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Hope and fear as world powers absorb Assad's endNone

Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happenWhy Are Snowflake (SNOW) Shares Soaring Today

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — CNN wants a court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson that attacks its report that he made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board. The network says Robinson presented no evidence that the network believed its story was false or aired it recklessly. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — CNN wants a court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson that attacks its report that he made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board. The network says Robinson presented no evidence that the network believed its story was false or aired it recklessly. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — CNN wants a court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson that attacks its report that he made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board. The network says Robinson presented no evidence that the network believed its story was false or aired it recklessly. The September report says Robinson, who ran unsuccessfully for governor this month, left statements over a decade ago on the message board in which, in part, he referred to himself as a “black NAZI” and said he enjoyed transgender pornography. The report also says he preferred Adolf Hitler to then-President Barack Obama and slammed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.” Robinson, who was seeking to become the state’s first Black governor, said he didn’t write those posts and sued in October, just before early in-person voting was to begin. While filing a dismissal motion Thursday in Raleigh federal court, attorneys for CNN said Robinson’s arguments suggesting he was the likely victim of a computer hacking operation that created fake messages would require a series of events that is not just “implausible, it is ridiculous.” Generally speaking, a public official claiming defamation must show a defendant knew a statement it made was false or did so with reckless disregard for the truth. “Robinson did not and cannot plausibly allege facts that show that CNN published the Article with actual malice,” attorney Mark Nebrig wrote in a memo backing the dismissal motion, adding that the lawsuit “does not include a single allegation demonstrating that CNN doubted the veracity of its reporting.” For Robinson, who already had a history of inflammatory comments about topics like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, the CNN story nearly led to the collapse of his campaign. After the report’s airing, most of his top campaign staff quit, advertising from the Republican Governors Association stopped and fellow Republicans distanced themselves from him, including President-elect Donald Trump. Robinson lost to Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein by nearly 15 points and will leave office at year-end. Robinson’s lawsuit was initially filed in state court. It says, in part, that CNN chose to run its report based on data from the website NudeAfrica, which had been hacked several years ago and ran on vulnerable, outdated software. His suit claims the network did nothing to verify the posts. He’s seeking monetary damages. Thursday’s memo highlights the network’s story, including a section where the CNN journalists showed how they connected Robinson to a username on the NudeAfrica site. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. As the CNN story said previously, the memo says the network matched details of the account on the message board to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, an email address and his full name. The details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s length of marriage, where he lived at the time, and that both Robinson and the account holder had mothers who worked at a historically Black university, the memo says. CNN also said it found matches of figures of speech used by both the NudeAfrica account holder and in Robinson’s social media posts. “This is hardly a case where, as Robinson alleges, CNN ‘disregarded or deliberately avoided the truth’ rather than investigate,” Nebrig said, adding later that the network “had no reason to seriously doubt that Robinson was the author” of the posts. Robinson’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment. The lawsuit says anyone could have used Robinson’s breached data to create accounts on the internet. His state lawsuit also sued Louis Love Money, a former porn shop worker who alleged in a music video and a media interview that for several years starting in the 1990s, Robinson frequented a porn shop where Money was working and that Robinson purchased porn videos from him. Robinson said that was untrue. Money filed his own dismissal motion in the state lawsuit. But since then, CNN moved the lawsuit to federal court, saying that it’s the proper venue for a North Carolina resident like Robinson and a Georgia-based company like CNN and that the claims against Money are unrelated. Advertisement AdvertisementWhy Is Deere (DE) Stock Soaring Today

NPFL: Heartland target win against Kwara United in Ilorin

Opening with a caveat that you can “never say never” in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves responded to questions about making another John Wick movie this week by saying he doesn’t feel like his body is up for it anymore. “My heart does,” Reeves told CBS News , “But my knees are saying right now, ‘You can’t do another John Wick . ” Reeves, 60 despite looking like Keanu Reeves, was mostly there to stump for his role in the current Sonic The Hedgehog 3 , where he plays Shadow, the answer to non-hypothetical question “What if Sonic The Hedgehog was angrier, and had a gun?” CBS Mornings host Nate Burleson was polite enough to hold off on asking any Wick questions until the end of the interview, but he did have to toss out the one, while also noting that Reeves will be reprising the role of the Baba Yaga for a (presumably knee-friendly) appearance in 2025 spin-off movie Ballerina . Reeves, for his part, seems genuinely a little sad to shoot the idea down, although if you want to understand the joy of Keanu, watch the way the semi-sarcastic, uber-chipper way he lights up when Sonic director Jeff Fowler reminds him that his aging body will never stop him from playing Shadow: “Thanks, Jeff!” Of course, people who watched John Wick: Chapter 4 might be a little confused about all this, given how that movie ends. (That fukn also bends over backwards to set up like three different characters who could conceivably helm their own spin-offs, but the heart is going to want the Keanu Reeves it wants.) But we’d also point to the big fat stacks of money that all four Wick movies made—as well as the fact that director Chad Stahelski and Reeves seem to genuinely get a kick out of how much crazy shit they can get away with. Too bad Reeves’ knees seem to have veto power at the moment.

What is going on at Manchester City ? After five successive defeats Pep Guardiola’s team were cruising with a 3-0 lead after 53 minutes. But then the defensive lapses that have haunted them of late returned as Feyenoord scored three times in the final 15 minutes to snatch an unlikely point Erling Haaland (2) and Ilkay Gundogan had put City in control only for Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko to stun the Etihad Stadium. Advertisement City were sluggish in the opening stages following the 4-0 home hammering by Tottenham Hotspur and hardly helped themselves early on when Jack Grealish ’s goalbound shot was kept out... by team-mate Phil Foden to deny him a first goal of the season. It took until a minute before the break for City to take the lead. Haaland was fouled in the box by Quinten Timber and got up to send Timon Wellenreuther the wrong way from the spot to become the fastest player to 50 goal involvements in the Champions League . Gundogan added a second from a corner five minutes after the restart before Haaland slid in for his second on 53. All was going swimmingly until Moussa converted after a mistake by Josko Gvardiol in the 75th minute and then substitute Gimenez set up a tight finish by scrambling home a second with eight minutes remaining. Ederson then went walkabout and Hancko headed in the equaliser with a minute remaining. Guardiola’s team will have to defend a lot better on Sunday when they head to Premier League leaders Liverpool . The Athletic’s Sam Lee and Liam Tharme analyse the talking points. Expectations lowered and boos at the end It was quite striking inside the stadium before kick-off, and even during the game, that expectations had fallen significantly in light of recent results and performances. This is a temporary thing, of course — if City get back to their usual selves soon then the high standards will return, and if they go back to dropping points there will come a time when more is demanded — but rather than hoping to see the usual sparkling football, basic competence, a bit of fight and some energy were all that were required, going by what supporters were saying. And while things were panning out just fine — not spectacularly, but certainly solid enough in the circumstances — it all came crashing down again by conceding three goals in the final 15 minutes, each more farcical than the last, and by quite some measure. With Liverpool coming up next things really do look bleak at the moment. That basic competence cannot come soon enough. Advertisement The boos at the end showed that even the lowest expectations had not been met Sam Lee What’s going on at the back? Somehow, from the jaws of a 3-0 win at 75 minutes, City’s clean sheet disappeared and the defence disintegrated. A straightforward long ball from Feyenoord ended up with Moussa rounding Ederson. Manuel Akanji headed the initial pass away, only for Gvardiol to try and hook the ball back to Ederson. It meant City only have five clean sheets in 19 games in 2024-25. Guardiola said pre-match that “a lot of minimal factors are the reason” for City’s five consecutive defeats, in which they’d shipped 14 goals. Things were controlled for 75 minutes, with Feyenoord’s only big chance before scoring coming via a tidy through ball from midfielder Hwang In-beom to winger Igor Paixao, who rushed his shot at Ederson. Within six minutes, a Feyenoord consolation turned to game on, as City failed to defend a back-post cross — Gvardiol was overloaded two-v-one — and Gimenez tapped in from a knock-back. Then another direct ball, with City’s high-line holding but Paixao timing his run perfectly, rounding Ederson as the goalkeeper tried to sweep up, then crossing for marauding left-back Hancko to rise above Rico Lewis and head in the equaliser. Guardiola stared at the floor. There was nowhere else to look — according to Opta, his side are the first in Champions League history to lead by three goals as late as the 75th minute and not go on to win the game. Liam Tharme City’s indirect threat from corners It wasn’t trademark City for the first two goals — there was no cutting an opponent open with a thousand passes and creating tap-ins from cutbacks — but set-piece quality matters a bit more on European nights. Lining up before kick-off, it was noticeable that City only had three real aerial threats (Akanji, Gvardiol and Haaland). Feyenoord, by comparison, were much taller. While they didn’t win many first contacts, it was City’s reaction to the second (and third) balls that made them effective. Advertisement City’s territorial dominance meant corners came in abundance, and they mixed between inswingers, outswingers and corners. For the opener, from a Foden outswinger delivered from the left, Akanji rose highest and nodded it back towards the near-post, where City had numbers. Haaland was kicked by Timber as he tried to clear, and City had a penalty. Scrappy, but effective. Gundogan doubled the lead at the start of the second-half when Foden’s inswinger from the right was headed clear, attacking the ball from his position on the edge of the box (where he was stood to stop counter-attacks) and firing through bodies. Man City double their lead over Feyenoord! ⚽️⚽️ Ilkay Gundogan’s strike from distance goes in via a deflection! #UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/tDpK4y50bp — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) November 26, 2024 Liam Tharme Gundogan shows he’s still got it Gundogan’s return to City has not, so far, turned out to be the no-brainer that we all expected. After a slow start matters have got worse in recent weeks as injuries around him have increased the demands on his shoulders and exposed some of the shortcomings. It is no secret that City are missing a bit of physical presence in midfield and Gundogan has been one of those to be too easily exposed by a bursting run or a quick pass around the corner. Again, the effort has been there — see his desperate dart to try to stop Tottenham’s fourth on Saturday — but whether it is age (34), fatigue or both, he has struggled to keep up. Even the on-the-ball stuff has deserted him at times and that has only added to the problems City are having on the break, because when the players most trustworthy in possession are turning it over, and unable to win it back, you are going to struggle. But to continue the overall theme of the night, his performance here was more like it. His goal did get the luck of a deflection but he played a nice ball to Matheus Nunes to set City on their way for the third and overall it was a tidier display than recently. Sunday’s challenge will be significantly harder but this was a night to get a bit of feeling back and Gundogan certainly managed it. Sam Lee What did Pep Guardiola say? We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. What next for Manchester City? Sunday, December 1: Liverpool (A), Premier League, 4.30pm UK, 11.30am ET Recommended reading (Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images))Mumbai: BMC-Run Nair Hospital Dental College Receives Prestigious 'Best Social Service In Asia Pacific Region' AwardDETROIT — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both companies, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM shares were down more than 8% and Stellantis was off over 5%. It’s not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won’t make any moves because they can’t quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” the council said. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together. “This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump’s threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling. The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose the tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former trade official in the Clinton administration. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn’t met its obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs represent a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico sets out a legal process that often takes as long as nine months, during which time Trump would likely seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate by putting tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump’s tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby the Trump administration intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there. “Our economies really are integrated,” Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem.

President-elect Donald Trump said in a new interview he can't guarantee American families won't pay more because of tariffs implemented against some of the country's top trading partners, one of his signature campaign promises. Trump said during an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday he disagrees with economists who say that ultimately consumers pay the price of tariffs. But when asked asked by host Kristen Welker to "guarantee American families won't pay more," the president-elect responded "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow." "But I can say that if you looked at my – just pre-Covid, we had the greatest economy in the history of our country. And I had a lot of tariffs on a lot of different countries, but in particular China," he added. A tariff is a tax on imported goods that is paid by a company or individual when they bring an item in from a foreign country . For example, a U.S. company that wants to sell an appliance made in Mexico would pay the tax. Trump has threatened to place tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico. Trump's comments came during his first network news interview since winning the election in November. Here are the top takeaways from the wide-reaching conversation: Trump says he will not restrict abortion pills Trump said he will not restrict access to abortion pills at the federal level during the interview released Sunday. "I’ll probably stay with exactly what I've been saying for the last two years. And the answer is no," he said. "...things do change. But I don't think it's going to change at all." Abortion by pill is used in the majority of terminated pregnancies in the U.S., according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. The president-elect said during his reelection campaign that abortion is a state issue , and he has backed exceptions for rape, incest and life-threatening medical emergences. However, Trump has also often taken credit for appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who were pivotal in overturning Roe v. Wade's national abortion protections in 2022. Women across the country have said they are stock pilling emergency contraceptives and abortion pills just in case. Trump vows to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on his 'first day' Trump also said he is looking to begin pardoning rioters from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol on his first day back in office . "I'm going to look at everything. We're going to look at individual cases," Trump said. "I'm going to be acting very quickly... I'm looking first day." Trump repeatedly said with few details during the campaign that he would pardon people charged in connection with the attack, whom he calls political prisoners. According to the most recent numbers released by the Department of Justice, at least 1,572 defendants have been charged and more than 1,251 have been convicted or pleaded guilty in the attack. Most were ordered to pay a fine and received probation or a few months in prison. The longest sentence was 22 years for seditious conspiracy . Plans to deport all people not legally in the country, ban birthright citizenship Trump also said the mass deportation plans that became the centerpiece of his reelection campaign will not be limited to people in the country illegally who have committed a serious crime. "Well, I think you have to do it, and it's a hard – it’s a very tough thing to do. But you have to have rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally," he said. Trump recently confirmed reports that he plans to declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military to conduct mass deportations. Trump has said deportations will focus on criminals first, as immigration enforcement has since former President Barack Obama's presidency. However, he told Welker that the plan is to deport everyone in the country illegally over the next four years. "We're starting with the criminals and we've got to do it. And then we're starting with others and we're going to see how it goes," he said. More: Trump vows to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations Trump said that he hopes Democrats and Republicans can find a deal to allow the so-called Dreamers, people who were brought into the country illegally as children, to stay. He said deporting those people are not a priority in the short term. Trump also reiterated his campaign promise to ban birthright citizenship through executive order on his first day in office "if we can," but acknowledged that it might not work. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that "All persons born in the United States are citizens," and any executive order contrary to the Constitution would likely be immediately challenged in court. Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate as well as ratification by two-thirds of state legislatures. "We're going to have to get it changed. We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We're the only country that has it, you know," he said, though the U.S. is not the only country that grants citizenship to people born in its borders. Will the U.S. leave NATO? Trump said he will again use threats of pulling the United States out of NATO, an international alliance between dozens of countries in Europe and North America, as leverage to convince other member countries to spend more on defense. "If they're paying their bills, and if I think they're treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I'd stay with NATO," he said. If countries don't pay their share he would "absolutely" consider pulling the United States out of the coalition. NATO members are committed to spending at least 2% of gross domestic product on defense. NATO chief Mark Rutte said in November while congratulating Trump on his win that two-thirds of member countries pay at least 2% of their GDP on defense. Trump says he won't order investigations into opponents – but believes Jan. 6 committee members should 'go to jail' Trump said he will leave it to the Department of Justice and FBI whether to investigate people who have opposed him. The president-elect said repeatedly on the campaign trail that members of the House select committee tasked with investigating Jan. 6 and others who oppose him should be punished. But Trump said on Sunday's show that he will not instruct law enforcement agencies to pursue members of the committee. "For what they did honestly, they should go to jail," he told Welker, but said he's going to leave the decision to his nominees to lead the agencies. Trump's pick for FBI Director, Kash Patel, included a list in his 2023 book of about 60 people, including Obama, former and current federal officials and members of Congress, he says are part of the so-called Deep State and wronged him or Trump . "He's going to do what he thinks is right," Trump said. "If they think that somebody was dishonest or crooked or a corrupt politician, I think he probably has an obligation to do it." Will Pete Hegseth be confirmed? Trump said he still has confidence in his pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, who has faced a litany of allegations including sexual assault and excessive drinking on the job in recent weeks and has struggled to lock down support in the Senate. "I really do. He's a very smart guy. I've known him through Fox, but I've known him for a long time. And he's basically a military guy. I mean any time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He's a military guy," Trump said. He said he has not gotten assurances from senators that Hegseth is going to be confirmed. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will cast the initial vote on Hegseth’s nomination , has signaled she does not yet support him.

After being at the centre of dating rumours for the last few months, Maura Higgins has finally set the record straight on if she's dating Pete Wicks . In tonight's episode of I'm A Celebrity , the Love Island star addressed the rumours with fellow campmate GK Barry. While washing their underwear in the creek, Maura mentioned a situation where the press asked her if she was dating Pete. She responded: "You know more than me! No, I'm single. People can date and not be in a relationship and take things slow." Adding about the press: "What’s the point in getting them involved too soon, when you just don’t know where it’s gonna go, you know?" Grace opened up about trying to keep her relationship with footballer Ella Rutherford a secret as Maura said of her and Pete: "Well we’ve already been papped, tongues down each other’s necks and we had no idea!" This isn't the first time Maura has addressed the situation as in Sunday night's episode, she mentioned she was seeing someone before she flew out to Australia. She said: "I am but I was seeing someone before I came in, but I'm not in a relationship." Dean McCullough asked if she was dating someone who was also in the public eye and she said: "Yeah." The two first set tongues wagging back in August when they were spotted looking cosy in London. Then in October, they were pictured at the National Television Awards together, again sparking speculation they were dating. Both have denied the rumours and have insisted they are just friends on multiple occasions. Pete has publicly expressed his support for Maura on social media during her time on the show, sharing stories with encouraging messages of support. Maura entered the jungle a week in with fellow latecomer Reverend Richard Coles and the pair were sent to the jungle junkyard. The pair had to fool the main camp into thinking they were in bad conditions but in reality they were entitled to luxuries including a fridge, a double bed and a gas cooker. I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! continues nightly at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.

MicroStrategy stock rises 3.3% amid Nasdaq 100 inclusion speculation

Israel said Tuesday it had bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of airstrikes in neighboring Syria was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse . Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal after jihadi-led Syrian insurgents ousted President Bashar Assad over the weekend. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. The United States said Tuesday it would recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Syria's nearly 14-year civil war killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million, becoming a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Here's the Latest: BEIRUT — Insurgents who overthrew the Syrian government now say they have wrested control of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour after intense battles with a Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed force. Syria’s rebel military command announced Tuesday evening that they had completely captured the city of Deir el-Zour. A member of the jihadi group Hayat al-Tahrir, which leads the insurgent alliance, said in a recorded video that the group would soon conduct a thorough sweep of the city’s neighborhoods to secure the area, adding that the strategic nearby town of Boukamal has also fallen to opposition forces. “We will advance toward Raqqa and Hasakah and other areas in eastern Syria,” the HTS fighters said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces had only held the city for a few days. The SDF said it deployed to Deir el-Zour and west of the Euphrates River on Friday, replacing Syrian government forces. At the time, the SDF said its fighters were not in control of the Boukamal border crossing with Iraq. Earlier Tuesday, the top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was in eastern Syria for meetings with the SDF. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi. BEIRUT — Syria’s transitional government will made up of members from the rebel-led administration that ruled an insurgent stronghold in the country's northwest, the new prime minister said Tuesday, who called the task “a great challenge.” The caretaker Syrian government, which will oversee the country’s affairs until March, held its first meeting Tuesday since overthrowing former President Bashar Assad. It was attended by the departing Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali and other ministers along with new Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. He had led the so-called “salvation government” in areas controlled by rebel groups — led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS — that have taken control of much of the country. “We were tasked by the general command with managing the affairs of the Syrian government during a transitional period,” Bashir said in a statement following the meeting in Damascus. He added that he hopes ministers in the former Syrian government will assist the new government during this transitional period. “The caretaker government was formed from a number of ministers of the revolutionary government, which is the Syrian Salvation Government, and this government is a temporary caretaker government that will last until March 2025, until the constitutional issues are resolved,” Bashir said. The insurgent alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant , Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who cut ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. SAYDNAYA, Syria — Tens of thousands came to Saydnaya Prison from all over Syria after the fall of former President Bashar Assad to search for their loved ones. The place so notorious for its horrors was long known as “the slaughterhouse.” For the past two days, all have been looking for signs of loved ones who disappeared years or even decades ago into the secretive, sprawling prison just outside Damascus. But hope gave way to despair Monday. People opened the heavy iron doors lining the hallways to find cells inside empty. With sledgehammers, shovels and drills, men pounded holes in floors and walls, looking for what they believed were secret dungeons, or chasing sounds they thought they heard from underground. They found nothing. Insurgents freed dozens of people from the Saydnaya military prison on Sunday when Damascus fell. Since then, almost no one has been found. “Where is everyone? Where are everyone’s children? Where are they?” said Ghada Assad, breaking down in tears. An estimated 150,000 people were detained or went missing in Syria since 2011 — and tens of thousands of them are believed to have gone through Saydnaya. WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East was on the ground in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with a Kurish-led, U.S.-allied force at several bases in the country's east, U.S. Central Command said. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla visited with U.S. military commanders and troops as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It wasn’t clear if he met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, and U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for details about his visit or with whom he met. U.S. officials said they did not know what his message to the SDF was. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. In a press release, Central Command said Kurilla received an “assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation.” Kurilla then went on to Iraq where he met with leaders in Baghdad. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says it still getting reports about the looting of warehouses with humanitarian aid in a number of areas in Syria, including around the capital Damascus. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that U.N. agencies and their partners are working to identify the extent of looting at the warehouses, including those of U.N. agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Dujarric said U.N. aid officials report that “the humanitarian situation remains volatile across Syria, with reports of people continuing to be displaced.” Humanitarian officials reported that 25 trucks carrying U.N. aid crossed from Turkey to northwest Syria, which the situation is now relatively calm, the U.N. spokesman said. All 11 receptions opened in Idlib in the northwest to host newly displaced families were empty as of Monday, Dujarric said. In the northeast, he said, authorities report that as of Tuesday 100,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Tal Rifaat and other parts of Aleppo governorate. Dujarric said the U.N.’s partners report that “reception centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have reached full capacity, and more than 200 sites – including municipal buildings, schools, mosques, and stadiums – are being used to accommodate newly displaced people.” BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said Tuesday that “unidentified gunmen” crossed the border from Syria into eastern Lebanon's Bekaa province and approached a Lebanese border post. In a statement, the army said the gunmen fired into the air and seized equipment from an evacuated Syrian army post in the outskirts of Kfar Fouq, near Rashaya al-Wadi, in the western part of Bekaa province. Lebanese army personnel responded with warning shots, forcing the group to retreat back into Syrian territory. The Lebanese army did not report any injuries or provide further details about the identity of the gunmen. WASHINGTON — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched multiple drones and a missile at three commercial ships being escorted in the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy ships, a U.S. official said Tuesday. There was no damage and no injuries. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said U.S. Navy destroyers, and Navy helicopter and a French Air Force aircraft shot down four of the drones and the missile. The three U.S. affiliated flagged ships were sailing east toward Djibouti. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping through the key waterway for more than a year, attacks they say are meant to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said it bombed more than 350 sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. There is concern that, with the sudden collapse of the Syrian government, weapons stockpiles could be seized by jihadi militants. Warplanes hit what Israel said were Syrian air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots, and dozens of weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, the Israeli army statement said. In naval operations overnight Monday, Israeli missile ships struck two Syrian navy facilities simultaneously — Al-Bayda port and Latakia port — where the army said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israeli did not specify how many Syrian naval vessels were hit. The private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era Syrian navy missile ships were hit. Israeli officials said earlier that Israel also targeted alleged chemical weapons sites. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that his country’s military launched a wave of airstrikes across Syria to destroy the toppled government’s leftover “military capabilities,” and said Israel wants relations with the new government emerging Syria. Hours after Israeli warplanes pounded Syria, Netanyahu said Israeli doesn’t want to meddle in Syria’s internal affairs, but would take necessary steps to protect Israel's security and prevent jihadi militants from seizing the Syrian army assets. He warned that if the new Syrian government “allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us -- we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.” He spoke in a video statement recorded at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, after his first day of testimony in his corruption trial. DAMASCUS, Syria — In Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar Assad for the third day on Tuesday despite Israeli airstrikes across the country. Insurgents who recently took control of the capital city tried to impose a new rule banning the celebratory gunfire. There were a few violators, and much less deafening gunfire. Protesters climbed the square's central monument to wave the Syrian revolutionary flag. On the ground, crowds chanted: “Out with Bashar! Out with Bashar!” Assad fled to Russia over the weekend after a lightning rebel offensive toppled his brutal police state. Demonstrators from different provinces marched in the square in groups, celebrating Assad's fall. Men on motorcycles and horses paraded into the square. One woman from Idlib province shouted that the Israeli strikes ruined the joy of ousting Assad. “Why are you striking us? We just deposed a tyrant,” she said. “Give us peace. Leave us alone,” said Ahmed Jreida, 22, a dentist student, when asked about the Israeli airstrikes. Hamzeh Hamada, 22, said this was the first time he had gone out to a demonstration. “We want the country to get better, to live in dignity and be like other countries that respect citizens’ rights and where there are no bribes,” he said. “We have suffered a lot from bribes. ... We had to bribe people for very minor things; things that should be our right.” Abdul-Jalil Diab was taking a stroll with his brothers in another square in western Damascus. He said he came back from Jordan the day Damascus fell. He was there studying German to prepare to move to Germany and said he is now reconsidering his plans. He was ecstatic, saying words can’t describe how he feels. “We are happy to get rid of the corrupt regime that was based on bribes. The whole country feels better. Everyone is happy and celebrating,” Abdul-Jalil Diab said. QAMISHLI, Syria — Residents of northeast Syria in the area around Qamishli airport said Tuesday they heard explosions overnight after an airstrike hit trucks loaded with rockets and ammunition that were heading to a military base in Tartab. “We don’t know the story. It was only in the morning when we realized they are trucks loaded with ammunition, leftovers of the former army, the regime,” said Ibrahim al-Thalaj, who lives near the base. He said residents assumed that the strikes were Israeli. Israel has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure after Syrian insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad. However, Turkish security officials said Tuesday that the strike in Qamishli was carried out by Turkey, targeting weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian army and seized by Syrian Kurdish militants. The explosions lasted for over 20 minutes after the strike, and many houses in the surrounding area were damaged as a result, residents of the area said. “We just felt a strike hitting. It hit the first one (truck) and we saw the other trucks retreating back, and from there rockets and shells started flying over,” said Hamid al-Asaad, an eyewitness from Qub al-Zeki village in Qamishli. “We were sitting when these explosions started to hit the house,” said Mahmoud Hamza of Tartab. “It was hitting randomly and we didn’t know where it was coming from. ... Once we got out of our house, a rocket hit the house.” There were no details released by the local Kurdish administration regarding the explosions, but members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces blocked the road to the base. BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat is concerned that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected. “The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers on Tuesday during a special hearing. “There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence, extremist resurgence and the governance vacuum, all of which must be averted. We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan,” she said. “The rights of all Syrians, including those of many minority groups, must be protected,” she said. “It is crucial to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, and to respect its independence, its sovereignty, as well as the state institutions.” Kallas also said the collapse of the government has shown that Assad’s backers in Russia and Iran “could neither afford to do it any longer, nor had any interest of being present in the aftermath.” “They are weakened, distracted and overstretched in other theaters in the broader Middle East, but also in Ukraine,” she said. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, has attacked a convoy of trucks that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials said Tuesday. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeast Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organization because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, he group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces. By Suzan Fraser WASHINGTON — The White House is signaling its approval of Israel’s strikes against Syrian military and alleged chemical weapons targets and the seizure of a buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad government. “These are exigent operations to eliminate what they believe are imminent threats to their national security,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, saying the U.S. would leave it up to the Israelis to discuss details of their operations. “They have as always the right to defend themselves,” Kirby said. He declined to detail and U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Israelis that went into the strikes. Kirby said the White House was reasserting its support of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement, but didn’t criticize the Israeli seizure of the demilitarized zone. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly. He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with. Blinken says Syrians should decide their future and that other countries should “support an inclusive and transparent process” and not interfere. “The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process,” he said. “We stand prepared to lend all appropriate support to all of Syria’s diverse communities and constituencies.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Jihad Mustafa Shibani was taking his new motorcycle for a spin with a friend around the house of the deposed Syrian president in western Damascus on Tuesday. Shibani was released from prison a week before the capital Damascus fell, after he served two years on charges of buying his motorcycle using foreign currency on accusations he was dealing in dollars. He was tortured for 15 days and and given a quick trial where he was sentenced for two years, he said. He was released the day Aleppo fell to the insurgents. “Everything was banned in Syria. The (Assad loyalists) only could use it,” Shibani said. He said he has never been to this neighborhood, because it was taken over by Assad, his family and supporters. “For 50 years, my family’s house is near here, and we don’t know anything about it. ... The Syrian people had been oppressed, you can’t imagine.” Shibani said he has no fear of the rebel newcomers who have taken control of the country. “We are not afraid. There can be no one more unjust than Bashar. Impossible.” BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister is in contact with security and judicial officials to follow up on reports that senior members of President Bashar Assad’s government have fled to Lebanon. Najib Mikati’s office quoted him as saying that Lebanon abides by international laws regarding people who cross its borders. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that several top security officials have entered Lebanon over the past two days. Abdurrahman added that Syria’s former intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, who is wanted in Lebanon over two bombings in 2012 in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens, was allegedly brought to Lebanon by the Hezbollah militant group and was staying in a southern suburb of Beirut where the group has deep support. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, whose ministry is in charge of border crossings, told reporters Tuesday that no person who is wanted in Lebanon entered the country through legal border crossings. There are dozens of illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria where people are usually smuggled in and out of Lebanon, but it was not possible to independently confirm whether Mamlouk had entered Lebanon. GENEVA — The United Nations says humanitarian operations in two major areas in northwestern Syria have resumed, deploying food, medical supplies, fuel and other needed services and supplies. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that some health facilities were “overwhelmed” – in part due to staff shortages – and many border crossings have been closed, disrupting supply chains. OCHA said humanitarian operations in some parts of northwestern Syria were put on hold in the early days of the recent escalation, and resumed on Monday. “As of yesterday, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo have resumed operations,” Laerke told reporters at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. He said the three border crossings from Turkey used by the U.N. to deliver assistance into Syria remain open and “we are providing assistance in the northwest, including to those who have been newly displaced.” Even before the latest escalation, which led President Bashar Assad to flee the country, nearly 17 million people in Syria needed humanitarian assistance. More than 1 million have been displaced across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs since the escalation. JERUSALEM — Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.” Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely , citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States. DAMASCUS, Syria — Members of the Syrian government under ousted President Bashar Assad will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The departing government met with al-Bashir for the first time since Assad fled Damascus over the weekend. Al-Bashir had previously led the “salvation government” running the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria. Al-Bashir told reporters after the meeting that the ministers discussed transferring the portfolios to the interim government during the transitional period until the beginning of March. He said that in the coming days the new government will decide on each ministry. DAMASCUS, Syria — Banks and shops are reopening in Damascus after the chaos and confusion of the first two days following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Sadi Ahmad, manager of Syria Gulf Bank, said life is returning to normal. A customer who came to withdraw money from an ATM was surprised to see it functioning. At the historic Hamadiyeh market, fighters who seized power were still standing guard but shops had reopened — even an ice cream stand. Resident Maysoun Al-Qurabi said she was initially “against what happened,” referring to the insurgency, but changed her mind after seeing footage of rebels releasing inmates from the notorious Saydnaya prison. “People are at ease and secure now,” she said. “Before, people were hungry and scared.” DAMASCUS, Syria — Minority Christians in Syria have been living in a state of uneasy anticipation since insurgents headed by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control after ousting President Bashar Assad. Mazen Kalash, a resident of Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, said he wants to know the plans of the new government that will be formed by the rebels. “The important thing is to feel safe, bring order, law and respect to the citizens,” he said. “We need to be able to work whatever we want and do whatever we want without any interference from anyone.” The insurgents have so far attempted to reassure minorities that they will be protected. Large numbers of Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population, fled after the civil war erupted in 2011. Many of those who stayed supported Assad out of fear they might be targeted by Islamist insurgents. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media moguls. “There has never been such a biased media in any democracy ... as there is in Israel,” Netanyahu told the court, describing his testy relationship with the press. He is accused of exchanging regulatory favors with media bosses for more positive coverage of himself and his family. He has denied wrongdoing. GENEVA — The U.N. envoy for Syria says armed groups that drove out President Bashar Assad have “been sending good messages” about national unity and inclusiveness but acknowledges that a Security Council resolution still counts the leading one as a terrorist group. With Syria’s future and stability still very much in flux since Assad’s departure over the weekend, Geir Pedersen suggested that the international community needs to help the country get through this turbulent moment. “We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things are not settled,” Pedersen told reporters at U.N. offices in Geneva on Tuesday. “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the U.N. and the international community.” Referring to Israeli military strikes in Syria, Pedersen said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.” The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which grew out of an al-Qaida-affiliate called the Nusra Front that the Security Council listed as a terror group in a 2015 resolution. “This is obviously a complicating factor for all of us,” Pedersen said. “But we also have to be honest, we have to look at the facts and to see what has happened during the last nine years.” “The reality so far is that the HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people,” he said. “They have been sending messages of unity, of inclusiveness, and frankly speaking, also, we have seen in (the captured cities of) Aleppo and in Hama ... reassuring things on the ground." Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency and the founder of both groups Nusra and HTS, cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016 and says he is committed to pluralism and religious tolerance. ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s advance into Syrian territory, saying it was in violation of a 1974 agreement on a buffer zone inside Syria. “We strongly condemn Israel’s violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria, and its advance into Syrian territory,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused Israel of “displaying a mentality of an occupier” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability had emerged in Syria. The statement also reiterated Turkey’s support to Syria’s “sovereignty, political unity, and territorial integrity.” Israeli troops on Sunday entered the buffer zone that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war and the military said it would deploy in “several other places necessary for (Israel’s’) defense.” TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he works 17 to 18 hours a day and that he is engulfed in meetings, especially during the past year that Israel has been fighting wars. Netanyahu was testifying in his long-running corruption trial. He has denied charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. “If only I could steal away five minutes to enjoy some time with my wife,” he told the court Tuesday. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli military official says troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning.” The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces were moving to control a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian territory. The buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was created by the U.N. after the 1973 Mideast war. Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Israel sent troops into the buffer zone. It said the move was temporary and was aimed at preventing attacks. It said the 1974 agreement establishing the zone had collapsed and that Syrian troops had withdrawn from their positions. Israel has also carried out airstrikes across Syria in recent days targeting what it says are suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria and violating international law. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, except for the United States. The rest of the world views the strategic plateau as occupied Syrian territory. — By Joseph Krauss DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel’s air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in different parts of Syria as its ground forces move north of the Golan Heights along the border with Lebanon, according to an opposition war monitor. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that since the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government, Israel’s air force has carried out more than 300 airstrikes against research centers, arms depots and military infrastructure across Syria, as well as a naval base along the Mediterranean coast. Associated Press journalists in Damascus witnessed intense airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight into Tuesday morning. Photographs posted online by activists showed destroyed missile launchers, helicopters and warplanes. Meanwhile, Israeli troops marched along the border with Lebanon and now control a long stretch on the Syrian side facing Lebanon’s Rashaya region, according to the war monitor's head, Rami Abdurrahman, and the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria. Israeli troops are now about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, according to the monitor. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s incursion into a buffer zone in Syria and a wave of Israeli airstrikes launched after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.” Israel sent troops into a buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war. It said the move was temporary and was taken to prevent any cross-border attacks after Syrian troops withdrew. Israel has also carried out heavy airstrikes that it says are aimed at preventing suspected chemical weapons and long-range rockets from falling into the hands of extremists. Saudi Arabia has been in talks with the United States in recent years over normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, American assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program and a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state. But the kingdom has also repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with the Hamas militant group. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and day-to-day ruler Mohammed bin Salman accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , allegations Israel adamantly rejects.

GRAPEVINE, Texas, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) (“GameStop” or the “Company”) today released financial results for the third quarter ended November 2, 2024. The Company’s condensed and consolidated financial statements, including GAAP and non-GAAP results, are below. The Company’s Form 10-Q and supplemental information can be found at https://investor.gamestop.com . THIRD QUARTER OVERVIEW The Company will not be holding a conference call today. Additional information can be found in the Company’s Form 10-Q. NON-GAAP MEASURES AND OTHER METRICS As a supplement to the Company’s financial results presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), GameStop may use certain non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in evaluating the Company’s core operating performance. Adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share and adjusted EBITDA exclude the effect of items such as certain transformation costs, asset impairments, severance, as well as divestiture costs. Free cash flow excludes capital expenditures otherwise included in net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities. The Company’s definition and calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from that of other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain of the items that may be excluded or included in non-GAAP financial measures may be significant items that could impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows and should therefore be considered in assessing the Company’s actual and future financial condition and performance. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - SAFE HARBOR This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon management’s current beliefs, views, estimates and expectations, including as to the Company’s industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning its market position, strategic and transformation initiatives, future operations, margins, profitability, sales growth, capital expenditures, liquidity, capital resources, expansion of technology expertise, and other financial and operating information, including expectations as to future operating profit improvement. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results may differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements: economic, social, and political conditions in the markets in which we operate; the competitive nature of the Company’s industry; the cyclicality of the video game industry; the Company’s dependence on the timely delivery of new and innovative products from its vendors; the impact of technological advances in the video game industry and related changes in consumer behavior on the Company’s sales; interruptions to the Company’s supply chain or the supply chain of our suppliers; the Company’s dependence on sales during the holiday selling season; the Company’s ability to obtain favorable terms from its current and future suppliers and service providers; the Company’s ability to anticipate, identify and react to trends in pop culture with regard to its sales of collectibles; the Company’s ability to maintain strong retail and ecommerce experiences for its customers; the Company’s ability to keep pace with changing industry technology and consumer preferences; the Company’s ability to manage its profitability and cost reduction initiatives; turnover in senior management or the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; potential damage to the Company’s reputation or customers' perception of the Company; the Company’s ability to maintain the security or privacy of its customer, associate or Company information; occurrence of weather events, natural disasters, public health crises and other unexpected events; risks associated with inventory shrinkage; potential failure or inadequacy of the Company's computerized systems; the ability of the Company’s third party delivery services to deliver products to the Company’s retail locations, fulfillment centers and consumers and changes in the terms the Company has with such service providers; the ability and willingness of the Company’s vendors to provide marketing and merchandising support at historical or anticipated levels; restrictions on the Company’s ability to purchase and sell pre-owned products; the Company’s ability to renew or enter into new leases on favorable terms; unfavorable changes in the Company’s global tax rate; legislative actions; the Company’s ability to comply with federal, state, local and international laws and regulations and statutes; potential future litigation and other legal proceedings; the value of the Company’s securities holdings; concentration of the Company’s investment portfolio into one or few holdings; the recognition of losses in a particular security even if the Company has not sold the security; volatility in the Company’s stock price, including volatility due to potential short squeezes; continued high degrees of media coverage by third parties; the availability and future sales of substantial amounts of the Company’s Class A common stock; fluctuations in the Company’s results of operations from quarter to quarter; the Company’s ability to incur additional debt; risks associated with the Company’s investment in marketable, nonmarketable and interest-bearing securities, including the impact of such investments on the Company’s financial results; and the Company’s ability to maintain effective control over financial reporting. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements can be found in GameStop's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov or on the Company’s investor relations website ( https://investor.gamestop.com ). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. GameStop Corp. Schedule II (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following tables reconcile the Company's selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A expense”), operating loss, net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share as presented in its unaudited consolidated statements of operations and prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to its adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss) per share. The diluted weighted-average shares outstanding used to calculate adjusted earnings per share may differ from GAAP weighted-average shares outstanding. Under GAAP, basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding are the same in periods where there is a net loss. The reconciliations below are from continuing operations only. GameStop Corp. Schedule III (in millions) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following table reconciles the Company's cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities as presented in its unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and prepared in accordance with GAAP to its free cash flow. Free cash flow is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management believes, however, that free cash flow, which measures our ability to generate additional cash from our business operations, is an important financial measure for use by investors in evaluating the company’s financial performance. Non-GAAP Measures and Other Metrics Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are supplemental financial measures of the Company’s performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before income taxes, plus interest income, net and depreciation and amortization, excluding stock-based compensation, certain transformation costs, business divestitures, asset impairments, severance and other non-cash charges. Net income (loss) is the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Furthermore, non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool because they exclude some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Some of these limitations include: We compensate for the limitations of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP financial measure, understanding the differences between the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and incorporating these data points into our decision-making process. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are provided in addition to, and not as an alternative to, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share may be defined and determined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. Contact GameStop Investor Relations 817-424-2001 ir@gamestop.com

Amazon Is Clearing Out Console Stock For Black Friday, The Xbox Series X Is at a Record Low PriceHe bought a KFC store in Australia for $100,000 in 1969. Today, his fast food company is worth over $3 billionEducation City High School (ECHS), uniting students from three of Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Pre-University Education schools — Qatar Academy Doha, Qatar Academy Sidra, and Qatar Academy for Science and Technology — is to organise ‘Ru’ya’, a TEDx-style event showcasing the creativity, passion, and growth of students as they share impactful stories. The event, on December 15, from 5pm-7.30pm at QAD Primary Auditorium, will feature nine talks delivered by students and parents. These talks will delve into passionate ideas, visionary perspectives, and transformative personal journeys, reflecting a commitment to excellence and fostering lifelong learning and inspiration within the community. Shantanu Rajadhyaksha, IB Core Co-ordinator and IBDP Business Management teacher at ECHS, part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education, said: “Ru’ya highlights that education extends beyond classrooms and exams. It reminds the community that learning is a dynamic process that happens through collaboration, creativity, and shared experiences. “In Ru’ya, everyone is a learner, whether they are speakers or part of the audience. The event creates a space where individuals come together to share, inspire, and grow collectively. He added that everyone in the community has unique qualities to offer, and with the appropriate platform, they can inspire others and make a meaningful difference. “Ru’ya provides a powerful motivational drive for students, encouraging them to develop and apply 21st century skills in a real-world setting. Through this experience, participants will build strong bonds, work as a team, and strive to meet high standards, learning and improving with each step. “In addition, Ru’ya is an opportunity to gain essential communication and organisational skills. Whether they are speakers or planners, they develop empathy by listening to others and understanding the needs of their audience, while also learning how to create an impactful event. “The audience benefits by being exposed to diverse perspectives and seeing students speak confidently about their passions. This fosters a culture of curiosity and risk-taking, creating a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and safe.” “I also hope that Ru’ya serves as a model for authentic learning - learning that goes beyond grades and exams - to embrace deeper, more meaningful social and educational processes.” Ru’ya, a student-led initiative, serves as a platform to foster connection and empowerment across generations, promoting meaningful dialogue and shared inspiration. All revenue from the event will contribute to the Education Above All Foundation’s mission to expand access to educational opportunities globally. To register and join this evening of inspiration and community, tickets are now available at (Education City Ru’ya) for QR50, a statement added Sunday. Related Story TNG celebrates Teachers’ Day and outstanding efforts TNG science fair focuses on sustainable future