World
Durant cheered by fans, says Suns have ‘all the pieces’
PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant watched the Phoenix Suns from afar over the previous few years, admiring the budding nucleus of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Now he’s thrilled to be part of it.
“We’ve obtained all of the items to achieve success,” Durant mentioned.
The 13-time All-Star was launched Thursday on the ground at Footprint Area in entrance of about 3,000 followers, who confirmed up in the course of the afternoon simply to listen to the veteran ahead reply a number of questions.
Many have been already carrying his No. 35 jersey, which has been a sizzling vendor on the downtown fan retailer since GM James Jones pulled the blockbuster commerce with the Brooklyn Nets simply earlier than final week’s commerce deadline.
Practically each time Durant tried to talk on Thursday, he was interrupted by cheers from followers overjoyed by the largest famous person arrival in Phoenix for the reason that Suns traded for Charles Barkley in 1992.
The 2-time Finals MVP soaked within the applause, however mentioned he didn’t deserve it.
“I admire your heat welcome, however we’ve obtained work to do,” Durant mentioned.
He later added: “I really feel like I’ve nonetheless obtained to show myself. I wish to put great things on movie day by day. That’s the one factor I’m involved with at this level in my life, is placing great things on movie each night time. I’m wanting ahead to doing that for Suns followers and hopefully they settle for me after that.”
The 34-year-old Durant continues to be enjoying at an elite degree, averaging almost 30 factors per sport this season. He initially requested for a commerce final summer season and the Suns have been earlier than Durant patched issues up with Brooklyn. They lastly obtained him, lower than 24 hours earlier than the commerce deadline.
The Suns paid a hefty worth, sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, and different draft compensation to the Nets. Bridges was a finalist for Defensive Participant of the 12 months whereas Johnson has developed into a flexible scorer.
Bridges, Johnson and Crowder have been all instrumental within the crew’s run to the Finals two years in the past, the place it misplaced to the Milwaukee Bucks in six video games.
Durant is recovering from a sprained knee ligament, and when he returns he’ll be a part of a Phoenix lineup that out of the blue may very well be the most effective within the Western Convention. He mentioned he hopes to be again quickly after the All-Star break.
Durant and Booker performed collectively on the U.S. crew that received the gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics final 12 months.
“I feel I’ve constructed my sport round being environment friendly, taking good photographs, making good performs on each ends of the ground,” Durant mentioned. “I feel my protection feeds my offense. I prefer to take photographs within the mid-range, I like to chop to the basket, I love to do the little issues all through the offense and I feel that’s what makes you a flexible participant and adapt to any offense.”
The Suns have been on the upswing even earlier than Durant’s arrival. They struggled with accidents for a lot of the first half of the 12 months, however have received 11 of their final 14 video games and entered Thursday fourth within the West at 32-27 — one-half sport forward of the Los Angeles Clippers, their opponent Thursday night time.
Booker (groin) and Paul (hip) have each not too long ago returned.
Now the Suns are including one of many sport’s most gifted scorers.
Phoenix has by no means received an NBA championship, shedding within the finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021.
“That’s why we play the sport of basketball,” Durant mentioned. “We perceive that. However I’m extra involved about what we do day by day as a crew, what you guys don’t see. I feel that’s what actually brings championships.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
World
‘Yellowstone’ Finale: [SPOILER] Is Gruesomely Murdered as [SPOILER] Takes Control of the Ranch
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the Season 5, Episode 14 episode of “Yellowstone,” “Life Is a Promise” which premiered Sunday, Dec. 15 on Paramount Network.
Even if Paramount Network isn’t calling it the series finale, Sunday’s “Yellowstone” episode certainly felt like the end of the show fans have known for five seasons.
Coming in the wake of last week’s fire sale of nearly everything on the ranch, the series’ wandering souls were left adrift.
There were some goodbyes early on, as Jimmy (Jefferson White), Mia (Eden Brolin) and Travis (Taylor Sheridan) headed back home to the 6666 in Texas, with Teeter (Jen Landon) promising to come down in a week looking for work. Walker (Ryan Bingham) says he’s going to follow his rodeo champ girlfriend around the circuit. Beth (Kelly Reilly) announces she bought a ranch outside of Dillion — far away from tourists and airports — for her to live with Rip (Cole Hauser). Rip offers Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) a job on their new ranch, but he declines, saying he needs to find himself.
Meanwhile, Beth and Rip prepare for the funeral of her father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner). At the same time, Kayce (Luke Grimes) tells Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) of his plan from the end of the last episode, specifically to let the Broken Rock Reservation buy the Yellowstone for $1.25 an acre, as it was sold to the Duttons originally.
It’s a nice moment, as Chief Rainwater and John Dutton were always the men most concerned with keeping the land pristine. And given how their conflicts in the past were always mild, it’s a sensible partnership. Additionally, Kayce works out a deal to keep his small ranch with Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and Tate (Brecken Merrill), which is a sweet touch.
Cut to everyone on the ranch preparing for John’s burial — and the metaphorical funeral of the Yellowstone itself. Jamie (Wes Bentley) spends the time prepping for how he’s going to start an investigation into both John and Sarah’s (Dawn Olivieri) murders, hoping to wiggle out of any political repercussions, as was discussed in the previous episode.
The funeral was classy and small, with Beth promising retribution to John’s coffin, and then Rip burying it himself and saying he’ll take care of Beth. Of course, immediately after, Beth tears off in her car, armed with bear spray and a big ol’ knife.
After sneaking up on Jamie at his house, Beth and her estranged brother have a bloody, knockdown brawl. It looks like Jamie might choke Beth to death, only for Rip to interrupt, grab him and free up Beth to deliver a fatal stab wound to Jamie. Farewell, Jamie — your scheming always kept things interesting!
Rip and Lloyd take one more trip to the Train Station with Jamie’s body as Beth promises to work with the police to tie him to both John and Sarah’s murders.
As things wrap up, cowboy Ryan (Ian Bohen) apologizes to country star Abby (Lainey Wilson) and heads off with her for life on the road. Rip walks through the empty grounds of the ranch, shutting the door on the bunkhouse, while Beth surveys the big, empty main house one more time with Kayce.
As the episode ends, the tribe takes over the land and starts to remove the Dutton signage, while preserving the graveyard. The closing voiceover is from Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), their ancestor who appeared in prequel series “1883” and “1923,” as Kayce’s family starts ranching on their own terms, as does Rip and Carter (Finn Little) on their land with Beth.
As for the future of the show? Just this week Reilly and Hauser signed up for a new spinoff of the series, so it’s clear “Yellowstone” will return — even if it’s in a different capacity.
Happy trails, “Yellowstone” fans!
World
Russian paramilitary soldiers killed in friendly fire attack by North Koreans after enlisting DPRK help
Russian paramilitary soldiers were accidentally targeted and killed by North Korean troops in a recent bout of friendly fire, according to Ukrainian officials.
In a statement published on Saturday, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) detailed how Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) soldiers have recently assisted Russian troops in the Kursk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian officials estimate that around 11,000 DPRK personnel are stationed in Russia.
“The aggressor state of Russia has begun to use DPRK soldiers in assault operations in the Kursk region, in particular, as part of the combined units of the marines and airborne troops of the Russian Armed Forces,” the statement read.
“The North Korean troops suffer sanitary and irreversible losses as a result of a successful fire attack by the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces,” the DIU added. “In particular, at one of the positions in the Kursk region, the DPRK army was effectively targeted by FPV drones.”
ZELENSKYY FEARS DANGER IF UKRAINE LOSES UNITY, DEFEAT IF US CUTS FUNDS, 1,000 DAYS AFTER WAR BEGAN
The DIU noted that, in a recent incident, the language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops ultimately led to the death of eight soldiers in the Akhmat special forces unit, which is a paramilitary group in Chechnya.
“When using the DPRK troops on the battlefield, the language barrier remains problematic to control and coordinate actions,” the statement said.
TRIUMPHANT TRUMP AT NOTRE DAME SIGNALS AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE BACK
“Because of this problem, North Korean soldiers opened ‘friendly fire’ on the vehicles of the so-called Akhmat battalion,” the DIU added. “As a result, they killed eight Kadyrovite soldiers.”
This latest development in the Russo-Ukrainian war came as the Russian military continued to pummel Ukraine’s power grid, taking advantage of freezing conditions to devastate the country’s largest energy company.
In one of the largest-ever mass attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, Russian forces fired nearly 100 missiles, including cruise missiles, and 200 drones across Western Ukraine on Friday, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
World
Clean-up ongoing in Mayotte after Cyclone Chido devastates island
Chido brought winds in excess of 220kph when it made landfall on Saturday, according to the French weather service, ripping roofs off houses in the archipelago which has a population of just over 300,000.
Clean-up operations have begun in the French overseas territory of Mayotte, a day after Cyclone Chido barrelled across the archipelago.
Footage released by the French Civil Protection agency showed rescue services and armed forces cleaning up debris and trees strewn across the streets.
The French Interior Ministry said it was proving difficult to get a precise tally of the dead and injured in Mayotte but so far 11 deaths have been confirmed.
Speaking to a local TV station earlier on Sunday, Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville said, “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand.”
A hospital in Mayotte reported that nine people were in critical condition there and 246 others were injured.
Cyclone Chido blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar.
Mayotte was directly in the path of the cyclone and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said.
Chido brought winds in excess of 220kph, according to the French weather service, ripping roofs off houses in the archipelago which has a population of just over 300,000.
In some parts, entire neighbourhoods of metal shacks and huts were flattened, while residents reported many trees had been uprooted, boats flipped or sunk and the electricity supply knocked out.
Officials in Mayotte said it was the worst cyclone to hit the territory almost a century.
The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”
More than 100 rescuers and firefighters have been deployed in Mayotte from France and the nearby territory of Reunion and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was sent on Sunday.
France has also sent aid to the island aboard military planes.
Mayotte is France’s poorest department and has previously struggled with drought and lack of investment.
It’s also been plagued by gang violence and tensions spiked earlier this year due to a widespread water shortage.
The cyclone has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, slamming into northern Mozambique.
UNICEF said Cabo Delgado province, home to around two million people, had been hit hard.
“UNICEF is concerned about the immediate impacts of this cyclone: the loss of life, the damage to schools, to people’s homes, to health care facilities,” said Guy Taylor, UNICEF Mozambique’s chief advocacy and communications officer.
“We’re also worried about the longer-term impacts: children potentially being cut off from learning for weeks on end, people unable to get access to health care and the potential spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria,” said Guy Taylor, UNICEF Mozambique’s chief advocacy and communications officer.”
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