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Christopher Luxon sworn in as New Zealand prime minister, says priority is to improve economy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Christopher Luxon was sworn in as New Zealand’s prime minister on Monday and said his top priority was to improve the economy.The 53-year-old former businessman leads a conservative coalition after his National Party struck a deal Friday with two smaller parties following a general election last month.After the swearing-in ceremony, which was presided over by Governor-General Cindy Kiro, Luxon told reporters the job was an “awesome responsibility.”He said he would hold his first Cabinet meeting Tuesday and look to quickly finalize a 100-day plan. He said he also planned a visit to Australia before Christmas Day.Luxon said he needed to get a Treasury briefing on the state of the government’s finances.“We are concerned and worried that it’s been a deteriorating picture for a number of months now,” Luxon said.Under the coalition agreement, Luxon has promised to deliver tax cuts and train 500 more police officers within two years. H...

Search underway for missing 13-year-old girl

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

CHICAGO — A search is underway for a missing teen girl from the Northwest Side.According to Chicago police, 13-year-old Wendy Sanchez-Pineda, who lives in the city's Hermosa neighborhood, was last seen around 3 p.m. on Saturday.Officers say the teen girl was last seen wearing a black jacket, white shirt and gray sweatpants. Police say Sanchez-Pineda, who has black hair and brown eyes, stands 5-foot-3 and weighs around 95 pounds. She also has a scar on her left wrist.  CPD: 14 people robbed at gunpoint in 3 hours Police notified the public about the teen's disappearance in a news release sent out on Sunday afternoon. Authorities ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of 13-year-old Wendy Sanchez-Pineda to contact the CPD Area Five SVU at 312-746-6554.Tips for police can also be filed at CPDtip.com. Tips can be left anonymously.

Timberwolves bounce back to down depleted Grizzlies, 119-97

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

Memphis provided a reminder Sunday of how grateful the Timberwolves should be for their health.The Grizzlies entered the season with title aspirations. It was a common “bold” — or not so bold — prediction from national pundits that Memphis would finish with the best regular-season record in the Western Conference, the logical next step for a franchise that’s twice finished as the No. 2 seed in the conference and won a playoff series in 2022.But, instead, the Grizzlies fell to 3-13 on Sunday, as they were blitzed 119-97 at home by Minnesota, who instead is the new conference front-runner.There are certainly similarities and differences between the two organizations that have been mentioned in the same breath for various reasons over the past few seasons. But the primary separator this season, which again reared its head Sunday in Memphis, was health.The Timberwolves (12-4) are currently missing just one of their top-eight players in Jaden McDaniels. Even...

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Cleveland Browns 29-12 in NFL Week 12

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

The Denver Broncos hosted the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, November 26, 2023. Denver won 29-12.Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | Broncos rookie Drew Sanders gets snaps at outside linebacker for first time all season Denver Broncos | Broncos report card: Turnover-mad Denver defense, powerful rushing attack power critical win over Cleveland Denver Broncos | Heroes and Zeros from Broncos’ win over Browns: Samaje Perine breaks Denver’s run game woes in red zone Denver Broncos | Broncos four downs: Team Takeaway strikes again, and now Denver’s right back in playoff hunt Denver Broncos | How it Happened: Broncos clobber Browns for 5th straight win, improve to 6-5 on season

Naked man spotted on iconic Disneyland Ride

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

Disneyland guests on the “It’s a Small World” ride got an unexpected and unwelcome show Sunday when man stripped nearly naked and got up close and personal with some of the set pieces on the iconic attraction, authorities confirmed to KTLA. Officers with the Anaheim Police Department responded to the theme park at around 1:30 p.m. to assist Disney security with the incident. Video of the streaker obtained by KTLA shows the man, eerily lit in blue, orange and pink lights, walking around nearly in the buff to the sound of Christmas music.  A man was spotted on the "It's a Small World" ride after stripping off most of his clothes on Nov. 26, 2023. (magic.with.maegra)“I am on Small World and there was a streaker, I cannot believe this happening,” Ashley Esqueda posted to X, formerly Twitter.  Disneyland officials told KTLA that the man stepped out of the ride's vehicle as the attraction was in operation and that park employees stopped the ride as soon as they were made aware of th...

Pitcher Kenta Maeda and Detroit Tigers agree to a $24 million, two-year contract, AP source says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

Free agent right-hander Kenta Maeda and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a $24 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday night because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.Maeda, who turns 36 on April 11, spent the past three years with the Minnesota Twins. He was 6-8 with a 4.23 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance this year in his return from Tommy John surgery on Sept. 1, 2021.He was hit on the left ankle by a 111.6-mph drive off the bat of Boston’s Jarren Duran in his third outing on April 20. After giving up career highs of 10 runs and 11 hits against the New York Yankees six days later, he went on the injured list because of a strained right triceps, an injury that sidelined him until June 23.Maeda made a pair of relief outings in the AL Division Series against Houston, allowing three runs in four innings.He completed an eight-year cont...

Jayson Tatum scores 34, Jaylen Brown 21 in Celtics’ 113-103 win over Hawks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, Jaylen Brown had 21 and the injury-depleted NBA-best Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-103 on Sunday night.Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were sidelined with injuries for Boston (13-4). Holiday was out for the second straight game with a sprained right ankle and Porzingis strained his left calf in a loss at Orlando on Friday afternoon. Both were dressed in street clothes and on the bench.“We’ve been playing eight for the majority of the season,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You have to to find moments to give guys opportunities, see what we can develop and give guys chances. That was a perfect opportunity when you have guys out.”The Celtics started Dalano Banton at guard and he played nearly 19 minutes, scoring eight points. Derrick White added 15 points and 11 assists for the Celtics, Sam Hauser scored 12 and Al Horford had 15 rebounds with six points. Tatum added nine rebounds and Brown seven.Trae Young pace...

Josh Allen’s 4 TDs not enough for Bills, who blow multiple leads vs. Eagles and fall to .500

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Allen took a knee instead of taking a shot at the end zone to close the fourth quarter. He threw a pick that led to a go-ahead score by the Eagles. The mistakes piled up for Buffalo — 10 penalties in the first half, two missed field goals, a dropped pass in the end zone.Buffalo’s path to the postseason is as gloomy as the Philly weather the teams scuffled in.Allen was sensational in spurts with two passing touchdowns and two rushing scores, yet the end result was a 37-34 overtime loss to the Eagles on Sunday.Was it the end of Buffalo’s playoff hopes?The three-time defending AFC East champion Bills (6-6) have a week off to regroup from a demoralizing defeat but games ahead against Kansas City and Dallas only complicate their path to the playoffs.Buffalo has dropped four of six to get into this predicament — 2 1/2 games behind division-leading Miami and trailing several teams in the wild-card race.“I’m extremely confident in our guys, the men that we have in o...

Booker hits 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, Suns beat Knicks 116-113 for 7th straight win

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Knicks had been forcing Devin Booker to give up the ball, and for most of the game he was fine with an open teammate taking the shot.“But with the game on the line,” Booker said, “I wanted to take that one.”And he made it. Booker hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining and finished with 28 points and 11 assists to lead the Phoenix Suns to their seventh straight victory, 116-113 over New York on Sunday.With Kevin Durant out for a second straight game because of a sore right foot, the Knicks focused extra attention on Booker throughout the game. But after they forced him to give up the ball initially on the Suns’ final possession, Booker raced to get it back and fired the winner from behind the arc, right in front of New York’s bench.Eric Gordon added 25 points for the Suns, who were also without guard Grayson Allen. He had started all 16 games before feeling ill Sunday.Even with all the absences — Bradley Beal has played in just three ga...

Listed as doubtful, Maxx Crosby starts for Raiders and sacks Patrick Mahomes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:35:43 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Maxx Crosby was listed as doubtful all week with a knee injury. He didn’t practice once.With Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in town, the Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end was determined to get in the starting lineup.“I was in a lot of (expletive) pain,” he said. “But it is what it is.”Crosby started for Las Vegas and sacked Mahomes once, raising his total this season to 11 1/2, during the Raiders’ 31-17 loss to Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday. “I was going through it, for sure,” he said. The showdown between Mahomes and Crosby was highly anticipated after the Netflix documentary “Quarterback” showed them going after each other during a game last season. Mahomes took offense in the documentary to Crosby giving him some extra attention. After throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce, Mahomes yelled at Crosby that he “woke up the wrong (expletive)!”Crosby caught Mahomes’ attention Sunday by being on the fie...