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French President Macron hosts Gaza aid conference and appeals to Israel to protect civilians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Western and Arab nations, international agencies and nongovernmental groups stressed the urgent need for aid for Gaza civilians at a Paris conference Thursday, held as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory worsens amid Israel’s massive air and ground campaign against Hamas. The gathering ended a few hours before the White House said Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza, starting on Thursday.The French presidency said the participants’ pledges reached over 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) in additional funding, stressing that the global amount still remained to be finalized.French President Emmanuel Macron opened the conference with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians, saying that “all lives have equal worth” and urging for pauses in the fighting to allow deliveries of desperately needed aid.“In the immediate term, we need to work on protecting civilians,” he said. “To do that, we need a hu...

Los pandas del Zoológico Nacional llegan a salvo a China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

Después de un viaje intercontinental, los queridos pandas de DC llegaron a su destino final en China el jueves por la mañana, informó el Zoológico Nacional.Tian Tian, 26 años; Mei Xiang, de 25 años, y su hijo menor, Xiao Qi Ji, de 3 años, partieron de la capital del país el miércoles hacia sus nuevos hogares en la Asociación China para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre.Un avión “Panda Express” de FedEx llevó a los pandas en un viaje de 19 horas desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Dulles hasta Chengdu, China.“Es un momento de alegría porque este es un paso más en 50 años de un exitoso programa de conservación del panda gigante y, con suerte, el comienzo de 50 años más”, indicó la directora del Zoológico Nacional, Brandie Smith. “Por favor, sepan que el futuro es brillante para los pandas gigantes. Seguimos comprometidos con nuestro programa y esperamos celebrar con todos ustedes cuando los pandas puedan regresar a DC”, agregó.UNA NUEVA VIDA EN CHINAEl nuevo h...

Candace Parker wants to play next season if she can get healthy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Candace Parker plans on playing another season if she’s healthy enough to do so.The two-time WNBA MVP missed the Las Vegas Aces’ run to a second straight league championship after having surgery on her left foot in late July. “I’ll weigh my options. If I feel really, really good then I’ll play,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. “That’s a big if. I’ve got to get my foot right. My foot was really bad last year. I don’t want to cheat the game or cheat myself.”Parker said that her left foot had been injured all season — her first with the Aces — but she played through it. It wasn’t until she injured her right ankle and Achilles tendon that she got an MRI on her left one too.“I did it and it was 89% fractured. It’s crazy how things work out,” said the 37-year-old Parker, who is a free agent but would go back to Las Vegas.She was on a scooter for 10 1/2 weeks after having surgery and is finally starting to ...

Yelp ranks 2 Denver holiday markets as best in US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Two Colorado holiday markets were named as some of the best in the United States, and both are opening soon.Yelp published a list of the best holiday markets in the U.S. It identified businesses with reviews mentioning "holiday market" and "Christmas market," and then ranked the businesses based on total volume, reviews mentioning the market and other factors. Airbnb releases list of Colorado’s most-loved homes Best holiday markets in the USUnion Square Holiday Market – New York, New YorkChristkindlmarket Chicago – Chicago, IllinoisDowntown Holiday Market – Washington, D.C.Carmel Christkindlmarkt – Carmel, IndianaCambria Christmas Market – Cambria, California Cherry Creek Holiday Market – Denver, ColoradoChristmas Village In Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDenver Christkindlmarket – Denver, ColoradoAthenaeum Christkindlmarkt – Indianapolis, Indiana Phoestivus – Phoenix, ArizonaThe market in Cherry Creek ope...

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is unapologetically himself. And that’s no joke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Barely 24 hours had passed since the Miami Dolphins arrived home from last weekend’s game in Germany. Mike McDaniel was getting settled behind the lectern for a pre-bye week media session and someone pointed out he looked more tired than usual.McDaniel needed only a couple seconds to reply.“It was the one day I didn’t put on mascara,” he said.This was peak McDaniel. Quick with a quip, always entertaining.Make no mistake: The coach of the AFC East-leading Dolphins is serious about a lot of things — his wife and daughter, winning, the health and welfare of his players, his sobriety. He’s also a viral moment waiting to happen, someone who sprinted away from a cameraman after a halftime interview, told his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that his high school technique was trash, and offered up profane analysis during a faux interview to be part of the “ManningCast” on Monday night football.“I think people respond best to authenticity, ...

Florida bound plane takes off with missing window panes as crew fails to spot damage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

(CNN) — An Airbus A321 aircraft took off from London Stansted Airport last month with four damaged window panes, including two that were missing, according to UK air accident investigators.Nine passengers and 11 crew members were on board the plane bound for Orlando International Airport in Florida on October 4, when the damage, apparently caused by high-powered lights used during a filming event the previous day, was discovered after takeoff.The aircraft had reached an altitude of at least 14,000 feet by the time it was turned around, reads a special bulletin by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB.) The plane landed back at Stansted Airport safely shortly afterward.Courtesy AAIB‘Increased cabin noise’The report, published on November 4, details the incident, noting that it could have resulted in “more serious consequences” if “window integrity” had been “lost at higher differential pressure.”It describes how passengers had noticed that the aircraft appeared to be...

Sheriff: 2 Florida deputies seriously injured after they were intentionally struck by a car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man intentionally drove into two sheriff’s deputies on Thursday, badly injuring them before a third deputy arrested him, authorities said.The Hillsborough County deputies were answering a call from a woman who said her adult son was acting irrationally and she was afraid of him, Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference. The 28-year-old man was sitting in a running car outside his home in the Tampa suburb of Brandon and took off when the deputies tried to make contact with him.The driver returned a short time later, sped up and rammed the deputies, pinning them against a patrol vehicle, the sheriff said. Both suffered severe leg injuries but are expected to survive.“There is no other way to describe this other than an ambush,” Chronister said. “He chose today to use his car as a weapon. They didn’t have a chance to get out of the way.”The deputies were identified as Carlos Brito, 39, and 31-year-old Manny Santos. Chronister sa...

EU throws weight behind Cypriot plan to ship aid to Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

Several EU countries on Thursday threw their weight behind Cyprus’ plan to supply Gaza with humanitarian aid, but several hurdles remain, mainly over the feasibility of landing big cargoes safely in Gaza’s tiny port facilities. The president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, presented his country’s proposal to open a maritime corridor to help deliver more aid to the Gaza Strip during the Paris Peace Forum organized by the French President Emmanuel Macron.Being only 210 nautical miles from the conflict zone, Cyprus is the closest EU country and is putting itself forward as the natural stepping stone for collecting and inspecting shipments destined for Gaza. The big idea is to increase the humanitarian relief provided to the Gaza Strip by importing the serious volumes allowed by ship, rather than the limited deliveries currently being made by truck through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel,...

Systemwide Subway Shutdowns Planned To Fix MBTA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

In another new development with big implications for riders, the MBTA’s push to trade near-term headaches for long-term improvements will soon be put to the test on an unprecedented scale.Reduced train speeds associated with safety concerns have plagued riders with sluggish travel for months, and MBTA officials on Thursday announced they now plan to shut down segments of all four subway lines in phases over the next 13 months, allowing for repairs they say will eliminate all “slow zones” by the end of 2024.Repair work will replace rails, fix or replace deteriorated ties, install new ballast, improve signals and switches, and more, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said. Free shuttle buses will replace subway service during closures.The proposal will inflict widespread disruption on riders, with a portion of the core subway system scheduled to be closed on almost exactly half of the days between now and the end of next year.With their new plan, MBTA officials are provid...

National institute will build on New Hampshire’s recovery-friendly workplace program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:31 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will oversee the creation of a national institute to provide training and resources for companies willing to hire and help people in recovery for substance use disorder.Sununu will serve as honorary chairman of The Recovery Friendly Workplace National Institute and lead its advisory board, the White House announced Thursday along with other efforts to help states and businesses expand employment opportunities for those in recovery. The initiatives include a toolkit for businesses and model legislation for state legislatures interested in establishing tax credits, grants and other incentives for employers to become certified as recover-ready workplaces.Sununu was tapped thanks to the success of a program he launched in March 2018 starting with 12 employers, ranging from Walmart to the state of New Hampshire. Since then, about 350 businesses employing nearly 100,000 people have joined, he said on a call with White House officials We...