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Israel strikes Gaza, Syria and West Bank as war against Hamas threatens to ignite other fronts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza overnight and into Sunday, as well as two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank allegedly used by militants, as the two-week-old war with Hamas threatened to spiral into a broader conflict.Israel has traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group on a near-daily basis since the war began, and tensions are soaring in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have battled militants in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.For days, Israel has seemed to be on the verge of launching a ground offensive in Gaza as part of its response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 rampage. Tanks and tens of thousands of troops have massed at the border, and Israeli leaders have spoken of an undefined next stage in operations.But the military acknowledges there are still hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza despite a sweeping evacuation order, which...

Rapids Takeaways: As worst season in club history concludes with loss to Real Salt Lake, Diego Rubio hints at exit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

COMMERCE CITY — At last, the Colorado Rapids’ 2023 season is over.Of course, it ended in a loss to arch rival Real Salt Lake for a fourth time this season Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, solidifying the worst season in club history.Interim head coach Chris Little put out a strong starting eleven in the narrow 1-0 loss. Homegrown Players Sebastian Anderson and goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez started, and a total of five, a club record, were on the field at one point in the match.The tombstone for the Rapids’ season: 5-17-12, 27 points and 0.79 points per game. Colorado finished dead-last in the MLS Western Conference, 28th of 29 in the Supporter Shield standings, with 26 goals and 54 goals against.Here are the final takeaways from a season full of frustrations.The Homegrowns get “it”Little was not afraid to “play the kids” as Cole Bassett (Littleton), Anderson (Highlands Ranch), and Rodriguez (Thornton) started, and Oli Larra...

Del Amo mall increases security to crack down on crime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance is taking action amid increased mayhem, fights, and brawls involving young people. Torrance police are swarming the Del Amo mall this weekend with the intent to crack down on crime for the sake of businesses and keeping frightened families safe. “For us, I have kids and you’re worried,” said Susan Sisay, Torrance resident. “Am I going to go to the store and somebody’s gonna grab my wallet or something like that? Very concerned.”Aside from frequent smash-and-grabs across Los Angeles County, there’s been an increase of fights breaking out in local retailers. In August, video captured a large group of teens chasing a young boy through the Del Amo mall before knocking him to the ground. The teens surrounded the boy before beginning to kick and punch him. “I just have to make sure it’s safe for me and my kids to go to the mall, so I’m always looking around to make sure there’s no suspicion,” Sisay added. After several fights broke out...

AP Top 25 Takeaways: Franklin, Penn State still chasing elite; Big 12 race takes twist; UVA’s upset

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

Penn State is still chasing elite under coach James Franklin.The seventh-ranked Nittany Lions lost a seventh straight game to Ohio State on Saturday, needing more than 59 minutes to finally get into the end zone against the third-ranked Buckeyes.Defense mostly ruled the day in first of three games matching the Big Ten’s three top-10 teams. The difference? Ohio State has All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., who set a career high with 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.It was 2018 when Penn State, for the second straight season, let a second-half lead get away against the Buckeyes and lost a 27-26 heartbreaker. Two years removed from Franklin’s only victory against Ohio State and Big Ten title, he made a comment that still hangs over his program.“We’ve gone from an average football team, to a good football team, to a great football team,” Franklin said then. “But we’re not an elite team yet.”Five years later, that’s still the case.Penn State hoped things would be ...

Powell returns late interception 89 yards for TD, No. 5 Washington survives Arizona State 15-7

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Mishael Powell returned a fourth-quarter interception 89 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Washington overcame Michael Penix Jr.’s three turnovers to beat Arizona State 15-7 on Saturday night.Powell stepped in front of Trenton Bourget’s throw on fourth-and-3 from the 12 and sprinted down the left sideline to help Washington (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12) win its 14th straight, sidestepping Bourget near the 20 for a 12-7 lead with 8:11 left.The Huskies desperately needed the stop after the Sun Devils (1-6, 0-4) intercepted two of Penix’s passes in the first half and recovered a botched handoff to take a 7-3 lead. Arizona State handcuffed Penix, the Heisman Trophy hopeful and nation’s top passer, like no other defense this season. His fumbled handoff late in the first half helped the Sun Devils take a 7-0 lead on Cam Skattebo’s 4-yard dive.Penix then drove the Huskies 73 yards with the help of a roughing-the-passer call, but failed to pick up a first down and settled for G...

U.S. sending U.S. carrier strike group, air defense systems to Persian Gulf

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

Watch Video: Israel to step up airstrikes on Gaza ahead of expected ground incursionAs tensions heighten in the Middle East amid the escalating Israel-Hamas war, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced late Saturday that the U.S. will redeploy one of its strike groups to the Persian Gulf, as well as send additional air defense systems to the region.Austin also said that he has placed additional U.S. forces on “prepare to deploy orders,” but did not detail how many. Austin earlier this week ordered 2,000 troops to be prepared to deploy to the Middle East.The latest decision followed “detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East,” Austin said in a statement.The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its strike group — which last weekend Austin had announced was being deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join the USS Gerald R. Ford — will instead be heading to the Persian Gulf, Austin disclos...

Mellott runs for 2 TDs to help FCS No. 2 Montana St. beat No. 4 Sacramento St. 42-30

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns, Julius Davis and Jared White each added a rushing touchdown and Montana State beat Sacramento State 42-30 Saturday night in a battle of Top-5 teams in the FCS coaches poll. The Hornets failed to convert a fourth-and-7 from their own at the 28 when Rylan Ortt broke up a pass from Kaiden Bennett intended Marshel Martin with 7:36 to play. Four plays later, White scored on a 12-yard run to make it 42-24. No. 2 Montana State (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky Conference), which went into the game averaging an FCS-leading 324.5 yards rushing this season, ran for 328 yards — the Bobcats’ fifth consecutive game topping the 300-yard plateau and the sixth this season. Elijah Tau-Tolliver led No. 4 Sacramento State (5-2, 2-2) with 100 yards rushing, including a 53-yard touchdown in the third quarter and a 10-yarder with 10:02 to play that trimmed the Hornets’ deficit to 28-24. Bennett finished 26-of-42 passing...

Carson Steele runs for 3 TDs on his birthday, No. 25 UCLA routs Stanford 42-7

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Carson Steele ran for three touchdowns on his 21st birthday and No. 25 UCLA went on to beat Stanford 42-7 on Saturday night.Steele capped the first two drives of the game for the Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) with short TD runs and added a third later in the first half to open a 21-0 lead over the Cardinal (2-5, 1-4). He finished with 76 yards on the ground to make life easy on new quarterback Ethan Garbers.UCLA coach Chip Kelly made a switch at quarterback after freshman Dante Moore struggled in recent weeks and handed it back over to Garbers, who started the season opener. Garbers went 20 for 28 for 240 yards, throwing TD passes to J. Michael Sturdivant and Moliki Matavao in the third quarter.Stanford was unable to follow up last week’s school-record comeback against Colorado with another strong effort. The Cardinal have lost 18 of their last 20 conference games.Garbers completed all four passes on the opening drive to move the Bruins down the field and St...

Mick Jagger makes surprise slapstick cameo on ‘SNL’ alongside host Bad Bunny

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

(CNN) — Live from New York, it’s a rock legend. Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger made two surprise cameos on the new episode of “Saturday Night Live,” hosted by musician Bad Bunny. In the first sketch, Jagger crashed the set of a Spanish-language soap opera, playing the father of a character who was involved in a bitter on-screen fight. Bad Bunny starred in the sketch alongside and “SNL” cast member Marcello Hernández. Bad Bunny and Hernández were attempting to film a scene where their character were engaged in a verbal argument that resulted in the two slapping each other. Jagger, 80, sported a pencil mustache and a cream colored leisure suit for his part of the sketch, which ended with him slapping both actors in the scene-gone-awry. (The fictional production had already been marred by delays caused by a supporting actor who didn’t speak Spanish, played by Punkie Johnson.)Jagger later appeared in a second sketch playing a not-so-innocent nun. Jagger’s appearance on Saturd...

The Swiss are electing their parliament. Polls show right-wing populists, Socialists may fare well

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:34:54 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss voters are casting final ballots Sunday to choose their next legislature, with polls pointing to a rebound for right-wing populist and Socialist parties, while Greens are expected to lose ground compared to the last such election four years ago. The election of the 200-seat lower house, known as the National Council, and the 46-seat Council of States, the upper house, will set the tone for Swiss policy as the rich Alpine country adapts its self-image as a “neutral” country outside the European Union — but is nearly surrounded by it — and grapples with issues like climate change, rising health care costs and migration.Final ballots will be collected Sunday morning after the vast majority of Swiss made their choices by mail-in voting. The vote could indicate how another slice of Europe’s electorate is thinking about right-wing populist politics and the need to spend money and resources to fight global warming at a time of rising inflation that has pinched many pock...