Sinner leads Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly 50 years with 2-0 win over Australia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Sinner leads Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly 50 years with 2-0 win over Australia MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Italy has won its first Davis Cup title since 1976 with a 2-0 victory over Australia.Jannik Sinner beat Alex de Miñaur 6-3, 6-0 in the second singles match of Sunday’s final. Matteo Arnaldi had given Italy the first point with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin. The Italians had lost the last three finals it played against Australia, which was last year’s runner-up to Canada.Sinner helped Italy defeat Novak Djokovic’s Serbia in the semifinals on Saturday. Australia eliminated Finland in the last four.___AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisSource

Palestinian prisoners released by Israel under cease-fire deal arrive in West Bank city of Ramallah

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Palestinian prisoners released by Israel under cease-fire deal arrive in West Bank city of Ramallah RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian prisoners released by Israel under cease-fire deal arrive in West Bank city of Ramallah.Source

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce appear to be very much in love. Some are cynical

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce appear to be very much in love. Some are cynical (CNN) — Pop Life Chronicles: Sign up for CNN’s entertainment newsletterCNN’s Lisa Respers France is your plugged-in BFF chronicling the week’s most impactful entertainment stories. Every Thursday she’ll pop into your inbox with binge-worthy content and illuminating industry news.The internet is nothing if not a place for debate and conspiracy theories.Sometimes the debates can be refreshing and educational. But other times, those conspiracy theories can get downright weird and unfortunately toxic.How does this tie in to this week’s newsletter? Read on to find out.Something to sip on…If you are one of those people who is weary of the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce relationship coverage, first of all you are not alone and secondly sorry, not sorry.In a world of contentious politics, wars and just plain yuck some days, a celebrity love story can be a breath of fresh air.When it comes to Swift and Kelce, it’s a coming together of two of America’s favorite obsessions – pop culture and sports....

India beats Australia by 44 runs to take a 2-0 lead in Twenty20 cricket series

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

India beats Australia by 44 runs to take a 2-0 lead in Twenty20 cricket series THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (AP) — Wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi took 3-32 to bowl India to a 44-run victory over Australia in their second Twenty20 cricket international on Sunday and give the hosts a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.The top-three batters scored half-centuries to propel India to 235-4, its highest score in T20s against Australia.Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led the way at Thiruvananthapuram with 53 off 25 balls, while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan scored 58 and 52, respectively.In reply, Australia finished on 191-9 in 20 overs. Pacer Prasidh Krishna took 3-41 in four overs.Marcus Stoinis top-scored for Australia with 45 off 25 balls, but couldn’t take his side anywhere near the target.Australia captain Matthew Wade opted to bowl first after winning the toss.India won the first T20 in Visakhapatnam by two wickets. Australia made two changes with World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa included after resting in the previous game, which was played just four days Aust...

FBS newcomers James Madison and Jacksonville State along with 5-7 Minnesota get last 3 bowl slots

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

FBS newcomers James Madison and Jacksonville State along with 5-7 Minnesota get last 3 bowl slots MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Football Bowl Subdivision newcomers James Madison and Jacksonville State along with five-win Minnesota are bound for bowls because of a shortage of eligible teams.Those three teams round out the 82 available spots because only 79 teams achieved the six wins necessary for bowl eligibility.James Madison (11-1) and Jacksonville State (8-4) are still transitioning to full FBS status and would not be eligible if there were enough six-win teams.James Madison, after having two appeals of bowl eligibility rules rejected by the NCAA, had threatened legal action to be allowed to play in a bowl. The school backed off last week with the hope a bid would come if not enough teams reached the six-win threshold.The inclusion of James Madison and Jacksonville State still left one opening for Minnesota, which had a 992 Academic Progress Rate score in 2021-22 for the best of the five-win teams. Mississippi State (985) would have been the next 5-7 team in line.The Gophers finished th...

UTEP fires Dana Dimel after 5th losing season in 6 years

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

UTEP fires Dana Dimel after 5th losing season in 6 years EL PASO, Texas (AP) — UTEP fired football coach Dana Dimel on Sunday, a day after the end of his fifth losing season in six years.The Miners finished 3-9 after a 42-28 loss to undefeated Liberty before a sparse crowd at the Sun Bowl. It was the fourth time UTEP failed to win more than three games under Dimel, who had a year left on his contract.Dimel ended a 16-year absence from head coaching when he took over the Miners in 2018. He had three winning seasons in Wyoming from 1997-99 before three losing years with Houston.The 61-year-old’s combined record at his two Texas stops was 28-75. Dimel inherited a winless team, then went 1-11 in consecutive years before a 3-5 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.After going 7-6 with a New Mexico Bowl loss to Fresno State in 2021, the Miners were 5-7 a year ago.“When he was hired, UTEP football was coming off a winless season, and he built a more competitive team,” said athletic director Jim Senter, who took the job in 2017 and h...

Min Woo Lee wins Australian PGA. Burmester wins Joburg Open to earn British Open place

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Min Woo Lee wins Australian PGA. Burmester wins Joburg Open to earn British Open place BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Min Woo Lee won the Australian PGA Championship on Sunday, closing with a 3-under 68 for a three-shot victory at Royal Queensland.Lee finished at 20-under 264. Rikuya Hoshino of Japan was second, also shooting 68.Lee won for the third time on the European tour and has four career victories as he takes up PGA Tour membership next year. The Australian had a wire-to-wire win in the Asian Tour’s Macau Open last month for his first victory since 2021.Marc Leishman made seven birdies in a closing 64 to move into third place at 16 under, one ahead of Curtis Luck (69). Joaquin Niemann of Chile was fourth at 13 under, his final-round 67 highlighted by an ace at the par-3 fourth.Adam Scott slipped back to sixth place at 12 under with a 70 on Sunday after threatening Lee’s lead in the second and third rounds.EUROPEAN TOUR/SUNSHINE TOURJOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dean Burmester closed with a 6-under 64 and took advantage of a meltdown by Thriston Lawrence for a three-shot vic...

Deadly crash in Aurora closes intersection for hours, forces detours

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Deadly crash in Aurora closes intersection for hours, forces detours DENVER (KDVR) -- Police in Aurora are investigating a crash that killed one person Sunday morning in the area of South Havana Street and East Iliff Avenue.The crash was first reported just after 7 a.m. Two vehicles were involved.The crash closed both streets in all directions. The southbound lanes of Havana Street were reopened just before noon, according to police.Drivers were advised to use East Jewell Avenue or East Yale Avenue as east-west route alternatives and South Peoria Street as a north-south route alternative.FOX31 will provide updates as they become available.

Mac Jones benched for Bailey Zappe for fourth time in loss to Giants

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

Mac Jones benched for Bailey Zappe for fourth time in loss to Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Patriots took two weeks to decide on a starting quarterback for their Week 12 matchup against the Giants. There was no correct choice to be made.Head coach Bill Belichick ultimately decided to start the same quarterback the Patriots had trotted out all season in Mac Jones, who had barely outperformed Bailey Zappe while the two signal-callers split first-team reps 50-50 over the week of practice following a Week 11 bye, in Sunday’s 10-7 loss to the Giants.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots starter suprisingly active in Week 12 matchup with Giants New England Patriots | Source: Patriots planning to start QB Mac Jones against Giants New England Patriots | Patriots release backup QB before Giants game New England Patriots | Four Patriots players to watch Week 12 vs. Giants include underrated defender New England Patriots | NFL notes: Why Patriots players see 3 ...

‘Hunger Games’ feasts, ‘Napoleon’ comes up short

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:19:39 GMT

‘Hunger Games’ feasts, ‘Napoleon’ comes up short NEW YORK — The Walt Disney Co.’s “Wish” had been expected to rule the Thanksgiving weekend box office, but moviegoers instead feasted on leftovers, as “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” led ticket sales for the second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.Neither of the weekend’s top new releases — “Wish” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — could keep up with Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” prequel. After debuting the previous weekend with $44.6 million, the return to Panem proved the top draw for holiday moviegoers, grossing $28.8 million over the weekend and $42 million over the five-day holiday frame.In two weeks of release, “Songbirds and Snakes” has grossed nearly $100 million domestically and $200 million globally.The closer contest was for second place, where “Napoleon” narrowly outmaneuvered “Wish.”Scott’s epic outperformed expectat...