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Furnace explosion at Chinese-owned nickel plant in Indonesia kills 13

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

PALU, Indonesia (AP) — A smelting furnace exploded Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens of others, police and a company official said.It was the latest of a series of deadly accidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of China’s ambitious transnational development program known as the Belt and Road Initiative.Nickel is a key component in global battery production for electric vehicles.At least five Chinese and eight Indonesian workers died when the furnace suddenly exploded while they were repairing it, said Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho.The blast was so powerful it demolished the furnace and damaged parts of the side walls of the building, said Nugroho, adding that about 38 workers were hospitalized, some in critical condition. Authorities are working to determine whether negligence by the company led to the deaths, Nugroho said.The accident occurred at PT I...

Iran Summons Russian envoy over statement on Persian Gulf disputed islands

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires after Moscow and Arab countries released a joint statement earlier this week challenging Iran’s claim to disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, state media reported Sunday.Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the Russian envoy was summoned on Saturday and handed a note to deliver to Moscow in which Tehran protested the statement the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum issued in Morocco that called for a peaceful solution to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the islands.Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told his Russian counterpart over the phone that “respecting countries’ sovereignty and integrity is among basic principles in the ties between nations,” IRNA said in a separate report.This marked the second time this year that Iran has called for a Russian envoy in protest over comments on the disputed islands. Tehran summon...

San Jose State football: Spartans bid aloha to season with Hawaii Bowl loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Brent Brennan’s quest for his first bowl game victory as San Jose State head coach will need to wait another season as the Spartans fell to Coastal Carolina 24-14 in the Hawaii Bowl on Saturday night.SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro passed for 215 yards and a touchdown in his final collegiate game in his home state. Kairee Robinson rushed for 67 yards on 12 attempts.Coastal Carolina redshirt freshman Ethan Vasko passed for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Sam Pinckney caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.After Robinson fumbled in the third quarter, Vasko scored his second touchdown of the game on the next possession after finding tight end Kendall Karr on a 2-yard throw to give Coastal Carolina a 14-0 lead.The Spartans cut the Chanticleer lead to just three points in the fourth quarter after Quali Conley rushed in for a 12-yard touchdown to make the score 17-14 with 8:30 left in the game.But on the ensuing possession, Coastal Carolina drove 75 yards in 10 p...

Ethan Vasko throws 3 TD passes, Coastal Carolina beats San Jose State 24-14 in Hawaii Bowl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Ethan Vasko threw three touchdown passes and Coastal Carolina beat San Jose State 24-14 in the Hawaii Bowl on Saturday night for its second bowl victory.Vasko completed 20 of 33 passes for 199 yards and ran for 50 yards on 17 carries for the Chanticleers (8-5). The Spartans (7-6) had won six in a row.Vasko threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Matt Alaimo with 3:16 left in the first quarter to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Alaimo was 3 for 3 for 52 yards on third downs on the drive, including the scoring play.Vasko connected with Kendall Karr on another 2-yarder with 3:19 left in the third quarter and closed out the scoring with an 8-yard scoring pass to Sam Pinckney, who made a leaping one-handed grab. Pinckney had eight catches for 123 yards.Down 17-0, San Jose State scored two touchdowns in a four-minute span early in the fourth quarter. Chevan Cordeiro hit Sam Olson with a 35-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down play, and Quali Conley scored on a 12-yard run on the Spa...

Kuzmenko scores 2 as Canucks move atop Western Conference with 7-4 win over Sharks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Andrei Kuzmenko got an early gift for the holidays after being restored to the Vancouver Canucks’ top line and thanked his coaches by scoring two goals in a 7-4 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.Nils Aman, Sam Lafferty, Dakota Joshua, Pius Suter and Quinn Hughes each added a goal to secure the victory and stave off San Jose’s comeback bid. Thatcher Demko stopped 21 of 25 shots for Vancouver.The Canucks head into the NHL’s Christmas break leading the Western Conference with 49 points, two more than the Vegas Golden Knights, and three more than the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks are also two points ahead of the New York Rangers for most points in the entire league, but have played three more games than the Rangers.Kuzmenko scored both of his goals in the first period, the first coming less than two minutes into the game and the second roughly five minutes later.“For me, it’s a very important moment for the team to win,” said Kuzmenko. “...

Hawaii Bowl Winner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Dec. 23, 2023 — HAWAII BOWL: Coastal Carolina 24, San Jose St. 14Dec. 24, 2022 — HAWAII BOWL: Middle Tennessee 25, San Diego St. 23Dec. 24, 2021 — CanceledDec. 24, 2020 — Canceled – No Game 2020 (Covid 19)Dec. 24, 2019 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 38, BYU 34Dec. 22, 2018 — HAWAII BOWL: Louisiana Tech 31, Hawaii 14Dec. 24, 2016 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 52, Middle Tennessee 35Dec. 24, 2014 — HAWAII BOWL: Rice 30, Fresno St. 6Dec. 24, 2013 — HAWAII BOWL: Oregon St. 38, Boise St. 23Dec. 24, 2012 — HAWAII BOWL: SMU 43, Fresno St. 10Dec. 24, 2011 — HAWAII BOWL: Southern Miss. 24, Nevada 17Dec. 24, 2010 — HAWAII BOWL: Tulsa 62, Hawaii 35Dec. 24, 2008 — HAWAII BOWL: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21Dec. 23, 2007 — HAWAII BOWL: East Carolina 41, Boise St. 38Dec. 24, 2006 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 41, Arizona St. 24Dec. 24, 2006 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 41, Arizona St. 24Dec. 25, 2004 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 59, UAB 40Dec. 25, 2003 — HAWAII BOWL: Hawaii 54, Houston 48, 3OTDec. 25, 2002 — HAWAII BOWL: Tulane 36, Ha...

Baltimore’s light rail service resumes after temporary suspension

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Light rail service in Baltimore, Maryland, resumed Saturday after being suspended temporarily for emergency inspections of the fleet.The Maryland Transit Administration said they suspended the service on Dec. 8 due to issues revealed during an inspection. MTA added that they completed an accelerated inspection and correction plan.“I thank our dedicated Maryland Transit Administration employees and our contractor’s workforce for all they’ve done to advance these reviews while maintaining safety as our highest priority,” Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a release.“I know this temporary suspension of service has been an inconvenience for many of our customers, and I greatly appreciate their understanding,” Wiedefeld said.As a result of the light rail service resuming, the shuttle buses, which ran between all stations during the suspension, will no longer operate.Riders will be rewarded with free light rail service until Jan...

2 dogs rescued by college students from house fire in Montgomery Co.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Two dogs were rescued by two college students from a house fire Thursday afternoon in Montgomery County, Maryland.Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded to the fire on the 16700 block of Alexander Manor Drive around 2:30 p.m.Officials said the fire took place inside the garage and believe that charging lithium-ion batteries sparked the blaze.“If (batteries are) making noise or they smell funny or they’re very hot to the touch, something’s wrong,” Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said.“It was completely dark, couldn’t breathe and then by the time we got out, I actually started seeing the fire,” Matt Dymowski told NBC 4 Washington. “Thankfully, we got out so fast.”Homeowner Tom Kennedy and his sister weren’t hurt by the fire.“I just am so happy that they are safe. It’s an unfortunate time anytime, but right before Christmas is very sad,” neighbor Katie Young told NBC 4 Washingto...

A Christmas rush to get passports to leave Zimbabwe is fed by economic gloom and a price hike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Atop many Christmas wish lists in economically troubled Zimbabwe is a travel document, and people are flooding the passport office this holiday season ahead of a price hike planned in the New Year.The desperation at the office in the capital city of Harare is palpable as some people fear the hike could push the cost of obtaining a passport out of reach and economic gloom feeds a surge in migration.Nolan Mukona said he woke up at dawn to get in line at the passport office but when he arrived at 5 a.m. there were already more than 100 people waiting. Some people had slept outside the office overnight.“The only thing that can make my Christmas a cheerful one is if I manage to get a passport,” said the 49-year-old father of three. “I have been saving for it for the last three months and I have to make sure I get it before January.”At $120, passports were already pricey for many in a country where the majority struggle to put food on the table. The finance ministe...

A weekend of combat in Gaza kills more than a dozen Israeli soldiers, a sign of Hamas’ entrenchment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — More than a dozen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, the Israeli military said Sunday, in some of the bloodiest days of battle since the start of Israel’s ground offensive in late October and a sign that Hamas is still putting up a fight despite weeks of brutal war.The mounting death toll among Israeli troops is likely to play an important factor in Israeli public support for the war, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage. The war has devastated parts of the Gaza Strip, killed more than 20,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.Israelis still stand firmly behind the country’s stated goals of crushing Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That support has stayed mostly steady despite rising international pressure against Israel’s offensive and the soari...