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Victor Lafay gives French team Cofidis 1st Tour de France stage win in 15 years

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AP) — French rider Victor Lafay made a late move to break away from the pack and give Cofidis its first Tour de France stage win in 15 years on Sunday, with Adam Yates keeping the overall lead after the opening two stages in northern Spain.Lafay took the lead within the final kilometer (0.6 miles) and held on for victory in what was the Tour’s longest stage this year. French team Cofidis hadn’t won in the Tour since Sylvain Chavanel triumphed in the 19th stage of the 2008 edition.The 27-year-old Lafay had won one other stage victory at a Grand Tour race, in the 2021 Giro d’Italia.Wout van Aert of Jumbo-Visma was second and Tadej Pogacar third at the finish line in the Basque Country city of San Sebastian after a hilly stage of more than 200 kilometers (124 miles).Yates, the winner of the opening stage on Saturday, finished close behind to retain the overall leader’s yellow Jersey. He was six seconds ahead of race-favorite Pogacar and his...

Canada has officially banned testing cosmetics on animals

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

(CNN) — Canada has moved to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals, joining a number of other countries and American states to outlaw the practice.The Canadian government announced the decision in a Tuesday news release. Bill C-47 amends the Food and Drugs Act to ban both the testing of cosmetic products on animals and the sale of products relying on animal testing data, according to the news release.The news release noted animal testing for cosmetics was “rarely conducted in Canada.”Canada will join the ranks of the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, which have all moved to ban cosmetic testing on animals, according to the release.A total of 44 countries have passed laws banning cosmetic animal testing, according to the Humane Society International. Additionally, 10 states in the US have banned the practice: New York, Virginia, California, Louisiana, New Jersey, Maine, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, and Maryland.“Protecting animals,...

Orioles outfielder Austin Hays exits game with bruised left hip after collision at first base

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

Orioles outfielder Austin Hays left Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins with a bruised left hip after colliding with first baseman Donovan Solano on a groundout.In the bottom of the second inning, Hays hit a ground ball to third baseman Jose Miranda, whose wide throw to first caused Solano to leap up the baseline. Running to the bag, Hays collided with Solano while he was mid-air, resulting in both players taking a moment on the dirt of the Camden Yards infield. While Twins teammates and coaches checked on Solano before he remained in the game, Hays returned to the dugout under his own power and played left field in the top of the third. Aaron Hicks replaced Hays in left for the top of the fourth.Hays, 27, has had an All-Star-caliber first half, entering the day ranked third in the American League with a .313 average while ranking in the top 10 in doubles, hits, slugging percentage and OPS. After Hays garnered a reputation as injury prone early in his career, it’s ...

Hike atop this extinct volcano in San Diego County

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- You don't have to jet set from San Diego to Hawaii to hike atop a volcano because there's remnants of one right here in San Diego County.A dog-friendly trail in east Carlsbad leads adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts alike around a 1.8-mile loop with plenty of sights to see along the way. 6 places to go kayaking in San Diego The beaten path can be found at Lake Calavera Open Space Preserve, which is home to a well kept non-swimming or boating lake that fuels wildlife in the area. It's also home to Mount Calavera, which rises to around 513 feet. What's especially unique about the area of Lake Calavera Trails, according to the City of Carlsbad, is that at one point there was a volcano here. In fact, Mount Calavera -- also known as Cerro de la Calavera -- is actually a volcanic plug reportedly created millions of years ago.These mountainous remnants of past volcanoes are created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano, according to the National Park ...

Israel to buy more F-35 fighter jets from US. Deal expands fleet by 50% and deepens partnership

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel will buy 25 F-35 aircraft from the United States, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced Sunday, in a deal that increases Israel’s arsenal of the stealth fighter jets by 50%.The F-35 is the world’s most advanced fighter jet, and Israel is the only country in the Middle East to fly them. The $3 billion purchase, which increases the Israeli fleet of F-35 jets from 50 to 75, is set to be finalized in the coming months, the ministry said. It said the deal would be financed through American military aid to Israel and that the maker of the plane, Lockheed Martin, and the maker of its engine, Pratt & Whitney, had committed to involving Israeli companies in the production process.“The new agreement will ensure the continuation of cooperation between American companies and Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft parts,” the statement read.The move to expand the Israeli arsenal comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel,...

Pope’s pick to handle sex abuse allegations has refused to believe some victims, US group says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

ROME (AP) — A U.S.-based group that tracks how the Catholic hierarchy deals with allegations of sexual abuse by clergy says Pope Francis made a “troubling” choice in appointing an Argentine prelate to a powerful Vatican office that handles such cases. On Saturday, the Vatican announced the pontiff had picked Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernández, archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, to head the Holy See’s watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy. Its mandate includes handling sex abuse allegations lodged against clergy. BishopAccountability.org, a 20-year-old Massachusetts organization that maintains an online archive of abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, said in a statement that the prelate in 2019 refused to believe victims who accused a priest in the La Plata archdiocese of sexually abusing boys. Francis “made a baffling and troubling choice,” the group said in statement emailed late Saturday in the U.S., citing how Fernández handled the case.“In his response to allegations, he s...

LIVE BLOG: Day 2 of NASCAR in Chicago: Loop 121 race canceled

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

Organizers are hoping the weather cooperates Sunday for Day 2 of NASCAR in Chicago.Torrential downpours have caused flooding issues throughout Chicago Sunday morning. Latest forecast updates here. Gates were scheduled to open at 9 a.m. but officials tweeted that it would be delayed due to weather. They opened at 10:15 a.m.Below are real-time updates on the course and timeline for Sunday12:41 p.m. — NASCAR has announced it is suspending the NASCAR Xfinity Series race due to weather.Organizers released a statement that said: “With standing water and flooding a significant issue at the racetrack and throughout the city, there was no option to return to racing prior to shifting to NASCAR Cup Series race operations. Throughout the entire planning process for the Chicago Street Race, our relationship with the City of Chicago has been strong and among the most valuable assets in reaching this historic weekend. In the spirit of that partnership, returning on Monday for the completion of a N...

Grandmother of French teen shot dead by police officer pleads with rioters to stop

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

PARIS (AP) — The grandmother of the French teenager shot dead by police during a traffic stop pleaded on Sunday with rioters to stop as the nation faced a sixth straight night of unrest, while authorities expressed outrage by the targeting of a mayor’s home with a burning car that injured family members.The grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel, identified only as Nadia, said in a telephone interview with French news broadcaster BFM TV, “Don’t break windows, buses ... schools. We want to calm things down.”She said she was angry at the officer who killed her grandson but not at the police in general and expressed faith in the justice system as France faces its worst social upheaval in years. Her grandson, identified by only his first name, was buried on Saturday.The violence appeared to be lessening. But as a new night approached, the office of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 45,000 police officers would again be deployed in the streets to counter anger over discrimination against ...

Powerball jackpot surpasses half a billion dollars: Can you increase your winning odds?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - For just the second time this year, a Powerball jackpot worth more than half a billion dollars is up for grabs after no ticket matched all six winning numbers drawn Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 4, 17, 35, 49, 61, and Powerball 8. Ahead of the next drawing, set for Monday night, Powerball officials say the jackpot has reached an estimated $522 million. This is now the second-largest Powerball jackpot of 2023. A Washington woman won a jackpot worth $754.6 million in February, pocketing the cash option of approximately $407.2 million. It stands as the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot in history and had been building since November 2022.  Why the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot winner only received $997.6 million as his payout The current $522 million jackpot has been growing since mid-April when a ticket sold in Ohio matched all six winning numbers for a jackpot worth $252.6 million. Though it has crossed the half-billion mark, the newest jac...

Catch this land-walking fish in Illinois? Don't toss it back - do this instead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - A new sighting of the so-called "Frankenfish" has prompted renewed warnings from wildlife officials that you shouldn’t just throw it back. While Frankenfish can conjure nightmarish images, it’s really a northern snakehead fish, or Channa argus. It may appear like a normal fish, but it has a special ability: it can breathe air, allowing it to slither onto land to find better water to swim in.If they are able to stay moist, the snakehead can survive for up to four days out of the water, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says. The freshwater fish is originally from East Asia and is considered invasive because it preys on and competes with native species, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center. Texas largemouth bass confirmed as world record catch The first discovery of the Frankenfish was in California in 1997, according to the U.S. Geological Society. Since then, the species has been observed ...