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NCAA Tournament scores, takeaways: North Carolina, Miami join Duke as ACC sends three teams to Elite Eight

March Madness on Friday went totally mad. Historically mad, to be precise. As Sweet 16 action wrapped up across the country, No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s continued as one of the biggest stories of the tournament, knocking off No. 3 seed Purdue and in the process becoming the first ever No. 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight.

The Peacocks weren’t the only ones to spread their wings in what turned out to be a fantastic day of hoops. Caleb Love turned in a dominant performance to drag North Carolina to the Elite Eight, Remy Martin kept riding his postseason heater for Kansas, and Miami won a slugfest in convincing fashion over Iowa State to set up a Midwest Regional showdown with the only remaining No. 1 seed in the tournament: Kansas.

The stories from Friday were plentiful. We’ve got all the takeaways from the day that was below to get you up to speed ahead of the weekend.

Saint Peter’s makes history

The story of Friday night was the story of the 2022 NCAA Tournament: Saint Peter’s. On National Peacock Day, the Peacocks became the first No. 15 seed to ever reach the Elite Eight. Their 67-64 victory over No. 3 seed Purdue marked the Boilermakers’ third-lowest scoring output of the season and etched Saint Peter’s into eternal college basketball lore.

Even before Friday’s win, the Peacocks had captured the hearts of sports fans across the country by becoming just the third No. 15 seed to ever reach the Sweet 16. But now, they have accomplished something never done before. At this point, who is willing to doubt that more could still be ahead?

“What they gonna say now?” Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway asked in his postgame interview on CBS. “All you really can say is, ‘Well done, Saint Peter’s.'”

Purdue’s promising season ends in disappointment

With one of the most electric players in the sport (Jaden Ivey) and two of the most productive bigs out of the Big Ten (Zach Edey and Trevion Williams), Purdue entered the tournament with promise and potential to realistically get to its first Final Four since 1980. And the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in its region bowing out early in the tourney only further increased its chances. However, in a stunner to Saint Peter’s, Purdue instead became the answer to a trivia question that will echo for years to come: Which team did Saint Peter’s beat in the Sweet 16 to become the first 15 seed to ever advance to the Elite Eight?

Purdue.

“It weighs on ya,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter. “It eats at ya, man. It’s so hard to get in position to do well. These guys won 29 games, and then you feel awful. We get to this point and you don’t move forward . . . But anyone can have a good team; we have a good program. We just haven’t gotten over that hurdle, haven’t gotten that push. We haven’t been to a Final Four in 42 years. I think about it all the time.”

Remy Martin shines for KU

There was nothing glamorous about the first half of Kansas’ 66-61 win over Providence except for the play of Remy Martin. In a half that featured a combined total of 43 points as the teams combined to shoot 3 of 23 from 3-point range, Martin’s offense stood out. The 6-foot guard scored 13 of his game-high 23 in the opening frame as he continued a strong postseason performance. The Arizona State graduate transfer played a minimal role for the Jayhawks during Big 12 play amid a knee injury, but the time missed does not appear to be hindering his fit in the rotation.

On a night when veteran staples Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack combined to shoot just 4 of 13 from the floor for KU, Martin’s offensive contributions were a necessity. His lone season at KU has been a bumpy ride, but it appears to be on its way to a surprisingly happy ending.

Providence puts up a fight, doesn’t go quietly

If you’ve watched Ed Cooley’s Friars this season, you knew that after they fell behind by as many as 13 points in the second half to No. 1 seed Kansas, they likely would not go away quietly. Like clockwork, the deficit awoke something in Providence, as they stormed back to make things interesting before falling 66-61.

“This is the most connected group I’ve ever been around. This is a special, special, special group,” said Cooley after the game. “I thought we played our hardest right to the end. I thought we responded. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Providence completely erased the 13-point second-half deficit and briefly took the lead before KU regained control down the stretch. It wasn’t a surprising outcome for either team – that a more-talented KU would advance over a gritty Providence team – but it was symbolic of what the Friars have done all season as one of the most physically grueling and toughest outs all season. 

Caleb Love has his March moment

As an underdog facing a higher-seeded UCLA team, North Carolina needed someone – anyone – to step up and drag them to the finish line. Its offense was hurting in a bad way in the first half. As luck would have it for UNC, that someone was Caleb Love, who had 27 of his 30 points in the second half and took over down the stretch. The only thing more impressive than the 12-2 run for the Tar Heels to close the game was Love’s personal accounting for 20 of the team’s final 27 points.

“At the end of the day, you just need guys to step up,” said coach Hubert Davis. “And Caleb Love was absolutely fantastic.”

UCLA squanders lead, and chance for Final Four repeat

UCLA led by as many as eight points over North Carolina and held a three-point advantage over the Tar Heels with under two minutes to play. But even that lead was not safe from the nuclear explosion of Caleb Love, as UNC closed on a 12-2 run to scoot past the Bruins 73-66.

“As a coach you can get upset about certain things. Truth is, we had a lot of good execution and the ball didn’t go in,” said Bruins coach Mick Cronin. “Our last three 3s were wide open, we got Jaime the ball down low, Johnny missed a couple, Caleb Love made hard shots.”

The combination of Love’s second-half supernova showing and struggles from UCLA’s biggest stars — namely Jaime Jaquez, who was banged up after an ankle injury in the second round — was enough to send the Bruins home and sink their chances at following up their Final Four season a year ago with another repeat.

Miami handles Iowa State to earn Elite Eight bid

The ACC had a down year (more on that in a sec) and Miami finished several games off Duke’s ACC-winning pace, so the Hurricanes dropping to a 10 seed for the tourney wasn’t a huge surprise. But clearly we underestimated just how solid this team is and how tailor-made it is to win in March. Jim Larranaga’s bunch is old, productive, and a nightmare matchup on short preparation to face, as Iowa State learned firsthand in falling 70-56 to Miami on Friday.

Isaiah Wong has been the star for Miami this postseason but in a game in which he scored seven points, senior Kam McGusty stepped up with 27 points and Jordan Miller added 16. It’s a rare luxury Larranaga has with a talented — and old — roster that knows what it is and plays hard and unselfish at all times. Now they’ve got a chance to prove on the biggest stage — against the title favorite in No. 1 Kansas — just how good they are.

ACC redeeming itself in March

Only five ACC teams earned bids to the Big Dance in what was, unquestionably, a down year for the league with Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse and Virginia — all teams typically in the tourney — struggling. But how about this: three of the five are still dancing into the weekend. Duke, North Carolina and Miami are all headed to the Elite Eight after wins in the Sweet 16, the most for any league.

“Our league is really, really good,” Larranaga said. “Everybody recognizes Duke and Carolina, those teams are traditionally very very strong. But the other teams in our league are very talented, very deep, have great coaches. Very proud of being a part of the ACC.”

2022 NCAA Tournament TV schedule, scores

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket

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Russia orders cadets into Ukraine, sends more mercenaries after Zelenskyy: LIVE UPDATES

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk dismissed calls by Russia for Ukraine to surrender Mariupol to the Russians, according to Pravda Ukraine.

“There can be no talk of any surrenders, laying down of arms,” Vereshchuk said, adding that they will “just open a corridor” for people to leave the city.

The comments come after Russia called on Ukraine to surrender the city as the two sides negotiated a humanitarian corridor that would allow civilians to depart the city if they choose.

Fallen Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski remembered

UN refugee agency: 10 million people displaced in Ukraine, or have left country

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Sunday that 10 million people have either been displaced from their home in Ukraine, or have left the country.

Over 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an invasion into the country, beginning a war that has already cost the lives of at least 902 people, but that figure is likely much higher because of unconfirmed deaths, according to the United Nations.

Officials in Europe have voiced concern that capacity is being reached in housing Ukrainian refugees.

Read More.

Russia was not prepared for the Ukrainian resistance: Fmr. State Dept. official

If NATO maintains solidarity, Putin ‘forced to back down’: Expert

Half of staff at Chernobyl NPP rotated after being held hostage for nearly 4 weeks: IAEA

Ukraine has informed the IAEA that many of the staff that were forced to stay at the Chernobyl nuclear power plan amid Russia’s takeover of the facility have been allowed to return home.

A group of 46 employees rotated into the facility and started a shift Sunday, according to reporting from Fox New’s NaNa Sajaia. It is unclear how long the new employees will stay to operate the plant.

Spoke to the family, whose father was at the plant since February 24. He is now home and resting.  According to him, the group of 46 employees started their shift today, however it is unclear how long the current group will operate the plant.  

“It is a positive – albeit long overdue – development that some staff at the Chornobyl NPP have now rotated and returned to their families. They deserve our full respect and admiration for having worked in these extremely difficult circumstances,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said of the news.

Russian forces took control of the facility on February 24, with the staff there having to stick behind and continue to operate the plant without the ability to go home to their families.

Read more.

3.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine since February 24: UNHCR reports

Zelenskyy evokes Holocaust as he appeals to Israel for aid

Ukraine’s president on Sunday called on Israel to take a stronger stand against Russia, delivering an emotional appeal that compared Russia’s invasion of his country to the actions of Nazi Germany.

In a speech to Israeli lawmakers over Zoom, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was time for Israel, which has emerged as a key mediator between Ukraine and Russia, to finally take sides. He said Israel should follow its Western allies by imposing sanctions and providing arms to Ukraine. 

“One can ask for a long time why we can’t accept weapons from you or why Israel didn’t impose sanctions against Russia, why you are not putting pressure on Russian business,” he said. “It is your choice, dear brothers and sisters.”

Read More.

Mariupol residents taken to Russian camps: reports

Russian Defense Ministry calls on Ukraine to surrender Mariupol by 5am on March 21

The Russian Defense Ministry has called for the surrender of Mariupol by 5am March 21, according to Russian state media, warning those authorities that remain will be  “with the bandits.”

The report also says that Russia will allow for a humanitarian corridor for civilians who wish to leave the city on Sunday, where food and medical attention will be provided to those looking to leave the city.

Russia doesn’t have the forces to mount an effective defense: Retired Lt. Gen. Tom Spoehr

Ukrainian troops on the ground collecting war crime evidence

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy warns of ‘third World War’ if peace talks with Russia fail

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a third world war if peace talks with Russia fail during a television interview that aired Sunday.

Zelenskyy said that “any format” should be used in order to have a possibility of negotiating with Russia, in particular Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I think that we have to use any format, any chance in order to have a possibility of negotiating, possibility of talking to Putin. But if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third World War,” Zelenskyy said.

Read more.

Putin has ‘grown more risk tolerant’: Dan Hoffman

Putin may ‘settle for what he’s got and try to go for some sort of negotiation’: Retired Lt. Gen.

Another senior Russian military leader dies in Ukraine

Russian Deputy Commander Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet Andrey Paliy died during fighting in Ukraine, Russian state media reported Sunday.

Paliy was killed during fighting in the Mariupol region, the report said. He joins a growing list of senior Russian leaders who have died during the invasion so far, with Ukrainian officials claiming that their forces have killed at least five Russian generals.

Every drop of oil from Russia is funding Putin’s war: Sen Blackburn

Zelenskyy: Israel must make stance clearer, Moscow seeking ‘final solution’

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Sunday to Israel’s Knesset members, urging the government to take a clearer stance against Russia with more pressure and stronger sanctions.

Zelenskyy thanked Israel for playing such a vital role in mediation, but added that you can mediate between states but not between “good and evil.”

He also claimed that Moscow has used the same terminology of “final solution” and referenced the connection between Ukraine and the Jewish.

NATO chief declines to give chemical weapons redline in Russia-Ukraine war

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg sidestepped answering whether Russia potentially using chemical weapons in its invasion of Ukraine would spur NATO to rethink imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. 

“It does sound like what you’re saying is you don’t have an answer yet on what the use of chemical weapons would do to NATO’s stance about Ukraine,” “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd told Stoltenberg Sunday morning. 

“Any use of chemical weapons will be a blatant and brutal violation of international law – the ban on the use of chemical weapons. At the same time we know that Russia has used chemical agents in Europe before against their own political opponents,” Stoltenberg told Todd. 

Click here to read more.

UN: 902 civilians in Ukraine dead since Russian invasion started

The U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) reported Sunday that at least 902 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since the start of Russia’s invasion.

A further 1,459 civilians have been injured in that time.

The number for both is likely higher than what the U.N. has been able to record.

Biden to revisit Europe this week, no plans for Ukraine stop

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced Sunday that President Biden would visit Europe again this week.

Details of the trip, including stops, have yet to be revealed, but Psaki made clear that Biden will not visit Ukraine.

“The trip will be focused on continuing to rally the world in support of the Ukrainian people and against President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” Psaki wrote.

Ukraine warns more Russian Wagner Group mercenaries sent to ‘eliminate’ Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian defense ministry warned Sunday that another group of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries arrived in Ukraine on a mission to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and take out other high-ranking Ukrainian politicians on the fourth week since the invasion’s onset.  

“Another group of militants linked to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a Russian propagandist close to Putin and owner of the Liga (Wagner), began arriving in Ukraine today,” the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said in a Facebook post. 

“The main task of criminals is to eliminate the top military and political leadership of Ukraine.” 

Click here to read more.

Ukraine warns Belarus planning ‘direct invasion’ to assist Putin’s forces

Ukrainian officials warned on Sunday that the Belarusian military was preparing to invade at the onset of the fifth week since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces first descended on Ukraine last month.  

In a statement shared to Facebook, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said there were signs that suggested the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus were preparing for a “direct invasion” of Ukrainian territory. 

Click here to read more.

Russia deploys more Wagner personnel to Ukraine: defense officials

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed to have intelligence that suggested Russia has deployed more Wagner personnel in an effort to eliminate senior political and military leaders in Ukraine.

Officials said that Putin “personally” ordered the attack, which will target Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as Prime Minister Denis Shmigal.

But the Defense Ministry said “Ukrainian army, special services and law enforcement agencies are well-known Kremlin plans.”

“We are ready for the rest of the aggressor both in the front and in the back,” a press release said. “No terrorist attacks will succeed.”

Russia orders deployment of cadets: Ukrainian Defense Ministry

Ukrainian defense officials claimed Sunday to have obtained documents that indicate Russia has ordered the deployment of cadets to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly told his people that the army is not utilizing cadets, but photos of the documents posted online indicate that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has signed an order to the contrary.

The deployment will see Yunarmia cadets aged 17 and 18 pushed to the frontlines in Ukraine.

US official: Russia did fire more than one hypersonic missile

A Senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that Russia did deploy more than one hypersonic missile Saturday.

Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported that officials have stressed that the use of such a weapon is not part of an escalation towards nuclear weapons.

But officials have speculated that Putin may instead be running out of precision guided missiles.

Russia invasion: Putin becoming ‘pariah’ before world stage, experts say

Russian President Vladimir Putin is becoming a “pariah,” an outcast, before the world stage amid his ongoing invasion of Ukraine, foreign policy experts say.

While experts believe it’s too soon to determine whether Putin will be successful in his attempts to take control of Ukraine — acknowledging that there will likely be some form of a partial victory — it is clear that the Russian dictator has done irreversible damage to his own country with the invasion.

“I think Putin’s future is grim. I think, at home, he will be under the constant threat of opposition — possibly of a coup, some kind of power grab — to remove him because even his closest allies are now seeing the problem,” said Robert English, a professor of Central European Studies at the University of Southern California. “And if they gain less by staying loyal than they would if he’s replaced, it’s just a matter of how to do it.”

Click here to read more.

New poll finds Ukrainians overwhelmingly believe Russia will lose war

A new poll by the Rating Group found that 93% of Ukrainians believe they will defeat Russia.

Almost half of Ukrainians polled believe the war will end in the next few weeks, The Kyiv Independent reported.

And Ukrainians do not support a ceasefire unless Russia fully retreats from the country.

Zelenskyy blasts Russian ‘terror’ as Mariupol art school sheltering 400 is struck

Russia’s “terror” unleashed on the city of Mariupol, Ukraine, this month will be “remembered for centuries to come,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicted Sunday.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came in his latest video statement to Ukraine’s citizens, The Associated Press reported.

The remarks coincided with Sunday reports that Russian forces had destroyed an art school building in Mariupol where as many as 400 people were believed to have sought shelter.

Click here to read more on Fox News.

Mariupol art school where 400 sheltered bombed; casualties unclear

The Russians bombed an art school in Mariupol where about 400 people were sheltering in the latest attack on the besieged port city, local authorities said Sunday.

It’s unclear if there were any casualties.

More than 100 children killed in war: Ukraine

At least 115 children have been killed by Russian forces during the war so far, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said Sunday. Another 140 have been injured.

A 9-year-old boy died in Kharkiv on Sunday during a Russian artillery attack. It’s unclear if he was included in the count.

Putin’s war against Ukraine may have spiritual, religious foundations: ‘Good vs. evil’

The fuel behind Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rage against Ukraine probably has more spiritual and religious foundations than most pundits have acknowledged.

For religious leaders, the war in Ukraine is a top concern. 

For faith leaders in media, this conflict is not just about politics.

Dirk Smith is one of the thousands of faith leaders in media who met last week in Nashville, Tennessee, for the National Religious Broadcasters convention. 

He says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a simple spiritual matter. 

“It’s good versus evil … It is not Russians versus Ukrainians,” Smith says. “The Russian people — they don’t want this.”

Click here to read more on Fox News.

Civilians killed in Kharkiv

At laest five civilians were killed by a Russian artillery attack in the eastern city of Kharkiv Sunday morning, including a 9-year-old boy, local authorities said.

The city has faced relentless attacks since the start of the war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Belarus leader Lukashenko lavishes Putin with praise: ‘Better shape than ever’

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been derided by world leaders as a “dangerous” and “small, feral-eyed man” as he directs the invasion of Ukraine
. But don’t tell that to Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko.

In an interview with a Japanese media outlet, Lukashenko – a Putin ally whose country borders both Russia and Ukraine and was reportedly used as a staging area for the invasion that began Feb. 24 and is now in its fourth week – described the 69-year-old former KGB agent as “a completely sane, healthy person, physically healthy – he’s an athlete.

“As they say here,” Lukashenko added about Putin, “he’ll catch a cold at all our funerals.”

Click here to read more on Fox News.

Only people around Putin now are ‘yes men’: Former Army intelligence officer

Michael Pregent weighs in on Putin reportedly detaining top Russian general.

Zelenskyy suspends 11 political parties with Russian ties

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday ordered the suspension of 11 political parties in Ukraine that have ties to Russia.

The Opposition Platform for Life is the largest with 44 out of 450 seats in parliament. The party’s leader Viktor Medvedchuk is friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin who is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter.

He also suspnded the Nashi Party led by Yevheniy Murayev who U.K. authorities previously warned Russia would try to install as the new president of Ukraine.

“given a large-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation and links between it and some political structures, the activities of a number of political parties is suspended for the period of the martial law.” He added that “activities by politicians aimed at discord and collaboration will not succeed.”

Zelenskyy says war crimes in Mariupol will be remembered for centuries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early Sunday said Russia’s attack on the besieged city of Mariupol would be remembered for centuries for its “terror” on the residents and “war crimes” committed.

Mariupol is a strategic port city and its fall would mark a crucial advance for Russian troops who have yet to take control of a major Ukrainian city nearly a month into the war.

“To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come,” Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.

A Mariupol police officer in a separate video said children and the elderly are dying in the city, which has been largely without necessities like food and water since the war started.

“The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth,” Officer Michail Vershnin said.

As war rages, Ukrainian-American couple with newborn, stranded in Kyiv, open bakery

A Ukrainian-American couple who traveled from New York to Kyiv for business say they could not escape the Ukrainian capital city before the war broke out Feb. 24 because they welcomed a new baby just days before the Russian invasion, which prevented them from leaving. Now they’re turning to the bread business to supplement their income.

International officials “were telling people you have to leave because there is the possibility of war but my wife being nine months pregnant [made that] impossible,” said Sergii Nosenko.

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Fox News correspondent recounts his view from the frontlines in Ukraine

Steve Harrigan describes what was different from most other war zones following his return from Ukraine.

Mariupol city council claims Russians have relocated its residents forcibly

The city council of the besieged city of Mariupol this weekend claimed that Russian troops have forcibly relocated thousands of residents, sending some to Russia.

Ukraine is still holding the key Black Sea port that has seen some of the worst of the war. The fall of Mariupol would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks in.

Local officials report that more than 2,500 residents have been killed in the city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chinese official calls sanctions on Russia increasingly ‘outrageous’

A senior Chinese government official said on Saturday that sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia over Ukraine are increasingly “outrageous”.

Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng also acknowledged Moscow’s point of view on NATO, saying the alliance should not further expand eastwards, forcing a nuclear power like Russia “into a corner”.

China has yet to condemn Russia’s action in Ukraine or call it an invasion, though it has expressed deep concern about the war. Beijing has also opposed economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, which it says are unilateral and are not authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

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US doesn’t ‘seem prepared’ for possibility that Putin uses nuclear weapons: expert

The United States’ reactionary moves to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine suggest that it does not have an adequate plan in place to respond if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to use a nuclear weapon, a former U.S. intelligence officer told Fox News.

Rebekah Koffler, a former U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency agent and author of “Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America,” explained to Fox News that while the U.S. certainly has a strategic plan in place if Putin uses a nuclear weapon, recent responses to Russia’s aggression instill little confidence that the United States is doing the necessary preparation for such an outcome.

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Putin targeting civilians is ‘incomprehensible’: Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones

The Big Weekend Show’ panelists react to Russia’s attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

Click here for Saturday’s live coverage.



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Elden Ring exploit sends PC players into infinite death loops

An Elden Ring exploit is crashing PC players’ games and throwing them into infinite death loops, according to a report from PC Gamer.

As shown in a video from EldenRingUpdate on Twitter, the apparent hack occurs when an invader activates a specific ability, triggering some kind of glitch that causes the host’s game to crash. When the player tries to open the game, they find their character falling to their death over and over again.

A user on Reddit suggests a possible workaround, but it doesn’t seem to work 100 percent of the time. You can try quitting the game using Alt + F4 just before your character dies, which is supposed to buy you a little bit more time during your next login. When you open the game again, quickly open the map and warp to a site of grace. If you don’t manage to get to a site of grace fast enough, the death loop will start over again. One user on Reddit reports losing 100 hours of gameplay, with no luck trying the workaround.

FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have yet to comment on the situation, but we’ll update this article if we find out any new information. For now, it’s probably best to back up your save files and play offline, as this is the only way to avoid invasions.

Earlier this year, an exploit in Dark Souls — another title from FromSoftware and Bandai Namco — left PC players vulnerable to dangerous remote code execution attacks. At the time, players were worried that the issue may also affect the not-yet-released Elden Ring. Dark Souls’ PC servers have been shut down since February so developers can fix the issue.



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James Webb telescope sends back new image of star 

NASA’s new James Webb telescope has reached another alignment milestone and sent back its clearest image of a star to date.  

“More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “Today we can say that design is going to deliver.” 

The James Webb Space Telescope launched from French Guiana on Christmas Day to replace the aging Hubble telescope and began the lengthy process of aligning its 18 mirror segments in January.  


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On March 11, the telescope was able to complete the mirror alignment stage called “fine phasing,” the fifth out of seven total stages James Webb must undergo before being able fully capture images using ultraviolet light.  

As part of the fine phasing, Webb captured an image of a bright star 1 million miles away from Earth with numerous other galaxies and stars visible in the background.  

Last month, Webb captured its first set of images with its mirror segments of a more closely located star in the constellation Ursa Major.  

NASA emphasized in a statement that the image was a test photo to see how Webb’s 18 mirror segments were working and not an official scientific observation.  

While NASA stressed that the telescope will not be able to capture images as designed for several more months, the test photo shows that Webb is on track to capturing shots that will deepen scientific understanding of the universe.  

“We have fully aligned and focused the telescope on a star, and the performance is beating specifications. We are excited about what this means for science,” Ritva Keski-Kuha, deputy optical telescope element manager for Webb at NASA Goddard, said in a statement. “We now know we have built the right telescope.” 


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Karen Fukuhara Attacked in Hate Crime, ‘The Boys’ Cast Sends Support

Karen Fukuhara, best known for playing Kimiko Miyashiro on Prime Video’s comic book series “The Boys” and Katana in David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad,” revealed on Instagram that she was assaulted outside of a cafe on Wednesday. The actor did not reveal the location of the incident but wrote that the assault was “the first time I’ve been harmed physically.”

“Today I was struck in the head by a man,” she wrote, noting that she was “physically fine” after the attack. “This shit needs to stop. Us women, Asians and the elderly need your help.”

“I rarely share about my private life but something happened today that I thought was important,” Fukuhara continued. “I was walking to a cafe for some coffee and a man struck me in the back of my head. It came out of nowhere. We made no eye contact before, I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. It came to my surprise and my hat flew off. By the time I looked back, he was a few feet away from me (he must have kept walking after hitting me).”

Fukuhara, who used the hashtag “Stop Asian Hate” to accompany her post, said she thought about “confronting” her assaulter but realized it “wasn’t worth the risk.” The actor added, “After a few seconds of staring at each other, and him yelling at me, he eventually walked away.”

“I write this, because I’ve had conversations with multi-racial friends of mine that had no idea these hate crimes happen to everyday, regular people — people that they share meals with,” she wrote. “I felt it was important to raise awareness.”

She mentioned that she’s now considering taking self-defense classes after the “shock” of the attack. She expressed relief that her assaulter was not carrying a deadly weapon.

“Why is this something we as ‘victims’ have to think about?” Fukuhara asked. “What satisfaction are these perpetrators getting from hitting women, Asians, the elderly? They need to be held accountable. What can we do as a community to prevent these horrible crimes?”

Her “The Boys” co-stars rallied around her in the comments section of her post. Chace Crawford wrote, “F this person!! Hope you’re ok this is awful.”

Jack Quaid added “Karen thank you for sharing your experience. I’m sorry that happened to you. Love you. Here if you need anything.” Laz Alonso shared, “This pisses me off. Wish I was there….”

Variety has reached out to Fukuhara’s representative for further comment.



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Minneapolis aid agency Alight sends team to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees

A rapid response team with the Minneapolis-based aid agency Alight flew to Poland Saturday to join the efforts to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion. 

Two Minnesota natives. Alissa Jordan and Andezu Orionzi, were part of the group that left MPS Saturday. They will join Alight’s team of 10 already on the ground distributing essential items including blankets and toe warmers, to Ukrainian refugees. 

More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on Fed. 24, according to the latest numbers from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, with 1.6 million of those crossing into Poland. The mayors of Warsaw and Krakow have warned that they are struggling to accommodate the influx of people, which has shown no signs of slowing as Russia’s targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure intensifies. 

Over the last few days, Alight staff have handed out thousands of blankets to refugees waiting in line near a border crossing and have also set up a warming tent, a spokesperson said. The team includes staff who were part of the agency’s response to the last large-scale conflict in Europe, the Yugoslav Wars in the 90s and 00s, as well as former refugees. 

“I can imagine what Ukrainian families are going through right now,” Alight Emergency Response Team Leader Igor Radonjic said in a press release. “My family experienced the horrors of war in the Balkans in the 1990s, and I was forced to flee myself. Our team will meet families where they are and amplify what they tell us so that people around the world can help Ukrainian families in the most meaningful ways possible.”

Alight, previously known as The American Refugee Committee, was founded in 1989. Its headquarters is in Northeast Minneapolis. 

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Bitcoin dips to $36.4K as Ukraine move sends Russian ruble to near 6-year lows vs. dollar

Bitcoin (BTC) fell to fresh lows on Feb. 22 as the aftermath of Russia’s expected incursion into Ukraine triggered more market woes.

BTC/USD 1-hour candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView

Gold comes to the rescue as Bitcoin wavers

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD reaching $36,400 on Bitstamp overnight Tuesday, its lowest since Feb. 3.

Volatility had been high as Russian president Vladimir Putin delivered a speech lasting almost an hour on the state of the conflict in Ukraine. Putin had ended by recognizing the two breakaway republics in the country’s east, subsequently ordering Russian troops into what is still officially Ukrainian territory.

Stocks and risk assets fell as a result, with Russian companies predictably suffering as nerves over fullscale war escalated.

The Russian ruble fell in tandem, passing the 80 per dollar mark and encroaching on its record lows of 85.6 from 2016. Sanctions from the West were expected later on the day, likely fuelling further losses.

A surprise winner was gold, which managed to avoid losses to shore up its safe-haven status — unlike Bitcoin.

“Looks like Bitcoin will not be safe haven in geopol crises,” markets commentator Holger Zschaepitz reacted.

“Digital gold (Bitcoin) has plummeted to $1900/oz. Correlation between digital & analog Gold is now even neg. Narrative that digital Gold is better way to escape has not panned out in Ukraine.”

Gold/ Bitcoin correlation vs. BTC/USD vs. XAU/USD chart. Source: Holger Zschaepitz/ Twitter

Year-to-date, XAU/USD was up over 6% at the time of writing, while BTC/USD traded down 23%.

“It’s actually great to see that Gold is doing really well in these times of heavy uncertainties, crawling upwards, while risk-on assets like stocks and Bitcoin are having a hard time,” Cointelegraph contributor Michaël van de Poppe nonetheless countered.

Zschaepitz added that investments into gold-backed exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, had been increasing throughout February.

Bearish cross looms for on-chain metric

Russia thus took center stage for BTC traders, who on Monday watched gloomily as storm clouds gathered over Asian markets.

Related: ‘Coin days destroyed’ spike hinting at BTC price bottom? 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week

A tech stock rout on the back of a fresh regulatory crackdown from China had sparked two days of considerable downside for some of the biggest equity bets, including Tencent.

“$39.6k is now the new key resistance the Bitcoin bulls must get back above,” popular analyst Matthew Hyland said Tuesday.

He added that moving average convergence/ divergence on the three-day chart was now primed to print a bearish crossover, in direct contrast to previous hopes that a bullish breakout could precede fresh BTC price strength.

Sentiment also took a hit from the latest events, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index down to 20/100 — well within the “extreme fear” bracket.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index (screenshot). Source: Alternative.me



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Microsoft Store Sends Xbox Series X Email Invites – February 18

Microsoft Store has sent a new batch of Xbox Series X bundles email invites to lucky customers.

The situation with Xbox Series X restocks was slowly improving by the end of 2021.

Furthermore, the beginning of 2022 marked an excellent season for console drops, with retailers constantly restocking Xbox Series X units.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst by mid-January. Since then, most retailers have stopped restocks, and only minor drops have occurred.

As well, in-store restock events for the console halted completely. All this confirmed the theories of many insiders who claim the Xbox Series X shortage will continue through 2022.

The situation seems to be changing for the good. One example is Microsoft Store restocking Xbox Series X consoles today after a long hiatus!

Xbox

Microsoft Store Emails Xbox Series X Bundle Invites to Select Customers – Feb 18

Today, Microsoft Store sent out a new batch of Xbox Series X bundle email invites to its customers.

As usual, whoever received an invite can purchase an Xbox Series X bundle from Microsoft.

Make sure to check your spam folder, as these invites are notorious for getting filtered by your email provider, even if you are using Outlook.

If you want to increase your chances of getting an invite during the next restock, there are several tips you can follow to get a Microsoft Store Xbox Series X invite email.

Contrary to PS Direct invites, these invites do not have a stipulated time frame for purchase. Each invite contains a unique link for that specific customer to purchase their consoles.

Due to the nature of the process, Microsoft Store advises customers to get there as soon as possible as Xbox Series X units might sell out fast on this restock.

This time, there is no indication as to what the base price of this bundle could be. But, Microsoft Store bundles usually retail for $585 and include a game and an additional controller.

Read More: How to Buy an Xbox Series X|S From Microsoft Store

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Russia sends hypersonic-armed fighter jets to Syria for naval drills – report

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Russia has deployed MiG-31K fighter jets with hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and long-range Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers to its air base in Syria for naval exercises, Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the defence ministry.

The aircraft dispatched to Russia’s Hmeimim air base will take part in exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, part of a surge of Russian military activity amid a standoff with the West over Ukraine and security in Europe.

Moscow announced on Jan. 20 that its navy would stage an array of exercises involving all its fleets from the Pacific to the Atlantic, drawing on 10,000 servicemen, 140 warships and dozens of planes.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Damascus has been a staunch ally of Moscow since Russia launched an air strike campaign in Syria in 2015. Apart from the Hmeimim air base, Russia also controls the Tartus naval facility.

Russia sent fighter jets with Kinzhal missiles for the first time last year after expanding the runway at the base to handle such aircraft, said Rob Lee, a military analyst at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute.

He said the deployments pointed to Russia’s growing military presence in the Middle East and its ability to operate in different regions and to project power.

Russian media have said the Kinzhal hypersonic missile can hit targets up to 2,000 km (1,243 miles) away. It is one of several strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018.

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Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Polina Devitt; Editing by Bernadette Baum

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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See Khloe Kardashian React After Pete Davidson Sends V-Day Flowers

Roses are red, violets are blue. Amid his romance with Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson sent love to Khloe Kardashian, too.
 
For Valentine’s Day this year, Khloe received a slew of gifts and floral arrangements from her inner circle, including the Saturday Night Live star himself. In a Feb. 14 Instagram Story post, Khloe shared a picture of a pink floral bouquet arrangement that included calla lilies, roses and hydrangeas, writing, “The sweetest! Thank you Pete!”
 
But Pete wasn’t the only one sending love to True Thompson‘s mom, as she also shared photos of arrangements sent from mom Kris Jenner, sister Kylie Jenner and niece Penelope Disick (more than likely courtesy of mom Kourtney Kardashian, of course).

And although Kim hasn’t revealed her V-Day gift from Pete just yet, the couple did spend a fun-filled weekend full of dinner dates leading up to the holiday. On Feb. 12, the two enjoyed a date night in Brooklyn, which they followed up with by hitting up Cipriani NYC on Feb. 13.

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