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Zelenskyy hails F-16 commitment on visit to Netherlands

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

The Netherlands confirmed that it will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets following approval from the U.S. allowing Ukrainian pilots to get training to fly the planes and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the assurance on the jets, which he called a “breakthrough agreement,” from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to Eindhoven on Sunday. Rutte confirmed that Denmark also will deliver F-16 aircraft to Kyiv, after the Biden administration last week gave final approval for the delivery of Dutch and Danish F-16s to Ukraine as soon as pilot training is complete. The Dutch government did not immediately say when the first F-16s might enter the conflict or how many the Netherlands will send. Zelenskyy told reporters that the exact number of aircraft will be discussed “a little later,” Reuters reported.“Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to the transfer of F...

From turmoil to triumph, Spain clinches its first Women’s World Cup title with a win over England

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer)SYDNEY (AP) — Spain wanted to celebrate its first Women’s World Cup trophy, not dredge up the turmoil that surrounded the team. Olga Carmona scored in the first half and Spain held on for a 1-0 victory over England on Sunday to cap the month-long tournament. The victory made La Roja the first team to hold the under-17, under-20 and senior world titles at the same time. Spain is the fifth winner in nine editions of the Women’s World Cup and joined Germany as the only two nations to win both the men’s and women’s titles.At the final whistle the Spanish players piled on each other in front of their goal. They were still dancing on the field until the trophy presentations, where they kissed the trophy and raised their arms triumphantly as golden glitter fell from above. “We’ve suffered a lot throughout the past 12 months but I think everything has a reason to be. This has made us a stronger team,” Carm...

Charlotte police fatally shoot man who stabbed officer in the neck, authorities say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An officer responding to a domestic violence call fatally shot a man after the suspect stabbed another officer in the neck with a knife Sunday morning in Charlotte, North Carolina, authorities said. The officers heard gunshots from inside the apartment just before 8 a.m. and forced their way inside, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said in a video statement posted to social media.The two officers encountered a male suspect and began a struggle to take him into custody, Jennings said.During the altercation, the man stabbed one of the officers in the neck, according to a news release from the department.The wounded officer retreated and another officer shot and killed the man, Jennings said.The department said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not immediately identified. The wounded officer and a female victim who had sustained a gunshot wound were taken to a hospital with injuries the department said were not life-threatening, t...

Zelenskyy gets offer of F-16 jets from Netherlands and Denmark

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his country’s forces, embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia.The promise of new fighter jets came the day after an unusually brazen Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian theater that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others in the northern city of Chernihiv. Zelenskyy vowed stern retaliation for the attack, whose victims included a slain 6-year-old girl dead and 15 wounded children.After months of entreaties from Zelenskyy for F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian air force, the U.S. recently gave approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine the American-made jets. Zelenskyy travelled to both countries Sunday to finalize the delivery deals.’’F-16s will certainly give new energy, confidence, and motivation to fighters and civili...

Travel ban in parts of B.C. disrupting tourism as raging wildfires burn

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

KELOWNA, B.C. — The central Okanagan is facing weeks without tourism during its peak season after British Columbia’s premier imposed bans on travel to wildfire zones.David Eby says the decision was made to ensure accommodation is available for crews and the 30,000 or more people who were forced from their homes across B.C.The order, which was introduced Saturday under the provincial state of emergency, will be in place until Sept. 4 for hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, hostels, RV parks and campgrounds in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon.The province says the travel ban does not impact other regions, but is asking people to avoid non-essential travel to the central Interior and southeast to keep roads clear for emergency-response operations and other potential evacuations.In Kelowna, where nearby wildfires have forced the evacuation of thousands, watercraft rental businesses have closed their doors, leaving boats and jet skis sitt...

Starbucks told to pay $2.7 million more to ex-manager awarded $25.6 million over firing

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A judge has ordered Starbucks to pay an additional $2.7 million to a former regional manager earlier awarded more than $25 million after she alleged she that and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.In June, Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips’ firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws.The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that U.S. District Judge Joel Slomsky on Wednesday also ordered Starbucks to pay Phillips another $2.73 million in lost compensation and tax damages, according to court documents. The company opposed paying any amount, saying Philipps had not proven she couldn’t have earned the same or more in the future.In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the...

Houstonians worry new laws will deter voters who don’t recall the hard-won fight for voting rights

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Sylvia Ann Miller-Scarborough remembers when people of color had to pay a poll tax to vote in Houston. She recalls her grandmother, undeterred by such obstacles, reminding her how important it was to be heard at the ballot box.Miller-Scarborough worries that much of the hard-won progress she’s seen in more than a half-century of voting in the largest county in Texas could be erased by Republican lawmakers. And she says it’s gotten harder to convince her own grandchildren that it matters.“They don’t believe in voting,” she said. “They are all in their thirties, but they don’t vote. They won’t go to a political rally with me. They say what’s the use? Nothing has changed, as far as they can see.”Harris County, a Democratic stronghold in a state long dominated by Republicans, is one of the most diverse places in Texas, where the minority population has been growing for decades. Democrats have long predicted the state would turn in their favor, but those dreams...

Man, 38, killed in Austin hit-and-run ID'd

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

CHICAGO -- A man killed after a hit-and-run in the city's Austin neighborhood has been identified by the medical examiner's office. Police said they found the man struck by a vehicle in the 5200 block of West North Avenue around 12:55 a.m. He sustained trauma to the body and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary investigation revealed that the man was struck by a silver sedan travelling eastbound on North Avenue. String of 7-11 robberies within 30 minutes on North Side The car stopped momentarily after striking the man but proceeded to leave the scene. The man was not in the crosswalk.There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Best colleges in Illinois

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

(Stacker) -- Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person will make for their education, impacting everything from future earnings and employment to potential student loan debt and social circles.While every student wants to get the best education they possibly can, there are myriad considerations to take into account: location, size, diversity, areas of focus, study abroad opportunities—the list goes on. While best college lists are often topped with the same handful of expensive Ivy League schools, the U.S. is home to more than 4,000 degree-granting schools spread out across all 50 states and several territories, with amazing education offerings for students to consider.Stacker compiled a list of the best four-year colleges in Illinois using rankings from Niche. Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, acceptance rate, and graduation rate are factors considered in deciding these rankings. Location is also often a key factor in a school's appeal, whether it be a bea...

California store owner allegedly killed over Pride flag, suspect dead: sheriff

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:35 GMT

(KTLA) — Authorities are investigating after a store owner was allegedly shot and killed for hanging a Pride flag outside her Southern California shop Friday night.San Bernardino County deputies responded to a shooting at the Mag Pi clothing store located in Cedar Glen around 5 p.m.Arriving deputies said they found the victim, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 3 arrested for $30,000 luxury handbag theft in Glendale The suspect, who was not identified, allegedly fled the area on foot but was soon found by deputies.While confronting the suspect, who was allegedly armed with a handgun, a “lethal force encounter occurred” and the suspect was killed, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. No deputies were injured, and no additional details were released about the shooting. Detectives say they determined the suspect had made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the...