General news

• UK exporters still struggling with post-Brexit rules, says trade body

  22-12-2024 23:30 via theguardian.com
  
  British Chambers of Commerce asks for policy ‘reset’ after poll finds companies want greater flexibilityMany exporters are still struggling with post-Brexit trading rules, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has said, as it urges the government to press ahead with an EU “reset” in the new year.In a survey of more than 1,000 of its member companies, the BCC found just 15% said the trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) with the EU, signed by Boris Johnson on Christmas Ev
  
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• Immediate fire threat moves to NSW as Victoria continues to battle Grampians blaze

  22-12-2024 23:29 via theguardian.com
  Authorities warn travellers and tourists to be alert to emergency warnings with extreme fire danger forecast over much of NSW, Victoria, WA and SAGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMillions of residents and travellers across several states have been warned to stay alert as the risk of Christmas week bushfires intensify.Several states entered Monday battling dangerous blazes or warning of potential outbreaks, including New South Wales, with hot, dry and windy conditions ex
  
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• John Pesutto facing Friday leadership spill as Victorian Liberals pull forward party room meeting

  22-12-2024 23:23 via theguardian.com
  State opposition leader in the crosshairs as party splits over ‘desperate’ backflip on Moira Deeming readmissionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, will face a leadership spill on Friday, with Berwick MP Brad Battin emerging as his most likely challenger.Battin and Liberal MPs Sam Groth, James Newbury, Richard Riordan and Bridget Vallence on Sunday called a party room meeting for Friday, where Guardian Australia un
  
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• Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

  22-12-2024 23:11 via foxnews.com
  
  Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. The island proudly proclaims itself as having the "longest holiday season in the world," according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. HOW TO SAY ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ IN 10 LANGUAGES TO FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLDThe holiday season in Puerto R
  
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• More than 170 snowboarders and skiers rescued after Colorado ski lift cracks

  22-12-2024 23:04 via theguardian.com
  
  Officials investigate cause of crack after ski patrolers use rope to lower 174 people to ground at Winter Park ResortA crack in a Colorado ski lift forced the evacuation of more than 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders on Saturday, with people riding the gondolas lowered down by ropes over the course of hours.Officials are still investigating what cause the gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 70 miles (113km) west of Denver, to crack. The lift automatically stopped when it detected the cr
  
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• At least 10 killed in plane crash in Brazilian mountain resort

  22-12-2024 22:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Crash in Gramado kills all passengers and crew onboard, with more than a dozen people also injured on the groundA small plane crashed into a Brazilian town popular with tourists on Sunday, killing all 10 passengers on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, Brazil’s Civil Defense Agency said.In a post on X, the agency said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a nearby building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential n
  
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• Joe Manchin warns Democratic party is ‘toxic’ as he steps down from US Senate

  22-12-2024 22:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Lifelong Democrat who became independent gives series of warnings to former party and predicts US ‘is not going left’US senator Joe Manchin, a lifelong Democrat who left the party earlier this year to become an independent and is now stepping down from the Senate after 15 years, issued a series of warnings on Sunday to members of his former party.“The D-brand has been so maligned from the standpoint of – it’s just, it’s toxic,” Manchin told CNN, saying h
  
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• What's in the approved government funding bill

  22-12-2024 19:48 via abcnews.go.com
  
  After days of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill, the House passed its funding bill to prevent a government shutdown Friday night.
  
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• US shoots down two of its own navy pilots over Red Sea in ‘apparent friendly fire’ incident

  22-12-2024 19:29 via theguardian.com
  Pilots recovered alive – one with minor injuries – after ejecting from fighter jet as US military says its guided missile cruiser ‘mistakenly’ fired on the F/A-18Two US navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in an “apparent case of friendly fire”, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in more than a year of the country targeting Yemen’s Houthis.Both pilots were rescued alive after ejecting from their st
  
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• Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Ukraine’s diplomats to fight for Nato membership

  22-12-2024 18:08 via theguardian.com
  
  Comments come after Vladimir Putin threatens ‘more destruction’ in response to Kazan drone attackVolodymyr Zelenskyy has told Ukraine’s diplomats the country will have to fight to persuade allies to allow it to take up Nato membership, but has described the goal as “achievable” as it searches for security guarantees to protect it from Russia.The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has vowed to bring more “destruction” to Ukraine after a devastating drone
  
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• Magdeburg Christmas market attack: authorities received warnings about suspect

  22-12-2024 17:39 via theguardian.com
  
  German government to investigate whether more could have been done to prevent car attack that killed fiveThe German government has vowed to investigate whether a Christmas market car attack that killed five people and injured 200 could have been prevented, after it emerged that authorities had received multiple warnings about the suspect.Amid mounting criticism of Germany’s security apparatus, the interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said on Sunday that the heads of the domestic and foreign in
  
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• Democratic Sen. Fetterman: ‘I’m not rooting against’ Trump

  22-12-2024 17:22 via abcnews.go.com
  
  “If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation,” the Pennsylvania Democratic senator told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
  
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• Middle East crisis: families scavenging for food scraps in Khan Younis, says Unrwa – as it happened

  22-12-2024 16:50 via theguardian.com
  
  ‘Every day we see people scavenging through trash looking for food or material to burn for warmth,’ says UN agency spokespersonTurkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has met with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al Sharaa - also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golan - in Damascus, Turkey’s foreign ministry has said. No further details were provided. Fidan said yesterday that Turkey will do “whatever it takes” to ensure its security if the new Syrian administratio
  
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• Spain’s huge Christmas lottery spreads riches worth almost €3bn

  22-12-2024 15:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Top prize, known as El Gordo or the Fat One, won by ticket holders in the northern city of LogroñoPlayers with winning tickets in Spain’s huge Christmas lottery draw celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs on Sunday in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the festive season.The total prize pot in the state-run national lottery event reached €2.71bn (£2.25bn) this year, slightly more than last year’s €2.59bn Continue reading...
  
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• Time for the Swedish chef: Ikea’s furniture profits are down in Australia, but food sales are booming

  22-12-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Retailer reports 5% growth in restaurant and food business, with affordable meals attracting Australians feeling the pinchGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s not unusual for a trip through one of Ikea’s labyrinthine stores to end with a $2 hotdog, but more Australians are skipping the flat-pack furniture altogether and heading straight to the dining section.Ikea is seeing more growth from its in-store restaurants and food offerings than its home furnishing
  
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• Serbian schools to close early for winter break amid anti-corruption protests

  22-12-2024 14:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Vučić government seeks to stop unrest over Novi Sad canopy collapse spreading to secondary education sectorSchools across Serbia will close for the winter holidays a week earlier than planned this year as the government of the nationalist president, Aleksandar Vučić, seeks to stop anti-corruption protests that have gripped universities from spreading to the secondary education sector.The education minister, Slavica Đukić Dejanović, announced on Friday that prim
  
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• Wife of US hostage Keith Siegel pleads for holiday miracle: 'we need to get them back'

  22-12-2024 10:00 via foxnews.com
  
  FIRST ON FOX - Aviva Siegel, the wife of American hostage Kieth Siegel and a former hostage herself, is pleading with everyone and anyone involved in the hostage negotiations to get her husband, and the others, freed from Hamas captivity after they have spent more than 440 days in deplorable conditions. "Hamas released a video of Keith, and I just saw the picture," Aviva told Fox News Digital in an emotional interview in reference to a video Hamas released in April. "He looks terrible. His
  
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• Mozambique on edge before ruling on disputed election results

  22-12-2024 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Final outcome expected after rigging allegations, weeks of protests and crackdown in which dozens have been killedMozambique is on edge ahead of a ruling expected on Monday to determine the final results of October’s disputed elections, after allegations of rigging triggered weeks of protests in which security forces have killed dozens of people.The opposition presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has threatened “chaos” if the constitutional council confirms the initia
  
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• Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent 'friendly fire' incident: US military

  22-12-2024 08:13 via foxnews.com
  
  Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in what appeared to be "friendly fire", the U.S. military said.The pilots were found alive after they ejected from their aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries.The incident demonstrates the pervasive dangers in the Red Sea corridor amid ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, even as U.S. and European military coalitions patrol the area.The U.S. military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi reb
  
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• Let China build electric cars in UK, Tory ex-chancellor tells Rachel Reeves ahead of trade trip

  22-12-2024 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Despite ‘spy’ scandal, Philip Hammond says Britain should now adopt a ‘pragmatic approach to Beijing’China should be encouraged to build electric cars and renewable energy technology in the UK as part of a new pragmatic trading relationship that would benefit both countries, a former Tory chancellor has said ahead of a landmark visit by Rachel Reeves to Beijing early in the new year.Philip Hammond, who was chancellor from 2016 to 2019, and the last UK minister to take par
  
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• ‘She should have a bit of me’: the Dutch mothers fighting for their children to carry their surname

  22-12-2024 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Women are challenging the law that prevents them giving their kids both family names without father’s consentWhen 43-year-old Rebecca Lee took her birth mother’s Korean surname, it was a revelation. “I was adopted and got a Dutch name but I never felt completely Dutch,” she says. “When, a few years ago, I first went to Korea, things fell into place. You don’t just go ‘one, two, three’ and change your name, but now I feel more whole.”The entre
  
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• Photographs reveal first glimpse of uncontacted Amazon community

  22-12-2024 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Automatic cameras in the Brazilian rainforest show images of the Massaco people, who are flourishing despite environmental threatsRead more on this story: New images show Brazil’s uncontacted people are thriving – but with success comes a new threatRemarkable images taken by automatic cameras in the Brazilian rainforest reveal an isolated community that appears to be thriving despite pressure from ranchers and illegal encroachment into the Amazon.The pictures, of a group o
  
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• Body found in same Austin lake where 6 other deceased individuals were found in 2024

  22-12-2024 05:56 via foxnews.com
  
  Another body was found in the popular Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, where other deceased individuals were found recently.The latest body found joins the growing mystery after at least 6 additional bodies were found throughout the year in the lake in 2024. On Friday, police were called to investigate reports of a dead person in the water near 1st Street Bridge and the 300 block of Cesar Chavez.The Austin Police Department (APD) said that they do not suspect foul play as the body showed no sign
  
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• Suspect shot, killed after driving truck into Texas mall in incident that left at least 5 injured: police

  22-12-2024 05:05 via foxnews.com
  
  At least five people were injured, and a suspect was killed, after a man drove his pickup truck through the glass doors of a J.C. Penney in a mall in Texas, police said.The incident happened on Saturday evening, just days before Christmas, at the Killeen Mall in Killeen, Texas – which is about 70 miles north of Austin.In a press conference on Saturday evening, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bryan Washko said that the truck was driven "several hundred yards" through the entrance of
  
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• Vanuatu hit by another earthquake as hundreds of Australians return home

  22-12-2024 03:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Magnitude 6.1 quake shakes country’s main island as RAAF flights carrying 144 passengers land in Brisbane and SydneyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVanuatu has been hit by another earthquake after hundreds of Australians landed on home soil from the islands and the federal government announced a new round of financial assistance.The latest magnitude 6.1 quake shook buildings on the country’s main island at 2.30am on Sunday after it struck 30km west of the c
  
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• Ferry capsizes in Congo killing 38 and leaving 100 more missing

  22-12-2024 03:52 via theguardian.com
  
  The sinking comes less than four days after another boat capsized in the country’s north-east, leaving 25 people deadA ferry overloaded with people returning home for Christmas capsized on the Busira River in north-eastern Congo, leaving 38 people confirmed dead and more than 100 others missing, officials and eyewitnesses said on Saturday.Twenty people have been rescued so far. Continue reading...
  
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• Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes eases ankle injury concerns, sets personal rushing mark on touchdown run

  22-12-2024 03:16 via foxnews.com
  
  The status of Patrick Mahomes' ankle was widely discussed leading up to Saturday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.While there was some doubt during the week whether the star quarterback would play against the Texans, he was able to fully get through the Chiefs' practice Thursday. Mahomes was cleared to play and finished Saturday's 27-19 victory over Houston with 260 passing yards.But the three-time Super Bowl winner turned some heads when he managed to stay on his fe
  
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• Report highlights prevalence of DEI at Ivy League institutions: 'Dominant ideology'

  22-12-2024 03:02 via foxnews.com
  
  FIRST ON FOX: The Equal Protection Project, founded and led by Cornell professor William Jacobson, has released a deep-dive report on the prevalence of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training at Ivy League universities.In his comprehensive report, "Poison Ivies: DEI and the Downfall of the Ivy League," Jacobson examines programs the eight Ivy League institutions use and require for students."The review of Ivy League practices by our CriticalRace.org project reflects substantial
  
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• Pope to skip outdoor Sunday prayer after catching cold days ahead of Christmas Eve, Day Masses

  22-12-2024 02:48 via foxnews.com
  
  The pope has contracted a cold and will skip his usual outdoor Sunday prayer, instead giving the blessing indoors just days ahead of his Christmas Eve and Day Masses, the Vatican said Saturday. Chilly weather and the pope’s busy schedule during Christmas week were cited as reasons for the 88-year-old giving the blessing from his residence at the chapel of the Vatican's Santa Marta quarters.The pope usually addresses the public from the window of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking
  
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• US launches airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen

  22-12-2024 02:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Military says the strikes aim to ‘disrupt and degrade’ Houthi operations such as attacks against US navy warships and merchant vesselsThe US military said it conducted precision airstrikes on Saturday against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.In a statement, the US military’s Central Command said the strikes aimed to “disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks ag
  
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• Ravens take down Steelers to keep AFC North race open

  22-12-2024 02:16 via foxnews.com
  
  The Baltimore Ravens punched their ticket to the postseason and kept their hopes for a division title alive Saturday. With a 34-17 win over the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore could reclaim first place in the final two weeks. Pittsburgh (10-5) would have clinched the division with a victory, but now the teams are deadlocked after the Ravens (10-5) won for just the second time in the last 10 games of the series. Baltimore clinched a playoff berth with the win. The Ste
  
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• Texas holds off Clemson's comeback to advance in College Football Playoff

  22-12-2024 02:01 via foxnews.com
  
  It seems like the Texas Longhorns got rid of the sour taste from a SEC title game loss.The Longhorns dropped the conference championship two weeks ago, while their opponent, 12-seeded Clemson, was riding high after winning the ACC.The fifth-seeded Longhorns came away with a 38-24 victory to advance past the first round of the College Football Playoff.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMIt was the Tigers who struck first with a touchdown, but the Longhorns outscored them 31-3 headin
  
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• Mugshots of the week: Dec. 15-21, 2024

  22-12-2024 02:00 via foxnews.com
  
  These mugshots were taken for arrests made throughout the U.S. the week of Dec. 15-21, 2024.
  
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• Lara Trump removes herself from consideration for Marco Rubio’s US Senate seat

  22-12-2024 01:45 via foxnews.com
  
  Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, said Saturday she is removing herself from consideration for Florida Republican Marco Rubio’s seat in the U.S. Senate. "After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote on X Saturday. The president-elect has nominated Rubio to be secretary of state. "I could not have been more honored to s
  
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• Good News Year-Ender: A look back at inspiring stories from 2024

  22-12-2024 01:02 via nbcnews.com
  Throughout the year, there were many special moments that united us during difficult times. As 2024 comes to a close, NBC News’ José Díaz-Balart and Hallie Jackson take a look back at some of the inspiring stories from the past year.
  
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• US military conducts successful airstrikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen

  22-12-2024 01:01 via foxnews.com
  
  The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to "disrupt and degrade" Houthi operations."CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern R
  
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• More than 30 dead in Brazil bus and truck collision

  22-12-2024 00:55 via foxnews.com
  
  A packed bus collided with a truck and burst into flames early Saturday in Brazil, killing more than 30 people, the Fire Department said.After removing all the victims from a major highway near the town of Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais, the state's Fire Department reported that of the 45 people on the bus, 38, including the bus driver, had been confirmed dead.PASSENGER PLANE CRASHES IN BRAZIL, KILLING ALL PEOPLE ON BOARD, AIRLINE VOEPASS SAYSThe other passengers remained in critical condition af
  
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• Texas' Quinn Ewers wears Trump tie clip ahead of College Football Playoff game

  22-12-2024 00:50 via foxnews.com
  
  Quinn Ewers made his political support clear ahead of one of the biggest games of his life.Ewers' Texas Longhorns are hosting the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and members of Texas' football team arrived dressed to impress.Ewers rocked a navy blue suit with white pinstripes, a red tie and a gold tie clip.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe clip had "Trump" engraved on it.Ewers seemed to show support for the president-elect when he shared a p
  
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• Paul McCartney reunites with Ringo Starr during final show of his Got Back tour

  22-12-2024 00:35 via foxnews.com
  
  Paul McCartney wrapped up his Got Back tour with a surprise reunion with the only other surviving member of the Fab Four. During his final show at London's O2 Arena Friday, McCartney welcomed former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr to the stage ahead of a showstopping performance by the duo. In a video posted to X, McCartney introduced his longtime pal, who gave him a hug and told the roaring crowd, "I want to tell you, I’ve had a great night tonight."DOLLY PARTON DEBUTS 'LET IT BE,'
  
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• Rockin’ around the congressional Christmas tree

  22-12-2024 00:22 via foxnews.com
  
  "Rockin' around the Christmas tree
  At the Christmas party hop" – Brenda LeeIt’s a yuletide tradition on Capitol Hill. An annual custom of rockin’ around a congressional Christmas tree, festooned with hundreds of legislative ornaments, Advent appropriations and mistletoe modifications.A political Polar Express chugs through the halls of Congress nearly every December. It’s always the last piece of legislation huffing out of the congressional station.WHAT TO EXPECT AS
  
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• Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson dead at 65

  22-12-2024 00:06 via foxnews.com
  
  Rickey Henderson, MLB's greatest base stealer and widely considered its greatest leadoff hitter, has died at the age of 65.Henderson was a 10-time All-Star, spending the majority of his 25-year career with the Oakland Athletics.Henderson, who would have turned 66 Christmas Day, was reportedly battling pneumonia.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMHenderson is also the all-time leader in runs scored. He was named the American League MVP in 1990 after leading the AL with a 1.016 OPS,
  
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• Christmas stocking stuffer ideas for those who love to eat, drink and be merry

  22-12-2024 00:01 via foxnews.com
  
  This year, you might have left stocking stuffer goodies to the last-minute. For the food or drink lover on your list, treat them to a thoughtful gift that is small enough to fit in a stocking but pack big-time smiles.Check out the ideas below for some inspiration.HOT TRAVEL GIFTS FOR THE VACATIONER IN YOUR LIFE: TOP PICKS AHEAD OF CHRISTMASHere's a fun idea for the cocktail (or mocktail) lover.These compact kits packed into a vintage-inspired tin feature everything you need — sans boo
  
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