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MSTCA Large School Classic: Natick dominates 600

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

A talented trio of Natick runners competed outside their comfort zones in the 600 at Sunday’s MSTCA Large School Speed Classic and came away owning the event on the Reggie Lewis Center track.Nick Bianchi is a 4:23 miler and his brother John has run 4:26. The third runner, Andy Marotta, has clocked a 51.0 in the 400. The brothers dropped down to compete in the 600 and Marotta moved up. The result was a 1-2-3 finish with Nick clocking a 1:26.99 and John and Andy finishing in 1:27.21 and 1:27.26, respectively, in an event that drew 85 athletes.The race was used as a speed workout for the two brothers who are used to the longer distances and are concentrating on improving their mile times. “I’m trying to go under 4:20 this winter,” said Nick, who will attend Stonehill College. “I knew I had to make sure I finished hard through the line. This is the most fun running a race I’ve ever had. It’s the perfect distance.”Lucas Andrade has gotten o...

Patriots QB Bailey Zappe fades late after strong start once again

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

FOXBORO — For a while, Bailey Zappe went throw to throw with Patrick Mahomes and held his own. The second-year Patriots quarterback was nearly perfect in the first half and likely would have gone into halftime with a lead if not for some ill-timed offensive penalties.But much like last week against the Steelers, Zappe’s hot start wouldn’t last.Zappe threw a backbreaking interception on his first throw of the second half, allowing Kansas City to seize control of what had previously been a neck and neck game. Things progressively got worse from there and the end result was yet another poor offensive effort.“Simply not good enough,” Zappe said after the game. “Starting out hot in the first half again like we did the previous week, came in here and made adjustments, understood what we wanted to attack, went out in the second half and threw an interception on the first play of the second half, which was terrible on my part. Take away that, you take away seve...

Israel faces new calls for truce out of EU 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  — Israel’s government faced calls for a cease-fire from some of its closest European allies on Sunday after a series of shootings, including the mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages, fueled global concerns about the conduct of the 10-week-old war in Gaza.Israeli protesters are urging their government to renew negotiations with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whom Israel has vowed to destroy. Israel is also expected to face pressure to scale back major combat operations when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Monday. Washington is expressing growing unease with civilian casualties even as it provides vital military and diplomatic support.In Israel on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for an “immediate truce” aimed at releasing more hostages, getting larger amounts of aid into Gaza and moving toward “the beginning of a political solution.”The foreign ministers of the U.K. and Germany, meanwhile, c...

Patriots have no answers for latest bizarre situation involving J.C. Jackson

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

FOXBORO — The latest turn in the J.C. Jackson saga was a strange one as his return to the Patriots fails to live up to once lofty expectations.Jackson was active in Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Chiefs but didn’t play a single snap. Jackson wasn’t spotted on the sideline, so it seems something must have happened between 11:30 a.m. ET when inactives were announced and 1 p.m. when the game started. If the Patriots had known Jackson wasn’t going to play, then cornerback Shaun Wade likely would not have been included on the inactive list. The Patriots were left with Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant and rookie Alex Austin, who said he was surprised to start.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bailey Zappe’s interception proves costly in Patriots’ 27-17 loss to Chiefs New England Patriots | Patriots starting LG Cole Strange ruled out after being carted off with knee injury New England Patriots | Patriots stil...

Jaylen Brown delivers dominant performance to lead Celtics to sweep of Magic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

Jaylen Brown believes he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career, and he’s continuing to back it up.The Celtics star may have gotten off to a slow start to this season as he acclimated to some new teammates. He may have been mocked by a social media post from ESPN that suggested he was playing selfish basketball. His overall numbers may be down, but his growth on both sides of the ball has been apparent – and even more so this week.Brown finished off his best week of the season in a big way on Sunday afternoon. He scored 31 points, which included five 3-pointers, added six assists as he continued to develop as a dangerous facilitator and was locked in defensively again. His dominant performance led the way for the Celtics as they ran away from the Magic with a 114-97 victory, which capped another perfect homestand at TD Garden.Jayson Tatum added 23 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 15 in his return from a one-game absence as the Celtics improved to 14-0 at home. They ove...

Three teens arrested in connection to series of convenience store robberies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Three teens have been taken into police custody in connection to a series of armed robberies at convenience stores across San Diego.San Diego Police Department Lt. Adam Sharki said officers made a traffic stop connected to the ongoing investigation on Friday, Dec. 15. At that time, two 16-year-old males and a 14-year-old male were arrested. Armed robberies: More convenience stores hit overnight According to police, the juveniles were connected to at least six robbery cases in San Diego. One of the suspects was also wanted in connection to a recent delivery driver robbery series.Lt. Sharki confirmed officers recovered three firearms during the stop, including an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. At least one of these firearms was reported to be a ghost gun that had no serial number.All three suspects were booked into Juvenile Hall. Their identities are being withheld due to their age. An investigation into these robbery cases remains ongoing. Anyone with info...

Greek parliament passes government’s 2024 budget

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek parliament on Sunday evening approved the government’s 2024 budget, the first in 14 years with Greek debt listed at investment grade.The budget passed on a 158-142 vote in the 300-member body, with only lawmakers from the governing conservative New Democracy party voting for it. In a separate vote, the defense budget was approved 249-51, an unusually wide margin.A relatively low-key debate over the budget lasted five days.The budget forecasts 2.9% growth in the economy for 2024, up from a projected 2.4% in 2023, which is four times faster than the Eurozone average. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he hoped the economy could grow at least 3%, based on strong investment spending, forecast to rise 15.1%.Greece’s gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, was predicted to top 200 billion euros ($218 billion) for the first time since 2010, when Greece had to be rescued after defaulting on its debt.Inflation was forecast to average 2.8%, s...

16 killed in Christmas-season shootings in central Mexico state of Guanajuato

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Gunmen attacked a Christmas season party early Sunday, killing a dozen people in the town of Salvatierra in Mexico’s north-central state of Guanajuato, prosecutors said. State prosecutors also reported that four other people died in a shooting in the city of Salamanca, but did not describe the circumstances of that attack. Local media said the victims in Salvatierra were leaving an event hall following a Christmas party known as a “posada” when they were gunned down. Guanajuato has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Jalisco cartel and local gangs backed by the Sinaloa cartel. The state has long had the highest number of homicides in Mexico.The Associated Press

Authorities: 5 people including 3 young children die in house fire in northwestern Arizona

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Five people, including three young children, have died in a house fire in northwestern Arizona, authorities said Sunday, adding it appeared no adults were home at the time.Bullhead City police said the fire broke out around 5 p.m. Saturday and the victims did not make it out of the two-story duplex in that community near the Colorado River.A city fire department spokeswoman said the five victims were ages 2, 4, 5, 11 and 13. Their names weren’t immediately released Sunday.Authorities said the cause of the fire isn’t known yet.Police said there reportedly were no adults home at the time, but officials gave few other details.The fire is being investigated by the city’s police and fire departments and other agencies including the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.The Associated Press

Colombia’s leftist ELN rebels agree to stop kidnapping for ransom, at least temporarily

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Rebels from Colombia’s leftist National Liberation Army said Sunday they have agreed to stop using kidnapping as a fund-raising tactic, if the current cease-fire with the government is extended. The pledge came at the end of a round of talks between the two sides over the weekend in Mexico City.Colombians have grown angry at kidnappings by the guerrillas, known by their Spanish initials as the ELN. That anger mounted in October when the rebels abducted the father of soccer star Luis Díaz, and held him for 12 days before he was released. Diaz’s mother was rescued within hours by police. It is not clear if the rebels will release an estimated 38 Colombians they currently hold in captivity, often pending a ransom demand. Nor was it clear if the pledge would be respected in the cease-fire — declared in August and due to expire Jan. 29 — is not extended.Overcoming the kidnapping scandal marked a renewed breath of air for the often maligned peace talks.“After...