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Live updates | As the death toll passes 20,000, the U.N. again delays a vote on aid to Gaza

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

The United Nations says more than half a million people are starving in Gaza because not enough food has entered the besieged territory as Israel keeps up its blistering campaign of airstrikes and ground operations.Palestinian officials said Friday that the death toll has now exceeded 20,000 — around 1% of the territory’s prewar population.The Health Ministry in Gaza does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says more than 130 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking about 240 hostages. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crammed into shelters and tent camps as winter descends, raising fears about the spread of disease. The U.N. Security Council has again delayed a vote on a new resolution to halt the fighting in some way, which would allow for an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries. Currently: — At least 5 US-funded proje...

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after a rebound on Wall Street

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Friday after several strong profit reports helped Wall Street claw back most of its sharp losses from day before. Benchmarks fell in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Bangkok but rose in Tokyo and Mumbai. U.S. futures fell while oil prices advanced. Japan’s core inflation rate fell to 2.5% in November from 2.9% a month earlier as energy costs eased, the government reported. The decline, if it augurs further weakening of prices, might counter expectations that the central bank will tighten its lax monetary policy in coming months. Bank of Japan officials have indicated they want to ensure inflation is sustained near a 2% target level and that wages are also rising before adjusting the central bank’s longstanding minus 0.1% benchmark interest rate.“Nonetheless, it would be wrong to conclude that inflationary pressures are now firmly on the decline,” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. With global inf...

EU invests an additional €2 billion in clean energy infrastructure projects in member states via the Modernization Fund

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

Under the Modernization Fund, €2.17 billion has been disbursed to help modernise the energy systems in nine member states through 19 selected projects. These investments will help lower-income EU countries to meet their 2030 climate and energy targets and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in energy, industry and transport, and improve energy efficiency.Following investments announced in June of €2.49bn for 31 projects, today's disbursement of a further €2.17bn brings the total Modernisation Fund investments for 2023 to €4.66 billion for 50 projects. They focus on electricity generation from renewables, modernisation of energy networks, energy efficiency, and the replacement of coal generation with lower carbon intensity fuels. This year, support from the Modernisation Fund was granted to Bulgaria (€197 million), Croatia (€88m), Czechia (€1.848bn), Estonia (€66m), Latvia (€5m), Lithuania (€11m), Poland (€221m), Romania (€2.169bn), and Slovakia (€60m).Funded by revenues from the EU...

Los tiroteos “se extienden como una enfermedad en Europa”, dice superviviente del mortal ataque en Praga

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

(CNN) — Jakob Weizman, estudiante danés de la Universidad Carolina de Praga, estaba haciendo un examen este jueves cuando empezó a oír disparos y gritos.Su primer instinto fue la conmoción: nunca pensó que se produciría un tiroteo en una escuela cerca de él, en Europa.“He vivido mucho tiempo en Estados Unidos, y si hubiera ocurrido en algún sitio, habría sido en Estados Unidos”, declaró Weizman a CNN. “Ahora se está extendiendo como una enfermedad también a Europa”.“Vemos lo que ocurre en Dinamarca, Serbia y ahora aquí. Es increíblemente aterrador”, señaló sobre una reciente oleada de tiroteos en otras partes del continente.Weizman y su profesor cerraron la puerta de su sala de examen y la atrincheraron con sillas y mesas, permaneciendo dentro durante una hora hasta que llegó la Policía y los escoltó fuera del edificio.El atacante mató al menos a 14 personas e hirió a 25, en el tiroteo masivo más mortífero de República Checa en décadas. Segú...

Silva’s double-double leads Hawaii past Portland at Diamond Head Classic

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Bernardoda Silva had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Hawaii defeated Portland 69-56 at the Diamond Head Classic on Thursday night.Matthue Cotton had 15 points and Noel Coleman 14 for the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii (8-2) had more points on 3-pointers (33) than two-pointers (32). Vukasin Masic had 18 points and Tyler Robertson scored 11 for Portland (6-7).Hawaii plays Georgia Tech on Friday and Portland faces UMass, also on Friday, as the three-day tournament continues.___ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballSource

Ovechkin scores 1st goal in 15 games to lift Capitals over Blue Jackets in overtime

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal in 15 games with 53 seconds left on the clock in overtime Thursday night to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.Ovechkin’s 828th career goal came on a 4-on-3 Capitals power play due to a roughing call against Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins with 2:18 left in OT.It was Ovechkin’s 26th overtime goal, extending his NHL record, and his 125th game-winner overall, second in NHL history behind Jaromir Jagr’s 135.Anthony Mantha scored twice and Charlie Lindgren made 34 saves as the Capitals won their third straight. John Carlson had three assists.Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Blue Jackets.LIGHTNING 5, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nicholas Paul scored the winning goal with 1:13 left and added two assists as Tampa Bay beat Vegas.Paul put home a rebound for his second straight three-point game.Lightning right wing and NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two...

UK waters down plan to make foreign spouses earn £38,700

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. government softened its controversial plan to make it more difficult for people to bring non-British spouses to the U.K.Under a major legal migration shake-up announced earlier this month, the Home Office declared that it would significantly raise the earnings threshold for non-British spouses of people in the U.K. using family visas from £18,600 to £38,700 — including when existing visa holders renew. That prompted warnings the policy would wrench families already living in the U.K. apart, and throw plans to bring relatives to the country into chaos.But, in a change slipped out just before the Christmas break, the department now says the threshold will rise to £29,000 in the spring.Further rises are still penciled in, the government says, but they have no fixed implementation date. The Home Office said the threshold “will be increased in incremental stages to give predictability.” In a further change, existing visa holders renewing their visas won’t be...

Czechs in mourning after shooter kills 14 in Prague

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

A shooter killed 14 people and injured dozens more in a violent attack at Charles University in Prague on Thursday afternoon before being killed himself, according to Czech police.“The shooter has been eliminated!!! The entire [university] building is currently being evacuated and there are several dead and dozens injured,” Czech police reported Thursday afternoon, adding that an investigation was still ongoing.The attack took place in the philosophy department building, where the shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said, according to AP. The shooter’s motive has not yet been revealed, though Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakušan said investigators don’t suspect a link to extremist ideology or groups.Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala convened an extraordinary government meeting on Thursday evening, before declaring Saturday December 23 a national day of mourning in honor of the victims of the attack.“We are all shocked by this horrific act...

Turkey detains 304 people with suspected links to Islamic State group in simultaneous raids

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish security forces have rounded up 304 people suspected of links to the Islamic State extremist group in simultaneous raids across Turkey, the interior minister said Friday.Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects were detained in 32 provinces but the majority of them were in Turkey’s three largest cities, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.The operation, codenamed “Heroes-34,” was conducted jointly by the police intelligence and counter-terrorism squads, Yerlikaya said on the X social media platform.There was no information on the suspects’ nationalities.The militant group has carried out a string of deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people during New Year celebrations.It was not clear if the latest operation was part of a security sweep leading up to the New Year festivities.“There will be no respite for the terrorists for the sake of the peace, unity and solidarity of our beloved nation,” Yerlikaya ...

Spain’s bumper Christmas lottery “El Gordo” starts dishing out millions of euros in prizes

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:57:07 GMT

MADRID (AP) — People across Spain are tuning into the television, radio and internet as children from Madrid’s San Ildefonso school Friday began singing out the prize-winning numbers in Spain’s huge Christmas lottery, known as “EL Gordo” (the fat one).The immensely popular lottery will distribute a total of 2.6 billion euros in prizes this year, much of it in small prizes. Holders of 20-euro tickets bearing the top-prize number will receive 400,000 euros ($440,000). Street and bar celebrations normally break out with winners uncorking bottles of sparkling wine and singing and dancing. The event is televised nationally from Madrid’s Teatro Real opera house.Purchasing and sharing tickets, known in Spanish as “décimos” (tenths) in the run-up to Christmas is a major tradition among families, friends, co-workers and in bars and sports and social clubs.The winning numbers are called out by children from Madrid’s San Ildefonso school. The children pick up balls showing ticket numbers...