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The mystery surrounding at least one of the unexplained drones causing Americans to look toward the night sky in recent days was solved late Saturday evening, when Boston police arrested two men for flying their unmanned aerial device too close to Logan Airport. According to police, 42-year-old Robert Duffy of Charlestown and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater were arrested Saturday on Long Island, after officials noticed the drone on their monitoring systems. “The incident began earlier that evening, at 4:30 p.m., when a Boston Police Officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance detected an Unmanned Aircraft System operating dangerously close to Logan International Airport. Leveraging advanced UAS monitoring technology, the Officer identified the drone’s location, altitude, flight history, and the operators’ position on Long Island,” the Boston Police Department said in a Sunday statement. After rallying officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission, and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control, the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit was dispatched to the Boston Harbor Islands, where they allegedly found Duffy and Folcik, along with another man on the closed Long Island Health campus. All three attempted to flee on foot, according to police, but the arrested pair were caught and a drone found in their possession. The third man, according to police, is “believed to have fled the island in a small vessel.” Police say that all three were engaging in seriously dangerous behavior. “Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions. Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters. Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk,” they said. Both Duffy and Folcik will appear in Dorchester District Court on charges of trespassing, police said. ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Funds release to PTI LG reps challenged in PHCNetanyahu's office says his security Cabinet has approved ceasefire deal with HezbollahThis Creature’s ‘Sexual Parasitism’ Strategy Will Give You Nightmares
WINNIPEG — Kyle Walters doesn’t believe losing a third consecutive Grey Cup means the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ roster should be blown up. The CFL club’s general manager told reporters at his year-end availability Tuesday that reaching a fifth straight championship game by overcoming lots of injuries was a big accomplishment. Even before Winnipeg’s recent 41-24 Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts, Walters said he was looking forward to next season. “I was excited for next year based on what I’m looking at, compared to years past, where we’ve got more young guys that have contributed that are under contract,” he said. “We’ve got more young players in the building. So, the idea of, ‘This is the end of the road. The team is in a free-for-all downward,’ I don’t think is accurate. “We have a good group of guys and we were in a one-point (Grey Cup) game with 10 minutes left ... before things went downhill.” The Blue Bombers started the season 0-4, moved to 2-6 and finished 11-7 to claim the West Division title. Star receiver Dalton Schoen, veteran linebacker Adam Bighill and backup quarterback Chris Streveler all suffered season-ending injuries and are pending free agents. Negotiating with the team’s 27 unsigned players could be impacted by moves across the league among coaches, personnel staff and players such as quarterbacks, Walters said. The Bombers have given permission for offensive coordinator Buck Pierce to speak to the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks about those teams’ vacant head-coaching jobs, he said. Walters also revealed the Ottawa Redblacks were given the go-ahead to talk to Richie Hall about their defensive coordinator vacancy. Hall was a Winnipeg defensive assistant this season after Jordan Younger took over from him as defensive coordinator. Walters said the Bombers received permission to speak to Lions offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic in case Pierce leaves. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have already been given the OK to talk to Winnipeg assistant general managers Danny McManus and Ted Goveia about the Ticats’ GM opening. “You’re hesitant to have too much conversation with people who may not be in the organization next year, so it’s just been me and (head coach) Mike (O’Shea) in this moment huddled together and talking about next year,” Walters said. He said an NFL team had asked Tuesday morning to work out one Blue Bomber, but he didn’t reveal the player’s name in case he wasn’t aware of the request yet. The Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup in 2019 and ’21, but lost 28-24 to the Montreal Alouettes last year and 24-23 to Toronto in 2022. Winnipeg re-signed placekicker Sergio Castillo last week. Walters said he’d like to have deals done with three or four main players before the end of the year. The team has some up-and-coming young players inked for next year, and injuries gave others valuable experience on both sides of the ball, Walters said. Receivers such as rookie Ontaria Wilson (1,026 yards receiving in 18 games) and Keric Wheatfall (273 yards in seven games) are signed through next season. “The experience that they got was invaluable,” Walters said. Re-signing players who missed time because of injuries can get tricky. “Organizationally, can we approach (their agents) and say, ‘Well, your guy was hurt, he should come back for less money?’” Walters said. “Generally, they don’t view it like that. They view that they’ll be back 100 per cent.” One question mark is the backup to starting quarterback Zach Collaros, who suffered a deep cut to the index finger of his throwing hand late in the third quarter of the Grey Cup. Collaros got five stitches and numbing agent applied to his finger. He returned with a bandage on it, but admitted he had a hard time gripping the ball. “We’ll have to find out who our offensive coordinator is first,” Walters said when asked who might be Collaros’s backup. Terry Wilson, who briefly replaced Collaros in the Grey Cup, and Jake Dolegala are signed for next year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
L arge sections of the once-authoritative Indian parents of the 1980s and 1990s who were fiercely dedicated to raising children with strict discipline and traditional values now have professional home nurses to take care of them. Children move overseas, leaving ageing parents to negotiate old age without their support. Deep-rooted cultural values shaped Indian parenting in the 1980s and 1990s. The children were taught responsibility, respect for elders, and social conventions. Parents who prioritised discipline led their children to choose secure, respected occupations, believing it would lead to better futures for their family. Thus, children from these families excelled academically and earned opportunities in engineering, medicine, and technology, which allowed them to study or work overseas. Parents viewed migration as a sign of social advancement and felt joy in their children’s achievement. Pride is often tempered by the fact that elderly parents must adjust to a new caring system based on professional nurses after their children move abroad. Separation from children hits many parents emotionally. Members of Indian families have traditionally lived together or close by. Children are the family’s emotional centre and caregivers for their parents in old age. However, the migration of children has altered this expectation. As their children succeed far away, parents frequently feel lonely and abandoned. Distance from everyday encounters and infrequent video chats cannot totally bridge the emotional gap. Children can send money or hire home nurses for their elderly parents, but the emotional emptiness is hard to fill. With children overseas, home nurses are a sensible choice for many elderly parents who require support with health, everyday tasks, and personal care. This provides a much-needed safety net, especially for people with chronic illnesses or mobility limitations, but it also presents emotional challenges. Previous independence and control over family affairs have been replaced with a loss of dignity and privacy for many parents. A home nurse may cause a deeper emotional change for individuals. Parents who thought their children would care for them like they did may feel guilty or unhappy. Children’s migration may cause them to suffer a loss of conventional family relationships and struggle to adjust to outside caregiving. While parents and children are sometimes far apart, technology has helped preserve contact. Virtual family communication includes video conversations, messaging apps, and social media. Tools can only do so much. Having a child by their side throughout illness or daily life is invaluable for elderly parents. Children migrating and using home nurses are cultural and generational shifts for Indian families. Professional care improves health and safety, but ageing parents’ emotional needs are often neglected. Parents who accept home nurses may feel relieved but still miss their families. These strict, devoted parents of the 1980s and 1990s now find themselves in a new situation where their children living overseas cannot provide traditional care. Home nurses can provide practical assistance, but they cannot replace parental love. This generation of parents’ experiences illustrates Indian families’ evolving dynamics between tradition and modernity as they age. rinugeorge57@yahoo.com Published - December 08, 2024 01:47 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditGreene to lead subcommittee taking on government spending
TORONTO — Shoppers flocked to malls on Thursday to take advantage of Boxing Day deals made more enticing by the federal government’s GST holiday, but some say the lower prices aren’t enough to keep up with the country’s cost of living. For two months, a slew of items including children’s toys, video games and consoles, snacks, wine and restaurant food are GST- or HST-free, depending on the province. The tax break has incentivized some consumers to take advantage of Boxing Day sales at their local retailers. Nakul Singal said he came to Fairview Mall in Toronto on Thursday morning with his partner to hunt for deals. "Every year, we generally get good deals,” said Singal, who added he’d been waiting for Boxing Day to get new earphones. “It’s good to shop around during this time.” He added that while the tax break has helped his family with food prices, he would like the government to do more to help Canadians with the high costs of living, especially housing. “I hope that they could stop inflation,” he said. “We are struggling right now." The vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, Matt Poirier, told The Canadian Press last week that Boxing Day in particular is expected to get a boost amid the temporary break. However, he said businesses, including ones with older payment systems, have faced hurdles trying to implement the tax break on short notice and even figuring out which items qualify. An RBC Economics report from earlier this month showed retail spending slowed in November, with holiday spending slightly below 2023 levels over the Black Friday weekend. Spending on hobbies, toys and games scaled back notably after Nov. 21, wrote RBC economist Carrie Freestone — the day the tax break was announced. "Typically, spending on popular children’s gifts builds as the holiday season approaches," wrote Freestone. But even with November's decline, Canada is likely on track for a slight uptick in per-person retail spending in the fourth quarter for the first time since mid-2022, she wrote. Joey Comia-Orellano, an assistant store manager at a GameStop in north Toronto, said the store has seen an influx of customers since the tax break was announced. Shoppers have been eager to benefit from the tax holiday, he said. “We’ve been getting shoppers before Boxing Day,” he said. Comia-Orellano added that he expects the store to get busier on Thursday as consumers look to save with Boxing Day deals combined with the tax break. “I did notice a lot of people buying more games, a lot of controllers, and definitely a lot of consoles, too," he said. Meanwhile, Raj Jeetu, another shopper at Fairview Mall on Thursday, said while he has already taken advantage of the tax break at restaurants multiple times, he’s skeptical of what it will do for Canadians in the long-term. “I don’t know if it’ll help much. I guess the prices really need to come down,” he said. For Comia-Orellano, one thing he has heard from customers is that while the tax break and Boxing Day deals might not help with the overall affordability crisis, it’s still worthwhile for savings. “It's necessary, it gets hard around the holidays,” he said. “This is almost like a small break for people when it comes to taxes, so not necessarily making things a little bit more affordable." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 26, 2024. Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
There's no perfect time to release a video game, but if I were deciding when to release one, do you know when I'd do it? Alongside the largest blockbusters of the year, at a time when everyone is broke from buying presents, and on the same day as a huge awards show is distracting the industry's media. Ballionaire apparently shares my thinking. The pachinko-inspired roguelike is launching on December 10th. "Pachinko-inspired" might conjure certain images, and recent pachinko roguelike Peglin among them. Ballionaire takes a different tact, with no traditional goblin-based combat staredown at the top of the screen. Instead, players are charged with designing the pachinko bored itself, placing different kinds of pegs in advance of their ball's descent. Pegs include axes which cut you in half, so you continue tumbling in multiple directions, and teleporters, which shift you back to the top of the board. The aim is to collect as much cash as possible, with the gadgets helping to prolong and multiply your physicsy journey. There's then a roguelike wrapper around this bally good time: it's run-based, there are many different boards to encounter, there are between-board upgrades, and so on. There's also a sandbox mode if you just want some free balls, and best of all, mod support that allows folks to script their own pegs. Brendy loved the demo when he played it during Next Fest in October. That demo is no longer available, but I'm looking forward to giving the full game a go - whenever I manage to find the time.New corporate governance framework for banks
Middle East latest: Israeli strikes kill a hospital director in Lebanon and wound 6 medics in Gaza
U.K. stocks extend positive streak for second sessionManchester City’s crisis deepened as they surrendered a three-goal lead late in the game to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side at least avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions but alarm bells continue to ring at the Etihad Stadium after a dramatic late capitulation. A double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan, all in the space of nine minutes either side of the break, looked to have ensured a return to winning ways. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. City almost snatched a late winner when Jack Grealish hit the woodwork but there was no masking another dispiriting result. It was hardly the preparation City wanted for Sunday’s crunch trip to Liverpool, and the Feyenoord fans took great delight in rubbing that fact in. They sung the club anthem they share with Liverpool, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and chanted the name of their former manager Arne Slot, the current Reds boss. Guardiola arrived at the ground with a cut on the bridge of his nose and, once again, his side have been struck a nasty blow. Despite not being at their best, they had dominated early on against what seemed limited Dutch opposition. They threatened when a Gundogan shot was deflected wide and Haaland then went close to opening the scoring when he turned a header onto the post. Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther gifted City another chance when he passed straight to Bernardo Silva but Grealish’s fierce volley struck team-mate Phil Foden. Foden forced a save from Wellenreuther but City had a moment of alarm when Igor Paixao got behind the defence only to shoot tamely at Ederson. Nathan Ake missed the target with a header but some luck finally went City’s way just before the break when Quinten Timber, brother of Arsenal’s Jurrien, was harshly adjudged to have fouled Haaland. The Norwegian rammed home the resulting spot-kick and City returned re-energised for the second period. They won a corner when a Matheus Nunes shot was turned behind and Gundogan fired the hosts’ second – albeit with aid of a deflection – with a firm volley from the edge of the box. City turned up the heat and claimed their third soon after as Gundogan released Nunes with a long ball and his low cross was turned into the net by a sliding Haaland. 44' ⚽️ Man City 1-0 Feyenoord50' ⚽️ Man City 2-0 Feyenoord53' ⚽️ Man City 3-0 Feyenoord75' ⚽️ Man City 3-1 Feyenoord82' ⚽️ Man City 3-2 Feyenoord89' ⚽️ Man City 3-3 Feyenoord 🤯🤯🤯 — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) It seemed City were heading for a morale-lifting victory but a couple of Gvardiol errors changed the script. The Croatian, who had a torrid time in Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham, first horribly misplaced a backpass and allowed Moussa to nip in and round Ederson. Ordinarily that 75th-minute reply would have been a mere consolation and City would close out the game, but Gvardiol had another moment to forget eight minutes from time. Again he gave the ball away and Feyenoord pounced. The ball was lofted into the box and Jordan Lotomba fired a shot that glanced the post and deflected across goal, where Gimenez chested in. Ederson then blundered as he raced out of his area and was beaten by Paixao, who crossed for Hancko to head into an empty net. Amid some moments of unrest in the crowd, when objects were thrown, City tried to rally in stoppage time. Grealish had an effort deflected onto the bar but the hosts had to settle for a draw.
Lucknow: The Gorakhpur link expressway , a flagship infrastructure project of the UP govt, is on the verge of completion with 98% of construction work finished. The 91.35-km expressway, built at a cost of Rs 7,283.28 crore, is ready for vehicular movement and awaits formal inauguration in the New Year. The expressway, which connects Gorakhpur to Azamgarh while passing through four districts, represents a significant engineering achievement, particularly given the challenging low-lying terrain in the Gorakhpur region, officials said. Starting from Gorakhpur Bypass NH-27 near Jaitpur village and ending at Salarpur in Azamgarh, it will facilitate vehicular movement via Purvanchal Expressway , enabling faster travel to Lucknow, Agra and Delhi. According to the UP expressway industrial development authority (UPEIDA), the main carriageway's clearing and earthwork are 100% complete. Of the 343 proposed structures, 337 have been constructed, with the remaining works progressing rapidly. "The expressway will reduce travel time from Gorakhpur to Lucknow to just 3.5 hours via the Purvanchal Expressway," said a senior UPEIDA official, adding, "This connectivity will significantly boost regional development." The project benefits four districts — Gorakhpur, Ambedkarnagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh — and is expected to drive social and economic development in the region. The controlled-access highway will help reduce fuel consumption and environmental pollution while improving travel efficiency. The UP govt is also developing an industrial corridor along both sides of the expressway, which is expected to boost agriculture, commerce, tourism and industrial growth. The expressway will serve as a crucial link between various production units, development centres and agricultural zones to the national capital. "This project showcases our govt's commitment to infrastructure development," said the officer. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .AP News Summary at 3:32 p.m. ESTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential power. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. “We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end.” Despite escaping the impeachment attempt, many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office. They say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.
The common murre, a large black-and-white seabird native to northern waters, has become far less common in Alaska over the past decade due to the impacts of climate change. A study published Thursday in Science reveals that a record-breaking marine heat wave in the northeast Pacific from 2014 to 2016 triggered a catastrophic population collapse, wiping out four million birds — about half the species in the region. Strikingly, they have shown little signs of rebounding, suggesting long-term shifts in the food web that have locked the ecosystem into a troubling new equilibrium. “There’s a lot of talk about declines of species that are tied to changes in temperature, but in this case, it was not a long term result,” lead author Heather Renner of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge told AFP. “To our knowledge, this is the largest mortality event of any wildlife species reported during the modern era,” she and her colleagues emphasized in their paper. The finding triggers “alarm bells,” Renner said in an interview, as human-caused climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. – Emaciated Carcasses – With their dapper, tuxedoed look, common murres are sometimes called the “penguins of the north.” Their slender wings power them across vast distances in search of food and make them expert divers. But even these hardy seabirds were no match for an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. The largest marine heat wave ever recorded began in the late fall of 2014, spanning a massive swath of the northeast Pacific Ocean from California to Alaska. It persisted for over two years, leaving devastation in its wake. During this time, some 62,000 emaciated murres washed ashore along the North American Pacific coastline — dead or dying from starvation. Experts point to two key reasons for the bird deaths: elevated ocean temperatures reduced both the quality and quantity of phytoplankton, impacting fish like herring, sardines, and anchovies — the mainstay of the murre diet. At the same time, warmer waters increased the energy demands of larger fish, such as salmon and Pacific cod, which compete with murres for the same prey. “We knew then it was a big deal, but unfortunately, we couldn’t really quantify the effects,” explained Renner. For years after the event, breeding colonies failed to produce chicks, complicating efforts to assess the full impact. Earlier estimates pegged the number of deaths at around a million, but a more robust analysis — drawing on data from 13 murre colonies — revealed the toll was four times higher. “It is just so much worse than we thought it was,” Renner said of the new findings. – Climate winners and losers – The marine heat wave didn’t just impact common murres. Pacific cod stocks collapsed, king salmon populations dwindled, and as many as 7,000 humpback whales perished. Yet the crisis created an uneven playing field: some species emerged unscathed, while others even thrived. Thick-billed murres, which often share nesting cliffs with common murres, were largely unaffected, possibly due to their more adaptable diet, Renner noted. For common murres, however, the fallout lingers. Despite nearly a decade since the heat wave, their numbers show no sign of bouncing back — and the losses may well be permanent. Part of the reason lies in the long-term decline of some of their prey. Another factor is murres’ survival strategy relies on numbers: they aggregate in massive colonies to protect their eggs from opportunistic predators like eagles and gulls. With their populations slashed, these birds have lost their critical safety buffer. Still, Renner offered a glimmer of hope. While addressing global warming is essential for curbing long-term climate change, conservation efforts can make a difference in the short term, she said. Removing invasive species like foxes and rats from murre nesting islands could also provide the beleaguered birds with a fighting chance. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.Louis-Jacques scores 17, Colgate defeats Vermont 65-60
Israeli airstrikes killed a hospital director at his home in northeastern Lebanon and six others, while at least five paramedics were killed by Israeli strikes in the country's south on Friday, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. The United Nations reported heavy clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. Four Italian peacekeepers were lightly wounded when a rocket, likely fired by Hezbollah, hit their base, the U.N. said. A full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in September after nearly a year of lower-intensity conflict. More than 3,640 people have been killed in Lebanon and 15,350 wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation and ground invasion, the Health Ministry said Friday. In Gaza, Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of the territory, wounding six medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, the hospital director said Friday. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry said. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here’s the Latest: BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike killed the director of a university hospital and six others at his home in northeastern Lebanon, state media said. The strike targeted Dr. Ali Allam’s house near Dar Al-Amal Hospital, the largest health center in Baalbek-Hermel province, which has provided vital health services amid Israel's campaign of airstrikes, the Health Ministry said. State-run media reported that the strike came without warning. The ministry described his death as a “great loss,” and provincial governor Bachir Khodr said in a post on X that, “Mr. Allam was one of the best citizens of Baalbek.” In two separate episodes on Friday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed five paramedics with Hezbollah's medical arm, the Health Ministry said, describing it as “war crime.” The militant group provides extensive social services, including running schools and health clinics. In a report published Friday, the World Health Organization said nearly half of all attacks on health care in Lebanon since Oct. 7, 2023, have resulted in fatalities. “This is a higher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe,” WHO said. In Lebanon, 226 health workers and patients were killed and 199 were injured between Oct. 7, 2023, and Nov. 18, 2024, the report said. The Health Ministry said Friday that 3,645 people have been killed in nearly 14 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, while 15,356 were wounded, the majority following Israel’s escalation in late September. The death count includes 692 women and 231 children. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza, wounding six medical staff and damaging its generator and oxygen systems, its director said Friday. Hossam Abu Safiya said the strikes before dawn Friday hit the entrance of the emergency unit as well as in the hospital courtyard. He said two members of the nursing staff suffered critical injuries. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Abu Safiya said the strikes caused damage to the functioning of the generator and disrupted oxygen supplies. The hospital is currently treating 85 wounded, 14 children in the pediatric ward and four newborns in the neonatal unit, he said. During the past month, Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit several times, was put under siege and was raided by Israeli troops, who are waging a heavy offensive in the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp and towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military says it detained Hamas fighters hiding in the hospital, a claim its staff denies. UNITED NATIONS – Two rockets hit a headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, injuring four Italian peacekeepers, the United Nations says. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rockets were likely launched by Hezbollah militants or by affiliated groups Friday, impacting a bunker and a logistics area in the southwest headquarters at Chamaa. One of the structures that was hit caught fire, and the blaze was swiftly put out by U.N. staff, he said. According to Italy’s Defense Ministry, some glass shattered due to the explosion, hitting the four soldiers. Dujarric said the four injured peacekeepers were receiving treatment at the medical facility of the mission, known as UNIFIL. “Thankfully, none of the injuries are life-threatening,” he said. Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the attack on the UNIFIL base “intolerable.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace, and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Dujarric said Friday’s attack was the third on Chamaa in a week and came amid heavy shelling and ground skirmishes in the Chamaa and Naqoura areas in recent days. UNIFIL’s main headquarters is in Naqoura. Friday’s attack follows a rocket attack on a UNIFIL base east of the village of Ramyah on Tuesday that injured four peacekeepers from Ghana. Dujarric said UNIFIL strongly urges Hezbollah and its affiliates and Israel to avoid fighting near its positions, which are supposed to be protected. “We remind all parties that any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law” and the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, he said. BEIRUT — Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and the southern port city of Tyre on Friday, after the Israeli army issued several evacuation warnings saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites. The strikes in Beirut came dangerously close to central Beirut and Christian neighborhoods. One strike hit a building housing a gym and medical and beauty clinics, located just meters (yards) from a Lebanese army base. “What is there in the building to target? This attack they carried out on us in this building is a criminal and vile act,” resident Hassan Najdi told The Associated Press. “Because if their intention is targeting Hezbollah, this building has nothing to do with Hezbollah.” Najdi said he purchased an apartment in the building last year but had not yet moved in. He allowed a displaced family to move in and urgently asked them to evacuate after receiving the Israeli warning. The blasts sent plumes of smoke into the air and shattered glass in the vicinity. No casualties have been reported, but the strikes caused damage to nearby infrastructure and a key road connecting central Beirut to its southern suburbs. “We remain steadfast,” said Ali Daher, an employee at a mall facing the targeted building. “Everything that is lost can be replaced, and whatever is destroyed can be rebuilt in (no time).” In Tyre city, the Israeli military conducted multiple airstrikes after a series of warnings, claiming the targets belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz unit, accusing it of firing projectiles into Israel. The Israeli military carried out other airstrikes across Lebanon, many without warnings, as heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in villages along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified. ROME — Italy said Friday it plans to discuss the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court over the Israel-Hamas war when it hosts Group of Seven foreign ministers next week. Premier Giorgia Meloni insisted that one point remained clear for Italy: “There can be no equivalence between the responsibilities of the state of Israel and the terrorist organization of Hamas.” Italy is a founding member of the court and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. But Meloni’s right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement Friday, Meloni said Italy would study the reasonings behind the decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy respects the ICC and supports it. “But at the same time we are also convinced that the court must have a judicial role, and should not take up a political role.” Tajani will host G7 foreign ministers Monday and Tuesday outside Rome for the final meeting of the Italian G7 presidency. “As far as decisions are concerned, we will take them together with our allies,” Tajani said. During the G7 meetings, “we will talk about this with my allies there, and we will see what to do next.” Another member of the governing coalition, the outspoken Transport Minister Matteo Salvini was more defiant in supporting Israel. “If Netanyahu comes to Italy he will be welcomed,” Salvini was quoted by Italian media as saying. This item has been updated to correct that Salvini spoke of a potential Netanyahu visit to Italy, not Israel. ROME — Four Italian soldiers were slightly injured after two exploding rockets hit the United Nations' peacekeeping mission base on Friday in Chamaa in southern Lebanon, Italy's defense ministry said. Initial information suggested that two rockets hit a bunker and a room of the mission base, damaging the surrounding infrastructure, the ministry said. Shattered glass hit the four soldiers. The incident was the latest in which UN peacekeeping posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called Friday's attack “intolerable.” He said he will try to speak to the new Israeli Defense Minister to ask him “to avoid using the UNIFIL bases as a shield.” Crosetto said the conditions of the four Italian soldiers “did not cause concern.” He reiterated that the Italian contingent remains in southern Lebanon “to offer a window of opportunity for peace and cannot become hostage to militia attacks.” Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday said she learned about the new attack with “deep indignation and concern.” Meloni reiterated that “such attacks are unacceptable,” renewing her appeal for the parties on the ground “to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.” GENEVA — The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world. The U.N. health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more. WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat. Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah militants in the country two months ago. The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday. JERUSALEM — Israel’s new defense minister said Friday that he would stop issuing warrants to arrest West Bank settlers or hold them without charge or trial — a largely symbolic move that rights groups said risks emboldening settler violence in the Israeli-occupied territory. Israel Katz called the arrest warrants “severe” and said issuing them was “inappropriate” as Palestinian militant attacks on settlers in the territory grow more frequent. He said settlers could be “brought to justice” in other ways. The move protects Israeli settlers from being held in “administrative detention,” a shadowy form of incarceration where people are held without charge or trial. Settlers are rarely arrested in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has spiraled since the outbreak of the war Oct. 7. Katz’s decision was celebrated by far-right coalition allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister and settler firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir applauded Katz and called the move a “correction of many years of mistreatment” and “justice for those who love the land.” Since Oct. 7, 2023, violence toward Palestinians by Israeli settlers has soared to new heights, displacing at least 19 entire Palestinian communities, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on settlers and within Israel have also grown more common. An increasing number of Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention. Israel holds 3,443 administrative detainees in prison, according to data from the Israeli Prison Service, reported by rights group Hamoked. That figure stood around 1,200 just before the start of the war. The vast majority of them are Palestinian, with only a handful at any given time Israeli Jews, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked. “All of these detentions without charge or trial are illegitimate, but to declare that this measure will only be used against Palestinians...is to explicitly entrench another form of ethnic discrimination,” said Montell. BERLIN — A German official has suggested that his country would be reluctant to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The ICC’s warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, in an awkward position. The government said in a statement Friday that it is one of the ICC’s biggest supporters, but “at the same time, it is a consequence of German history that unique relations and a great responsibility connect us with Israel.” The government said it takes note of the arrest warrants and that “we will examine conscientiously the domestic steps.” It said that any further steps would only be an issue if a visit by Netanyahu or Gallant were “foreseeable.” Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit was pressed repeatedly at a regular news conference on whether it would be conceivable to arrest an Israeli prime minister. He replied: "It’s hard for me to imagine that we would carry out arrests in Germany on this basis.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday refused to comment on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, saying that the court's rulings are “insignificant” for Russia, which doesn’t recognizes the court’s jurisdiction. The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other top Russian officials, accusing them of war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has brushed off the warrants, saying that in Moscow’s eyes they’re “null and void.” Asked if the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and others can help resolve the tensions in the Middle East, Peskov said: “Well, in general, the actions of the ICC are unlikely to help anything. That’s the first thing. And secondly, we don’t see any point in commenting on this in any way, because for us these rulings are insignificant.” DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Large crowds of displaced people crammed themselves in front of a bakery in the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row, desperate to get their share of bread after bakeries closed for five days due to a flour shortage and the lack of aid. “I am a 61-year-old man. This is the third day that I have come to Zadna Bakery and I still cannot get bread ... I have children to feed,” said Majdi Yaghi, a displaced man from Gaza City. The price of a small bag of pita bread increased to $16 by Friday, a stark increase from about 80 cents last month. A bag of pasta now costs $4 and a small bag of sugar costs nearly $14. That has left many Palestinian families surviving on one meal a day and reliant on charitable kitchens to survive. In Khan Younis, women and children lined up at the al-Dalu charitable kitchen for bulgur, the only food available at the makeshift charity. One of the workers there, Anas al-Dalu, told the AP that they cook ten pots every day of either rice, beans, or bulgur. But that hardly fills the need for the thousands of people displaced in the area. “The charity here is in a difficult situation. It is a drop in the ocean, and there is no aid or charities. There is nothing," said Nour Kanani, a displaced man from Khan Younis. “It is a crisis in every sense of the word. There is no flour, no charities, and no food.” BEIRUT — Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers. A spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring “heavy clashes” in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL’s headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon’s southern edge close to the border with Israel. “We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: “Yes for the moment.” Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded.Northeastern defeats Old Dominion 75-71