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Page 12 The Skanner February 14, 2018 News World News Briefs PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — Snowboard- ing at the Olympics turned 20 this year, and there’s a good chance that in another two decades, people will still be talking about the contest that went down in the mountains of South Korea on Wednesday. They will definitely still be talking about Shaun White. It wasn’t so much that White won his third gold medal to place his name among the greatest to com- pete in the Olympics, or in any realm of sports, for that matter. It was the way he did it. His winning run capped a contest that, even before he dropped in for the finale, was the best, in terms of pure difficulty, showmanship and guts that has ever been seen on a halfpipe. White Refers to Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit as “Gossip” PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — Shaun White dismissed the sexual misconduct allegations made against him in a 2016 lawsuit as “gossip” and hurried away from reporters trying to ask him more about the allegations Wednesday, just hours after winning his third gold medal in the men’s halfpipe. White has been the world’s dominant snowboarder for more than a decade, winning gold medals in 2006, 2010 and again this year, completing a comeback after finishing fourth in 2014. As White was competing, many on social media resurfaced the details from the lawsuit by a former drummer in White’s rock band, Bad Things. Lena Za- AP PHOTO/PATRICK SEMANSKY Shaun White Wins 3rd Olympic Gold in Contest for the Ages Men’s halfpipe gold medalist Shaun White, of the United States, speaks at a news conference at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 14. waideh said White sexually harassed and refused to pay her wages after he fired her. The lawsuit was set- tled in May for an undisclosed amount. White was asked if the allegations might tarnish his reputation. “I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not gossip and stuff,” he said. “I don’t think so.” Netanyahu Shrugs Off Police Corruption Claims, Opposition JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benja- min Netanyahu on Wednesday shrugged off police recommendations that he be charged with cor- ruption, calling the alle- gations “biased, extreme, full of holes, like Swiss cheese” and vowed to re- main in office. Speaking at a local gov- ernment meeting in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said his government remains stable despite the police announcement, and that “the truth will come to light and nothing will come of this.” Israeli opposition lead- ers have called on Net- anyahu to step down but the longtime premier an- grily rejected those calls as well. The police announce- ment late Tuesday that Netanyahu accepted nearly $300,000 in gifts from two billionaires dealt the embattled prime minister an embarrassing blow after years of investigations, but did not appear to im- mediately rattle his rule as reaction largely fell along partisan lines. Nearly all of Netanyahu’s Cabinet ministers issued statements of support and no coalition partners ap- peared ready to bolt. Netanyahu’s coalition whip, Da- vid Amsalem, accused the police of committing “an illegitimate act here to attempt a coup d’etat in Israel.” New Fronts Emerge in Syria as Assad, Allies Push for Victory BEIRUT (AP) — As Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies push toward final victory and the fight against the Islamic State group draws to an end, new fronts have opened up, threatening an even broader confrontation among regional and world powers. While large areas of the country have stabilized, giving the impression of a war that is winding down, violence has exploded in other areas with renewed ferocity, killing and injuring hundreds of people in a new and unpredictable spiral of bloodshed. The Unit- ed States, Israel and Turkey all have deepened their involvement, seeking to protect their interests in the new Syria order. The recent chaos has been exceptional: within a week, al-Qaida-affiliated rebels shot down a Russian jet, Kurdish fighters downed a Turkish helicopter, Israel downed an Iranian drone and the Syrian army shot down an Israeli F-16. Meanwhile, a joint Russian and Syrian air campaign killed hundreds of civilians in the rebel-held enclaves of Eastern Ghouta and in the northern province of Idlib, amid accusations that the Syrian government See WORLD on page 14