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Live updates | Widening Israeli offensive in southern Gaza worsens dire humanitarian conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

The Israeli military hit Rafah in southern Gaza twice overnight, residents said, as United Nations officials warned there are no safe places left in the besieged territory.The center of Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis, has also seen fighting amid Israel’s widening air and ground offensive in the southern part of the territory that has displaced tens of thousands more Palestinians and worsened dire humanitarian conditions.Distribution of food, water and medicine have been prevented outside a sliver of southern Gaza, and new military evacuation orders are squeezing people into ever-smaller areas.The United Nations said 1.87 million people — more than 80% of Gaza’s population — have been driven from their homes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, triggered by the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel.Around 1,200 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death tol...

Former UK leader Boris Johnson defends efforts to balance health and economy at COVID-19 inquiry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his efforts to balance the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 as he gave a second day of testimony Thursday to Britain’s public inquiry into the government’s response to the pandemic.Johnson was grilled about his government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” program, which supported the hospitality industry by subsidizing restaurant meals, and delays in imposing a second national lockdown as infection rates began to rise toward the end of 2020. Leading scientists have testified that they weren’t part of the discussions on the program and that it was obvious it would increase transmission risks. Johnson said he had no reason to question the restaurant initiative.“I must emphasize, it was not at the time presented to me as something that would add to the budget of risk,” he said. Johnson, who is testifying under oath, admitted Wednesday that he made mistakes in grasping the extent of the pandemic and tha...

From SZA to Kelce: The mispronounced words of 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

Some of the words tied to this year's hottest topics were also among the most mangled when it came to saying them aloud, with stumpers ranging from the first name of “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy to the singer SZA to the name of a sacred slab of sandstone used in the coronation of King Charles III.This year's lists of the most mispronounced words in the U.S. and Britain were released Thursday by the online language learning company Babbel, which commissions The Closed Captioning Group in the U.S. and the British Institute of Verbatim Reports in the U.K. to identify the top words that news anchors, politicians and other public figures have struggled with.FILE - Actor Cillian Murphy poses at the "Oppenheimer" premiere, July 13, 2023, in London. Some of the words tied to this year's hottest topics were also among the most mangled when it came to saying them aloud, with stumpers ranging from the first name of “Oppenheimer” star Murphy to the singer SZA to the name of a sacred slab o...

Local animal shelter warns of 'extreme overcrowding'; calls for community help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, or WCRAS, said Wednesday it is "experiencing an extreme overcrowding crisis" and needs help from the community. WCRAS said it had 239 dogs on Wednesday which, according to the shelter, was 139 more than it is designed and staffed to care for. The shelter also said it had no more open kennels. Williamson County animal shelter at unsustainable capacity People can help, the shelter said, by adopting a dog for just $2 this week or fostering. Volunteers are also welcome to help at the shelter with daily tasks, as well as socializing and walking the dogs, according to the shelter.WCRAS said its "Doggy Day Out" program lets someone go to the shelter, pick out one of the dogs approved for the program, and take them out for the day. The shelter said that program allows the dogs to get break while giving shelter staff time to clean, make matches with future owners and gather information about the dog's persona...

Crazy about pickleball? Now you can check out padel in Mendota Heights.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

Pickleball is popular, but padel is next.That’s according to founders of The Heights Racquet and Social Club in Mendota Heights, which officially opened its doors last week. It’s a racquet sport speakeasy of sorts, with year-round, indoor play spread across four pickleball courts, four squash courts – and what’s believed to be the first padel court in the state of Minnesota.Padel is a game that marries parts of tennis, pickleball and squash to create a unique racquet sport where players use a stringless paddle to strike a ball similar to a tennis ball. The court is smaller than a tennis court – roughly three padel courts fit inside one tennis court – but larger than a squash court. It is surrounded by glass walls on the baselines, and has a steel cage near the middle. The glass walls are in play.“I love everything about (padel),” said Jeff Mulligan, a retired professional squash player who serves as a consultant for The Heights Racquet and Social Club. “When you get out there,...

Meet three powerhouse women of East Metro chocolate, connecting people with one another and the earth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

Somewhat unexpectedly — including to them — the three dominant women chocolatiers in the East Metro share a similar trajectory.Mary Leonard, Robyn Dochterman and Susan Brown all feel lifelong connections to food but began their lives in other spheres, and each found her way back to chocolate as a midlife career change.Leonard started Chocolat Celeste in 2001. Dochterman started St. Croix Chocolate Company in 2010. Brown started Mademoiselle Miel in 2011.Now, each of their chocolate companies are in their adolescence, and greater St. Paul’s dames of chocolate are using the treat to bring people closer together and encourage us to think about the world around us.St. Paul is something of a candy hub, with companies like Pearson’s Candy Co., Regina’s Candies, and Legacy Chocolates sweetening the city. Across the Twin Cities, too, the chocolate confection scene has deep roots, from the earliest incarnation of Mars — the Milky Way bar was invented here — to centuries-old insti...

5 things to know this Thursday, December 7

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today marks 82 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. Today we remember the over 2,400 Americans who were killed. The attack also left over 1,100 wounded. Saint Rose students protest college closure, demand answers Meteorologist Jill Szwed says today will be another cold day with more snow showers. Highs will be close to freezing yet again. The Belmont Stakes will be held at the Saratoga Race Course in 2024 due to construction at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Also, Union College is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education over alleged incidents of antisemitism. The education department’s Office of Civil Rights opened an investigation Tuesday over claims of discrimination toward Jewish students. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning. 1. Belmont Stakes to run at Saratoga Race CourseThe Belmont Stakes will be held at the Saratoga Race Course in 2024 due to construction at Belmont Park in Elm...

Ask Amy: Mom is worried about friend who wants more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

Dear Amy: I am in my 40s and a single adoptive mother of two girls.Many years ago, I met “Jeremy” on an internet dating site. While I wasn’t romantically attracted to him, we became friends.From our first meeting, Jeremy made it very clear that he wanted more than friendship from me.I was honest in stating that I viewed him as a platonic friend and that it wouldn’t go any further than that.We have remained in touch over the course of 11 years (with the exception of a very brief marriage of his).He has become a dear friend. We laugh and commiserate.I’m open to dating if someone compatible were to come along, but my daughters come first. I like being single.Jeremy continuously makes not-so-subtle hints that he would like us to be more than friends.I’ve never led him on and have reiterated that we are friends.We have some common interests, and we are both good people, but there are major differences, and frankly I’m not attracted to him.Friends...

EU expenditure on R&D reaches €352 billion in 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

In 2022, the EU spent €352 billion on research & development (R&D), 6.34% more than in the previous year (€331bn) and 48.52% more than in 2012 (€237bn).When looking at R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, data show a slight decrease from 2.27% in 2021 to 2.22% in 2022.Among the EU members, 4 countries recorded the R&D intensity above 3% in 2022. The highest R&D intensity was recorded in Belgium (3.44%), followed by Sweden (3.40%), Austria (3.20%) and Germany (3.13%).Source dataset: rd_e_gerdtotIn contrast, 8 EU countries reported R&D intensity below 1%: Romania (0.46%), Malta (0.65%), Latvia (0.75%), Cyprus and Bulgaria (both 0.77%) recorded the lowest shares, followed by Ireland, Slovakia and Luxembourg with shares close to 1%.Between 2012 and 2022, R&D intensity in the EU increased by 0.14 percentage points (pp). The biggest increases were recorded in Belgium (1.16 pp), Greece (0.77 pp) and Croatia (0.69 pp). In contrast, R&am...

Learn how builders choose design options

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:50 GMT

Much of the fun of touring new homes is in noticing how builders design and decorate their model homes. For that reason, touring model homes can play an early role in how buyers approach choosing their own new-home finishes.For many builders, choosing options begins with the concept of personalization. They want to offer buyers the ability to personalize their spaces from a variety of options offering flexibility to individualize with style.Some builders hire individuals or consulting firms to conduct research. That process may include evaluating past and current  product demand, availability or overstocks. Regional or national customer surveys may take place to provide usable data for developing design packages.As part of all of this, builders analyze costs relative to materials, labor and home pricing. Some builders primarily serve entry-level buyers or build multifamily homes.Other builders may serve more buyers who are purchasing move-up homes, who are age 55+ or who may be seek...