The Epoch Times iOS app as of Nov. 12 is the No. 1 app in the Magazine & Newspaper category in the Apple store. We would like to thank all of our readers for making this possible.
Readers deserve and demand factual and unbiased reporting, and we would like to say that we hear you clearly.
Many media organizations have failed the public for too long. While other media were quick to call the election, The Epoch Times, as an independent media outlet, has stated it will not declare a winner until all results are certified and any legal challenges are resolved.
The Epoch Times iOS app ranked as #1 in the category of Magazine and Newspaper in the Apple store on Nov. 12, 2020. (Screenshot)Our principles of factual and unbiased reporting are in our DNA. Since our organization was founded in the United States by Chinese-Americans, The Epoch Times has been exposing the Chinese regime’s persecution of the Chinese people, rejecting the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda, and exposing its infiltration of the United States.
We have been covering President Donald Trump factually and without bias from the day he announced his presidential bid, while some mainstream media have shown bias against him. We apply the same principles to any candidate running for public office, regardless of party.
Pursuing the truth is never an easy task.
In America, our advertisers have been threatened by Chinese consular officials and our newspaper boxes have been vandalized. In Hong Kong, one of our printing presses was set on fire. Recently, attacks have come from our peers—other U.S. media organizations that don’t agree with our reporting.
However, we know you—our readers—are always at our side; our app downloads are soaring and the amount of positive feedback we’re receiving is overwhelming. The Epoch Times app so far has over 1 million downloads on the iOS and Android app stores combined, and it’s one of the highest-rated apps.
However, the mission of restoring public confidence in journalism is far from complete.
We will continue our factual and unbiased reporting and seek to uphold the highest standards of traditional journalism.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the factors that affect app rankings on the Apple App store. The factors include the number of downloads, user experience, user ratings, and the overall performance of the app. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
WestJet says it will provide refunds for flights the company cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline said on Oct. 21 that it will start to contact eligible travellers to offer refunds via email on Nov. 2. WestJet said eligible travellers include returning Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or foreign nationals currently permitted entry into Canada.
The company will offer refunds in the original form of payment. Refunds are also offered for basic fare tickets.
WestJet said the refund process is estimated to take six to nine months due to “administrative backlogs.” Customers are asked to wait until they are contacted, so as not to overload the contact centre.
President and CEO Ed Sims said airlines around the world has been heavily struck financially by the pandemic, and WestJet is doing what it can to reduce costs in its operations after flight demands took a 95 percent freefall.
“We went 72 days in a row where cancellations outstripped bookings, something that has not happened—ever—in our almost 25-year history,” Sims said in a press release.
“Thankfully, we are seeing bookings higher than cancellations now but still at a level that sees more than 140 of the 181 aircraft in our fleet parked and more than 4,000 WestJetters permanently laid off.”
Sims said the company is the first national airline in Canada to offer refunds proactively, but that was refuted by Air Canada on Twitter.
“Misleading statement! WestJet is just now catching up to our policy to refund refundable fares. We have already refunded over $1.2 Billion in refundable fares to date,” the tweet said.
Air Canada has reimbursed refundable tickets and has offered vouchers for the non-refundable tickets, according to CBC News.
However, Air Canada has received 1,705 complaints over refunds, the highest among non-U.S. airlines, according to the U.S. Air Travel Consumer Report released in August. WestJet had received 346 refund complaints.
Border restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the United States have been prolonged for another month, Canada’s Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in an announcement on Twitter Oct. 19.
Blair said the decision was “based on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe.” The move delays non-essential travel from the United Sates until November 21, unless the restrictions are again extended.
Since the Canada-U.S. border shutdown in March, the agreement has been extended several times, with the current one scheduled to expire on October 21st. The repeated extension was made because “United States is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an interview on October 14th.
Under current restrictions, people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot enter the country for tourism, recreational, or other optional purposes. Those who are allowed to enter must quarantine for 14 days. Failure to comply with border restrictions can result in a maximum $750,000 fine or six months imprisonment.
Blair announced earlier in the month that travelers with “compassionate reasons” can be admitted starting on October 8th. This adjustment allowed Canadians citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their extended family members and those they share a dating relationship with that has lasted for at least one year.
I want to thank you for being our loyal reader—we couldn’t do what we do without your support.
Reporting the facts as an independent media is not always easy. Over the past 20 years, our advertisers have been threatened by Chinese embassy officials in the United States, our newspaper boxes have been vandalized, and last year one of our printing presses in Hong Kong was set on fire.
And because of our investigative reporting on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as our nonpartisan reporting on U.S. politics, other media in the United States have tried to smear us. As a result, we have lost some advertisers as well as our ability to advertise on Facebook.
But this adversity has also made us more determined to keep providing you, our readers, with the best independent news. We understand that now, independent news and information is more important than ever.
In our efforts to continue and develop our independent reporting, we have launched a digital subscription.
Aside from full access to our app, a digital subscription will make you a premium member of The Epoch Times and give you unlimited access to all of our content, including premium content such as exclusive videos, infographics, investigative reports, and e-magazines on our website.
For more information, refer to our app.
Jasper Fakkert
Editor-in-chief, U.S. editions
Dear Epoch Times Readers,
We are happy to announce that we are launching the beta version of MyForum as a platform for our readers to stay up to date and openly discuss current events. As this is the beta version of the forum, we welcome and encourage you to send your feedback to websupport@epochtimes.nyc so we can further improve this platform to better serve you.
The forum is part of The Epoch Times’ website, hence you can automatically use it as long as you are already logged into The Epoch Times’ website.Thank you for being our loyal readers. We look forward to hearing from you!
The Epoch Times Web Team
