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No. 11 Alabama holds off Arkansas comeback, wins 24-21 to stay perfect in SEC

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and rushed for a third, and No. 11 Alabama survived a second-half Arkansas rally in a 24-21 victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday.The Crimson Tide (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) blew most of an 18-point third-quarter lead before summoning a big final drive to keep KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks offense off the field at the end, The Tide remained the only SEC West team without a league loss, but they’re not coming in dominant fashion. Alabama had to recover a late onside kick to hold on for a 26-20 win over Texas A&M a week ago. This time the offense recovered from three straight three-and-out possessions to milk the final 5:19 off the clock.“There’s a difference between beating the other team and winning the game,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. That, he says, is a matter of discipline and executing the whole way not just in spurts.“Hopefully we can learn how to beat the other team, not just to win the game but b...

Michael Caine announces retirement, confirms ‘The Great Escaper’ will be his last film

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

(CNN) — Michael Caine, the British film star whose career has spanned eight decades and featured movies from “The Italian Job” to “The Dark Knight,” has confirmed his retirement from acting.The two-time Oscar winner, who is 90, made the announcement on BBC Radio 4’s “Best of Today” podcast on Saturday.“I keep saying I’m going to retire,” said Caine, adding: “Well, I am now.”He confirmed that “The Great Escaper,” which was released earlier this month, will be his last acting gig, saying: “I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews. The only parts I’m going to get now are old men – 90-year-old men, or maybe 85, you know – and I thought well I might as well leave with all this. I’ve got wonderful reviews. What am I going to do to beat this?”Caine starred alongside the late Glenda Jackson in the movie, playing Bernard Jordan, a 90-year-old who absconds from a care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France.“We had a great time on the movie and I though...

Oliver Ames standout Kate Sobieraj rules field at Catholic Memorial Invitational

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

Oliver Ames star Kate Sobieraj was content running a somewhat slow early pace at Saturday’s Catholic Memorial Invitational at Franklin Park.When you’re a notoriously hard finisher like the talented Sobieraj, waiting before springing a surge on the runners around her is a luxury.Racing in cool, calm conditions, Sobieraj tucked herself into the lead pack through a 5:48 opening mile and made her move away from the group with a surge on the descent of treacherous Bear Cage Hill. No one was able to answer her decisive move and Sobieraj pulled away to an impressive victory in 18 minutes, 52.0 seconds. Alison Pankowicz of Toll Gate (R.I.) took second in 19:00.5 and Bedford’s Fiona Lee earned the bronze medal in 19:03.5.“I wanted to go out slow,” said Sobieraj, who finished 10th in last fall’s Div. 1 All-State race and, more recently, 14th in the Ocean State Invitational. “I knew the hill was coming and I wanted to really push there. I was hoping fo...

Ukraine reports nonstop assaults by Russia on a key eastern city

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

Ukrainian officials reported intense combat as Russian forces relentlessly assaulted the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka for a fifth consecutive day Saturday.City leader Vitalii Barabash reported that Moscow was deploying additional forces to encircle the strategically important city in the eastern Donetsk region, situated just north of the Russian-held regional capital, also called Donetsk.“The enemy hasn’t stopped either assaulting or shelling positions” around Avdiivka, Barabash said on Ukrainian television.Around 1,600 civilians remain within the city, a stark contrast to its prewar population of about 31,000. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war against Ukraine in February 2022.Barabash’s comments came after Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Friday that the intensified attacks in the east amounted to a new stage in Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.“Russian troops have, for several days now, switched over ...

Celtics add Jeff Van Gundy as senior consultant: ‘It’s a no brainer’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

Joe Mazzulla’s supporting staff was already beefed up with experience this summer. Now the Celtics have another seasoned mind to help them.Jeff Van Gundy – who has coached and worked in the NBA for more than three decades – has been hired by the Celtics as a senior consultant. MassLive.com first reported the news on Saturday, which was revealed on the Celtics’ website as he was added under the coaching staff section.A team official clarified that Van Gundy will work in an advisory role for the entire basketball operations department, not just the coaching staff, and his responsibilities will include the G-League Maine Celtics. Mazzulla said the veteran coach will not be on the bench during games, but that he’ll be in every meeting and games when he’s in Boston. He’s excited to have another experienced person behind the scenes.“Any time you can add high character, high level, professional people, I think it’s a no-brainer,” Mazzulla said. “So, fortunate enough that he’s h...

Patriots promote Malik Cunningham in series of roster moves

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

The Patriots are adding a playmaker to their offense for Week 6.The Patriots signed quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham from their practice squad to their 53-man roster Saturday, a source confirmed.Cunningham is set to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Raiders. The former college quarterback converted to wide receiver this spring after signing with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville. Cunningham also received snaps at quarterback in training camp and the preseason but was waived during roster cuts. He signed to the practice squad after going unclaimed.Head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien both called Cunningham one of the team’s most improved practice squad players this week.Belichick said Cunningham was “trending” towards a game-day role.Cunningham joins quarterbacks Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Will Grier and wide receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Demario Douglas and Ka...

Tabor moves to 4-0 with 38-28 win over St. Sebastian’s

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

NEEDHAM — When coach Jeff Moore came to Tabor Academy this offseason, people expected success, but maybe down the road.Maybe the Seawolves are a bit ahead of schedule.Behind a strong running game and big plays in the passing game in the second half, Tabor beat St. Sebastian’s Saturday, 38-28, to improve to 4-0.St. Sebastian’s drops to 2-2 with the defeat.“Feels great,” Moore said. “The biggest thing is the players. They work really, really hard. They’re very unselfish. They really love each other. It’s an important piece to what we do. I’ve been fortunate. I have a great group of kids. The record last year doesn’t tell justice of the leadership that we have, the camaraderie that we have. All the kids that were already here. They’ve done a phenomenal job of being leaders, as well. So, we’re really fortunate for where we’re at.”Junior running back Hugo Djeumeni rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 26...

In first call with Palestinian president Abbas, Biden discusses support for humanitarian aid to Gaza

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging the leaders to allow humanitarian aid to the region and affirmed his support for efforts to protect civilians. The weekend calls in Washington came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken intensified diplomatic outreach across the Middle East and beyond to rally an international response to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding.Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh before stopping in the United Arab Emirates as he sought ways to help civilians trapped in between the fighting and to address the growing humanitarian crisis. He also called his Chinese counterpart as Palestinians struggled to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military before an expected land offensive.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as well on Saturday spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav G...

Lack of water worsens misery in besieged Gaza as Israeli airstrikes continue

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — As Israel pounds the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, Laila Abu Samhadaneh, 65, is anxious about water. The besieged Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people don’t have access to clean, running water after Israel cut off water and electricity to the enclave as it intensifies its air attacks in response to a bloody Hamas attack last week. The chokehold has seen taps run dry across the territory. When water does trickle from pipes, the meager flow lasts no more than 30 minutes each day and is so contaminated with sewage and seawater that it’s undrinkable, residents said.“I don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow,” Abu Samhadaneh said from her three-room home in the southern town of Rafah, which turned into a de facto shelter after Israel demanded everyone in Gaza evacuate south. She said she rations just a few liters among dozens of friends and relatives each day. “We’re going crazy.”The deprivation has plunged Gaza’s population deep...

Cloud breaks bring cheers from partial solar eclipse watchers at B.C. observatory

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:48:35 GMT

SAANICH, B.C. — Cheers greeted the brief cloud breaks that gave more than 100 people gathered at an astrophysical observatory site near Victoria, B.C., a peak at Saturday’s partial solar eclipse.Fog and clouds were present for most of the morning at the mountain-top site, but there were moments when the skies parted and the partial eclipse was visible, said Calvin Schmidt, an employee of the non-profit Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich.Those moments of solar splendor were worth the waiting, he said, though there are reports the skies were almost totally clear in some parts of Victoria, giving those residents a sustained view of the partial eclipse.“So, it was completely foggy,” Schmidt said. “It’s totally clouded over, however, occasionally the fog would be just thin enough that the optical depth would be just low enough that we could see it without using glasses for a moment or two and then it would disappear.”“Th...