Over 657,000 infant formula cans recalled over potential bacteria contamination

FDA

(NEW YORK) — Over 675,000 cans of baby formula are being recalled for possible bacterial contamination, the company announced.

Reckitt and Mead Johnson Nutrition, the makers of Enfamil and Nutramigen, announced Saturday it was voluntarily recalling cans of Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder, a specialty formula given to infants with cow’s milk allergy, following product sample testing outside of the U.S.

“When we were alerted in December to a potential for cross-contamination in product samples outside the U.S., both Reckitt/Mead Johnson and the US FDA tested samples from the batch in question and all tests came back negative,” a Reckitt and Mead Johnson Nutrition spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. “However, Reckitt/Mead Johnson understands the incredible responsibility we have in providing what is often the sole nutrition for infants, and there can be no short cuts for this vulnerable population – therefore, we chose to recall select batches of Nutramigen out of an abundance of caution.”

“Parents should be reassured that they can continue to feed their infants with Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition products, including other Nutramigen powder formula batches, with confidence,” the spokesperson added.

Currently, only Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula 12.6 and 19.8 oz cans made in June 2023 are included in the recall. Reckitt said Nutramigen’s liquid formulas and their other nutrition products are not impacted by the recall.

The infant formula cans are being recalled due to possible contamination of Cronobacter sakazakii, a type of bacteria often found in dry goods such as powdered milk, infant formula and herbal tea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the same type of bacteria behind past baby and infant formula recalls, including Abbott’s recall that shut down their Sturgis, Michigan plant in 2022.

The CDC notes that cronobacter sakazakii infection is rare but can be especially dangerous for babies under 2 months, premature babies and babies with weakened immune systems, as well as older adults over the age of 65. Cronobacter sakazakii infections in babies can potentially cause fever, very low energy, difficulty feeding, seizures, inflammation around the brain and spinal cord, and can be life-threatening.

Reckitt and Mead Johnson Nutrition said they have not received any reports of illnesses.

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Wrong-way driver injures seven pedestrians, one officer in New Year’s Day police chase

WABC-TV

(NEW YORK) — A driver fleeing an early New Year’s Day dispute struck seven pedestrians and injured one police officer before crashing on a New York City sidewalk in midtown Manhattan, according to police.

The 44-year-old suspect was said to be in his vehicle in a dispute with another man at the intersection of West 33rd Street and 7th Avenue. Officers were investigating a possible crime in the area around 1:30 a.m. Monday when they attempted to intervene in the altercation.

Authorities said the suspect fled police and drove north — the wrong way — on the one-way avenue, striking multiple vehicles before fleeing at a high rate of speed westbound onto the sidewalk of West 34th street.

During the blocks-long driving spree, authorities said the driver struck a food truck that pinned a 39-year-old female pedestrian underneath it, police said. He also struck at least six other pedestrians. They were all taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

One police officer was transported to NYU Langone Medical Center for minor injuries and is in stable condition.

The driver was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical but stable condition, authorities said.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Tsunami warning issued after powerful earthquake strikes Japan

Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

(TOKYO and LONDON) — Japanese officials issued a tsunami warning and evacuation warnings after a powerful earthquake struck the west coast on Monday afternoon.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck at about 4:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter on the Noto Peninsula, along the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude at 7.6, adding there had also been more than a dozen smaller ones, including aftershocks.

Japanese officials had issued a major tsunami warning for the peninsula and surrounding Ishikawa Prefecture before downgrading it about five hours later to a tsunami warning. The lesser warning said waves could be expected high as 3 meters, or about 10 feet, near the epicenter, down from 5 meters, or about 16 feet.

Authorities were urgently directing the population to move to higher ground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office issued a statement telling residents nearby to evacuate immediately. People were being urged not to go to the coast and to stay away from waterways.

Tsunami threats were in effect along Japan’s west coast, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center. Outside of the major tsunami warning area, a tsunami advisory has been issued for the entire Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu and Western Hokkaido island.

Monday’s warning is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake struck Tohoku, causing disastrous and deadly tsunami waves.

Initial tsunami waves had begun striking land on Monday evening, with some reportedly reaching about 1.2 meters along the Noto Peninsula and the surrounding Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Tsunami waves were reported as far north as Hokkaido Prefecture.

Kishida appeared briefly before television cameras at his residence, saying the government was collecting information and assessing the situation. His administration set up a disaster response office, he said. He vowed to get an accurate assessment of the situation and said that saving lives was his utmost priority.

“I urge local residents in the affected areas to evacuate,” he said. “Others in the region must be vigilant, be on the lookout as further quakes may hit.”

The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo, where it sent power lines and light fixtures swaying.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it had recorded within 90 minutes about 19 additional earthquakes above a magnitude of 1, including the largest one. The largest quake was “very shallow,” the agency said.

Video broadcast on local TV showed collapsed concrete statues and damage to buildings.

Firefighters were battling a blaze in Wajima, a city near the epicenter, the country’s Fire Disaster Management Agency said. Additional fires in Kanazawa and Joetsu, cities on the mainland near the Noto Peninsula, were extinguished, the agency said.

Bullet trains in the region were suspended. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reportedly cancelled flights to and from the region. Hospitals in the region were reporting power outages, perhaps complicating treatment of the injured.

No abnormalities in regional power reactors have been reported. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which runs a nuclear power plant in Shika, in Ishikawa Prefecture, said in a press release that it was checking the status of its equipment.

Waves up to a meter were possible in North Korea and Russia, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

“Don’t let your guard down, move away from the coast,” was the continuing message from Japanese authorities as night fell.

“Things can turn catastrophic in an instant,” authorities said. “The first wave may not be the largest.”

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Electric vehicle sales are slowing. No need for panic yet, insiders say.

Jon Challicom/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The recent headlines for electric vehicles have been brutal: Sales are dropping. Momentum is slipping. Consumers are souring on the technology.

Experts say, however, that 2024 may be the year to finally pull the plug on gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

“Five years ago we did not have the array of EVs we have now. They account for 10% of the market,” John Voelcker, a contributing editor at Car and Driver, told ABC News. “The growth rate may flatten … but the cost of EVs will continue to come down.”

Price slashing by Tesla and its rivals has definitely juiced sales of battery-powered vehicles. In November, dealers increased the discounts on EVs, with the average transaction price (ATP) dropping 8.9%, according to Cox Automotive. EV incentives totaled less than 2% of ATP a year ago.

New models like the Kia EV9, Chevy Blazer EV and Volvo EX30 could also help convince Americans to permanently ditch their V6 and V8 engines.

Moreover, the decision by nearly every automaker to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, which Tesla developed, will likely improve the charging experience and ameliorate range anxiety. Voelcker, though bullish on EVs, argued that automakers and the industry overall may have overestimated Americans’ initial fascination with them.

“Some of the manufacturers got overly ambitious,” Voelcker said. “It may be difficult to get to 50% [of new EV sales] by 2030. We’ve moved beyond the early adopters now.”

According to Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ director of insights, automakers — Tesla included — are selling EVs at a loss. The move by Hertz and other rental car companies to stop adding EVs to their fleets has contributed to sluggish sales, he argued.

“EVs are getting harder to move,” Drury told ABC News. “Earlier in the year they were still going for above MSRP. Once the average interest rate hit 7% EVs began to linger on the lot and now require a lot more work from automakers and dealers to sell.”

Ford announced in December it would cut 2024 production targets for its F-150 Lightning pickup truck, building 50% fewer units each week. Jim Farley, the company’s CEO, cited weaker-than-expected demand and a patchy national charging network for the decision. Ford has sold slightly more than 20,000 Lightnings since the end of November.

Last month, German automaker Audi said it would pare back its electric vehicle rollout in the coming year as growth slows, according to Bloomberg. After repeated delays, the company’s Q6 e-tron will finally enter production in the second quarter of 2024.

“Every EV on the market is being battered by bad news,” said Drury. “Nothing is meeting expectations. A new set of buyers now mean a new set of concerns.”

Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at AutoPacific, predicts EV sales in the U.S. will reach 1.5 million units in 2024 and two million by 2025, a slightly more conservative outlook compared to other forecasters.

“We’re not seeing the level of frenzied activity we saw earlier. There’s a slight tapering of demand and partially a market correction,” Kim told ABC News. “The rate of adoption has tailed off a little bit but it’s still growing. This is not a catastrophe for EVs. Don’t get panicked yet.”

He added, “A lot of automakers overestimated demand for high-priced EVs. But that does not mean EV demand is dropping.”

In fact, the Tesla Model Y was one of the top-selling vehicles in all of 2023, a huge triumph for EVs, Kim pointed out. Tesla, which commands 60% of the electric vehicle auto market, will roll out styling updates and substantial improvements to the Model Y and Model 3 next year, a move to ward off the competition, Kim said.

“We have an EV from a manufacturer that didn’t exist 15 years ago and it will be either the first or second top-selling non-pickup vehicle in 2023,” he said. “That’s shocking especially as EV demand is leveling off.”

Kim and Voelcker agreed that the launch of more three-row electric SUVs, a top priority for families with young children, will be needed to shore up sales. The EV9, Lucid Gravity, VinFast VF9 and ID.Buzz could fill the void.

“2024 will be the year we see three-row EVs coming to the marketplace,” said Kim.

Voelcker said the Volvo EX30, a compact SUV that starts under $35,000, would be a significant player in the market, giving mainstream Americans access to an affordable EV with 275 miles of range.

“The EX30 could be significant,” he said.

Voelcker, however, doubted that the Cybertruck, Tesla’s angular electric pickup, would sway traditional truck buyers.

“Call me when Tesla produces the first 10,000 units,” he said. “I continue to think the Cybertruck will be extremely difficult to get into volume production.”

Brands that have been more cautious on electrification are readying their first EVs for consumers. Jaguar Land Rover, for example, recently opened pre-orders for its electric Range Rover SUV.

“It’s going to be a real Range Rover, meaning it’s fully off-road capable … and it will address all the functional needs of a Range Rover without compromise, plus deliver on performance,” Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, told ABC News. “Up to this point all the competitors out there have made compromises. We won’t make any.”

Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power, anticipates EV market share to rise to 12% next year — though that percentage could be higher, he suggested. The Inflation Reduction Act negatively impacted sales by slashing the number of electrics eligible for federal tax credits, he asserted. The lack of cheap models also persuaded consumers to stay away.

“EV sales will go up next year, but there are challenges,” he said.

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How to make a vision board that will help you reach your goals in the new year, according to a neurologist

Alexandr Kolesnikov/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Goal-setting is top of mind when the new year rolls around, and vision boards are an increasingly popular tool for clarifying those goals and providing a boost of inspiration.

Although vision boards often come up in more mystical conversations around manifestation or the law of attraction, it turns out there is real science to back them up — if you use them correctly.

A vision board is a virtual or brick-and-mortar collage of images that represent your goals.

It translates your dreams and aspirations into tangible images, fostering motivation to work towards them.

In fact, vision boards can complement your brain’s processing patterns to help you bring your ambitions to fruition.

Vision boards can help you set the right goals

First, it’s important to understand that the neuroscience of vision boarding is much more likely to work for you if you set clear, specific, realistic goals. For example, “run a 5K” will give your brain much more to work with than a loftier, more vague goal like “get in shape.” Setting the right goals can be intimidating, but the process of creating your vision board will be a huge help.

By selecting visual representations of your aspirations, you are already getting more specific. Paying attention to the images that resonate the most with you may provide valuable hints as to what your individual goals are, and that’s where your brain physiology starts to come into play.

Vision boards enhance your openness to opportunity

Vision boards tap into a cognitive process known as value-tagging, which is related to selective attention.

The brain instantly assigns value to everything it sees. Because our brains tend to assign higher value to images than written words, using images (as opposed to a written list, for example) to represent your goals results in a subconscious prioritization of them over your other thoughts.

As a result, the brain is primed to be on high-alert for opportunities that serve your goal, and notices things it otherwise may not have. This also helps the brain to filter out unnecessary or unhelpful information that will not be useful for realizing your dreams.

Vision boards promote visualization

Looking at your vision board encourages you to visualize what it feels like to go after your goals. This is especially powerful because the brain doesn’t distinguish between a strong vision and an actual experience.

Visualizing a desired outcome can activate the same neural pathways as actually experiencing it, according to research in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

The exercise of visualization can therefore strengthen those neural pathways, allowing your brain to “practice” going through the motions it needs to perform to achieve your goals. That means it’s important to visualize yourself doing what it takes to achieve your goal, in addition to visualizing the actual outcome.

Visualization works best when you are focusing on the actions it takes to get to a desired outcome, according to research in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. This is why elite athletes often visualize themselves executing important skills or plays before a big game or competition.

With the science behind vision boards in mind, here are five expert tips for using your vision board to stay on track all year long:

1. Keep the vision board somewhere you will see it regularly so that you stay inspired to act on your goals. You could consider putting a physical board near your bedside table or on the refrigerator, for example. Digital boards could be used to create the wallpaper for your computer or cellphone.

2. Look at your vision board frequently. The more you look at the pictorial representation of your goals, the more deeply embedded they will be within your subconscious.

3. Stay intentional. Be consistent in using your vision board as an instrument for visualization and as an inspiration for the actions you will take to achieve them.

4. Celebrate your achievements on the board. Don’t be afraid to update your vision board as time passes — think of it as an ever-evolving organism. Rip things off once you’ve achieved them, and make sure to celebrate all the wins to keep yourself motivated.

5. Allow your vision to change. Edit and rework the board as much as you like. Add new goals as they come up, revise goals if things change for you. Keeping your vision board current will increase the likelihood that you continue to use it.

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How to make weight loss, exercise New Year’s resolutions that last

JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — After setting New Year’s resolutions, it is those days and weeks after January that can catch up with even the best of intentions.

So how do you make your New Year’s resolution stick?

Experts say it is important to remember it is a journey, not an overnight fix, especially when it comes to the most common of resolutions, weight loss and exercise.

“The reason why people make resolutions every year is because it’s really hard,” said Maya Feller, a New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist. “You first started eating when you were 6 months old, so that’s many years of learned food behavior. Change is not going to happen overnight.”

Feller and other experts shared their top tips for making sure your health and wellness resolutions become true lifestyle changes.

Solidify your intention

Even just a few days into January is the right time to remind yourself why you chose your resolution, according to Feller.

“Sometimes after just a few days of changing your diet you feel good and feel like you can let it go,” she said. “In the early part of January, reevaluate your motivation and say, ‘Why am I doing this again? I’m making this intentional choice again.'”

Rebecca Scritchfield, a Washington, D.C.-based dietitian and certified exercise physiologist, said it’s also important to remember your “why” multiple times daily.

“What’s going to help keep you motivated is continuing to think about the benefits you’re receiving, in both the short term and the long term,” she said. “The more you focus on the benefits every time you do it, you’ll see the good earlier. What you want to say is, ‘There’s too much good in this for me to stop.'”

‘Layer’ the changes

Feller advises her clients to pick the “low-hanging fruit” when they make a plan for their resolutions.

“If you’re eating two vegetables a day, make it four,” Feller said. “Once you’ve hit that, reevaluate again and ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this and what do I have to add on?'”

She also compares improving eating habits to building a house, where you start by making sure you have a solid foundation and build up from there.

“You have to put the foundation down and solidify the behavior,” she said. “It is behavior change. That’s the thing about nutrition.”

Say no to the quick fix

Both Feller and Scritchfield stress that going for the quick solution, like a plan promising you’ll lose 15 pounds in January, will not be sustainable and may even leave you worse off.

“You might lose 15 [pounds] but you’re not going to continue it with that approach,” she said. “It’s better to have the small success so you can continue to step forward.”

Scritchfield said taking the more moderate, long-lasting approach to healthy eating and exercise demands that you let go of the shame or fear that comes from overindulging in the holiday season.

“You’re going to be so tempted in the new year to fall for an extreme plan because you’re feeling like you want to make a change and you’re also being told there is something wrong with where you are right now,” she said. “The more important value is feeling like you have a good life and feeling happy with your habits.”

“Go down the road of, ‘It’s OK to be where I am and what’s the next goal that I think is interesting to me and will also help me create a better life,'” she said. “Walk down that road of kindness as opposed to something that is short term.”

Don’t set a ‘dead person’s goal’

Scritchfield describes this type of goal as, “Any goal a dead person can do better than you, like, ‘I’ll never eat chocolate cake.'”

“Saying you’re going to eliminate it, unless you truly believe you’ll never have it again and you’ll live a good life without it, is a waste of time,” she said. “Instead, work on a better structure so you know that it will come but a structure that is manageable to you and doesn’t feel like deprivation but feels like a positive change.”

Scritchfield used an example of a person trying to quit drinking soda. Instead of saying you will never again drink soda, develop ways to cut back on soda while increasing a better habit, like drinking water.

“Say, ‘I’m going to carry water with me and I’m going to fill it up twice before I drink a soda,” she said. “Or, ‘I want to limit my soda to one a day after lunchtime and I want to make sure I have two full waters before I do that.'”

For those who would like to increase their water intake, Scritchfield gave a tip she uses in her own life.

“I put rubber bands on my water bottle,” she said. “I add one each time I finish a bottle.”

Write down your resolution, and be flexible

Writing down your New Year’s resolutions, your motivation and your plan for action help solidify your commitment, experts say.

“Make sure it’s written down, not just in your head,” said Dr. Marcelo Campos, a practicing physician and lecturer at Harvard Medical School. “Post it on your fridge or your wall to remind yourself about the commitment you made.”

“With anything that we do in life, it’s a good idea to have things written down that we can track over time,” he said, adding that goals should be specific and measurable.

Writing down your resolutions and action plan can also help you share it with others, which experts say is another key for long-term success.

After making a plan and implementing it, also be flexible if the plan is not working for you.

“If someone is doing it on their own and struggling they may need to say, ‘I need to look at a different modality,” Feller said. “If it’s not working, there’s no reason to beat a dead horse.”

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Colorado mother accused of murdering two of her children arrested in the UK

Colorado Springs Police Department

(NEW YORK) — A Colorado mother suspected of killing two of her children has been found and arrested abroad, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Kimberlee Singler, 35, was taken into custody in the United Kingdom on Dec. 30, Colorado Springs Police said Sunday evening. Singler has been accused of lying about a burglary at her home earlier this month in which two of her three children were found dead, Colorado Springs police previously said. Singler is suspected of killing two of her children and injuring a third.

Authorities said Sunday no further information would be shared until a later date.

Prior to her arrest in the U.K., Singler was last seen on Dec. 23, police previously said. A warrant had been issued for her arrest on four counts of felony murder in the first degree, two counts of felony attempted murder, three counts of felony child abuse and one count of felony assault in the first degree.

After receiving a 911 call for a burglary on Dec. 19, Colorado Springs police responded to the scene and found Singler and an 11-year-old girl both injured as well as a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy deceased, authorities said.

The mother and injured daughter were treated at the scene before they were transferred to an area hospital, police said at the time.

Upon further investigation, police previously said the initial report of a burglary was “unfounded.”

Police established a probable cause for the murders on Dec. 26 and obtained an arrest warrant for Singler.

A court set a $10 million bond for Singler, but the details of the arrest warrant were sealed under a court order, police said.

Singler’s 11-year-old daughter is recovering and is safe and accounted for in the Colorado Springs area, police added.

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Ten-year-old in California charged with alleged murder of another 10-year-old: Police

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(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 10-year-old on a murder charge for allegedly shooting another 10-year-old who died on Saturday.

After responding to a call at 4:30 p.m. local time of a shooting on Saturday, authorities said they found an unresponsive juvenile who was bleeding from his head and neck. Sheriff’s deputies performed CPR until the Sacramento Metro Fire Department arrived and the juvenile, who was later determined to be 10 years old, was taken to an area hospital. The child — a male — was later pronounced deceased, the sheriff’s office said.

He was allegedly shot by another 10-year-old who had gone out to his father’s vehicle to retrieve cigarettes, authorities said. The youth took a gun from the vehicle and “bragged that his father had a gun,” the sheriff’s office said in a post on Facebook.

“He then proceeded to shoot the victim once and ran into a nearby apartment,” the post read.

Authorities called for those inside the building to come out and detained them. Two juveniles came out alongside an adult, that authorities later identified as Arkete Davis, 53.

The 10-year-old was arrested and taken to the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility. He was charged with murder, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

Davis, his father, was also arrested and taken to the Sacramento County Main Jail. He was hit with several felony firearms charges, including carrying a stolen, loaded firearm in a vehicle, child endangerment and accessory after the fact, authorities said. He is being held on $500,000 bail with a court date set for Jan. 3. It was not immediately clear if Davis had legal representation.

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Major tsunami warning issued after powerful earthquake strikes Japan

Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

(TOKYO and LONDON) — Japanese officials issued a major tsunami warning and evacuation warnings after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck the west coast on Monday afternoon.

The earthquake struck at about 4:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter on the Noto Peninsula, along the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for the peninsula and surrounding Ishikawa Prefecture. The agency warned of waves up to about 5 meters, or about 16 feet.

Authorities were urgently directing the population to move to higher ground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office issued a statement telling residents nearby to evacuate immediately. People were being urged on Monday not to go to the coast and to stay away from waterways.

Tsunami threats were in effect along Japan’s west coast, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center. Outside of the major tsunami warning area, a tsunami advisory has been issued for the entire Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu and Western Hokkaido island.

Monday’s warning is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake struck Tohoku, causing disastrous and deadly tsunami waves.

Initial tsunami waves were already striking land on Monday evening, with some reportedly reaching about 1.2 meters along the Noto Peninsula, along with surrounding Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Tsunami waves have so far been reported as far north as Hokkaido Prefecture.

Kishida appeared briefly before television cameras at his residence, saying the government was collecting information and assessing the situation. His administration set up a disaster response office, he said. He vowed to get an accurate assessment of the situation and said that saving lives was his utmost priority.

“I urge local residents in the affected areas to evacuate,” he said. “Others in the region must be vigilant, be on the lookout as further quakes may hit.”

The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo, where it sent power lines and light fixtures swaying.

Video broadcast on local TV showed collapsed concrete statues and damage to buildings. Bullet trains in the region were suspended. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reportedly cancelled flights to and from the region. Hospitals in the region were reporting power outages, perhaps complicating treatment of the injured.

No abnormalities in regional power reactors have been reported. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which runs a nuclear power plant in Shika, in Ishikawa Prefecture, said in a press release that it was checking the status of its equipment.

Waves up to a meter were possible in North Korea and Russia, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

“Don’t let your guard down, move away from the coast,” was the continuing message from Japanese authorities as night fell.

“Things can turn catastrophic in an instant,” authorities said. “The first wave may not be the largest.”

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In a surprise move, Queen of Denmark says in New Year’s speech that she will abdicate her throne

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gives a New Year’s speech from Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg Castle, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Dec. 31, 2023, announcing her upcoming abdication. (KELD NAVNTOFT/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — In a surprise New Year’s Eve announcement, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II said she plans to abdicate her throne more than five decades after succeeding her father King Frederik IX.

“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January, 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I will step down as Queen of Denmark,” she said in her annual speech to her nation.

The 83-year-old monarch said she will hand the throne over to her son, 55-year-old Crown Prince Frederik.

The announcement came near the end of the queen’s speech. She concluded the address offering thanks for the “overwhelming warmth and support which I have received during all these years.”

“Thank you to the changing governments with whom the collaboration always has been rewarding, and thank you to The Parliament, who have always vested their confidence in me,” Queen Margrethe said. “Thank you to the many, many people who on special occasions and in everyday life have embraced me and my family with kind words and thoughts, turning the years into a string of pearls.”

She said a series of recent “ailments,” including extensive back surgery in February, prompted her decision to step down.

“In two weeks time, I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of ‘ailments’ increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past,” she said.

In her speech, the queen noted the “horrible terrorist attack on civilians in Israel,” calling it “incomprehensible.”

“The war makes antisemitism spread again. It is tragic and shameful,” she said. “Tonight, I wish to make a clear and unequivocal call for all of us in Denmark to treat each other with respect. We must approach each other more closely, not distance ourselves from each other. We must remember that we are all human beings. This applies to Jews as well as Palestinians.”

She also used her final New Year’s Eve speech to address climate change, saying, “The seriousness is obvious.”

“The globe’s climate is changing faster than we thought,” the queen said. “We need to address climate change. The consequences are not only in the future. They are here already, and they are extreme. Most people in Denmark are fully aware of this, even if it has been difficult for some of us to fully realize it. Together we must now find the hope and determination to do something.”

As usual, she signed off her New Year’s speech, saying, “God bless Denmark. God bless you all.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a statement thanking the queen for her “lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom.”

“Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a nation,” Frederiksen said.

During her reign, Queen Margrethe, whose role has mostly been ceremonial, has been a popular public figure in Denmark as well as in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, semi-independent territories that comprise the Danish Realm.

She garnered praise from her royal subjects beginning as a princess when she joined the Danish women’s air force unit. Her popularity reached new heights in 2011 when she visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan wearing a military jumpsuit.

“In the new year, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed king. Crown Princess Mary will become queen,” Frederiksen said, referring to the prince’s wife of 19 years. “The kingdom will have a new regent and a new royal couple. We can look forward to all of this in the knowledge that they are ready for the responsibility and the task.”

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