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Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as an advance on the urban center looms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, preparing for expected ground battles with Hamas militants in Gaza’s largest city and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.Already, the Palestinian death toll surpassed 10,000, the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Monday. The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. About 1,400 people in Israel have died, mostly civilians killed in the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas that started the war.The war has quickly become the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago, with no end in sight as Israel vows to remove Hamas from power and crush its military capabilities.Casualties are likely to rise sharply as the war turns to close urban combat. Troops are expected to enter Gaza City soon, Israeli media reported, and Palestinian militants who have had years to prepar...

Rob Dillingham scores 17 points as No. 16 Kentucky beats New Mexico State 86-46

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Rob Dillingham scored 17 points, D.J. Wagner had 13 and No. 16 Kentucky shot 59% in the second half to rout New Mexico State 86-46 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.Picking up where they left off from winning the GLOBL Jam this summer in Toronto, the Wildcats’ touted freshmen took charge after four minutes and helped the team pull away. Wagner and Justin Edwards (12 points) set the tone, and Kentucky native Reed Sheppard finished with 12 points. Dillingham heated up late and went 6 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 6 from long range.“Robert has two or three, like, ‘What in the world?’ (plays),” Kentucky coach John Calipari said of Dillingham. “As long as it’s not five or six. … I told him I’m fine with one or two because he can’t help himself, but I tell you that he creates space for himself and his teammates as good as anybody that I’ve coached.”Fifth-year senior Antonio Reeves, one of Kentucky’s few holdovers...

Cal upends St. Thomas (Minn.) in Madsen’s first game as Golden Bears coach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew made a tie-breaking layup and Jalen Cone added two free throws with less than a minute remaining to lift California to a 71-66 win over St. Thomas (Minn.) on Monday night in Mark Madsen’s first game as head coach of the Golden Bears.Madsen, who won NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001 and 2002, was hired by Cal on March 29 to be the 19th head coach in the program’s history. Jalen Celestine led the Golden Bears with 21 points. Fardaws Aimaq recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Cone finished with 10 points. Brooks Allen led the Tommies with 17 points. Drake Dobbs chipped in with 14 points, and Parker Bjorklund had 11.Bjorklund’s layup with 2:27 remaining tied the game at 64-all, but the Tommies would not score again until Dobbs’ layup with six seconds remaining.Askew’s layup put the Golden Bears ahead 66-64, and moments later Cone knocked down two free throws. Askew added a free throw of his own to extend the...

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 30 as Thunder ease past Hawks 126-117

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Atlanta Hawks 126-117 on Monday night.The Thunder’s leading scorer sat out Friday against the Golden State Warriors with a sprained left knee. He bounced back quickly, making 11 of 20 shots and getting eight rebounds and six assists.Gilgeous-Alexander was impressed with the way the Thunder played on offense in the 141-139 loss to Golden State, so he was careful not to disrupt things. “I just tried to fit in with the group, do what was necessary, and then pick my spots accordingly,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who has scored at least 30 points in four of his six games. “I feel like we played pretty good basketball last game and wanted to carry it over to this game.”Jalen Williams scored 21 points, Lu Dort added 19 and Chet Holmgren had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who were coming off losses of four points to New Orleans and two points to the Warriors.Dejounte Mu...

Live updates | Israeli troops divide north and south Gaza as UN fails to reach cease-fire resolution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

Palestinians look for survivors of an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)(AP/Fatima Shbair) Palestinians look for survivors of an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)(AP/Fatima Shbair) Israeli troops divided the northern and southern parts of Gaza, as communications across the besieged territory were gradually restored Monday after being cut for a third time since the war started. The troops were expected to enter Gaza City on Monday or Tuesday, Israeli media reported.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war surpassed 10,000, including more than 4,100 ...

‘We’ve got some holes to fill’: Offseason work continues for the Chicago White Sox with the GM meetings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

The Chicago White Sox have been busy since the World Series wrapped up.Thursday, they introduced Paul Janish as the organization’s director of player development.The next day, the Sox declined the club option on closer Liam Hendriks for 2024 while starter Mike Clevinger declined a mutual option. The changes continued Saturday when the Sox declined shortstop Tim Anderson’s club option for 2024.All that activity came ahead of the MLB general managers’ meetings, which formally begin Tuesday at a resort in Paradise Valley, Ariz.It will be Chris Getz’s first since being promoted to Sox GM on Aug. 31.“I’ve had a lot of conversations with other general managers around the league, just understanding their needs and conveying what we’re set out to do as well and see if we match up,” Getz said during a video conference Thursday. “Clearly, we’ve got some work to do based on the production we’ve had on the field the last two year...

Motorcyclist killed in I-5 crash prompts lane closures

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A motorcyclist was killed in a crash Monday on Interstate 5 near Sorrento Valley, authorities said. As of 9:57 p.m., all lanes on Interstate 5 southbound, located north of Interstate 805, have been temporarily closed due to the collision, the California Department of Transportation said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Police investigate shooting outside Home Depot The crash occurred around 9:02 p.m. on I-5 south between I-805 Northern Split and Sorrento Valley Rd./Exit 30, according to the San Diego Traffic Report.No other details have been released about the collision.Check back for updates on this developing story.

Australia’s Albanese calls for free and unimpeded trade with China on his visit to Beijing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is calling for the “full resumption of free and unimpeded trade” with China in a meeting with his counterpart Li Qiang on the first first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years. Climate change, food security and transnational crime are areas in which the two nations can cooperate, Albanese said Tuesday. The sides should discuss “ways to shape a regional and global order that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where countries respect sovereignty and meet their obligations under international law and conventions,” Albanese said.Geostrategic competition must be handled “through dialogue and through understanding,” he said, in apparent reference to heightened tensions between China and the United States, a key Australian ally. “”We can grow the relationship while advancing our respective interests, if we wisely navigate when there are differences,” Albanese said.Li was quoted by the Australian fo...

Live updates | Netanyahu says Israel will have ‘overall security responsibility’ in Gaza after war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will have “overall security responsibility” in Gaza “for an indefinite period” after its war with Hamas and expressed openness to “little pauses” in the current fighting to facilitate the release of hostages.His comments, in an interview that aired late Monday on ABC News, offered the clearest indication yet that Israel plans to maintain control over the territory that is home to some 2.3 million Palestinians.Netanyahu ruled out any general cease-fire without the release of the more than 240 captives seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 raid into Israel, but he said he was open to “tactical little pauses.” U.S. President Joe Biden had raised the need for humanitarian pauses directly with Netanyahu on a call earlier Monday, but no agreement was reached, the White House said.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war surpassed 10,000, including more than 4,100 children and 2,640 women, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in...

Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower as Australia’s central bank raises its key rate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:39:56 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares mostly fell in Asia on Tuesday after a mixed close on Wall Street, where wild recent moves calmed a bit at the beginning of a quiet week for data releases. Benchmarks dropped more than 1% in Hong Kong and Tokyo. South Korea’s Kospi gave up 2.7% of its big gains from a day earlier. Late Monday, office-sharing company WeWork confirmed it is seeking bankruptcy protection. Trading in its shares was halted Monday amid speculation over its restructuring plans. It’s a stunning decline for a one-time Wall Street darling that promised to upend the way people went to work around the world. The company’s shares cost more than $400 two years ago but now cost less than $1.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 declined 1.3% to 32,271.82 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropped 1.4% to 17,710.68. The Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1% to 3,055.74.China reported its imports rose 3% in October from a year earlier, the first such increase in over a year, while exports fell 6.4%,...