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Smashing the pomegranate: a jewel of a New Year tradition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

Have you ever seen those “enrichments” that zookeepers make for the animals? Essentially, they are puzzles filled with treats, and they’re meant to stimulate the animal’s brain in ways that mimic that of their non-captive brethren on the outside, encouraging behavior that would be natural if they lived in the wild. Foraging. Exploration. Problem solving.The first time I saw one, I laughed because it reminded me of eating pomegranates on the little TV tray mom would set over my lap. She’d cut the fruit in half for me, and I’d sit there for ages, happily occupied, digging all the gem-like arils out with my tiny, little fingers, eating as I went.This is why my jaw fell into my lap recently as I watched a YouTube video in which a woman (Dr. Iman Ahmad-Sediqe, I later learned) deseeds a pomegranate in under one minute using what she calls “a technique as old as the gentle fingers of my grandfather…” Ahmad-Sediqe is many things, including an Afghan food blogger whose content you can find ...

Where to get brunch New Years Day across San Diego County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- For those looking to ring in the New Year in all out brunch-style, San Diego County is the place to be.From bottomless mimosas to specially crafted avocado toast and an array of eggs benedict variations, local spots across the region will be welcoming brunch-goers on the first day of 2024.To help narrow down your options, FOX 5 has compiled a list of some brunch spots across the county. Here's a look at some tasty choices: 5 brunch spots with a view in San Diego North County-- High/Low (Oceanside): While taking in the views of the Oceanside Pier, this brunch spot serves up vegan banana pancakes, Hawaiian fried rice, and what they call the "Ultimate Oside Breakfast Burrito." For those looking to sip champagne, High/Low makes in-house fresh juices that should pair well.-- Dini's Bistro (Carlsbad): Peer out into the ocean while sipping on a Dini's Bloody Mary, which can be made "caliente-style" with jalapeno vodka and a tajin rim for those looking to start their year on...

Bills player Von Miller calls domestic abuse allegations made against him ‘100% false’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller on Thursday disputed the allegations of him assaulting the mother of his children, who is pregnant, by calling them “100% false” and “blown out of proportion.”In addressing the media for the first time since turning himself into police in suburban Dallas on Nov. 30, Miller acknowledged he and his girlfriend “have problems just like any couple does.” But he then stressed they have not involved “any of those things that was alleged against me.”“It’s overblown. I’ve got the right people on the job,” Miller said, referring to his attorneys. “I know who I am. I know my character. I know the type of person that I am. I know me and my girlfriend’s relationship.”The 34-year-old Miller faces a charge of third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman, which is punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He is free after posting a $5,000 bond. The woman and Miller have been in a relationship for seven years.Prosecutors in Dallas have provided...

Toronto woman charged after allegedly hitting parking officer with vehicle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

A Toronto woman is facing multiple charges after police allege a parking officer was hit by a vehicle while conducting enforcement in the city’s east end Wednesday evening.According to a statement issued by Toronto police, the incident happened at around 9:50 p.m. in the Wineva Avenue and Queen Street East area near Kew Gardens.The statement said the parking enforcement officer was on patrol when they came across a vehicle illegally stopped. It said the officer asked a woman to move her vehicle. Related: What we witnessed on a ride-along with a Toronto parking officer It’s alleged the accused refused to move the vehicle before reversing, driving forward “intentionally striking” the officer and then taking off.The parking officer was treated for minor injuries.The woman, identified by Toronto police as 29-year-old Neya Ahmed, was later arrested and charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, dangerous operation of a conveyance, and ...

Canada to offer humanitarian visas to those fleeing Sudan if relatives pay costs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

Ottawa is offering a lifeline to people fleeing an escalating civil war in Sudan if they have relatives in Canada who agree to financially support them.Immigration Minister Marc Miller says this new humanitarian pathway is for both Sudanese citizens and other foreign citizens who lived in Sudan when conflict broke out in mid-April.The program applies to people who are either a child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.Those relatives have to agree to financially support them, though Ottawa has not said how much money this will require.People must apply for the program and complete the typical security and biometric screening used for visa applicants, such as fingerprinting. Duelling militias began a civil war in Sudan this spring that has caused some five million people to flee, including many who were refugees from neighbouring countries.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023.Dylan Robertson, The Canad...

Woman sues dentist after 4 root canals, 8 dental crowns and 20 fillings in a single visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota woman has sued her dentist after receiving four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings in a single visit that she says led to her disfigurement. Kathleen Wilson filed the lawsuit last week in Hennepin County District Court, accusing Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, of providing negligent treatment in July 2020 that caused significant injuries to Wilson, along with providing an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to cover it up, the Star Tribune reported.Molldrem and his attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday. According to the Star Tribune, Wilson’s legal team retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Florida, to provide an expert opinion and review Wilson’s medical records from Molldrem and subsequent providers. Goldstein’s Nov. 14 report identified various duty-of-care breaches.Goldstei...

Alabama coaches don’t want players watching film on tablets out of fear of sign stealing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alabama is covering every angle when it comes to preparing for Monday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Michigan at the Rose Bowl.That includes making sure their equipment and films do not get hacked in the wake of the Wolverines’ sign-stealing allegations from earlier this season.Wide receiver Isaiah Bond and running back Jase McClellan said Thursday that watching film has been restricted to only as a group and with coaches at team facilities.McLellan also said that players are not receiving practice film directly on their iPads, and that only coaches are receiving it.Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three regular-season games by the Big Ten Conference due to a sign-stealing scheme.Harbaugh denied any role or knowledge in the scheme. Connor Stallions, a former Michigan staff member, was considered one of the leaders of the operation and resigned.The NCAA does not prohibit sign stealing. However, it does not allow...

Venezuela will hold military exercises off its shores as a British warship heads to Guyana

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro ordered Venezuela’s armed forces to conduct defensive exercises in the Eastern Caribbean after the United Kingdom sent a warship toward Guyana’s territorial waters as the South American neighbors dispute a large border region. In a nationally televised address on Thursday, Maduro said that 6,000 Venezuelan troops, including air and naval forces, will conduct joint operations off the nation’s eastern coast — near the border with Guyana.Maduro described the impending arrival of British ship HMS Trent to Guyana’s shores as a “threat” to his country. He argued the ship’s deployment violates a recent agreement between the South American nations.“We believe in diplomacy, in dialogue and in peace, but no one is going to threaten Venezuela,” Maduro said in a room where he was accompanied by a dozen military commanders. “This is an unacceptable threat to any sovereign country in Latin America.”Venezuela and Guyana are currently involved ...

Russian poet receives 7-year prison sentence for reciting verses against war in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

A Russian poet was given a 7-year prison sentence Thursday for reciting verses against Russia’s war in Ukraine, a tough punishment that comes during a relentless Kremlin crackdown on dissent.Moscow’s Tverskoi District Court convicted Artyom Kamardin on charges of making calls undermining national security and inciting hatred, which related to him reading his anti-war poems during a street performance in downtown Moscow in September 2022.Yegor Shtovba, who participated in the event and recited Kamardin’s verses, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years on the same charges.The gathering next to the monument to poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was held days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilization of 300,000 reservists amid Moscow’s military setbacks in Ukraine. The widely unpopular move prompted hundreds of thousands to flee Russia to avoid being recruited into the military.Police swiftly dispersed the performance and soon arrested Kamardin and several other participa...

Quebec reaches tentative deal on salaries with union representing 420K workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:48:30 GMT

MONTREAL — An alliance of Quebec unions representing 420,000 public sector workers says it has reached a deal on salaries with the provincial government.The deal, which has to be approved by members, paves the way to ending the labour conflict with the so-called “common front” — the largest labour group negotiating new collective agreements.Four major unions compose the common front — FTQ, CSN, APTS and CSQ — and they represent hundreds of thousands of workers in sectors such as education and health care.Earlier this week, the government reached a tentative agreement with the common front on working conditions.In a news release, the common front says the tentative deal will be presented over the coming days to its member groups, which will decide whether to take the agreement to workers for a vote.The common front has launched 11 days of strikes since November to pressure the government to reach a deal.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023. ...