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Houston Cougars and Auburn Tigers play in NCAA Tournament second round

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

Auburn Tigers (21-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. Houston Cougars (32-3, 17-1 AAC)Birmingham, Alabama; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Houston -5.5; over/under is 131.5BOTTOM LINE: The No. 2 Houston Cougars square off against the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.The Cougars are 17-1 against AAC opponents and 15-2 in non-conference play. Houston is 24-3 against opponents over .500.The Tigers’ record in SEC action is 10-8. Auburn ranks fifth in the SEC with 14.2 assists per game led by Wendell Green Jr. averaging 4.1.TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus Sasser is shooting 43.9% and averaging 16.7 points for the Cougars. Jamal Shead is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Houston.Johni Broome is averaging 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks for the Tigers. K.D. Johnson is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Auburn.LAST 10 GAMES: Cougars: 9-1, averaging 72.4 points, 35.5 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.2 blocks pe...

Kentucky Wildcats play the Providence Friars in first round of NCAA Tournament

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

Providence Friars (21-11, 13-7 Big East) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (21-11, 12-6 SEC)Greensboro, North Carolina; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Kentucky -4; over/under is 144.5BOTTOM LINE: The Kentucky Wildcats take on the Providence Friars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.The Wildcats have gone 12-6 against SEC opponents, with a 9-5 record in non-conference play. Kentucky is seventh in the SEC with 31.7 points per game in the paint led by Oscar Tshiebwe averaging 10.1.The Friars are 13-7 in Big East play. Providence has a 2-2 record in one-possession games.TOP PERFORMERS: Cason Wallace is averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and two steals for the Wildcats. Antonio Reeves is averaging 16.7 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 42.9% over the past 10 games for Kentucky.Bryce Hopkins is averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Friars. Noah Locke is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Providence.LAST 10 GAMES: Wildcats: 6-4, averaging 74.5...

UCLA Bruins take on the Northwestern Wildcats in second round

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

Northwestern Wildcats (22-11, 12-8 Big Ten) vs. UCLA Bruins (30-5, 18-2 Pac-12)Sacramento, California; Saturday, 8:40 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: UCLA -8; over/under is 127.5BOTTOM LINE: The No. 7 UCLA Bruins and Northwestern Wildcats play in the NCAA Tournament second round.The Bruins’ record in Pac-12 play is 18-2, and their record is 12-3 in non-conference play. UCLA is 23-5 against opponents over .500.The Wildcats’ record in Big Ten action is 12-8. Northwestern has a 4-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Jaime Jaquez Jr. is scoring 17.3 points per game with 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Bruins. Tyger Campbell is averaging 15.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 40.3% over the past 10 games for UCLA.Matthew Nicholson is averaging six points and 5.3 rebounds for the Wildcats. Boo Buie is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games for Northwestern.LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 9-1, averaging 75.0 points, 33.3 rebounds, 13.7 assists...

Zero tolerance: Commission targets Amazon, Spotify, Apple for violating content law

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

The European Commission will “go after” companies including Amazon, Apple and Spotify for not respecting the EU’s content moderation law, the Digital Services Act, the EU’s internal market chief Thierry Breton said Friday.“I regret to say that there are a few online platforms that have not respected their obligations and have either failed to provide user numbers altogether or simply stated that they do not meet the designation thresholds,” Breton said at a Commission conference. “We will not tolerate delaying tactics when it comes to enforcing the DSA; we will take action and go after the companies which have not complied,” he added.Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Booking.com, eBay, OnlyFans, AliExpress and Pinterest are among the online platforms that haven’t disclosed details about how many Europeans use their services under a February deadline set by the Digital Services Act. The law, adopted in 2022, aims to get platforms to step up their content moderation, including c...

Irish PM Varadkar says sorry for ‘ill-judged’ Clinton-Lewinsky joke

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

DUBLIN — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has apologized for making a joking reference to then-President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal during a Washington speech in front of a new class of Capitol Hill interns.Varadkar, known for making off-script quips that occasionally blow up in his face, was telling his Washington Ireland Program audience about his time as a D.C. intern at the end of Clinton’s second term, “when some parents would have had cause for concern about what would happen to interns in Washington.”The allusion drew some laughs, a few gasps — and a rapid apology via his official spokesman.Varadkar, the spokesman said, “was reminiscing about his time in Washington D.C. as an intern 23 years ago. He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologizes for any offense caused to anyone concerned.” Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, related to allegations he lied under oath about an affair with White House int...

China’s Xi to visit Putin in Russia next week

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a three-day visit to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin next week, Beijing and Moscow announced Friday, with “strategic cooperation” on the agenda.“On March 20-22, 2023, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, president of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia,” the Kremlin’s press service said in a statement.“A number of important bilateral documents will be signed,” the statement reads.Neither country confirmed previous reports from the Wall Street Journal that Xi would use the opportunity to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — in what would be the first communication between the two leaders since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February.While China was initially committed to a “no-limit partnership” passed with Moscow days before the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Beijing has since sought to position itself as...

Nets need for backup center apparent in home loss to Kings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

If Nerlens Noel wasn’t the answer for Brooklyn’s backup center debacle, the Nets had better find another answer — and soon.Days after the Nets declined to give Noel a second 10-day contract, the Nets were obliterated on the glass in a 101-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.As versatile as starting center Nic Claxton is on both ends of the floor, his biggest shortcoming — brute strength — continues to be a priority for the Nets to address.Especially if second-year forward Day’Ron Sharpe — who was available but didn’t play against the Kings on Thursday — is out of the rotation.That’s because the bruiser remains the archetype of player that stumps and stampedes the Nets at every turn.What has been true of the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers was true in the Nets’ loss to the league’s No. 1 offense on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day.Just like the Nets have rotational limitations that make them susc...

Pakistan athlete who died in migrant boat crash laid to rest

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Mourners attended the funeral Friday of a Pakistani female field hockey player who died in a migrant boat crash off Italy’s coast last month, sending a wave of shock and grief through this impoverished Islamic nation.The boat carrying the athlete, Shahiza Raza, and 170 others set sail from the Turkish port of Izmir last month. Aboard were people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other countries who were seeking a better quality of life in Europe. It broke apart in rough waters off Calabria, killing Raza and at least 66 others.Raza’s funeral and burial took place in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, a day after her body was repatriated from Italy with help from the country’s Foreign Ministry. Raza’s family said the athlete attempted to emigrate to Europe to find a good job and earn money for the treatment of her disabled son, 3, so he could live a normal life. The boy, who was not on the boat, suffered brain damage ...

World shares up after First Republic aid spurs Wall St rally

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Markets advanced Friday in Europe and Asia, tracking a rally on Wall Street after a group of big banks offered a lifeline to First Republic Bank, the latest U.S. lender in the spotlight for troubles in the banking industry. Shares rose in Paris, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong but edged lower in Mumbai. U.S. futures edged higher, while oil prices gained. The S&P 500 jumped 1.8% Thursday, erasing earlier losses following reports that First Republic Bank could get help or sell itself to another bank. Markets have gyrated this week on concerns over the toll on banks from the fastest set of interest rate hikes in decades. The turmoil flared with last week’s collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the second largest bank failure in U.S. history.“The market remains cautious; traders do not want to get overexcited, especially with investors still focusing on what can go wrong instead of what could go right,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a report. Germany’s DA...

Mozambicans march to honor protest rapper after his death

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:12:48 GMT

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambicans are planning marches across the country to honor Azagaia, a popular protest rapper and fierce government critic, who died last week.Memorial marches are planned in every major city on Saturday for the musician who died after an epileptic seizure at the age of 38. The nationwide demonstrations follow Azagaia’s funeral procession on Wednesday, in which thousands marched through the streets of Maputo, the capital, chanting protest slogans such as “resistance” and “power to the people.”Riot police used tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to carry Azagaia’s coffin past Ponta Vermelha, the official residence of the president.Such mass demonstrations critical of President Filipe Nyusi’s government are rare in Mozambique.“Azagaia was a hero of the people. More of a hero than the president, that is why we are taking him to the president’s house,” said Walter, a demonstrator who refused to give his last name for his safety. Speaking before th...