INS MAG

NEED TO KNOW

• Flights at Munich Airport in Germany were affected by heavy snow on Thursday, Feb. 19,

• Several flights were canceled and passengers were left stuck on planes after airport staff went home, leaving no stairs for them to be able to depart the aircraft or buses to transport them to the terminal, according to reports

• Both Lufthansa airlines and the airport said they "deeply regret the inconvenience caused"

Around 500 passengers were forced to spend the night on grounded planes at an airport in Germany, according to reports.

According to German newspaperBild, 123 passengers were due to fly from Munich to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Thursday, Feb. 19, with airline Lufthansa, but they ended up being stuck on the plane for eight hours.

Passengers on other Lufthansa flights were also affected, as well as two Air Dolomiti flights to Austria and Italy, with passengers also having to spend the night on the tarmac in their aircraft. Lufthansa reported that a total of around 500 passengers were affected, according to the outlet.

Passengers were already on board the flight to Copenhagen, which was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. local time, when it was announced that the departure would be delayed due to heavy snow. According to the outlet, announcements were repeatedly made for almost two and a half hours, before the flight was canceled just before midnight.

Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty

The outlet reported that the plane was parked at a remote stand and there were no buses to take passengers back to the terminal.

According to Danish newspaperEkstra Bladet, passengers were told every 30 minutes that buses were trying to be organized for them. A passenger told the outlet that at around 2 a.m., they were then suddenly informed by airline staff that they could no longer get hold of anyone inside the airport and the airport was closed. This was due to the night flight ban in Munich from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., perBild.

Søren Thieme, the father of a family with young children on board the plane, claimed that passengers were told that all the bus drivers had gone home and that they were not allowed to leave the aircraft.

"There must be something we can do. We can just go to the airport, we ask. But we're not allowed to. It's forbidden, we're told. We're simply trapped here, along with the staff too," Thieme told the outlet, per a translation.

Thieme went on to share that his family had been flying back from a vacation in Thailand, and the flight from Munich to Copenhagen was the final leg of their journey.

"We were really frustrated," Thieme said. "We've been on the road for over 24 hours now. We should have been home in Denmark and sleeping by now. But the flight crew was also completely at a loss. We also don't get to know when they expect us to be able to get out."

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The passenger claimed to the outlet that passengers also didn't have proper food or drinks, just a few bottles of water, and no blankets, as the flight was only meant to be around 90 minutes long.

Passengers were finally able to depart the flight in the early hours of the morning after buses and stairs arrived at the aircraft.

Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty

The family were rebooked on a new flight, but this was also delayed by an hour, according to the outlet.

"We're home in Denmark now, and it's nice to be home. Because at one point, the thought came to me whether we would even come home this weekend," Thieme added.

Another passenger toldBild, "Flights can be canceled at any time, but leaving people on the plane indefinitely is unacceptable."

Lufthansa toldEkstra Bladetin a statement, "Due to the weather conditions on February 19th with heavy snowfall at Munich Airport, there were temporary runway closures and massive delays in de-icing procedures. As a result, there were delays and cancellations yesterday. The passengers have since been rebooked onto the next available flight."

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The statement continued, "The passengers on flight LH2446 to Copenhagen with 123 passengers (scheduled departure at 21:30) were also affected by weather-related irregularities. The aircraft had to remain on the apron following instructions from Munich Airport. Due to a lack of apron buses, the passengers could only be transported to the terminal in the early morning hours. Lufthansa deeply regrets the inconvenience this has caused to the passengers."

"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused," a spokesperson for Munich Airport added, perBild.

Lufthansa and Munich Airport did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

Iranian state news agencies reported student demonstrations at five universities in the capital and one in the city of Mashhad over the weekend, with fresh protests also reported Monday. Large crowds rallied outside the Amir Kabir University of Technology in Tehran, according to video geolocated by NBC News that circulated on social media Sunday.

The video does not appear to have circulated before Sunday but NBC News has not been able to pinpoint when exactly it was taken.

They are the first known protests to have erupted since theanti-government unrest that swept the countrylast month and sawthousands of people killedin a brutal crackdown, according to rights groups.

The United States has held the threat of military action over the regime in the wake of those demonstrations, which marked the biggest flare-up of domestic dissent since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. But PresidentDonald Trumphas also pursued negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, entertaining diplomacy even as he masses a daunting military force in the Middle East.

Trump's special envoySteve Witkoffsaid Saturday that the president was "curious" as to why Iran had not changed course in the face of this buildup.

"He's curious as to why they haven't — I don't want to use the word 'capitulated' — but why they haven't capitulated," Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump."

"Why under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, 'We profess that we don't want a weapon'?" he said.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is en route to becomethe second American aircraft carrierin the region, wherethe U.S. has been gathering air defenses, warships and submarines.

Officials signaled in a meeting last week that all U.S. military forces required for possible action would be in place by mid-March, a senior administration official told NBC News, though Trump hasthreatened possible actionsooner than that.

New talks are scheduled for Thursday, according to the country that brokered previous rounds of indirect negotiations.

Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said in aposton X on Sunday that talks were confirmed for Thursday in Geneva "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal."

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Iranian PresidentMasoud Pezeshkianoffered some optimism Sunday, suggesting the latest talks had "yielded encouraging signals."

"Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region," he said in aposton X. However, he warned that Tehran continued to "closely monitor U.S. actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."

Addressing the U.S. threat of military action in a news conference Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic would "never be influenced by threats" and would "insist on Iran's national interests."

He added that there was "no such thing as a limited attack," after Trump confirmed he was considering a more limited initial strike to force Tehran into concessions.

Any "act of aggression" would be met with a firm response, he said. "At the same time that we are in the negotiation room, our military forces will be more alert."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS' "Face The Nation" that a new meeting would "probably" take place Thursday, adding that he hoped to prepare a "fast deal."

"I think we're still very much in a wait-and-see kind of mode," said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

"We're lurching between the possibility of strikes and the possibility of a deal and I don't really have a feeling right now one way or the other," she told NBC News in a phone interview Monday. It will take a "real willingness to compromise from both parties" and in a "timely manner" in order to avoid military escalation, Vakil added.

As the prospect of a major attack by the U.S. and Israel raised fears of a new conflict in the Middle East, regional powers expressed outrage after the U.S. ambassadorsuggested Israel had a biblical rightto take over swaths of territory in the Middle East.

"It would be fine if they took it all, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here today," Mike Huckabee said during an interview withpodcaster Tucker Carlsonposted to YouTube on Friday.

Huckabee clarified that this was not on the table as "they're not asking to take all that," but his comments sparked outrage, with the foreign ministries of more than a dozen Arab and Muslim nations expressing their "strong condemnation and profound concern" in a joint statement and issuing a "categorical rejection of such dangerous and inflammatory remarks."

Iran warned the comments could further "embolden" Israel in "illegal measures against Palestinians as well as its constant aggression against the nations of the region."

Authorities received intelligence before the attack Thursday but a lack of road access prevented police from reaching the area in time, state police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar told The Associated Press.

"By the time we have our way, the assailants have invaded the community and killed 38 while also abducting many residents," Abubakar said Monday.

Investigators in the West African nation are compiling a list of women and children who were abducted, Abubakar said.

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The attack in Tungan Duste, a community in the Anka local government area of Zamfara state, is the latest assault on civilians in Nigeria's northern region, where attacks are frequent. In nearby Kebbi,33 people were killedin simultaneous attacks last week.

The African Union, which includes 55 member states on the continent, condemned the attack Sunday and called for the release of abducted women and children.

"The African Union unequivocally rejects all acts of terrorism and violent extremism against civilian populations, particularly women and children, as grave violations of human rights and serious threats to peace, security, and stability," the organization said in a statement.

Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis from different armed groups. The United States has sent troops to the West African nation to help advise its military on the fight against insecurity.

South Africa and India are the other two sides in Group 1 — theProteas beat the defending championsby 76 runs in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

It is a chance for both sides competing today to put additional pressure on the co-hosts.

Zimbabwe had topped Group B in the league stage — it showed stunning T20 form in beating Australia and Sri Lanka in the first round.

It is Zimbabwe's first qualification to the T20 World Cup's second round. Meanwhile, West Indies had topped Group C.

Both sides have made one change — for Zimbabwe, left-arm medium pacer Richard Ngarava comes in for spinner Wellington Masakadza.

West Indies brought in medium-pace allrounder Romario Shephered in place of Roston Chase.

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The pitch at the iconic Wankhede Stadium should aid batters in general. However, it has slowed down in the second innings over the course of the tournament, so the side chasing could face difficulty unless there is ample evening dew.

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (captain), Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Dion Myers, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Wisconsin UCLA Basketball

The Bruins (27-1, 17-0) are close to completing the first undefeated league season since 2014-15, when Maryland went 18-0. They finished 14-0 at home and have one road game remaining.

Wearing white title caps, the Bruins gathered at center court in a group hug and posed with the trophy.

UCLA had already clinched the title by the time it took the court, thanks to No. 13 Iowa's 62-44 victory over sixth-ranked Michigan earlier in the day. Both Michigan and Iowa are tied for second with three losses each.

Gabriela Jaquez had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Bruins, who had five players in double figures.

Dorja Zaja scored 16 points and Lily Krahn added 13 for the Badgers (13-15, 5-12). They lost their eighth in a row and fell to 2-9 on the road.

Wisconsin struck for two quick baskets to open the third and get within seven. Destiny Howell scored and Ronnie Porter hit a 3-pointer.

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But the Bruins took over, outscoring Wisconsin 24-15 to take a 65-49 lead into the fourth.

The Bruins led by 14 points on Jaquez's 3-pointer early in the second quarter. The Badgers twice cut their deficit to eight points before trailing 41-29 at halftime.

On Senior Day, the Bruins honored Betts, Kiki Rice, Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gianna Kneepkens and Angela Dugalic with flowers before the game. Rice and Jaquez have spent their entire four-year careers at UCLA; the others transferred to Westwood.

Up next

Wisconsin: Hosts No. 13 Iowa on March 1 to end regular season.

UCLA: Visits crosstown rival USC in regular-season finale on March 1.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Martin Chivers, soccer, 1945-2026

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Sports figures we lost in 2026

"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton. A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time," the WNBA shared on X.

Braxton was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock. She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie team after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds. A 6-foot-6 power forward, she would go on to win championships in 2006 and '08 with Detroit.

She played in Tulsa, when the Shock relocated, and also spent time with the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty. Braxton also played overseas in Poland, Turkey, China and Italy through the 2017-18 season.

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Born in Jackson, Michigan, on Feb. 18, 1983, Braxton attended high school there her freshman year before transferring to Westview High School in Portland, Oregon. She was named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. She played college basketball at Georgia for two-and-a-half seasons before being dismissed from the team by then-coach Andy Landers for undisclosed reasons.

Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon after her retirement from professional basketball before moving to the Atlanta area. Her son, Jelani Thurman, was on the 2024 Ohio State national championship football team. He played tight end.

Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and her two sons, Thurman and Jream Jackson.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Former WNBA All-Star Kara Braxton dies at 43, league announces

Russia Ukraine War Anniversary

Thefighting enters its fifth yearon Tuesday, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The U.S. hasbrokered talkswith delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as part of the Trump administration's yearlongpush for peace. But reconcilingkey differences, such as the future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian land and postwar security for Ukraine, has thwarted progress.

Meanwhile, thousands of each countries' troops havedied on the battlefield, and Ukrainian civilians have been battered byRussian aerial strikesthat have brought years of power outages and water cuts.

Here's a look at the conflict, by the numbers, since the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

1.8 million

The upper end of the estimated number of soldierskilled, wounded or missingon both sides, according to a report last month by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.

It estimated that Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025 — what it said was the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War II.

Russia has not released figures on battlefield deaths since January 2023, when it said more than 80 soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian strike, bringing the total military deaths Moscow has confirmed to just over 6,000.

CSIS estimated that Ukraine has seen 500,000 to 600,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the war. Many are missing, he said.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely data on military losses. Independent verification is not possible.

14,999

The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission's count for civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russia's all-out invasion, though it says that is likely an underestimate. More than 40,600 civilians were injured over the same period, it said in a December report.

The war has killed at least 763 children, according to the U.N.

Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022. The conflict killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in the country in 2025 — a 31% increase in civilian casualties over 2024, it said.

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19.4%

The percentage of Ukrainian land occupied by Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Over the past year, Russia has gained just 0.79% of Ukraine's territory in the grinding war of attrition, the Washington-based think tank said in calculations provided earlier this month to The Associated Press, underscoring the little progress Moscow's forces have made despite huge costs in troops and armor.

Before Russia's all-out invasion, it controlled nearly 7% of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east, as Moscow-backed separatists fought the Ukrainian army, according to Ukrainian officials and Western analysts.

The percentage drop in foreign military aid to Kyiv last year compared with the annual average between 2022 and 2024, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks assistance to Kyiv.

U.S. President Donald Trump stopped sending American weapons paid for by the U.S. to Ukraine after he took office just over a year ago. European countries, striving to make up the difference, increased their military aid last year by 67% compared with the 2022-2024 period, the institute said in a report this month.

Foreign humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine fell by 5% last year in comparison with the average in the previous three years, it said.

5.9 million

The number of Ukrainian civilians who have left their country.

Some 5.3 million of those people have found refuge in Europe, according to a report this month from the U.N. office in Ukraine.

Additionally, around 3.7 million Ukrainians forced out of their homes have moved elsewhere within the country, the U.N. said in December.

Ukraine's prewar population was more than 40 million.

2,851

The number of Russian attacks that affected the provision of medical care in Ukraine, according to the World Health Organization. The figure covers the period from the full-scale invasion through Feb. 11.

The attacks include 2,347 strikes on health care facilities, as well as ones that damaged vehicles and the storage of medical supplies.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine