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Israel bombs refugee camps in central Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

Israeli warplanes bombed two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip amid an expanding ground offensive against the Hamas militant group, according to media reports.Residents in Nuseirat and Bureij — two of eight urban camps set up by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to house Palestinians who fled their homes following Israel’s creation in 1948 — told the Associated Press that airstrikes had hit the areas Friday night and into Saturday. At the same time, Israeli tanks are moving deeper into central and southern Gaza, part of a military offensive in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks in which more than 1,000 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Saturday that 165 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll since October 7 past 21,600. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced by the fighting, according to UNRWA, with many fleeing south...

Quebec nurses union says negotiations with provincial government still deadlocked

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

MONTREAL — A labour group representing 80,000 Quebec nurses and other health care workers says its negotiations with the provincial government are still deadlocked heading into the new year.The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec was one of several public sector unions that carried out strikes in the last two months amid tense talks with the province.All other unions announced tentative deals for new collective agreements this week, making the nurses union the only group still without a breakthrough in negotiations.The union says there are still significant disagreements at the bargaining table and issues related to workload, overtime and compensation for evening, night and weekend work remain unresolved.The union says it will limit its comments in the media until Jan. 15 so as not to stifle negotiations.It also says it will not hold any more strike days until then.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2023.The Canadian Press

Revelers set to pack into Times Square for annual New Year’s Eve ball drop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The confetti has been tested for airiness. The giant numerals – 2 0 2 4 – are in place. And the luminous ball, bedazzled in 2,688 crystal triangles, is fixed to the pole from which it make its 60-second descent at 11:59 p.m. With throngs of revelers set to usher in the new year under the bright lights of Times Square, officials and organizers say they are prepared to welcome the crowds and ensure their safety.At a security briefing on Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were “no specific threats” to the annual New Year’s Eve bash, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the heart of midtown Manhattan on Sunday.The celebrity-filled event will include live performances from Flo Rida, Megan Thee Stallion, LL Cool Jm as well as televised appearances from Cardi B and others. Organizers said in-person attendance is expected to return to pre-COVID levels, even as foot traffic around Times Square remains down slightly since the pandemic.Amid ne...

Carlton County man who ‘mercy killed’ wife dies by suicide in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

CARLTON, Minn. — A Carlton County man died by suicide at a state prison last week, just two days after he was sentenced to more than 25 years for fatally shooting his ill wife in December 2021.Raymond Arthur Julian, 67, took his own life at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud on Dec. 20 — the same day he was transferred to the facility to begin serving his sentence for the murder of Tracy Ellen Julian.Minnesota Department of Corrections spokeswoman Sarah Fitzgerald confirmed the suicide to the Duluth News Tribune on Thursday, but the agency did not otherwise comment on the incident. St. Cloud is the intake prison for men committed to prison in Minnesota.Raymond Arthur JulianJulian on Dec. 18 was denied the leniency he sought after pleading guilty in September to what he described as a “mercy killing” carried out at his wife’s request. They argued for probation — an extraordinary request for intentional second-degree murder — but Judge Amy Lukasavitz im...

More big waves expected to pound California coast, high surf warnings in effect until 2 p.m.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

Powerful waves were again expected to thrash the Northern California coastline Saturday, with high surf and coastal flood warnings in effect until at least 2 p.m.Santa Cruz County beaches were forecast to see the biggest waves — potentially as high as 40 feet at some spots — though the swell was not expected to be as intense as the storm surge that slammed the area earlier this week, damaging some oceanfront businesses.The National Weather Service advised people to stay away from beaches during the warnings, which cover the entire Bay Area, Santa Cruz County and Monterey coastlines. West-facing beaches were expected to be the hardest hit.“These larger waves can come out of nowhere and be a lot bigger than you think they are,” said weather service meteorologist,” Dalton Behringer.The swell was forecast to gradually increase through the morning before tapering off in the afternoon. Moderate rain showers were expected throughout the day across the region.&...

High Surf Advisory and coastal flood warning issued, NWS

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

(KRON) – The National Weather Service has issued a High Surf Advisory and a coastal flood warning for Saturday until 2 p.m.The NWS forecasts a very high swell from the west and northwest that will create hazardous beach conditions. Bay Area Storm: Live Updates Beach waves are expected to be 26-20 feet on west-facing beaches on Central and Northern California coastline. Coastal flooding is a result of the high waves.  The NWS emphasizes the severity of high beach waves, calling the waves "deadly." For your safety, stay off of jetties, stay out of and away from the water, never turn your back on the ocean, and keep pets on a leash and away from the water.

Maritime National Historical Park changes open hours

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

(BCN) -- Beginning Jan. 2, 2024, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park will be open at a different time for visitors, its officials said Thursday.According to the park's officials, Hyde Street Pier will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. due to ongoing vessel maintenance and extreme tide events. Oakland PD officer killed in line of duty identified Its visitor center at the west end of Fisherman's Wharf at 499 Jefferson Street will also be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Meanwhile, the Maritime Museum's operating hours will still be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays. The maritime park, which offers visitors an experience of Pacific Coast maritime history, uses a fleet of National Historic Landmark vessels, over 100 historic small craft, a six million item museum collection, a visitor center, and a public research center to preserve and chronicle the lives of people who made their living on Ameri...

A British warship arrives in Guyana as tensions heat up in border dispute with Venezuela

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A British warship arrived in Guyana on Friday afternoon amid rising tensions from a border dispute between the former British colony and Venezuela.The HMS Trent’s visit led Venezuela to begin military exercises a day earlier in the eastern Caribbean near its border with Guyana as the Venezuelan government presses its claim to a huge swath of its smaller neighbor.Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern Friday about the situation and urged the two South American countries to return to dialogue. It said other nations should avoid “military activities” that support either side.Brazil’s statement called on Guyana and Venezuela to stay true to the Argyle Declaration, an agreement signed earlier this month in which their leaders said they would solve the border dispute through nonviolent means.The dispute is over Essequibo, a sparsely populated region that is the size of Florida and rich in oil and minerals. Venezuela has long claime...

Shelling kills 14 in Russia’s city of Belgorod following Moscow’s aerial attacks across Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

Shelling in the center of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed 14 people, including two children, and injured 108 others Saturday, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said.Russian officials accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, which took place the day after an 18-hour aerial bombardment across Ukraine killed at least 39 civilians.Images of Belgorod on social media showed burning cars and plumes of black smoke rising among damaged buildings as air raid sirens sounded. One strike hit close to a public ice rink in the very heart of the city.Russia’s Defense Ministry said it identified the ammunition used in the strike as Czech-made Vampire rockets and Olkha cluster munitions. It provided no additional information, and The Associated Press was unable to verify its claims.“This crime will not go unpunished,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the situation, and that the country’s...

Indianapolis Colts TE Drew Ogletree faces domestic violence charges, allegedly `body slammed’ victim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:36 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts tight end Drew Ogletree was arrested Friday on domestic violence charges after he allegedly “body slammed” a female victim earlier in the week, according to court records.The 25-year-old Ogletree was charged with domestic battery committed in the physical presence of a child less than 16 years old and domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, according to Indiana state court records. Both are felonies.The alleged incident occurred on Tuesday in Hendricks County, just west of Indianapolis, according to the records.Officers with the Avon Police Department who responded Tuesday to the reported domestic disturbance found a female victim in pain and unable to move and she was taken to a local hospital to have her injuries assessed, according to a probable cause affidavit, The Indianapolis Star reported.The victim said a fight began when she looked at Ogletree’s phone and discovered that he was cheating on her, according to the affidavit....