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Israel is pulling thousands of troops from Gaza as combat focuses on enclave’s main southern city

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Thousands of Israeli soldiers are being shifted out of the Gaza Strip, the military said Monday, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the war began as forces continued to bear down on the main city in the southern half of the enclave.The troop movement could signal that fighting is being scaled back in some areas of Gaza, particularly in the northern half where the military has said it is close to assuming operational control. Israel has been under pressure from its chief ally, the United States, to begin to switch to lower-intensity fighting. Word of the drawdown came ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region and after the Biden administration bypassed Congress for the second time this month to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel.But fierce fighting continued in other areas of Gaza, especially the southern city Khan Younis and central areas of the territory. Israel has pledged to charge ahead until its war aims ...

Early morning shooting kills woman and wounds 4 others in Los Angeles County

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP) — A woman was killed and four people were wounded in a Los Angeles County shooting shortly after the arrival of the new year, police said.Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department responded to a shooting report around 12:30 a.m. Monday, KABC-TV reported.The Hawthorne police said a male victim who suffered gunshot wounds was transported to a hospital from the scene near a shopping mall on Crenshaw Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue, KABC reported.The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said four other victims arrived at area hospitals by other means. An adult female victim was later pronounced dead. One of the others was listed in critical condition and three were listed as stable, KABC reported.There were no immediate arrests in the shooting, which was being investigated by the sheriff’s department.Hawthorne is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area in southwestern Los Angeles County.The Associated Press

Olympic host country France sees less New Year’s Eve disorder as it celebrates 2024’s arrival

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France saw fewer of the car burnings that usually blight the arrival of a new year as the Olympic host country celebrated the start of 2024, the interior minister said Monday.The 380 arrests made nationwide overnight was a 10% drop compared with a year ago, said Gerald Darmanin, citing preliminary early morning figures.Authorities counted 745 vehicle fires, also 10% fewer than last year, Darmanin said. About 40 police officers suffered slight injuries, a 40% drop on last year, he added.Law enforcement authorities had been eager to prove that 2024’s arrival could be celebrated without a major security crisis as they gear up for the Summer Games that open in Paris on July 26.Authorities had vowed that New Year’s Eve security would be tight across France, with 90,000 law enforcement officers deployed.In Paris, celebrations centered on the Champs-Elysees boulevard, where the Arc de Triomphe was crowned with fireworks and bathed in lights and video projections, i...

Japan issues tsunami warnings after a series of very strong earthquakes shook its western coastline

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan issued tsunami alerts and ordered evacuations following a series of earthquakes on Monday that started a fire and trapped people under rubble on the west coast of its main island.The Japan Meterological Agency reported more than a dozen quakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4 p.m., one of them with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6.The agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of its main islands, Hokkaido.Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 meters (16.5 feet) and urged people to flee to high land or the top of a nearby building as quickly as possible. NHK said the tsunami waves could keep returning, and warnings were continuing to be aired hours after the initial alert. Several aftershocks also rocked the region. Government spokesman Yoshimasa Ha...

Horoscopes Jan. 1, 2024: Frank Langella, proceed with confidence

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Colin Morgan, 38; Eden Riegel, 43; Morris Chestnut, 55; Frank Langella, 86.Happy Birthday: Give your financial strategy a face-lift. Contact experts to find opportunities to fine-tune your lifestyle. Find a path to a stress-free future. Don’t listen to hype or make risky decisions regarding health, money or beliefs. Get the lowdown, and proceed with confidence in knowing that you are doing what’s best for you. Listen, evaluate and put your energy into increasing your awareness, profile and prospects. Your numbers are 9, 15, 23, 29, 32, 38, 47.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Speak up, act and follow the path that suits you. Play by the rules to avoid interference. Have your paperwork in order and your path clear. The road to victory requires you to build momentum. Romance and commitment are in the stars. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Target what’s essential and head in that direction. If you have a plan, you’ll find it easier to rea...

Bridge: Jan. 1, 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

“You lost in the penny game again last week,” I said to Unlucky Louie. “That’s how many weeks in a row?”“Every time I think I’ve hit rock-bottom,” Louie sighed, “it seems that rock-bottom has a sub-basement.”Louie blames his losing streak on bad luck, despite all the evidence. Most of his losses are avoidable; he plays without thinking. When Louie was declarer at today’s six diamonds, West led the king of spades. Louie took the ace and couldn’t lead trumps; he needed a fast discard for his spade loser. So Louie cashed three high hearts, discarding dummy’s last spade.LAST HEARTWhen both defenders followed, Louie beamed — and swiftly led a trump. West took the ace and led his last heart, and when Louie ruffed with dummy’s eight, East overruffed with the nine. Down one!After Louie takes his spade discard on the hearts, he must cash the A-K of clubs, pitching his last heart. Then when West is in wi...

Word Game: Jan. 1, 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — ENCHASE (ENCHASE: en-CHACE: To cut or carve in relief or to inlay.)Average mark 15 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 19 or more words in ENCHASE? The list will be published tomorrow.SATURDAY’S WORD — HOURGLASS halo haul hoar hora hour hula hurl hussar oral ours rash rough rush gash gauss ghoul glass gloss goal gosh goulash grass gross guar gular gush lash lass lasso laugh loss lush also sash shag shoal shrug slag slash slog slosh slough slug slur slush soar solar sora sough soul sour sugar surahTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns,...

Best home deals the week of Dec. 18 in Los Gatos

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

A house in Monte Sereno that sold for $460,000 tops the list of the most affordable real estate sales in Los Gatos in the past week.For comparison, the overall average price of real estate in the area during that time was $2.3 million, or $889 per square foot. A total of 8 home sales were recorded for the period with an average square footage of 2,608 square feet, 4 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms.The list below includes the best deals on real estate priced between $10-$10,000,000.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 18 even if the property may have been sold earlier.8. $4.1 million, single-family house in the first block of Whitney Ave.The sale of the single family residence in the first block of Whitney Ave. in Los Gatos has been finalized. The price was $4,100,000, and the new owners took over the house in December. The house was built in 1955 and has a living area of 2,837 square feet. The price per square foot was...

Ask Amy: I worry about affording vacations if I move out of my parents’ house

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m a 29-year-old, still living at home. I want to go back to school and get my master’s degree.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: My in-laws stopped speaking to me, and I don’t know what to do Advice | Ask Amy: I think I might have to cancel my birthday party because of our neighbors Advice | Ask Amy: She insulted my kids, and our relationship exploded Advice | Ask Amy: Her indiscretion ended our friendship. What do I say when people ask? Advice | Ask Amy: My teen’s diary is pretty uneventful. Should I stop reading it? It would be cheaper to attend classes online, but if I lived on campus I could get my own apartment and have more privacy. I believe my mental health would improve because my parents drive me crazy.However, I probably won’t be able to afford to go on vacations since my financial aid will go mostly to room and board.What should I do?– WonderingDear Wondering: Vacations...

Harriette Cole: Find the right life story to make your new year better

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:47 GMT

DEAR READERS: Happy new year! This day always makes me think about my father, who was born on this day many years ago.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I hurt my leg and have to stay home, and I can’t stand it Advice | Harriette Cole: College got weird, and I’m not sure I want to go back Advice | Harriette Cole: How do I get my wife’s friend to stop with the divorce talk? Advice | Harriette Cole: I feel like I ruin the vibe at parties Advice | Harriette Cole: My husband comes home late, and I think I know why I will never forget that on every New Year’s Eve, he would decorate our basement with all kinds of gold, silver and red items in preparation for the party that my parents hosted to ring in the new year. They really did it up, with a live band and guests wearing formal attire.My sisters and I would greet our parents’ guests at the front door and hang their coats a...