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Live updates | Israel evacuates town near Lebanese border in sign of impending Gaza ground assault

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows both the Egyptian, left, and Gaza Strip, right, sides of the Rafah border crossing Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. Satellite photos analyzed Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, by The Associated Press show a massive convoy of semitruck trailers lined up at the Rafah border crossing on the Egyptian side, likely waiting for approval to cross into the besieged Gaza Strip as the Israel-Hamas war rages. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)(AP/Planet Labs PBC) This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows both the Egyptian, left, and Gaza Strip, right, sides of the Rafah border crossing Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. Satellite photos analyzed Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, by The Associated Press show a massive convoy of semitruck trailers lined up at the Rafah bord...

Survey: What Virginia voters think about these hot-button issues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

Follow WTOP’s coverage of the Virginia Election 2023.With the Virginia election fast approaching on Nov. 7, how are voters feeling on the hot topics before heading to the polls?According to a survey of more than 800 people online and via landline by the Wason Center, 49% of likely voters in Virginia said they support keeping the law on abortion as is, and 23% said it should be less restrictive.Under current Virginia law, abortion is banned at the third trimester.Twenty-four percent of likely voters said that abortion laws should be more restrictive.When asked specifically about a possible ban on abortions at 15 weeks, 54% opposed it and another 6% are saying they don’t know, compared to 39% who said they support it.“I think it is telling that a majority of Virginians are saying they don’t want this,” said Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, research director at the Wason Center for Civic Leadership. “So that’s certainly an interesting finding and notable fo...

Cavaliers have Mitchell, young core looking to build on promising season ended by playoff failure

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

CLEVELAND CAVALIERSLast season: 51-31, reached Eastern Conference playoffs, lost to New York Knicks in first round.Coach: J.B. Bickerstaff (fifth season with Cavaliers, 122-125; ninth season overall, 207-256).What to expect: All-Star Donovan Mitchell’s arrival accelerated the Cavs’ rebuild and pushed them back into the postseason for the first time since 2018, when LeBron James headed to California. The good vibes didn’t last, however, as the Cavs were bullied by the Knicks, who exposed Cleveland’s biggest weaknesses — physicality, outside shooting and depth. The Cavs spent the summer stewing over the early exit while making plans to stop it from happening again. Entering his third season, forward Evan Mobley invested in a home gym and nutrition plan to add some needed muscle to his slender, 6-foot-11 frame. Mobley’s defensive game is on point. What the Cavs need is more offense (Mobley averaged 16.2 points) from the still-improving and still-growing 22...

Hamas libera a dos rehenes estadounidenses, según fuentes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

(CNN) — Hamas liberó este viernes a dos rehenes estadounidenses —una madre y su hija— de acuerdo con una persona familiarizada con las negociaciones y una fuente diplomática. Las dos fueron entregadas a la Cruz Roja y están “en camino de salir” de Gaza, dijo la fuente familiarizada con las negociaciones. Habrían sido liberadas por “motivos humanitarios”, ya que la madre se encuentra en mal estado de salud, afirmó la misma fuente.No está claro si saldrán de Gaza hacia Egipto o Israel.La liberación es el resultado de las negociaciones entre Qatar y Hamas que comenzaron después de que Hamas secuestrara a unas 200 personas en Israel el 7 de octubre.Detrás del esfuerzo por rescatar a los rehenes estadounidenses de uno de los lugares más peligrosos del planetaEn una declaración, el portavoz de Hamas, Abu Obaida, dijo: “En respuesta a los esfuerzos de Qatar, las Brigadas Al-Qassam liberaron a dos ciudadanos estadounidenses (una madre y su hija) por razon...

Invasive worm causes disease in Vermont beech trees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

VERNON, Vt. (AP) — A disease that harms beech trees, caused by an invasive worm, has been confirmed for the first time in Vermont, officials said. Beech leaf disease — which has been reported in 14 states and in Ontario, Canada — was found in Vernon, in the southeastern part of Vermont. In early October, samples from Vernon were sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture lab confirmed the disease, the state Department of Forest Parks and Recreation announced. The invasive nematode is native to Japan and causes leaf deformation, dieback and mortality in infested native and ornamental beech species, officials said. It was also reported in Maryland this year and New Hampshire last year, as well as Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island in previous years. It’s unknown how the disease spreads and there is no cure, officials said. Beech leaves start to develop a thick striping pattern between veins in the early stages, and in severe infestations the striping is slightly raised or thi...

Warner and Marsh hit centuries to help give Australia 62-run win over Pakistan at Cricket World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

BENGALURU, India (AP) — David Warner and Mitchell Marsh powered Australia to a 62-run victory over Pakistan with their entertaining centuries Friday in the fourth game for both teams at the Cricket World Cup.Pakistan paid heavily for dropping Warner on 10 as the left-hander blazed his way to 163 off 124 balls and Marsh celebrated his 32nd birthday with a career-best 121 off 108 balls in Australia’s imposing total of 367-9.Pakistan, which won the toss and elected to field, came back strongly in the last 10 overs with Shaheen Afridi picking 5-54 and Haris Rauf, who was smacked for 24 in his first over by Warner and Marsh, taking 3-83. But the damage done by Warner and Marsh was more than enough to give Australia enough runs on board.Australia kept coming hard at Pakistan once claiming the wickets of both openers Imam-ul-Haq (70) and Abdullah Shafique (64) before it got Babar Azam’s team bowled out for 305 with more than four overs to spare.“Pretty tough playing here, but good to...

Tammy se convierte en huracán cerca de las Islas de Sotavento

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

(CNN) — Tammy se fortaleció a huracán, según la actualización de las 11 a. m. del Centro Nacional de Huracanes de Estados Unidos (NHC). El huracán Tammy tiene vientos de 120 km/h y se mueve hacia el oeste-noroeste a 11 km/h. El centro de la tormenta está a 265 km al este-sureste de Martinica.Se emitieron avisos de huracán para Guadalupe, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat y San Cristóbal y Nieves.Se esperan condiciones de huracán en las Islas de Sotavento en las últimas horas de este viernes y las primeras del sábado.Trayectoria del huracán Tammy: a dónde se dirige y qué estados amenazaNorma avanza como huracán de categoría 3 hacia el noroeste de México“La marejada ciclónica podría elevar los niveles de agua hasta un metro por encima de los niveles normales de marea cerca de donde el centro de Tammy se mueve a través de las Islas de Sotavento”, advirtió el NHC. “Las marejadas generadas por Tammy continuarán afectando partes de las Antillas Menores durante los próxi...

A month after a pig heart transplant, man works to regain strength with no rejection so far

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been a month since a Maryland man became the second person to receive a transplanted heart from a pig –- and hospital video released Friday shows he’s working hard to recover.Lawrence Faucette was dying from heart failure and ineligible for a traditional heart transplant because of other health problems when doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine offered the highly experimental surgery.In the first glimpse of Faucette provided since the Sept. 20 transplant, hospital video shows physical therapist Chris Wells urging him to smile while pushing through a pedaling exercise to regain his strength. “That’s going to be tough but I’ll work it out,” Faucette, 58, replied, breathing heavily but giving a smile.The Maryland team last year performed the world’s first transplant of a heart from a genetically altered pig into another dying man. David Bennett survived just two months before that heart failed, for reasons that aren’t completely clear although...

Christine Sinclair, the all-time international goal-scorer, is retiring from Canada’s national team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

Christine Sinclair, the top goal scorer in international soccer, has announced she will retire from the Canadian national team at the end of this season. Sinclair, 40, announced her decision Thursday night on Instagram in a video that showed a pair of cleats swinging in the breeze on a goal.Sinclair has scored 190 international goals, most among both men and women, since she made her national team debut in 2000. She is among just five players to appear in six Women’s World Cups, and one of just three players to score in five. But a title in soccer’s biggest tournament eluded her. She has won a pair of Olympic bronze medals and won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games.She scored the game winner over Brazil for the bronze medal at the 2016 Brazil Olympics. She was on the University of Portland’s two NCAA championship teams and has played since 2013 for the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League.“Very few players can lace up their boots and transcend a sport both ...

Denver man's family released by Hamas for 'humanitarian' reasons

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:52:38 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A Denver man's family members who were visiting Israel and taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 have been released, according to Fox News.Ben Raanan's 17-year-old sister, Natali Raanan, and her mother, Judith Tai Raanan, from Evanston, Illinois, were reportedly released on "humanitarian grounds" following a mediation effort from Qatar. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The pair were originally taken hostage by Hamas from the Nahal Oz kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip."In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless," Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida told Fox News. The Al-Qassam Brigades is the armed wing of Hamas.A source with knowledge of the release reported the hostages are now in the Red Cross'...