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FRENCH OPEN 2023: Alcaraz, Djokovic on same half of draw; Swiatek-Gauff could be in quarterfinals

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and the man he just replaced atop the rankings, 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, were placed in the same half of the French Open field in Thursday’s draw and could face each other in the semifinals.Alcaraz is seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and was automatically placed in the top section of the bracket. Djokovic is No. 3 and so could have ended up on either half — had he landed in the bottom, he and Alcaraz only could have met in the final at Roland Garros, where 14-time champion Rafael Nadal will be missing for the first time since he made his debut there in 2005.The draw set up potential women’s quarterfinals that would include defending champion and No. 1 Iga Swiatek against No. 6 Coco Gauff in what would be a rematch of last year’s French Open final. Other quarterfinals could be No. 4 Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion, against No. 7 Ons Jabeur, a two-time Slam finalist; No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, w...

NBA Playoffs: It’s going to be the best season from the foul line in league history

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

This season will be the best in NBA history when it comes to shooting free throws.Players have never been more accurate from the foul line than they have in recent years — and this year is the best of all. Including the regular season, teams are connecting on 78.2% of their free throws this season.That’s 0.4% better than the record, set two seasons ago.While that doesn’t sound like much — less than half a percentage point — it really is. Consider this: If Miami, Boston and Denver somehow combined to miss their next 329 free throws, the NBA would still be on pace for the greatest season ever from the line.Including playoffs, the NBA’s best season from the foul line was 1973-74, when teams combined to shoot 77.1%. That mark lasted more than 40 years, until the combined free-throw rate was 77.2% in 2016-17.And each of the last four seasons has been an even better clip than that: Teams shot 77.4% in 2019-20, 77.8% in 2020-21, dipped a bit to 77.5% last season, and are ...

Nikola Jokic ties wedding ring to shoe before every game

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Nikola Jokic has become a household name after he helped lead the Denver Nuggets to its first-ever NBA Finals. However, the two-time MVP is more than just a star on the court, he is quite the family man as well.According to the NBA, Jokic loves to have his family close and ties his wedding ring to his shoe before every game. Videos and photos of Jokic show how the silver band is always tied around the laces on his left foot.The 28-year-old center said he stole the idea from his old teammate back in Serbia, and he does it as a way to always carry his family by his side. Nuggets in the NBA Finals: Days and times for all games That silver ring honors his commitment to his high school sweetheart and wife Natalija Jokic. According to Natalija's Instagram, the two wed in October 2020 and are parents to their daughter Ognjena.Natalija and Ognjena are often spotted cheering on "The Joker," and during Game 2 of the semifinals, Ognjena stole the show. Nuggets fans frustra...

3rd Cherry Cricket location to open in this city

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A homegrown award-winning burger joint is putting the finishing touches on its third location in a new city south of Denver.Get ready Littleton, the Cherry Cricket is coming your way.On May 20, the Colorado staple posted a video on its Facebook of the Cherry Cricket sign being hoisted up above its new location. "Littleton, if you're looking for a sign...," said the company.The third location doesn't have an official opening date yet, but the burger joint will be located at 819 West Littleton Blvd. Yelp names unlikely Boulder restaurant among top 25 burger spots If you are looking to be a part of Colorado history, the Littleton location is now hiring. Through May 26, the restaurant is holding open interviews from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the new location. The business asks that you bring a resume and be prepared to meet the team on the spot. Training will begin on June 7.The Cherry Cricket has been around for 78 years and was originally named Mary Zimmerman's Bar after ...

Pantherland has all your Florida Panthers merch needs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

Now that the Florida Panthers have made it to the Stanley Cup Final, it’s time to show off your pride with some fresh gear.As the Cats skated their way through the playoffs these past few weeks, Pantherland did their best to keep the merch flowing. After every win, they’ve had to restock everything.“It was unbelievable last night, the environment was electric, the fans that we had in the building were fantastic and we were so excited to see it,” said chief marketing officer for the Panthers Lauren Cochran.Pantherland has jerseys for everyone, especially fan favorites like Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sergei Bobrovsky.You won’t skate like the players, but at least you can rock the same look.If you can only afford one replica jersey this summer during the championship chase, the Panther red is pretty close to the Heat red.Getting tickets for the Stanley Cup Finals might be a challenge, but finding and wearing Panther ge...

EU’s ‘Defence of Democracy’ debate on combatting foreign influence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Stitcher .st0{fill:#EB8A23;} .st1{fill:#FAC617;} .st2{fill:#612368;} .st3{fill:#3792C4;} .st4{fill:#C33727;} Acast This week, we debate the EU’s latest attempt to combat foreign influence with its forthcoming “Defence of Democracy package,” which some in Brussels claim could result in unintended conseq...

‘First cuckoo of spring’: Penny Mordaunt swipes at MP kicked out of Tories over COVID jab claims

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

LONDON — Penny Mordaunt had a withering putdown for the former Conservative MP who was booted out of the party for controversially likening the COVID-19 jab to the Holocaust.Andrew Bridgen, now sitting as an MP for the “anti-woke” Reclaim Party, argued Thursday in the House of Commons that the BBC had peddled falsehoods about the jab at the height of the pandemic, and said it had “a checkered history” in its coronavirus coverage.He demanded information on government meetings with the public broadcaster about its new BBC Verify service, aimed at tackling disinformation. But Mordaunt — the House of Commons leader who drew international attention at the coronation of King Charles III — had little time for the claims, and took a dig at Bridgen in her response.“I think we should pause for a moment because I think we may have just heard the first cuckoo of spring,” she said. Other MPs in the chamber heckled Bridgen, with one urging him to “stop sp...

Warring parties turned to spyware in Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

The intrusive spyware tool Pegasus was used to hack public officials, journalists and staff of the United Nations in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, researchers said in a new report Thursday.An investigation by Access Now, Citizen Lab, Amnesty Internationalʼs Security Lab and independent Armenian mobile-security researcher Ruben Muradyan found the Israeli-made spyware tool on phones of then-Armenian official ombudsman Kristinne Grigoryan, two journalists from Radio Free Europe, a United Nations official and a former spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry.“Inserting harmful spyware technology into the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict shows a complete disregard for safety and welfare, and truly unmasks how depraved priorities can be,” said Natalia Krapiva, tech-legal counsel at digital rights group Access Now and one of the authors of the report, told POLITICO.Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory in Azerbaijan, where the country ha...

Britain’s Rishi Sunak loves reading racy books about horses

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

LONDON — Tech bro. Numbers guy. Mega-fan of … horse-racing-themed romance books?U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed Thursday that he’s an avid reader of Jilly Cooper, the English author whose raunchy tales of romance and infidelity among horse riders and show jumpers have been best-sellers.In a mostly gentle grilling on the U.K. daytime TV favorite “This Morning”, Sunak was asked if he was “really into” Cooper’s books, as hinted at by an article in the Spectator magazine earlier in May.“Yes that is true,” a blushing Sunak said. “It is unclear how that has emerged.” Reeling off a list of Cooper’s titles, Sunak appeared unable to narrow it down to just one all-time fave: “Riders, Rivals, Polo, The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, Appassionata — she’s done a lot of different books, but that is the set of books that I like,” he said.The front cover of “Riders”, an international best...

Yellowstone National Park says encounter between park visitor and bison calf forced authorities to euthanize animal

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:16:03 GMT

(CNN) — Officials at Yellowstone National Park say they were forced to put down a newborn bison calf after another unfortunate encounter between a park visitor and wildlife, according to a release from the National Park Service.On Saturday evening, an unidentified man disturbed a bison calf after it was separated from its mother and herd when crossing the Lamar River in the park, the news release said.“As the calf struggled, the man pushed the calf up from the river and onto the roadway,” NPS said in the news release.Park regulations state that people need to stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk and most other wildlife and 100 yards away from bears and wolves. Approaching wild animals can affect their well-being and their survival, NPS said.The calf was later seen by visitors walking up to and following both cars and people, creating a hazard for those nearby, NPS said.“Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring,” NPS sai...