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French Open 2023: Gauff, 19, plays Andreeva, 16, in all-teen showdown; Nadal has hip surgery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Much of this French Open can best be viewed through the prism of Rafael Nadal’s absence.For so many years, the goings on at Roland Garros were defined by Nadal and his unprecedented success at the place: 14 championships, a 112-3 record. And this year, what happens in Paris is significantly altered because he is not in the field — something that last happened in 2004.Nadal has not competed anywhere since injuring his left hip flexor at the Australian Open in January, and he had arthroscopic surgery on Friday night in Barcelona. Saturday, as it happens, is his 37th birthday.Nadal announced on May 18 he wouldn’t be able to return to competition at the French Open because his body wouldn’t let him. He said he needed to stop practicing and wasn’t sure when he could be back in action; he figures 2024 will be the final season of his superlative career.WHAT HAPPENED ON COURT FRIDAY?No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 3 Novak Djokovic picked up straight-set vic...

Vanderbilt scores eight early runs, routs Eastern Illinois 12-2 in Nashville Regional

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alan Espinal drove in three runs, Vanderbilt hit two home runs and the Commodores routed Eastern Illinois 12-2 on Friday night in the Nashville Regional hosted by the Commodores.The Commodores scored twice in the first and added six in a third inning in which Espinal delivered a bases-loaded double and Davis Diaz hit a two-run home run. That was plenty of run support for Devin Futrell, who allowed single runs in the first and fifth innings. He went five innings, allowing two runs, one earned on seven hits with seven strikeouts.Jonathan Vastine added a two-run home in the seventh and Thomas Schultz pitched four scoreless innings for his second save.Ryan Ignoffo had two hits and Eastern Illinois’ only RBI.Top-seeded Vanderbilt (42-18) will play No. 2 Oregon in a winner’s bracket game on Saturday. No. 4 Eastern Illinois (38-20) will play Xavier in a loser-out. Oregon defeated Xavier 5-4 on Friday.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-s...

East Carolina stuns Oklahoma, 14-5 in Charlottesville Regional

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Troy Yesavage struck out seven over the first 5 ⅓ innings and East Carolina pounded six Oklahoma pitchers for 15 hits and 11 earned runs as the Pirates earned a 14-5 win in the first round of the NCAA Charlottesville Regional on Friday night. The Pirates advance to face host Virginia, which pummeled Army 15-1, in a second-round contest Saturday. Oklahoma faces the Black Knights in an elimination game.Yesavage faced 24 Sooners and started off 15 with a first-pitch strike en route to his seventh win in eight decisions. Four East Carolina pitchers combined to hold Oklahoma to just four earned runs on nine hits and recorded a dozen strikeouts.Lane Hoover had three hits and a walk and stole three bases for East Carolina (46-17). Braden Carmichael lasted 2 ⅔ innings in the start for Oklahoma (31-27) and took his first loss in eight decisions, allowing four hits and walking five.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/...

Lifeguards, police cracking down on illegal boat rentals in Mission Bay

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego police and lifeguards are cracking down on illegal boat rentals in Mission Bay. According to authorities, crashes on the waterway spiked during the pandemic, which has caused them to increase enforcement on which boats are allowed to be rented in Mission Bay.City laws require boat rentals to come from licensed vendors that have a contract with the city, San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero said. Applications to become licensed are currently paused, as officials audit the current list. Romero said officials are auditing the current list and making sure everyone is up-to-speed on the current rules. He said they are going through the list before opening it up to more applicants. There’s no timeline on when the applications will reopen.“It’s basically to prevent accidents from occurring, from people that maybe don’t know what’s going on out here," Romero said.Authorities said they saw a big spike in illegal boat rentals and crashes during the pandemic and are "play...

India train crash kills over 280, injures 900 in country’s deadliest rail accident in decades

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people on Saturday after two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 280 people. Hundreds of others were trapped inside more than a dozen mangled rail cars overnight in one of the country’s deadliest train crashes in decades.The accident, which happened about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata on Friday night, led to a chaotic scene as rescuers climbed atop the wrecked trains to break open doors and windows using cutting torches to free survivors.About 900 people were injured in the accident in Balasore district in the eastern state of Odisha, said P.K. Jena, the state’s top administrative official. The cause was under investigation.At least 280 bodies were recovered overnight and into Saturday morning, Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of Odisha’s fire department, told The Associated Press. He said more than 800 injured passengers were taken to var...

Canada to ‘significantly’ enhance military presence in Indo-Pacific region: Anand

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

SINGAPORE — Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada is committed to the support of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and is reinforcing its military presence in the region.Speaking in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual intergovernmental security conference, Anand announced Canada will significantly enhance its military presence in the Indo-Pacific through Operation Horizon.Anand says the new operation will replace the Indo-Pacific portion of Canada’s existing Operation Projection.It will involve the annual deployment of an additional warship to the region, increased Canadian participation in international exercises, and strengthened relationships with regional partners through increased security co-operation. Currently there are two Canadian military ships in the region, HMCS Montreal and the support ship MV Asterix.Anand says the new operation will empower Canada to play a more active role in contributing to regional security.This report by The Canadian P...

EXPLAINER: Panama launches operation against smugglers in Darien Gap

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

NICANOR, Panama (AP) — Panama unveiled a new effort to control illegal migration through the treacherous Darien Gap that spans its eastern border with Colombia on Friday.Hundreds of thousands of migrants have risked the dangerous trek through the jungle in recent years and the flow this year is on a record pace. Most of those who cross are trying to reach the United States.So in April, as the U.S. government prepared to lift pandemic-related restrictions that had allowed authorities to turn back asylum seekers at the border, it announced together with Panama and Colombia increased efforts in the largely lawless Darien Gap.Panama’s “Shield” campaign announced Friday is the first public display of those new efforts.WHAT IS THE DARIEN GAP?The Darien Gap earned its name because it is the break in the Pan-American Highway connecting South and North America. Darien is also the name of Panama’s easternmost province, which abuts Colombia.It is composed of dense, roadless jungle, mountains a...

Taco stands held up in South L.A. armed robberies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

Police are searching for two armed robbers who held up a pair of taco stands early Friday morning.The first robbery took place around midnight near the intersection of East 103rd Street and Compton Avenue in the Watts neighborhood. The workers said that two men approached the stand and demanded money. One of the suspects pulled out a handgun and pointed it at workers. Although a cash box was given to the robbers, workers said that wasn't enough. The employees also had to empty their pockets while being held at gunpoint, worker Esteban Jimenez said. The suspects fled westbound on 103rd Street with about $600. About an hour earlier, two robbers armed with a handgun held up a taco stand near the intersection of 92nd Street and South Central Avenue in the Green Meadows neighborhood.The robbers demanded cash from workers and customers before fleeing with about $1,200. The workers said all of their money was taken in during the robberies and they were shaken by the experience. A third, si...

Amsterdam-style cannabis coffee shop bill passes California State Assembly

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

A bill that would allow local governments across the State of California to license Amsterdam-style cannabis "coffee shops" has been passed in the State Assembly. The bill, AB 374, which was proposed by Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, passed with broad bipartisan support, receiving a 64 to 9 vote."Cannabis cafes in the Netherlands capitalize on the social experience of cannabis by offering coffee, food, and live music, all of those opportunities are currently illegal under California law," read a press release from Haney's office. "AB 374 will allow struggling cannabis businesses to diversity away from the marijuana-only 'dispensary' model and bring much-needed tourist dollars into empty downtowns."“Lots of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others,” said Haney. “And many people want to do that while sipping coffee, eating a scone, or listening to music. There’s absolutely no good reason from an economic, health, or safety standpoint that the state sho...

Car crashes into Concord home once again

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:17:49 GMT

CONCORD, Calif. (KRON) – An East Bay family is without a home after a car crashed into it, and this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.The family says this happened at about 1 a.m. Friday. The home is off of busy Clayton Road in Concord.The family says that a pair of speeding cars was behind this crash. Amazingly, everyone survived, including the grandmother who was sitting in the living room when one of those cars came smashing in. How did sideshows begin, and how did they get so out of hand? Tonight as they’re picking up the pieces, they’re hoping something can be done because this was not the first time this has happened.“It was like a huge boom and the house just shook and then everything was just flying,” Emma Holst said. The crash rattled Holst, her daughter and three grandchildren as they were all fast asleep.“The picture still flashing in my mind of the car coming through the wall,” she said. “The plaster, the glass from the window breaking.”Holst s...