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John Isner heads to retirement after US Open last-set tiebreaker losses in singles and doubles

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — John Isner rested his chin on clasped hands, the words coming slowly, the tears welling in his eyes, as he spoke during a news conference at the U.S. Open on Thursday, his last day as a professional tennis player.“It’s been a huge part of my life. It’s tough to say goodbye. It’s not easy,” the 38-year-old American said. “But eventually, this day would come. It’s hard to prepare for the emotions of it.”As career-ending days go, it would be hard to come up with a more appropriate way for Isner to bow out than a pair of final-set tiebreakers — one in singles, one in doubles — and, while he would have preferred a victory or two, of course, he did appreciate the raucous crowd support and standing ovations he was showered with at each defeat.The 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Isner announced the week before play began at Flushing Meadows that this Grand Slam tournament would mark his farewell, and the guy who long was his country’s best male player bowed out in the second round of...

Tyshon King scores on runs of 62, 2 yards, Youngstown State beats Valparaiso 52-10

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Tyshon King ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns, Mitch Davidson threw for a TD and ran for another, and Youngstown State beat Valparaiso 52-10 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams. Davidson was 11-of-19 passing for 130 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to CJ Charleston, and scored on a 1-yard run.After each team went three-and-out on its first possession, King ripped off a 62-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with 10:08 left in the first quarter and Valparaiso trailed the rest of the way. Ryan Mann scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left in the second quarter to trim Valparaiso’s deficit 17-10 going into halftime. The Beacons, however, went three-and-out on the opening drive of the third quarter. Michael Voitus blocked the punt before Jaylen Castleberry grabbed the ball and easily scored from 7-yards out to spark a 28-point third quarter — which matched the program record for most points in a third quarter. Devin Lee...

Texas authorities say 2 people including shooter dead outside shopping center in Austin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A shooting outside a large shopping center in Austin, Texas, on Thursday killed one person and left another victim with critical injuries, authorities said. The shooter also died of a gunshot wound.The shooting near The Arboretum on the city’s north side started at 5 p.m. and by 5:09 p.m. responding officers found two people with gunshot wounds, Austin Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson told a news conference.One of the victims was taken to the hospital with what authorities said were critical injuries.By 5:20 p.m. two people had been declared dead at the site of the shooting. Henderson said one of them was the shooter.Henderson said the relationship between the shooter and the victims was not immediately known. She declined to give further details about the shooting, including exactly where it took place.Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services earlier said the two dead people were adults. Authorities earlier said two other people were evaluated for mi...

Japan marks 100 years since the devastating Great Kanto Quake, with disaster drills nationwide

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida staged a televised disaster drill Friday based on a fictional earthquake in the capital region, as his country marked the centennial of the real-life 1923 Great Kanto Quake that killed more than 100,000 people.The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the Sagamihara area southwest of Tokyo on Sept. 1, 1923, just before noon triggered a widespread inferno in the region, causing most of the victims to perish in the fire. The blaze destroyed nearly 300,000 Japanese paper-and-wood homes as the country suffered major social and economic damage just as it was seeking to modernize. In the aftermath, thousands of ethnic Koreans were killed as police and others responded to baseless rumors that Koreans were poisoning wells. The rampage has never fully been acknowledged by the government.Japanese officials are worried another devastating tremblor could happen again. On Friday, the drill simulated the aftermath of a fictional 7.3-magnitude trem...

Rainbows, drag shows, movies: Lebanon’s leaders go after perceived symbols of the LGBTQ+ community

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Rainbows, school books, movies and drag shows have all been targeted in Lebanon in recent weeks as politicians, religious leaders and vigilante groups step up a campaign against the LGBTQ+ community in a country that has long shown relative tolerance.At a time when Lebanon is in the grips of one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns in more than a century, the country and its leaders have been deeply split on how to deal with the crisis. Political factions have been so divided they haven’t been able to choose a new president for 10 months.But in recent weeks they united to fight the LGBTQ+ community. Politicians and religious leaders have intensified a campaign that in many ways mirrors the culture wars in the United States, raising alarm over symbols and trends that might normalize queerness as an existential threat to society.It comes at a time when an escalating crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community is also underway elsewhere in the region. In some cases, the targetin...

Venice Film Festival 2023: Eleven EU-supported works nominated for awards

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

Eleven EU-funded films and projects have been nominated for awards at the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, which starts today. A further two EU-funded films will be screened at the festival.The Promised Land (Bastarden) by Nikolaj Arcel, Dogman by Luc Besson, Comandante by Edoardo De Angelis and Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone made it in the official competition line-up with a chance to take home the Golden Lion award.Paradise is burning (Paradiset Brinner) by Mika Gustafson, Heartless (Sem Coraçao) by Nara Normande Tião and City of the Wind (Ser Ser Salhi) by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir are shortlisted for the Orizzonti competition.A further four projects  that received EU funding are selected under the Venice Immersive section and Giornate degli Autori (formerly Venice Days) section.These works, supported through the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme, were co-produced by highly international teams from several countries in the EU. The winners of ...

EU Cohesion Policy: €86 million for the expansion and upgrade of the Marbella public hospital

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

Nearly €86 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have been allocated to expand and upgrade of the public Hospital Costa del Sol, in the city of Marbella, Spain.Extending the hospital from 100,000 m2 to 160,000 m2, the project will fund the construction of a new building, the revitalisation of the current hospital facilities, and the purchase of advanced medical equipment to improve the hospital's capabilities.Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira (pictured) said: “This substantial investment will enhance the health care and well-being of people living in Marbella and in broader province of Malaga. The upgraded and expanded hospital will aptly meet the escalating healthcare demands and foster a culture of improved health outcomes.”Many departments of the hospital will be extended. The project will increase the number of beds, which is low compared to other parts of the region: 83 new bed units will be created to serve the healthcare needs of a populati...

Japan sanctions 3 groups and 4 individuals for supporting North Korea’s missile program

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government announced Friday it will impose sanctions against three groups and four individuals for supporting North Korea’s missile and nuclear development program.Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Friday that the sanctions, in tandem with the United States and South Korea, are in response to North Korea’s attempted launch of a spy satellite Aug. 24 and its firing of two missiles Wednesday, as United Nations Security Council resolutions ban any North Korean launches using ballistic missile technologies. The additional sanctions, approved during Friday’s Cabinet meeting, freeze the assets of the three North Korea-based hacker groups linked to cyberattacks — Andariel, BlueNoroff and Korea Expo Joint Venture — as well as four individuals, three of them based in China, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on two people: a North Korean and a Russian linked to a Moscow-registered firm accused of suppo...

Austin ISD approves plan to add more school resource officers amid new state law

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

Editor's note: The article has been updated to reflect the board's vote Monday night.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Board of Trustees for the Austin Independent School District Monday night approved a plan to add more school resource officers to campuses across the district. Officials project they will need more than 100 officers to comply with a new state law requiring armed officers on every campus. According to AISD Interim Superintendent Matias Segura, the district currently has two school resource officers in every high school and one in every middle school, but officers patrol the elementary schools."What we are moving to is a placement for every elementary school and what that will do is give us complete coverage," said Segura. "That will require us to expand our police department by a little over 70 officers, and when you do that you have to add other supervisors and pay for equipment and all the things needed to support that officer."Segura said he believes they will be able to meet t...

Space: Commission and European Satellite Center strengthen Copernicus services to support external and security actions

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:34:49 GMT

The Commission has signed a new contribution agreement with the European Union Satellite Center (SatCen) for the implementation, until 2027, of the Copernicus security service supporting EU external and security actions (or 'SESA': Copernicus Security service to EU External and Security Action). Since 2016, the EU Satellite Center has been implementing the Copernicus Security Service in support of EU external action. This new contribution agreement renews the role of the EU Satellite Center and extends the support of the Copernicus Security Service to the EU's external and security action. The SESA covers new areas, such as the security of EU citizens, humanitarian aid, crises and conflicts, the rule of law, transport safety and security, stability and resilience for development , cultural heritage, international trade and economic diplomacy, as well as challenges such as environmental issues, climate security or health security. These additional application areas have been designed...