AP sports week in pictures: A gallery of game action, celebrations and more

A collection of some of the top sports photos in the past week by AP photographers around the world.

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Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) and teammates celebrate his pass interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States' Lindsey Horan, left, checks on teammate Emily Fox after she hurt herself during the international friendly women's soccer match between the Netherlands and the United States at the ADO Den Haag Stadium in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, center, waits in the tunnel before an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Matilda's Emily Gielnik and Taiwan's Li Yi-wen compete to kick the ball during a friendly soccer international between Australia and Taiwan in Geelong, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli goes over Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as they challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates stadium in London, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, middle, is tackled against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, left, guards Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chevonne Chelsea Forgan and Sophia Kirkby of the United States compete during the women's sprint race at the Luge World Cup in Igls near Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara, left, passes the ball around the Utah Jazz defense during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, of the United States, compete in the ice dance's free dance segment at the ISU Grand Prix Finals of Figure Skating, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Grenoble, France. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Florida guard Will Richard (5) dunks the ball over Arizona State guard Joson Sanon (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Kathryn Skeean)

Laura Lahtinen of Finland competes during the Women's 200m Butterfly Heats on day three of the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Michigan guard Tre Donaldson (3) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in New York. Arkansas won 89-87. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

An empty shell casing pops out of the rifle of Lou Jeanmonnot, of France, during the women's 10 km pursuit event at the Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

In this picture taken through a window, President-elect Donald Trump, from left, Trump's pick for the planned Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk and Vice President-elect JD Vance attend the NCAA college football game between Army and Navy at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) knocks down San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez, left, is challenged by Twente's Danique van Ginkel during the Women's Champions League group B soccer match at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Green Bay Packers' Romeo Doubs catches a touchdown pass in front of Seattle Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Norway's Thale Rushfeldt Deila, front, tries to score as Denmark's Mette Tranborg defends during the final match of the Women's European Handball Championship between Denmark and Norway, in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) scores as Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) looks during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Pakistan's Saim Ayub plays a shot during the second T20 International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks the ball past Brooklyn Nets' Jalen Wilson and Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Forerunner Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, skis down the course before the training runs at the women's World Cup downhill race, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Beaver Creek, Colo. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Young An Se of South Korea plays a shot against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan during a women's singles badminton match at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00), forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32), and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) vie for the ball during the first half of an Emirates NBA cup tournament quarterfinal basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

An Israeli strike in Gaza killed at least eight people from the same family, most of them women and children, Palestinian medics said Tuesday.

The strike late Monday hit a house in Gaza City’s central neighborhood of Daraj, according to the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service.

Among the bodies recovered from the rubble were a father and his three children, and the children’s grandmother, according to a casualty list obtained by The Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

Israeli bombardment and offensives in Gaza have killed more than 45,000 Palestinians over the past 14 months, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry’s tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but it says more than of half the dead were women and children.

Israel launched its campaign in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 250 others, around 100 of whom remain in captivity.

Here's the latest:

LONDON — British diplomats have met the leader of the militant group that toppled Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Photographs posted by the group on social media showed senior officials, including the U.K. special representative for Syria, Ann Snow, meeting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Mohammed al-Golani, in Damascus on Monday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed Monday that Britain had sent “a delegation of senior U.K. officials to Damascus this week for meetings with the new Syrian authorities and members of civil society groups.”

Britain, along with the U.S. and other countries, classifies HTS, a former al-Qaida affiliate, as a terrorist organization. U.K. officials have suggested they may reconsider that designation, but have not given a timeline. They say British officials can still talk to HST in the meantime.

In an interview with the Times of London newspaper, Al-Sharaa urged the West to lift sanctions and said Israel should stop its strikes on Syria.

“We do not want any conflict whether with Israel or anyone else and we will not let Syria be used as a launchpad for attacks,” he was quoted as saying. “The Syrian people need a break, and the strikes must end and Israel has to pull back to its previous positions.”

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike in Gaza killed at least eight people from the same family, most of them women and children, Palestinian medics said Tuesday.

The strike late Monday hit a house in Gaza City’s central neighborhood of Daraj, according to the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of eight people including two women and four children from under the rubble, it said. Among the dead were a father and his three children, and the children’s grandmother, according to a casualty list obtained by The Associated Press.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

BERLIN — Germany says its diplomats will hold their first talks on Tuesday with the new Syrian government installed by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS.

The Foreign Ministry in Berlin said the talks will center on an “inclusive transition process” in Syria and the protection of minorities. The German delegation also plans to sound out the possibility of a German diplomatic presence in Damascus, and will meet representatives of Christian communities among others.

The ministry said in a statement that “we know where HTS comes from and know its origins in al-Qaida ideology,” and said that Germany is watching the activities of the group and the interim government closely.

“As far as can be said at all at this point, they are acting prudently so far,” it added. “Like our international partners, we will measure them by their actions. Any cooperation requires that ethnic and religious minorities be protected and women’s rights respected.”

The U.S. has already said that its officials have been in direct contact with HTS.

Germany has been a leading destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade.

DAMASCUS, Syria — A U.S.-backed force in Syria says U.S.-led mediation efforts have failed to reach a permanent truce in Syria's north between the force's fighters and Turkish-backed gunmen.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the failure to end the fighting in the northern areas of Manbij and Kobani were unsuccessful due to Turkey’s unwillingness to accept key points.

“Despite U.S. efforts to stop the war, Turkey and its mercenary militias have continued to escalate over the last period,” the SDF said.

The failure of the mediation is expected to lead to a new round of fighting between the SDF and the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army in the areas of Kobani.

CAIRO — The U.S. military on Tuesday said it bombed a Houthi military facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, the latest U.S.-led attack on the Iranian-backed rebels.

The Houthi media office said the strike hit part of the sprawling complex that houses the rebels’ Defense Ministry. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

U.S. Central Command said the strike late Monday targeted a key command and control facility that was “a hub for coordinating Houthi operations,” including attacks on U.S. Navy and merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started in October last year. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the campaign, which has killed four sailors.

The rebels have maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

Monday’s U.S. strike came hours after the Houthis said they fired a hypersonic ballistic missile toward Israel. The Houthi missile triggered sirens across the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The Israeli military said it intercepted the missile outside Israel’s borders. However, shrapnel that the military said was likely from an Israeli interceptor missile fell on the roof of a home in east Jerusalem.

A Palestinian, wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, arrives at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians, wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, receive treatment at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)