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Verstappen sets early pace in 1st practice at Australian GP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — In a dramatic opening practice that was halted by a red flag twice due to on-track issues, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were among the drivers to experience difficulties on the Albert Park circuit on Friday.Verstappen, who said illness left him “physically limited” when finishing second behind teammate Sergio Perez in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, set the early standard in practice.The two-time world champion, who posted a fastest lap time of 1 minute. 18:790 seconds, spun his Red Bull at the exit to turn four with just over five minutes left and ended his session. Perez also ended up in the gravel midway through the session as teams experienced issues with their GPS systems, which prompted the first red flag.The session ended prematurely when Williams’ driver Logan Sargeant lost power in his car with just under two minutes remaining of a chaotic opening at the circuit. A second practice session was scheduled later Friday, with qualifying set for...

Connor McDavid scores 61st goal, Oilers beat Kings 2-0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid scored his NHL-leading 61st goal of the season and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.McDavid beat goalie Joonas Korpisalo with a wrist shot from the slot on a short-handed breakaway to make it 2-0 at 3:53 of the third period.Stuart Skinner made 44 saves for his first shutout of the season and second in the NHL, helping the Oilers move past the Kings into third place in the Western Conference.Evander Kane opened the scoring with 52 seconds left in the first period with his 15th of the season.Korpisalo made 35 saves for Los Angeles. The Kings have lost two in a row.UP NEXTKings: At Seattle on Saturday night.Oilers: Host Anaheim on Saturday night.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Covering over well at Indian temple collapses, killing 35

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Army soldiers and other responders found 35 bodies inside a well after a structure built over it collapsed as a large crowd of Hindu faithful prayed at a festival for the god Rama, a state government official said Friday.Nearly 140 rescuers used ropes and ladders to pull out the bodies from the well after pumping out the water. A narrow path and debris in the well made the task difficult.Dozens of people fell into the well in the temple complex in Indore in central Madhya Pradesh state when the structure collapsed Thursday and were covered by falling debris, police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar said. Witnesses said a large crowd of devotees had thronged the temple to perform a fire ritual and celebrate the Hindu festival.The structure apparently caved in because it could not handle the weight of the large crowd, said the state’s top elected official, Shivraj Singh Chauhan. He ordered an investigation.“We have so far recovered 35 bodies and the rescue oper...

Rescuers working overnight have found 35 bodies after well structure collapsed at Hindu festival in central India

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers working overnight have found 35 bodies after well structure collapsed at Hindu festival in central India.Source

Canadian police say 6 dead found near Quebec border with US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

MONTREAL (AP) — The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service said late Thursday it was investigating the discovery of six bodies in a marshy area of Quebec near Canada’s border with New York state.Police said they were awaiting the results of post-mortem and toxicology tests to determine the cause of death. They said they were still trying to identify the dead and their status in Canada. It wasn’t immediately known if they were migrants trying to cross the border.“The first body was located around 5:00 P.M. in a marsh area in Tsi Snaihne, Akwesasne, Quebec,” police said in a statement on social media. “There is no threat to the public at this time.” Last month, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police reported a recent increase in illegal entries through their lands and waterways. The statement said some migrants required hospitalization. And in January the force noted people involved in human smuggling had attempted to utilize shorelines along the S...

Mi Hyang Lee leads LPGA Tour event at Palos Verdes with 65

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee shot a 6-under 65 in her first LPGA Tour event of the year for a one-stroke lead in the opening round of the DIO Implant LA Open on Thursday.Lee, a South Korean who earned her spot in a Monday qualifier, hit all 18 greens in regulation, played bogey-free and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th hole in challenging conditions at Palos Verdes. Players endured intermitted rain and hail with temperatures in the 40s.Lee turned 30 on Thursday and called it “the best birthday round I’ve ever had.”Lee, ranked 378th in the world, has two career LPGA Tour victories, the more recent at the Ladies Scottish Open in 2017. She was runner-up at the ANA Inspiration, a major, in 2019 to reach a career-best 31st in the ranking but has struggled the past three years. She’s coming off a tie for sixth in an Epson Tour event last week.Megan Khang and Hyo Joo Kim — a close friend of Lee’s — each shot 66. Nasa Hataoka, Lucy Li and Maude-Ai...

Donald Trump indicted; expected to surrender next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump’s surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldn’t prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency.The indictment, the first against a former U.S. president, injects a local district attorney’s office into the heart of a national presidential race and ushers in criminal proceedings in a city that the ex-president for decades called home. Arriving at a time of deep ...

Editorial: No surprise here – Yellen blames Trump for bank crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

When in doubt, blame Trump.That’s the go-to for President Joe Biden. From to the border crisis, to the national debt, to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the list goes on. When faced with one of the country’s many problem, Biden claims he inherited a broken fill-in-the-blank.He even ignored his party’s runaway spending spree and pointed the finger at the former president for causing the current state of inflation.During a press conference last month, Biden was asked if he took any blame for inflation. He said no.“Why not?” Biden was asked.“Because it was already there when I got here, man.”Never mind that middle-class incomes rose by some $5,000 under Trump, the unemployment rate hovered at 3.5% and the country enjoyed a high degree of energy independence – according to Biden, the place was a shambles when he moved in to the White House.The president is fond of pointing out job growth under his tenure, judiciously editing ...

Giannis Antetekounmpo discusses Bucks’ level of concern after Celtics’ blowout victory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

In three regular-season meetings, the Celtics put the Bucks on notice.On Christmas Day, the C’s smoked the Bucks with a 139-118 thumping. Even in a loss in Milwaukee last month, the Celics were missing four starters – including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – and still managed to force overtime and almost steal one. Then on Thursday, the Celtics dismantled the Bucks with a 140-99 drubbing at Fiserv Forum that was never close.With five games left before the playoffs, the Bucks lead the Celtics by two games atop the Eastern Conference. The two teams look to be on a collision course to the conference finals. If that happens, and while the Bucks will likely have home-court advantage for that playoff series, the Celtics – who beat the Bucks in seven games in last season’s conference semifinals – look to have the edge. They certainly don’t seem to be concerned about going into Milwaukee and getting a win there if they need to.How worried are the Bucks of the Celtics? After Thursday’s loss...

Austin: Doors set to shut on conservatives in federal jobs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:15 GMT

When working for the government, Joe Biden is no longer content with the tried-and-true question of patriotism: “Are you with or against us?” In a shocking effort to overhaul federal hiring guidelines, the president wants to ask: “Are you with or against me?”A proposed rule governing federal hiring is, at best, a bad policy promoting left-wing loyalty over competence. At worst, it’s a stepping stone to undermining fair hiring practices and freedom of speech.In January, the Office of Personnel Management proposed changes to the federal government’s “personnel vetting investigative and adjudicative processes for determining suitability and fitness.” It explains that this refers to “a decision by an agency that an individual does or does not have the required level of character and conduct necessary” for federal employment. The public has until April 3 to file comments on these amendments before the rule is finalized.Current policy prohibits hiring applicants found to be involved in “k...