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Authorities pursue erratic, high-speed stolen vehicle in L.A. County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Authorities pursued a stolen vehicle in Los Angeles County on Thursday night.The pursuit began in Lakewood as the suspect driver was seen leading Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies on a high-speed chase.The driver was seen erratically crossing freeway lanes while hitting speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. At times, the suspect drove without headlights while narrowly missing other vehicles.Later on, officers from California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit as it continued into the night. Eventually, the suspect crashed and was taken into custody.

Rock throwing vandal causing thousands of dollars in damage to buildings in Pomona 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Police in Pomona are working to identify and locate a woman who has caused thousands of dollars in damage to several buildings – including a church – over the last several months. One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. “It is very disappointing and discouraging,” said Pastor Patrick Horn. “It’s close to a thousand dollars per month or so repairing windows and doors and locks, and it’s adding up...we are probably close to $20,000 over the last few years in just repairs.” One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. (KTLA)The house of worship isn’t the only place being targeted by the unknown vandal; a Chinese restaurant located down the street from the church has been hit by the same suspect six times in the last two weeks, leaving the ...

Crews combat San Jose hills grass fire burning near structures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

SAN JOSE – Local and state fire crews on Thursday night were continuing to battle a tier-three grass fire burning in the hills east of San Jose.The blaze, dubbed the Clayton Fire, ignited around 2:30 p.m. at Clayton Road and Via De La Vista, according to Cal Fire.At 4:40 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department reported forward progress of the fire had been stopped.Charred grasslands that were burned due to the Clayton Fire in the east San Jose hills near the corner of Clayton Road and Via De La Vista. (San Jose Fire Department)The blaze covered 66 acres and was 30% contained as of 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire.“Units will remain at the scene through the night,” Cal Fire said in a social media post.Cal Fire helicopter siphons water from Lake Cunningham in San Jose to help with airdrops against the Clayton Fire in the San Jose hills. (San Jose Fire Department Twitter)The fire briefly threatened multiple structures in the area.A Cal Fire helicopter at one point siphoned water from...

Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith says team won’t let her use practice facility

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Mercury star Skylar Diggins-Smith said Thursday in a social media post that she’s been barred from the team’s practice facility while she is on maternity leave from the team.The six-time All-Star hasn’t played for the Mercury this season after the birth of her second child.Diggins-Smith made the allegations when responding to a post on X about the Mercury not celebrating her birthday on social media. She wrote: “They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys. We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources.”Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue was asked about Diggins-Smith before Thursday night’s game against Atlanta, but she didn’t say much about the situation.“Skylar is on maternity leave right now and as we do with players on maternity leave, we give them their space,” Blue said.___WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-...

Pac-12 being pushed to brink as Big Ten joins Big 12 in honing in on West Coast schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

The Big Ten has joined the Big 12 in pushing the Pac-12 to the brink.Arizona is in serious talks to join the Big 12, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Big Ten is discussing membership with Oregon and Washington, two people with direct knowledge of those talks told the AP.All spoke on condition of anonymity because nothing has been made official by the schools or conferences involved.None of the news bodes well for the Pac-12’s survival.The boards of regents for Arizona’s two biggest universities, along with the University of Washington, had special meetings Thursday night, ramping up speculation that more Pac-12 schools could leave the flailing conference.The person with direct knowledge of the Arizona situation also said that Arizona State was mulling jumping to the Big 12, too, but was not as far along in the process. That could slow down Arizona’s final decision because the Tucson-based school would...

Danish PM: Banning Quran burning would not reduce freedom of expression

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke out for the first time on the burning of the Quran in her country, saying that a potential ban on setting fire to the religious text would not limit freedom of expression. “I don’t consider it a restriction on freedom of expression that you can’t burn other people’s books,” Frederiksen said in an interview published Thursday. “It is not a slippery slope,” she added, referring to a debate triggered after the Danish government announced a potential ban on Quran burnings on Sunday.Last week, far-right protesters organized anti-Islam demonstrations and burned copies of the Quran in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned these acts and said the small number of people responsible did not represent Danish society or values.“There is a concrete security risk. And then there is a risk that we will become isolated on the i...

South Korea detains suspect in high school teacher’s stabbing a day after separate attack wounded 14

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police detained a man suspected of stabbing a high school teacher with a knife Friday in the city of Daejeon. The stabbing follows a separate, apparently random attack on Thursday in which 14 people were wounded near a busy subway station in Seongnam.Officials at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency didn’t immediately release the personal details of the suspect in the Friday morning attack on the teacher at Songchon High School, describing him only as a man in his late 20s.According to police, the suspect waited for the teacher to step out of a classroom before stabbing him and fleeing the scene, which, according to officials, suggests they were acquaintances. Police and fire department authorities did not specify the teacher’s health condition.The attack in Daejeon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Seongnam, came hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol called for “ultra-strong” law enforcement measures to restore faith in public safety a...

Austrian leader proposes enshrining the use of cash in his country’s constitution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s leader is proposing to enshrine in the country’s constitution a right to use cash, which remains more popular in the Alpine nation than in many other places.Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement on Friday that “more and more people are concerned that cash could be restricted as a means of payment in Austria.” His office said that the “uncertainty” is fueled by contradictory information and reports.“People in Austria have a right to cash,” Nehammer said. While payments by card and electronic methods have become increasingly common in many European countries, Austria and neighboring Germany remain relatively attached to cash. The government says 47 billion euros ($51 billion) per year are withdrawn from ATMs in Austria, a country of about 9.1 million people.Protecting cash against supposed threats has been a demand of the far-right opposition Freedom Party, which has led polls in Austria in recent months. The country’s next election is due in...

Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking Black Sea navy base and Crimea with drones

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Russia accused Ukraine early Friday of attacking its Black Sea navy base in the port of Novorossiysk with sea drones. Novorossiysk is just across the water from Crimea, where Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it thwarted another attack by Ukraine overnight, taking down 13 drones.Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Russian ships patrolling the perimeter of the naval base destroyed two Ukrainian sea drones.Footage published on Russian social media channels appeared to show a ship firing into the sea and a burning object exploding. Ukrainian agencies carried footage from social media channels they suggested showed a Russian ship listing to one side after the attack.The Associated Press could not verify the videos. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attack, in keeping with the country’s security policy.Minutes after confirming the attack on the Black Sea port, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had also repelled another attack by Ukraine on Moscow-annexed Crimea. The defense ...

Erasmus+: 159 projects selected to modernize higher education worldwide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

The Commission has selected 159 projects for funding under Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education, which supports the modernization and quality of higher education in third countries worldwide. These projects all respond to the overall aim to support the international cooperation of higher education, improve education systems and strengthen growth and prosperity on a global scale. Through the projects selected this year, 2,500 higher education stakeholders from almost 130 EU countries and across the world will work together to modernise and internationalize higher education. The overall 2023 budget of €115.3 million will for example advance the professionalisation of maths in Central Africa; university studies in equity and equality law for vulnerable groups in Latin America; curricula for a sustainable blue economy in the Southern Mediterranean; and courses for transformative change in health education in South-East Asia. Projects in other regions focus on entrepreneurship...