larger uptrend off the 2022 low has unfortunately been quite messy. This opens the door to several potential larger patterns in play. What my firm can say with a higher degree of confidence is that if SHOP can break above the $190 region and do so on elevated volume and in a direct manner, it will favor the more bullish interpretation of what is potentially playing out. However, if it fails to breakout over the $190 region, and instead see a larger pullback from the $150 - $190 region, then we will likely see a notable correction before pushing higher. We really will not know what is in play from a technical analysis perspective until we get into the above target range and see what SHOP’s price does next. Conclusion Shopify has performed well despite gross margin headwinds, as prudent cost optimization efforts are leading to significant operating leverage. Q3 demonstrated this with triple digit operating income growth despite gross margin contracting nearly 1 percentage point. Although this dynamic along with strong growth is expected to continue into next quarter, ideally I’d want to see GMV keep pace with revenue growth into 2025. Analysts seem to agree with next year consensus showing growth exiting next year at 21.2%. Although the near-term catalyst is strong Black Friday performance, likely leading to strong holiday performance (we will see), the medium-term catalysts are found in global expansion, increased enterprise mix, and placing more focus on AI and automation features to help merchants increase productivity and drive more sales. Stay on the leading edge of AI with I/O Fund’s high-performing tech portfolio, which had 7 positions outperform the Nasdaq-100 last year for a cumulative return of 131% since inception. Year-to-date for 2024, the I/O Fund had 10 positions beating the indexes, many held at high allocations, and we are prepping for a strong 2025. Take advantage of our Black Friday sale, our largest sale of the year with up to $250 off! Learn more here . If you would like notifications when my new articles are published, please hit the button below to "Follow" me.Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. Brown, who was a candidate for the leadership at the time, was summoned to a House of Commons committee to answer questions on the 2022 race after a report from a committee on national security cited Indian interference in an unspecified Conservative leadership campaign. "I don't believe foreign intervention affected the final outcome of the Conservative leadership race," Brown told a House of Commons committee on Thursday. Brown said he believes it's important to guard against foreign interference but that he does not want to get drawn into partisan debates on Parliament Hill. On Monday, Brown posted on social media about the committee's summons to say that he had no new evidence to add, and that the public inquiry on foreign interference was the proper venue to evaluate the allegations. He said Thursday that no members of the Indian government reached out to him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid. Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry, which wrapped up hearings earlier this fall with a final report due in the new year. Brown was disqualified from the party's 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to financing rules in the Canada Elections Act. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. MORE POLITICS NEWS BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants Poilievre calls on House to back Singh's 'wise' words in no-confidence motion Government asks for third extension on court deadline to pass 'lost Canadians' bill Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault tells committee: 'I am not Indigenous' Patrick Brown says foreign interference did not affect Tory leadership race outcome 'Utterly absurd': Freeland rebuffs Poilievre's offer of two hours to present fall economic statement Trudeau, ministers and opposition leaders address AFN gathering in Ottawa Tariffs on Chinese EVs, aluminum and steel to raise federal revenues by $473M: PBO IN DEPTH Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power. 'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties. 'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it. Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports. 'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday. Opinion opinion | Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election? opinion | Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus. opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place. opinion | Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point. opinion | Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing. CTVNews.ca Top Stories BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. LIVE UPDATES | Anger, vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. 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DEVELOPING | Police release new photos in the search for the gunman in the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week. Politics BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. 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Autos More than 200,000 SUVs recalled in Canada, U.S. over fuel leak concern Honda is recalling approximately 12,000 vehicles in Canada Electric vehicle reliability improving but lagging gas models: Consumer Reports survey The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports. OPEC+ oil producers' alliance postpones production increases as crude prices stagnate Eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided Thursday to put off increasing oil production as they face weaker than expected demand and competing production from non-allied countries — factors that could keep oil prices stagnant into next year. Local Spotlight N.S. woman finds endangered leatherback sea turtle washed up on Cape Breton beach Mary Janet MacDonald has gone for walks on Port Hood Beach, N.S., most of her life, but in all those years, she had never seen anything like the discovery she made on Saturday: a leatherback sea turtle. 'It moved me': Person returns stolen Prada bag to Halifax store; owner donates proceeds A Halifax store owner says a person returned a Prada bag after allegedly stealing it. 'It's all about tradition': Bushwakker marking 30 years of blackberry mead The ancient art of meadmaking has become a holiday tradition for Regina's Bushwakker Brewpub, marking 30 years of its signature blackberry mead on Saturday. Alberta photographer braves frigid storms to capture the beauty of Canadian winters Most people want to stay indoors when temperatures drop to -30, but that’s the picture-perfect condition, literally, for Angela Boehm. N.S. teacher, students help families in need at Christmas for more than 25 years For more than a quarter-century, Lisa Roach's middle school students have been playing the role of Santa Claus to strangers during the holidays. N.S. girl battling rare disease surprised with Taylor Swift-themed salon day A Nova Scotia girl battling a rare disease recently had her 'Wildest Dreams' fulfilled when she was pampered with a Swiftie salon day. Winnipeg city councillor a seven-time provincial arm wrestling champ A Winnipeg city councillor doesn’t just have a strong grip on municipal politics. Watch: Noisy throng of sea lions frolic near Jericho Beach A large swarm of California sea lions have converged in the waters near Vancouver’s Jericho and Locarno beaches. Auburn Bay residents brave the cold to hold Parade of Lights It was pretty cold Saturday night, but the hearts of those in a southeast Calgary neighbourhood warmed right up during a big annual celebration. Vancouver Fatal crash closes Vancouver intersection Police are on scene after a fatal collision between a cyclist and a vehicle in East Vancouver Thursday afternoon. B.C. RCMP detachment issues warning about bank card scam Mounties in Richmond are warning the public about a scam in which fraudsters convince people to hand over their bank cards. No tsunami threat to B.C. after powerful earthquake off California Emergency management officials say there is no tsunami threat to British Columbia after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off California on Thursday morning. Toronto 2 men, 4 teens charged in Markham jewelry store robbery as police search for 6 more suspects York Regional Police have charged four teenage boys and two men and are looking for six more suspects in connection with a jewelry store robbery in Markham on Wednesday. Video shows moments leading up to fatal shooting in Brampton Video has surfaced showing the moments leading up to a fatal shooting outside of a Brampton home late Wednesday night. 'It was like I was brainwashed': 2 Ontarians lose $230K to separate AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams Two Ontarians collectively lost $230,000 after falling victim to separate AI-generated social media posts advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. Calgary Remembering a broadcast legend: Calgarians pay their respects to Darrel Janz Calgarians gathered Thursday to pay their respects to broadcast legend Darrel Janz, who inspired thousands of young journalists and continued sharing impactful local stories until his very last days. Glenmore Landing redevelopment defeated by vote at Calgary council Calgary city council has defeated a motion to rezone a piece of land in Glenmore Landing to allow for a high-density development in the area. New Stampeder QB Vernon Adams Jr. visits McMahon Stadium with high hopes for 2025 season The Calgary Stampeders’ new number one quarterback has arrived in Calgary. After spending American Thanksgiving in Arizona, Vernon Adams checked out the facilities at McMahon Stadium and met with the media. Ottawa Sprung structures could be converted to community centres after asylum seeker use A City of Ottawa official says the proposed Sprung structures that the city wants to use to house asylum seekers could be converted to other public uses once they are no longer needed as newcomer welcoming centres. Ottawa customers turning to couriers to get holiday packages shipped as Canada Post strike continues The ongoing postal workers strike has some people turning to other delivery companies to get their holiday packages sent to loved ones in time for Christmas. OPP lay charges against two Ottawa towing companies Ontario Provincial Police have laid numerous charges against two local towing companies. Montreal WEATHER | Montreal hit with first major snowfall of the year Montrealers woke up on Thursday to the first real dump of snow as winter looks ready to set in. BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. The majority of 17-month-old babies in Quebec use a screen every day: study Screens have found their way into families and are now an integral part of everyday life. Even under the age of two, babies in Quebec are using screens every day. Toddlers from low-income households use screens more frequently, according to a report by the Quebec statistics institute (ISQ) published on Thursday. Edmonton 30 robberies involving the swarming of store employees reported to Edmonton police The Edmonton Police Service is warning of a new shoplifting trend where groups of young people swarm store employees to steal expensive products. BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. Ottawa, Alberta announce $162M rare disease drug agreement Alberta has entered a $162-million agreement with the federal government to provide access to drugs for rare diseases. Atlantic Fifteen per cent of ER visits in Canada are not for emergencies: report A report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says one in seven emergency room visits in Canada are for issues that could have been dealt with elsewhere. BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. Police investigating after second homeless Nova Scotia man dies in as many weeks Police in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley are investigating the second sudden death of a homeless person within the past two weeks, prompting a local social advocate to sound the alarm about worsening weather. Winnipeg Manitoba bill would toughen penalties for some impaired-driving offences The Manitoba government is looking to bring in tougher penalties on people who are convicted of impaired driving offences that cause injury or death. Jordan’s Principle spending, Manitoba requests only increasing In the last five years, the number of approved Jordan’s Principle requests and the subsequent spending have nearly tripled. Silver Alert issued for missing Winnipeg woman Winnipeg police are concerned about the well-being of a missing senior. Regina Affordability, carbon tax bills pass as Sask. legislature continues short sitting The Saskatchewan Party's election promises of action on affordability and continued carbon tax exemptions have been fulfilled as the short sitting of the legislature carries on. Roughriders re-sign veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, inside source confirms The Saskatchewan Roughriders have re-signed veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. SJHL loses league points leader to BCHL's Brooks Bandits Caden Drury, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's (SJHL) points leader, is signing with the Brooks Bandits of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), the team announced Thursday. Kitchener developing | Arrest made, replica firearm seized, after early morning standoff in Stratford One woman has been sent to hospital as Stratford Police investigate an intimate violence investigation Thursday morning. One person sent to hospital after collision near Brantford One person was sent to hospital after a collision involving a tractor trailer and a pedestrian near Brantford early Thursday morning. jeewan chanicka no longer Waterloo Regional District School Board director The Waterloo Region District School Board is under new leadership. Saskatoon Saskatoon dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts A Saskatoon dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts. Saskatoon police chief supports regulating bear spray sales after spike in attacks Saskatoon is seeing a rise in attacks involving bear spray. Sask. school bus driver arrested for impaired driving after transporting 50 kids A Saskatchewan school bus driver, who was transporting 50 children shortly before his arrest, is facing impaired driving related charges. Northern Ontario Four transport truck drivers charged in northern Ont. collisions on Hwy. 11 Bad weather and bad driving contributed to multiple collisions on Highway 11 on Wednesday, leading to charges for several commercial motor vehicle drivers. Layoffs at Vale's Sudbury operations not affecting members of Local 6500 Some non-union staff at Vale in the Sudbury area are being laid off, but the company is not saying how many and what positions are being affected. Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank. London Multiple collisions close highways, visibility deteriorates as major system hangs over London area If you’re begging for the snow to stop, unfortunately reprieve is not on the way just yet. Police close local highways due to weather Snow squalls and strong winds made for treacherous conditions, closing portions of the 401 and 402 on Thursday. Fire displaces eight people, injures two A fire that broke out at a home on Hale Street resulted in two people being assessed by paramedics, and as many as eight people being displaced. Barrie BREAKING | Ontario police charge man in connection with deadly police-involved shooting in Innisfil A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal police-involved shooting in an Innisfil, Ont. community nearly four months ago. Snow squall warning issued for Simcoe County, with up to 35 cm of snow possible Snow squall warnings for most of central Ontario with snow accumulations up to 35 centimetres likely. Preliminary hearing begins for man accused in Orillia murder case Brian Lancaster sat in the prisoner’s box inside a Barrie courtroom on Thursday for the start of his preliminary hearing - the details of which are protected by a publication ban. Windsor 14-year-old boys charged with gunpoint robbery and kidnapping Windsor police officers have arrested two 14-year-old boys related to a kidnapping and gunpoint robbery in south Windsor. Six Caldwell First Nation residents fighting Boxing Day eviction notices A group of Caldwell First Nation residents are hanging onto hope that they can keep living in their homes on their ancestral lands in the recently revived First Nation reserve, after receiving eviction notices to move out by Dec. 26. 'It’s a big milestone': New CK children’s treatment centre expanding The new Chatham-Kent Children’s Treatment Centre is taking a big next step in its expansion process. Vancouver Island No tsunami threat to B.C. after powerful earthquake off California Emergency management officials say there is no tsunami threat to British Columbia after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off California on Thursday morning. B.C. minister stepping away from role following cancer diagnosis B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, Grace Lore, is stepping away from her role after being diagnosed with cancer. B.C. premier says feds and provinces plan right-left approach to Trump's tariff plans British Columbia Premier David Eby says Canada's premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan over possible U.S. tariffs, where Conservative premiers lobby their Republican counterparts and left-leaning leaders court the Democrats, while the federal government focuses on president-elect Donald Trump. Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Lethbridge Lethbridge peace officer charged in relation to more than 10-year-old incident A Lethbridge police community peace officer has been charged with an off-duty incident stemming from more than 10 years ago. Lethbridge homeless support facilities expanding to cope with increasing demand Lethbridge has seen its population of people experiencing homelessness increase significantly over recent years, but help is coming, as construction is underway on an expansion of the Lethbridge Shelter. Southern Alberta man sentenced in 2021 killing A southern Alberta man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years, less time served, in connection with a fatal attack on Linden Grier more than three years ago. Sault Ste. Marie Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank. 'Sense of relief' for lottery winner who recently went through rough times Adding Encore to a few free plays in the Ontario 49 lottery turned out to be very lucky for a PSW from Timmins. New addition to the CTV Northern Ontario family The CTV Northern Ontario family got a little bigger Tuesday when longtime anchor Marina Moore and her husband welcomed their second baby into the world. N.L. 'Kids are scared': Random attacks have residents of small-city N.L. shaken Mount Pearl, near St. John's, has been the scene for three random attacks in November. Police have arrested and charged seven youth. 'They're sitting ducks:' More women with disabilities unhoused due to abuse, violence New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse. GivingTuesday: Food banks need help, but charity won't end hunger, advocates say It's GivingTuesday, and some directors of food banks and anti-poverty groups say the day underlines a conundrum for their organizations. Stay Connected
Tracer Biotechnologies Announces Agreement for Next-Generation Cancer Monitoring for Drug DevelopmentPresident-elect Donald Trump on Friday voiced his support for putting an end to daylight saving time. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his party will try to stop the practice of changing clocks twice a year. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." Trump's Previous Comments on Daylight Saving Time The president-elect previously indicated he's in favor of dropping daylight saving time during his first administration. On March 11 of 2019, a day after most Americans turned their clocks forward an hour, Trump wrote on X (then known as Twitter ) how the time change should remain permanent. "Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!" Trump posted at the time. Why We Have Daylight Saving Time The practice of changing the time on clocks in the United States began more than 100 years ago after several other countries had already started similar policies. Daylight saving time, also referred to as "DST," was formally introduced in the U.S. with the Standard Time Act of 1918 as a measure to save resources needed for World War I and as a way extend the work day. However, a year-round DST was not put into effect until 1942, also as a wartime measure. This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts may sit out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion . The Eagles could also just rest Hurts to play it safe -- even if he’s medically cleared ahead of Sunday’s game -- and protect their franchise QB from additional injury over the final two games. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni kept quiet this week on which QB will start Sunday, in large part, of course, because of the head injury suffered by Hurts in last week’s loss to Washington that forced him into the concussion protocol . The issue was complicated by backup Kenny Pickett’s rib injury suffered in relief of Hurts in his first real game competition in nearly a year. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, could move into a backup role — or maybe even get the start against the Cowboys. Philadelphia's starting quarterback situation has surged past Saquon Barkley's chase at Eric Dickerson's season rushing record as the most intriguing talking point in the final two games. The Eagles (12-3) appear certain to win the division title — they're two games ahead of Washington (10-5) — and a No. 2 seed in the conference no matter the quarterback headed into the playoffs. Even with an unsettled QB spot, the Eagles are are still 71⁄2-point home favorites to beat division rival Dallas, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni appreciated that quarterback depth has been a strength for the Eagles. “We feel good about that room,” he said. So why risk Hurts against the Cowboys? There's little reason to make Hurts play only a week after absorbing a pair of blows to the head and the extra week off — maybe two if the finale against the Giants is truly meaningless — could add to his recovery time ahead of a home playoff game. The Eagles were burned in a similar situation last season when Hurts and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were both injured in the final game against the Giants with little at stake. With both players hampered by unnecessary injuries, the Eagles were dumped the next week by Tampa Bay in the NFC wild-card playoff game. The Eagles have options if Hurts is inactive. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to Brown and an interception. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers before he was traded to the Eagles in the offseason. McKee was the Eagles’ 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He's mostly used in practice on the scout team or in developmental periods — at best, he'll stay late after practice to get some reps in with the top receivers. “Every week, every opportunity, it's knowing it could be my shot, my chance,” McKee said. He could finally get that shot against Dallas. With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, the questions persist for coach Mike McCarthy about bypassing Cooper Rush for a look at Trey Lance before both QBs hit free agency. McCarthy’s answer hasn’t wavered: Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win. Rush is 4-3 since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring tear after going 5-1 over two previous stints as an injury replacement. That’s 9-4 total. Half the losses came in both of Rush’s starts against Eagles – the last of five games filling in during the 2022 season and the first game this season. “The mindset is to win,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to Philadelphia to win the game.” Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing for the season through 15 games. He still needs two big outings in the final games of the season against Dallas and the New York Giants to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Barkley is 268 yards away from passing Dickerson for the season mark and 162 shy from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He ran for only 66 yards in the first game this season against Dallas. Dallas ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering 135.9 yards per contest. Philadelphia, behind Barkley’s stellar play, tops the league at 187.9 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have already have set a team record for yards rushing in a season with 2,818, and they are within four rushing touchdowns of tying the club’s single-season mark of 32, set in 2022. Barkley needs four more rushing touchdowns to tie LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record, set in 2011 and just 33 yards from scrimmage to break McCoy’s mark of 2,146 set in 2013. Star Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, the first injury absence of his career. The 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year would be the fifth player to reach 10 sacks in each of his first four seasons. The other four — Claude Humphrey, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed from Arlington, Texas. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflDaily Deals: Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Astro Bot, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and MoreA nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden's clemency list
CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. After missing his first seven shots and ambling deliberately in his left knee brace in the first quarter, the 2023 MVP went on a tear to propel the Sixers to a 108-100 win over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid connected on eight of his next 10 shots in the second quarter for his first 19 points of the game, which lifted Philadelphia to a 62-50 halftime lead. The Sixers stretched it to 19 before holding on for their fourth win in five games, and Embiid finished with 31. “I just got lucky and started making shots,” Embiid deadpanned when he talked to reporters almost 90 minutes after the game. “We just missed shots and we adjusted and we got them in.” Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, added 12 rebounds in his fifth game this season. The 7-foot center had missed the previous seven games because of knee injuries and a three-game suspension for pushing a sports columnist. Embiid finished slightly above his career average of nearly 27.8 points per game in 33 minutes. The Sixers don't play again until Friday thanks to the NBA Cup, so coach Nick Nurse planned to give his star ample work Sunday with a break and recovery time ahead. “All of a sudden he certainly caught fire there with a little bit of variety,” Nurse said. “I know a lot of it seemed like foul-line jumpers, which it was. He snuck in a roll or two and a couple of post-ups. It gave us a lot of confidence.” The Sixers trailed 33-23 after the first quarter. Behind Embiid and a 16-0 run in the second, they took the lead for good. Chicago got within four points twice in the fourth, but Philadelphia closed it out. “We guarded really well and we rebounded extremely well at both ends,” Nurse said. Tyrese Maxey got his first career triple-double as part of the winning formula and clicked with Embiid. Maxey finished with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. “It was great, that's who he is,” Maxey said of Embiid. “After he got in the game it's easy, it was easier, man. There was a lot more space out there.” The All-Star trio of Embiid, Maxey and Paul George (12 points) played together for only the second game this season. “Obviously we've got the connection,” Embiid said. "We know when things are not going right, what we need to do. Now it's up to us to make the shots and the plays. “After that first quarter, it just felt like we needed to take more of an ownership as far as getting us back in the game. They're great players.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR's “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don't have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. "Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Just in Time for the Holidays: Tesla Mezcal Re-Releases a Limited Edition Collaboration with Nosotros MezcalJoel Embiid scores 31 in return to the 76ers' starting lineup against the BullsTOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns them. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said they are not U.S. military drones. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, say the military should shoot down the drones. Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo on Wednesday told The Associated Press “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
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US President Joe Biden on Sunday said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. In the first full US reaction to Assad's overthrow by an Islamist-led coalition of rebel factions, Biden also warned that Washington will "remain vigilant" against the emergence of terrorist groups, announcing that US forces had just conducted fresh strikes against militants from the Islamic State organization. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said, speaking from the White House. "It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria." Asked by reporters what should happen to the deposed president, who reportedly has fled to Moscow, Biden said that "Assad should be held accountable." Biden -- set to step down in January and make way for Republican Donald Trump's return to power -- said Washington will assist Syrians in rebuilding. "We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign" Syria "with a new constitution," he said. However, Biden cautioned that hardline Islamist groups within the victorious rebel alliance will be under scrutiny. "Some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human right abuses," Biden said. The United States had "taken note" of recent statements by rebels suggesting they had since moderated, he said, but cautioned: "We will assess not just their words, but their actions." Biden said Washington is "clear eyed" that the Islamic State extremist group, often known as ISIS, "will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish" itself in Syria. "We will not let that happen," he said, adding that on Sunday alone, US forces had conducted strikes against ISIS inside Syria. The US military said the strikes were conducted by warplanes against Islamic State operatives and camps. Strikes were carried out against "over 75 targets using multiple US Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s," the US Central Command said on social media. Earlier, Biden met with his national security team at the White House to discuss the crisis. Assad's reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning rebel offensive that broke long-frozen frontlines in Syria's civil war. They announced Sunday they had taken the capital Damascus and that Assad had fled, prompting celebrations nationwide and a ransacking of Assad's luxurious home. A Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that the deposed leader was now in Moscow, along with his family. The US military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group. It has regularly struck targets in the country including those linked to Iranian-backed militias. Tehran was a major backer of Assad's government. Biden also confirmed US authorities believe the American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, still lives. "We believe he's alive," Biden said, but the US has yet "to identify where he is." bur-sms/mlmNetflix 'totally ready' for XMas NFL games, WWE
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