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Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia has made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm on Wednesday and threatens to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall.Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. The result could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend.Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region as a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, threatening deadly storm surges and destruc...

Stunning new images reveal Ring Nebula in unprecedented detail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

(CNN) — The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed colorful new portraits of the iconic Ring Nebula.The new images capture the complex details of the planetary nebula, an enormous cloud of cosmic gas and dust that’s home to the remnants of a dying star.The two images were taken in different wavelengths of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, using instruments on the space observatory. Webb previously captured a different perspective on the Ring Nebula, as well as the similar-looking Southern Ring Nebula.A longtime favorite of astronomers, the Ring Nebula has been studied for years due to its observability and the insight it can provide into the lifetime of stars. It is located in the Lyra constellation more than 2,000 light-years from Earth, but on clear evenings during the summer, sky gazers using binoculars can see it.Planetary nebulae, which have nothing to do with planets despite the name, usually have a rounded structure and were so named because they initially...

Hurricane Idalia threatens Southern Georgia, poses flash flooding peril for the Carolinas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

As Hurricane Idalia intensifies, Southern Georgia is bracing for impact as the storm advances with the potential to strike. Forecasters predict its trajectory will then take it through the coastal areas of the Carolinas, where residents are hunkering down for a deluge of heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding. The looming threat of strong winds and the specter of waterlogged landscapes have prompted communities to ramp up their preparations.Charleston, a coastal city familiar with the unpredictability of hurricane season, is no stranger to the ritual of stocking up on essential supplies. From batteries to flashlights, homeowners are diligently acquiring the tools needed to weather the impending storm. Amidst the array of preparations, one particular set of items is seeing heightened demand—anchors and straps designed to secure structures in place during the tempest.Local hardware store owner, Joe Westbury, described the surge in interest. “Now that’s a 30-inch double ...

Soldiers stage coup in Gabon, in sign of fresh instability in Africa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

Military officers in Gabon say they have seized power and put President Ali Bongo under house arrest in what would be Africa’s eighth coup in three years. Earlier, official results showed Bongo won a third term in office following the country’s election on Saturday. But on Wednesday, soldiers announced the cancellation of the result, and the dissolution of the country’s institutions, amid reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville. “We are putting an end to the current regime,” the soldiers said, according to AFP.In a later television appearance, coup leaders said that Bongo had been placed under house arrest and that his son had been arrested.According to the country’s electoral commission, Bongo won the general election in the oil-rich central African nation with over 64 percent of the vote. But concerns were raised about the fairness of the election when the government cut internet access and imposed a nighttime curfew after the vote.Bongo’s family hav...

Showers to Stunning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

Safe to say it’s a murky, muggy and mild start with temps kicking off this Wednesday morning near 70 and dew points right there as well. With so much low level humidity, it’s been easy for locally dense fog to form. The fog is with us through mid morning as well as scattered showers. The showers early to mid morning are light, but the potential for late morning and early afternoon showers and storms to drop localized downpours is there. Some breaks of sun by mid afternoon are likely as we start to dry out heading toward the evening commute. We really dry out tonight as humidity crashes and a comfy mid to late September fell to the air takes over tomorrow. The crisp air lasts into Saturday morning, then the warm-up is on. We’ll reach to low 80s Saturday, mid 80s Sunday and likely upper 80s Labor Day. It’ll be a bit cooler, 70s to near 80 at the beaches. The pattern looks mostly dry too from Thursday – next Tuesday, although there’s a small chance t...

Man admits stabbing US intelligence agent working at Britain’s cyberespionage agency

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A former U.K. intelligence worker accused of stabbing an American woman stationed at Britain’s cyberespionage agency pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attempted murder.Joshua Bowles, 29, admitted attacking the victim on March 9 in the western England town of Cheltenham, home to the electronic spy agency GCHQ.He allegedly punched and stabbed the woman as she left a leisure center about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from GCHQ headquarters after playing netball. The victim was treated in a hospital for multiple stab wounds.Bowles also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man who tried to intervene.Prosecutors said Bowles worked at GCHQ until late 2022 and in early 2023 began researching the victim online. They said the victim, who was identified in court only by the number 99230, was a United States government employee stationed at GCHQ. British media reported that she works for the National Security Agency.“The defendant has selected the victim because he believed she is a worker for ...

After Tesla relaxes monitoring of drivers using its Autopilot technology, US regulators seek answers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is letting some drivers use its Autopilot driver-assist system for extended periods without making them put their hands on the steering wheel, a development that has drawn concern from U.S. safety regulators.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla to tell the agency how many vehicles have received a software update making that possible and it’s seeking more information on what the electric vehicle maker’s plans are for wider distribution.“NHTSA is concerned that this feature was introduced to consumer vehicles and, now that the existence of this feature is known to the public, more drivers may attempt to activate it,” John Donaldson, the agency’s acting chief counsel, wrote in a July 26 letter to Tesla that was posted Wednesday on the agency’s website. “The resulting relaxation of controls designed to ensure that the driver remain engaged in the dynamic driving task could lead to greater driver inattention and...

Russia says major Ukraine drone attack reaches deep into its territory while Kyiv barrage kills 2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine sent waves of drones deep into western Russia in nighttime attacks that lasted more than four hours and struck military assets, Russian officials and media reports said Wednesday.The drones hit an airport near Russia’s border with Estonia and Latvia, causing a huge blaze and damaging four Il-76 military transport planes, which can carry heavy machinery and troops, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.With at least six regions of Russia targeted, the barrage appeared to be the most extensive Ukrainian drone attack on Russian soil since the war began 18 months ago. The Kremlin has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian military of cross-border incursions on the Belgorod region of Russia and of launching drones toward Moscow. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who usually refuse to take responsibility for any attacks inside Russia. The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, hit Ukraine’s capital with drones and missiles ...

Hungary’s Orbán urges US to ‘call back Trump’ to end Ukraine war in Tucker Carlson interview

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, said in a sprawling interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the only path to ending the war in Ukraine would be the reelection of Donald Trump to the presidency. In the interview, posted Wednesday on Carlson’s page on X, formerly known as Twitter, Orbán praised Trump’s foreign policy while blasting the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and its approach to the war. He said that Trump’s return to office would be “the only way out” of the conflict, and that any suggestion that Kyiv could win the war against Russia was “a lie.”“The Russians are far stronger, far more numerous than the Ukrainians,” Orbán said. “Call back Trump. … Trump is the man who can save the Western world.”The 30-minute video interview, filmed Aug. 21 on the opulent terrace of the prime minister’s office overlooking Budapest, was the second in two years between Carlson and the right-wing leader. Wh...

Witnesses claim teen injured on CNE’s Polar Express stood up on moving ride

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:29 GMT

The popular Polar Express ride at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) remains closed after a rider was thrown from the attraction earlier this week.Emergency crews were called to Exhibition Place around 9:25 p.m. Monday for reports of someone injured in the midway. A man was taken to hospital by paramedics and police say he suffered a concussion after being tossed from a ride.CityNews has learned the injured victim is an 18-year-old man and witnesses are saying he may have acted recklessly on the ride before being ejected.Some bystanders who were at the CNE on Monday night say it appeared that the young man tried to stand up on the Polar Express while it was moving at high speed. He was ejected from the ride as he attempted to get out of his seat.“It looks like he undid his seatbelt to stand up,” says one woman who witnessed the incident, speaking to CityNews. “If it was a malfunction more people would have gotten hurt. It was only one.”The police tape is ...