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Israel is pulling thousands of troops from Gaza in a possible precursor to a scaled-back offensive

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military confirmed Monday that it was pulling thousands of troops out of the Gaza Strip, a step that could clear the way for a new long-term phase of lower-intensity fighting against the Hamas militant group.The confirmation of the planned troop drawdown came the same day that Israel’s Supreme Court struck down a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul plan.While the plan is not directly connected to the war effort, it was the source of deep divisions inside Israel and had threatened the military’s readiness before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the ongoing war.Politicians warned against reigniting those divisions and harming the national unity that has prevailed throughout the Israel-Hamas war.Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the military offensive until Hamas is crushed and the more than 100 hostages still ...

Company issues national recall for hypoallergenic infant formula

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

OTTAWA — A national recall has been issued for a brand of hypoallergenic infant formula over concerns it may be contaminated with a bacteria.An advisory from Health Canada says the Enfamil brand Nutramigen A+ LGG Hypoallergenic formula is being recalled by the company over concerns it may be contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii.The notice says the bacteria is not commonly linked to human illness but can cause serious or fatal bloodstream and central nervous system infections.It has also been associated with severe intestinal infection and blood poisoning, especially in newborns.Health Canada says there have been no reported illnesses associated with the formula but batches with an expiry date of Jan. 1, 2025, involving the 561 gram containers should not be consumed or sold.It says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating, which could lead to the recall of other products.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2024.The Canadian Press

Toronto subway e-bike fire highlights dangers of incidents involving lithium-ion batteries

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

Dramatic videos and phone footage of a fire in a Toronto subway car Sunday afternoon after an e-bike and its battery ignited is raising further questions about the safety of lithium-ion batteries.CityNews spoke with John, a commuter who asked to be identified by his first name, about the fire. He said he was on the westbound TTC train as it pulled into Sheppard-Yonge station at around 3 p.m. John said he captured a video showing smoke and small flames before an e-bike fully caught on fire.“One of the guys’ e-bikes just started to make noise … it kind of sounded like a flare and then smoke came out, a couple of seconds later, fire came out,” John said, noting it smelled like a bonfire with a plastic bag tossed in.“People evacuated pretty quickly. Some people fell on the floor and hurt their faces, but I don’t think they had serious injuries.”He said he saw the owner of the bike try to respond to the fire. Officials later said the man suffered...

A crash on a New York City parkway leaves 5 dead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Five people died when the car they were in crashed on a New York City parkway Monday morning, police said.The Mazda was heading north on the Cross Island Parkway in the borough of Queens when it collided with another vehicle just before 6 a.m. The five people in the car were pronounced dead at the crash scene near the Whitestone Bridge, according to the New York Police Department. Photos from the scene show the car overturned on the roadway.The driver of the other vehicle was hospitalized in stable condition.Police did not immediately identify the five people who were killed.An investigation into the crash was continuing.The Associated Press

Police in Kenya suspect a man was attacked by a lion while riding a motorcycle

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Police in Kenya on Monday recovered the body of a man believed to have been attacked by a lion while he was riding a motorcycle near a national reserve in the south of the country.Police were notified by community members of an abandoned motorcycle along a road near the Marere forested area near the Shimba Hills National Reserve.Officers saw lion footprints that led from the motorcycle to a thicket where they found the remains of an unknown dead man, according to a police report.The lion population was declining in Kenya just over a decade ago, primarily due to human-wildlife conflict. The government listed lions as endangered, with an estimated population of 2,000 in 2010. A more recent survey put the number at 2,489.___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africaThe Associated Press

Driver crashes into tree near ice rink in Millennium Park

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Emergency crews were called to the scene after a driver veered off the road and crashed into a tree near the ice rink in Millennium Park in the Loop on Monday afternoon.Authorities say the crash happened in the 100 block of North Michigan Avenue just after 1:10 p.m. Man critically injured after apparent road rage incident leads to shooting in Andersonville According to police, the driver, a 66-year-old man, attempted to make a U-turn in the area when he struck a curb, which caused him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a tree near the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at the park. Authorities say three people inside the vehicle were taken to the hospital in fair condition.No citations were issued and no other injuries were reported, police say.

'Strongest' solar flare since 2017 detected: Here's what to know

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — A massive solar flare — the largest in years — was spotted on the sun on New Year's Eve, sparking a warning to some high-frequency radio users. In an update Sunday evening, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) released an image of the flare, which appeared as a large, glowing spot on the sun. You can see that image below. "A flare is an eruption of energy from the sun that generally lasts minutes to hours," the SWPC explains. This one in particular, which peaked just before 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, was categorized as an X5 flare. An X5 solar flare detected by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center on December 31, 2023. (NOAA SWPC; cropped)Solar flares are classified based on their strength, much like earthquakes, according to NASA. The scale ranges from B-class on the lowest end to C-class, then M-class, and finally, X-class. Each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output, and there is a scale of 1 to 9 in each class, except for X-class. X-class flares ...

What's a babirusa? San Antonio Zoo rings in 2024 with newest baby

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — The San Antonio Zoo welcomed its newest bundle of joy this year, with the first-ever babirusa born at the zoo.Babirusas are identified as a threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature' Red List's red list, per a San Antonio Zoo release Monday. Babirusas are deer-pig-like animals, noted for their curved tusks. According to the release, babirusas usually only ever have one or two piglets, unlike other pig species.The San Antonio Zoo welcomed its newest bundle of joy this year, with the first-ever babirusa born at the zoo. (Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo)The San Antonio Zoo welcomed its newest bundle of joy this year, with the first-ever babirusa born at the zoo. (Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo)The San Antonio Zoo welcomed its newest bundle of joy this year, with the first-ever babirusa born at the zoo. (Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo)"We are thrilled to welcome this baby to our family - the first-ever babirusa birth at San Antonio Zoo," San An...

Saratoga runners brave cold for First Day 5K

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — It was below freezing in Saratoga Springs, but that didn't stop some people from starting the New Year off and running...literally.The First Day 5K race in Saratoga Springs took place around noon. 23-year-old Cameron Davis of Delmar crossed the finish line first, in second came his training partner 49-year-old Nick Conway of Albany."Did you think you were going to win?" asked NEWS 10's Zion Decoteau. "I knew that my training partner Nick over here was someone that would be around my fitness [level]. I wasn't sure who else was going to show up, and I like to win" Cameron replied. “We were training hard so we figured we would do well, but you never know who shows up. There's a lot of talented runners here" added Conway. As for Conway's athletic wear on this sub-freezing day:“You want to feel light in fast but I probably should've worn a shirt today," said the shirtless runner wearing only shorts. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delive...

Police officers are charged with crimes, but are juries convicting?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:16:27 GMT

By Audra D.S. Burch and Kelley Manley, The New York TimesA few days before Christmas, a jury in Washington state cleared three Tacoma police officers of criminal charges in the death of Manuel “Manny” Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man who died in police custody in 2020 after pleading that he could not breathe.The next day, on Dec. 22, a jury in Colorado convicted two paramedics of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died in police custody in 2019 after officers subdued him and medics injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine.In the three years since the murder of George Floyd, whose death in police custody ignited a national movement against police brutality, prosecutors have charged police and emergency medical workers in a number of high-profile cases.The result has been a mixed bag of verdicts: convictions, acquittals and in one case, a mistrial. Civil rights activists and legal experts say the different outcomes reflect a...