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New fighting kills 2 Palestinian militant commanders, elderly man in Israel as Egypt pushes truce

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders on Thursday, while a 70-year-old man was killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel amid the current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 29 Palestinians dead, came despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire.It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, with at least 10 civilians — mostly women and children — among the dead. The conflagration, now in its third day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian militants launched unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel throughout the day. One rocket struck an apartment block in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing a 70-year-old man, the MADA rescue service said. It said four others were moderately wounded.Earlier Thursday, Israeli military pressed ahead with...

What did Title 42 do, anyway? A look at US immigration policies and how they’re changing

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is putting new restrictions into place at its southern border to try to to stop migrants from crossing illegally and encourage them instead to apply for asylum online through a new process. The changes come with the end of coronavirus restrictions on asylum that have allowed the U.S. to quickly turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border for the last three years. Those restrictions are known as Title 42, because the authority comes from Title 42 of a 1944 public health law that allows curbs on migration in the name of protecting public health. Disinformation is swirling and confusion is setting in during the transition. A look at the new rules (and the old ones):WHAT IS TITLE 42 AND WHAT DID IT DO? Title 42 is the name of an emergency health authority. It’s a holdover from the Trump administration and it began in March 2020. The authority allowed U.S. officials to turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the sprea...

Review: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ builds on beloved predecessor

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

Before Nintendo introduced its successful Switch gaming console in 2017, the video game company made a bold move by making huge changes to one of its most beloved franchises.“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” released as a launch title for the Switch, eschewed the well-established conventions of the long-running series.Gone were the familiar massive dungeons series hero Link would explore in order to get the item or weapon needed to access the next part of the game world. “Breath of the Wild” introduced a sprawling open world that could be explored at the player’s pace.The resulting game was a smash hit. “Breath of the Wild” garnered lavish praise from reviewers, won several game-of-the-year awards and was a system-seller for the Switch. Nintendo says 29 million units of the game have been sold as of December 2022.Six years later, Nintendo is set to release the long-awaited next game in the Zelda series. “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” refines and expands o...

Canadians to receive one-time grocery rebate payments in July

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

The Department of Finance says the grocery rebate the Liberals promised in this year’s federal budget will be extended to eligible Canadians on July 5.That confirmation comes after Parliament passed legislation on the measure this week.The government has billed the one-time payment as targeted inflation relief for some 11 million low- and modest-income households.It repeats the temporary boost to the GST rebate that the government offered last year to address growing cost-of-living concerns.Eligible families of four will receive up to $467 by direct deposit or cheque from the Canada Revenue Agency, while single people without children will get up to $234 and seniors will see a rebate of up to $225.The new law also enshrines a $2-billion top-up to the federal health transfer that seeks to reduce backlogs and wait times and support pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms.

CNN faces backlash over chaotic Trump town hall event

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is facing a backlash over its town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, an event that swiftly turned chaotic in a stark display of the tightrope facing journalists covering a leading 2024 Republican candidate who refuses to play by the rules.The town hall Wednesday was the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign, and CNN defended its decision to hold it as a chance to put Trump in front of a wider audience, outside of the conservative media bubble he has largely kept to since early in his presidency.Critics said the event, which was staged in front of Republicans and unaffiliated voters who were expected to vote in the GOP primary, instead turned into a Trump campaign rally that produced little actual news and allowed Trump to repeat longstanding falsehoods while dodging difficult questionsTom Jones, a senior writer at the media research institute Poynter, said he had favored the idea of CNN holding the town hall at St. Anselm Coll...

Some scenes from the US-Mexico border, where immigration rules are set to change

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

From El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to San Diego and Tijuana, migrants were massing Thursday along some sections of the U.S.-Mexico border in a last attempt to cross into the United States in the hours before the pandemic-era health rule known as Title 42 ends.Migrants who have traveled from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Central American fear that it could be harder for them to stay on U.S. soil once the restrictions are lifted.Here are some of the scenes playing out along the 1,950 mile (3,140 km) international boundary:___María José Durán, a 24-year-old student from Venezuela, was on the verge of tears as she sat on a riverbank in Matamoros, Mexico.Mexican immigration officials were trying to move migrants back to an improvised camp and away from a spot where they could wade across the Rio Grande.Durán said she dropped out of college when her parents could no longer afford it and set out for the U.S. with a group of friends and relatives. They crossed the treacherous Darien Ga...

US approves $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to Germany

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday approved an $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to NATO ally Germany. The approval comes as the war in Ukraine continues to tax the military stocks of Western countries but is not directly related to the conflict. The State Department said it had notified Congress that the U.S. would sell Germany 60 Chinooks along with engines and associated spare parts, including missile warning systems. The Chinook is the Army’s key heavy-lift helicopter, used to transport troops and equipment, and was a familiar sight in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.The sale is meant to boost Germany’s heavy lift military capability and “deter regional threats,” the department said. The helicopters are not intended to be used in Ukraine. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” it sai...

‘Chonkosaurus,’ plump Chicago snapping turtle captured on video, goes viral

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Footage of a plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after the man who filmed the well-fed reptile marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus.”Joey Santore was kayaking with a friend along the Chicago River last weekend when they spotted the large snapping turtle sitting atop a large chain draped over what appear to be rotting logs.He posted a jumpy video of the turtle on Twitter, labeling it the “Chicago River Snapper aka Chonkosaurus.”In the video, Santore can be heard sounding stunned by the size of the turtle, which was displaying folds of flesh extending well beyond its shell.“Look at this guy. We got a picture of this most beautiful sight. Look at the size of that … thing,” he says, using an expletive. “Look at that beast. Hey, how ya doing guy? You look good. You’re healthy.”Chris Anchor, the chief wildlife biologist with Forest Preserves of Cook County, said the snapping turtle Santore filmed is q...

Suburban school fight leads to attempted murder charge

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

LAGRANGE, Ill. — A fight at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange has resulted in a student being charged with attempted murder. The student who was beaten sustained significant injuries and remains hospitalized for treatment, according to the school.The Cook County state’s attorney charged a juvenile, whose name has not been released due to his age, with attempted murder and aggravated battery. It’s unclear if that person was a student at the school. A judge ordered him to remain in custody at least until his next court hearing May 31.A 17-year-old James Hernandez Jr was previously charged with misdemeanor battery.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesSchool officials say the altercation happened just after 4 p.m. outside of a door on the school’s north campus.   “A physical altercation took place and no weapons were present,” the school principal said in an email to parents.  LaGrange police have said it was a “targeted incident.”

Adidas to sell Yeezy shoes and donate proceeds months after Kanye West split

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:54:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months wrestling over the fate of milions of unsold Yeezy shoes, Adidas has decided to sell a portion of its remaining inventory and donate the proceeds to chartitable organizations, CEO of the German sportbrand Bjørn Gulden said Thursday.Adidas cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, in late October, following his antisemitic comments on social media and in interviews. As a result, the fate of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of the unsold Yeezys, a lucrative sneaker line launched with Ye, was unknown.At Adidas’ annual shareholders meeting, Gulden said the company had spent months trying to find solutions. The CEO also added that Adidas spoke to NGOs and organizations that were harmed by Ye’s comments and actions.SEE ALSO: Adidas cuts ties with Ye over antisemitic remarks“Burning those shoes cannot be the solution,” Gulden said, noting that Adidas was going to try to sell part of the remaining Yeezy inventory and “donate money t...