a2 briefs

Apr. 23—$95b for Ukraine, Israel advances in Senate with bipartisan vote

WASHINGTON — The Senate is moving ahead with $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to move end a filibuster on the foreign aid package. Final passage could come Tuesday evening. Lawmakers are racing to send the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk after months of debate over how involved the United States should be abroad.

Crew members injured on Georgia set of Amazon movie 'The Pickup'

Several crew members were injured and two were hospitalized when a car and truck collided during shooting of the Eddie Murphy film "The Pickup" from Amazon MGM Studios, the studio and a person close to the production said Tuesday.

A studio spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press that the scene that led to Saturday's accident in Georgia had been rehearsed and all safety precautions were taken.

Neither Murphy nor the film's other stars, including Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson, were on the set at the time.

The injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones, the person close to the production said. Two crew members were taken to the hospital, and one remained hospitalized Tuesday. All are expected to make a full recovery.

The accident happened on a location outside of Atlanta when a truck locked up and hit a car, the person said.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.

"It was a completely freak accident," the person said. "It wasn't even a complicated or dangerous stunt."

The scene was being shot by a second unit on the production, which generally shoots less-central scenes not involving the director or principal actors.

Spears taken by Captain Cook returned to Australia's Indigenous people

LONDON — Four Aboriginal spears that were taken to England by Captain James Cook more than 250 years ago have been returned to Australia's Indigenous community at a ceremony in Cambridge University. The artifacts were all that remain of some 40 spears that Cook and botanist Joseph Banks took in April 1770, at the time of the first contact between Cook's crew and the Indigenous people of Kamay, or Botany Bay. The spears were presented to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1771. Their return was agreed last year following a campaign and a formal repatriation request. It is hailed as a step toward reconciliation and a greater understanding of Britain and Australia's shared history.

5 die crossing English Channel hours after passage of deportation bill

PARIS — French authorities say five people, including a child, died while trying to cross the English Channel. It occurred just hours after the British government approved a migrant bill to deport some of those who entered the country illegally to Rwanda. Authorities said they spotted several boats packed with migrants off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. Several French navy ships intervened. The regional prefect for the north of France says a woman, three men and a 7-year-old girl died. He says the boat carried 112 people.