Trump says Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok

Authorities are searching for a Bering Air passenger plane with 10 people on board that was reported missing while en route from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska’s Department of Public Safety said on Thursday.
The small turboprop Cessna Caravan plane had nine passengers and one pilot on board, the agency said on its website, adding that crews were working to get its last-known coordinates.
A disproportionate number of air taxi and commuter plane accidents occur in Alaska compared to other US states, the US government’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health says.
Alaska has mountainous terrain and challenging weather. Many villages are not connected by roads and small planes are used to transport people and goods.
Bering Air is an Alaska-based regional airline that operates around 39 planes and helicopters, according to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
Its last position, flying over water, was received by FlightRadar24 trackers 38 minutes after departing Unalakleet at 1438 local time Thursday (2338 GMT) for a flight that usually takes under an hour.
Bering Air did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CHICAGO: The chairman of Arab Americans for Trump told Arab News on Thursday that Donald Trump’s statements about taking over Gaza are “political rhetoric,” and that the US president is committed to a peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.

Dr. Bishara Bahbah said AAFT has changed its name to Arab Americans for Peace to lobby the Trump administration to bring about “lasting peace” based on the two-state solution.

He added that the group opposes any proposal to relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries or to convert Gaza into a regional resort. 

“We appreciate the president’s offer to clean and rebuild Gaza. However, the purpose should be to make Gaza habitable for Palestinians and no one else,” Bahbah said.

“The Palestine that we envision is one that would be on lands occupied by Israel in 1967: the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Bahbah brushed aside Trump’s Gaza comments as a style of American politics in which politicians toss out ideas to kick-start public debate.

“Trump promised specifically to us as a community to bring an end to the wars and an end to the killings of civilians,” he said.

“Secondly, Trump promised to bring about a lasting peace in the Middle East that’s satisfactory to all parties.

“He delivered on the ceasefire and sent back (special envoy to the Middle East) Steve Witkoff in order to ensure that the second phase of the ceasefire goes into effect.”

Bahbah, who met with Trump and several advisers during his election campaign, added: “The ceasefire was a major win for us because we were pleading as a community with the Biden administration to push the Israelis to accept a ceasefire, but clearly President (Joe) Biden and his top lieutenants weren’t pushing the Israelis hard enough.

“President Trump knew how to do it, and from our perspective, that was a big thank you to our community for our vote in supporting the president’s election.”

Regarding Trump’s suggestions that Egypt and Jordan take in Gazans, Bahbah said: “One has to be realistic. Why would Jordan and Egypt bear the brunt of Palestinian refugees when the Israelis were the cause of the Palestinians in Gaza becoming refugees and they caused the destruction of Gaza?”

Bahbah noted that Israel’s actions in Gaza were “funded and supported” by the Biden administration.

“Yes, the Israelis could retaliate for what Hamas did on Oct. 7 (2023), but not in a manner that demolishes 90 percent of the Gaza Strip.

“That’s way over the top. The Israelis have been brought to the International Court of Justice over this particular issue.”