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Netanyahu’s office says his security Cabinet has approved ceasefire deal with Hezbollah [Video]

Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.Israeli warplanes meanwhile carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday.Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced.Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement good news and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza.An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt.Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year.Israel says it will attack with might if Hezbollah breaks truceNetanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israels enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups.If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack, he said. For every violation, we will attack with might.The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides compliance.Video below: US State Department says ‘significant progress’ made in Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire talksBut implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal.Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.Netanyahus office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form.After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials, Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollahs political council, told the Al Jazeera news network.We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state. of Lebanon, he said. Any violation of sovereignty is refused.Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbsEven as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollahs military capabilities.An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the citys downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said.Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure.Israel also struck a building in Beirut’s bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanons Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties.The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah’s financial arm.The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel.Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered.UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate.Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern LebanonThe Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border.Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since.Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members.Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the countrys north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.___Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, and Aamer Madhani in Washington, contributed.

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As Arctic climate warms, even Santa runs short of snow [Video]

With a month to go until Christmas, Santa Claus is busy preparing, but the warming climate and lack of snow in his Arctic hometown have him worried. By this time of year, the town of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland — marketed by tourism officials since the 1980s as the “real” home of Santa Claus —

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Louisiana 51st Annual Bayou classic: tickets, parking, events [Video]

The Bayou Classic is celebrating 51 years of a historical football rivalry between the Southern University Jaguars and the Grambling State Tigers. The event brings thousands of people to New Orleans every Thanksgiving weekend. Here is everything you need to know about the 51st Annual Bayou Classic. 51st Annual Bayou Classic: Southern vs. GramblingThe Bayou Classic football game will be played at the Caesars Superdome Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. and doors for the game open at 11 a.m. The Southern University Jaguars will be the home team and sitting on the west side section near 129-156 of the Superdome. The Grambling State Tigers will be the visiting team and sitting on the east side section near 101-128. All bags are prohibited except for clear vinyl bags no larger than 12′ wide x 12′ height x 6′ deep. Cash is not accepted at the Superdome. Rideshare is encouraged but for people who are driving it is encouraged to purchase parking ahead of the event. Parking can be purchased on the Parkwhiz website. Tickets for the game are still available. To purchase tickets, click one of the links below:TicketmasterStubhubSeat GeekVivid SeatsTicket CityTickPickGametimeGreek Show and Battle of the BandsThe Greek Show and Battle of the Bands will be held on Friday, Nov. 29, at the Caesars Superdome. The show starts at 6 p.m. and doors open at 5 p.m. The Southern University “Human Jukebox” marching band will be on the south end zone of the Superdome. The Grambling University Tiger marching band will be on the north end zone side of the Superdome. Tickets for the Battle of the Bands and Greek Show are available on the Ticketmaster website. Annual Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Day ParadeThe Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Day parade will be held on Thursday, Nov. 28, at 3 p.m. Downtown. The parade will start at the Caesar Superdome on Poydras Street and end at Poydras Street and Loyola Avenue. You can download the WDSU Parade Tracker app to track the parade. Annual Bayou Classic Fan Festival Before the game, fans can enjoy Bayou Classic festivities at Champions Square at the Superdome. The fan festival is from 9 a.m. and ends at 12 p.m. It is free and open to all. The Bayou Classic fan fest will feature entertainment from Rick Ross, Subtweet Shawn, Webbie, Snug, T99zy and more. Information on Bayou Classic, other events, parking and tickets can be found on the Bayou Classic website.