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Bridge: Dec. 27, 2023

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

“When New Year’s Eve arrives,” Unlucky Louie told me, “I’m raising my left leg at midnight.”“What for?”“To start the new year off on the right foot,” Louie said solemnly.Let’s hope Louie fares better in his penny game next year. When he was declarer at today’s four spades, he took the ace of clubs and let the ten of trumps ride. East produced the king and returned a club. Louie won, led a trump to dummy and ruffed a club.Louie next led a heart to dummy’s king, a disaster: East took the ace and queen and led a heart to West’s jack. Down one.ONE CHANCELouie may be in for a long year. He gave himself one chance for the contract when two were there. After Louie ruffs the third club, he should finesse with dummy’s queen of diamonds. He can discard a heart on the ace and lose only two hearts and a trump.If East had the king of diamonds, Louie would have a second chance. He could pitch a heart on East...

Live updates | Israeli forces raid a West Bank refugee camp as troops expand the Gaza offensive

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, killing at least six Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities said Wednesday. The Israeli military also expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to the densely populated urban refugee camps in the central part of the territory.Residents reported shelling and airstrikes in the tiny, cramped enclave, including the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the southern city of Khan Younis and the southern town of Rafah, where tens of thousands have sought refuge in recent weeks. Much of northern Gaza was pounded to rubble weeks ago.More than 20,900 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead. About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, with around 240 people taken hostage. Israel says it aims to free the m...

El fabricante de automóviles propiedad de Toyota detiene la producción en Japón después de admitir que manipuló las pruebas de seguridad durante 30 años

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

(CNN) — Daihatsu, el fabricante de automóviles japonés propiedad de Toyota, detuvo la producción nacional después de admitir que falsificó los resultados de las pruebas de seguridad de sus vehículos durante más de 30 años.La marca, mejor conocida por fabricar automóviles de pasajeros pequeños, detuvo la producción en sus cuatro fábricas japonesas a partir del martes, incluida una en su sede en Osaka, dijo un portavoz a CNN.El cierre durará al menos hasta finales de enero y afectará a unos 9.000 empleados que trabajan en la producción nacional, según el representante.La medida se produce mientras Daihatsu lidia con un escándalo de seguridad cada vez más profundo que, según Toyota , “ha sacudido los cimientos mismos de la empresa”.La semana pasada, Daihatsu anunció que un comité independiente había encontrado evidencia de manipulación de las pruebas de seguridad en hasta 64 modelos de vehículos, incluidos los vendidos bajo la marca Toyota.Como resultado, Daihatsu dij...

El Gobierno de López Obrador alista su “megafarmacia”, un plan que genera dudas entre especialistas

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

(CNN en Español) — El Gobierno de México se prepara para inaugurar una “megafarmacia” que, según el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador, contará con todos los medicamentos existentes y podrá surtir en 24 horas a las instituciones públicas de salud que lo requieran. Sin embargo, el plan genera dudas entre especialistas consultados por CNN, que cuestionan que vaya a funcionar como el Ejecutivo promete.López Obrador habló de la megafarmacia durante sus conferencias diarias de las últimas semanas. En la del 27 de noviembre dijo que para ponerla en marcha su administración compró almacenes de las tiendas departamentales Liverpool —ubicados en el municipio de Huehuetoca del central Estado de México— por los que, dice, pagó alrededor de 2.000 millones de pesos, unos US$ 117,6 millones.“Estamos hablando de como cinco zócalos techados, imaginen, para tener todos los medicamentos —expuso el presidente—. Ya nos entregaron las instalaciones, ya se acordó que se paga totalmente en febre...

WEATHER WHIPLASH ON THE WAY

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

Happy Wednesday, South Florida!Hopefully everyone was able to dry off after Tuesday mornings on and off rain event. The afternoon finally cleared up in South Florida and we got to enjoy some warm, but pleasant sunshine on Tuesday afternoon. This morning was a little bit different as South Florida woke up to dry conditions, however, areas of patchy dense fog was an issue for some, especially across the upper keys where a dense marine fog advisory had been issued all day Tuesday. One thing South Florida did notice this morning was that temperatures were no longer in the 70s but comfortably in the 60s. And once the low clouds and fog lifted, South Florida saw a stunning sunrise on this last Wednesday of 2023. Today will be a little different than the previous days, because a weak front cleared South Florida yesterday and behind it temperatures will be a bit more comfortable today. And although this weak front won’t bring a significant change in our weather, most may be able to feel th...

Fishermen investigating something shiny led to ‘miracle’ rescue of Indiana man trapped in crashed truck for days, police say

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

(CNN) — Something shiny near a creek and a case of curiosity led two Indiana fishermen Tuesday to a 27-year-old man who had been fighting for his life for days alone in a mangled truck – a discovery that state police are hailing as a miracle.Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre were scouting Salt Creek near the northwestern Indiana city of Portage for potential fishing holes and getting ready to call it a day when something shiny in the distance caught their attention, Garcia said at a news conference held by state police. Curious, they went to explore it and realized it was a vehicle wreck.The wrecked pickup truck was under Interstate 94’s bridge over the creek. Garcia moved an airbag out of the way and saw what he thought was someone dead in the driver’s seat.“The moment I touched the shoulder, he swung around – he woke up,” Garcia said.Startled, but focused on helping the young man, Garcia asked Delatorre to call for help and the pair stayed with the m...

Miami Police use taser on shooting victim after attempting to flee

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

City of Miami Police officers were forced to use a taser on a shooting victim after he attempted to flee the scene. On Tuesday, authorities responded to a SpotSpotter Alert near Northeast Second Avenue and 56th Street just before 6:15 pm. where they found an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound.In an attempt to prevent the victim from evading further contact with the police, one officer discharged a taser. The victim was quickly assessed by Miami Fire Rescue personnel and then transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH) for further treatment.The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with authorities unable to confirm whether the male is a victim or a suspect attempting to flee the scene. At present, no suspects are in custody as the investigation unfolds.

Britain’s great new Brexit freedom: Drinking wine in pints

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

LONDON — Britons will be able to buy pints of wine for the first time in decades in a move hailed by U.K. ministers as a benefit of Brexit.An overhaul of U.K. measurement laws announced for 2024 means wine producers will be able to sell still and sparkling wines in the pint-sized bottles once beloved by wartime leader Winston Churchill.It’s far from clear how many people want to buy wine by the pint. Proposals for a wider post-Brexit overhaul of Britain’s measurement system have been scrapped after a government consultation, the results of which were published Wednesday, found 98.7 percent of people were in favor of keeping metric units when buying or selling products.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government is still pressing ahead with offering producers the option of selling pre-packaged pints of wine, which it says is now allowed under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, passed earlier this year. The U.K. government announced still and sparkling...

Jeremy Hunt to unveil pre-election budget on March 6

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

LONDON — Britain’s chief finance minister Jeremy Hunt will unveil his next budget on March 6, the U.K. government said Wednesday.The U.K. Treasury said in a statement the Chancellor of the Exchequer had commissioned the budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, to prepare economic and fiscal forecasts for the budget on the March date.It will likely be the ruling Conservatives’ final chance to offer voter-friendly tax and spending giveaways before a general election is held. A vote must be called before January 28, 2025, but Rishi Sunak is expected to call an election by the fall of next year.

Blinken and Mayorkas to press Mexican counterparts to drive down border crossings as Biden faces increasing pressure

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:24 GMT

(CNN) — Senior US officials will head to Mexico Wednesday to seek more help from their counterparts to drive down border crossings as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure over the handling of the US southern border.Immigration has been a political vulnerability for Biden amid fierce criticism from Republicans and some members of his own party over the situation at the US-Mexico border. This month, the issue fell at the center of the president’s foreign policy agenda, as the White House lobbied for aid to Ukraine and Israel amid their war efforts. Lack of consensus over border policy changes ultimately kept Biden from clinching billions of dollars in funds for Ukraine, Israel and the border before the end of the year.Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, Homeland Security officials have discussed a range of ways Mexico can help drive down numbers at the US border that will be among their asks, including moving migrants south, controlling the railways that ar...