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Battles rage across Gaza as Israel indicates it’s willing to fight for months or more to beat Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Battles raged across Gaza on Sunday as Israel indicated it was prepared to fight for months or longer to defeat the territory’s Hamas rulers, and a key mediator said willingness to discuss a cease-fire was fading.Israel faces international outrage after its military offensive, with diplomatic support and arms from close ally the United States, has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians. About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where U.N. agencies say there is no safe place to flee.The United States has lent vital support in recent days by vetoing a United Nations Security Council effort to end the fighting and pushing through an emergency sale of over $100 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel.Israel’s air and ground war has killed thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians, since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants killed 1,200 people and captured around 240. Over 100 o...

Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart drawn against each other in German Cup quarterfinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Just hours after playing in the Bundesliga on Sunday, Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart were drawn against each other again in the quarterfinals of the German Cup.Leverkusen will host Stuttgart in the only quarterfinal match involving two Bundesliga teams after Sunday’s draw. The two rivals drew 1-1 earlier in the day.This season’s cup competition has been marked by a host of big-club exits, with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and two-time defending champion Leipzig already knocked out.Borussia Mönchengladbach is the only other top-tier team remaining, and Gerardo Seoane’s team was handed a quarterfinal match at third-division Saarbrücken, the team that knocked out Bayern in the second round and Eintracht Frankfurt in the next.Hertha Berlin will face visiting Kaiserslautern in a duel between former Bundesliga teams – Hertha won their second-division game 2-1 on Saturday – and St. Pauli will host second-division rival Fortuna Düsseldorf.The games are scheduled to t...

Frank Wycheck, who threw the lateral in ‘Music City Miracle,’ dies at age of 52

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

FILE - Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck runs with the ball during a football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 5, 1999, in Baltimore. The three-time Pro Bowler Wycheck, who threw the lateral that started the “Music City Miracle” launching the Tennessee Titans' run to the franchise's lone Super Bowl appearance, has died at age 52. Wycheck died at his Chattanooga, Tenn., home after an apparent fall where he hit his head Saturday morning, Dec. 9, 2023, according to a statement from his family released through the Legacy consulting firm. (AP Photo/Roberto Borea, File)(AP/Roberto Borea) FILE - Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck runs with the ball during a football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 5, 1999, in Baltimore. The three-time Pro Bowl...

Geno Smith is inactive for Seahawks against 49ers; Drew Lock will make 1st start since 2021 season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Geno Smith will miss Seattle’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with a groin injury, setting the stage for Drew Lock to make his first start for the Seahawks.Smith had been listed as questionable after tweaking his groin in practice Thursday. He came out early to test the injury a few hours before game time but was made inactive for the game. Lock will make his first start since being acquired by the Seahawks as part of the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver before the 2022 season.Lock has seen a little bit of playing time this season, most of it coming against the Rams when Smith was sidelined for part of the second half. Lock was 2-of-6 passing after Smith left briefly with an injury in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. He also went 2 of 6 earlier in the season against the New York Giants. They are the only passes he’s thrown in two seasons for the Seahawks.Lock’s last start came in Week 18 of the 2021 season for Denver, whe...

Royals agree with reliever Will Smith on $5 million deal for 2024, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Left-handed reliever Will Smith, who has won World Series rings the past three seasons with three different organizations, has agreed to a $5 million contract with the Royals, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.The 34-year-old Smith can also make a certain amount of performance bonuses, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal for the 2024 season was pending a physical.Smith began his big league career as a starter in Kansas City, then transition to the bullpen, where he has had the majority of his success. He has pitched for five other clubs, going to the All-Star Game with the Giants in 2019 and then winning the World Series in 2021 with the Braves, the following year with the Astros and this past season with the Rangers.Smith allowed four runs in five appearances for Texas this past postseason, including two in the World Series against Arizona.The Royals had one of the worst pitching...

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy visits Argentina in a bid to win support from developing nations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Buenos Aires to witness the swearing-in on Sunday of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei.It is the Ukrainian leader’s first-ever trip to Latin America as Kyiv continues to court support among developing nations for its 21-month-old fight against Russia’s invading forces.Milei welcomed Zelenskyy at the presidential palace after his inauguration. The two shared an extended hug, exchanged words and then Milei, who has said he intends to convert to Judaism, presented his Ukrainian counterpart with a menorah as a gift. They were expected to have a longer one-on-one meeting later on Sunday.A political outsider who has railed against what he calls entrenched official corruption in Argentina and promised to uproot the political establishment, Milei ran on a pro-Western foreign policy platform, repeatedly expressing distrust of Moscow and Beijing.Zelenskyy phoned Milei shortly after the Argentine’s electoral v...

Man City beats Luton without Haaland to end 4-match winless run. Tottenham thrashes Newcastle 4-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

Without the injured Erling Haaland and trailing 1-0 to Luton at halftime, Manchester City was in danger of plunging into a full-blown crisis approaching the halfway point of its Premier League title defense.The defending champions managed to turn it round, though, as goals by Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish in a three-minute span earned a 2-1 victory Sunday that ended their four-match winless run and trimmed the gap to first-place Liverpool to four points.If it wasn’t for the recovery in the second half, City manager Pep Guardiola would have stumbled into the worst streak of results in his coaching career, having never gone five matches without a win.That was the bleak scenario facing Guardiola and City after striker Elijah Adebayo headed in Andros Townsend’s cross at the back post in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to give Luton the lead at Kenilworth Road — five days after the promoted hosts blew a 3-2 lead against Arsenal to lose 4-3.Haaland was sidelined bec...

Tottenham powers to a 4-1 win over tired Newcastle. Richarlison scores twice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham powered to its first Premier League win in six weeks by thrashing a tired-looking Newcastle team 4-1 on Sunday, with Richarlison scoring a goal in each half.Destiny Udogie — with his first Premier League goal — and Son Heung-min — from a late penalty — also scored for Spurs, which ended a five-game winless run that saw them plummet from the top of the standings to outside the top four.“We could have had more goals but our attacking play was as good as it has been for a while,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. “You can see Newcastle are running on fumes — we’ve gone through that and hopefully we are coming out the other side.”Saudi-owned Newcastle is paying the price for a lengthy injury list that has led to manager Eddie Howe fielding the same starting lineup for five straight games in all competitions. The team lacked energy and sprightliness, especially in midfield, and could have lost by a bigger margin at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of a must-...

Lauren Betts powers No. 2 UCLA to 95-78 win over 20th-ranked Florida State

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Lauren Betts had 22 points and 18 rebounds to help No. 2 UCLA beat 20th-ranked Florida State 95-78 on Sunday at the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.Charisma Osborne and Angela Dugalic added 16 points each for the balanced Bruins (8-0), who had five players score in double figures. UCLA started the game scoring 13 of the opening 15 points and led 20-5 as Florida State made just one of its first 14 shots. Betts had six quick points as the Seminoles had little answer for the sophomore center’s 6-foot-7 frame. Florida State finally got going at the end of the quarter behind Carla Viegas’ five points to trail 26-17 after one.Florida State (7-3) hung around by hitting 3-pointers and only trailed 47-37 before the Bruins scored seven straight to go into the half up 54-40. Betts had 18 points at half, hitting nine of her 10 shots.The Seminoles collapsed inside against Betts in the second half and got within 64-55 late in the third quarter before the B...

Biden to host Zelenskyy at White House amid stalled negotiations over Ukraine aid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:06 GMT

President Joe Biden will host President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the White House on Tuesday, as negotiations on an aid deal for the country remain stalled in Congress.Zelenskyy’s visit will “underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.The meeting is the latest White House effort to apply pressure on Congress, where a deal that would deliver emergency aid to Ukraine seems to have reached an impasse.In a letter to congressional leaders last week, White House budget chief Shalanda Young warned that inaction before the end of the year on a new round of funding threatens to “kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield.”