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Wong, Miller lead Hurricanes past Indiana, into Sweet 16

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller led a decisive second-half spurt for Miami, which beat Indiana 85-69 Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to reach its second straight Sweet 16.Wong, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year who was limited to five points in a first-round win over Drake, had 27 points and eight rebounds for coach Jim Larrañaga’s fifth-seeded Hurricanes (27-7), the only ACC team left in March Madness.Miller, who had seven points on Friday, scored 19, while Indianapolis native Nijel Pack had 10 of his 12 points in the first half, getting Miami off to a fast start that allowed it to lead most of the game and end Indiana’s hopes of a sixth national title.Miami will face top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday.All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Hoosiers (23-12), who have not been to the Sweet 16 since 2016. Freshman Jalen Hood-Sch...

4 displaced after house fire in Pompano Beach; no reported injuries

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

Four people were forced out of their home in Pompano Beach after the property caught fire.Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of the house blaze in the area of Northeast 19th Avenue and Second Street, Sunday morning.Cameras captured broken windows and soot covering an air conditioning unit at the residence after firefighters were able to knock down the flames.Part of the home collapsed while crews were battling the fire. The structure has been deemed unsafe.No injuries were reported.

US routs Cuba 14-2 to reach World Baseball Classic final

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Trea Turner homered twice to give him a tournament-leading four, and the defending champion United States romped over Cuba 14-2 on Sunday night to reach its second straight World Baseball Classic final.Paul Goldschmidt and Cedric Mullins also homered for the Americans, who scored in seven of eight innings — putting up crooked numbers in five of them. Turner and Goldschmidt had four RBIs each.The U.S. plays Japan or Mexico in Tuesday night’s championship, trying to join the Samurai Warriors as the only nations to win the title twice.Turner, hitting No. 9 in the batting order, has a tournament-leading 10 RBIs. He followed his go-ahead, eighth-inning grand slam a night earlier against Venezuela with a solo homer in the second inning off Roenis Elias (0-1) and a three-run drive in the sixth against Elian Leyva.Cuba went ahead when its first four batters reached off Adam Wainwright (2-0) without getting a ball out of the infield. The 41-year-old right-hander recovered to str...

In Russia, an anti-war drawing can cost you your daughter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

YEFREMOV, Russia — The case list at the interdistrict court in Yefremov last week seemed far from a new offensive in Russia’s crackdown on those who oppose the war in Ukraine. Judges in the provincial city a four-hour drive south of Moscow heard an instance on petty theft and another for drunk driving. They also held what was billed as a preliminary hearing in a parental custody case; a mere formality on paper. But for many gathered in Yefremov that day, it was a sign that Russian authorities are prepared to strike their opponents where it hurts them most: their children.  “There’s a tragedy unfolding in front of our very eyes, and all we can do is show them that we see what they’re doing,” said Kristina Markus, a 38-year-old IT manager who had traveled six hours by bus from Moscow to attend the hearing. The case concerns Alexei Moskalyov and his 12-year-old daughter Masha, who attracted the attention of the authorities when she drew a pro-Ukraine pictu...

Why Xi Jinping is still Vladimir Putin’s best friend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

As he jets off for a state visit to Moscow this week, China’s President Xi Jinping is doing so in defiance of massive international pressure. Vladimir Putin, the man Xi once called his “best, most intimate friend,” has just become the world’s most wanted alleged war criminal. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on March 17 for his alleged role in illegally transferring Ukrainian civilians into Russian territories. But that isn’t deterring Xi, who broke Communist Party norms and formally secured a third term as Chinese leader this month. But why is China’s leader so determined to stand by Putin despite the inevitable backlash, at a time when the West is increasingly suspicious of Beijing’s military aims — and scrutinizing prized Chinese companies like TikTok — more closely than ever?For a start, Beijing’s worldview requires it to stay strategically close to Russia: As Beijing’s leaders see it, the U...

Macron faces no-confidence votes amid nationwide protests

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

PARIS — Emmanuel Macron’s government faces several motions of no confidence in the National Assembly Monday after his government forced through a deeply unpopular pensions reform bill last week.Protesters took to the streets in major cities over the weekend, after the government invoked a controversial constitutional maneuver to pass its pensions reform bill in what was widely seen as a move likely to inflame social unrest. Industrial action is expected to disrupt public transport, refineries, universities and waste collection this week, as trade unions hope to strong-arm the government into withdrawing the pensions reform.On Saturday, more than 100 people were arrested in Paris after a demonstration by several thousand protesters against the reform turned violent. The 573 lawmakers of the French National Assembly will vote on two motions of no confidence Monday which could trigger the resignation of Macron’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and her government. Though the French presi...

The future of the European defense industry depends on a fast Ukrainian victory

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

Olivier Schmitt is a professor at the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark and the author of “Allies that Count: Junior Partners in Coalition Warfare.” Lucie Béraud-Sudreau is the director of the Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and a member of the Armament Industry European Research Group’s scientific committee.As European arms manufacturers scramble to ramp up production for the multiple purposes of supporting Ukraine, replenishing national stocks and increasing preparedness for high-intensity warfare, they may well find themselves crowded out of their own defense market — that is, unless Ukraine quickly defeats Russia. If the war is protracted, however, requiring more intense backing from Western governments, the provision of arms will be detrimental to the European Union’s Defense Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). So, by aiding Ukraine to secure a rapid military victory,...

The EU as Europe’s arms negotiator? It won’t be easy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

BRUSSELS — The EU’s grand ambition to band together and jointly buy weapons is facing a series of problems before it even gets going. EU leaders are aiming this week to sign off on a €2 billion plan — revealed by POLITICO — that officials argue will allow countries to both get cash back for sending Ukraine much-needed ammunition and fund future joint purchases to keep the shells coming for Kyiv. It’s the start, advocates hope, of the EU becoming an arms negotiator for Europe. The scheme marks a pivotal moment for the EU — a club born as a peace project is now poised to buy and send arms to a country at war.But having a plan is one thing. Getting people to participate is another. The first is time. Ukraine desperately needs more weapons now, particularly the 155-millimeter shells its front-line troops are burning through. But the EU’s defense industry will need months to get capacity in line with wartime needs. The next issue is money. While the EU seems to h...

Shrewsbury shocks St. Mary’s girls

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

For all the talk about how strong the St. Mary’s of Lynn girls hockey team’s defense stood and how potent the attack was this year entering its first state final appearance in a decade, the opposing team set to play in its first appearance ever felt a bit spurned to be as overlooked as it was.In the Div. 1 girls state title game Sunday night at TD Garden, it showed why.Along with a dominant defensive effort to limit the top-seeded Spartans to a rare six shots on net over the final two periods, the No. 3 Colonials powered their way to a three-goal third period for a 4-1 win and the program’s first state championship.Defenders Yasmine McKenzie and Maddie Mrva were instrumental in containing St. Mary’s to just its second game with less than two goals this season, all before scoring the respective go-ahead and insurance goals in the final frame.Amanda Forziati had tied the score for the Spartans early in the third to end Risa Montoya’s shutout, but the junior netminder (15 saves) wouldn...

Sandler receives Mark Twain Prize, praise from comic pals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Sandler placed his hand on the bronze bust of Mark Twain and speculated that it “one day might be the weapon used to bludgeon me in my sleep.”A host of comedic and entertainment royalty gathered at Washington’s Kennedy Center as Sandler was presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.Presenters including Drew Barrymore, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, and Luis Guzmán gave testimonials to Sandler’s creative longevity, while poking occasional fun at his uneven movie output and tendency to cast all his friends in his movies. Sandler’s longtime writing and production partner Tim Herlihy joked that the pair were responsible for “31 motion pictures with a combined Rotten Tomatoes score of 59.”Buscemi, known largely for dramatic and often violent roles, portrayed a string of comedic characters in Sandler movies. “He takes his comedy very seriously. I laugh hard at everything I do with him,” he said...