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Zoo Miami announces death of Sumatran tiger ‘Berani’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

Zoo Miami announced the passing of “Berani,” a 15 ½-year-old Sumatran tiger. The announcement comes just one day after the zoo said he was in serious condition. According to the zoo, he was humanely euthanized after being diagnosed with cancer of the spleen. Berani had been showing signs of lethargy and loss of appetite, prompting a series of examinations and tests at the zoo’s Animal Hospital, Zoo Miami said in a news release. Zoo officials said preliminary findings indicated severe anemia, dehydration, an enlarged spleen, and kidney abnormalities. Further tests confirmed the diagnosis of cancer of the spleen, and due to his advanced age and poor prognosis, the decision was made to euthanize him, zoo officials said.Born in March 2008 at the San Francisco Zoo, Berani came to Zoo Miami in 2013 as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation. He successfully sired a male and a female cub during his time at the zoo.According to officials, Sumatran tigers are c...

Dolphins coach McDaniel tries to downplay Chiefs clash in Germany. LT Terron Armstead could return

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was a history major but is applying math skills to try to downplay the significance of Sunday’s heavily anticipated matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany.McDaniel suggested on Friday that beating the Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park would merely amount to a “cool regular season win,” even though there are potential AFC playoff implications in a clash of two 6-2 teams.“Quite literally, this is one-17th of the season. That’s how important it is,” he said at a press conference before practice. “If it was Major League Baseball, it would be 10 games. That would be five games in the NBA.”It’s most important to progress through the season, he added.“Does seven wins get you into the playoffs? Probably not,” McDaniel said.The Chiefs have marketing rights in Germany and are hoping to win over local fans, but McDaniel is doing a pretty good job with an international charm offensi...

New video reveals police shootout in Orlando

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (WSVN) — Dramatic new video footage has emerged, shedding light on a harrowing police shootout that unfolded in Orlando on September 26. Authorities reported that the incident began as a response to a robbery call involving the suspect, Carlos Rosas, who allegedly stole $300 from an individual.According to police, Rosas brandished a firearm during the confrontation, prompting officers to respond with gunfire. Despite attempting to flee the scene, Rosas was eventually arrested. He now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and armed robbery with a firearm.

3 Florida men accused of murdering teen to prevent testimony in sexual assault case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) — Three Florida men are facing serious charges for their alleged involvement in the murder of a teenage girl, Isabella Scavelli, in an attempt to prevent her from testifying in a sexual assault case. Lenard White, the primary suspect, is accused of hiring Keshawn Woods and Sheldon Robinson to carry out the murder. The tragic incident unfolded after Scavelli and her mother reported the sexual assault to authorities in February. The very next day, Robinson and Woods reportedly went to the teen’s home in Brooksville, where they opened fire, fatally shooting Scavelli and injuring her mother.Authorities have expressed their deep sorrow over the loss of Scavelli. “She was a good kid with a very bright future and to see her life cut short is heart-wrenching to say the least,” said Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis.The accused individuals now face the possibility of life sentences or even the federal death penalty if they are convicted on ...

Italy’s government approves reform boosting prime minister’s powers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

The Italian government on Friday approved plans for a constitutional reform that would significantly boost the prime minister’s powers — a major overhaul in a country with a traditionally weak head of government.The proposal from Giorgia Meloni’s government, which still requires approval from both houses of parliament and could lead to a referendum, would allow the prime minister to be directly elected by the Italian people for a five-year term, instead of being nominated by the president.“This is the mother of all reforms,” Prime Minister Meloni said in a press conference.The proposed bill, Meloni added, aims to ensure “stability” and “guarantee that those who govern are chosen by the people.”Italy’s prime minister has a traditionally weak role by design. After the Second World War, the country’s modern founding fathers instituted a series of checks and balances aimed at preventing the concentration of power into the hands...

Israel will keep bombing Gaza with ‘all of its power,’ Netanyahu says after Blinken calls for pause

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu rejected Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s calls for a humanitarian pause shortly after the latter’s press conference on Friday, saying Israel will continue to bombard the Gaza Strip with “all of its power.”Blinken told reporters in Israel that during a meeting with Netanyahu earlier that day, he urged Israel to pursue a pause in fighting and gave advice about how to minimize Palestinian civilian deaths while targeting Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.Netanyahu soon after said, during his own press conference, that Israel “refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn’t include a return of our hostages.” Over 200 hostages were taken by Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people.It’s the latest sign of stark disagreement between the two allies, as the Biden administration has in recent weeks called for restraint from Israel as it continues a massive airstrike campaign on the Gaza Stri...

Hamas is fighting ‘sacred’ war with Israel, says Hezbollah chief

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

The leader of the Hezbollah militant group has thrown his backing behind Palestinian militants and praised the attacks that killed more than a thousand Israeli civilians, in his first public appearance since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last month.In a televised speech broadcast on Friday from an unknown location, Hassan Nasrallah praised the “martyrs” who have died fighting Israeli troops, denied the Hamas attacks had been coordinated by Iran, and said fighters loyal to him were “prepared to make unlimited sacrifices” in supporting their cause.“This operation is great; this sacred operation was 100 percent Palestinian, and was implemented by Palestinians,” he said. However, he stopped short of explicitly declaring war on Israel and opening a second front in the conflict, despite predictions that he could seek to escalate tensions dramatically.Nasrallah has led Hezbollah since 1992, when his predecessor was killed by Israeli ...

US surveillance drones flying over Gaza to help with hostage search

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

(CNN) — The US military is flying surveillance drones over Gaza as part of American efforts to help Israel locate the more than 240 hostages still held by the terror group Hamas, according to multiple US officials familiar with the matter.The drones are part of a surge of intelligence assets sent to the region in the days and weeks following the October 7 attack on Israel, which caught both Israeli and US intelligence services by surprise.Two other US drones — both MQ-9 Reapers, one of the US’s most sophisticated drones primarily used for surveillance — were also flying off the coast of Lebanon over the weekend, according to one source familiar with the effort and flight tracker data reviewed by CNN. The US is closely monitoring for any signs that Lebanese Hezbollah — or any other Iranian proxy force — may seek to escalate the simmering tensions rippling across the region.The New York Times first reported on the use of US drones in the region....

Apollo astronaut Ken Mattingly, who helped save the crew of Apollo 13, has died

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

(CNN) — Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, known for helping the crew of Apollo 13 safely return to Earth after an explosion doomed their lunar mission, has died at the age of 87, NASA announced.“Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, calling Mattingly “one of our country’s heroes.”Mattingly died Tuesday, the statement said. A cause of death wasn’t provided.Born in Chicago on March 17, 1936, Mattingly would go on to graduate high school in Miami and earn a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Auburn University in 1958, according to his NASA biography.Astronaut Thomas Mattingly II celebrates the successful rescue of the Apollo 13 spacecraft and crew with a box of cigars at the Mission Control of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. Credit: Space Frontiers/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesStarting his career ...

Ravens vs. Seahawks staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s Week 9 game in Baltimore?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:57:29 GMT

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 9 game between the Ravens (6-2) and the Seahawks (5-2) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.Brian Wacker, reporterRavens 20, Seahawks 17: The last two times these teams met, in 2019 and 2015, the road team won handily. That included Lamar Jackson memorably telling coach John Harbaugh “hell yeah” he wanted to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Seahawks’ 8-yard line and then running in for a score en route to a 30-16 victory in Seattle. This time, the Ravens are riding a three-game winning streak and come in averaging the sixth-most points (25.3) and second-most rushing yards (143) per game. There’s also a fun matchup of rookie receivers between the Ravens’ Zay Flowers and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and of course the matchup of two strong defenses. The Seahawks do a lot of things well, ranking near the middle of the pack offensively, though quarterback Geno S...