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Alcaraz reaches the Queen’s Club final to close in on reclaiming the top ranking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz reached his first ATP final on grass and moved one win away from reclaiming the top ranking by taking out Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 at the Queen’s Club Championships on Saturday.Alex de Minaur stands between Alcaraz and the trophy and No. 1 ranking.Alcaraz and Korda played their firs career semifinal on grass.Korda, the first American to reach the Queen’s semifinals in 11 years, served nine aces but also double-faulted six times. His slice was regularly punished by Alcaraz’s heavy forehands.Alcaraz won the only break point of the second set and held on.Victory would give the U.S. Open champion his fifth title of the year, his 11th tour title overall and move the 20-year-old Spaniard above Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings — meaning he would also enter Wimbledon next month as the No. 1 seed.The second-seeded Holger Rune also came to London never having won a tour-level match on grass, like Alcaraz.De Minaur knocked out Rune 6-3, 7-6 (2), saving the three ...

Avalanche acquire center Ryan Johansen in a trade with the Predators

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche have filled their second-line center void by acquiring Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators on Saturday.Colorado sent pending free agent Alex Galchenyuk to Nashville in a trade that essentially amounts to a contract dump but could help the 2022 Stanley Cup champions get back on top of the NHL.“Ryan is a talented, veteran center who helps our top six (forward group),” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. “He gives us size in the middle of the ice and brings leadership and experience to our roster. We look forward to adding him to our team.”The move is a big splash for the Avalanche, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to Seattle this past season. They recently learned captain Gabriel Landeskog would miss the entire 2023-24 season while recovering from cartilage replacement surgery in his right knee.Johansen, who turns 31 in July, steps into the role previously filled by Nazem Kadri, who left after Colorado won t...

The welcomes for Wembanyama continue in San Antonio as the focus shifts to what’s next

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The first dinner that Victor Wembanyama had in his new home city was filled with San Antonio royalty. Gregg Popovich was there, of course. So were Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginobili and Sean Elliott.NBA champions, all of them.Wembanyama now starts his quest to join their club.The process of getting him ready for his first NBA season will start quickly, with summer league practices starting in the next few days and his first game in a Spurs uniform, albeit just the summer kind, coming in early July at either Sacramento or Las Vegas.“These are exciting times,” Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said.The welcomes for Wemby continued Saturday, first with a party on the Riverwalk — not coincidentally, in the spot where the Spurs’ championship celebrations are centered — followed by a visit to his new home arena.It was part of a whirlwind first 20 hours or so in San Antonio for Wembanyama, who flew in from the NBA draft on Friday and had dinner with Popovich and s...

The governor of the Moscow region has suspended mass events outdoors and at educational institutions until July 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — The governor of the Moscow region has suspended mass events outdoors and at educational institutions until July 1.Source

Bublik is to play Rublev in the Halle Open final

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

HALLE, Germany (AP) — Alexander Bublik will play Andrey Rublev in the final of the Halle Open after straight-sets semifinal wins on Saturday.Bublik defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-5 and Rublev beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4 on grass.The 48th-ranked Bublik hit 14 aces and saved the only break point he faced from 22nd-ranked Zverev.“The job is not finished, there is one last match,” the Kazakh player said. “I am happy but I try to stay focused.”Zverev reached the Halle final in 2016 and 2017. He was aiming for his first title since 2021.Bublik is looking for his second career trophy after winning in Montpellier last year, while Rublev will be looking for his second of the season after triumphing in Monte Carlo in April. The seventh-ranked Russian seeks his 14th title altogether and his first on grass.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

NYPD shows respect to 9-year-old Texas boy after getting bullied for wearing cop costume

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (WSVN) – A 9-year-old boy in Texas showed up to school dressed like a police officer, then a school bully threw him from his wheelchair.That scary moment gave Michael Martinez a trip he’ll never forget — A tour of the Big Apple with the help of the New York Police Department. Michael has cerebral palsy and was dressed as a police officer on career day when he was pushed off his wheelchair by the bully.The Blue Lives Matter NYC and Vigilance Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club heard about what happened and flew Michael and his mother up from Houston.“To hear about Michael’s story, about how he was bullied in Houston, Texas and for us officers in New York to fly him out to show Michael and his family how important he is to the law enforcement community,” said an NYPD officer. Michael’s mom said special trips like this mean the world to her son and family, but she wishes Michael didn’t have to deal with bullies simply because he...

Live blog: Wagner Group ‘turning back’ as mutiny nears Moscow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday raised the specter of civil war after embittered warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin seized control of key parts of the south of the country. Prigozhin, who has long lambasted Russia’s top brass for their handling of the war in Ukraine, has seized the large strategic city of Rostov-on-Don, a crucial command center for the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, some 1,000 kilometers south of Moscow. His Wagner Group mercenary forces also appear to have a foothold around Voronezh, about 500 kilometers from the capital. Putin has condemned the insurrection as “treason” and Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov has said his fighters have already been dispatched to take the battle to Wagner — raising the prospect of imminent civil conflict inside Russia. Britain’s Ministry of Defense has called Prigozhin’s uprising “the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.” Follow the latest developments on POLITICO’s live blog here:

Train derailment on Montana bridge sends multiple rail cars into the Yellowstone River

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

(CNN) — A train derailment in Montana caused a bridge across the Yellowstone River to collapse and sent multiple cars into the water below, officials in Stillwater County said Saturday.The derailment occurred around 6 a.m. Multiple tanker cars were damaged and are leaking “petroleum products,” according to Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services.The derailed Montana Rail Link train cars included “several hazmat cars,” the regional rail company said in a statement.The train crew is safe and no injuries have been reported, the statement said.“The safety of our employees and the public remains our top priority. We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Montana Rail Link said.Yellowstone County officials said there was no immediate threat and “precautions are being put in place.”The cause of the derailment has not yet been determined and people are being asked ...

Chicago Cubs relievers Codi Heuer (fractured elbow) and Brandon Hughes (knee surgery) out for the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

The Chicago Cubs bullpen will be without right-hander Codi Heuer and left-hander Brandon Hughes for the rest of the season because of surgeries that could impact their start to next year.Heuer, while on rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa from Tommy John surgery in March 2022, suffered a fractured elbow throwing a pitch Tuesday in Iowa. Heuer underwent surgery Friday in Chicago that required screws and wires to put the lower end of his humerus back in place. The funny bone nerve also needed to be moved to fix the fracture.Heuer’s timeline to return is somewhat uncertain. He could be out up to 12 months — an estimated four months for his elbow fracture to heal and around a six-month recovery to build back up, depending on how cautious the team wants to be — with a spring training return the most optimistic outcome.Fortunately, Heuer’s repaired ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) appears to be intact. Even so, he faces another long road to recovery. This type of inju...

Wagner chief says he ordered his Russian mercenaries to halt march on Moscow and return to Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:24 GMT

By The Associated PressThe head of the private Russian military force Wagner said Saturday he has ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to their field camps in Ukraine to avoid shedding Russian blood.The announcement from Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s leadership in his more than two decades in power.Moscow had braced for the arrival of a private army led by the rebellious mercenary commander by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on its southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.Prigozhin said that while his men were just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow, he decided to turn them back to avoid “shedding Russian blood.”He didn’t say whether Moscow has responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment...