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‘Unprecedented’ rail traffic between North Korea and Russia suggests military transfers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

Pyongyang could very well be helping Moscow to gear up in its war with Ukraine, according to satellite imagery of the Tumangang rail facility at the border with Russia recorded by the U.S. think tank Beyond Parallel and made public on Friday.Although “the extensive use of tarps” makes it impossible to confirm whether this is actually artillery being transferred, the “unprecedented number of freight railcars” and level of rail traffic, along with the recent discussions between the two countries, seem to suggest so, the organization said.The traffic has recently been “far greater” than what has been observed in the past five years, including pre-COVID-19 levels, when there would be 20 railcars at the facility at most, it added.Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged his full support to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “sacred fight” at a summit where both men discussed possibilities for military cooperation.Five days ...

Iran’s support for Hamas fans suspicion it’s wrecking Israel-Saudi deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top military adviser said Tehran supported the attacks by Hamas against Israel on Saturday and would continue to back the Islamist fighters “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.” The remarks by Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former commander of the country’s Revolutionary Guards, will only fan suspicion that Tehran played a direct role in supporting its traditional ally, Hamas, in the well-planned attacks that have killed at least 40 people and injured more than 700. Interventions by Rahim Safavi and other senior Iranian policymakers will also be seen by Iran’s long-running regional rival Saudi Arabia as a threatening signal that Tehran is willing to stir up regional conflict to prevent Riyadh from normalizing ties with Israel, as the U.S. wants. “We support the commendable ‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ operations,” Rahim Safavi was quoted as saying by state media in Iran, using Hamas’ ...

Orioles ALDS roster: John Means (elbow soreness), Shintaro Fujinami among players left off vs. Rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

Orioles left-hander John Means is not on the club’s American League Division Series roster because he came out of his two-inning simulated game during Thursday’s workout with elbow soreness, manager Brandon Hyde said Saturday morning.Means excelled in four starts after returning from Tommy John elbow reconstruction, posting a 2.66 ERA with his signature fastball-changeup combination, but won’t be able to contribute in Baltimore’s best-of-five series with the Texas Rangers. Hyde said Means would be available for the AL Championship Series should the Orioles advance, saying the injury is “not concerning” despite Means’ elbow procedure.“I know he’s disappointed,” Hyde said. “He threw a two-inning sim game a couple of days ago and didn’t feel right. Pretty normal after a Tommy John process, and he’s thrown the ball extremely well. And we don’t want to take any chances, honestly, with it.&#x...

Orioles on deck: Pitching matchup, lineups and how to watch ALDS Game 1 vs. Rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

ORIOLES VS. RANGERSGame 1, American League Division SeriesWhere: Oriole Park at Camden YardsFirst pitch: 1:03 p.m.TV/Radio: FS1/97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AMStarting pitchers: Rangers LHP Andrew Heaney (10-6, 4.15 ERA) vs. Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (12-7, 2.83 ERA)ORIOLES LINEUPAustin Hays (LF)Adley Rutschman (C)Anthony Santander (DH)Ryan Mountcastle (1B)Gunnar Henderson (SS)Aaron Hicks (RF)Jordan Westburg (2B)Cedric Mullins (CF)Ramón Urías (3B)RANGERS LINEUPMarcus Semien (2B0Corey Seager (SS)Robbie Grossman (DH)Adolis García (RF)Evan Carter (LF)Jonah Heim (C)Nathaniel Lowe (1B)Josh Jung (3B)Leody Taveras (CF)PREGAME READINGOrioles ALDS roster: John Means (elbow soreness), Shintaro Fujinami among players left off vs. RangersBaltimore baseball fans rise with their playoff-bound Orioles: ‘This is so exciting, it’s like Christmas’Building vs. buying: Orioles’ ALDS matchup with Rangers shows there are two ways to a turnaroundHere...

Israeli airstrike flattens a high-rise building in central Gaza City after Hamas’ surprise attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and ISSAM ADWAN (Associated Press)JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has flattened a high-rise building in central Gaza City.The 14-story Palestine Tower is home to dozens of families. But it also held offices connected to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups.Israel gave inhabitants a 10-minute warning before it destroyed the building, which was evacuated. There were no injuries.Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, promised a harsh response. “Tel Aviv must stand on one foot and wait for our earth-shattering response,” he said.In past rounds of fighting, Israel has destroyed Gaza high-rises, claiming they were used by militants, but destroying offices and leaving scores of people homeless. That included the building that housed The Associated Press bureau in a 2021 war.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent ...

Israeli airstrike flattens a high-rise building in central Gaza City after Hamas' surprise attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has flattened a high-rise building in central Gaza City.The 14-story Palestine Tower is home to dozens of families. But it also held offices connected to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups.Israel gave inhabitants a 10-minute warning before it destroyed the building, which was evacuated. There were no injuries.Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas' military wing, promised a harsh response. “Tel Aviv must stand on one foot and wait for our earth-shattering response,” he said.In past rounds of fighting, Israel has destroyed Gaza high-rises, claiming they were used by militants, but destroying offices and leaving scores of people homeless. That included the building that housed The Associated Press bureau in a 2021 war.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early ...

‘We are at war’: 5 things to know about the Hamas militant group’s unprecedented attack on Israel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Without warning on Saturday, Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers attacked Israel by air, land and sea. Millions of Israelis in the country’s south awoke to the searing sound of incoming rockets and the inevitable thud of impact. Air raid sirens wailed as far north as Tel Aviv. Israel’s anti-rocket interceptors thundered in Jerusalem. And in an unprecedented escalation, armed Hamas fighters blew up parts of Israel’s highly fortified separation fence and strode into Israeli communities along the Gaza frontier, terrorizing residents and trading fire with Israeli soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies were scrambling to respond to the rapidly changing events. Within just nine hours, some 40 Israelis and nearly 200 Palestinians were confirmed dead, with the numbers expected to rise.Here are some key takeaways from the multi-pronged attack that has suddenly plunged Israel into war.ISRAEL CAUGHT UNAWARE The shock that ...

Washington finalizing the hire of Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

Washington is working to finalize the hire of Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen to fill its vacant AD position, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of a deal were still being worked out. An official announcement was planned for Monday.Yahoo Sports was first to report Washington was targeting Dannen.He will replace Jen Cohen, who left Washington for Southern California in August, not long after the Huskies announced they would be following USC and leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten next year.Now Dannen will oversee that transition at Washington.The Iowa native has been with Tulane since 2015. He has served on various NCAA committees in recent years, including the Division I Transformation Committee and the Football Oversight Committee.During his time at Tulane, Dannen hired football coach Willie Fritz and helped turn the Green Wave into one of the strongest Group of Five pr...

Syria shells northern rebel-held region of Idlib, killing 7 people

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian and Russian bombardment of rebel-held parts of northwest Syria claimed seven more lives and wounded others Saturday, two days after one of the country’s deadliest attacks on a government target in years, a war monitor and a paramedic group said.Thursday’s drone strike on the Homs Military Academy killed 89 people, including 31 women and five children, and wounded as many as 277, according to the health ministry.The Syrian military accused insurgents “backed by known international forces” of carrying out the attack and said “it will respond with full force and decisiveness to these terrorist organizations, wherever they exist.” No one claimed responsibility for the attack that happened during a graduation ceremony at the academy.On Saturday, Syrian artillery pounded towns and villages held by rebels in Idlib province, killing seven and wounding 10, according to the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets.After more than 12 years of ci...

EU Mediterranean ministers call for more migrant repatriations and increased resources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:00 GMT

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Migration and interior ministers from five European Union countries most affected by migration across the Mediterranean — Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain — hailed a new EU pact on migration but said more resources were needed. The ministers from the Med 5 group, who met in Thessaloniki, Greece on Friday and Saturday, took a hard line on returning migrants who have crossed into the bloc illegally to their countries of origin, arguing that if Europe does not tackle the problem decisively, more extreme voices will take over.Greek Migration and Asylum minister Dimitris Kairidis, who hosted the sixth meeting of the Med 5, and European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas congratulated the Spanish presidency of the EU for “doing what is humanly possible” to arrive at a compromise agreement.In a press conference Saturday, Schinas took issue with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who said Friday Hungary was “legally raped” by its fellow EU mem...