England were “very relieved” to finally get a video review in their favour with the dismissal of Steve Smith, seamer Chris Woakes said after collecting the vital scalp of the Australian captain in the second Ashes Test on Monday.Smith had barely survived when an lbw decision was overturned on review off the third ball Smith faced from fast bowler James Anderson, so England were understandably nervous when umpire Chris Gaffaney gave the same player out to Woakes three overs later.Smith had no hesitation calling for a review by the Umpire Decision Review System (DRS), but this time the technology projected that the ball would have clipped the top of off stump and the decision was upheld, sending Smith packing to the delight of the England team.That’s stumps! How good is #Ashes cricket?! https://t.co/MboRNr0wWd pic.twitter.com/uXuVDuZb13- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 4, 2017″The way DRS has gone this game for us, there were a few that we thought were dead certs for us, and they haven’t (been), so to get (one) on umpire’s call was really nice,” Woakes told reporters.”It’s obviously a big wicket as well. The way the others had gone, it was a relief in the group to get that wicket.”Smith’s dismissal ultimately might not affect the outcome of the match, but how differently the game might have unfolded had two reviews not gone against England on Sunday, when Australians Tim Paine and Shaun Marsh both benefited.Marsh was on 29 when he was given out lbw, but DRS projected the ball would have bounced a whisker over middle stump.advertisementReprieved, he proceeded to score 126 not out as Australia built a huge first-innings score of 442 for eight declared.Marsh acknowledged that he had not been overly confident of getting the decision overturned.”I probably thought it was outside leg (stump) more than going over,” he said. “When I saw the ball pitch in line I thought I might have been in a bit of trouble.”Two overs after Marsh’s reprieve, Paine, on 24, was adjudged lbw to Anderson. As with Marsh, the ball was projected to have passed fractionally over middle stump and the wicketkeeper went on to make 57.Marsh and Paine shared a sixth-wicket stand of 85 that tipped the match firmly in Australia’s favour.Later in the day, England also opted for a review when opener Mark Stoneman was trapped lbw for 18 by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc.On that occasion, however, the umpire had the call right and Stoneman was sent on his way.
Flying Tomato Loses to I-Pod Kid
TweetPinShare0 Shares KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia – Shaun White lost to a kid they call the “I-Pod,” and now, he may never hear the end of it.How big of an Olympic shocker was this? White, the best snowboarder of his era and one of the best-known and best-marketed athletes at the Sochi Games, didn’t even win a medal. He finished fourth.The 27-year-old American, who opted out of the Olympic slopestyle debut and put all his chips in the halfpipe, where he hoped to win a third straight gold medal, got knocked off by Iouri Podladtchikov, the Russian-born inventor of the “Yolo,” the trick that White could not master.“I’m disappointed,” White said. “I hate the fact I nailed it in practice, but it happens. It’s hard to be consistent.”The Japanese pair of 15-year-old Ayumu Hirano and 18-year-old Taku Hiraoka won silver and bronze, and the Americans were shut out on the halfpipe for the first time since the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1998.Podladtchikov, who now lives in and competes for Switzerland, landed the trick successfully at an event in Europe last season, but hadn’t done it since.“I’m about to faint. I haven’t seen the gold yet,” said Podladtchikov, who gets his gold on Feb. 12.. “That’s why I don’t believe it.”White watched the replay of I-Pod’s trick last March on his computer and went to work trying to match it.He landed it twice in qualifying events and was listed as the heavy favorite to become the seventh person to win three straight gold medals in an individual event at the Winter Games.White had come to Russia hoping to win two gold medals, but when he pulled out of the Olympics’ inaugural slopestyle contest, saying he didn’t want to risk injury for his historic quest on the halfpipe, the stakes were set.It unraveled early.On White’s first of two runs in the final, his attempt at the Yolo ended with a fall that left him sliding down the halfpipe on his backside. Even though his chance at putting up a winning score was over, he tried to finish the run with another of his double-cork tricks. White wasn’t close — his board slammed on the lip of the pipe, followed by an awkward and painful fall onto his rear.I-Pod had scored an 86.5 in his first run — clearly in medal contention — and then won it on his second attempt. The Yolo includes a total of 1440 degrees of spin — two head-over-heels flips and two 360-degree turns.Four years ago, it was unthinkable, but not anymore. He landed it and even though he only threw five tricks, when most riders were trying six in a supersized, super-slushy halfpipe, the judges liked what they saw.As did I-Pod, who spiked his snowboard into the ground like a football and threw his goggles into the crowd.“He’s incredible,” American Danny Davis, the 10th-place finisher, said of Podladtchikov. “That run on that halfpipe. Wow.”I-Pod struggled in the qualifying round earlier, forcing him into a semifinal round while the White and the five other top scorers went directly to the final. The extra runs seemed to help, as did the cold night air which seemed to improve the condition of the halfpipe, which competitors had been complaining about all week.I-Pod scored 87.50 on his first semifinal run, clearing his way to the final. His 94.75 in the second final run huge pressure on White, whose final runs at the last two Olympics have been nothing more than pressure-free victory rides.White stood at the top of the halfpipe, high-fived and bumped knuckles with his coach, clapped his hands and away he went.The first two jumps were flawless — higher than anyone and landed more solidly.Then, the Yolo. Tucking his hands together to generate torque, then waving one like a cowboy riding a bucking bronc, the form looked good during his three seconds in the air.But on the landing, he skittered down the pipe and lost speed, which meant he lost height on the next jump, as well.The landing on his last double cork was less than perfect, too — his knees buckled and nearly touched the snow. Across the finish line, White raised one finger in the air and raised his hands in victory. Yes, sometimes judges reward athletes for what they’ve done, not what they just did.Not this time. White’s fourth-place score, a 90.25, came up, and he broke into a big smile. He gave Podladtchikov a big hug and fatherly mussed his hair. That kid earned it. And the champion had nothing to complain about.“I saw videos of Shaun doing it really well,” I-Pod said. “I got bummed, said, ‘Damn, that’s my trick and he’s doing it better than me. Today, I guess I was doing it a little better.”(Eddie Pells, AP National Writer)
O’s, Markakis Top Yanks 5-4
NEW YORK — A day after getting blanked on one puny single, Nelson Cruz and Baltimore Orioles powered up for the postseason.Cruz hit his major league-leading 40th home run and the AL East champions pushed Derek Jeter and the Yankees to the brink of playoff elimination, beating New York 5-4 on Sept. 23.Cruz boosted his career high for home runs, reaching a nice, round number. “When it happens it happens, but it was good to get it in a win,” he said. “It feels good to get it. Now we want to keep that pace up.”The Orioles began the day 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels, who played later at Oakland, for the best record in the league and home-field advantage for the entire postseason.Baltimore earned its 94th win, its most since 98 in 1997. “We still have some baseball to play,” Nick Markakis said after homering and getting four of the Orioles’ 17 hits.Cruz sent a drive into the left-field seats to open the fifth inning, giving him 107 RBIs. He became the sixth Baltimore player to post a 40-homer season, topped by Chris Davis’ 53 last year.Kelly Johnson also homered for the team that tops the majors with 205. Cruz and Nick Hundley each had three hits.Markakis led off the game with a single, hit an RBI single in the second, and his two-run homer in the fourth made it 4-0. He returned to the lineup after missing four games with a bruised right shoulder.“Everybody’s seeing Nick back swinging like they know he can, pain-free. That gets everyone fired up,” Orioles Manager Buck Showalter said.The Yankees fell five games behind for the second AL wild card with only five games left.Jeter extended his hitting streak to seven games, but struck out on three pitches with a runner on first to end it. The retiring captain has two more home dates scheduled.Playing right field, Markakis was well aware of Jeter’s past dramatics. That left Markakis with one main thought. “Um, try not to let the ball get past me. You know he always seems to find holes and gaps, especially in big situations,” he said.Zach Britton pitched the ninth for his 36th save in 40 chances. After Brett Gardner got an infield hit with two outs, Britton fanned a swinging Jeter with a 96 mph fastball for the final out. “He was better than me tonight,” Jeter said.As for the Yankees’ situation, Manager Joe Girardi said: “All you can do is play tomorrow and win a game tomorrow.”“That’s all you can do, and hope you get some help. We obviously know that we’re in a deep hole, but that’s all you can do,” he said.Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9) made his second start in more than a month, giving up three hits in five-plus innings. A disappointment since signing a four-year, $50 million free-agent deal, Jimenez isn’t likely to start in the playoffs — this outing came while Showalter gave his other starters an extra day of rest heading into October.“You always want to finish strong. It really made me happy,” Jimenez said.Brandon McCarthy (7-5) gave up 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings, including all three Baltimore home runs.Brian McCann hit his 23rd homer, a two-run drive in the Yankees seventh off Andrew Miller.Ichiro Suzuki doubled for his 2,841st hit in the big leagues, moving into 47th place on the career list past Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.(BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Stepan Lifts Rangers in Debut
NEW YORK — Eric Staal hardly had a storybook debut with the New York Rangers: no goals and not a lot of big plays.The 31-year-old forward had to settle for a win, courtesy of Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta.Stepan’s short-handed goal snapped a tie with 2:48 to play and Raanta preserved the win with a last-second save to lead the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.“It’s been a lot of fun coming here and joining this group,” said Staal, who has not been on a playoff team since 2009. “It’s a great group of guys that made me feel real welcome right off the bat. It feels real nice to get the win — that’s what we’re focused on here as a group.”Staal, acquired in a trade with Carolina on Sunday, had one shot on goal and his failure to get the puck out of his zone in the waning seconds forced Raanta to make a crucial stop.“Everybody saw the size and puck protection capabilities as he gets more comfortable with the group,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “Every time you add a new piece, you change the dynamics of the group. You got a guy here who comes in and was a captain. He is going to help our leadership group, and we just need to give him a little bit of time to get used to the environment.”Mats Zuccarello also scored and Raanta made 26 saves in giving the Rangers their 13th win in 18 games (13-4-1). Henrik Lundqvist’s backup denied Cam Atkinson on the doorstep with less than a second remaining to preserve the victory.Atkinson scored his 20th goal of the season and Joonas Korpisalo had 22 saves for Columbus, which finished 7-3-3 in February.Stepan gave the Rangers the lead on a partial breakaway while Eric’s brother, Marc Staal, was in the penalty box. Raanta made it stand up with a pad save on Atkinson just before the final horn. Columbus defenseman Ryan Murray put in the rebound but it came after time ran out.Raanta wasn’t sure whether the goal counted, but his teammates quickly told him it was late.“I thought it was in,” Murray said. “I didn’t hear the horn. The adrenaline was going I guess, but I didn’t hear it.”Eric Staal was the initial focus of this game, after being obtained for prospect Aleksi Saarela and two second-round draft picks.The Rangers hope Eric Staal will provide scoring for another Stanley Cup run, and he was cheered almost every time he touched the puck in the early going. He started out centering the third line, played left wing on the first line in the third period and finished with almost 16 minutes of ice time. He had one outstanding scoring chance, a second-period shot from the left circle that Korpisalo hugged to his chest.While Staal had the attention of the Madison Square Garden crowd, the game turned out to be a tight-checking affair in which the goalies were the best players, although Stepan and Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh made the biggest play in the game.After the Rangers totally shut down a Blue Jackets power play, McDonagh chopped the puck out of his zone and Stepan collected it at the Columbus blue line. He skated in on Korpisalo, gave him a pump-fake with his leg and then cut across the crease to put the puck in an open net.“It was a great play by Mac,” Stepan said. “I am able to jump up in a situation where it’s just me and the goaltender. Originally I was going to shoot it. I took a look up and took my chances trying to beat him to the back pipe.”Raanta nursed a 1-0 lead into the third period until Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi made a horrible cross-ice pass at the point that Atkinson intercepted, giving him a clear run at the net.Raanta stopped the initial shot but Atkinson slammed home the rebound to tie it.Minutes later, Korpisalo denied Kevin Hayes on a breakaway.“I thought we did a lot of good things,” said Columbus coach John Tortorella, the Rangers’ bench boss before Vigneault. “I thought we defended well. Again, neither team got too many scoring chances, but they found a way to win.”The Blue Jackets outshot the Rangers 13-8 in the first period and had the better of play, but they trailed 1-0 thanks to Zuccarello.Playing what was an extended shift, he took a pass from Dan Boyle, circled the net and banked in a shot off the skate of Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout for his 21st goal of the season.NOTES: This was the first time the Rangers had brothers in the lineup since Chris and Peter Ferraro on March 7, 1997, at Anaheim. … Columbus captain Nick Foligno played in his 600th NHL game. … Rangers forward Jesper Fast was out with the flu, so defenseman Dylan McIlrath skated on the fourth line as a right wing. He also got into a second-period fight with Jared Boll. … This was the Blue Jackets’ fifth game in eight days. … Boyle picked up his 599th career point on Zuccarello’s goal. … The Rangers’ 10-3-1 record in February matched a franchise best for the month.TOM CANAVAN, AP Sports WriterTweetPinShare0 Shares
AEK Holds Milan to 0-0 Draw, Atalanta Beats Apollon Limassol
MILAN, Italy – A spirited performance has enabled AEK Athens to hold Milan to a goalless draw. The home side had a number of chances to break the deadlock in each half, but an impressive performance from visiting goalkeeper Giannis Anestis ensured a result that sees both of the top two teams in Group D remain unbeaten in this season’s UEFA Europa League group stage, UEFA reports.Man of the match, AEK Athens goalkeeper Giannis Anestis stated: “Ι want to congratulate the whole team for their effort from minute one. This point is very crucial in the group stage and very important for our morale. I am happy with my game and happy to help the team. I don’t consider my performance as an answer to my critics. I am working hard and trying to improve constantly. Our aim now is to play well against Milan in Athens as well and – why not? – win and top the group.”Italian side Atalanta leads Group E with seven points after a 3-1 win over Apollon Limassol. Lyon trails by two points in second.Apollon has two points and Everton remains last with one point.Olivier Giroud scored late in the second half for Arsenal to maintain its perfect Europa League campaign with a 1-0 win over 10-man Red Star Belgrade on Thursday.Five minutes after Milan Rodic was sent off for a second yellow card, Giroud struck with an overhead kick five minutes before the final whistle after Theo Walcott headed the ball to him.“It was a great combination before the goal as well and he finished well,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.Arsenal opened a five-point lead in Group H with nine points. Red Star and BATE Borisov, which beat visiting Cologne 1-0, are on four. Cologne is bottom without a point.Elsewhere, Lazio rallied to take three points at Nice with a 3-1 win in Group K, and Real Sociedad thrashed Macedonia’s Vardar 6-0 in Group L with Willian Jose scoring four goals.Arsenal rested nine front-line players who were in the lineup for the English Premier League’s match against Watford on Saturday, which Arsenal lost 2-1. But goalkeeper Petr Cech was in the goal as captain and made his presence felt, making several perfect saves.“It’s important to have a good goalkeeper in this kind of game, too,” Wenger said. “They were dangerous and Petr Cech kept us in the game.”Mathieu Debuchy returned to the squad after a year due to injuries.With several young players, including Reiss Nelson, Joseph Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, the Gunners didn’t look dangerous until Giroud’s goal.“I believe you win when you can, you do not decide when,” Wenger said. “What’s remarkable is the spirit we have shown. They defended very well, but the goal is a consequence of us wanting to play through them.”Richmond Boakye headed the ball onto the crossbar in the biggest chance for Red Star.LAZIO LEADSBoosted by a 2-1 victory over Juventus in Serie A, Lazio took the sole lead in Group K after rallying to a 3-1 away win at Nice in a matchup of two teams that won their previous two games.The fans didn’t have to wait long for goals.Mario Balotelli headed home for the hosts four minutes into the game from Wesley Sneijder’s cross, but Felipe Caicedo equalized for the hosts just a minute later.Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored his first goal for Lazio in the 65th before adding his second a minute from time.Lazio stays perfect atop the group with nine points from three wins. Nice is second, three points back.Zulte Waregem and Vitesse drew 1-1 and have a point each in the group.REAL ON FIREWillian Jose scored two goals in each half for Real Sociedad on the way to thrashing Macedonia’s Vardar 6-0. Mikel Oyarzabal gave the Spaniards a first-half lead. The Brazilian striker then took charge before he was substituted on the hour. Alberto de la Bella added the final goal at the last minute.Despite the victory, Real is second in Group L with six points, trailing leader Zenit St. Petersburg by three after the Russians beat Rosenborg 3-1 to stay perfect.Rosenborg has three points and Vardar remains bottom after three defeats.EVERTON’S MISERYEverton is 16th in the 20-team English Premier League and is still without a win in three Europa League group matches this season.Nabil Fekir converted a penalty kick six minutes into the match for Lyon after Mason Holgate downed Marcal in the area.Players of both teams briefly clashed after a hard push from Everton captain Ashley Williams on Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Everton could face punishment from UEFA after a fan holding a child appeared to aim a punch at a Lyon player during the second-half melee at Goodison Park which continued off the pitch and in front of the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End.Just minutes later, Williams seemed to come to Everton’s rescue with a 69th-minute header. But Lyon needed just six minutes to answer with Bertrand Traore restoring the advantage to 2-1.Under-pressure Everton manager Ronald Koeman has something to think about before league games against Arsenal and Leicester sandwich a League Cup match with Chelsea. NO CHEERS IN BALKANSPartizan Belgrade played without its fans at Skenderbeu in Albania on Thursday with the reverse situation— no Skenderbeu supporters — scheduled to happen in Serbia.Both teams agreed on that measure at UEFA’s request to not “create a hot situation.”The Group B game ended in a 0-0 draw.—-Sources: Associated Press, UEFATweetPinShare0 Shares
Host Russia Extends World Cup Party by Eliminating Spain
MOSCOW (AP) — Stretching every part of his body out into a star shape and diving to his right, Igor Akinfeev flicked out his left foot and kicked the ball high away from danger.Akinfeev’s foot kept Russia’s party going Sunday night, ended the international career of one of Spain’s biggest stars and sealed the biggest upset of the tournament and one of the greatest in World Cup history.Akinfeev saved two shots during the shootout, while all of his teammates scored to give Russia a 4-3 advantage after a draw that was dominated by Spain in every way but the 1-1 score. Russia — the lowest ranked team in the World Cup at No. 70 in the world — is stunningly going to the quarterfinals to face Croatia on Saturday.Millions of Russian fans, many of whom were mocking this team just a couple of weeks ago, are jumping loudly on the bandwagon.“We’re hosting a fantastic tournament,” Akinfeev said. “I think our fans and foreign fans have recognized that we’re a country that can play football and organize big events.”Akinfeev’s winning save against forward Iago Aspas made the national stadium in Moscow shake with the roar of around 70,000 Russians celebrating their team’s best World Cup run since it was the Soviet Union in 1966.Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev saves the last penalty shot by Spain’s Iago Aspas during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)It was a shocking elimination for Spain, joining former champions Germany and Argentina. Still, World Cup history was on Russia’s side after its well-organized team survived two hours of barely having the ball.Russia extended a streak of World Cup hosts winning penalty shootouts to five. France, South Korea, Germany and Brazil have also won shootouts since 1998.Akinfeev ensured that, in the 32-year-old captain’s 111th game for his country.With Spain taking first, the shootout was poised at 2-2 when Akinfeev dived to his right to push away the kick by Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion. The Atletico Madrid midfielder lifted his shirt over his eyes in dismay.Russian penalty kickers were perfect against Spain’s struggling goalkeeper David De Gea. After Akinfeev acrobatically blocked the left-footed shot of Aspas, he leapt up, punched the air with both hands and dove into a belly flop cross the rain-soaked turf as teammates raced to him from the halfway line.“I just feel emptied out,” Akinfeev said. “Over the whole second half and extra time we were defending our goal and managed it, we were hoping for penalties because Spain are hard to beat.”It gave Russia its greatest win for 10 years, since Akinfeev was in goal for an extra-time victory over the Netherlands in a European Championship quarterfinal. That run was ended days later by a Spain team beginning its era of dominance.Spain has now failed to win a knockout game at three major tournaments since it won Euro 2012, its third straight major title after Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.It was too passive a performance by the Spanish, who were ranked 10th and among the pre-tournament favorites. Turmoil erupted two days before the opening game, when the federation fired the head coach.“It’s painful, there’s nothing else we can say,” Spain captain Sergio Ramos said. “We left our soul in the pitch.”It is unclear if interim coach Fernando Hierro will continue in a job he did not seek before Julen Lopetegui was sent home. Lopetegui was fired because he didn’t tell Spain’s soccer leaders he accepted an offer to coach Real Madrid after the tournament.Sunday’s defeat ended Andres Iniesta’s Spain career. The 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder came off the bench and almost won the game with an 85th-minute shot well saved by Akinfeev. Iniesta also scored the first spot-kick of the shootout.Spain was more urgent in extra time after being too passive for 90 minutes. Though Spain completed a World Cup game record of 1,029 passes, it rarely threatened Akinfeev’s goal.Spain led in the 12th minute when Ramos helped force Russia’s Sergei Ignashevich into an own goal when his back was turned to the play. Ramos and Ignashevich got tangled up and the ball went in off of the Russian defender’s heel.Russia’s Sergei Ignashevich, front, scores an own goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Michel)A defensive error let Russia level in the 41st, after Gerard Pique’s raised arm blocked a header by Artyom Dzyuba. Dzyuba’s penalty kick fooled goalkeeper David De Gea to dive the wrong way.“We’re insanely happy,” Dzyuba said. “We’ve given everyone a party and we believed in ourselves to the end. We believed that order, discipline and dedication can beat class.”SPECIAL GUESTSKing Felipe VI of Spain was at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The king is a soccer fan who, as crown prince, attended the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg to see Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0.Russia was represented by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who was on his feet and leaning on a protective barrier to watch the shootout.FOURTH SUBSTITUTEWorld Cup history was made with the first use of a fourth substitute, which FIFA now allows teams in extra time. Russia’s Alexander Yerokhin went on in the 97th minute against Spain, replacing fellow midfielder Daler Kuzyaev.ONE SAVEDe Gea made one save at the entire World Cup, and none Sunday when Artyom Dzyuba’s 41st-minute penalty was Russia’s only shot on target. Russia then scored all four spot-kicks in the shootout.—By GRAHAM DUNBAR , AP Sports WriterRussia’s Artyom Dzyuba salutes when celebrating scoring his side’s opening goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)Russia’s Artyom Dzyuba salutes when celebrating scoring his side’s opening goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)Russia’s Artyom Dzyuba celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)Spain’s Sergio Ramos blows a kiss as he celebrates after Spain score the opening goal of the game after Russia’s Sergei Ignashevich scored an own goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)Referee Bjorn Kuipers from Netherlands indicates a handball by Spain’s Gerard Pique, front, during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)Russia’s Artyom Dzyuba celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)Russia’s Artyom Dzyuba, right, runs to celebrate scores his side’s first goal from a penalty kick past Spain goalkeeper David De Gea, 2nd left, during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Antetokounmpo Has 19 Points, Bucks Beat Raptors 104-99
TORONTO (AP) — After playing a starring role down the stretch, Malcolm Brogdon called this Milwaukee’s best performance of the season.Brogdon hit tying and go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 67 seconds and the Bucks held on to beat Toronto Raptors 104-99 on Sunday night.Brogdon scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points and matched a season high with 19 rebounds, and Brook Lopez had 19 points for the Bucks, the first team to beat Toronto twice this season.“In terms of having a full game, playing hard on both ends and executing at a high level on both ends, executing the game plan, and then finishing strong down the stretch, that is definitely the top game for us,” Brogdon said.The Bucks (17-8) bounced back from Friday’s loss to Golden State and have yet to lose consecutive games this season.“That’s how special this team is,” Antetokounmpo said.Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) congratulates teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) on his basket during second half NBA basketball action against the Toronto Raptors, in Toronto on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)Serge Ibaka scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard had 20 for the Raptors, who have lost two straight, the second time this season they’ve suffered consecutive defeats. Toronto, which lost 106-105 at Brooklyn on Friday, dropped three straight from Nov. 12 to 16, losing at home to New Orleans and Detroit before an overtime defeat at Boston.Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 19 points and Pascal Siakam had 17 for the Raptors, whose 21-7 record is best in the NBA.Neither Leonard (rest) nor Antetokounmpo (concussion protocol) played when the Raptors lost 124-109 at Milwaukee on Oct. 29, Toronto’s first defeat following a 6-0 start.Toronto’s Kyle Lowry shot 0 for 5 and didn’t score for the first time since March 17, 2013 against Miami. Lowry led the Raptors with seven assists.“Just couldn’t find the open ones tonight,” Lowry said. All of his misses Sunday were from 3-point range.Milwaukee led 79-74 heading to the fourth and pushed its lead to 85-74.Toronto battled back to lead 97-94 on a 3 by Leonard at 2:07, but Brogdon hit the tying 3 at 1:07 and followed with a go-ahead jumper with 40 seconds left.“We did a great job trusting one another and moving the ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “Malcolm hit some huge shots.”Middleton assisted on both of Brogdon’s key baskets and finished with five assists.Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) fouls Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)“I’m going to get the glory for the shots but Khris is the one who sacrificed and made the extra pass to get it to me,” Brogdon said.VanVleet answered with a layup, but Antetokounmpo restored the 3-point cushion with a driving dunk.Leonard hit the rim with a potential tying 3 and Ersan Ilyasova was fouled as he grabbed the rebound. Ilyasova sealed it by making both free throws with seven seconds remaining, and Toronto did not attempt another shot.Milwaukee led 51-49 at halftime.TIP-INSBucks: Newly acquired G George Hill and C Jason Smith were active but did not play. … Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with six assists. … Milwaukee has won its past three against the Raptors, including two straight in Toronto, its first road winning streak in the series since a five-game run from January 2011 to January 2013. … G Eric Bledsoe celebrated his 29th birthday. He had nine points and five assists.Raptors: Toronto missed 10 consecutive field goal attempts in the first half, including eight straight to begin the second quarter. The Raptors responded by making five of their next 10. … Ibaka had a career-high 11 3-point attempts and made a season-high four.Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas (17) drives to the net as Milwaukee Bucks forward Thon Maker (7) and teammates defend during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)UNDER 100Toronto failed to score 100 or more for the second time this season. The Raptors won the other such game, beating Orlando 93-91 on Nov. 20 thanks to a last-second basket by Danny Green.UNDER 10Lowry has failed to score at least 10 points in each of his past five-games.UP NEXTBucks: Host Cleveland on Monday night.Raptors: Visit Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.—By IAN HARRISON , Associated PressTweetPinShare0 Shares
Sala Crash Report says Plane Not Licensed for Commercial Use
LONDON (AP) — With legal implications and potential insurance claims at stake, air accident investigators on Monday called into question the circumstances of the flight that crashed in the English Channel while taking soccer player Emiliano Sala to Cardiff.Britain’s Air Accident Investigation Branch released its initial findings a month after the United States-registered single-engine aircraft crashed with Sala and pilot David Ibbotson on board. Sala’s body was recovered from the wreckage two weeks later, but the pilot has not been found.Investigators said the pilot and plane were not licensed by authorities for commercial flights.That would be a significant factor in any potential prosecution of the plane’s unidentified owner or compensation claims linked to the transfer fee if investigators establish the journey could not be considered a private flight. Commercial flight regulations would not be applicable if costs were being shared and the journey was not specifically to take Sala from the French city of Nantes to his new club in Cardiff.People leave flowers on Emiliano Sala’s coffin at the cemetery in Santa Fe, Argentina, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. The Argentina-born forward died in an airplane crash in the English Channel last month when flying from Nantes in France to start his new career with English Premier League club Cardiff. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)Police in the southwest English county of Dorset said they are supporting a coroner’s investigation into the circumstances of Sala’s death.Cardiff agreed to pay a club-record fee of 15 million pounds (about $20 million) to Nantes for the 28-year-old Argentine striker.Club chairman Mehmet Dalman previously said Cardiff was “gathering information” on the circumstances around the crash.The AAIB said further work is required to “consider the regulatory requirements surrounding the flight including airworthiness requirements, aircraft permissions and flight crew licensing.”Half of the operating expenses must have been paid by the pilot for it to be considered a private flight with only two people aboard.“The flight must not be made for the purpose of merely transporting the passenger,” the AAIB said.Mark McKay, one of the brokers of the transfer, said last month that he helped to organize a “private flight” for Sala, who had returned to Nantes after signing the deal in Cardiff.Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois, second right, and family and friends of Argentina soccer player Emiliano Sala carry Sala’s coffin during his funeral in Progreso, Argentina, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. The Argentina-born forward died in an airplane crash in the English Channel last month when flying from Nantes in France to start his new career with English Premier League club Cardiff. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)There was no application to the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States or Britain’s Civil Aviation Agency “to operate the aircraft for commercial reasons,” the AAIB said. The CAA has the power to investigate and prosecute any breaches of aviation safety rules.The Piper PA-46-310P Malibu plane has yet to be recovered from the seabed.“It is thought that the pilot’s license and logbook were lost with the aircraft and so the ratings on his licenses and their validity, and the extent of his recent flying have not yet been determined,” the AAIB said.The last radio communication received from the aircraft on Jan. 21 at 8:12 p.m. was a request from the pilot to reduce altitude for a second time. According to radar readings, the plane turned left and right, and descended gradually and climbed rapidly before crashing four minutes later.___By ROB HARRIS, AP Global Soccer WriterTweetPinShare0 Shares
Zidane Has Had Enough, Wishes Madrid’s Season Was Over
MADRID — Real Madrid just can’t wait for the season to end.Even the usually mild-mannered Zinedine Zidane lost his patience after his team’s latest setback, a 1-0 loss to relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Sunday.“We will play these last three games and then this is finally over,” the Madrid coach said after seeing his team get outplayed and outhustled by then last-place Rayo.The result practically ended the team’s chances of catching Atletico Madrid for second place. If Madrid can’t erase the nine-point difference over the final matches, it will finish out the top two in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1973-74.A day before the disappointing performance against Rayo, Madrid fans had to endure seeing Barcelona clinch its second straight league title, and eighth in 11 seasons.Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale touches his head during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul White)And in a few days, fans will watch Barcelona — along with Liverpool, Tottenham and Ajax — compete in the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League, the tournament Madrid won the last three years.Zidane was uncharacteristically upset after the setback against Rayo, the team’s fourth in six matches.“I’ll always defend my players, but not today,” Zidane said. “We can’t play like that, and I’m responsible as well. We didn’t do anything. We have to apologize.”Madrid was coming off a scoreless draw at Getafe and previously had drawn with Leganes and lost to Valencia, all in away matches. Zidane has a perfect record at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with four victories, but has yet to win away.“At least against Getafe we showed some good things, we created some chances,” Zidane said. “But we didn’t do anything today. Nothing from Minute 1 to Minute 90.”Rayo Vallecano’s coach Paco Jemez, left, looks over to Real Madrid’s coach Zinedine Zidane as he walks off the pitch at the end of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, April 28, 2019. Rayo won the match 1-0. (AP Photo/Paul White)When Zidane took over from Santiago Solari eight matches ago, with the team in tatters, he said the main goal was to rebuild for next season, but also to regain confidence after one of its most disappointing campaigns in years. Madrid was off to a good start under Zidane, with three wins in four matches, but risks finishing the season on another low.Madrid was 12 points behind Barcelona and two points behind Atletico when Zidane arrived. Now it is 18 points from the Catalan club and nine below its city rival.Instead of just focusing on which players to keep and how to improve the squad for next season, Zidane will also have to make sure the team plays good enough to please the club’s demanding fans in the final matches.Madrid will host relegation-threatened Villarreal next weekend, then visits midtable Real Sociedad before closing out the season at home again against Real Betis.With little at stake through the end, Zidane said Madrid needs to play for pride.“We can’t finish like this, with this image,” the Frenchman said. “We have to show some respect for the game and for the club. We will have to play better.”By: Tales Azzoni, AP Sports WriterTweetPinShare0 Shares
QA Systems announce major new version of Cantata unit test tool
QA Systems announced the upcoming release of Cantata version 8.0. This is a major new release of the Cantata unit and integration testing framework for C and C++. This version automates test maintenance, custom code injection, and makes it easier to test across multiple embedded environments.A new Code Change Analysis feature has been added to cut test maintenance when C/C++ code is changed after initial testing. This identifies code changes which impact tests and gives detailed guidance on suitable test updates. Automatically generated suggestions can be selected, triggering automatic test refactoring for many types of code change.When code is re-used over multiple embedded platforms for different product variants, new deployment switching in Cantata version 8.0 makes it simple to re-use the same tests. It is also now possible to inject extra test code anywhere into source code without modifying the production code. This provides greater flexibility for injecting errors and white-box testing. Version 8.0 contains improvements to the Cantata user interface. A new Cantata Eclipse Perspective has been added and includes a Test Explorer as the test centric control hub.As with previous versions, Cantata 8.0 will be certified to the highest safety integrity levels for ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 61508 (industrial safety), IEC 62304 (medical devices), EN 50128 (railways), IEC 60880 (nuclear) by SGS-TÜV Saar soon after release. Cantata 8.0 will be generally available from May 2018.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Tools & Software Continue Reading Previous Express Logic to obtain Common Criteria EAL4+ Security Certification for X-Ware IoT Platform SCNext TI: 1-A DC/DC step-down power modules feature tiny MicroSiP packaging
Arduino introduces new boards featuring u blox wireless technology
Continue Reading Previous Ikalogic builds first wifi oscilloscope probeNext AAEON brings industrial-grade reliability to your vending machines u-blox introduced four new boards to their MKR family, delivering enhanced wireless connectivity options for IoT applications. Previously Arduino adopted u-blox for their MKR GSM 1400, now one of the most popular boards of the MKR family for its unique characteristics and robustness.Arduino introduced the MKR family and form factor to address IoT use cases by focusing on a standard blue print including a hardware crypto chip for enhanced security, a LiPo charger for power management, and an ARM Cortex M0 microcontroller. The MKR family offers a wide range of connectivity options, from low power long range to more traditional options, to satisfy the most stringent user requirements for IoT applications.One of the boards released is the MKR WIFI 1010, a Cortex M0-based board that provides Wi Fi connectivity to IoT projects. With a highly optimized design it integrates the globally certified u blox NINA W102 stand-alone multi-radio module delivering Wi Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Featuring an open CPU, the NINA W102 allows Arduino to run their own application right on the module, offloading communication tasks from the user-programmable Arduino CPU and increasing the board’s power efficiency.Two more new boards incorporate the u-blox NINA-W102. The MKR Vidor 4000 is the first-ever Arduino board featuring an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) chip coupled with an innovative development environment, which aims to democratize and radically simplify access to the world of FPGAs. The Uno WiFi Rev 2 aims at making it even easier to deploy products that need Wi-Fi connectivity.In addition, Arduino expanded its cellular offering with the MKR NB 1500, which hosts a u blox SARA R410M cellular module providing LTE Cat NB1 and LTE-M cellular connectivity that is pre-certified for global use. Also equipped with an ARM Cortex M0 microcontroller, the MKR NB 1500 is fully geared towards IoT applications with low demands for bandwidth and data volumes and is optimized for ultra-low power consumption, enabling highly efficient battery-powered applications.The new boards feature industrial grade communication modules with an extended temperature range and superior guaranteed reliability, making them attractive to professional users seeking to develop small volume products or quickly prototype new concepts and ideas.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Boards & Modules 
emtrion introduces compact module with i.MX 8M Mini processor
emtrion starts series production of the new computer-on-module emCON-MX8M Mini. Numerous multimedia and high-speed interfaces, virtualization capability, integrated security functions combined with high computing power and low power consumption make this module particularly attractive.The new emCON-MX8M Mini module with the heterogeneous multi-core processor i.MX 8M Mini from NXP is suitable for numerous embedded applications – especially in the fields of industrial IoT, multimedia streaming and machine learning. The implemented 14-LPC FinFET process technology makes the processor reliable and robust in industrial use in harsh environments.The integrated i.MX 8M Mini processor is scalable and consists of up to 4 Arm -Cortex -A53 cores with up to 2 GHz clock rates and a 400 MHz Arm -Cortex -M4. Flexibly to your application, the CPU supports DDR3L, DDR4 and LPDDR4 memory. emtrion’s emCON-MX8MM features a 16MB QSPI NOR flash memory, up to 64GB of eMMC NAND flash memory and up to 4GB of LPDDR4 SDRAM.The emCON-MX8MM module with SPDIF and SAI interfaces, two LCD interfaces and the MIPI-CSI-2 interface, which is common in modern embedded vision systems, meets high performance requirements in terms of audio, video and voice processing. Integrated hardware acceleration for video and graphics supports 1080p video processing as well as 2D and 3D graphics. There is also an extensive selection of high-speed interfaces such as Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe and OTG available.The emCON module with its compact size of 50×82 mm can be used for operation in the extended temperature range of -25 to 85 °C. emtrion guarantees a long-term availability of 15 years with the quality promise “Made in Germany”. For a direct start in your own application development, a Developerkit with Board Support Package for Linux (Debian and Yocto Sumo) is available. Optionally, the developer kit can be supplemented with a virtualization function (Jailhouse). emtrion also supports you in activating the integrated HAB Secure Boot. Fastboot is also available on request.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Boards & Modules Continue Reading Previous ADLINK announces MAPS Suite for measurement and automation modulesNext Syslogic: railway computer for predictive maintenance
U’khand govt to protect interest of entrepreneurs in rafting industry: CM
Dehradun, Jun 23 (PTI) As tour operators of Uttarakhand struggle to come to terms with a recent court order banning water sports in the state, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today assured them of protecting their interests, even as all district magistrates were asked to implement the ban in their areas.”All aspects of the high court order regarding the ban on adventure tourism activities are being studied. The next step will be taken after that. The interests of entrepreneurs associated with the trade will be protected,” he said in a statement here. Rawat also directed the tourism secretary to look into all legal options available in the case and take appropriate action.He said effective steps were being taken by the state government to promote adventure tourism, “which is crucial to tourism in Uttarakhand”.Keeping in view the interests of the people involved in the trade, the chief minister said Uttarakhand Rafting, Kayaking Manual has been framed, adding that manuals for paragliding and other adventure tourism activities would be prepared soon.He said a comprehensive policy would be prepared to further promote the industry so that it strengthened the economy of the state.Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Dilip Jawalkar today wrote to all district magistrates, asking them to strictly implement the high court order in their respective areas. The Uttarakhand High Court, had on June 18, put a ban on white water river rafting, other water sports and paragliding across the state till a transparent policy was framed by the state government on adventure sports, giving the latter two weeks’ time for the purpose. advertisementDevendra Rawat, former president of Rafting Association of Uttarakhand, said the ban would affect 40,000 people associated with the trade.A total of 281 companies are associated with the rafting trade, which together own 600 rafts and transact business worth over Rs 20 crore every season. The season lasts nine months from October to June, he said. With the ban coming at the peak of the season, there will be heavy losses, he said. Vaibhav Kala, director, Aquaterra Adventures said majority of outfits cannot be penalised for the errors of a few. “Rafting is currently being regulated under a Rafting Act passed by the Uttarakhand government. There is a technical and regulatory committee that grants permits and proper rafting rules are framed to ensure compliance,” he said. “Regulation, of course, has been a challenge, but that needs to be checked stringently by the authorities concerned. Majority of outfits cannot be penalised for the errors of a few,” Kala said, adding that “rhetorical judgements” like this would harm the country’s travel industry. Kala said the state needs to weed out outfits that do not meet the global benchmark. “We will lose many bookings in the last week. The industry losses for a week should be around Rs 4-5 crore,” he said.PTI ALM SRY SRY
Sent Force India into administration to save the team: Sergio Perez
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez said on Saturday he sent the Force India team he drives for into administration to save the jobs of 400 colleagues.Perez said he was broken-hearted at having to make the claim for money owed, which put the British-based team in administration, but he insists it was not for personal gain.Perez told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he had endured a month of emotional and mental hell and his racing had suffered because of the team’s precarious financial situation.Debt-ridden Sahara Force India F1 team put into administrationForce India, co-owned by embattled Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and fifth in the championship, were placed into administration by the London High Court on Friday.”I love Vijay. My heart is really broken because I know this is not ideal in the short term for him, but the big picture is really different,” said Perez.Force India not realising potential because of financial issues: Sergio Perez”The bottom line of this is that we do this or the team would have gone bust. That’s what I get from the lawyers and members of the team.”Going into administration effectively removes the immediate threat of closure and also overcomes the obstacle of shareholder resistance to a sale.Perez’s claim for money owed – some 4 million euros, mostly from last season – was supported by engine provider Mercedes and team sponsor BWT which says it is also owed significant sums.With up to five interested parties, a sale appears imminent, and the August break after Sunday’s grand prix gives the team breathing space to sort out its future before going racing again.advertisement”There was a winding-up petition from another customer which would have closed down the team completely. Therefore I was asked to basically save the team, to pull the trigger and put the team into administration” said Perez.”It has nothing to do with my outstanding amounts. The only reason I’ve done it is to save the team and for its better future,” added the driver, who is now in his fifth season with Force India.”I am sure everyone appreciates what I’ve done and if they don’t appreciate it right now, because a couple of members of the team don’t know the full picture, they will appreciate it in a week’s time or so.”(With Reuters inputs)
MS Dhoni vows to ‘learn a bit of Tamil’ before next IPL
Mahendra Singh Dhoni on a recent visit to Tirunelveli, made a promise to learn Tamil by the time the next edition of the Indian Premier League comes around.”What brings me here is the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League), of course, to start off,” he said ahead of the toss in the Tamil Nadu Premier League match between Madurai Panthers and Kovai Kings after starting off with ‘Vanakkam’ in Tamil.”Every time I play IPL, I learn Tamil and once the tournament ends I have to start from scratch again. I will make sure that by next edition of IPL, I’ll learn a bit of Tamil,” he added.Singam ondru purapattathey! #NammaThalaNammaGethu pic.twitter.com/JNY4LYDf6fTNPL (@TNPremierLeague) August 4, 2018MS Dhoni, earlier in the evening, travelled to Gundar dam, in the foothills of western ghats in Tirunelveli District.The tourists take cars from the scenic dam to reach the private waterfalls. Many of the tourists were caught off guard when they spotted the former Indian Captain at the parking lot as police had a tough time controlling the fans gathered. Fans gathered to get a glimpse of the MS Dhoni (India Today Photo)Dhoni spent around an hour in the private waterfalls. Speaking to reporters he said that “this (Tirunelveli) is a special place, this is where India Cements started,” Dhoni, who is the vice-president of the company.”I have been with them (India Cements) for a long time so, this gives me an opportunity to come and see the first plant over here,” he said.advertisementHe said each year he comes down to watch a few TNPL games adding the conditions at the ICL ground in Tirunelveli were challenging.”Along with that, every year I come down and watch a few games of the TNPL, this is the first game I will be watching this year in person. Looks like challenging conditions here with the kind of breeze blowing,” he added.Dhoni was part of the Indian ODI team that lost the series 1-2 to England recently and will next be seen in action in the 2018 Asia Cup which will be held in the United Arab Emirates.(With inputs from PTI)
Rogers Cup: Djokovic off to winning start, Wawrinka beats Kyrgios
Novak Djokovic did not let a late switch in opponent throw him off his stride in his quest for a fifth Rogers Cup title as he subdued Bosnian lucky loser Mirza Basic 6-3 7-6(3) in first-round action on Tuesday.Djokovic, the ninth seed, was originally scheduled to play Australian Open semi-finalist Chung Hyeon but the 22-year-old South Korean withdrew with a back injury about an hour before the match was due to start.The Serb, competing in singles for the first time since his Wimbledon triumph last month, was never in real danger during the first-round clash, but he still needed some time to figure out Basic before wrapping up the match in 90 minutes.”I’ve never played Basic. I’ve known him, I’ve practiced with him, but I’ve never played an official match so definitely not easy to find a rhythm from the beginning of the match, said Djokovic. “There were frustrations at times but that means I care.”The Serbian world number 10 was not as sharp as he will need to be if he hopes to triumph here for the first time since 2016, but it was enough on a day when Basic was misfiring on both his forehand and serve.Djokovic broke Basic in the sixth game of the first set to go ahead 4-2 and then wrapped up the opener three games later when he fired an ace down the middle.The former world number one was up a break in the second set and cruising along until Basic broke back in the eighth game to draw level 4-4, leaving Djokovic yelling at himself in frustration while swatting a ball out of the court.advertisementBasic did well to hold serve and pull ahead, but the more experienced Djokovic kept calm and booked his place in the second round, where he will face Canadian Peter Polansky.In other first-round action, Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka upset 16th-seeded Australian Nick Kyrgios 1-6 7-5 7-5 while Dutchman Robin Haase beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori 7-5 6-1.(With Reuters inputs)
Infinix Note 5 launched in India: Specs, top features, price, availability and all you should know
After launching an entry-level phone called the Infinix Smart 2 in India last month, the Transsion Holdings-headed Infinix has announced a new budget segment smartphone in India today. The Infinix Note 5. The newly launched Infinix Note 5 is the direct successor to the Note 4, which was launched in the country in August last year. Going by the specs sheet and the outer design of the phone looks like Infinix has come a long way from the Note 4 and to the Note 5. The Android One powered Infinix Note 5 comes with much better design and hardware configuration compared to the Note 4.The Infinix Note 5 has been launched in India for a starting price of Rs 9,999 – this is for the 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage model. The top-end model of the phone with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage has been priced Rs 11,999. With the competitive price tag of the Note 5, Infinix is looking to compete with some of the market rivals that fall under the similar price segment like the Honor 9 Lite and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.Overall, as far as the specs sheet is concerned, the Infinix Note 5 is a compact yet powerful smartphone and looks very interesting for its price. The Infinix Note 5 comes with a massive battery and a much bigger screen compared to the Note 4. The company also claims that the smartphone is capable of capturing clear and detailed pictures in low-light situations — unlike that the Note 4.Let’s take a detailed look at what the Infinix Note 5 offers out-of-the-box and all the key features that it brings to the consumers:advertisementInfinix Note 5 specifications:Screen: The Infinix Note 5 comes packed with a much bigger screen compared to the Note 4. The smartphone sports a big 5.99-inch FHD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and screen to body ratio is 85 per cent.Processor: On the hardware front, the Infinix Note 5 is powered by Helio P23 processor based on 16nm FinFET technology. The Infinix claims that the Note 5 delivers much better performance than its market rivals Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Honor 9 Lite.Software: The smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box. For the Note 5, Infinix has partnered with Google to bring Android One program on board, something that even the newly launched Nokia 6.1 Plus and also the Nokia 51. Plus also come with.Rear camera: The Infinix Note 5 sports a 12-megapixel camera on the rear panel which is further paired with dual LED flash.Front camera: On the front, the Infinix Note 5 comes with a 16-megapixel AI selfie camera paired with AI bokeh selfie and AI beauty modeBattery: The smartphone is backed by a massive 4500mAh battery paired with AI power managementRAM: The Note 5 comes in two RAM variants – 3GB and 4GBStorage: The phone comes in two storage models as well – the base model with 32GB storage, while the top-end version with 64GB storage.Infinix Note 5 special features:–The massive battery. Compared to the Note 4, the Infinix Note 5 comes with a much bigger battery. The smartphone is backed by a 4500mAh battery setup that the company claims is capable of delivering up to 3-day power backup in a single charge. Infinix claims that the Note 5 can deliver up to 1300 hours of standby time, 38 hours of talk time, 152 hours MP3 playback time, 16 hours of video play time, and can last 10 hours of gaming sessions.–The Infinix Note 5 battery comes paired with AI power management. Meaning, the phone will be capable of adjusting the power consumption based on the user’s usage.–One of the key highlights of the Infinix Note 5 is that the company has partnered with Google to bring Android One program onboard. This means the Infinix Note 5 comes with a stock Android interface – no additional apps – and timely security updates.–The Infinix Note 5 comes with enhanced low-light camera capabilities. The company claims that both the front and rear panel cameras are capable of capturing clear and detailed pictures in low-light scenarios. The smartphone also comes with AI beauty and AI bokeh modes.–The smartphone sports a circular shaped fingerprint sensor which the company claims can unlock the phone in just 0.2 seconds.–The Note 5 comes with dual SIM and dual VoLTE support.ALSO READ: Infinix Note 5 with Android One, 4500mAh battery, 16MP selfie cam launched in India, price starts at Rs 9,999– The smartphone comes with fast charger support and is paired with 18W Xcharge. Infinix claims that the Note 5 can deliver one full day battery life in just 30 min of charge.–The Infinix Note 5 sports a premium glass finish design and the edges of the phone are tapered which make the phone easy to hold and operate in one hand, claims companyadvertisementInfinix Note 5 price and availability:As far as the pricing is concerned, looks like Infinix with the Note 5 is looking to compete with phones like Honor 9 Lite and also the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. The Note 5 comes in two variants — the base model comes with 3GB RAM/ 32GB of internal storage with a price tag of Rs 9,999, while the top-end model with 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage has been priced at Rs 11,999. The smartphone has been launched in three colours — Ice Blue, Milan Black, and Berlin Grey. The Infinix Note 5 will go on sale in India starting August 31, exclusively on Flipkart.
Asian Games 2018: India’s medal tally after Day 13
India equalled their best ever medal haul at Asian Games on Day 13. India’s medal tally now stands at 65, the same as in 2010 – their best ever performance in Asiad.In sailing, Varsha Gautham and Sweta Shervegar claimed silver in 49er FX event. Harshita Tomar claimed bronze in the Open Laser 4.7.Varun Thakkar Ashok and Chengappa Ganapathy Kelapanda won bronze with a total of 53 after race 15 in the 49er men’s event.It’s a great feeling: Harshita Tomar after sailing bronze at AsiadThe Indian women’s hockey team earned silver after losing 1-2 to Japan in the final. India are currently eight in the table with 65 medals including 13 gold, 23 silver and 29 bronze. (India Today photo)The Indian men’s squash team settled for bronze after a 0-2 loss to Hong Kong in the semi-finals. Saurav Ghosal, who was not fully fit, and Harinder Pal Sandhu, lost to Max Lee and Leo Au, 0-3 and 1-3 respectively.Asian Games 2018 women’s hockey final: India take silver after losing to JapanBoxer Vikas Krishan (75kg) got bronze after being forced to withdraw from his last-four bout owing to a cut on his eyelid sustained in the pre-quarters.Day 12: WRAPThe first medal of Day 12 came in women’s discus throw as veteran Seema Punia clinched bronze. The 35-year-old Seema cleared a best distance of 62.26m, her best in six years, but that was just enough for a bronze medal.Asian Games: Jinson Johnson happy with sweet revenge on Manjit after 1500m goldPU Chitra won a bronze in the women’s 1500m race. Chitra entered into the race as Asian leader this season but had to settle for a bronze with a timing of 4 minute and 12.56 seconds.advertisementAsian Games 2018: Defending champions India’s gold medal hopes endJinson Johnson claimed a gold medal in the men’s 1500m event. The sprinter clocked 3:44.72sec to claim the top honours. Asian Games 2018 4x400m relay: India women win 5th straight gold, men win silverIndia’s 4x400m women’s relay team clinched its fifth consecutive gold medal in the Asian Games. The Indian women’s quartet of Hima Das, M R Poovamma, Saritaben Gayakwad and Vismaya Velluva Koroth ran 3 minute and 28.72 seconds to claim the gold.ASIAN GAMES 2018: FULL COVERAGEIndia’s 4x400m men’s relay team also won a silver in the final event of athletics. The Indian quartet of Kunhu Muhammed, Dharunn Ayyasamy, Mohd. Anas and Arokia Rajiv clocked 3:01.85 to finish behind Qatar who won gold in an Asian record time of 3:00.56.DAY 11: WRAPThe first medal of the Day 11 came from table tennis as Manika Batra and Achanta Sharath Kamal settled for the bronze medal after losing their mixed doubles semi-final against China.Ace sprinter Dutee Chand then bagged the silver medal after finishing second in the women’s 200m final with a time of 23.20 seconds. Dutee ended a 16-year wait for India with a medal in the women’s 200m.Asian Games 2018: Dutee Chand ends 16-year wait for India with silver in 200mSaraswati Saha was the last athlete to win a medal (gold) for India in the event back in 2002. Overall, Dutee is the fifth female athlete to win a medal in the event after Mary D’Souza (bronze in 1951), Stephie D’Souza (silver in 1958) and PT Usha (silver in 1982, gold in 1986).How Swapna Barman braved serious pain to create Asian Games historyArpinder Singh then clinched the first gold medal of the day for India as he won the men’s triple jump event with a best jump of 16.77 metres. Arpinder became the second Indian after Mohinder Singh Gill’s win in the 1970 Asiad. Watch: Swapna Barman wins historic Asiad medal, mother gets emotional at homeSwapna Barman then added the second athletics gold and fifth overall, after winning the women’s heptathlon event with a total of 6026 points. It was India’s first ever gold medal in the event at the Asian Games.India ended the day on a high as the women’s hockey team beat China 1-0 to enter the final where they will face Japan in the gold medal match on August 31. Gurjit Kaur scored the lone goal of the match in the 52nd minute with a superb drag-flick from a penalty corner.DAY 10: WRAPIndia’s push for more medals on Tuesday ended with an impressive show of 9 medals which includes one gold, six silver medals and two bronze medals.India clinched a gold in the Men’s 800m Final with Manjit Singh winning the race ahead of compatriot Jinson Johnson, who bagged the silver. The sprinters ended the day with a silver medal in the first ever Mixed 4x400m Relay event held at the Asian Games.advertisement India clinched a gold in the Men’s 800m Final with Manjit Singh winning the race ahead of compatriot Jinson Johnson (left), who bagged the silver (AP Photo)India’s Kurash stars Pincky Balhara and Malaprabha Jadhav clinched the silver and bronze medals respectively.Earlier in the day, the Indian men’s table tennis team of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Amalraj Anthony Arputharaj bagged the first ever Asian Games medal for the country in the sport with a bronze.The archery teams also managed to clinch a medal as the Indian men’s and women’s compound team settled for silver after losing their respective finals.But the biggest heartbreak for India in the day came early when PV Sindhu lost her women’s singles badminton final against world number one Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan to settle for the silver medal.9 medals including a gold, helped India clinch the 8th spot on the medals tally. The day ended with 50 medals in total of India – 9 gold, 19 silver and 22 bronze.DAY 9: WRAPNeeraj Chopra was undoubtedly the star of the day for India, after he became the first Indian javelin thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal when he shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m.3 silver medals for Indian athletes on Day 9Chopra’s gold is India’s only second medal in javelin throw in Asian Games history after Gurtej Singh won a bronze in 1982 in New Delhi.Dharun Ayyasamy bagged silver in men’s 400 metre hurdles at the 2018 Asian Games while Sudha Singh won silver in women’s 3000 metre steeplechase on Monday in Jakarta. Neena Varakil also won silver in women’s long jump with a jump of 6.51.Saina Nehwal settles for bronze after losing semi-finalSaina’s bronze is the first individual badminton medal at the Asiad for India in 36 years. This is Saina’s first medal at the Asian Games as she was ousted in the quarter-final of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Hima Das won silver in the 400m finals with a time of 50.79 (AP Photo)Day 8: WRAPSprinters Muhammed Anas, Hima Das and Dutee Chand claimed silver medals after India earned two bronze medals in Bridge and another two silver in Equestrian.Hima Das wins silver in 400m with National RecordHima Das clinched the silver medal in the final of the 400m race and with a time of 50.79 in the final, broke the National Record again. Bahrain’s Salwa Naser produced a Games record timing of 50.09 seconds to finish ahead of 18-year-old Hima.Muhammed Anas wins men’s 400m silverMuhammed Anas bagged silver in men’s 400m after he clocked in at 45.69 seconds. Qatar’s Abdalelah Hassan, who completed the race in 44.89 seconds as he fended off Anas, who has a personal best of 45.31 seconds. Dutee Chand clocked 11.32 seconds to win women’s 100m silver at Asian Games 2018. (AP Photo)Dutee Chand clinched the silver medal in the women’s 100m final. Dutee clocked 11.32 seconds to earn the silver. The gold medal went to Edidiong Odiong of Bahrain, who clocked 11.30s while China’s Yongli Wei took the bronze, clocking 11.33s.advertisementDutee Chand wins silver in women’s 100m raceIndia earned two bronze medals after the men and mixed teams lost their semi-final matches.India settle for two bronze medals in bridgeThe men’s team lost to Singapore while the mixed team suffered defeat at the hands of Thailand.Fouaad Mirza, Team India win silver medals in EquestrianIndia’s Fouaad Mirza won a silver medal at the Equestrian Jumping Final and his valiant effort also helped the Indian team bag silver in the same event. Tajinderpal Singh broke the games record to win men’s shot put gold at Asian Games 2018. (AP Photo)Day 7: WRAPTajinderpal Singh Toor won India’s first medal in athletics as he broke the Games Record and the National Record after all three squash players returned with bronze after losing in the respective semi-finals.Tajinderpal Singh Toor wins gold in shot put with Games RecordThe 23-year-old Toor sent the iron ball to a national record distance of 20.75m to win his maiden Asian Games medal on the opening day of the athletics competition.India won three bronze medals in squash, which is the best ever performance in the singles squash event.Saurav Ghosal settles for bronzeTop seed Saurav Ghosal lost to Chung Ming Au of Hong Kong China 12-10 13-11 6-11 6-11 6-11 in the men’s singles semifinals.Joshna Chinappa goes down fightingAs for the the Indian women, Dipika Pallikal Karthik lost 0-3 (7-11, 9-11, 6-11) to defending champion and former World No.1 Nicol David of Malaysia.Dipika Pallikal settles for bronzeJoshana Chinappa went down 1-3 (5-11, 10-12, 11-5, 10-12) to another Malaysian Sivasangari Subramaniam.Day 6: WRAPIndia won medals in tennis, women’s kabaddi, shooting, rowing on Friday to end the day as the most productive one so far in this year’s Asian Games.Dushyant bags maiden Games medal for India in rowingIndian rowers started the day with a bang as they got three medals for their country early on in the day. Dushyant Chauhan bagged bronze in men’s Lightweight Single Sculls.Rowing team wins fifth gold medal for IndiaIt was followed by another bronze by Rohit Kumar and Bhagwan Singh in men’s Lightweight Double Sculls event. After two bronze medals in rowing, the Indian team finally struck in men’s Quadruple Sculls event.Rowers Rohit Kumar, Bhagwan Singh get bronze in Double Sculls Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan won gold in men’s doubles tennis (Reuters Photo)Later in the day, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan clinch won gold in men’s doubles tennis. Bopanna and Sharan, who were the top seeds in the event, played to their billing throughout the tournament and beat Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Bublik and Denis Yevseyev 6-3, 6-4 to scoop the top prize in the event.Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan win gold in men’s doubles tennisThe next medal came when the women’s kabaddi team, much like the men’s team, failed to overcome the mighty Iranians and surrendered a lead to go down in the final and therefore, settele for silver.India women settle for silver in Kabaddi Heena Sidhu bagged bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Women event (AP Photo)Heena Sidhu continued her medal-winning run at the Asian Games well as she settled for bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Women event.Bronze for Heena SidhuThe last medal of the day came from Prajnesh Gunneswaran, who settled for bronze after losing his men’s singles tennis semi-final.Prajnesh Gunneswaran settles for bronze in tennisDay 5: WRAP Shardul Vihan then earned silver in men’s Double Trap final (AP Photo)India returned with three medals on Thursday in the ongoing 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta to take their medal tally to 18.Ankita Raina earned bronze to kick start India’s day despite her loss 4-6, 6-7 to Shuai Zhang of China in a match which lasted for over two hours.15-year-old shooter Shardul Vihan then earned silver in men’s Double Trap final. Shardul shot 73 to claim the silver medal, while Korea’s 34-year-old Shin Hyunwoo clinched gold scoring 74.The last medal of the day was a bit of a shock as the Indian men’s kabaddi team lost to Iran 18-27 and were knocked out in the semi-final, therefore, settling for bronze.This was the first time the Indian men’s kabaddi team had to settle for anything less than gold in the Asian Games.Day 4: WRAP Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games (AP Photo)Rahi Sarnobat scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games as she prevailed in a nervy shoot-off in the 25m pistol event.The 27-year-old got the better of Thailand’s Naphaswan Yangpaiboon in a shoot-off after both shot a Games record score of 34 in the finals.India also bagged four bronze medals in the wushu sanda competition at the 18th Asian Games on Wednesday. This is the best ever medal haul by India in wushu at the Asian Games.Three medals came from the men’s competition as Santosh Kumar (56 kiloram), Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh (60kg) and Narender Grewal (65kg) lost in their respective semi-finals. Each losing semi-finalist is assured of a bronze medal.Day 3: WRAP Saurabh Chaudhary clinched the top prize in men’s 10m air pistol event (AP Photo)Saurabh, 16, clinched the top prize in men’s 10m air pistol event with Games record of 240.7 ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsuda (239.7).Saurabh’s compatriot Abhishek Verma won bronze in the same event with a score of 219.3.16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary shoots for gold with record scoreSaurabh and Abhishek’s success was followed up by shooter Sanjeev Rajput, who bagged silver in Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions to take India’s tally to eight.Shooter Sanjeev Rajput claims 3rd silver medal for IndiaIndia also clinched a medal in a game that many would have been unfamiliar of. The Indian team settled for bronze medal in Sepak takraw men’s team regu.India win first medal in sepak takrawIn the last medal of the day came from wrestler Divya Kakran, who bagged bronze in women’s 68kg freestyle category.Divya Kakran gets bronze in women’s wrestlingWrestler Divya Kakran won her first Asian Games medal when she beat Taipei’s Chen Wenling in the bronze medal match in Jakarta.Day 2: WRAP Wrestler Vinesh Phogat won gold in 50kg category final (AP Photo)Vinesh defeated Yuki 6-2 in the 50kg category final to bag the top prize and take India’s tally of gold medals to two at the 18th edition of the Asian Games in Indonesia.Vinesh Phogat 1st Indian woman wrestler to win Asian Games gold medalEarlier in the day, Shooter Deepak Kumar and Lakshay won silver each in 10m air rifle and men’s trap respectively.India bag 2nd shooting medal as Deepak Kumar claims silverThe 33-year-old Deepak did not mind the long wait for a major medal, 14 years after he picked up the sport. Deepak shot 247.7 to finish second on the podium behind China’s Haoran Yang, who won the top prize with a Games record 249.1 at the JSC Shooting Range of this port city.Lakshay, on the other hand, picked up the gun only four years ago as a teenager and at 20, after managing to hit a total of 43 out of a maximum shots of 50.Shooter Lakshay bags silver in men’s trapLakshay is now a silver-medallist at the Asiad, equalling the feat achieved by former world champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu at the 2006 Doha edition.Day 1: WRAP Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar won bronze in the mixed rifle event (AP Photo)The first medal came for India when shooters Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar won bronze in the mixed rifle event.The Indian pairing of Chandela and Kumar aggregated 429.9 after 42 shots in the 48-shot final and were in second spot for major part of the 48-shot finals before China overtook them to take the silver.Shooters Apurvi Chandela, Ravi Kumar win first medal for IndiaWrestler Bajrang Punia emerged as the star of the day after he opened India’s gold account at the 18th Games, as he won the 65kg category.Wrestler Bajrang Punia wins India’s first gold in Asian Games 2018An in-form Bajrang outclassed Uzbekistan’s Sirojiddin Khasanov (13-3), Tajikistan’s Fayziev Abdulqosim (12-2) and Mongolia’s N Batmagnai Batchuluu (10-0) to storm into the gold medal bout.In the final, he was tested by Japan’s Takatani Daichi but the Haryana grappler held his nerve to prevail 10-8 in an exciting battle.
Salaam Cricket 2018: This bowler troubled the mighty Sunil Gavaskar the most
Sunil Gavaskar, the first man to breach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket tamed the feared West Indies pace attack, played fearlessly against some of the most ferocious fast bowlers of all time, gave nightmares to Imran Khan and played some of the greatest knocks in recorded history.Despite all his heroics against the best of the best, guess which bowler troubled the mighty Sunil Gavaskar the most?Bruce Yardley of Australia. He was by no means a bad bowler. In 33 Tests, he picked 126 wickets at an average of 31.63. But for someone who had conquered some of the most fearsome pacers and wily spinners of all time, struggling against Yardley must have been a little weird.Salaam Cricket 2018: Sunil Gavaskar reveals why he once sported a moustache”Bruce Yardley of Australia,” Gavaskar replied when asked which bowler troubled him the most at Salaam Cricket 2018. “I wasn’t able to pick him up when he delivered the ball and he had a long run-up for an off-spinner. I was uncomfortable playing him.Salaam Cricket 2018: Gavaskar, Akram, Harbhajan leave audience in splits”I went to Chetan Chauhan during a match and told him I can take Len Pascoe and you take Yardley. He was like I was going to say the same but you would have misunderstood,” Gavaskar told the audience.For the record, Len Pascoe was an aggressive fast bowler who picked 64 wickets from 14 Tests.Did you ask your mother before coming here? Akram once mocked a young TendulkarDuring the course of an interesting conversation which also featured Akram, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-haq, Abdul Qadir, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Azharuddin, R Ashwin, Habibul Bashar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Madan Lal on stage, Gavaskar said the name Sunny bhai was given to him by Azhar and it stuck ever since.advertisementSalaam Cricket 2018: HIGHLIGHTSAnd what about Gavaskar’s most cherished moments?”India winning the 1983 World Cup, it was the supreme moment for me. The appeal was made for Michael Holding but my aim was to save the one run and then I heard from the audience that he was given out and I kept the ball in my pocket and believe me, Usain Bolt could not catch me.. the way I ran to the pavilion. I then went to the West Indies dressing room to get autographs,” he said.
Why Wasim Akram cursed Moin Khan after getting a dose of his own medicine
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram had the funniest of stories to narrate during Salaam Cricket 2018 and one such involved himself and former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan.Pakistan were playing against South Africa in a one-day international during their tour in 1998/99 and were chasing a score of 281.The visitors were struggling at 75 for 7 when Wasim joined Moin at the crease.Younis Khan yet to get promised dinner treat from Mohammed YousufBeing the new batsman at the crease, Wasim asked Moin how the ball was behaving and what he could expect from the South African bowlers to which the wicket-keeper had no answer.Salaam Cricket 2018: Gavaskar, Akram, Harbhajan leave audience in splitsHere is the conversation between the two:”It was in the Durban ODI against South Africa in 1998. I think we were 80 for 6 chasing over 300 (75 for 7 chasing 281). So I walked in with Moin Khan on strike. I asked Moin what’s happening to which he said he has no clue but the Proteas will give him a welcome bouncer for sure.Salaam Cricket 2018: When Akram once cracked a deal with Muralitharan”The very first ball I got a yorker and got hit on my toe. Later after getting out I abused Moin the whole way from the pitch to the dressing room,” Akram narrated in the final session of Salaam Cricket 2018.Akram was actually cleaned up by Pat Symcox for 27 which broke his partnership with Moin, who made 45. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 228 and they lost the match by 52 runs.advertisementSalaam Cricket 2018: India-Pakistan series can make or break players, says YounisIndia Today brought together 11 legends of cricket on one platform at the mega cricket conclave on Monday.Sunil Gavaskar, Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-haq, Abdul Qadir, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Azharuddin, R Ashwin, Habibul Bashar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Madan Lal spoke about India-Pakistan cricketing ties, the upcoming Asia Cup 2018 match between the two arch-rivals and their favourites for the tournament.