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NoneMatt Gaetz is mercilessly mocked over surprising new career move: 'Not on my bingo card' By ISHITA SRIVASTAVA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 11:46 EST, 23 November 2024 | Updated: 11:47 EST, 23 November 2024 e-mail 28 View comments Former Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz has turned his eyes towards a new career after claiming he was forced to exit Congress due to a sex 'smear' campaign. Gaetz, sensationally dropped out of contention two days ago amid a sleuth of allegations including having sex with a minor girl and and illicit drug use - which he has always denied. He also withdrew himself from Congress for next year despite having been re-elected to the seat he vacated. But while many kept wondering what he will do next, Gaetz has already made his big move. The Florida senator has become the latest Republican to join Cameo - a website that lets ordinary people pay for video messages from celebrities. Costing upwards of $525, fans can now receive personalized birthday and holiday wishes, pep talks, advice as well as roasts directed at other people by Gaetz. He also answers questions and helps people improve their signature catchphrases. As of now, he has already released two pep talk videos and is yet to receive any reviews. 'I served in Congress. Trump nominated me to be US Attorney General (that didn’t work out). Once I fired the House Speaker,' is how Gaetz describes himself on his profile . Former Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz has has become the latest Republican to join Cameo after claiming he was forced to exit Congress due to an sex 'smear' campaign He also claims to be available 24 hours to make any kind of one and half minute video. Gaetz's latest endeavor has left many viewers feeling 'pathetic' and joking about the questions people could ask him. One X user noted: 'Someone ask him what he thinks the age of consent should be!' While another pointed at capitalism and said: 'God bless capitalism.' 'He and George Santos. That would be huge,' one X user even suggested. Another simply said: 'mega cringe'. Previously, Gaetz told The Charlie Kirk Show that he will now work to recruit talent that could help support the new Trump administration. He claimed he was the victim of a politically motivated campaign because of his key role in forcing out Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker - which led to him backing out. Costing upwards of $525, fans can now receive personalized birthday and holiday wishes, pep talks, advice as well as roasts directed at other people by Gaetz He also answers questions and helps people improve their signature catchphrases Previously, Gaetz told The Charlie Kirk Show that he will now work to recruit the talent that could help underpin the new Trump administration But Gaetz was already a controversial choice from the outset as his resume lacked legal experience and he had been investigated by the department Trump had tapped him to run. Read More Can Matt Gaetz return to Congress or could DeSantis make him senator? What's next for the firebrand 'There is a play that is run in Washington when they're trying to smear somebody and, you know, they go and dredge up false, years old allegations of the most salacious and click-baity flavor possible. And in this case, they were,' he said. 'Those allegations were coming from sources that Merrick Garland 's DOJ already deemed not credible.' He ended up finding himself up against a politically motivated body, he continued, because he triggered the process that ousted McCarthy last year. 'All of them were hand-picked by Kevin McCarthy and they had an axe to grind. 'So that was going to serve as at least enough of a basis to delay my confirmation as attorney general. 'I served in Congress. Trump nominated me to be US Attorney General (that didn’t work out). Once I fired the House Speaker,' is how Gaetz describes himself on his profile As of now, he has already released two pep talk videos and is yet to receive any reviews He claimed he was the victim of a politically motivated campaign because of his key role in forcing out Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker - which led to him backing out 'If the things [in] the House Ethics report were true, I would be under indictment and probably in a prison cell,' he said, according to clips shared first with DailyMail.com. 'But of course, they're false, because when you test them against other records, when you test them against other testimony, it all falls apart very quickly.' Furthermore, he insists he could have answered all the allegations during his confirmation hearings but that the process would have dragged on, undermining Trump's plans to begin his overhaul of government on day one. 'And I could have answered all those questions. I could have engaged in a months long fact battle, but we don't have months to go through that. 'We've got to have an A.G,. ready to go day one to implement the immigration agenda and work on the other key policy deregulatory objectives of the president.' He said he was encouraged by meetings on the Hill on November 2, when he met with the key senators who would help guide his confirmation. Furthermore, he insists he could have answered all the allegations during his confirmation hearings but that the process would have dragged on, undermining Trump's plans to begin his overhaul of government on day one Trump moved swiftly Thursday to name a replacement for Gaetz in the form of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi But in the end he announced he was dropping out late November 21 morning. Trump moved swiftly Thursday to name former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as a replacement for Gaetz. Read More Trump breaks his silence on Matt Gaetz's withdrawing as his AG pick 'respects' the decision The former Florida congressman said Bondi would be ready to get to work on day one. 'My good friend Pam Bondi is going to be a phenomenal Attorney General for Donald Trump ,' he said. 'She has the legal acumen. She hates criminals. She is a bright legal mind and a fellow Floridian. 'So I think that even though the path will take me to a different station in life and a different place to fight for our agenda and President Trump, we've got a great person in place.' Gaetz added that he was ready to serve Trump however he wanted. 'I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch,' he said. 'I do not intend to join the 119th Congress. There are a number of fantastic Floridians who've stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service.' Florida Kevin McCarthy Matt Gaetz Share or comment on this article: Matt Gaetz is mercilessly mocked over surprising new career move: 'Not on my bingo card' e-mail Add comment

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) has outlined its priorities for the upcoming Budget 2025, with a focus on providing tax relief, enhancing workforce reskilling programs, and managing the impact of extended parental leave. These recommendations align with the national goal of boosting productivity, upskilling employees, and building a foreign workforce capable of addressing both immediate and long-term challenges within the economy. In a poll conducted by SNEF in October, more than 70% of employers expressed support for initiatives focused on workforce upskilling and reskilling. Based on this feedback, the Federation advocates for increased funding through the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) or an equivalent program, along with higher Absentee Payroll Funding to help alleviate the financial burden on businesses when providing training. Further emphasizing the need for technological advancements in the workforce, SNEF also proposed greater subsidies for AI-related training programs under the SkillsFuture Series (Digital Economy), aligning with the National AI Strategy 2.0. This is seen as a crucial step in helping businesses leverage AI capabilities to stay competitive. SNEF has also called on the government to extend the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) beyond 2025, as part of efforts to support businesses in fully utilizing the potential of their senior workforce. Additionally, it recommends the creation of a multigenerational grant to facilitate leadership succession planning and cross-generational collaboration within companies. Addressing the government’s initiatives to uplift Lower-Wage Workers (LWWs), including the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and the recent increase in the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), SNEF acknowledged the positive impact but stressed the importance of aligning wage growth with productivity improvements. To support this, it proposed the extension and enhancement of the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) beyond 2026, helping businesses offset the impact of the PWM and LQS while achieving necessary productivity gains. On the topic of parental leave, SNEF highlighted potential challenges businesses, especially SMEs, might face with the implementation of 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave and two weeks of mandated Paternity Leave, set to begin in April 2025. While the government will cover the additional leave provisions, businesses may still encounter higher costs from hiring temporary replacements. To mitigate this, SNEF has recommended financial subsidies to offset these costs, as well as monthly allowances for employees who take on extra responsibilities in the absence of colleagues on leave. Additionally, the group proposed temporary flexibility in work pass approvals to help businesses manage workforce gaps and meet project deadlines. Tan Hee Teck, President of SNEF, expressed appreciation for the government’s efforts to ease operational challenges, particularly for SMEs, as they adapt to the phased introduction of extended parental leave. He also welcomed the enhancements to the PWCS, which will provide much-needed relief to businesses facing rising costs. SNEF remains committed to working with its tripartite partners to ensure the continued economic resilience of Singapore, competitiveness in business, and inclusive workplaces for all. The government has recently invited public feedback for Budget 2025, and SNEF’s proposals will contribute to the ongoing discussions on how best to address the evolving needs of businesses and the workforce.

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President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday tried to defuse panicky liberal fearmongering over him and instead gin up excitement for his sweeping agenda for the country. Throughout the 2024 campaign, liberal foes seized on Trump’s rhetoric to paint him as someone who intended to rip up institutional norms and was hellbent on vengeance. But Trump, in a prerecorded chat with NBC’s “Meet the Press” — his first sit-down broadcast television interview since winning the election — the 78-year-old Republican confronted many of those concerns head-on and seemingly strived to portray himself as a pragmatist. Here are some of the top takeaways from Trump’s interview: Hands-off approach to DOJ and FBI The incoming president signaled that he would largely be deferring to instead of directing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and loyalist Kash Patel in their potential posts at the helm of the Justice Department and FBI, respectively. Trump was asked if he wanted Bondi to investigate special counsel Smith and the team that had been prosecuting the president-elect for several alleged crimes. “I think he’s very corrupt,” Trump said of Smith. Still, “I want her to do what she wants to do,” Trump said of Bondi and any probes she may undertake. Trump also was asked about the list of 60 so-called “Deep State” actors that Patel has reportedly compiled. The president-elect was asked whether he wanted to see the people investigated. “No,” Trump said — although he left the door open for Patel to do so. “I think he’s going to do what he thinks is right,” Trump said. “If they think that someone was dishonest, or crooked or corrupt politicians, I think he probably has an obligation to do it.” Asked to clarify if he would instruct such an investigation, Trump responded, “No, not at all.” ‘They should go to jail’ One moment from the wide-ranging interview that is sure to fire up critics came when the president-elect suggested that members of the since-defunct House Select Jan. 6 Committee should be jailed. The panel had been probing Trump’s alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill. “For what they did, honestly they should go to jail,” Trump vented about members of the committee. But later, when asked if he would direct his US attorney general and FBI director to go after them,” Trump replied, “No, not at all. “I think they’ll have to look at that. But I’m not going to [ask]. I’m going to focus on drill baby drill,” Trump said, referring to the push for more oil and gas production. The Biden administration is mulling whether to issue blanket pardons for individuals whom Trump may target such as the committee’s members, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), according to multiple reports . Dramatic cuts to Social Security are off the table Ever since the GOP’s election victory, Republican lawmakers have expressed renewed energy in taking on the national debt and slashing the government. Trump further fueled this excitement by naming entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an entity that is not actually a government department. But he ruled out making dramatic cuts to at least one program, Social Security. “We’re not touching Social Security other than we might make it more efficient, but the people are going to get what they get,” Trump said. “And we’re not raising [requirement] ages or any of that stuff.” Won’t fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell early In October, Trump drew unease from market analysts by contending that a president should have some sway over monetary policy and by being noncommittal about whether he’d remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before his term expires. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t see it,” Trump replied when asked about whether he’d boot Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. Trump nominated Powell to helm the Fed in late 2017, and President Biden opted to retain him. In other countries, central banks that aren’t sufficiently separated from the political process often become more susceptible to issues such as inflation. Will stay in NATO if ... Trump also clarified that he intends to keep the US in NATO, provided that the powerful military alliance “pays its bills. “They have to pay their bills. If they pay their bills, absolutely,” Trump replied when asked about remaining in the alliance. “NATO’s taking advantage of us,” he said. “They take advantage of us on trade. ... And on top of that, we defend them. So it’s a double whammy.” NATO members are expected to pony up 2% of their nation’s gross domestic product on defense. In the wake of the Ukraine war, all but eight of the 32-nation bloc meet that obligation, according to data from the Atlantic Council. Trump added that Ukraine “probably should” expect less military assistance from the US under his watch. He revealed that he hasn’t spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin “recently.” Backs off threat about prosecuting Biden In August 2023, Trump suggested on Truth Social that he would name a special counsel or special prosecutor to go after President Biden, presumably over the commander-in-chief’s alleged dealings with son Hunter’s supposed influence-peddling. “No, I’m not doing that unless I find something that is reasonable, but that’s not going to be my decision, that’s going to be Pam Bondi’s decision and to a different extent, Kash Patel,” Trump told NBC. “I’m really looking to make our country successful. I’m not looking to go back into the past,” Trump explained. “Retribution will be through success.” Doesn’t think he’ll change on abortion Trump deviated from Republican orthodoxy on abortion in April when he declared that he would not pursue federal restrictions on the controversial procedure. During the NBC interview, Trump suggested he would stick to that, although he gave himself some wiggle room. “I’ll probably stay with exactly what I’ve been saying for the last two years. And the answer is no,” Trump said when asked about such restrictions, including access to abortion pills. “Things change. I think they change. I hate to go on shows like Joe Biden, ‘I’m not going to give my son a pardon,’ ” Trump mused, referring to Biden’s reversal on pardoning his son. “I don’t like putting myself in a position like that. “Things do change. But I don’t think it’s going to change at all.” Protecting “Dreamers,” ending birthright citizenship Trump repeated his call to end so-called birthright citizenship, in which illegal migrants can cross the border and have children on US soil who will automatically become citizens because of the 14th Amendment. But as for “Dreamers,” individuals whose families already brought them illegally into the country at a young age and who have since grown up here, Trump suggested he would work with Democrats to figure it out. “The Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, and many of these are middle-aged people now,” Trump said. “I will work with the Democrats on a plan, and [see] if we can come up with a plan. But the Democrats have made it very, very difficult to do anything. Republicans are very open to the Dreamers.” No family separation for migrants — although they could all get the boot together The president-elect also underscored that he was keen on avoiding a repeat of the controversial family separation policy that stoked blowback during his first administration. “I don’t want to be breaking up families,” Trump said. “So the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back. “We don’t have to separate families,” Trump said. “We’ll send the whole family very humanely back to the country where they came.” Moderator Kristen Welker pressed him about the implications for children who were in the US legally despite their parents being present illegally. “Then the family has a choice: The person that came in illegally can go out or they can all go out together,” he said. Trump said he would prioritize deporting violent illegal immigrants who have committed other crimes. Day One Trump teased that he would pursue a busy Day One agenda jammed-packed with executive orders on a range of issues such as the economy and the border. “I won on groceries. Very simple word, groceries,” Trump reflected on his election victory, referring to the economy. “When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time,” he said, referring to the previous administration. The president-elect also indicated that he would mull pardons for Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters when he assumes the Oval Office once again. “I’m going to be acting very quickly,” Trump teased. “I’m going to look at everything. We’re going to look at individual cases.”Authored by Rudy Blalock via The Epoch Times, Mexico is developing a new cellphone app for its citizens who are in the United States illegally so they can notify their family members and the nearest Mexican consulate if they are facing deportation, according to a Mexican official on Friday. The move comes in response to potential mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States under the incoming Trump administration. Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, said the app is currently in small-scale testing, and it “appears to be working very well.” De la Fuente described it as a “panic button” in a statement to The Associated Press. “In case you find yourself in a situation where detention [by U.S. immigration authorities] is imminent, you push the alert button, and that sends a signal to the nearest consulate,” he said. De la Fuente did not say whether the app includes a feature to cancel an alert if detention does not occur. In addition to the app, the Mexican government has established a 24-hour call center to address questions from its citizens illegally in the United States or those who are unsure of their status. Mexico has also bolstered its consular staff and legal aid resources to assist illegal immigrants in navigating the deportation process. According to Mexican government estimates, there are approximately 11.5 million migrants with some form of legal residency in the United States and 4.8 million who are there illegally. The app is expected to be fully launched in January, coinciding with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. During his campaigning, Trump repeatedly said he would implement mass deportations once back in office. The development also comes amid ongoing discussions between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regarding immigration policies. Trump recently claimed a victory in stopping illegal immigration through Mexico following a conversation with Sheinbaum. Trump stated on his Truth Social account that Sheinbaum “agreed to stop Migration through Mexico.” Sheinbaum’s own social media post suggested a different perspective, stating, “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.” Sheinbaum further said that Mexico is already addressing migrant caravans, saying, “I told him the caravans are not reaching the northern (U.S.) border, because Mexico is taking care of them.” The conversation between the two leaders occurred shortly after Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his strategy to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump described the potential tariffs as “effectively closing our Southern Border.” Citing data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, AP reports that arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 40 percent from an all-time high in December, largely attributed to increased Mexican vigilance around rail yards and highway checkpoints.MSC INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO. DECLARES REGULAR QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

Children of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools. Georgetown’s then-president, for example, listed a prospective student on his “president’s list” after meeting her and her wealthy father at an Idaho conference known as “summer camp for billionaires,” according to Tuesday court filings in the price-fixing lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court in 2022. Although it’s always been assumed that such favoritism exists, the filings offer a rare peek at the often secret deliberations of university heads and admissions officials. They show how schools admit otherwise unqualified wealthy children because their parents have connections and could possibly donate large sums down the line, raising questions about fairness. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a 2018 email that the university admitted four out of six applicants recommended by then-board chairman Robert Millard, including two who “we would really not have otherwise admitted.” The two others were not admitted because they were “not in the ball park, or the push from him was not as strong.” In the email, Schmill said Millard was careful to play down his influence on admissions decisions, but he said the chair also sent notes on all six students and later met with Schmill to share insight “into who he thought was more of a priority.” The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors. “That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Since the lawsuit was filed, 10 of the schools have reached settlements to pay out a total of $284 million, including payments of up to $2,000 to current or former students whose financial aid might have been shortchanged over a period of more than two decades. They are Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt and Yale. Johns Hopkins is working on a settlement and the six schools still fighting the lawsuit are the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame and the University of Pennsylvania. MIT called the lawsuit and the claims about admissions favoritism baseless. “MIT has no history of wealth favoritism in its admissions; quite the opposite,” university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “After years of discovery in which millions of documents were produced that provide an overwhelming record of independence in our admissions process, plaintiffs could cite just a single instance in which the recommendation of a board member helped sway the decisions for two undergraduate applicants." In a statement, Penn also said the case is meritless that the evidence shows that it doesn't favor students whose families have donated or pledged money to the Ivy League school. “Plaintiffs’ whole case is an attempt to embarrass the University about its purported admission practices on issues totally unrelated to this case," the school said. Notre Dame officials also called the case baseless. “We are confident that every student admitted to Notre Dame is fully qualified and ready to succeed,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. The South Bend, Indiana, school, though, did apparently admit wealthy students with subpar academic backgrounds. According to the new court filings, Don Bishop, who was then associate vice president for enrollment at Notre Dame, bluntly wrote about the “special interest” admits in a 2012 email, saying that year's crop had poorer academic records than the previous year's. The 2012 group included 38 applicants who were given a “very low” academic rating, Bishop wrote. He said those students represented “massive allowances to the power of the family connections and funding history,” adding that “we allowed their high gifting or potential gifting to influence our choices more this year than last year.” The final line of his email: “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids!” Some of the examples pointed to in this week's court filings showed that just being able to pay full tuition would give students an advantage. During a deposition, a former Vanderbilt admissions director said that in some cases, a student would get an edge on the waitlist if they didn’t need financial aid. The 17 schools were part of a decades-old group that got permission from Congress to come up with a shared approach to awarding financial aid. Such an arrangement might otherwise violate antitrust laws, but Congress allowed it as long as the colleges all had need-blind admissions policies, meaning they wouldn't consider a student’s financial situation when deciding who gets in. The lawsuit argues that many colleges claimed to be need-blind but routinely favored the children of alumni and donors. In doing so, the suit says, the colleges violated the Congressional exemption and tainted the entire organization. The group dissolved in recent years when the provision allowing the collaboration expired. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports. Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians — including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad — to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said. The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended “until further notice” at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension. Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the passports belonging to Assad’s relatives — the wife and daughter of one of his cousins — were believed to have been forged at the embassy. Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad — who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity — had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syria’s new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assad’s rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the country’s religious minorities. However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The country’s new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons. There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkey’s hand in Syria, with anxiety. Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group — as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to “discuss the latest developments in Syria.” “Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government,” the statement said, adding that they “also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security” of Turkey and Syria. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish women’s groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand women’s rights in the new Syria. Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government “is worse than Bashar” and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who “don’t accept any role for women.” While the country’s new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions. "Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria,” said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization. "... Women’s rights should not be ignored.” Associated Press writers Hogir Abdo in Hasaka, Syria, and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.

Syria’s embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports. Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians — including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad — to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said. The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended “until further notice” at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension. Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the at the embassy. Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad — who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity — had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syria’s new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assad’s rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the country’s religious minorities. However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The country’s new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons. There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkey’s hand in Syria, with anxiety. Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group — as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to “discuss the latest developments in Syria.” “Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government,” the statement said, adding that they “also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security” of Turkey and Syria. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish women’s groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand women’s rights in the new Syria. Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government “is worse than Bashar” and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who “don’t accept any role for women.” While the country’s new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions. “Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria,” said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization. “... Women’s rights should not be ignored.” ___The San Francisco Bay Area, just like many parts of the U.S., is suffering from a housing shortage , aggravated by construction pauses brought on during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hikes of the last few years. It’s only natural to consider converting some of the vacant office spaces and buildings dotting The City’s skyline to see if these can be converted for residential use. Mainly, since these are already there and are a negative weight to many bank and real-estate company balance sheets because the forecast rental incomes aren’t showing up. A 2023 SPUR research paper claimed that empty downtown San Francisco offices — extending from the Northern Waterfront to Mission Bay — could accommodate more than 14,000 homes . But why are there so many vacant office spaces? It’s worth breaking understanding what makes up The City’s commercial real-estate stock. Newer, Class A office buildings haven’t struggled to bring back employees. High-flying professional offices such as Fortune 500 companies and law and accounting firms have needed to keep corporate offices for their investors, shareholders, and customers amid the emergence of remote work, and they have the money to pay for long-term leases. Older, Class B and C buildings are another story, however. Smaller companies are the typical clients, and many of those firms have downsized their leased space for practical reasons: It is cheaper for them to operate with most of their employees working remotely most of the time. Hence we see a lot of empty older office spaces, or even cancelled new projects. The Fed’s prior rate hikes also made project development debt extremely expensive. Because of decreased office-space demand, a lot of planned projects have been cancelled. Existing office spaces that have been built or are being built are now being returned to their lenders or sold at rock-bottom prices just to get out of their debt, particularly because the future lease cash flows are now less than originally planned. There is thus a lot of talk about converting some of these empty office spaces into residential units. From a general standpoint, it is possible, but not easy to do, thanks to several hurdles. Often, it’s better to simply demolish an older building that is already zero book value — or fully depreciated — for the underlying land and build a new residential building. Higher commercial property taxes need to be adjusted for residential rates, plus there are transfer taxes, recertification costs, all aside from rebuilding costs. There are a number of considerations. Is the building worth renovating structurally? How strong is the foundation, and what kind of overhaul would it require? From an aesthetic standpoint, would people want to live in a sleek, all-glass structure that looks too much like an office? Zoning comes into play, too, although The City has made efforts to speed up downtown conversions . Developers must also consider if a building has been designated a historic site, with governmental incentives for its preservation. Practically, most office buildings’ large floor areas could be difficult to partition. Many such structures only have windows on their outer sides, making it difficult to ensure centrally located units have access to outside lighting. Some developers are able to carve out an empty center corridor that creates windows for the inner units, but this is a major modification and cost than can impact a building’s earthquake-readiness. Most office floors lack showers, with half-bathrooms for men, women and people with disabilities. Converting to a residential building would require individual homes to have plumbing and electrical work done, adding to the costs. Still, the shortage of housing in San Francisco and beyond requires cities and towns to get creative. It might not always make more sense to convert than to simply build a new fit-for-purpose office building. But when the costs pencil out, it’s definitely worth pursuing. Zain Jaffer is the CEO and founder of Zain Ventures, a family office that invests in startups, real estate, stocks, fixed-income, hedge funds and private equity. His main investments are in multifamily real estate and property technology.

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