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Good news: We’re finally finding new antibiotics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn’t mean that’s all the world is.In today’s Big Story Podcast, “superbugs” are antibiotic resistant bacteria that have for years now been winning the war against medicine. Part of that is because we haven’t been able to find any new drugs that work against them. But a new antibiotic, and a new way of funding the creation of these drugs, may have just swung the war drastically in humanity’s favour.Dr. Gerry Wright is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. “Zoliflodacin is really a great good news story in that it’s among the first new […] antibiotics that we’ve seen probably since the 1980s. So, you know, remember, heavy metal and big ...

What’s open and closed in Toronto over Christmas holidays 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

Christmas Day lands on Monday this year, which means an extra long weekend for many, including some businesses and services.Most city-run skating rinks will remain open through the holidays, including Nathan Phillips Square and the Bentway. Full schedules for city-run rinks can be found here.Most major movie theatres will operate every day through Christmas.Here is what else is open and closed in Toronto:AttractionsIn Toronto, almost all attractions will be closed on Christmas Day and open on Boxing Day.Exceptions include the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and the Toronto Zoo, which will remain open every day over the holidays.CN Tower on Dec. 25 – 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Ripley’s Aquarium on Dec. 25 – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Toronto Zoo on Dec. 25 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.WinterFest at Canada’s Wonderland will be closed on Christmas Eve, in addition to Christmas Day.BanksSunday, Dec. 24 – Most locations CLOSED; check your local branchMonday, Dec. 25 – CLOSEDTuesday, D...

Christian group and family raise outcry over detention of another ‘house church’ elder in China

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Ding Zhongfu was awakened by loud pounding on his door. Five policemen greeted Ding, an elder in a Chinese church.The officers pinned him to the wall that Thursday morning in November and interrogated him while searching the apartment he shared with his wife, Ge Yunxia, and their 6-year old daughter.Ding’s family now pleads for his release after he was taken from his home in China’s central Anhui province on suspicion of fraud. In their first public comments on the case, the family denies that Ding committed any fraud.Instead, they told The Associated Press in an interview, it is part of a wider crackdown on religious freedoms in China.Four others were detained, all senior members of the Ganquan church, a name that means “Sweet Spring,” according to the family. All were taken on suspicion of fraud, according to a bulletin from the church.“Under the fabricated charge of ‘fraud,’ many Christians faced harsh persecution,” said Bob Fu, the founder ...

A top French TV personality receives a preliminary charge of rape and abusing authority

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France’s most famous TV presenter has been handed a preliminary charge of rape by a person abusing his authority as authorities investigate complaints by about 20 women who have accused him of sexual misconduct over decades.Patrick Poivre d’Arvor denies wrongdoing, and has sued 16 of his accusers. A revered personality who hosted France’s most popular news program for more than two decades, he insists the sexual encounters were consensual.The prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Wednesday that Poivre d’Arvor was given preliminary charges of rape by a person abusing his authority for alleged actions dating from 2009. He was also named as an ‘’assisted witness’’ in another alleged rape from 2004.Both incidents involved author Florence Porcel, who filed legal complaints in 2021. The Associated Press generally does not identify those who say they have been victims of sexual wrongdoing, except when they publicly identify themselves.Under French law, preli...

US defense secretary makes unannounced visit to USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier defending Israel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

ABOARD THE USS GERALD R. FORD (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin flew out to the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier Wednesday to meet with the sailors he has ordered to remain at sea to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spilling over into a deadlier regional conflict. Austin was in the region to press Israel to shift its bombardment of Gaza to a more limited campaign and more quickly transition to address Palestinian civilians’ dire humanitarian needs. At the same time, the U.S. has been concerned that Israel will launch a similar military operation along its northern border with Lebanon to expel Hezbollah militants there, potentially opening a second front and widening the war. At a news conference in Tel Aviv on Monday, Austin didn’t say whether U.S. troops might be further extended to defend Israel if its campaign expands into Lebanon, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant seemed to tone down recent rhetoric that a northern front was imminent, deferring to dipl...

Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka confronted by a fan on the field at Chelsea

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was confronted by a fan who ran onto the field during the English League Cup quarterfinal match at Chelsea. The supporter appeared to collide with Dubravka after Mykhailo Mudryk scored a stoppage-time equalizer for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. He then evaded a steward as he ran back into the crowd. Police and Chelsea are reportedly investigating the incident.The match ended 1-1 and Chelsea advanced to the semifinals after winning a penalty shootout 4-2. Afterward both managers voiced their concerns about player safety. “We need to be careful. The fans need to be careful with this type of thing because it’s a thing that can put in danger the players,” Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “I’m disappointed. I don’t agree with this type of thing that happened here in Stamford Bridge and in other stadiums in England or around the world. It’s always disappointing with this type of thing because it’s dangerous.”...

Study shows AI image-generators being trained on explicit photos of children

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

Hidden inside the foundation of popular artificial intelligence image-generators are thousands of images of child sexual abuse, according to a new report that urges companies to take action to address a harmful flaw in the technology they built.Those same images have made it easier for AI systems to produce realistic and explicit imagery of fake children as well as transform social media photos of fully clothed real teens into nudes, much to the alarm of schools and law enforcement around the world.Until recently, anti-abuse researchers thought the only way that some unchecked AI tools produced abusive imagery of children was by essentially combining what they’ve learned from two separate buckets of online images — adult pornography and benign photos of kids. But the Stanford Internet Observatory found more than 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse in the giant AI database LAION, an index of online images and captions that’s been used to train leading AI image-ma...

Suspicious activity reporting drops in Texas for 2nd year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the wake of mass shootings in recent years, Texas’ highest leaders have touted iWatchTexas as a critical statewide tool for reporting suspicious activity, alerting law enforcement to potential violence. Despite promotional efforts, total annual reports have dwindled for the past two years, according to records obtained by KXAN.KXAN revisited the usage of iWatch following the Dec. 5 killing spree that left six dead in Austin and San Antonio. The suspected shooter, 34-year-old Shane James, was known to law enforcement in San Antonio. He had mental health crisis interactions with police, cut off an ankle monitor and had active warrants for family violence, court documents said. Yet, it remains unclear if James was on the radar of intelligence analysts that monitor suspicious activity reports.The Texas Suspicious Activity Reporting Network is a statewide hub for receiving, analyzing and responding to reports of terrorism, school safety and other crime issues, accordin...

5 things to know this Wednesday, December 20

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy humpday! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, we can expect temperatures in the 40s with sunshine before nightfall. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! On December 18 at around 4:39 a.m., a car flipped onto its roof and into several feet of water in a ditch off of I-690 eastbound. The driver, identified as 44-year-old ​Udayabhanu Anjanappilly of Cohoes, crashed between the Midler and Thompson Road exits in Syracuse. Also, Nelson Patino was sentenced Tuesday for killing his wife and son and injuring his other son. It happened two years ago in Duanesburg. In October, Patino was found guilty of six charges. The jury handed down the verdict following a day-long deliberation. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Wednesday morning. 1. Cohoes driver dies after car flip near SyracuseOn December 18 at around 4:39 a.m., a car flipped onto its roof and into several feet of water in a d...

Man hospitalized after house fire in Maryville, Illinois

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:35:21 GMT

MARYVILLE, Ill. - Another fire broke out Wednesday morning; this one was in Maryville, Illinois.It started at an apartment on Patty Drive around 3:00 a.m. Firefighters said that the flames started in the back of the building. An older man was taken to the hospital. Stolen car seen in Central West End belongs to long-time police officer There was no word on his condition on Wednesday morning. The state fire marshal is looking into the cause.FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.