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Philippine troops kill 11 Islamic militants in one of bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine troops, backed by airstrikes and artillery fire, killed 11 suspected Islamic militants near a hinterland village in the country’s south, authorities said Saturday, in one of the military’s bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year.The military launched the offensive Friday after receiving intelligence about the whereabouts of suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, or the BIFF, groups near the village of Tuwayan in southern Datu Hofer town in Maguindanao province, military officials said.Army Maj. Saber Balogan, a regional military official, said government forces recovered 11 bodies of suspected militants after more than three hours of fighting.Troops also recovered Seven M16 and M14 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and five homemade bombs from the scene, he said, adding that there were no military casualties.The Associated Press saw a confidential initial governmen...

SoCal man convicted of providing fentanyl-laced pills that killed teen boy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

A South Bay man was sentenced to prison for distributing fentanyl-laced pills that killed a teen boy while “mocking him" on social media.After a five-day trial, Alexander Declan Bell Wilson, 23, of Rolling Hills, was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.On May 14, 2020, Wilson agreed to provide five Percocet pills to the 15-year-old boy. Evidence discovered on the boy’s cellphone shows he believed the pills were “authentic pharmaceutical pills that contained the opioid oxycodone,” court documents said.At around 11:30 p.m. that night, the victim’s 13-year-old brother met Wilson outside their home to pick up the pills. Wilson handed a plastic bag containing the pills to the 13-year-old from his car. The boy went back inside and gave the pills to the victim. Shortly after, the victim posted a photo of the pills to his Snapchat account before ingesting the drugs. Ventura County woman killed man duri...

CIF NorCal regional football championships: Friday’s results, Saturday’s schedule

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

CIF REGIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPSOPEN DIVISIONSerra (12-0) vs. Mater Dei-Santa Ana (12-1) at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.DIVISION 1-AA                      North: De La Salle 41, Clovis North 0South: Mission Viejo 49, Granite Hills 21CHAMPIONSHIPDe La Salle (11-2) vs. Mission Viejo (12-3), day, time, location TBADIVISION 1-ANorth: Pittsburg (13-0) at Folsom (11-2), Saturday, 6 p.m.South: St. Bonaventure (11-3) vs. St. Augustine (10-4) at Mesa College, Saturday, 7 p.m.DIVISION 2-AANorth: Grant 41, Rocklin 14South: La Serna 49, Orange Vista 42CHAMPIONSHIPGrant (12-2) vs. La Serna (12-2), day, time, location TBADIVISION 2-ANorth: El Cerrito (12-1) at Los Gatos (11-2), Saturday, 6 p.m.South: Simi Valley (9-5) at Central Valley Christian (13-1), Saturday, 6 p.m.DIVISION 3-AANorth: Acalanes 49, Escalon 14South: Birmingham 30, Del Norte 28CHAMPIONSHIPAcalanes (10-4) v. Birmingham (12-2), day, time, location TBADIVISION 3-ANorth: McClymonds (9-2) at Marin Catholic (...

Kevin Durant becomes No. 10 scorer in NBA history, passing Moses Malone

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix forward Kevin Durant moved into 10th place on the NBA’s career scoring list Friday night in the second quarter of the Suns’ 119-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets.The 35-year-old Phoenix forward passed Moses Malone for 10th, driving the baseline for two points with 50.3 seconds left in the second quarter. Durant needed 17 points to pass Malone coming into the game — the 1,003rd of his career.Durant finished with 30 points, but shot 8 of 25 from the field — going 0 for 5 in the fourth quarter. He pushed his career total to 27,423. Malone had 27, 409 in the NBA after starting his professional career with two seasons in the ABA.The 6-foot-11 Durant is a 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion who has played for the SuperSonics/Thunder, Warriors, Nets and Suns. He played one season in college at Texas before being taken No. 2 overall in the 2007 NBA draft at 19 years old.He’s been in the NBA for 17 seasons — missing a full year with an Achilles in...

McCullar scores 21 as No. 5 Kansas beats No. 4 UConn 69-65 in showdown of past 2 NCAA champions

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Students began camping at Allen Fieldhouse more than two days early, and by Friday night the line for the rest of the fans to get into the historic building for this UConn-Kansas showdown snaked its way for what seemed like a mile.The matchup between the past two national champions lived up to expectations.In a back-and-forth game that was part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle, the No. 5 Jayhawks allowed a big early advantage to slip away, then roared back down the stretch. Kevin McCullar Jr. buried back-to-back 3-pointers to give Kansas the lead again in the closing minutes, and KJ Adams Jr. made two free throws in the final seconds to hold off the fourth-ranked Huskies, 69-65.“That’s big-time college basketball,” said McCullar, who finished with 21 points. “We’ve been in these moments multiple times. We just wanted to stay composed. We knew they were going to make a run and the last few minutes, we made our push.”Kansas (7-1) could have taken some of...

Degenhart powers Boise State to 63-60 victory over Saint Mary’s

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Tyson Degenhart scored 17 points to lead Boise State to a 63-60 victory over Saint Mary’s on Friday night.Degenhart made 5 of 9 shots with a 3-pointer for the Broncos (4-3). He added five assists and four rebounds. Chibuzo Agbo pitched in with 11 points and eight rebounds, while O’Mar Stanley scored 10.Aidan Mahaney led the Gaels (3-5) with 19 points. Augustus Marciulionis totaled 17 points, four assists and five steals.___Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here___AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballSource

Northwestern takes down top-ranked Purdue for 2nd consecutive season

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Boo Buie scored seven of his 31 points in overtime to help Northwestern beat Zach Edey and No. 1 Purdue for the second straight season, winning 92-88 on Friday night in the Big Ten opener for each school.Buie added nine assists and four rebounds, rallying Northwestern from an eight-point halftime deficit. Ty Berry also scored seven points in OT and finished with 21, and Ryan Langborg had 20.The Wildcats (6-1, 1-0) became the seventh program since 2010-11 to beat a team ranked No. 1 in the AP poll in consecutive seasons. They topped the Boilermakers 64-58 on Feb. 12 for their first win against a No. 1 team.The 7-foot-4 Edey, the reigning national player of the year, had 35 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots — but Purdue (7-1, 0-1) had no answer for Buie when it mattered most.Moments after the final seconds ticked off, Edey & Co. trudged off the floor as students stormed the court at Welsh-Ryan Arena.NO. 5 KANSAS 69, NO. 4 UCONN 65LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)...

December Nights kicks off first night in Balboa Park

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A tradition that is "So San Diego" returned to Balboa Park to kick off the holiday season."The celebration, the people, the international houses and the foods from the different countries, my favorite," Susan Stocker said.San Diego natives and visitors alike were soaking in all that December Nights had to offer Friday evening. The decades-long tradition offers family-friendly activities, light displays, food, music, and more."I got here early about 4:30 so I was here before the big crowds and so then they just sort of keep building," Stocker said.The event is expected to draw about 300,000 people throughout Friday and Saturday. Person hit, killed near Coronado Holiday Parade route "First, you get the exercise at the 25-minute walk from parking which was great and then just a carnival of delights," Adam Shames said.The tree lighting is a highlight for many, packing the Spreckels Organ Pavilion patiently awaiting the big moment. However, this year that portion of the ev...

Somalia president hails lifting of arms embargo as government vows to wipe out al-Shabab militants

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed Saturday the U.N. Security Council vote to lift an arms embargo imposed on the Horn of Africa nation more than 30 years ago.The 15-member council unanimously voted Friday night in favor of the British-drafted resolution to lift the weapons ban. However, France was the only member to abstain when voting on another resolution to reimpose an arms embargo on al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants, saying the resolution lacked references to the territorial disputes between Djibouti and Eritrea.In a statement sent to the Associated Press, Information Minister Daud Aweys said the embargo lift will help modernize the country’s armed forces. “Somalia has been grappling with significant security challenges, including the presence of extremist groups such as al-Shabab. The Somali government needs access to modern arms and equipment to effectively combat these threats and maintain security within its borders,...

Israel intensifies its assault on southern Gaza, causing renewed concern about civilian deaths

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:08:12 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel pounded targets in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, intensifying a renewed offensive that followed a weeklong truce with Hamas and giving rise to renewed concerns about civilian casualties.At least 178 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed Friday morning, even as the United States urged ally Israel to do everything possible to protect civilians. “This is going to be very important going forward,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday after meetings with Arab foreign ministers in Dubai, wrapping up his third Middle East tour since the war started. “It’s something we’re going to be looking at very closely.”Israel’s attacks Saturday were focused on the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza, where the military dropped leaflets the day before warning residents to leave. As of late Friday, however, there had been no reports of large numbers of people leaving, according to the United Nations.“There is no pla...