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Sudan and Iran resume diplomatic relations severed 7 years ago, promising to ‘open embassies soon’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan and Iran announced in a joint statement Monday the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries after a seven-year hiatus.Khartoum cut ties with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi Arabian embassy in Iran. The oil-rich kingdom had executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others days earlier, triggering demonstrations and severing Saudi-Iranian relations. At the time, Sudan was a close ally of Saudi Arabia and had deployed troops to fight in the Saudi coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.“Both countries agreed to take the necessary measure to open embassies in the two countries soon,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in an online statement. Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and his Sudanese counterpart, Ali al-Sadiq, met in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku in July, the first known high-level meeting between the two countries since 2016. “The two sides agreed to enhance...

Israel seals off Gaza after attacks by Hamas; Americans among the dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel, and other supplies in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants, as the war's death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides. Hamas also escalated on Monday, pledging to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted civilians without warnings.The State Department said at least nine American citizens have been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel. It said an undetermined number of American citizens remain unaccounted for. It was not yet clear if the missing are dead, in hiding, or had been taken hostage.In the war's third day, Israel was still finding bodies from Hamas' stunning weekend attack into southern Israeli towns. Rescue workers found 100 bodies in the tiny farming community of Beeri — around 10% of its population — after a long hostage standoff with gunmen. In Gaza, tens of thousands fled their homes as relentless airstrikes leveled buildings. State Departmen...

Mark Wahlberg on leaving California for Las Vegas: 'Everybody’s happy'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

(KTLA) - Mark Wahlberg says he has no regrets about leaving Los Angeles for Las Vegas a year ago.In 2022, the actor told The Talk that he moved his family to the Silver State to give his kids a "better life."Wahlberg is married to model Rhea Durham, and the couple has four children."Everybody's adapted nicely. The kids are all out at school, and everybody's happy," the actor told PEOPLE magazine in an exclusive report.Mark Wahlberg hosts the opening of F45 Training at Miramar MCAs. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for F45 Training)“I want to be able to work from home. I moved to California many years ago to pursue acting, and I’ve only made a couple of movies in the entire time that I was there,” he said at the time. “So, to be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams, whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer, this made a lot more sense for us.” Mark Wahlberg hints he may quit acti...

New species of sea snail, Cayo margarita, named with Jimmy Buffett in mind

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

(The Hill) -- It’s 5 o’clock somewhere for a new species of sea snail, Cayo margarita, whose name was inspired by the late singer Jimmy Buffett.The creatures, native to the Florida Reef, were named in a study published Monday in the journal PeerJ.The “margarita” in the mollusk’s name is a reference to “the vividly lemon-yellow coloration that this species shares with the citrus-juice-based cocktail drink,” according to the study cited in the journal.The study’s author, biologist Rüdiger Bieler, told CNN that the snail serves as an underwater tribute to “Margaritaville” singer Buffett, who died last month at 76.“In some ways, our team was no stranger to the regional signature drink. And of course, Jimmy Buffett’s music,” Bieler said.“So when we came up with a species name, we really wanted to allude to the color of the drink and the fact that it lives in the Florida Keys,” Bieler said, noting that he’s a “bit of a Parrothead,” the term Buffett fans are known ...

How common is long COVID among children?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

(The Hill) -- New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shed light on the rate at which long COVID affects children, indicating the condition occurs among only a small minority of them.In a new survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the CDC found that 1.3 percent of children had long COVID in 2022 and 0.5 percent now have it. Long COVID is the condition that manifests following a COVID-19 infection through a wide variety of different symptoms. Reported symptoms include general fatigue, changes in mental health, neurological changes or even organ damage.Lingering post-infection conditions are not exclusive to COVID. UK researchers recently found that lingering symptoms can be detected in people recovering from other non-COVID respiratory illnesses.The majority of people who contract infections are believed to recover without developing long COVID, though the exact rate at which it occurs is unclear as a consensus on what can...

Gov. Greg Abbott extends Texas' 'complete support' to Israel amid Hamas attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared his condemnation of the Hamas' attacks on Israel and announced Monday an allocation of extra funds to protect Jewish organizations statewide.More than 1,000 people have died since the attack began this weekend, according to reporting from NBC News. RELATED: Austin rabbi reacts to outbreak of Israel-Hamas war “The State of Texas condemns these heinous acts of violence and inhumanity against Israel and its people by ruthless terrorists, and we stand ready to offer our complete support to the Israeli and Jewish communities,” Abbott said in the release. “I firmly denounce the act of war against Israeli citizens and Americans in Israel and support Israel’s right to defend itself from these barbaric attacks. Working with local partners across Texas, we are actively increasing security at Jewish and Israel-related locations such as synagogues and schools. In response to these cowardly attacks, we stand united with our Jewish neighbors a...

Pumpkins will fly again at 18th Stillwater Harvest Fest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

Autumn has arrived, and with it, the return of the yearly Stillwater Harvest Fest.In its eighteenth year, the festival will feature a child costume parade, a variety of local food vendors, and performances from local music talent such as Free and Easy.The headline event is the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at 10 a.m. Saturday, which will feature at least one pumpkin weighing over 2500 pounds, according to contest organizers.Other highlights include the Pumpkin Regatta at 2 p.m. Sunday, where participants paddle hollowed-out gourds across the St. Croix River, and the Pumpkin Drop at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, where a squash will be squashed after a 100-foot fall from a crane:The Stillwater Harvest Fest takes place 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, at Lowell Park in downtown Stillwater. Admission is free. Info: harvestfeststillwater.com.Related ArticlesEntertainment | ‘Totally Killer’ review: Kiernan Shipka’s teen horror sendup uninspiring ...

Say ‘howdy’ to Crocs new cowboys boots, on sale soon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

Want to boot, scoot and boogie without breaking in a new pair of kicks? There’s a Crocs design for that.The Crocs Classic Cowboy Boots debut for a limited time on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. (Courtesy of Crocs, Inc.)This week, the Colorado-based company unveiled its newest shoe, the Crocs Classic Cowboy Boot, to celebrate what it calls “Croctober.” The design features a “high shine croc-embossed texture and bold western-inspired stitching,” per a statement.And that’s not all. The design also includes a bedazzled look with metallic charms and a spinnable spur. The boots even have the word “Crocs” in jewels near the pull strap.The Crocs cowboy boots – touted as “one of the most widely requested Crocs shoe designs in brand history” – go on sale Oct. 23, which the company recognizes as Croc Day. They’ll cost $120 at crocs.com and you better be ready to lasso a pair, as the style will be available for a limited time.Related ArticlesThings to Do | Pumpkins will fly again at 18th Sti...

Dane Mizutani: Vikings better beat lowly Bears this weekend, or else

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

When the Vikings step onto the natural grass at Solider Field in Chicago this Sunday, they will do so with the same record as the much-maligned team that calls the Windy City home.As of right now, the Vikings are no better than the lowly Chicago Bears, at least as far as the NFC North standings are concerned.Never mind that the Vikings might have a better roster from top to bottom. They haven’t done much this season to prove they should be taken seriously this season. They stumbled out of the starting blocks with losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers before narrowly escaping with a win over the Carolina Panthers, the only winless team in the NFL.As a follow-up, the Vikings hung tough in a 27-20 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. That performance might have carried a little more weight had the first month not already put the Vikings in chase mode. There’s simply no ...

Crash on NY 378 closes all lanes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:56:37 GMT

MENANDS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The NY 378 westbound ramp in Menands off of I-787 has been closed due to a crash. The accident was announced by the Department of Transportation at 2:44 p.m. on October 9. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! State Police are currently on the scene, and all lanes are closed at this time. Traffic is being redirected onto I-787 southbound. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. Stay with NEWS10 as this story continues to develop. Check out NEWS10's traffic tracker. You can plan your route and see traffic delays in real-time!.