Rain brings much-needed relief to firefighters battling Nova Scotia wildfires

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Rain brings much-needed relief to firefighters battling Nova Scotia wildfires HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Officials in Canada’s Atlantic Coast province of Nova Scotia said Saturday a wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is now largely contained because of rain. David Steeves, a technician of forest resources with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said the fire in the Halifax area is about 85% contained, sits at 9.5 square kilometer (about 4 square miles) and is unlikely to grow due to a combination of firefighting efforts and long-awaited rain.The news was also good across the province, where Premier Tim Houston said the total number of active wildfires declined from 10 in the morning to five by mid-afternoon.“If you step outside you will see something beautiful: rain, and hopefully lots of it,” he told an afternoon briefing.The only fire that remains out of control is one in Shelburne County in the southwestern corner of the province which remains “scary,” Houston said. The blaze th...

Nkunku shines as Leipzig beats Frankfurt to retain German Cup

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Nkunku shines as Leipzig beats Frankfurt to retain German Cup BERLIN (AP) — Leipzig retained the German Cup with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the final thanks to a deflected goal and an assist from Christopher Nkunku on Saturday.There were few clear chances for either team as they seemed wary of allowing their opponents space to counter.It took a stroke of fortune for Nkunku to score in the 71st minute as the French forward’s shot from the edge of the penalty area bounced off two different Frankfurt defenders, leaving goalkeeper Kevin Trapp with no chance. Nkunku, who marked the goal with is expected to leave Leipzig for Chelsea at the end of the season.Dominik Szoboszlai made sure of the win in the 85th when the Frankfurt defense crowded Nkunku, who passed for the unmarked Szoboszlai to fire a shot past Trapp. Leipzig’s second cup title came after beating Freiburg on penalties last year, and the fourth time in five years that the club backed by drinks giant Red Bull was in the cup final. Frankfurt last won the cup in 2018...

Top-seeded Coastal Carolina beats UNC-Wilmington 12-2, stays alive in Conway Regional

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Top-seeded Coastal Carolina beats UNC-Wilmington 12-2, stays alive in Conway Regional CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Graham Brown belted a first-inning grand slam and Riley Eikhoff pitched a complete game six-hitter to carry top-seeded Coastal Carolina past UNC-Wilmington 12-2 in a loser-out game at the NCAA Conway Regional on Saturday afternoon.The top-seeded Chanticleers advance to face the loser of Saturday’s late game between Rider and Duke on Sunday. UNC-Wilmington starter Zane Taylor gave up three straight base hits to load the bases in the first inning, and with two out, Brown hit an opposite field homer to put Coastal Carolina in front for good. Caden Bodine added a two-run homer in the fourth inning.Eikoff pitched the first Coastal Carolina complete game in an NCAA tournament since 2016, giving up a two-run home run to Alex DeMartino in the seventh inning. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Source

Wetherholt, Sauve home runs power West Virginia past Ball State 13-5 in Lexington Regional

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Wetherholt, Sauve home runs power West Virginia past Ball State 13-5 in Lexington Regional LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — J.J. Wetherholt drove in four runs, Logan Sauve drove in three, and West Virginia rolled past Ball State 13-5 on Saturday in an elimination game at the Lexington Regional.Wetherholt belted a three-run home run in the third and Sauve added a two-run shot in the fourth as the Mountaineers took a 7-5 lead.Ball State (36-23) scored one in the second inning and four players had RBI singles in the third, but the Cardinals were shut down the rest of the way. WVU relievers Aidan Major (4-2) and Noah Short allowed one hit and one base runner over the final six innings. Major struck out eight in five innings and Short finished with a 1-2-3 ninth.West Virginia added five runs in the top of the ninth inning when Dayne Leonard had a two-run single, Tevin Tucker drove in two with a double and Sauve delivered an RBI-single.Second-seeded West Virginia (40-19) advances to a game on Sunday against the loser of Saturday’s later game between top-seeded regional host Kentucky and N...

El Manchester City vence al Manchester United en la FA Cup para mantener su búsqueda del “triplete” histórico

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

El Manchester City vence al Manchester United en la FA Cup para mantener su búsqueda del “triplete” histórico (CNN) — La perfección puede venir en muchas formas y ser interpretada de diferentes maneras. El Manchester City ha producido actuaciones más pulidas bajo el mando de Pep Guardiola esta temporada. Ha habido partidos en los que el equipo anotó más y creó más, pero la capacidad del City para dominar a su oponente, hacer lo suficiente para ganar cuando importa, es tan perfecta como en un campo de fútbol. Es por eso que este equipo continúa persiguiendo la historia esta temporada.Como sugiere el marcador de 2-1, este partido de la FA Cup entre los acérrimos rivales City y Manchester United fue un asunto tenso. Una victoria para el lado azul de Manchester nunca fue una conclusión inevitable. El United tuvo oportunidades, pero el City tenía la compostura, el conocimiento, la clase.Dos goles del capitán İlkay Gündoğan (El primero a los 12 segundos del pitazo inicial, el más rápido en la historia de la FA Cup) aseguraron una victoria que le dio al City su segundo trofeo de la temporada...

NHRA New England Nationals Pairings

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

NHRA New England Nationals Pairings SaturdayAt New England DragwayEpping, N.H.Sunday’s first round pairingsTop Fuel1. Antron Brown, 3.729 seconds, 329.99 mph vs. Bye; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.738, 327.66 vs. 13. TonySchumacher, 9.359, 57.60; 3. Leah Pruett, 3.856, 319.37 vs. 12. Doug Kalitta, 6.711, 109.59; 4. Josh Hart,3.902, 317.27 vs. 11. Brittany Force, 4.907, 149.88; 5. Dan Mercier, 4.024, 278.69 vs. 10. Justin Ashley,4.807, 155.61; 6. Mike Salinas, 4.067, 229.39 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 4.497, 174.91; 7. Austin Prock, 4.075,239.27 vs. 8. Steve Torrence, 4.191, 212.73. Funny Car1. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.100, 310.98 vs. 14. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 13.419, 72.42; 2.Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.123, 309.13 vs. 13. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 12.865, 77.08; 3. AlexLaughlin, Charger, 4.190, 289.63 vs. 12. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 9.042, 86.15; 4. Ron Capps, ToyotaSupra, 4.483, 199.88 vs. 11. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 8.546, 79.50; 5. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 4.624,186.74 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 6.816,...

Israel shocks Brazil to reach U20 World Cup semifinals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Israel shocks Brazil to reach U20 World Cup semifinals BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Israel shocked favorite Brazil 3-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the Under-20 World Cup in San Juan on Saturday.The tense encounter featured extra-time goals and two penalty shots wasted by Israel, which will face Uruguay or the United States in the semifinals.After a scoreless first half, Marcos Leonardo netted first and Israel equalized with a header by Anan Khalaili four minutes later.Matheus Nascimento made it 2-1 for Brazil in the first minute of extra time, but Hamza Shibi scored Israel’s second two minutes later from close range.Dor David Turgeman scored the winner in the third minute of the second half of extra time after dribbling past two Brazilian defenders in the penalty box.Israel squandered two penalty kicks in the second half of extra time, which drew out the drama to fulltime. “Israel was better than Brazil, we didn’t play our best match,” said midfielder Marlon Gomes, who played extra time while injured because Brazil c...

Coco Gauff, 19, comes back to beat Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, 16, at the French Open

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Coco Gauff, 19, comes back to beat Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, 16, at the French Open PARIS (AP) — Not all that long ago, Coco Gauff was always the kid on the court, the unknown underdog, younger and less experienced than every opponent she faced on a big stage.Now, still just 19, Gauff is well-versed in the professional tennis tour, already a Grand Slam runner-up in singles and doubles, and seeded No. 6 at this French Open. On Saturday at Roland Garros, the American was the veteran in Court Suzanne Lenglen under the cloudless sky, the one with the steady hand and steady head, in an all-teen showdown against Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old qualifier from Russia who is ranked 143rd and was making her debut appearance at a major tournament.After a tight-as-can-be first set, one Gauff was two points from winning but eventually ceded, she grew her game and proved to be the better player. She pulled away to reach the fourth round in Paris with a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-1 victory over Andreeva, who was warned by the chair umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct after smacking a ball into...

Heat looking to get to the line more, while Nuggets vow to be better in Game 2

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Heat looking to get to the line more, while Nuggets vow to be better in Game 2 DENVER (AP) — For the Miami Heat, shooting at Denver's 5,280 feet of mile-high altitude during Game 1 of the NBA Finals wasn’t a problem.Not shooting from 15 feet — the distance from the basket to the foul line — was.The Heat made NBA history, and not the good kind, by shooting only two free throws in Game 1 as Denver struck first in the title series with a 104-93 win. It was the fewest free throw attempts ever by a team in a playoff game and makes one of the adjustments for Game 2 on Sunday simple to forecast: Expect Miami to go into attack mode.“The attacks, we didn’t have enough of them,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team sent Denver to the line for 20 free throws in Game 1. “I thought the free throw disparity was appropriate. Maybe we could have got two, four, six more based on a call here or a call there. But overall our attack numbers were lower, and that usually translates into lower free throw attempts.” Denver Nuggets’ altitude advantage ‘not a myth’ for visiting...

Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas mayors make friendly wager as Panthers, Golden Knights face off in Stanley Cup Final

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:35:15 GMT

Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas mayors make friendly wager as Panthers, Golden Knights face off in Stanley Cup Final The mayors of Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas are confident about their local professional hockey teams’ chances to take home the Stanley Cup.How confident? They’re willing to bet on it.Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman took to Twitter on Friday to agree to a friendly wager.It goes like this: if the Panthers win, Goodman will stroll through downtown Las Vegas wearing a Panthers jersey.But if the Golden Knights emerge triumphant, Trantalis will have to wear their jersey as he walks around downtown Fort Lauderdale.The wager aims to highlight Fort Lauderdale as a vibrant hotspot and tourist destination.A release issued Saturday on behalf of the city reads in part, “Fort Lauderdale has been named home base and will be the heart of the Stanley Cup – housing both the media and NHL headquarters for the first time in the city’s history.”This is the first time in 27 years that the Panthers have made it to the Stanley...