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China foreign minister in rare call with Ukraine counterpart

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — In a rare phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Thursday, China’s foreign minister says Beijing is concerned about the year-old grinding conflict with Russia spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow. Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba that China has “always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website. Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity.” “I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s)’s Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine,” wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In 2022, China declared it had a “no-limits” friendship w...

MLB umpires will have a new view this season — on Zoom

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Umpires will have a new view this season: on Zoom.Major League Baseball struck a deal with Zoom Video Communications Inc. allowing on-field umpires to watch the replay operations center evaluating contested calls.MLB first adopted instant replay in September 2008 for home boundary calls and expanded it to a wide variety of decisions for the 2014 season. There were 1,434 video reviews last season that included 1,261 team challenges with 50.2% leading to overturned calls.Until now, the on-field crew chief listened to the replay umpire in New York with audio only, joined by the umpire who made the initial call if different from the crew chief. The umps walked over to the side of the field through 2013 to listen on a headset, then from 2014-21 an attendant brought out a headset to the field for them. Last year, umps switched to a wireless belt pack and MLB for the first time allowed then to announce replays and decisions over ballpark public address systems.On-field umps...

Australia to buy up to 220 Tomahawk missiles from the US

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia said it’s planning to buy up to 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States after the U.S. State Department approved the sale Friday.The deal comes days after Australia announced it would buy nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S. to modernize its fleet amid growing concern about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.Australian officials said the new nuclear-powered submarines would be able to fire the Tomahawk missiles.Japan last month also announced plans to upgrade its military in an effort to deter China, including buying 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles for deployment as soon as 2026.The Australian missile sale comes with a price tag of nearly $900 million. The prime contractor will be Arizona-based Raytheon Missiles and Defense. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” the State Department said in a statement. “Australia is one of our most important allies...

Review: Ben Platt returns to Broadway in a muddied ‘Parade’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — There’s little respite for Ben Platt once the new Broadway revival of the dark musical “Parade” begins. Even during intermission, he remains onstage, sitting in a jail cell. Some patrons during the break may come close to the stage and take photos of him as they stretch or before a quick restroom stop. Others will worry for him — the hangman’s noose is fast approaching.Platt is one of the reasons to see this grim and doomed musical love story set against the real backdrop of a murder and lynching in Georgia in pre-World War I. Another is Micaela Diamond, who plays his wife. A third reason is the score by Jason Robert Brown, which brilliantly veers from muscular work songs to intricate duets. But curious staging may leave you baffled even as you are left moved.Platt stars as Leo Frank, a New York-bred Jewish businessman, accused of murdering a young girl who worked in the pencil factory he managed in 1913. He is tried and convicted of murder, has his death...

Ex-Nonprofit head pleads guilty in Mississippi welfare fraud

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The former director of a Mississippi nonprofit organization pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to stealing government funds intended to help needy families in one of the poorest states in the U.S., court documents show. Christi Webb, who stepped down this week as director of the north Mississippi-based Family Resource Center, appeared before U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves in Jackson. Court documents show Webb pleaded guilty to charges that could send her to prison for up to 10 years. The federal charges stem from a welfare scandal that has ensnared high-profile figures, including retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi. John Davis, who was Mississippi Department of Human Services executive director from 2016 to mid-2019, pleaded guilty last September to state and federal charges tied to misspending money through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. He has not yet been sentenced.The Mississippi Department of Human ...

Northwestern holds off Boise State, 75-67, advance to NCAA Round of 32

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Boo Buie scored 22 points to lead Northwestern past Boise State in the Wildcats’ second appearance ever in the NCAA Tournament.The seventh-seeded Wildcats (22-11) previously made it to the Big Dance in 2017, and just like that time, they made sure they wouldn’t be one-and-done.Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart (2) battles Northwestern forward Tydus Verhoeven (10) and guard Boo Brie (0) for a loose ball in the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas)Northwestern center Matthew Nicholson (34) shoots over Boise State guard Chibuzo Agbo (11) during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)Northwestern never trailed in a game that was close most of the way and advanced to play either UCLA or UNC Asheville.SEE ALSO | Illinois eliminated in ...

Suburban doctor indicted on health care fraud scheme

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — A northwest suburban doctor has been indicted on 13 counts of healthcare fraud, alleging obtaining close to $800,000 in reimbursement for medical services never provided to patients.Mona Ghosh, a licensed physician who owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare S.C. in Hoffman Estates, allegedly submitted fraudulent claims from February 2018 to April 2022, according to a federal indictment.Prosecutors allege that Ghosh obtained $796,000 in fraudulent payments from multiple healthcare benefit programs, such as TRICARE and Medicaid, for claims that include:Telemedicine visits when Ghosh allegedly did not speak to the patientOffice visits and procedures when Ghosh reportedly did not see the patientProcedures predicated on false diagnosisMedically unnecessary procedures and tests, including endometrial ablations and laboratory testingSEE ALSO | Suburban doctor sued over claims of sexual battery, intoxication"Targeting government an...

LIVE BLOG: Severe storms head into Central Texas; SXSW music venues on pause due to weather

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Strong to severe thunderstorms are moving though Central Texas Thursday evening, which at last check put SXSW music venues on pause due to lightning. The storms are expected to continue into Friday as a cold front moves in and drops temperatures. Hail and wind damage are possible but widespread damage isn't expected.Severe Weather Resources:How to talk to your kids about severe weatherLive Central Texas radarCentral Texas rainfall totalsLocal forecast and what's nextTraffic mapDownload KXAN Weather AppSign up for KXAN daily forecast newsletter and severe weather alerts newsletterFollow our live blog below:9:56 p.m.Moody Amphitheater canceled all event programming due to severe weather in the area, according to a tweet.9:45 p.m.Videos of lightning poured into the KXAN Report It inbox starting around 9:15 p.m. Here is a view of the storm rolling into South Austin, courtesy of Andy & Jodi Fisher. This is the view of lightning showing o...

Despite early season drama, UT basketball is thriving

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas men's basketball team is off to a hot start in the NCAA tournament.On Thursday, the Longhorns took down 15-seed Colgate 81-61 to advance to the second round. March Madness: No. 2 Texas launches 3-point barrage to beat No. 15 Colgate in 1st round Some fans say they were worried after former UT coach Chris Beard was fired following his arrest on a domestic violence charge. UT conducted its investigation and later decided to part ways with Beard. The charge was later dropped and Beard is now the head coach at Ole Miss."Through November we were thinking national championship, then it definitely went off the rails," said UT fan Scott Wallace. Longhorns’ Rodney Terry isn’t the typical interim head coach heading into March Madness Wallace said he was worried it could cause a distraction for the team, but the team responded well."I think it is a testament to the team," said Wallace. "They are one of the most experienced teams in the country."Chris...

NCAA West Region: Arkansas holds off Illinois 73-63

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ricky Council IV scored 18 points and Arkansas survived some anxious moments in the second half against an Illinois team that wouldn’t go away, holding on to beat the Illini 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.Devo Davis had 16 points for the eighth-seeded Razorbacks, who used relentless defense and rebounding to build big leads but couldn’t get comfortable until the final minute. Arkansas (21-13) faces top-seeded Kansas on Saturday in the second round of the West Region.Terrence Shannon Jr., held scoreless the first 16 minutes, finished with 20 points to lead the Illini (20-13). It was the first time in five tournament appearances since 2011 that Illinois didn’t make it out of the first round.The Razorbacks were up by double digits in the middle of the first half, but no lead has been safe this season. In seven games they blew leads with scoring droughts of five minutes or longer.“We were in this position many times befor...