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Brad Stevens: Marcus Smart departs Celtics with ‘greatest legacy you can leave’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

Shortly after midnight Thursday morning, after making undoubtedly the most difficult decision in his short time as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens had to make the similarly difficult phone call.Marcus Smart, of course, was on the other line.Stevens, of course, had to deliver the news to the heart and soul of the Celtics, the beloved point guard he coached for seven seasons and has developed a close bond for nearly a decade, that he was being unexpectedly traded.“It was hard,” Stevens said, stating the obvious early Friday morning at the Auerbach Center, about 24 hours after sending shockwaves through Boston. The trade was officially announced at 1:59 a.m. Friday morning, after the draft, trade calls and the final details were completed. It brings Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, where the skilled big man will give the Celtics a brand new look in their pursuit of a championship. It sends Smart to Memphis, where he’ll assume a leadership role on a young, con...

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is making gains on the NASCAR Cup Series tour

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is growing beyond his comfort zones on the NASCAR Cup Series tour.Stenhouse has done his best driving on superspeedways, those perilous stretches of unforgiving asphalt where the only thing you can count on is that something unpredictable is sure to happen.Stenhouse solidified his superspeedway bona fides by taking the checkered flag in the 65th running of the Daytona 500 in the Cup Series season opener on Feb. 19. Stenhouse had two superspeedway wins in 2017, the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona and the Geico 500 at Talladega.“Earlier in my carer the superspeedways really just leveled the playing field for me a little bit car-wise and team-wise,” Stenhouse told the Herald on Thursday. “I really tried to take advantage of those race tracks and really study and really learn them.“I felt really comfortable on them and all in all, we’ve had success on those superspeedways. I do enjoy them and I kind of like the chess match of making sure you are making the right move at the...

Stock market today: World shares slip after central banks crank interest rates still higher

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slipped in Europe and Asia on Friday, a day after several central banks around the world cranked interest rates higher in their fight against inflation. Benchmarks fell in most major markets though Shanghai was closed for a holiday. U.S. futures and oil prices also were lower. Japan reported its inflation rate was higher than expected, adding to expectations the central bank might adjust its policies to reflect upward price pressures, which have pushed the dollar’s value against the yen sharply higher. The Bank of Japan has kept its benchmark interest rate at minus 0.1% for a decade as policymakers keep credit cheap to encourage more investment and spending. The core inflation rate, excluding volatile energy and food prices, was 3.2% in May, above the official 2% target for a 14th straight month, the government reported. “We think there are signs of inflationary pressure building up on the supply side, but it is certainly not strong enough for the BOJ to ...

With the fate of submersible clear, focus turns to cause of fatal implosion

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

The search for a missing Titanic-bound submersible has become an investigation and salvage mission that will take an indefinite amount of time, officials said, as tributes from around the world poured in for the five people killed when the vessel imploded deep in the North Atlantic.The announcement Thursday that all aboard perished when the submersible imploded near the site of the iconic shipwreck brought a tragic end to a five-day saga that included an urgent around-the-clock search and a worldwide vigil for the vessel known as the Titan.The investigation into what happened was already underway and would continue in the area around Titanic where debris from the submersible was found, said Rear Adm. John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District.“I know there are also a lot of questions about how, why and when did this happen. Those are questions we will collect as much information as we can about now,” Mauger said, adding that it was a “complex case” that happened in a remote part...

Guilderland sprint medley relay team takes Nationals, sets meet record

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- It was a season to remember for the Guilderland High School girls track & field team. The Lady Dutch claimed their first outdoor, Section II title in program history, and followed that up by bringing home a number of medals at the state championships. But one group of runners took their journey even further. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The 1600-meter sprint medley relay team of senior Megan Swan, junior Kendall Barnhart, sophomore Saida Assabahi and freshman Addison Vellekoop earned gold medals last Saturday at the 2023 New Balance Nationals at University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field.But the team's accomplishment doesn't stop there. They finished the event with a time of 3:57.66 , breaking the meet record by nearly three seconds.Barnhart recalled the moment it finally set in that she and her teammates had achieved something remarkable."I remember stepping back after we just got anno...

Will Brown to become St. Rose women's basketball coach

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) -- The Saint Rose women's basketball program has made a big hire. Former UAlbany men's basketball coach Will Brown will be named their new head coach. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Brown confirmed the news to NEWS10 Sports Director Griffin Haas Thursday night. Brown will be introduced formally at a press conference on Friday at noon. Brown coached UAlbany for 20 seasons, leading them team to five America East Championships. He most recently coached the Albany Patroons in 2021-2022, leading them to the TBL title series.

Drones intercepted on way to Moscow region military warehouses

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

Russia's military intercepted two drones on their approach to military warehouses in the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the area, said on Wednesday (21 June)."Debris was found, no damage or casualties," Vorobyov said, adding that the drones fell near the village of Kalininets.Russia's TASS news agency reported, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, that another drone was shot down near Lukino village in Moscow region.TASS also reported two of the drones were intercepted on their way to the Taman Division of Russia's Ground Forces. The division is based in Kalininets, some 60km (37 miles) from the Kremlin.Reuters could not independently verify the reports. It was not immediately known who launched the drones.Drones struck wealthy districts of Moscow on Tuesday (20 June), in what Russia said was a Ukrainian attack and one politician called the most dangerous attack on the capital since World War Two.Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks ins...

Six former world leaders join Maryam Rajavi to call for new Iran policy

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

Following the publication of an open letter calling for new policies toward Iran, six of its 117 signatories attended a conference on Thursday with the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, at the NCRI headquarters in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris. The six former heads of state reiterated their call for a firm strategy in dealing with Iran’s religious dictatorship, and affirmed the Iranian people’s right to establish a democratic republic in its place.The event featured remarks by former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt; former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko; former Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Renzi; former President of Slovakia, Andrej Kiska; former President of Bolivia, Jorge Tuto Quiroga Ramírez; and former Prime Minister of Andorra, Jaume Bartumeu Cassany. The six were also joined by former Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Hryhoriy Nemyria; former European Parliament Vice President, Alejo Vidal-Quadras; and fo...

INTERVIEW: Azerbaijan's Socar sees current oil prices as satisfactory for midterm planning

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

Azerbaijan's state-owned oil and gas producer Socar sees current oil prices as satisfactory for midterm planning, Deputy Vice President of Socar Vitaly Baylarbayov told S&P Global Commodity Insights on 20 June, writes Rosemary Griffin."We worked successfully in different price environments, including much lower ones. So, what we have now is fully satisfactory from the point of view of our midterm planning," Baylarbayov said.Prices are currently significantly below peaks seen in 2022, which were driven by supply concerns, as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed Dated Brent at $74.495/b on June 20. Platts assessed Dated Brent at a post-invasion high of $137.64/b on March 8, 2022.The recent dip in prices has led some members of the OPEC+ crude production agreement to extend voluntary production cuts until the end of 2024. The group's largest producer Saudi Arabia has also suggested its latest 1 million b/d cut may be ...

Bridge: June 23, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:06 GMT

“Never argue with your wife,” a club player advised me. “You might win, and then you’re in real trouble.”My friend and his wife were today’s East-West. His bid of four hearts and South’s four spades were questionable. West led the king and ten of hearts. South ruffed, led a diamond to dummy’s ace and returned a club: three, jack, ace.“My wife led another heart,” East said. “Declarer ruffed, ruffed a club in dummy, led a diamond to his king and ruffed a club. He ruffed a heart, ruffed his last club with the queen of trumps and ruffed a diamond with his nine. My wife overruffed, but South’s A-10 of trumps won the last two tricks.”DEFENSE“My wife and I argued about the defense. When I showed her how to beat the contract, she admitted I was right — and I slept with the dog last night.”The winning defense isn’t easy. At some point West must lead the king of trumps. South can ruff only tw...