The office of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday released a lengthy readout of the leader’s conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has maintained close ties to his Syrian counterpart throughout the decade-long civil war there. The Syrian readout said the discussion focused “on ways to expand the horizons of cooperation” between the two nations as both pledged support for one another’s causes. Assad extolled the 50th anniversary of Beijing receiving China’s permanent seat at the United Nations from Taiwan, and condemned “Western campaigns that are trying to hit out at stability in the Southeast Asia region and the South China Sea, because the world today needs peace and development, not tension and threats....

A report published Tuesday by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused the Chinese government of having “undermined global health” by exerting influence and pressure to ensure the exclusion of Taiwan from the World Health Organization (WHO). Taiwan says it sounded the alarm early on about the dangers of the virus as it spread through China’s central city of Wuhan late last year, only to be sidelined because of its disputed political status....

The Associated Press reports that Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin spoke about the incident Tuesday during a daily briefing. He requested that the U.S. provide full details about the incident, which involved the nuclear-powered submarine USS Connecticut striking an underwater mountain. “We once again urge the U.S. to give a detailed account of the accident,” he said during the briefing. Wenbin further describes how the U.S. fails to offer “a clear explanation” of the submarine’s purpose in the area....

Olympian Jenner lamented the homeless crisis in California during her appearance with host Elex Michaelson on Fox 11’s ‘The Issue Is’ on Friday and said seeing tents in one of America’s wealthiest districts was a problem. Responding to Michaelson’s question about whether she would make it illegal for homeless people to sleep in tents on the streets, Jenner said: “We have to do something about that, yes.” She added: “When you drive in Beverly Hills when you look at the park and there’s tents in the park, we have to look at that issue very seriously....

Al-Gharafa released a statement on Thursday to confirm they have reached an agreement with Rangers to allow their head coach to move. The Brazilian goalkeeper who fed lover to dogs The 46-year-old is now in the clear to replace Mark Warburton at the Scottish Premiership club after the Englishman departed Ibrox in acrimonious circumstances a month ago. Graeme Murty has been in caretaker charge since then and reports suggest he will remain at the helm for Sunday’s Old Firm derby away to leaders Celtic, who are a massive 33 points clear of third-placed Rangers....

Dr. Kimberly Fodran, chief of medical staff at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) said in a statement on Tuesday that 17 students had tested positive for the coronavirus, including ten who live on campus and seven who do not. These cases were in addition to five students who tested positive on Saturday, four of whom live in the residence halls and one off campus. Those who tested positive were either not showing symptoms or had a mild case of COVID-19....

The Purdue men’s basketball Twitter account announced the news, saying that Swanigan died Monday night. The Allen County Coroner’s Office told Newsweek that Swanigan died of natural causes. “Devastated,” the Purdue men’s basketball account wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie.” Swanigan was born in Indianapolis and played basketball for Purdue in Indiana for two seasons from 2015 to 2017, averaging 14....

Calendula petals are rich in naturally occurring compounds called flavonoids. These compounds are said to have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombogenic, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. This article will go over how calendula is used. You will also learn about the possible side effects and risks of using calendula. What Is Calendula? Calendula is a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae family of plants, from the Asterales order. The medicinal part of the Calendula Officinalis plant is a beautiful, deeply rich colored orange and yellow flower....

In his state of the state address, Newsom added: “We remain the fifth-largest economy in the world—enjoying 118 consecutive months of net job growth, some 3.4 million jobs created since the Great Recession and nearly 4 million small businesses call California their home.” Six months on, the picture is a starkly different one. Days after that address, Newsom declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus—and issued the first of many executive orders shutting down much of the economy in the nation’s most populated state....

The West Hollywood station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement on Twitter that it will begin issuing “administrative citations for people who are not conforming to the Order to wear a face cover/mask in public.” The fine for the first offense will be $300, which comprises a $250 fine and $50 in fees. Governor Gavin Newsom “recently issued an order for everyone to wear a face cover/mask while in public....

Honda introduced a bill this week named “The Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act” in hopes of pressuring team owner Dan Snyder to change the Redskins name, according to The Washington Post. MORE: Protesters rally against name at Super Bowl “It is unbelievable to me that, in the 21st century, a prominent NFL franchise is calling itself by a racial slur,” Honda said. “Team names should not be offensive to anyone....

The virus, which was first reported in Wuhan, a city in China’s Hubei province, has spread to more than 877,400 people across 180 countries and regions. There are more than 189,600 cases in the U.S., the epicenter of the outbreak, while more than 100,000 cases have been confirmed both in Italy and Spain, while China has more than 82,300 confirmed infections. More than 185,200 people have recovered from infection, including nearly 90 percent of China’s patients and more than 7,100 in the U....

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, of San Diego, posted the response on Twitter on Saturday, shortly after Musk revealed he was filing a lawsuit against Alameda County following an announcement by the county’s health department which said Tesla’s factory must stay closed amid coronavirus lockdown measures. Gonzalez didn’t elaborate further on her comment, which has attracted more than 6,000 likes. She has been contacted for additional comment. On Friday, the Alameda County Health Department said Tesla could not reopen its factory in Fremont, the company’s only vehicle factory in the U....

More than 1 million mail-in ballots have already been returned, which is the most to have been collected at this point in any state election, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. An update from California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Twitter said 1,511,522 such ballots had been returned. Among these record-breaking numbers, an argument has broken out over the collection of mail-in ballots by the GOP....

Frequent surfer Matt Gmyr had just emerged from the water at South Torrey Pines Beach in San Diego when he swung his feet on the ground and felt like someone had “dropped a knife” on his foot, 12 News reported. After feeling the pain, Gmyr looked down and saw a rattlesnake “attached to [his] foot.” Rattlesnakes are venomous and bites can be dangerous if they go untreated. The bites are rarely fatal because of the wide distribution of antivenom in the state, however, the venom can cause other severe complications....

In California, it’s illegal to shoot a black bear because they’re considered a game mammal and require permission to kill. However, in Thursday’s shooting, the citizen who was attacked said it was a case of self-defense and police agreed. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received reports on Thursday night of a bear that threatened a residence in Meyers, a small community about six miles south of South Lake Tahoe....

On Wednesday, legal authorities arrested Juli A. Mazi, a 41-year-old licensed homeopathic doctor, for allegedly selling “homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets.” She allegedly claimed the pellets contained small amounts of the COVID-19 virus, which would then create coronavirus antibodies in the immune system. She claimed the pellets would make people immune to COVID-19 for life, court documents alleged. After her customers paid for the pills, she allegedly provided COVID-19 Vaccination Record cards....

FOX 5 San Diego reports that Thomas received a pair of awards for going above and beyond in the line of duty in April of this year. While she was delivering her route, she spotted missing kids twice in 14 days and followed up with authorities to ensure they got where they needed to be. On April 18, a teenage girl named Abbey Motzer was reported missing in the late evening....

According to the state’s Employment Development Department report, California’s jobless rate fell from 9.3 percent a year ago to 6.5 percent. The state also gained roughly 72 percent of the 2.7 million jobs lost during the first few months of the pandemic. The state added 50,700 non-farm jobs during December, adding 15,000 in the hospitality, food and drinks sector. However, Michael Bernick, the former director of the Employment Development Department, said a significant issue in California is the “disappearing workforce” and what is being referred to as the “great resignation” phenomenon....

The one-and-a-half-year-old female sea lion yearling, named Mandalorian, was found in distress by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) in Newport Beach on December 15 after receiving a call from the Newport Beach Animal Control. Mandalorian was seen to have two distinct wounds, one of which was a draining abscess on her dorsal back. The center’s veterinary team also noted that she had trouble moving as a result of her injuries....