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Ukraine’s hopes for victory fade in the face of waning Western support and Putin’s relentless war machine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

(CNN) — A year ago, a resolute President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled direct from the battlefield of Bakhmut to address the US Congress and meet with President Joe Biden. He was feted as a hero; Ukraine’s determination to resist Russian aggression met with strong bipartisan backing in Washington.One year on, the outlook looks much grimmer. A long-anticipated Ukrainian offensive in the south has made scant progress. Russia appears to have weathered international sanctions, for now, and has converted its economy into a war machine.The Russian way of war, absorbing hideous losses of men and materiel but throwing yet more into the fight, has blunted the Ukrainian military’s tactical and technological edge, as its top general admitted in a candid essay last month.The mood in Moscow seems grimly determined: the goals of the “special military operation” will be achieved, and the fighting will continue until they are.As the long frontline becomes ever more calcified, the ...

Elon Musk and these other 9 bosses had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

New York (CNN) — For some top executives, 2023 is a year they would rather forget.Some of their companies lost billions of dollars. Some have lost their jobs. And others badly damaged their reputations and face even more trouble ahead in 2024.CNN Business ended the year celebrating Microsoft’s Satya Nadella as CEO of the year, Taylor Swift as business leader of the year and tapped United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain as its first labor leader of the year. But it seemed only fair to note 10 CEOs and chairpersons for whom 2023 did not go as well as planned.Elon MuskIn some ways, Elon Musk had a much better year than your typical CEO, let alone the other members of this group.Tesla: Shares of Tesla, his most profitable company, more than doubled this year, recapturing more than half of the value they lost during a disastrous 2022. Tesla has already topped its previous annual sales record in just the first three quarters of the year...

Massive California waves injure some onlookers and bring flooding, treacherous beach conditions up the West coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

(CNN) — A powerful offshore storm is driving towering waves into the California coastline, triggering flooding and warnings of dangerous and damaging swells after several people were injured by a wave along Ventura beach on Thursday.The wave crashed over a barrier along the southern California beach, tossing a wall of fast-moving water at a group of onlookers who rushed to escape the deluge, witness video shows. Seawater quickly knocked some people off their feet and pummeled cars as drivers tried to speed away.Nearly 20 people were briefly swept away in the incident and eight people were taken to the hospital, Ventura officials said.High water and dangerous rip currents will churn along some of California’s beaches through the weekend as much of the West coast – spanning from the US-Mexico border to southern Oregon – is under coastal flood and high-surf alerts, the National Weather Service said.Waves as high as telephone poles – about 40 feet – could slam i...

Column: How does this Chicago Bears run defense match up with dominant teams of the past? The numbers don’t lie.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

There is a link between the 2023 Chicago Bears and past teams, including the division champions in 2018 and 2001 and even the Super Bowl XX champions of 1985.The run defense this season is every bit as good as it was for the dominant defenses of those successful teams. In fact, with two games remaining, Matt Eberflus’ team has a shot at being the best run defense in Bears history, a remarkable possibility when considering last year’s team ranked 31st in the NFL allowing 157.3 yards per game, the organization’s second-worst season in the Super Bowl era (161.4 yards per game in 2013).It’s the same scheme — a base Tampa Two defense that, historically can have a weakness against the run — with mostly the same coaches and many of the same players. General manager Ryan Poles wasn’t oblivious to the problem a year ago when five opponents rushed for 200 or more yards against the Bears.He responded by bucking up at the linebacker position and signing...

1 dead after truck hits several people in city in southern Germany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — One person is dead after a truck struck several people in southern Germany on Friday morning, police said.The 63-year old truck driver struck a group of five people close to the railway station in downtown Passau, police said in a statement. A 37-year old woman died of her injuries at the site and the other four pedestrians were severely injured, including the 11-year-old child of the woman killed, police said.The truck driver was injured and taken to a hospital.A spokeswoman told German news agency dpa that police are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation.” Police said an investigation was ongoing.The Associated Press

France heightens security for New Year’s Eve, with 90,000 police officers to be mobilized

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Security will be tight across France on New Year’s Eve, with 90,000 law enforcement officers set to be deployed, domestic intelligence chief Céline Berthon said Friday.Of those, 6,000 will be in Paris, where French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said over 1.5 million people are expected to attend celebrations on the Champs-Elysees.Speaking at a press conference, Darmanin cited a “very high terrorist threat” because, in part, of “what is happening in Israel and Palestine.”Darmanin said that police for the first time will be able to use drones as part of security work, and that tens of thousands of firefighters and 5,000 soldiers would also be deployed.New Year’s Eve celebrations in Paris will center on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, including DJ sets, fireworks and video projections on the Arc de Triomphe.The security challenge ahead of the Olympics was highlighted when a tourist was killed in a knife attack near the Eiffel Tower on Dec. 2. Large-scale attacks — such a...

What stores are open and closed for New Year’s Eve 2023? See hours for Walmart, Target, CVS and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

It’s just about time to celebrate New Year’s Eve and say goodbye to 2023. Preparing for a midnight toast and more year-end festivities may require a run or two to the store — but it’s wise to expect some limited business hours. While a handful of major chains operate normally on the final day of the year, many others close up shop early. Much of this depends on location and each company’s policy — so when in doubt, call ahead or check online for more specific schedules near you.Here’s a rundown of New Year’s Eve hours for stores across the U.S. this year.WALMART NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSWalmart is open with regular operating hours on New Year’s Eve.TARGET NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSMost Target stores will close at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.COSTCO NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSCostco’s warehouses will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, although hours may vary between locations. You can check local hours here.CVS NEW YEARR...

Poland says an unidentified object has entered its airspace from Ukraine. A search is underway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s armed forces said Friday an unknown airborne object entered the country’s airspace from the direction of Ukraine and subsequently vanished off radars.The Operational Command of the Armed Forces said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the unidentified airborne object was observed by radars of Poland’s air defense system from the moment it crossed the border until the signal disappeared.It said troops have been mobilized to identify and find the object.Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened a meeting with the defense minister, military commanders and heads of national security bodies, to be followed by a meeting of the National Security Bureau.There were no immediate reports of any explosion or casualties.The governor of Lublin province in eastern Poland, Krzysztof Komorski, told the Onet news portal that the unidentified object appeared on radars near the town of Hrubieszow, where a border crossing with Ukraine is located. Komor...

China appoints a new defense minister after months of uncertainty following firing of predecessor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China on Friday said it had appointed a new defense minister after months of uncertainty following the firing of his predecessor for reasons still unexplained. The official Xinhua News Agency announced former navy commander Dong Jun would serve in the largely ceremonial role, but offered no comment on the reasons for the switch or the current circumstances of previous minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen or heard from since August. The uncertainty surrounding the leadership of the world’s largest standing military comes as Washington and its Asian allies are offering stronger resistance to China’s bid to assert itself as the dominant military power in the region. Dong’s naval background is significant in that China has largely asserted its territorial claims using its massive force of warships, coast guard cutters and fishing boats acting as a maritime militia in the South China Sea. China’s navy has also expanded its range to the Mediterranean Sea, ...

Body found in Illinois concludes search for missing St. Louis mother; ex-boyfriend charged with her murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:15 GMT

DES PLAINES, Ill. — The family of Marquisha Williams is heartbroken, but they say the discovery of her body in the Chicago area brings them some closure after Williams had been missing for over a week.The search ended Thursday in Des Plaines when Williams' body was found in the 2100 block of E. Algonquin Road at the Cook County Forest Preserve. Williams, a 29-year-old mother of four from St. Louis, went missing a week before Christmas.Prosecutors have charged Trenton Ivy, her ex-boyfriend, with murder. Ivy was arrested in Racine, Wisconsin, last week Friday on unrelated charges. Investigators say after his arrest, Ivy confessed to killing Williams in St. Louis. He also admitted to having a physical altercation and then dumping Williams' body at an undisclosed location.Williams' mother, Norvette Chavis Williams, said she last saw her daughter last Wednesday morning, Dec. 20, when she dropped off one of her kids. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines "I'm just glad that we found...