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Australians and New Zealanders preparing to be among first nations to ring in 2024 with fireworks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

Australians and New Zealanders are making final preparations on New Year’s Eve to become among the first nations to ring in 2024 as ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza cast a pall over celebrations and heightened tensions across parts of the world.Rain in New Zealand’s largest city Auckland is expected to ease by midnight when downtown Sky Tower, the country’s tallest structure, erupts with fireworks as the centerpiece of a spectacular annual light show.Two hours later in neighboring Australia, the Sydney Harbor Bridge will become the focal point of a renowned midnight fireworks display and light show viewed annually by around 425 million people worldwide, according to city authorities.More police than ever have been deployed throughout Sydney to ensure safety as more than 1 million people — equivalent to one in five of the city’s population — converge on the harbor waterfront for the best available views, state government authorities said in a statement.Many revelers have been camping...

North Korea’s Kim vows to launch 3 more spy satellites and produce more nuclear materials in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to launch three additional military spy satellites, produce more nuclear materials and introduce modern attack drones in 2024, as he called for “overwhelming” war readiness to cope with U.S.-led confrontational moves, state media reported Sunday.Kim’s comments, made during a key ruling Workers’ Party meeting to set state goals for next year, suggest he’ll intensify a run of weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential elections in November. Observers say Kim believes a boosted nuclear capability would give him another chance to launch high-stakes summit diplomacy with the U.S. to win sanctions relief if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House. During the five-day meeting that ended Saturday, Kim said moves by the United States and its followers against North Korea have been unprecedented this year, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war, according to the official Korean Central News ...

Prep roundup: San Ramon Valley wins Damien tournament on Luke Isaak’s clutch 3-pointer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

Boys basketballSan Ramon Valley 69, Dixie (Utah) 68With his team trailing by two in the waning seconds Saturday night, San Ramon Valley coach Brian Botteen wanted no part of overtime as he addressed his players during a final timeout.He drew up a play that ended with the Danville school celebrating a second consecutive championship in the Gold Division at The Classic at Damien. It was the same play his team ran last season to win a semifinal game at this prestigious Southern California tournament.“The first thing I said is it wouldn’t be our style to play to tie,” Botteen told the Bay Area News Group after the victory over Dixie of Utah. “The guys looked very excited and were like, ‘Let’s do it right now.’ We went with the three-point option.”The winning play began with 6-foot-5 forward Seamus Deely, who finished with 19 points, handling the ball. Luke Isaak, a 6-3 guard, ran toward Deely in a false screen attempt, hoping for a defensi...

SF business owner claims NAACP leader made threats after music video critical of mayor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A civil rights advocate in San Francisco is being accused of threatening San Francisco small business owner Andy "Chino" Yang. Yang claims Rev. Amos Brown, the president of the San Francisco NAACP, made threats against his business and family. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Yang, along with the organization 'Asian Justice Movement' (AJM), claims Brown came to Yang's business, demanding he apologize for a rap video that blames Mayor London Breed for a rise in crime in recent years. Oakland Police Commission updates on chief of police search Yang did ultimately issue an apology on Instagram but said he felt forced to do so.Yang and AJM issued a statement on Saturday, specifically calling out Brown, writing in part:We are particularly concerned with the actions by Rev. Brown, purporting to represent the NAACP, which actions have had the impact of pitting the Asian and Black communities against one another. Our communities share a common history of fighting ...

Cowboys deny Lions on 2-point try for 20-19 win to extend home win streak to 16

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — CeeDee Lamb could only watch from the sideline in the final seconds of the best game of his career, hoping it would be enough for a 16th consecutive home victory for the Dallas Cowboys.It was, because the Cowboys survived a 2-point conversion fest with Detroit going for the win. The first of Dak Prescott’s two touchdown passes was a 92-yarder to Lamb, and Dallas stopped the third 2-point try from the Lions after they were penalized when they converted the first with 23 seconds remaining in the Cowboys’ 20-19 victory Saturday night.On the first conversion try after Jared Goff’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff completed a pass to lineman Taylor Decker, but he was ruled to be an ineligible receiver.The Lions went for 2 again from the 7-yard line and were stopped on an interception that didn’t even reach the end zone, but the Cowboys were called for offsides.On the final attempt, Goff’s pass to James Mitchell short ...

LeBron James questions NBA’s replay center after late-game shot ruled a 2-pointer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James thought he added to his legacy with another big shot on his 39th birthday.The NBA’s replay center had a different view, causing James to call out the league’s replay process.James made what he believed was a game-tying 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining as the Los Angeles Lakers were playing on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the top team in the Western Conference.However, it was ruled a 2-pointer and upheld via replay from the league’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, and the Lakers lost 108-106 on Saturday night.“It’s obviously a 3,” James said. “My foot is behind the line. I mean, you can see the space between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. You can clearly see a white, the wood on the floor, there’s a space in between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. So, you know, Stevie Wonder can see that, champ.”James, who spent the day in bed with a non-COVID-19 illness, scored 26 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. But ...

Lucas’ 22 help Nevada take down D-II Fresno Pacific 92-59

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Jarod Lucas scored 22 points as Nevada beat Division II Fresno Pacific 92-59 on Saturday.Lucas shot 8 for 16 (3 for 7 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Wolf Pack (13-1). Hunter McIntosh scored 18 points while shooting 7 for 11, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. K.J. Hymes had 14 points and was 5-of-6 shooting and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. The Wolf Pack picked up their sixth straight victory.Kyle Monk led the Sunbirds in scoring, finishing with 32 points and seven rebounds. Jonah Geron added nine points and two steals for Fresno Pacific. In addition, Avery Lewis finished with seven points and six rebounds.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Edwards scores 31, Timberwolves hold on to beat the Lakers 108-106 on LeBron’s 39th birthday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James woke up sick on his 39th birthday, unsure if he’d be able to help the Los Angeles Lakers in their road game Saturday night against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves.James played and, as he’s done throughout his career, hit a big shot in the closing seconds. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the NBA’s replay center ruled the long jumper with 3.3 seconds left was just a 2-pointer, leaving James to question the replay ruling on his birthday.Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Naz Reid added 21 off the bench and Minnesota held on to beat Los Angeles 108-106 Saturday night.Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 13 rebounds as Minnesota overcame 19 turnovers to win for the fourth time in five games. Two of those wins have come against Los Angeles and the Timberwolves are now 14-1 at home this season.“It was the same story that we talked about before the game,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “We shoot 50%, (have) 19 turnovers. Whene...

Displaced, repatriated and crossing borders: Afghan people make grueling journeys to survive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

TORKHAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The barren desert plain among the mountains of eastern Afghanistan is filled with hundreds of thousands of people.Some live in tents. Others live out in the open, among the piles of the few belongings they managed to take as they were forced from neighboring Pakistan.The sprawling camp of people returning to Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing is the latest facet of Afghans’ long, painful search for a stable home.More than 40 years of war, violence and poverty in Afghanistan have created one of the world’s most uprooted populations. Some 6 million Afghans are refugees outside the country. Another 3.5 million people are displaced within the country of 40 million, driven from their homes by war, earthquakes, drought or resources that are being depleted.Over the course of months, an Associated Press photographer traveled across Afghanistan from its eastern border with Pakistan to its western border with Iran, getting to know displaced people and ...

Today in History: December 31, Chinese city Wuhan investigates mystery illness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:55 GMT

Today in HistoryToday is Sunday, Dec. 31, the 365th and final day of 2023.Today’s Highlight in History:On Dec. 31, 2019, the health commission in the central Chinese city of Wuhan announced that experts were investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness and that most of the victims had visited a seafood market in the city; the statement said 27 people had become ill with a strain of viral pneumonia and that seven were in serious condition.On this date:In 1879, Thomas Edison first publicly demonstrated his electric incandescent light by illuminating some 40 bulbs at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.In 1904, New York’s Times Square saw its first New Year’s Eve celebration, with an estimated 200,000 people in attendance.In 1951, the Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid. In 1972, Major League baseball player Roberto Clemente, 38, was killed when a plane he had chartered and was traveling on to bring relief supplies to earthquake-devast...