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France pledges more military aid as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy makes surprise Paris visit to meet Macron

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France pledged additional military aid for Ukraine on Sunday, including light tanks, armored vehicles, training for soldiers and other assistance as the Ukrainians gear up for a counteroffensive against Russian forces, following surprise talks in Paris between the Ukrainian and French presidents.Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France’s Emmanuel Macron met for about three hours at the French presidential Elysee Palace — an encounter kept under wraps until shortly before the Ukrainian leader’s arrival in Paris from Germany on a French government jet, extending his multi-stop European tour.With Ukraine planning to go on the offensive hoping to retake Russian-occupied territory, military aid was a top agenda item. Macron’s office said France will supply dozens of light tanks and armored vehicles “in the weeks ahead,” without giving specific numbers. Also promised were more air defense systems, but again details weren’t made public. More Ukrai...

Celtics beat 76ers 112-88, Tatum sets Game 7 record with 51 points

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum gave Boston a long-overdue fast start and followed it up with a finish the NBA had never seen before.After struggling in back-to-back games, Tatum erupted for 51 points — the most in a Game 7 in history — and the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-88 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year.One game after missing 14 of his first 15 shots only to awaken in the fourth quarter in time to save their season, Tatum scored 25 in the back-and-forth first half and 17 more in Boston’s 33-10 third quarter that turned a three-point lead into a runaway.The Celtics, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last year, will face the Miami Heat in the East finals for the second straight season. Game 1 is on Wednesday in Boston.“I was relieved just to get another chance. Our season could have been over after Game 6,” said Tatum, who broke the Game 7 record of 50 points Stephen Curry set two weeks ago. “It d...

Police respond to shooting in South Suburbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

DOLTON, Ill. — Three people are in the hospital after a shooting in the South Suburbs, a source tells WGN.Police responded to a shooting in the 14700 block of Blackstone Avenue around 4 p.m. in Dolton.According to a source, one victim was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in unknown condition, while two others were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition. CHICAGO: 3 people injured in River North shooting It is unclear at this time what led up to the shooting.Stay with WGN News as this article will be updated once more information becomes available.

VIDEOS: Beached whale, calf return to open ocean off Oregon's coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A stranded mother gray whale and its calf were able to return to open water after they became beached at Oregon's Cape Meares near Bayocean Peninsula Park in Tillamook County.Oregon State Parks Ranger Simon Freeman told Nexstar's KOIN that capturing the May 11 event was one of the coolest moments of his life.“They were likely forced to go into shallow water due to killer whales hunting them,” Freeman said. “These whales were able to wait until the tide got high enough to swim back out to the ocean. This was the ideal outcome for this situation.” Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network Manager and Oregon State University Marine Biologist Jim Rice told KOIN it's unlikely the whales intentionally beach themselves to evade predators.“It is not normal behavior for whales to intentionally beach themselves in order to avoid predation, although it’s possible that they sought shallow water to avoid predation and inadvertently became stran...

Texas softball seeded No. 13 in NCAA tournament, hosting regional with Seton Hall, Texas A&M, Texas State

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns softball team will start the postseason at McCombs Field.The Longhorns were given the No. 13 national seed by the NCAA softball tournament selection committee Sunday, and they'll host Seton Hall, Texas State and Texas A&M.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersThe Longhorns play the Pirates, who are 42-16 this season and Big East champions, in their first game Friday while the Bobcats and the Aggies will take each other on to open the tournament. It's a double-elimination tournament, and the team left standing at the end will advance to the super-regional round against the Knoxville regional champion. No. 4 Tennesse, Louisville, Northern Kentucky and Indiana are in that regional.It's the Longhorns' 18th straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.Full NCAA tournament bracketTexas finished second in both the Big 12 regular season standing...

Residents of homeless encampment in Beverly Grove moved into housing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said a much-maligned homeless encampment in Beverly Grove is being cleaned up and its residents are moving into more permanent housing as part of the city's Inside Safe program.The homeless encampment along San Vicente Boulevard near the Beverly Center shopping mall has been a contentious subject for residents of Beverly Grove, with reports of drug use, intoxicated individuals and violence.In April, several unhoused individuals who spoke to KTLA claimed they were told to move to the area by law enforcement officials. Neither the Los Angeles Police Department or Sheriff's Department has confirmed that claim, with the Sheriff's Department explicitly denying any directive.The encampment has been considered a blight by people who live around the area, but those who have been forced to call it home say they have nowhere else to go.This week, that changed. Many of the residents within the encampment were moved out and into converted housing as part of the Insi...

Berkeley: Man shot in leg in Southwest Berkeley

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

BERKELEY — A man was hospitalized after a weekend injury shooting in a Berkeley neighborhood, authorities said.Officers received a call at 2:40 p.m. reporting a possible shooting near Sacramento Street and Ashby Avenue, Berkeley police Lt. Robert Cummings said in a statement Sunday.As officers headed to the scene, they learned that a man suffering from a gunshot wound was being taken in a private vehicle to a hospital. It was not clear if he self-transported or received a ride from friends or associates.The man was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg, Cummings said. His exact condition was not immediately available Sunday evening.Officers soon found evidence of a shooting outside a home in the 3000 block of Sacramento.After speaking with witnesses who said they had seen a white Toyota fleeing southbound along Sacramento shortly after the shooting, investigators believe it may be related to a separate physical altercation that happened in the same area a...

3 members of California family killed, 6 others hurt in crash on interstate east of Los Angeles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Two children and one adult were killed and six other members of their family were injured when their SUV collided with a car on a Southern California highway early Sunday, authorities said. The crash involving a Chevy Suburban and a Tesla sedan occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Interstate 10 in the Whitewater area near Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The Suburban carrying nine members of a family from Anaheim overturned after hitting the center divider, and at least six occupants were ejected, officials said. A 31-year-old woman and two girls, ages 10 and 12, were killed, ABC 7 reported. Three girls, ages, 3, 7 and 11, and a 15-year-old boy were seriously hurt, while two adults had minor or moderate injuries, the TV station reported. The Tesla’s sole occupant, a 31-year-old man from Indio, was not hurt. Eastbound lanes of the highway were closed for much of the day. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.So...

Head of Japanese entertainment company mired in sex abuse scandal apologizes, promises fix

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The head of a major Japanese boys-group talent agency has released a YouTube video apologizing for the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by her predecessor and promised to prevent a recurrence.Allegations against Johnny Kitagawa, a powerful figure in Japanese entertainment and the founder of Johnny & Associates, have been tossed around for more than 20 years, although he was never charged with crimes. He died in 2019.The allegations resurfaced as a hot topic of scrutiny after BBC News did a special earlier this year, focusing on several people who said they were sexually abused.“More than anything, I apologize very deeply to the victims,” said a solemn Julie Keiko Fujishima, bowing four times during a one-minute video released late Sunday.The scandal has served as a wake-up call for Japan’s lagging fight against sexual harassment. A consumer boycott has begun against Johnny’s, as the company is also known, making for an extensive list, as dozens of the “tarento,” o...

NHL player Hathaway makes clean grab of foul ball at Fenway Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:54:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — NHL player Garnet Hathaway just settled into his seat in a luxury box behind home plate, getting ready to enjoy a Sunday night game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals when a foul ball off the bat of Boston’s Justin Turner came sailing back at him in the first inning.So, what did the 31-year-old forward do? He stood up, reached with both hands and made the clean grab.Hathaway played for the Bruins this season after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. He’s currently a free agent.“You never think it’s going to happen and then it happens,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been here for a few hours already. It’s my son’s birthday. We got to bring him around the stadium. It was amazing.”Hathaway said he had warning about foul balls just as the game started.“One of the concession guys said: ‘Heads up. If it’s a righty batter, they come quick, they come often. Pay attention,’’’ he said. “I had just sat down and my wife took the kids home. The n...