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Planned Israeli settlement threatens West Bank UNESCO site ecosystem

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

BATTIR, West Bank (AP) — Generations of Palestinians have worked the terraced hillsides of this West Bank farming village southwest of Jerusalem, growing olives, fruits, beans and exquisite eggplants renowned across the region in a valley linked to the biblical King David.But residents fear their ancient way of life could soon be in danger as Israel’s far-right government moves ahead with a settlement project on a nearby hilltop. Environmental groups say the construction could devastate already strained water sources supplying the agricultural terraces and cause extensive damage to an already precarious ecosystem.Battir’s plight shines a light on how the trappings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — settlements, land disputes and military activity — can take a toll on the region’s environment, natural resources and cultural heritage.The proposed construction “will grab a great amount of land, and you don’t know where it will end,” said Rashid Owinah, 58, whose family has farmed in...

Allies seek big-business investment to rebuild Ukraine at London conference

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Diplomats from dozens of countries are meeting Wednesday in London to drum up funds to rebuild Ukraine, a mammoth task whose cost is estimated by the World Bank at more than $400 billion – a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of the 16-month war.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to announce a new package of U.S. assistance at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is both a fundraising forum and a message to Russia that Ukraine’s allies are in it for the long haul.Blinken, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among international representatives at the gathering, which hopes to get big businesses to back Ukraine.“(It’s) very much about encouraging the private sector to invest in Ukraine’s rebuilding and recovery,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Tuesday. To do that, he said, “we need to demonstrate that those investments will be effective and that they will be safe” by underwriting...

Fights break out among crowds protesting Pride curriculum in Glendale schools

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

Fights broke out among protestors who gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District’s board meeting Tuesday night, weeks after violence broke out amid a previous meeting discussing the subject of LGBTQ+ Pride and its inclusion in classrooms.With an estimated 200 people in attendance, demonstrators from both sides showed up to either support or protest the board’s resolution to include Pride curriculum in classrooms.A large police presence was visible as barricades were set up to contain crowds gathered in the parking lot. Officers dressed in riot gear aimed to dissuade any potential violence from breaking out.Earlier in the afternoon, protestors rushed the building at one point, but Glendale Police were able to de-escalate the situation. Hours later, video from the scene showed things turning violent before officers were forced to intervene.Although discussions over LGBTQ+ curriculum were not on the agenda Tuesday night, demonstrators were still protesting the inclusion...

Family of bobcats moves into Claremont man’s backyard

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

Residents in a Claremont neighborhood are concerned after a family of bobcats moved into a resident’s backyard. The wild cats haven’t caused any trouble yet, but residents are worried they could become a threat.Video footage from Patrick Cullen’s Claremont home shows a sighting of a mother bobcat and her two kittens near some furniture patio and then later returning to the backyard. "It was a strange-looking cat initially and then I saw it,” Cullen said. “I started looking a little more intently at it and I was like, 'Oh, that’s a bobcat.' Then I saw the two little ones wander in.” Residents in a Claremont neighborhood are concerned after a family of bobcats moved into a resident’s backyard.(Source: Patrick Cullen)The wild cats, which are generally small in size and often prey on rodents, can still become aggressive on rare occasions when they feel threatened. Mackenzie Rich, conflict specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, says people who find...

Here’s where you can buy a home for less than $200,000 in California

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

It’s hard to find a reasonably priced house in California, especially in big metropolitan cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, due to expensive home prices.For those flexible on location, a new study from Go Banking Rates revealed where prospective home buyers could get a home for less than $200,000 in various cities nationwide. What can California politicians do to combat expensive home prices? Paynes Creek, located in Tehama County, is where prospective home buyers can get an affordable home in California.Researchers found that homes in the area were listed for less than $100,000, according to Redfin.Homes in the area are typically worth more than $142,000, researchers found. The cheap home prices are mainly due to the city’s remote location near the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The closest city is Red Bluff, which is about 23 miles away.For those who don’t want to live so far away from the big city, researchers also found other cities where a $200,000 budget can get pros...

San Bruno caretaker gets 3 years behind bars for stealing funds from elderly clients

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

SAN BRUNO – A 42-year-old caretaker has been sentenced to three years behind bars for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from an elderly married couple with dementia, prosecutors said.San Bruno resident Aila Norrell Markpol pleaded no contest in February to two counts of felony theft from an elder victim and admitted to an enhancement for theft over $100,000, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.Markpol, who was sentenced Friday, will serve two years in state prison and one year in county jail.Markpol worked as a live-in caretaker for the victims, ages 83 and 85, and gained access to their financial accounts. In the first six months of 2022, she stole at least $229,000, which she spent on vacations, theme parks and casinos, prosecutors said.The victims’ bank alerted adult protective services after detecting the suspicious activity.According to the district attorney’s office, the victims “loved” Markpol and did not believe she could have stolen from them.In...

SF Giants mount another late comeback, walk off Padres to extend winning streak to 9 games

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants trailed the Padres after six innings Tuesday night. They were down heading into eighth, too.Yet, a strong Tuesday night crowd of 32,060 wasn’t filled with dread. They were pregnant with anticipation. The energy was palpable: These fans had been paying attention as the Giants reeled off win after win, despite trailing in the late innings. The home team was losing, and the home fans still fully expected a win.Joc Pederson paid them off, not once but twice.After tying the game with a solo shot in the eighth, Pederson came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs against Padres closer Josh Hader. The at-bat ended after seven pitches. Pederson took ball four outside, flipped his bat and yelled. The Giants won on a walk-off Joc walk, 4-3, over the Padres, extending their winning streak to nine games with yet another late-inning comeback.The nine-game winning streak matches the Giants’ best stretch of baseball from their 107-win season in 2021 ...

Oakland restaurant goes cashless due to crime

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Some businesses are choosing to go cashless in Oakland for safety reasons. KRON4 spoke to one restaurant owner that says having cash on hand is just too big of a risk.The owner says he owns multiple restaurants, and the Oakland location is the only one where he can’t accept cash. He says having cash on hand makes the restaurant and the employees a target for criminals.“When you have people coming in on a day-in-day-out basis harassing your staff, when your staff gets held up at gunpoint – which we’ve dealt with before – when your venue has been burglarized well north of a dozen times, what other decision do you have at that point?” said Adam Stemmler, the owner of Arthur Mac’s Tap and Snack in North Oakland.  ‘They are doing it wrong’: Ron DeSantis visits SF, slams city in campaign ad Stemmler says that he and his co-owner struggled with the decision. He says when they decided to open a restaurant in Oakland, they wanted it to be affordable. And not accept...

Kante joins Benzema at Al-Ittihad as Saudi Arabia entices another star player

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

Saudi Arabian soccer champion Al-Ittihad has another high-profile French player to accompany Karim Benzema at the team next season.N’Golo Kante completed his move from Chelsea on Wednesday, with Al-Ittihad welcoming the 32-year-old midfielder with a series of tweets containing the hashtag “WelcomeBox2Box” — referring to his hard-running style of play.He will reportedly earn more than $100 million across the length of a four-year deal at a club based in Jeddah and coached by former Tottenham and Wolverhampton manager Nuno Espirito Santo. It recently won the Saudi league ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.Kante, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and has been one of the best players in the Premier League in recent years as a back-to-back champion with Leicester and Chelsea, has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons.That hasn’t put off Al-Ittihad from apparently spending big on Kante, a few weeks after bringin...

Kershaw deals, and the Dodgers get 2 big breaks in a 2-0 win over the Angels

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:51:07 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Miguel Rojas doubled and scored on Michael Busch’s high-bouncing single in the eighth after Clayton Kershaw and Reid Detmers dueled through seven scoreless innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the Freeway Series with a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.Will Smith added an RBI single in the eighth for the Dodgers, who snapped their three-game skid with two fortunate breaks for a team that hasn’t had many lately.Four innings after the Angels’ Brandon Drury was ruled out at the plate on a call overturned by video review, Busch’s chopper off Chris Devenski (3-2) inexplicably bounded high over new Angels first baseman Kevin Padlo.“Sometimes you’re going to need the lucky hop, and we got that,” Kershaw said. “Between that and the call in the fourth, for some reason it was our night tonight.”Kershaw (9-4) had another memorable night at Angel Stadium, where he has thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings. The ...