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Martin Amis, acclaimed author of bleakly comic novels, dies at 73

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

Martin Amis, whose caustic, erudite and bleakly comic novels redefined British fiction in the 1980s and ’90s with their sharp appraisal of tabloid culture and consumer excess, and whose private life made him tabloid fodder himself, died Friday at his home in Lake Worth, Florida. He was 73.His wife, writer Isabel Fonseca, said the cause was esophageal cancer — the same disease that killed his close friend and fellow writer Christopher Hitchens in 2011.Amis published 15 novels, a well-regarded memoir (“Experience,” in 2000), works of nonfiction, and collections of essays and short stories. In his later work, he investigated Josef Stalin’s atrocities, the war on terror and the legacy of the Holocaust.He is best known for his so-called London trilogy of novels — “Money: A Suicide Note” (1985), “London Fields” (1990) and “The Information” (1995) — which remain, along with his memoir, his most representative and admired work.The tone of these novels was bright, bristling and profane. “Wha...

Longtime fugitive sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for role in 2011 San Jose murder

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

SAN JOSE — A Tijuana man who spent years on the lam from racketeering and murder charges before being extradited to the United States has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for participating in a 2011 gang-related murder, court records show.Juan “Droopy” Sandoval, 31, pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder, and was sentenced May 16 by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, court records show. Sandoval was arrested in Mexico in 2021, but only extradited to the United States after the federal government promised it wouldn’t seek the death penalty against him.Prosecutors acknowledge Sandoval was not the man who personally murdered 22-year-old Luis Diaz in San Jose on the early morning of Oct. 23, 2011, but say he was part of a group of Sureño gang members who chased down and assaulted Diaz after assuming Diaz was a rival gang member. Another man, 40-year-old Roberto Jaime Martinez, aka “Espantos,” stabbed Diaz to death during the atta...

Jimmy Buffet hospitalized, postpones show

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

(CNN) — A Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band concert scheduled to be held in Charleston, South Carolina, this weekend, has been postponed due to the singer being hospitalized.Buffett announced the news in posts on both his site and on social media.“Two days ago, I was just back from a trip to the Bahamas, thawing out from the California ‘winter tour,’ and chomping at the bit to get to Charleston,” his note reads. “I had to stop in Boston for a check-up but wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention.”Buffett added, “Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you.”The 76-year-old did not share exactly what is ailing him, but promised to perform his postponed concert as soon as he is able.Related ArticlesMusic | S.F. mayor looks to add post-Outside Lands concerts in Golden Gate Park Music | Reba McEntire joins NBC’s ‘The Voice’ as a coach for season 24 Music | Good golly, Miss D...

Man trying to help ducklings in Rocklin intersection hit by vehicle, dies at the scene

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

A man who was trying to usher some ducklings out of an intersection Thursday night in Rocklin was struck by a vehicle and died at the scene, police said.About 8:15 p.m., the man parked his vehicle at the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard. The man was reportedly trying to help some ducklings that were in the intersection, according to the Rocklin Police Department.A teen driver was headed east on Stanford Ranch Boulevard as the man was in the intersection. Police said the teen driver’s vehicle struck the pedestrian who was in the road.Medics arrived to help the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Placer County Coroner’s Office will release his name after his family has been notified.Police said the teen driver remained at the scene. Officers from the department’s Major Accident Investigation Team were called to investigate the crash.Authorities closed the road for about six hours as officers worked at the scene. Police said no arrest has been made,...

PGA Live Updates | PGA Championship purse up to $17.5 million

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The winner of the PGA Championship will be getting $3.15 million.The PGA of America released its prize fund Saturday at $17.5 million. That’s up from $15 million last year, and $500,000 less than what the Masters offered last month.The purses in the majors have been steadily increasing, though not at the rate of the PGA Tour, which this year has 11 tournaments with $20 million or more in prize money. LIV Golf offers $20 million at all its events for the individual winner.The other two majors have not announced their prize money. ___ Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland, the co-leaders of the PGA Championship, have teed off in the third round at Oak Hill.A persistent rain that soaked the East Course has prevented the rest of the field from gaining much if any ground on Scheffler, Conners and Hovland, who began the day at 5 under. They have a two-shot lead on Bryson DeChambeau, with a group of four players next at 2 under.The second round cl...

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Tyson 250 Results

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

SaturdayAt North Wilkesboro SpeedwayNorth Wilkesboro, N.C.Lap length: 0.62 miles(Start position in parentheses)1. (8) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 252 laps, 0 points.2. (3) Ty Majeski, Ford, 252, 35.3. (15) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 252, 39.4. (2) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 252, 48.5. (14) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 252, 0.6. (1) Corey Heim, Toyota, 252, 48.7. (18) Matt Crafton, Ford, 252, 30.8. (24) Chase Purdy, Chevrolet, 252, 31.9. (12) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 252, 0.10. (7) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 252, 31.11. (4) William Byron, Chevrolet, 252, 0.12. (32) Chris Hacker, Toyota, 252, 25.13. (33) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 252, 29.14. (16) Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, 252, 23.15. (6) Bret Holmes, Chevrolet, 252, 22.16. (9) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 252, 0.17. (11) Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, 252, 20.18. (31) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 252, 19.19. (22) Lawless Alan, Chevrolet, 252, 18.20. (10) Hailie Deegan, Ford, 252, 17.21. (27) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 252, 16.22. (34) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, 252, 1...

US beats Ecuador in injury time at U20 World Cup opener

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An injury-time blast gave the United States a 1-0 win against Ecuador in one of the opening matches of the Under-20 World Cup on Saturday.After little inspiration from both teams in San Juan, left back Jonathan Gomez shot from the edge of the box one minute before the final whistle to beat goalkeeper Gilmar Napa. The other two teams in Group B, Slovakia and Fiji, played late Saturday. Until Gomez’s winner, the best opportunity was on the hour after an embarassing mistake by Ecuador’s Napa. His clearance hit his defender Christian Garcia in the face. The ball fell to American striker Diego Luna, who shot wide despite the empty goal.Ecuador, the team of teenage sensation striker Kendry Paez, did not produce a single shot on target.The first goal of the tournament came from New Zealand, for which Norman Garbett scored the only goal in the 80th minute to beat Guatemala in a Group A game.Later Saturday, host Argentina faced Asian champion Uzbeki...

Russia says Wagner private army, with help from Russian troops, seized Bakhmut

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s defense ministry said early Sunday that forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, seized the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.The ministry statement on the Telegram channel came about eight hours after a similar claim by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said fighting for Bakhmut was continuing.The eight-month battle for the city in eastern Ukraine is the longest and probably most bloody of the conflict in Ukraine.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the Russian private army Wagner claimed Saturday that his forces have taken control of the city of Bakhmut after the longest and most grinding battle of the Russia-Ukraine war, but Ukrainian defense officials denied it.In a video posted on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the city came under complete Russian control at about midday Saturday. He spoke flanked by about half a dozen fighters,...

Russia’s Wagner group claims control of Bakhmut, but Kyiv says fighting continues

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group claimed on Saturday to have gained control of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that has seen the fiercest battles recently in Moscow’s war on Ukraine, but Kyiv disputed the assertion and said heavy fighting continued there. Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner’s leader, said in a video posted on Telegram that Bakhmut came under complete Russian control around midday Saturday, according to media reports.“Today, at 12 noon, Bakhmut was completely taken,” Prigozhin said in the video. “We completely took the whole city, from house to house.”Ukrainian officials denied that Wagner had established complete control in Bakhmut, but called the situation in the city critical. Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command, told the Associated Press that Prigozhin’s claim “is not true.” Ukrainian “units are fighting in Bakhmut,” he added.Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said heavy fighting was c...

Franklin girls iron out problems in lacrosse win over Wellesley

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:53:11 GMT

FRANKLIN — Over a week ago, the Franklin girls lacrosse team suffered a lopsided defeat to Notre Dame Academy of Hingham, and Panthers coach Kristin Igoe Guarino wanted to make some adjustments.Going off Saturday morning’s 12-4 nonleague win over Wellesley, Igoe Guarino’s changes have all been for the better.With a suffocating defense, balanced offense and consistent performance on the draws, Franklin led throughout.Franklin is now 15-3, while Wellesley drops to 13-5. Both teams will be among the favorites in the Div. 1 state tournament.Although the game was played in an increasing downpour, Franklin looked like it was playing in perfect weather, while Wellesley never found traction.“I think we took the last two days of practice to work on some things, and the girls did a great job implementing that,” Igoe Guarino said. “Winning the draws, to playing good 1v1 and team ‘D.’ I think we were just solid all-around.”“The draws were re...