How Ukrainian special forces secured a critical Dnipro River crossing in southern Ukraine

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

How Ukrainian special forces secured a critical Dnipro River crossing in southern Ukraine KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Their first battle plan was outdated the moment the dam crumbled. So the Ukrainian special forces officers spent six months adapting their fight to secure a crossing to the other side of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine.But it wasn’t enough just to cross the river. They needed backup to hold it. And for that, they needed proof that it could be done. For one of the officers, nicknamed Skif, that meant a flag — and a photo op.Skif, Ukrainian shorthand for the nomadic Scythian people who founded an empire on what is now Crimea, moves like the camouflaged amphibian that he is: Calculating, deliberate, until the time to strike.He is an officer in Center 73, one of Ukraine’s most elite units of special forces — frontline scouts, drone operators, underwater saboteurs. Their strike teams are part of the Special Operations Forces that run the partisans in occupied territories, sneak into Russian barracks to plant bombs and prepare the ground for reclaiming territo...

Balacera deja a un hombre muerto afuera de la estación de Metro L’Enfant Plaza

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Balacera deja a un hombre muerto afuera de la estación de Metro L’Enfant Plaza Un hombre murió después de recibir un disparo afuera de la estación de metro L’Enfant Plaza en el suroeste de DC la madrugada del martes, informaron las autoridades.El hombre fue herido de bala en la cuadra 600 de Maryland Avenue SW justo antes de las 4:30 a.m., según la policía de DC. Fue trasladado a un hospital, donde murió. Su nombre aún no ha sido revelado por las autoridades.La policía dijo que están buscando al tirador. Se está llevando a cabo una investigación por homicidio.Se podían ver vidrios rotos en una estación de autobuses cerca de la estación de Metrorail. La entrada de la estación Maryland Avenue y Seventh Street se cerró temporalmente y luego se reabrió.Esta historia tiene elementos que podrían no funcionar en nuestra aplicación. Pulsa aquí para abrir la historia en el navegador de internet. Source

Can the Denver Broncos still make it to the playoffs after loss to Patriots?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Can the Denver Broncos still make it to the playoffs after loss to Patriots? DENVER (KDVR) — The clock hasn’t struck midnight, but the seconds are moving quickly. Time has almost run out on the 2023 Denver Broncos.“The message is going to be about this game, our last home game,” said head coach Sean Payton on his weekly Zoom call. Broncos cut safety Kareem Jackson but will try to re-sign him to practice squad if he clears waivers The Broncos saw their path to the playoffs crumble on Christmas Eve, falling to the New England Patriots 26-23. Now, Denver can only hope for a lot of help from other teams. The easiest road would be through the AFC West by winning their final two games against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Kansas City Chiefs would also have to lose their final two games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers.The New York Times playoff predictor has the possibility at 6% based on 160,000 simulations.“I don’t feel like the pressure was different,” noted Payton after a couple of days of reflection on the he...

Transforming holiday trees into mulch: Miami-Dade County launches Christmas Tree Recycling Program

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Transforming holiday trees into mulch: Miami-Dade County launches Christmas Tree Recycling Program The Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste (DSWM) is inviting residents to engage in the DSWM Christmas Tree Recycling Program. On Tuesday, DSWM service area customers can responsibly dispose of their clean, decoration-free natural Christmas trees at select Trash and Recycling Centers (TRCs). The recycled trees will be transformed into mulch, available to customers on a first-come, first-served basis starting in spring 2024.DSWM service area customers, encompassing single-family households in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and specific municipalities, including Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, and others, are encouraged to participate in this eco-friendly initiative.Christmas Tree Recycling Centers:Customers can drop off their Christmas trees at the following Trash and Recycling Centers (open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.):North Dade – 21500 NW 47th Ave.Norwood – 19901 NW 7th Ave.Palm Springs North – 7870 NW 178th St.Golden Glades – 140 NW 160th St.West Little River ...

Turkey’s parliamentary committee approves Sweden’s NATO membership

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Turkey’s parliamentary committee approves Sweden’s NATO membership The foreign affairs committee of the Turkish parliament on Tuesday gave its approval for Sweden to join NATO, reported Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.This brings Sweden a step closer to joining the Western military alliance. It also comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delayed action on Sweden’s bid for a year, arguing the country is too friendly toward Kurdish activists regarded by Ankara as terrorists.Erdoğan has also linked the approval of Sweden’s accession to the sale of F-16 fighter jets by the United States to Turkey — something that’s currently pending approval by the U.S. Congress.The general assembly of the Turkish parliament now needs to give its final green light before Sweden can officially become a full NATO member. However, no date for this plenary vote has been set.The unanimous approval of all current NATO member countries is required for any new state to join the military alliance.Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán has also been stal...

‘Turtleboy’ announces he has turned himself in on assault allegation

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

‘Turtleboy’ announces he has turned himself in on assault allegation Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, a blogger who has brought much attention to the murder case against Karen Read and has advocated for her innocence, has purportedly turned himself in to police on a charge of assault and battery for an alleged Friday incident.“Attention: Aidan has been framed for A&B. He can prove his innocence, but he also currently has strict bail conditions. He has handed himself into police and is on his way to Dedham District Court. If you can get there, please do. Media is waiting. – admin,” a post on the Turtleboy Facebook page stated at noon.Kearney, who turned 42 today, was arraigned Friday on 16 counts related to his coverage and advocacy in the Karen Read murder case on in Norfolk Superior Court: eight counts of witness intimidation, three counts of conspiracy to intimidate witnesses, and five counts of picketing a witness. He had been released on personal recognizance with no restrictions in place following his hearing.There ha...

The Chicago Bears have played 9 times on Christmas Eve and twice on Christmas Day. Here’s how they’ve done since 1989.

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

The Chicago Bears have played 9 times on Christmas Eve and twice on Christmas Day. Here’s how they’ve done since 1989. Playing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day has been a possibility for the Chicago Bears only since the 1980s.Why? From the league’s start in 1920, the NFL season consisted of fewer regular-season games and its championship usually concluded before or avoided altogether the December holidays.That changed in April 1971, when it was announced four playoff games would take place on Dec. 25-26. This arrangement — with two games each day — meant all four games could be broadcast nationally.As the holidays drew nearer, however, fans became vocal.“I enjoy football, but is it really necessary to play on Christmas Day?” an angry caller told Joe McGuff, then the sports editor for the Kansas City Star. “This is a religious day, a family day. But apparently it makes no difference to the people who run professional football.”When NFL executive director Jim Kensil was asked in early December 1971 why the two games scheduled for Christmas Day couldn’t ...

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s home ‘swatted’ on Christmas Day

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s home ‘swatted’ on Christmas Day Someone had a mean-spirited idea to target Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Christmas day.A Boston Police Department spokesman told the Herald that the department received information that a violent shooting had taken place at an address matching that of Wu’s Roslindale home Monday.The shooting was a hoax.A spokesman for the mayor declined to comment on the incident.Such calls reporting serious crimes that demand a police response that are placed only to harass or possibly endanger the resident of a home are known as “swatting.”“To ‘swat’ someone is to falsely report a dangerous situation that provokes a police response,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary’s website, which adds that the act is “malicious and harmful.”The harassment trend has been reported by various news outlets to cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars for each incident and has at times resulted in the death of the target who had been falsely accused of a violent crime like a homicide, a hostage...

Sweden moves a step closer to NATO membership after Turkey’s parliamentary committee gives approval

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Sweden moves a step closer to NATO membership after Turkey’s parliamentary committee gives approval By SUZAN FRASER (Associated Press)ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee gave its consent to Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Tuesday, drawing the previously nonaligned Nordic country closer to membership in the Western military alliance.Sweden’s accession protocol will now need to be approved in the Turkish parliament’s general assembly for the last stage of the legislative process in Turkey. No date has been set.Turkey, a NATO member, has delayed ratification of Sweden’s membership for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara regards as threats to its security, including Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016.Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström welcomed the committee’s decision on a message posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.“The next step is for parliament to vote on the...

Biden orders strikes on an Iranian-aligned group after 3 US troops wounded in drone attack in Iraq

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:43:21 GMT

Biden orders strikes on an Iranian-aligned group after 3 US troops wounded in drone attack in Iraq By AAMER MADHANI, ZEKE MILLER and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the United States military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said one of the U.S. troops suffered critical injuries in the attack that occurred earlier Monday. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, under an umbrella of Iranian-backed militants, claimed credit for the attack that utilized a one-way attack drone.Iraqi officials said that U.S. strikes targeting militia sites early Tuesday killed one militant and wounded 18. They came at a time of heightened fears of a regional spillover of the Israel-Hamas war. Iran announced Monday that an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus killed one of its top generals, Seyed Razi Mousavi, wh...