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Israel’s top diplomat wants to fast-track humanitarian aid to Gaza via maritime corridor from Cyprus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — Israel wants to fast-track the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime corridor from Cyprus, bolstering stability in the region, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday.Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Israeli and Cypriot technical teams would spend Wednesday and Thursday hammering out the details of the initiative so that aid shipments from Cyprus’ port of Larnaca, some 240 miles (385 kilometers) from Gaza, can begin as soon as possible.“Cyprus and Israel, together with other partners in the region are promoting the initiative for a secure maritime corridor to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian assistance to Gaza in an organized and well inspected manner,” Cohen said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos.Cohen was briefed on the initiative’s details during a visit to the Zenon Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, which will act as the operational center for the aid shipments. H...

Browning West seeks Chamandy’s return to Gildan, prepared to call shareholder meeting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

MONTREAL — A U.S. investment firm says it’s prepared to seek changes on the board at Gildan Activewear Inc. if the company does not reinstate Glenn Chamandy as chief executive.In a letter to the board, Browning West also urged it to remove Donald Berg as chair and appoint Browning West co-founder Peter Lee as a shareholder representative. Browning West says it will seek a special meeting of shareholders to replace the board if the company does not heed the feedback from it and other shareholders and will not hesitate to hold the board accountable for further delay in rectifying the situation. For its part, Gildan’s board said the decision to remove Chamandy and replace him with Vince Tyra came after Chamandy agreed to a succession timeline only to later ask to stay on beyond the original plan.In a letter to shareholders, Berg, along with the board’s committee chairs, wrote that the board’s trust and confidence in Chamandy had eroded as it worked to hold him a...

The poinsettia by any other name? Try ‘cuetlaxochitl’ or ‘Nochebuena’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and Europe.But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once again turning to the poinsettia’s origins and the checkered history of its namesake. Some things to know:WHERE DID THE NAME POINSETTIA COME FROM?The name “poinsettia” comes from the amateur botanist and statesman Joel Roberts Poinsett, who happened upon the plant in 1828 on a side trip during his tenure as the first U.S. minister to a newly independent Mexico.Poinsett, who was interested in science as well as potential cash crops, sent clippings of the plant to his home in South Carolina, and to a botanist in Philadelphia, who affixed the eponymous name to the plant in gratitude. A life-size bronze statue of Poinsett still stands in his honor today in downtown Greenville.A CHRISTMAS FLOWER OF ...

New Year's Eve fireworks spectacular returning to Chicago River to ring in 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City of Chicago’s Department of CulturalAffairs and Special Events announced Wednesday the return of the New Year’s Evefireworks spectacular on the Chicago River to ring in 2024. In partnership with ART on THE MART, the New Year’s Eve celebrations will include a custom projection highlighting ART on THE MART’s five years of programming, beginning Sunday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. The evening will culminate with a fireworks display from six bridges alongthe river, beginning at midnight to coincide with the grand Navy Pier fireworks displayon the lakefront."Chicagoans have the unique ability to find hope and resilience in each day, and NewYear’s Eve is the foundation of beginning a new year with the same unbridledoptimism," Mayor Johnson said in a news release. "As an icon of our city’s landscape, theChicago River is what unites our town, and we are excited to bring everyone together ina big way, continuing traditions and beginning new ones."Accordi...

How much daylight you'll have on the shortest day of 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The darkest day of the year is nearly upon us.This year, the "darkest" day of the year — when Americans get as little as six hours of daylight — lands on Dec. 21 (it’s usually around Dec. 21 or 22).During the darkest or "shortest" day of the year — better known as the winter solstice — the northern hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as possible. This causes us in the U.S. to experience the least amount of sun during the day. As you can guess, we have the opposite during the summer solstice, which occurs in June. That's when we have the most sunlight during the day and the "shortest" night. 2023 could be one of the wettest years on record, even with a dry fall But first, we have to get through the shortest day of the year. On Thursday, most parts of the country will have only about eight or nine hours of daylight. In Denver, for example, residents will have nine hours and 22 minutes of sunlight, which is over five hours less than Denver's longest day in ...

Philadelphia news helicopter crashes, killing two aboard

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

(WPHL) - A Philadelphia news helicopter has crashed in New Jersey, tragically ending the lives of both the photographer and pilot on board. WPVI confirmed two crew members on board were killed in a crash in Burlington County, new Jersey. at 8 p.m., Tuesday night. New Jersey State Park Police Chief George Fedorczyk held a press conference on Wednesday morning, confirming the crash: The helicopter had been returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore and went down in Wharton State Forest. At this time, names are not being released, but WPVI says the crew members both worked at the station for many years.New Jersey State Police troopers were able to locate the crash site on the ground. It is very hard to access due to its location in the woods.The helicopter was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, leased from U.S. Helicopters Inc. based in North Carolina.The FAA arrived at 3 a.m. but the official cause of the crash, which is being investigated b...

Almost a quarter of Trump supporters oppose having him on ticket if convicted: Survey

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

(The Hill) - Nearly a quarter of former President Trump's supporters say he should not be the Republican nominee for president in 2024 if he is convicted of a crime, according to a new survey.The poll, published Tuesday from The New York Times/Siena College, found 24 percent of respondents who said they would vote for Trump in the upcoming election also say he should not be the nominee if found guilty in one of his legal trials, “even if he has won the most votes."The former president has used his online platform, Truth Social, to attack legal officials overseeing his cases and encouraged his fan base to do the same. Though he is leading the GOP primary field by far, he has held that the prosecution comes from the left and is an attempt to ruin his campaign and chances for reelection.While some supporters say the outcome in court will affect their decision to support him, a majority of his supporters say it won’t matter.Seventy percent of Trump supporters believe the former presiden...

Volunteers build bikes for kids in need this holiday season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One nonprofit in Central Texas is giving the gift of bikes this holiday season.It’s all part of the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative’s annual Holiday Bike Build.Throughout the month of December, groups have gathered together to volunteer their time building bikes at The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company."These are community members in the Austin and San Antonio area, who chose to spend their holidays building bikes for these kids,” Ghisallo Cycling Initiative executive director Kari Kuwamura said.This week, the nonprofit has delivered dozens of these bikes to families in need attending Title I AISD Schools.Kuwamura says her group gave out over 40 bikes last year."This year we have a huge ambitious goal of getting 200 bikes to kids in the Austin and San Antonio,” she said.Austin-based bike manufacturer woom is donating all the bikes, valued at over $80,000.Mathias Ihlenfeld is woom's managing director of North America."It's a tradition for us to donate bikes that can rais...

Signing day tracker: Star prospect Koi Perich and 18 more join Gophers football for 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

Eighteen of the 19 total high school commitments in the Gophers football program’s 2024 recruiting class had signed their national letters of intent by 8 a.m. Wednesday.The U’s top-ranked player, Esko, Minn., safety Koi Perich, was conspicuously absent.But at 8:03, the Gophers made it official: The four-star prospect had signed with Minnesota over Ohio State. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day had traveled to northern Minnesota to see Perich last week.RELATED: Breakdown of Gophers recruiting class: strength, weakness, sleeper and moreHere’s who signed with Minnesota — including five additional college transfers — and a snippet about each newcomer:6:05 a.m.: SAF — Zahir Rainer, Richmond, Va., 5-foot-10, 185 poundsThe son of former NFL linebacker Wali Rainer had more than 30 scholarship offers, but picked the U over his father’s alma mater (Virginia) and other suitors.6:10 a.m.: CB — Samuel Madu, Bronx, N.Y., 6-1, 170Gophers cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe uses his East Coast connectio...

Catskills Fire Tower Challenge returning for 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:22 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge is returning for 2024. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the challenge brings participants from all over New York, and 11 other states and countries to the Catskills. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! “To introduce more New Yorkers and visitors to this awe-inspiring experience, DEC is renewing the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge for 2024 to highlight the spectacular vistas found in this majestic park,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Over the past five years, the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge has drawn thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to the unparalleled experience of viewing the natural wonders of the Catskill Mountains from one of the park's historic fire towers."Launched in 2019, the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages hikers to visit the fire towers on Balsam Lake Mountain in Hardenburgh, Hunter Mountain in Hunter, Over...