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Live updates | Palestinians report Israeli airstrikes overnight, including in southern Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

Palestinians in Gaza reported apparent Israeli airstrikes overnight into Saturday across the besieged enclave, including explosions in the south where Israel had told civilians to seek refuge as its ground operation intensifies in northern Gaza.Calls for a humanitarian pause increased with the UNRWA, the United Nation’s agency for Palestinian refugees, reporting the average Palestinian in Gaza is surviving on two pieces of bread a day, and only one of three water supply lines from Israel is operational. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday, “We are going full steam ahead” unless the hostages held by Hamas are released. The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,227, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids. The UNRWA says 72 of its staff members have been killed.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the Oc...

The average Palestinian in Gaza is living on 2 pieces of bread a day, UN official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the United Nations had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is “Water, water,” the Gaza director for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday. Thomas White, who said he traveled “the length and breadth of Gaza in the last few weeks,” described the place as a “scene of death and destruction.” No place is safe now, he said, and people fear for their lives, their future and their ability to feed their families.The Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, is supporting about 89 bakeries across Gaza, aiming to get bread to 1.7 million people, White told diplomats from the U.N.’s 193 member nations in a video briefing from Gaza. But, he said, “now people are beyond looking for bread. It’s looking for water.”U.N. deputy Mideast coordinator Lynn Hastings, who is also the humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territo...

Pakistan wins toss, elects to field against New Zealand in crunch Cricket World Cup match

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to field under overcast conditions against New Zealand as both teams battle for a semifinal spot at the Cricket World Cup on Saturday.Kane Williamson returns from thumb injury to lead the side as New Zealand desperately look for a turnaround of form after being beaten in its last three games. The Black Caps have eight points from seven games.Williamson replaced Will Young at the top-order as injury-hit New Zealand made three changes from its heavy loss against South Africa in its last outing.New Zealand brought in legspinner Ish Sodhi for his first game of the tournament in place of Matt Henry, who has been ruled out of the remaining games after picking up a hamstring injury in the last match.James Neesham also injured his hand during the game against the Proteas, with Mark Champan coming in.Pakistan strengthened its fast bowling stocks by including Hasan Ali as the fourth pacer in place of struggling legsp...

Científicos dicen que finalmente encontraron restos de Theia, un antiguo planeta que chocó con la Tierra y dio paso a la formación de la Luna

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

(CNN) — Los científicos coinciden ampliamente en que un antiguo planeta chocó contra la Tierra cuando esta se estaba formando hace miles de millones de años, arrojando escombros que se fusionaron en la Luna que hoy decora nuestro cielo nocturno.Esta teoría, denominada hipótesis del impacto gigante, explica muchas características fundamentales de la Luna y la Tierra.Sin embargo, hay un misterio evidente en el centro de esta hipótesis: ¿Qué fue de Theia? No hay pruebas directas de su existencia. No se han encontrado restos del planeta en el sistema solar. Y muchos científicos suponían que cualquier resto que Theia hubiera dejado en la Tierra se había mezclado en la caldera ardiente del interior de nuestro planeta.Sin embargo, una nueva teoría sugiere que los restos del antiguo planeta permanecen parcialmente intactos, enterrados bajo nuestros pies.Las placas fundidas de Theia podrían haberse incrustado en el manto de la Tierra tras el impacto antes de solidificarse, dejando porc...

India’s Hardik Pandya ruled out of Cricket World Cup. Pacer Prasidh Krishna named as replacement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the Cricket World Cup in a blow to the so-far unbeaten host’s campaign for a third title.The 30-year-old suffered a left ankle injury in India’s seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Pune last month and was in a fight to regain fitness ahead of the tournament’s knockout stages.Since then, he has missed games against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka as India continued its winning spree, going unbeaten in the tournament across its seven games.In Pandya’s absence, Mohammed Shami has played all three games and picked up 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. The two-time champions are the first team to qualify for the semi-finals with two games in hand.Pacer Prasidh Krishna has been brought in as replacement for Pandya, after gaining approval from ICC’s tournament technical committee. The 27-year-old has played 17 one-day internationals and taken 29 wickets.India takes on South ...

Von der Leyen in Ukraine ahead of enlargement decision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

KYIV — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Ukraine on Saturday, as the EU tries to reassure the Ukrainian people of the bloc’s support and ahead of key report on Kyiv’s accession aspirations.“I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU,” von der Leyen said on X from Kyiv. “And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression.”The visit comes days before the European Commission will publish its progress report on November 8 on how well Ukraine and other aspiring members are meeting the bloc’s economic, legal and other conditions for joining. Earlier this week, von der Leyen visited several countries in the Western Balkan that also aspire to become EU members. “Of course the enlargement package will be at the top of the agenda, but also the financial and military support,” von der Leyen told reporters earlier. “The 12th sanctions package as well, so a whole basket of issues we ...

5 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets, including what it means for the In-Season Tournament standings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

The Chicago Bulls came inches from stealing a win in their NBA In-Season Tournament debut Friday night at the United Center but couldn’t sink the tying shot against the Brooklyn Nets.With a 109-107 loss, the Bulls will have to come from behind to regain their standing in East Group C. Here are five takeaways from the game.1. Bulls squander comeback opportunity.The Bulls came from behind twice, only to fumble their opportunity for a win.After falling behind by 10 points in the second quarter, the Bulls went on a 12-0 run led by Zach LaVine to tie the game with 5 minutes, 16 seconds left before the half. They pulled ahead by as many as five but lapsed in the final minute to allow the Nets to take a 59-58 halftime lead.The fourth quarter ended the same way. The Bulls tied the game with 6:51 left, then spent the final minutes trading shots with the Nets.Trailing 109-106 with four second remaining, LaVine drew a foul executed a perfect last-ditch play: making the first free throw, ...

Blinken tries to cajole wary Arabs on support for post-conflict Gaza as Israel’s war intensifies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stepped up his frantic diplomacy on Saturday, trying to build support for planning a post-conflict future for Gaza as he continued his second urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict began.A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly snubbed Blinken’s blunt warning that Israel risks losing any hope of an eventual peace deal with the Palestinians unless it eases the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he met in Amman with senior Jordanian and other Arab officials, who remain angry and deeply suspicious of Israel as it intensifies its war against Hamas.Blinken met first with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose economically and politically ravaged country is home to Hezbollah — an Iranian-backed force hostile to Israel. The U.S. has grave concerns that Hezbollah, which has already stepped up rocket and cross-border attacks on northern Israel, will take a more active...

Nepal scrambles to rescue survivors of a quake that shook its northwest and killed at least 128

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepalese authorities said their focus was on finding survivors after a strong earthquake shook districts in northwestern Nepal just before midnight Friday, killing at least 128 people and injuring dozens more.The death toll was expected to rise as communications were still cut off in many places, officials said Saturday.“The priority is to find the survivors and take them to hospital,” said regional police chief, Bhim Dhakal, “while we recover bodies of the deceased.”Troops were clearing roads and mountain trails blocked by landslides triggered by the earthquake. Helicopters flew in medical workers and medicines to the hospitals there.Security forces on the ground were digging out the injured and dead from the rubble, Nepal police spokesperson Kuber Kadayat said.At the regional hospital in the city of Nepalgunj, more than 100 beds were made available and teams of doctors stood by to help the injured.“I was fast asleep when all of a sudden it started shaking v...

B.C. conditions are magic for mushrooms in bumper season for fungi, tasty and toxic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:34:57 GMT

VANCOUVER — Mushrooms large and small, tasty and toxic, are popping up across British Columbia this year in what experts say is a bumper season for fungi.B.C. forest ecologist and mycologist Andy MacKinnon said he’s been out picking edible fungi this year with fellow mushroom expert Paul Kroeger on Cortes Island, one of B.C.’s Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland. “Every time you go out on a foray, it’s like the treasure hunt. That’s part of the fun of it. You don’t know what you are going to find,” said MacKinnon, who is a co-author of “Mushrooms of British Columbia,” a handbook published by the Royal B.C. Museum.MacKinnon said that last year was a very bad year for mushrooms, with an “extraordinary” drought during the summer that carried on into the autumn.Southern Vancouver Island, where MacKinnon lives, didn’t see any rain for 90 days last summer, he said. This year’s drought was still bad, he said, but then ...