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Russia says bomber who injured novelist acted for Ukraine

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia’s top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine’s special services.The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict.It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow.Russia’s Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well.“Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since...

Guerrier takes 1-shot lead into final round of Italian Open

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Julien Guerrier will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open.Guerrier started the day two shots off the lead but carded eight birdies and three bogeys in a 5-under 66, moving atop the leaderboard.His one-stroke advantage was over French compatriot Romain Langasque, who set a new course record at the Marco Simone club outside Rome, and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.“I started with a bogey on two and after that I stayed patient,” Guerrier said. “I know with this kind of course, my coach said, ‘You are going to play some good shots, so try to manage and don’t give too many shots away to the course,’ and I did that.”Langasque hit seven birdies and an eagle in his record-breaking 9-under 62.“I did not expect nine under, I didn’t expect to shoot a very low score on this course because it’s quite a tough course,” Langasque said. “I didn’t expect that score and I am very happy about it.”Matthieu Pavon, who led after both of the previous...

Guardians option struggling OF Oscar Gonzalez to minors

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus to get more playing time.The team made the move with Gonzalez on Saturday before facing the Minnesota Twins. Infielder Tyler Freeman was recalled to take Gonzalez’s roster spot.The 25-year-old Gonzalez has struggled at the plate, batting just .192 with one homer and five RBIs in 25 games. He’s been platooning in right field with Will Brennan, and the Guardians are hoping to get him more-at-bats.Gonzalez isn’t the only Cleveland hitter not hitting. The Guardians’ offense has been sluggish for much of the early season, one of the big reasons the defending AL Central champions are trailing the first-place Twins by 4 1 /2 games.The Guardians are batting just .224 overall and have only 17 homers, the fewest in the majors.Gonzalez was one of the many bright spots last season for the Guardians.As a rookie, he batted .296 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 91 games. He wa...

Bayern beats Werder Bremen to stretch lead in Germany

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

BREMEN, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich survived a nervy finish to edge closer to the Bundesliga title with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen that opened up a four-point lead over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.Gnabry broke through in the 62nd minute, seizing on the loose ball and scoring after Jamal Musiala mishit a shot off Sadio Mané’s pass. Leroy Sané doubled the Bayern lead 10 minutes later with a first-time shot from a narrow angle off Noussair Mazraoui’s incisive throughball.Bremen brought the game back to life out of nowhere when Niklas Schmidt curled a long-range shot into the top corner in the 87th, shortly after coming off the bench. Bremen tried to level the score but Bayern held on with smart defending and some strategic timewasting.Bayern dominated most of the first half without generating any chances of note against the compact Bremen defense, besides a Benjamin Pavard header pushed away by goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka.Bremen gave Bayern a scare first when Mitchell Weiser fa...

Miami’s Jimmy Butler (ankle) cleared to return for Game 3

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler was cleared to return to the Miami Heat lineup on Saturday, in time for him to play in Game 3 of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks.Butler sprained his right ankle with about 5 minutes left in Miami’s Game 1 victory. He did not play in Game 2 on Tuesday, when New York evened the series.In six playoff games so far this season, Butler is averaging 35.5 points on 59% shooting, with 6.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Butler had a career-high 56-point effort against Milwaukee in Game 4 of Round 1, followed by a 42-point outburst two nights later as the eighth-seeded Heat eliminated the top-seeded Bucks.Butler entered Saturday as the No. 2 scorer in this season’s playoffs, behind only Phoenix’s Devin Booker — who is averaging 36.9 points and passed Butler for the top spot by scoring 47 in the Suns’ win over Denver on Friday night.The Heat ruled Udonis Haslem out for Game 3 with a stomach illness. Miami is also without V...

AC Milan tops Lazio to boost top-4 hopes but loses Leão

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Both Milan teams remained in the Serie A fight to qualify for next season’s Champions League ahead of their showdown in this season’s competition.Inter Milan won at Roma 2-0, shortly after AC Milan beat Lazio by the same scoreline. The Rossoneri could be counting the cost of that match, however, as key forward Rafael Leão limped off injured just four days before the Champions League semifinal.Milan closed the gap to second-placed Lazio to three points after an Ismaël Bennacer strike and a stunning Théo Hernandez goal. Milan was one point behind Inter and Juventus, which plays at Atalanta on Sunday.“I’m happy with the performance and for the win, it was too important a match for us,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. “What was important was to play well and we did that even without Leão.“I don’t think it’s serious but we’ll evaluate it tomorrow. He stopped in time, he was very calm and that gives me good hope.”Atalanta and Roma were five points below fourth-pla...

Newton N. Minow, who in the early 1960s famously proclaimed that network television was a “vast wasteland,” dies at 97

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Newton N. Minow, who in the early 1960s famously proclaimed that network television was a “vast wasteland,” dies at 97.Source

Nice piles pressure on Rennes in French league win

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Nice striker Gaëtan Laborde scored in a win against his former club on Saturday and cost Rennes precious points in the French league race for European football next season.With four games left to play, the 2-1 loss left Rennes in sixth place, three points behind Lille which played Reims late. The fifth-placed side in Ligue 1 qualifies for the Conference League playoffs stage.Laborde, who joined Nice last year from Rennes, broke the deadlock in the 50th minute. Terem Moffi then made the most of a mistake from Arthur Theate to double Nice’s lead with under half an hour left.Benjamin Bourigeaud’s goal in the 78th was not enough to prevent Rennes’ 12th loss this season.Second-placed Marseille was at Lens late Saturday, just one point above its northern rival in the fight for the second automatic Champions League spot. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Search underway for 81-year-old man reported missing in Pompano Beach

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

Authorities seek the public’s help in their search for an elderly man who went missing in Pompano Beach.According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, 81-year-old Chester “Chad” Wasilewski was last seen along the 5000 block of Northeast 14th Terrace, at around 5:30 p.m., Friday.Wasilewski stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs around 200 pounds, is bald and has brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and gray shorts.His family told detectives he suffers from dementia.Officials urge anyone with information on Wasilewski’s whereabouts to call BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or BSO’s non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357).

The coronation was an act of magic for a country scared the spell might break

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:30:33 GMT

Tanya Gold is a freelance journalist.A coronation creates a god out of a man: It is magic. This is odd, which is why the world’s eyes were upon us — few nations practice magic publicly these days. But it remains our default security in a modern age.Of course, we cannot discuss this openly, because it is absurd, and because we are only dimly aware of it, which is another kind of self-protection: denial serving denial. Monarchy appeals to the unconscious, to children afraid of the night. (Whatever we feared, Elizabeth II was in her palace, never changing, like the queen in “The BFG” who battled flesh-eating giants.) Monarchy is a fairy tale, it is true: the darker parts. And so, the commentary at the coronation had an odd dissonance, as if we were speaking around something, because the core of it was something we were afraid to say out loud. If you say you don’t believe in Tinkerbell, she dies.That lack of confidence in the magic spell was obvious at breakfast time. As the...