White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaignCanaryseed growers may be waiting a few more years for a return to higher prices. Chuck Penner with Left Field Commodity research provided the market outlook at the recent Saskatchewan Canaryseed Development Commission annual general meeting. He said current values are 32 cents a pound with some new crop contracts at 30 cents. A good-sized crop last year and lower-than-expected sales are keeping prices down. Mexico has been a bright spot accounting for about half of this crop year’s sales to date but there was no fall shipment out of Thunder Bay. Penner said there will still be a very large ending stock in 2024-25. “We haven’t had ending stocks this large for quite a long time. We have these big ending stocks and those don’t tend to go away in just a single year,” Penner said. “They can hang on for a while because you have to reduce production in 2025 and even with reduced production, you’re still carrying in over 100,000 tonnes. You’re going to have sizeable supplies again even for 2025-26.” Traditionally, canaryseed growers will wait for higher prices because the crop can be stored for multiple years. Penner said there is more canaryseed out there and some of it is available, especially for growers who are more motivated to sell for whatever reason. “The other reason is that we didn’t have that fall Thunder Bay shipment, so there wasn’t that assembling of 10 to 15 thousand tonnes for that type of a movement and that allowed prices to stay flat,” he said. “Whether we get a little bit of a bump when we get to February or March will depend largely on that Thunder Bay shipment. But with the sizable supplies that we have it’s going to be hard for that price to really rise meaningfully.” Penner believes that will result in fewer acres of canaryseed being grown in 2025. “So, how much is it going drop? Are we going drop to below 240,000 acres or can it go even lower? We haven’t been that low in a long time and I don’t, off top my head, recall how far back, but I think the natural response will be for a cutback in acres.” – alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com On X: @farmnewsNOW
I’m A Celebrity viewers react as new ‘fantastic’ celebrities join ITV showOne of the nation’s top collegiate tight ends hails from Gooding. In his sophomore year, Colston Loveland received his first college offer. Little did he know, that was just the beginning of what would become a battle of recruiters all looking to lock down Idaho’s top-ranked tight end for the 2022 class. Gooding High School graduate Colston Loveland became one of three finalists for the 2024 John Mackey Award, announced Tuesday. Gooding alumnus Colston Loveland will help try to lead Michigan to its first national championship since 1997 on Monday night, and the town is behind him all the way. Loveland, a junior at the University of Michigan, is the Wolverines’ second finalist for the award given annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end. The journey from Gooding to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to becoming one of the nation’s top tight ends continues for Colston Loveland. Michigan’s Jake Butt won the award in 2016. Another accolade for one of the nation’s top tight ends. Loveland joins Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. as 2024 finalists. Michigan tight end Colston Loveland greets fans following an NCAA college football game against Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez) Loveland, a 2023 All-Big Ten selection, leads the Wolverines with 54 catches (a Michigan single-season tight end record), 582 yards and five touchdowns. Gooding High School graduate Colston Loveland became a Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American selection, announced Monday. He needs 99 more yards to become Michigan’s single-season tight end receiving yards record holder (748). Loveland helped Michigan to a 2024 national championship, which marked the Wolverines’ first national title since 1997. Colston Loveland, who rose from Gooding to national prominence as a First Team All-Big Ten sophomore tight end on Michigan, battles No. 4 Alabama on Monday in the Rose Bowl. Loveland, a projected NFL Draft first round pick will likely become Gooding’s first NFL player since 1939 when Stan Pavkov played two seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2024 John Mackey Award winner will be announced Dec. 12. Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you don’t miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Don’t have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The top destinations we visited in 2024, according to the Sun travel experts
Percentages: FG .303, FT .643. 3-Point Goals: 1-12, .083 (T.Johnson 1-5, Corrigan 0-1, Crews 0-1, Joppy 0-1, Newman 0-1, Bratcher 0-3). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Corrigan, T.Johnson). Turnovers: 7 (Bratcher 2, Corrigan 2, T.Johnson 2, Newman). Steals: 6 (Bratcher 2, Corrigan, Joppy, Newman, T.Johnson). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .514, FT .737. 3-Point Goals: 15-38, .395 (Atwell 5-10, Giles 4-9, Polite 2-5, Bailey 1-2, Ahemed 1-3, Davis 1-4, Saizonou 1-4, Reath 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 6 (Davis 2, Reath 2, Giles, Kauzonas). Turnovers: 6 (Breath 2, Ahemed, Henry, Polite, Webb). Steals: 3 (Breath 2, Atwell). Technical Fouls: None. A_462 (23,500).
Tickets to the $1 Billion Mega Millions Draw available this Christmas Eve on Jackpot.comDALLAS — The city of Dallas received hundreds of complaints last year of rental scooters being strewn around the streets when they were brought back last year. And to combat that issue, DART is launching a pilot program giving riders somewhere to leave these scooters. Several DART rail stations and bus transfer centers will now have designated scooter parking zones for riders to use. These six zones can be seen at Victory, EBJ/Union, SMU/Mockingbird stations and the CBD West Transfer Center downtown. DART said the goal of this program is to clear areas of clutter and walking hazards for riders, as well as to provide those who use the scooters somewhere to access or park them. This program will run for a few months, starting this month. “Whether people like them or not, scooters have become a popular form of transportation across our service area,” DART Vice President of Capital Design and Construction Trey Walker said in a statement. “We’re acknowledging this fact while attempting to get ahead of scooter clutter at our stations with this pilot program. We want to ensure that our transit stations remain safe, and we continue to maximize efficiency with our train and bus operations.” Each zone is specially marked and clear of walkways, platforms and paths. DART says it will work with the city to process data for rental companies, ensuring the scooters are equipped with geofencing technology to mark their locations. Two of the companies, Lime and Bird, are working with DART to place scooter locations on the GoPass app to make it easier for riders to find these scooters. The parking zones will also be monitored by DART staff to determine their effectiveness.
Submerged car, human remains found in Georgia pond may solve 1980 New York couple disappearance (Picture credit: X) A 44-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of a wealthy New York couple may soon be resolved after a submerged car containing human remains was discovered in a Georgia pond. Authorities announced that the vehicle matched the description of the 1978 Lincoln Continental belonging to Charles and Catherine Romer , who vanished in April 1980. The Glynn County Police Department revealed the discovery of a human bone in the car, which was found near the Royal Inn Hotel, formerly the Brunswick Holiday Inn, where the Romers had last checked in. Police believe the pond, located off Interstate 95, may have concealed the couple’s car for decades. The Florida-based Sunshine State Sonar Team located the vehicle using advanced sonar technology on 22 November. Mike Sullivan, the group’s founder, confirmed finding personal belongings inside the car with the Romers' names on them. While official confirmation is pending through a vehicle identification number (VIN), Sullivan stated, "It’s safe to say that we know it’s them." The couple, retired oil executive Charles, 73, and Catherine, 75, had been travelling back to their Scarsdale, New York home after a Miami Beach vacation. The case had long raised suspicions of foul play due to Catherine wearing $81,000 worth of jewellery at the time. Clues and family reflections Christine Seaman Heller, Catherine Romer’s granddaughter, expressed relief at the potential breakthrough, reported ABC7. “It would be so wonderful to find out, just have some peace”, she said. The discovery has sparked new hope among the couple’s nine grandchildren, who have endured decades of uncertainty. Initial investigations speculated foul play, but new findings suggest the couple may have accidentally reversed their car into the pond from a nearby diner parking lot. According to crime expert Ken Jefferson, the condition of the vehicle complicates recovery efforts, though draining the pond may reveal more clues. Decades of mystery The Romers’ disappearance sparked one of Georgia’s largest search operations in 1980, but the couple and their car remained elusive. Family members, including Seaman Heller’s late father, made repeated trips to the area, seeking closure. While the Glynn County Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation continue their work, officials have yet to conclude the case. Authorities, along with Sullivan’s sonar team, aim to retrieve additional remains and uncover more evidence from the site. As investigations progress, the discovery brings the Romer family one step closer to answers in a case that has puzzled and haunted them for decades.Gooding's Colston Loveland named finalist for John Mackey Award
Recap - While New Zealand might be leaving 2024 with fewer reporters than it started , no one told the news - so it just kept happening. Rude. Luckily, RNZ was there to cover it all - whether it was about brain worms , brain computer chips or brain rot , we were there. Or at least somewhere with access to a computer where we could stick it online. Here are some of the strangest, oddest and most brain-tickling stories RNZ covered in 2024. January Mysterious 'Big Ring' found in space 'must surely be telling us something' - astronomer The 'Big Ring' of "galaxies and galaxy clusters" is apparently "by no means the first likely violation of the cosmological principle", RNZ partner BBC News reported , definitely an inauspicious start to the year. Just send us an obelisk next time, ET. Mystery envelope containing $5000 cash handed to Auckland pensioner by young man who runs away "He knows of no debt that was ever to be repaid, favour not recognised or betrayal to be made good," RNZ's friends at the NZ Herald reported . Must have been a landlord? Mystery of disappearing gnomes in Hastings appears to be solved Officers discovered an array of animals, gnomes, fairies and other creatures in the garden of a suspect they were visiting after receiving a tip-off . Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in first human While many people who valued their brains fled X (formerly Twitter, I'm obliged to add) in 2024, one brave person in January let Elon Musk stick a computer chip in his brain - which they then used to play Civilization VI . Achievement unlocked. February Rogue digital billboard pokes fun at Waka Kotahi A digital billboard poking fun at Waka Kotahi appeared near an intersection in New Plymouth in February, featuring several tongue-in-cheek jibes at the transport operator. March Winston Peters told to stop using Chumbawamba hit 'Tubthumping' at rallies It sounds like a headline written via Madlibs or by ChatGPT, but this really happened . "Is he just being antagonistic about it now? Is that his thing?" Chumbawamba singer and sweet summer child Dunstan Bruce told First Up . US says UFO sightings likely secret military tests Of course that's what THEY would say. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully. Rare 'UFO cloud' has Aucklanders' eyes on the skies Ditto . April Swipe card found in Antarctica years after being lost in Wellington RNZ Concert senior music producer David McCaw lost his Wellington Town Hall swipe card in 2003 when his car was broken into, and somehow it ended up in Antarctica . Scientists found it in 2016, but progress from there was glacial - get it? Snow joke. Military horses break free, rampage through London It's time to play real life or Blackadder ? Not only was this real life , it happened again just a couple of months later . An American journalist read her own obituary online, and soon discovered the strange world of obit pirates RNZ partner ABC News explains : "Anonymous internet fraudsters use search engine optimisation (SEO) to identify people looking up the name of someone who has recently died." So just normal sickening internet stuff then. Carry on. May Mystery Roman artefact sparks wild speculation Found during a dig in the place where Walt Disney's ancestors hailed from , the 12-sided object was likened to a dog treat dispenser, a spaghetti measure and even a measuring gauge for slingshot. Expect it to appear in the next Indiana Jones film. June Photo box mystery: 'Massive' collection of family snaps found in sewing machine case The photos covered a century, up to the early 2000s, with the only clue being the name 'McDonald', which didn't really narrow it down . July Vegan cafe turns to meat to stay afloat No, a mostly vegan café in Auckland did not literally turn to meat - but started selling "ethical" meat to pay the bills . "I think if we didn't do this, we wouldn't survive," the owner said, immediately nailing the vibe of a true red-blooded meat-eater. Woman calls police after mistaking 'realistic' sex doll for body "When it was on its back, it had everything... it was very realistic," Taranaki woman Alice Cowdrey told RNZ , not worried that going on the record would forever tie her name in search engines to the phrase "headless sex doll". Mystery milk bottles confound Alexandra residents A contender for best opening line of the year goes to reporter Soumya Bhamidipati: "As Alexandra residents wake to another cold morning, a silent figure slips into the mist. They leave no trace - except for another bottle of flavoured milk dumped at a local petrol station." And a contender for quote of the year too from fuel stop operator Poppy Prendergast: "Look, I hate to say it but I think it's got to be a man. I've never met any woman that drinks that much flavoured milk." The mystery only deepened when CCTV footage was obtained . August Nothing funny happened in August. September Aussie breakdancer Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn ranked world No. 1 When Paris was awarded the 2024 games back in 2017, no one could have predicted the breakout star would be an Australian who could not dance, especially as she was competing in a dance competition. Despite getting a zero score at the Games , 'Raygun' somehow ended up the sport's top-ranked competitor . Have you seen a blue ute with a bright pink door in Wellington? Karen O'Leary wants it back Not sure this counts as weird news, but it's certainly a weird headline if - like me - you weren't immediately aware who Karen O'Leary was. New 'ghost shark' discovered in New Zealand waters No, you can't touch it . Seriously, they live more than 2500m below the surface of the ocean. Spacehead. Mystery flower rearrangement at Upper Hutt cemetery outrages families It's never a good sign when real life imitates a Curb Your Enthusiasm plotline, but this is 2024. Government to launch AI chatbot called Gov-GPT Having solved every other problem, in September the government launched its own AI chatbot - the announcement arriving with an AI-created image of Judith Collins as an astronaut. I swear this is true. October Donald Trump rally turns into bizarre dance-a-thon We all know this list could have just been a Trump campaign diary, but sticking to just one incident, it had to be the "GREAT EVENING" (his words) in October which saw him gyrate on stage to the Village People and Guns n' Roses instead of doing whatever it is US presidential candidates are supposed to do. We can mock, and Kamala Harris certainly got stuck in, but he did end up winning. Covfefe. Pranksters rename New Zealand schools on Google Maps Nelson College for Girls was dubbed Yoza highschool (I have no idea what this means), while Rathkeale College in Masterton was renamed the Huak Tuah College of rizzcraft and sigmatry (unfortunately - sigh - I do know what those mean). Quasi leaving Wellington after five years perched on city's art gallery The job market has gotten so bad in the capital, there's no longer any place for a gigantic terrifying hand-man . Decision to remove Luxon artwork from Trade Me 'weird' - artist Kiwi artist Josh Drummond painted a rather terrifying portrait of Christopher Luxon for charity, which was removed from sale on Trade Me for being "material of a suggestive nature and/or graphic iconography". Drummond was not impressed . "The original idea was to have Luxon's head popping out from a wall of flesh, which was the meaning a lot of people got from that King Charles portrait ... I found that the photo reference I used for Luxon wasn't working with that wall of flesh idea so I was like: 'Oh I'll make it more of a tunnel.'" Christopher Luxon responds to attention on Wellington apartment sale Well-off businessman sells property to make a tidy, possibly tax-free profit? Not really a headline. But when that man is the prime minister and immediately afterwards boasts that he's wealthy ? What I say to you is... yikes. At least he might get an award - of sorts - out of it . November Aotearoa has multiple clouds so unique they have names Unique names aren't really New Zealand's forte, so when it was discovered we'd put more effort into naming clouds than our main islands' colonial names, of course it made headlines . Stowaway seal makes surprise visit to offshore gas platform A Department of Conservation expert said it topped her list of bizarre places where seals have turned up . Her only other example was one that got through a cat door, so yes, she was probably right. Gang member charged after walking into police station wearing Mongrel Mob hat Well, that was a freebie . Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 The first time RNZ ran this story , it literally broke the homepage. Police vehicle crashes into limo carrying Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis Ram-raids were down over 2024 , but ram-raids by police officers on ministers of the Crown were up infinity percent . School ditches traditional bell for AC/DC and Muppets Locals signed a petition calling it "noise pollution" , perhaps entirely unaware one of AC/DC's biggest songs states definitively that it is not . Plan to relocate Westport To paraphrase an earlier paragraph, it's never a good sign when real-life imitates The Simpsons (President Trump, anyone?). In November a draft master plan proposed relocating the entire South Island town of Westport a bit to the southwest - in the long-term, not "next month", master planning project lead Paul Zaanen helpfully noted. 'Close to McDonald's': Auckland real estate agent lures buyers with cheesy sell In November, our friends at Stuff reported a real estate agent using a property's proximity to McDonald's as a selling point . He talked up its distance in terms of how long it would take to walk there however, perhaps losing those eyeballs just as quickly. December New Zealand man wins Spanish Scrabble championships despite not speaking Spanish If this headline sounds familiar , it's because you've read it before - except last time it was French . But don't get despondent if you suck at Scrabble, because Mattel this year released a non-competitive version just for you - yes, you with the letters K, W, Y, J, I, B and O. Woman arrested with 10kg of meth wrapped as Christmas presents at Auckland Airport With another one of his mules captured, authorities in December got a step closer to bringing down Santa . Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be 'drop-nuts' if he doesn't attend Waitangi Day No further comment. British political stoush over sandwiches In an interview Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested sandwiches were not real food and lunch was "for wimps" . In response, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said sandwiches were a "great British institution", particularly cheese toasties. Since this is RNZ I did the research (well, I read the Google search AI summary) and it seems both sandwiches and cheese toasties are indeed British. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .None
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kimani Hamilton led High Point with 18 points and Bobby Pettiford made a contested shot in the lane with 10.9 seconds remaining as the Panthers knocked off Hampton 76-73 on Tuesday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kimani Hamilton led High Point with 18 points and Bobby Pettiford made a contested shot in the lane with 10.9 seconds remaining as the Panthers knocked off Hampton 76-73 on Tuesday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kimani Hamilton led High Point with 18 points and Bobby Pettiford made a contested shot in the lane with 10.9 seconds remaining as the Panthers knocked off Hampton 76-73 on Tuesday. Hamilton also added eight rebounds for the Panthers (7-1). Trae Benham scored 17 points while shooting 4 for 5 (4 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Kezza Giffa shot 4 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. George Beale led the way for the Pirates (3-5) with 17 points. Noah Farrakhan added 16 points for Hampton. High Point went into halftime ahead of Hampton 38-33. Giffa scored 11 points in the half. Hamilton scored a team-high 13 points in the second half. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementWASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online.
None‘It’s pointless to continue’ – Andre Onana sensationally told to QUIT Man Utd by ex-star after nightmare errors
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes tore through a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza on Wednesday, sparking fires and killing at least 21 people, according to the head of a nearby hospital, in the latest assault on a sprawling tent city that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants “involved in terrorist activities” in the area, without providing additional details, and said it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians. The strike on the Muwasi tent camp was one of several deadly assaults across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. An Israeli attack in central Gaza killed at least 10 more people, including four children, according to Palestinian medics. Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, shows no signs of ending after nearly 14 months. Hamas is still holding dozens of Israeli hostages, and most of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is reliant on international food aid to survive. Israel is also pressing a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say Palestinians might be experiencing famine. The Biden administration has pledged to make a new push for a Gaza cease-fire now that there's a truce in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, ending more than a year of cross-border fighting. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump demanded this week the release of hostages held by Hamas before he is sworn into office in January. Wednesday's strike in Muwasi — a desolate area with few public services that holds hundreds of thousands of displaced people — wounded at least 28 people, according to Atif al-Hout, the director of Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. An Associated Press journalist at the hospital counted at least 15 bodies, but said reaching a precise number was difficult because many of the dead were dismembered, some without heads or badly burned. In the morgue, an infant's blackened hand and face peeked out from beneath a heavy blanket used to transport bodies to the hospital. “It was like doomsday,” said a wounded woman, Iman Jumaa, who held back tears as she described how the strike killed her father, her brothers and her brothers' children. Videos and photos of the strike shared widely on social media showed flames and a column of black smoke rising into the night sky, as well as twisted metal tent frames and shredded fabric. Palestinian men searched through the still-burning wreckage, shouting, “Over here guys!” Further away, civilians stood at a distance, observing the destruction. The military said the strikes had set off secondary blasts, indicating explosives present in the area had detonated. It was not possible to independently confirm the Israeli claims, and the strikes could also have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the camp. Shortly after the strike, Al-Awda Hospital said two people had been killed and 38 wounded in an attack on a residential block in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The military had no immediate comment on the strike, but said earlier strikes in central Gaza had hit “terrorist targets." Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, saying the militants often operate in residential areas and are known to position tunnels, rocket launchers and other infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques. Previous Israeli strikes on tent camps in Gaza have drawn widespread international outrage, such as when a wounded student’s last moments were caught on video as he burned to death in a tent outside a hospital. In northern Gaza, dozens of Palestinian families said Israel's expanding offensive had forcibly displaced them from schools-turned-shelters. Associated Press footage showed people on the road Wednesday leaving Beit Lahia, many crowded onto donkey carts with their belongings in their arms. Others walked on foot. “This morning a quadcopter (drone) detonated four bombs at the school. There were people injured, human remains — we left with nothing,” said Sadeia al-Rahel. The 57-year-old said her family has been eating grass, leaves, and animal feed for two months due to the lack of food aid in the north. The amount of aid entering Gaza plunged in October, and hunger is widespread across the territory, even in central Gaza where aid groups have more access. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order make it difficult to deliver assistance. Israel has said it is working to increase the flow of aid. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,500 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 people were abducted. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. On Wednesday, Israel said its forces recovered the body of a hostage who was captured alive during the Oct. 7 attack. Israel believes Itay Svirsky was killed by his captors. The families of hostages held in Gaza have grown increasingly concerned that their loved ones are at risk so long as the war continues. Israel’s military released on Wednesday the findings of a probe into the circumstances behind the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were recovered in August, determining they were probably shot by their captors after a nearby Israeli strike in February. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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Jaden Daughtry being looked upon as leader for SycamoresDuke Miles scored 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field to lead the host Oklahoma Sooners to an 89-66 victory over Central Arkansas on Sunday afternoon in Norman, Okla. The 14th-ranked Sooners (12-0) matched their best start to a season since 2015-16, when they last advanced to the Final Four. Oklahoma never trailed in the game and pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 28 points. The Bears (3-9) lost for the fifth time in their past six games and have gone 0-5 against Power Four conference opponents so far this season. Central Arkansas kept itself in striking distance until early in the second half. Layne Taylor led the Bears with 16 points and buried a 3-pointer with 16:30 left to cut Oklahoma's lead to 54-47. But Miles, who also had three rebounds and three assists, scored seven of the 10 points on Oklahoma's ensuing 10-0 run to put the Sooners ahead 64-47 with 12:13 left in the game and effectively break the game open. No. 3 Iowa State 99, Morgan State 72 Tamin Lipsey scored 20 points and Keshon Gilbert added 18 to help the Cyclones cruise to a win over the Bears in Ames, Iowa. Lipsey and Gilbert each made 8 of 9 shots from the floor. Curtis Jones finished with 19 points off the bench for Iowa State (10-1), which won its seventh game in a row. Joshua Jefferson registered a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Kameron Hobbs scored 23 points on 10-for-17 shooting for Morgan State (6-9), which faced a ranked opponent for the first time this season. Amahrie Simpkins added 18 points and a team-high eight rebounds. No. 6 Alabama 81, Kent State 54 Mark Sears scored 16 points and the Crimson Tide overcame a slow start to post a rout of the Golden Flashes in nonconference play at Tuscaloosa, Ala. Aden Holloway had 13 points and three steals for the Crimson Tide (10-2), who won their fourth consecutive game. Grant Nelson had nine points and a season-high 14 rebounds and Clifford Omoruyi collected a season-best 12 boards for Alabama. The Crimson Tide never trailed and led by as many as 32. Kent State's VonCameron Davis scored nine points to top 1,000 for his career. Marquis Barnett and Delrecco Gillespie (eight rebounds) also scored nine points for the Golden Flashes (8-3). No. 8 Kansas 87, Brown 53 Zeke Mayo scored 25 points as the Jayhawks defeated the Bears at Lawrence, Kan. Mayo was 5-of-8 from 3-point range to deliver his 25 points. The Jayhawks outscored the Bears 45-22 in the second half while winning their 21st straight nonconference home game. Kansas (9-2) had three players score in double figures, including Hunter Dickinson (15 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks) and KJ Adams (10 points). Kino Lilly Jr. scored 18 points for Brown (7-4), which saw its six-game winning streak come to an end. The Bears missed 20 of their last 23 attempts from 3-point range and finished 8-of-33 (24.2 percent) from distance. No. 19 Cincinnati 84, Grambling State 49 Aziz Bandaogo scored 15 points and the host Bearcats dominated in the paint to easily defeat the Tigers. Dillon Mitchell scored 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds and Day Day Thomas added 12 points for the Bearcats (10-1). Ernest Ross scored a game-high 16 points for Grambling State (2-10). Mikale Stevenson added 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Tigers. Cincinnati had a 40-26 advantage on points scored in the paint. The Bearcats had nine dunks and eight layups, and scored 17 of the game's first 20 points to pull away early. No. 24 Michigan 89, Purdue Fort Wayne 58 Tre Donaldson scored 16 points to lead the Wolverines to an easy win over the visiting Mastodons in Ann Arbor. Vladislav Goldin scored 13 points, Roddy Gayle scored 12 points and Danny Wolf had 13 rebounds for Michigan (9-3), which had lost two straight. The Wolverines remain unbeaten at home this year. Jalen Jackson scored a game-high 27 points in defeat for Purdue Fort Wayne (9-5). The first half was the big difference as Michigan stormed out to a 54-29 lead at intermission on a sterling offensive performance. The Wolverines made 21 of 27 shots overall and 9 of 12 from 3-point range in the first half. Michigan also held a 22-5 rebounding advantage as part of its dominant first half.