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US Navy warship shoots down a drone launched by Houthis from Yemen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy warship sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait shot down a drone launched from Yemen on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, in the latest in a string of threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.U.S. Central Command said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, downed the drone — an Iranian-made KAS-04 — which was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and was heading toward the warship. The ship was operating in the the southern Red Sea and was moving toward the strait. At the time of the morning shootdown, the Carney was escorting the USNS Supply, a Military Sealift Command fast combat supply ship, as well as another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to the ships, the command said in a statement.The shootdown came a day after a Iranian drone flew within 1,500 yards of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier as it was conducting flight operations in inter...

16-year-old Shih Tzu reunited with owner after being stolen during carjacking in Prince George’s Co.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

#tnvbNcaMHUrl {margin-bottom: 30px;padding: 20px 10px;background: #D30000;text-align: center;font-weight: bold;color: #fff;border-radius: 5px;}This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker.In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker.(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "d2a96974-a5bf-4cde-832f-ff339720faae"}).render("ddad7d99c27947c8851e0b2311fb8e96"); });Yet another dog was stolen and then reunited with its owner in the D.C. area.This time, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu named Zoi was returned Tuesday after she was stolen from a gas station Monday in the 1400 block of Hampton Park Boulevard near Largo, Maryland, around 1:15 p.m.Zoi was inside a car when she was taken.“I was so waiting for this day,” Zoi’s owner said. “My daughter a...

Arsenal hits 6 and advances in Champions League. Man United again scores 3 yet stays in last place

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Arsenal scored six to advance in the Champions League as a group winner on Wednesday and Manchester United stayed last in its group despite again scoring three times away from home.Arsenal’s 6-0 rout of Lens ensured second-place PSV Eindhoven also advanced from Group B to the round of 16. PSV’s second-half rally to win 3-2 at Sevilla was clinched by United States forward Ricardo Pepi in stoppage time.There are now 12 confirmed teams in the round of 16 draw on Dec. 18 and Man United is in serious danger of missing out.The three-time European champion led by two goals after 18 minutes at Galatasaray and 3-2 early in the second half but was pegged back again in a wild 3-3 draw.United only does topsy-turvy road games in Europe this season after 4-3 losses at group winner Bayern Munich and second-place Copenhagen.“As a team, we have to learn from it because we are conceding too many goals and it is unnecessary and avoidable,” United manager Erik ten Hag said.A h...

The Hunt: Israel kills Hamas military leaders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, speaks with WTOP's J.J. Green $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); if( typeof gtag === "function" ){ gtag('event', 'post_audio', { 'play': audio_filename, 'permalink': window.location.href }); } }); }); Israel announced Sunday that it had “eliminated” four senior Hamas military leaders. In this we...

African company to start making vaginal rings that protect against HIV

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

A South African company will make vaginal rings that protect against HIV, which AIDS experts say should eventually make them cheaper and more readily available.The Population Council announced Thursday that Kiara Health of Johannesburg will start making the silicone rings in the next few years, estimating that 1 million could be produced annually. The devices release a drug that helps prevent HIV infections and are authorized by nearly a dozen countries and the World Health Organization.The nonprofit council owns the rights to the rings, which are now made by a Swedish company. About 500,00 rings are currently available to women in Africa at no cost, purchased by donors. Ben Phillips, a spokesman at the U.N. AIDS agency, said the advantage of the ring is that it gives women the freedom to use it without anyone else’s knowledge or consent.“For women whose partners won’t use a condom or allow them to take oral (preventive HIV) medicines, this gives them another option,” he said.HIV re...

Live updates | Hamas frees 16 hostages as deadline to extend truce nears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

A group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai nationals have been handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross late Wednesday, the Israeli military said. The release was expected to be followed by Israel freeing 30 Palestinian prisoners. Two Russian-Israeli women were also freed in a separate release earlier Wednesday evening and have arrived back in Israel.International mediators are working to extend a cease-fire that’s just a few hours from expiring. Israel has agreed to extend the truce by one day for every 10 militant-held hostages who are freed. The cease-fire, which was originally set to expire on Monday, has paused the deadliest fighting between Israel and Palestinians in decades.However, Israel has vowed to resume the war in an effort to end Hamas’ 16-year rule of Gaza, but it’s facing mounting international pressure to extend the truce and spare southern Gaza a devastating ground offensive like the one that has demolished much of the north.Hamas’ ...

Grad students look for help from Queen’s donor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

Weeks after an historic donation to the Queen’s School of Engineering from Stephen Smith, grad students at the university are formally asking the donor to extend his generosity to help with their struggle. On Wednesday afternoon PSAC 901, the union representing grad student workers at Queen’s, published a formal letter to Mr. Stephen Smith seeking his assistance in reviving the union’s Emergency Food Support Fund. The letter states that it’s difficult to share in the excitement of the recent donation while many teaching assistants both in and out of the School of Engineering will continue to experience life below the poverty line.“Your donation was excitedly announced to our members as the meeting of momentum and magnitude,” the letter reads.“We believe that momentum would actually meet magnitude if no graduate student employee needed to apply for emergency food support programs, or go to foodbanks run by their employer, as Queen’s Universit...

Biden visits Boebert's district to reject Republican criticism of green policies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — President Joe Biden used a backdrop of the world's largest facility for wind tower manufacturing to sharpen his criticism of Republicans Wednesday, saying the company's expansion validates an environmental agenda his political opponents want to undo. The company that Biden visited, CS Wind, is on the home turf of Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who has described the president's climate policies as “a massive failure.”"Did you all know that you’re part of a massive failure?” Biden said to the workers and local officials gathered for his speech as he touted hundreds of new jobs fueled by tax incentives for clean energy initiatives. “None of that sounds like a massive failure to me. How about you?” Watch full replay of Pres. Biden's remarks in Pueblo President Joe Biden speaks at CS Wind on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Pueblo, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)Biden’s rebuttal to Boebert was fresh evidence of the Democratic president's intention to more aggressively ...

West Boylston grounds out Div. 8 state title over Carver, 41-7

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

FOXBORO — Utilizing a dynamic rushing attack, West Boylston was able to emerge victorious over Carver, 41-7, to win the Division 8 state championship.This was the second straight state title for the Lions, as the team took home the Division 7 championship in 2022.The offense produced 413 total yards, with 359 coming on the ground. The defense limited Carver to just 122 yards.“Our goal was to get pressure on that quarterback,” Lions coach Mike Ross said. “We got a lot of pressure and made him uncomfortable. On offense, we’re tough, we wanted to keep them off the field and grind the ball and that’s what we did.”The Lions started with the ball, but Carver was able to force a quick punt. After this, the Crusaders marched down the field and took a 7-0 lead via a pass connection from Tyler Lennox and Robert Peterson.The Crusaders forced a fumble on the ensuing drive and looked poised to extend the lead. Instead, a great defensive stand followed, with a sack from Jake O’Brien providing a h...

‘Prepared for anything:’ Boston braces for oncoming winter weather

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:42 GMT

City officials once again gathered around one of the city’s mountainous salt piles to announce Boston is braced for any oncoming winter weather — and they urged residents to do their part.“Winter doesn’t stand a chance in Boston, because we are ready,” said Mayor Michelle Wu, flanked by a glittering salt pile and large snow plow in the Public Works Yard Wednesday. “And we know that last winter was particularly mild, and so I’m trying not to jinx it today here in front of the salt pile, but we will be prepared for anything.”The city has 44,000 tons of salt — upping last year by 4,000 tons — and 175 pieces of snow clearing apparatus with 800 more available for snow emergencies, Wu said.Following a notably mild winter last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association forecasted a warmer-than-average winter for the New England region in their 2023-24 Winter Outlook release. In a report released in October, though, Acc...