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Turkish sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç wins silver at Paris Olympics with minimal gear, becomes internet sensation

Turkish sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç did not want particular lenses or large ear protectors to win the silver medal within the air pistol crew occasion on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

With one hand in his pants pocket, Dikeç, 51, shot his approach to second place, marking a historic second for his house nation and catapulting himself into web fandom.

Serbia’s Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunović received gold and India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh took bronze.

Turkey’s Yusuf Dikeç competes within the 10-meter air pistol combined crew gold medal occasion on the Olympics in Chateauroux, France, on Tuesday. Manish Swarup / AP

Shooters are allowed some freedom in what they put on, The Related Press reported. Most put on massive ear protectors and visors or blinders over one eye to assist with focus and to scale back the glare of the lights.

However Dikeç skipped the flamboyant, high-tech gear and wore simply small yellow earplugs and a seemingly common pair of glasses. His accomplice, Şevval İlayda Tarhan, additionally did not put on any blinders and saved one hand tucked in her pocket. Their win was Turkey’s first medal in an Olympic taking pictures occasion.

Silver medalists Şevval İlayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikeç of Turkey on the rostrum throughout after the 10-meter air pistol combined crew medal ceremony.Charles McQuillan / Getty Photographs

“I didn’t want particular gear. I’m a pure, a pure shooter,” Dikeç was quoted as telling Turkish media, in keeping with EuroNews.

Followers shortly took discover and celebrated him for his laid-back, informal demeanor.

“No lens, no headphones, simply vibes,” Eurosport wrote on X. “Turkey’s Yusuf Dikeç wins silver and fan’s hearts.”

“Turkey despatched a 51 yr previous man with no specialised lenses, eye cowl or ear safety and bought the silver medal,” a person wrote.

In distinction, South Korea’s Kim Ye-ji additionally went viral this week after she was seen on the 10-meter air pistol girls’s occasion Saturday that includes futuristic lenses with a “Paris 2024” blinder and a cool, easy demeanor.

A fan shortly dubbed her the “James Bond of [the] Olympics.”

Results from Round 2 at Golf National

It is onto the weekend at Le Golf Nationwide and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

And the chase for the gold, silver and bronze stays fairly congested after Friday’s second spherical motion.

Partly as a result of issue of Gap 18 at Le Golf Nationwide — a Par 4 that performs alongside a physique of water and its inexperienced accelerates close to the opening — there’s a three-way tie for first between Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, United States’ Xander Schauffele and Nice Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood.

2024 PARIS OLYMPICS:Observe USA TODAY’s full protection of the Summer season Olympics

Each Schauffele and Fleetwood discovered a substantial quantity of success with their putt recreation on Friday as the 2 mixed for 13 birdies on the day. Schauffele shot 5-under on the day whereas Fleetwood shot 7-under, which included recording an eagle on the Par 5 Gap 3.

2024 Olympic medals: Who’s main the medal rely? Observe alongside as we observe the medals for each sport.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler stays in competition for a medal in his Olympic Video games debut after bouncing again from a double-bogey on Gap 7 with a 4-under par — and 4 birdies — on the Again 9. Scheffler is tied for tenth after 36 holes in France. Rory McIlroy additionally shot properly on the day, as he moved up 9 spots on the leaderboard to complete tied for 13 after Friday.

This is what to know from Friday’s second spherical of males’s golf on the 2024 Paris Olympics, who’s the place within the leaderboard after 36 holes of golf:

REQUIRED READING:Scottie Scheffler rating right now at 2024 Paris Olympics: Scorecard, outcomes from Spherical 2

Olympics golf leaderboard right now

Outcomes, courtesy of the official Olympic leaderboard.

Spherical 2

Beneath are the highest 20 golfers, together with ties, atop the leaderboard in Spherical 2. For full outcomes, click on right here.

Holes accomplished in parentheses

  • T-1. Xander Schauffele (United States): -11 (F)
  • T-1. Tommy Fleetwood (Nice Britain): -11 (F)
  • T-1. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan): -11 (F)
  • 4. Jon Rahm (Spain): -9 (F)
  • T-5. Thomas Detry (Belgium): -8 (F)
  • T-5. C.T. Pan (Chinese language Taipei): -8 (F)
  • T-5. Tom Kim (Korea): -8 (17)
  • T-8. Stephan Jaeger (Germany): -7 (F)
  • T-8. Guido Migliozzi (Italy): -7 (F)
  • T-10. Joaquin Niemann (Chile): -6 (F)
  • T-10. Erik van Rooyen (South Africa): – 6 (F)
  • T-10. Scottie Scheffler (United States): -6 (F)
  • T-13. Matt Fitzpatrick (Nice Britain): -5 (F)
  • T-13. Victor Perez (France): -5 (F)
  • T-13. Alejandro Tosti (Argentina): -5 (F)
  • T-13. Corey Conners (Canada): -5 (F)
  • T-13. Jason Day (Australia): -5 (F)
  • T-13. Rory McIlroy (Eire): -4 (F)
  • T-19. Matteo Manassero (Italy): -4 (F)
  • T-19. Sami Valimaki (Finland): -4 (F)
  • T-19. David Puig (Spain): -4 (F)
  • T-19. Colin Morikawa (United States): -4 (F)
  • T-19. Carlos Ortiz (Mexico): -4 (F)
  • T-19. Ludvig Aberg (Sweden): -4 (F)

Watch golf on the 2024 Paris Olympics with Fubo (free trial)

Who’s competing for Group USA on the Paris Olympics in golf?

Making up Group USA’s roster for the Paris Olympics in males’s particular person stroke play is Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark. Schauffele is the defending gold medal champion from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic golf Spherical 2 pairing, tee instances

This is a take a look at the golf pairings and tee instances for Spherical 2 on the 2024 Paris Olympics:

All instances Japanese

  • 3 a.m.: Yechun Yuan (China), Camilo Villegas (Colombia) and Matteo Manassero (Italy)
  • 3:11 a.m.: Adrian Meronk (Poland), Sami Valimaki (Finland) and David Puig (Spain)
  • 3:22 a.m.: Erik van Rooyen (South Africa), Keita Nakajima (Japan) and Kevin Yu (Chinese language Taipei)
  • 3:33 a.m.: Stephan Jaeger (Germany), Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) and Thomas Detry (Belgium)
  • 3:44 a.m.: Byeong Hun An (Korea), Shane Lowry (Eire) and Nick Taylor (Canada)
  • 3:55 a.m.: Xander Schauffele (USA), Viktor Hovland (Norway) and Jon Rahm (Spain)
  • 4:11 a.m.: Matthieu Pavon (France), Collin Morikawa (USA) and Matt Fitzpatrick (Nice Britain)
  • 4:22 a.m.: Shubhankar Sharma (India), Rafael Campos (Puerto Rico) and Carlos Ortiz (Mexico)
  • 4:33 a.m.: Nico Echavarria (Colombia), Mito Pereira (Chile) and Kristoffer Ventura (Norway)
  • 4:44 a.m.: Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay), Joel Girrbach (Switzerland) and Tapio Pulkkanen (Finland)
  • 4:55 a.m.: Victor Perez (France), Matthias Schmid (Germany) and C.T. Pan (Chinese language Taipei)
  • 5:06 a.m.: Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark), Alejandro Tosti (Argentina) and Joaquin Niemann (Chile)
  • 5:17 a.m.: Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Alex Noren (Sweden) and Ryan Fox (New Zealand)
  • 5:33 a.m.: Min Woo Lee (Australia), Corey Conners (Canada) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa)
  • 5:44 a.m.: Wyndham Clark (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Tommy Fleetwood (Nice Britain)
  • 5:55 a.m.: Sepp Straka (Austria), Jason Day (Australia) and Tom Kim (Korea)
  • 6:06 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler (USA), Rory McIlroy (Eire) and Ludvig Aberg (Sweden)
  • 6:17 a.m.: Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Belgium), Daniel Hillier (New Zealand) and Guido Migliozzi (Italy)
  • 6:28 a.m.: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Gavin Inexperienced (Malaysia) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (India)
  • 6:39 a.m.: Phachara Khongwatmai (Thailand), Abraham Ancer (Mexico) and Dou Zecheng (China)

REQUIRED READING:Who’s Carlos Ortiz? Golfer in medal competition after Spherical 1 at 2024 Paris Olympics

Olympics golf reside TV protection

  • TV Channel: Golf Channel

Friday’s second spherical of golf on the Paris Olympics will likely be broadcast reside on Golf Channel.

Olympics golf streaming choices

You’ll be able to stream Spherical 2 of males’s golf motion on the 2024 Paris Olympics on the go on the NBC app, NBC Olympics app or on NBCOlympics.com by logging in along with your TV supplier credentials. You may also stream it on Fubo, which carries the Golf Channel and presents a free trial, or on Peacock.

We often advocate attention-grabbing services. For those who make a purchase order by clicking one of many hyperlinks, we could earn an affiliate price. USA TODAY Community newsrooms function independently, and this doesn’t affect our protection.

Cardi B reveals she is pregnant with third child

Cardi B is anticipating her third baby.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper revealed her being pregnant in an Instagram put up Thursday, cradling her stomach and gazing down at it in two images shared to her web page.

The social media announcement got here shortly after she filed for divorce from rapper Offset, a consultant for Cardi B confirmed to NBC Information.

“With each ending comes a brand new starting! I’m so grateful to have shared this season with you, you may have introduced me extra love, extra life and most of all renewed my energy!” Cardi B, 31, wrote in her caption. “Jogged my memory that I can have all of it! You’ve jogged my memory that I by no means have to decide on between life, love, and my ardour!”

Cardi B and Offset, who acquired married in 2017, have two youngsters: 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 2-year-old son Wave. Their divorce “shouldn’t be based mostly on anyone explicit incident, it has been a very long time coming and is amicable,” a consultant for Cardi B mentioned in an announcement Thursday.

Cardi B had filed for divorce from Offset in 2020, earlier than the couple determined to reunite.

The rapper has typically expressed affection for her youngsters on social media, sharing images and celebrating their milestones on Instagram.

Final month, she wished a cheerful birthday to her “stunning, mild, superb daughter,” writing in an Instagram put up that she has been “rising up with you trigger I discovered sooo a lot by simply being your mother.”

The being pregnant information drew a wave of assist from followers, who flooded her feedback with congratulations and effectively needs.

“It’s a lot simpler taking life’s twists, turns and take a look at laying down,” Cardi B wrote, “however you, your brother and your sister have proven me why it’s price it to push by way of!”

Cardi B files for divorce from Offset, posts she’s pregnant with their third child

NEW YORK (AP) — Cardi B has filed for divorce from her husband, rapper Offset.

A consultant for Cardi B confirmed the information to The Related Press, writing, “This isn’t based mostly on anyone explicit incident, it has been a very long time coming and is amicable.”

On Instagram, Cardi B didn’t immediately touch upon the information of her divorce, however posted a photograph of her on a rooftop, holding her abdomen to disclose a child bump.

“With each ending comes a brand new starting! I’m so grateful to have shared this season with you, you may have introduced me extra love, extra life and most of all renewed my energy,” she wrote within the caption. “It’s a lot simpler taking life’s twists, turns and check laying down, however you, your brother and your sister have proven me why it’s price it to push via!”

Cardi B and Offset, whose beginning names are Belcalis Almanzar and Kiari Cephus respectively, have two youngsters collectively: 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 2-year-old son Wave.

The hip-hop energy couple — Offset is thought for his position within the rap group Migos and his profitable solo profession — had been secretly wed on Sept. 20, 2017, in Atlanta. They solely introduced their engagement a month later.

In 2020, Cardi B beforehand filed for divorce from Offset, claiming her marriage was “irretrievably damaged.”

Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan greeted by President Biden, VP Harris after landing on US soil

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, are again on U.S. soil.

As they stepped off the airplane, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted the three at Joint Base Andrews exterior Washington.

The People have been a part of a rare 24-prisoner trade involving Russia, america and a number of other different international locations, the biggest of its form for the reason that Chilly Conflict and one wherein President Biden was straight concerned, the White Home stated earlier Thursday.

Reporter Evan Gershkovich is greeted by his father, Mikhail Gershkovich as Paul Whelan watches at Andrews Air Pressure Base, Md., following his launch as a part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and america, Aug. 1, 2024.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva embraces her daughters Miriam Butorin and Bibi Butorinas as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 1, 2024.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Pictures

The swap allowed wrongfully detained People Gershkovich and Whelan to return house from Russia.

Addressing the press after greeting the People, Biden gave particular recognition to Germany and Slovenia.

“The hardest name on this one was for different international locations as a result of I requested them to do issues that have been towards their self-interest, particularly Germany and Slovenia,” Biden stated.

When requested if exchanges like these make it extra possible for People to be taken overseas, Biden stated, “That is been the case for all historical past. My job is to verify, No. 1, they do not get them, and in the event that they do, we get them again.”

Reporters additionally requested Biden if he had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Cease,” Biden replied.

After their arrival at JBA, the returning People and their households have been set to be supplied a flight to Lackland Air Pressure Base in San Antonio, Texas, to obtain post-isolation help at San Antonio Brooke Military Medical Middle, based on a senior administration official.

President Joe Biden embraces Paul Whelan, who was launched from detention in Russia, upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

Shortly earlier than midday Thursday, Gershkovich and Whelan had been freed and have been on their manner again to the U.S., Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated.

The multipart deal is the product of months of detailed, painstaking negotiations, nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan stated.

“A few of these ladies and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable struggling and uncertainty. In the present day, their agony is over,” Biden stated in a press release.

“This can be a superb afternoon,” Biden stated not lengthy after in remarks on the White Home, surrounded by relations of these freed. “Moments in the past, the households and I have been in a position to converse to them on the phone from the Oval Workplace. They’re out of Russia.”

Requested by a reporter what he informed them, Biden responded, smiling, “I stated, ‘Welcome, nearly house.'”

He stated the deal was a “feat of diplomacy and friendship.”

“This deal wouldn’t have been made doable with out our allies. Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey, all of them stepped up they usually stood with us. They stood with us, they usually made daring and courageous choices, launched prisoners being held of their international locations who have been justifiably being held and offered logistical help to get the People house. So, for anybody who questions whether or not allies matter, they do. They matter,” he stated.

Planes believed to be carrying the freed prisoners have been seen on arrival at Turkey’s Ankara Airport earlier Thursday, the AP reported.

President Joe Biden greets Evan Gershkovich, who was launched from detention in Russia, upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

The trade additionally freed Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and Vladimir Kara-Muza, a authorized everlasting resident of the U.S.

“The president is gathering the households of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza on the White Home to share with them the information that an trade is underway to safe the discharge of their family members from Russia,” Sullivan informed reporters on Thursday morning.

In line with a senior administration official, Biden had been monitoring the scenario “in close to actual time” by updates from his nationwide safety crew, and was set to remain plugged in all through of the day.

Former prisoner held by Russia US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva runs to her daughters Miriam Butorin and Bibi Butorinas as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

President Joe Biden greets Paul Whelan, a prisoner freed by Russia, as he arrives on August 1, 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures

Vice President Kamala Harris greeta reporter Evan Gershkovich at Andrews Air Pressure Base, Md., following his launch as a part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and america, Aug. 1, 2024.

Alex Brandon/AP

Launch ‘uniquely difficult’

Sullivan stated securing the discharge of the People was “uniquely difficult” as a result of strained relationship between the international locations and the struggle in Ukraine.

One other hurdle, he stated, was Russia’s unwillingness to conform to a swap that didn’t embrace Vadim Krasikov, a Russian operative and hitman who was serving a life sentence in Germany for gunning down an opponent to the Kremlin on the streets of Berlin.

“That required intensive diplomatic engagement with our German counterparts, beginning on the prime with the president himself, who labored this difficulty straight with Chancellor Schultz. We’re deeply grateful to Germany for his or her partnership,” Sullivan stated.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested by Russian authorities in March 2023 for espionage, a cost he and U.S. officers flatly deny, with President Biden saying Gershkovich was focused for being a journalist and an American.

After an unusually hasty trial that performed out behind closed doorways, Gershkovich was discovered responsible and sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.

Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, was arrested in December 2018 whereas touring on an American passport in Russia and in addition accused of espionage.

Each the Biden and Trump administrations denied the allegation towards Whelan. He was convicted on the fees in June 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in jail, in the end serving 5.

Kurmasheva, a twin citizen of the U.S. and Russia, was arrested by Russian authorities in 2023 for failing to register as a international agent. Kara-Muza was serving a 25-year sentence for criticism of the struggle in Ukraine.

As a part of the trade, Russia had additionally agreed to launch a dozen German nationals who have been being held as political prisoners.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watch as former prisoner held by Russia US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva embraces her household as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

Biden’s function and US-Russia relations

A senior administration official stated even on the day he introduced he was not looking for reelection, President Biden was on the cellphone working to safe this deal.

“The hour earlier than he launched that assertion – actually an hour earlier than he launched that assertion – he was on the cellphone together with his Slovenian counterpart urging them to make the ultimate preparations and get this deal over the end line,” the official stated. “This trade shouldn’t be accidentally. It truly is the results of a heck of a whole lot of management by President Biden and by the power of relationships,” the senior administration official stated.

A senior administration official says regardless of this important settlement, there needs to be no expectation of improved U.S.-Russia relations going ahead.

This official stated the administration has proven it may well maintain Russia accountable for its aggression on the world stage whereas “compartmentalizing out” the work on securing the discharge of People which are wrongfully detained.

“I might be cautious and would counsel anybody to be cautious in surmising from this that it is some kind of break by within the relationship and it portends some detente with Russia or an easing of the tensions in our relationship.”

This official stated Russia’s ongoing struggle towards Ukraine, strain on NATO allies and throughout Europe, and the “burgeoning protection relationship” Putin is forming with China, North Korea and Iran are “of serious concern,” the official stated.

“We is not going to see a coverage change by President Biden and the administration on the subject of standing as much as Putin’s aggression,” the official stated.

Evan Gershkovich greets his mom Ella Milman after he arrived again in america as President Joe Biden appears to be like on, Aug. 1, 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures

Prisoners handed over by US

The three prisoners handed over from the U.S. are Roman Seleznev, Vladislav Klyushin and Vadim Konoshchenock.

The son of a Russian lawmaker, Seleznev was discovered responsible by a U.S. federal court docket in Washington State for operating a cyber scheme focusing on hundreds of U.S. companies, leading to $169 million in losses. He was sentenced to 27 years in jail in 2017.

That very same yr, Seleznev pleaded responsible to taking part in a racketeering scheme in Nevada and conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud in Georgia, receiving a 14-year jail time period for every to run concurrently with the Washington sentence.

Klyushin, a Russian businessman linked to the Kremlin, was sentenced to 9 years in jail in September 2023 after he was convicted of enjoying a key function in a inventory market dishonest scheme that relied on insider data obtained by hacking U.S. pc techniques.

Konoshchenko was accused of smuggling American-made army tools into Russia and laundering cash for Moscow. He was awaiting trial and going through a most sentence of 30 years behind bars.

Other than Krasikov, prisoners returning to Russia from different international locations embrace two from Slovenia, one from Norway, and one from Poland.

Regardless of the groundbreaking nature of the deal, White Home officers cautioned towards seeing the settlement as a watershed second for U.S.-Russia relations at giant.

President Joe Biden, hugs Alsu Kurmasheva at Andrews Air Pressure Base, Md., following her launch as a part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and america, Aug. 1, 2024.

Alex Brandon/AP

“We is not going to see a coverage change by President Biden and the administration on the subject of standing as much as Putin’s aggression,” one official stated.

The deal comes as a shock to Kremlin observers and a few U.S. officers, who believed Vladimir Putin can be reticent to strike a deal that may very well be perceived as a win for the Biden administration.

The State Division revealed in December that the U.S. had put ahead a “substantial proposal” to free Gershkovich and Whelan however stated Russia had rejected it—though administration officers stated negotiations between the international locations pressed ahead.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the White Home, beforehand promised that he would free Gershkovich “as quickly as I win the election.”

Gershkovich and Whelan have been the one two People imprisoned in Russia thought of by the U.S. authorities to be wrongfully detained, however at the least ten different U.S. residents are jailed within the nation underneath doubtful circumstances, based on officers aware of the matter.

Former prisoner held by Russia US journalist Evan Gershkovich waves as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

One official stated that the U.S. regretted it couldn’t embrace Marc Fogel, an American college instructor arrested in Russia for attempting to hold a small quantity of medical marijuana into the nation, as a part of the swap.

Lately, the U.S. and Russia have accomplished two easy one-for-one prisoner exchanges to free wrongfully detained People.

The international locations swapped U.S. Marine Corps veteran Trevor Reed for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving out a sentence for drug smuggling, in April 2022.

Reporter Evan Gershkovich is greeted by his mom, Ella Milman, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris look on at Andrews Air Pressure Base, Md., following their launch, Aug. 1, 2024.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

In December of the identical yr, Russia freed Brittney Griner, a WNBA basketball participant, in trade for the discharge of Viktor Bout, an arms supplier often known as the “service provider of demise.”

The Wall Road Journal, in a press release, stated, “We’re overwhelmed with aid and elated for Evan and his household, in addition to for the others who have been launched.”

It added, “Particularly, we want to thank the U.S. authorities and quite a few governments around the globe, with explicit gratitude to Germany; international information media organizations standing in solidarity with Evan; Evan’s huge worldwide community of associates; and our colleagues at The Wall Road Journal, Dow Jones and Information Corp who supported Evan from the primary hour of his captivity.”

On Thursday afternoon, Harris, the now presumptive Democratic Occasion nominee, as she left Houston, made a press release to cameras, notably mentioning her function within the prisoner launch.

Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as she meets Evan Gershkovich, who was launched from detention in Russia, upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 1, 2024.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

On this photograph posted to the @POTUS account, the freed People are proven on the airplane with the American flag behind them, on Aug. 1, 2024.

@POTUS/X

“Over a few years, President Biden and I, and our crew have engaged in advanced diplomatic negotiations to carry these wrongfully detained People house,” Harris stated. “We by no means stopped preventing for his or her launch, and in the present day, regardless of all of their struggling, it offers me nice consolation to know that their horrible ordeal is lastly over.”

ABC Information’ Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.

Judge throws out the $4.7 billion NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ verdict


New York
CNN
 — 

A California choose threw out a jury verdict ordering the NFL to pay greater than $4.7 billion for anti-trust violations surrounding its “Sunday Ticket” bundle, which lets followers watch video games outdoors of their residence markets however required them to purchase entry to a bundle of video games to take action.

The league, America’s hottest supply of tv programming, vowed to enchantment the decision in June.

In a press release, the NFL mentioned it was “grateful” for the ruling.

“We consider that the NFL’s media distribution mannequin supplies our followers with an array of choices to observe the sport they love, together with native broadcasts of each single recreation on free over-the-air tv,” the assertion mentioned.

In a court docket submitting Thursday, US District Choose Philip Gutierrez introduced up concern with the skilled witnesses within the trial.

“The Courtroom agrees that Dr. Rascher’s and Dr. Zona’s testimonies primarily based on their flawed methodologies must be excluded. And since there was no different assist for the class-wide damage and damages components of Plaintiffs’… claims, judgment as a matter of legislation for the Defendants is acceptable,” the submitting mentioned.

The submitting additionally mentioned that “The Courtroom finds that the jury’s damages awards weren’t primarily based on the ‘proof and affordable inferences’ however as an alternative have been extra akin to ‘guesswork or hypothesis.’”

The case, first introduced in 2015, targeted on the NFL’s bundle of video games outdoors of a neighborhood market that aren’t proven nationally on different networks. Attorneys for the plaintiffs within the class motion swimsuit argued that by limiting broadcasts of these “out-of-market” video games to the “Sunday Ticket” bundle, the NFL is forcing clients who simply need to watch one crew or a small group of groups to pay extra.

“Given the comparatively low value of web streaming and satellite tv for pc and cable tv carriage, every crew performing independently would provide their video games at a aggressive value to anyone within the nation who needed to observe that exact crew,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys argued in a submitting. “As an alternative, nonetheless, the groups have all forgone this feature in favor of making a extra profitable monopoly.”

Due to the case’s nature as an anti-trust matter, the decision would have been tripled if upheld, placing the NFL on the hook for $14.1 billion in damages.

CNN’s Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

This story has been up to date with further context.

Joint Paris 2024 Boxing Unit/IOC Statement

Each individual has the best to practise sport with out discrimination.

All athletes taking part within the boxing event of the Olympic Video games Paris 2024 adjust to the competitors’s eligibility and entry rules, in addition to all relevant medical rules set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) (please discover all relevant guidelines right here). As with earlier Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based mostly on their passport.

These guidelines additionally utilized throughout the qualification interval, together with the boxing tournaments of the 2023 European Video games, Asian Video games, Pan American Video games and Pacific Video games, the advert hoc 2023 African qualifying event in Dakar (SEN) and two world qualifying tournaments held in Busto Arsizio (ITA) and Bangkok (THA) in 2024, which concerned a complete of 1,471 totally different boxers from 172 Nationwide Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Boxing Refugee Group and Particular person Impartial Athletes, and featured over 2,000 qualification bouts.

The PBU used the Tokyo 2020 boxing guidelines as a baseline to develop its rules for Paris 2024. This was to minimise the affect on athletes’ preparations and assure consistency between Olympic Video games. These Tokyo 2020 guidelines had been based mostly on the post-Rio 2016 guidelines, which had been in place earlier than the suspension of the boxing Worldwide Federation by the IOC in 2019 and the next withdrawal of its recognition in 2023.

We have now seen in experiences deceptive details about two feminine athletes competing on the Olympic Video games Paris 2024. The 2 athletes have been competing in worldwide boxing competitions for a few years within the girls’s class, together with the Olympic Video games Tokyo 2020, Worldwide Boxing Affiliation (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.

These two athletes had been the victims of a sudden and arbitrary choice by the IBA. In direction of the top of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they had been all of a sudden disqualified with none due course of.

Based on the IBA minutes out there on their web site, this choice was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary Common and CEO. The IBA Board solely ratified it afterwards and solely subsequently requested {that a} process to observe in related instances sooner or later be established and mirrored within the IBA Laws. The minutes additionally say that the IBA ought to “set up a transparent process on gender testing”.

The present aggression towards these two athletes is predicated completely on this arbitrary choice, which was taken with none correct process – particularly contemplating that these athletes had been competing in top-level competitors for a few years.

Such an strategy is opposite to good governance.

Eligibility guidelines shouldn’t be modified throughout ongoing competitors, and any rule change should observe acceptable processes and needs to be based mostly on scientific proof.

The IOC is dedicated to defending the human rights of all athletes taking part within the Olympic Video games as per the Olympic Constitution, the IOC Code of Ethics and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights. The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the 2 athletes are at present receiving.

The IBA’s recognition was withdrawn by the IOC in 2023 following its suspension in 2019. The withdrawal of recognition was confirmed by the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). See the IOC’s assertion following the ruling.

The IOC has made it clear that it wants Nationwide Boxing Federations to achieve a consensus round a brand new Worldwide Federation to ensure that boxing to be included on the sports activities programme of the Olympic Video games LA28.

Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade, and Suni Lee’s heart-pounding final.

That is a part of Slate’s 2024 Olympics protection. Learn extra right here

Nicely my associates, I mentioned it would occur, and for a couple of minutes there throughout the ladies’s all-around gymnastics ultimate in Paris’ Bercy Area, I believed it truly would: Simone Biles, the best gymnast the game has ever seen, was briefly behind. I mentioned it, and I meant it: Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was inside Biles’ margin of error! However after a contest stuffed with extra twists and turns than—wait, what’s a sport that options many literal twists and turns? I can’t consider one—the all-around podium had Biles on the prime, persevering with her run as probably the most embellished American Olympic gymnast of all time.

With this gold, at 27 Biles additionally turns into—properly, let’s be well mannered: the feminine particular person with the, er, quantity highest in age to have gained a gymnastics all-around gold since Maria Gorokhovskaya did it in 1952 at 30, doing what, I’m sorry, now appear like playground tips as a result of my, has the game advanced! Biles’ triumph is just not some type of freak incidence, by the way in which; elite gymnastics careers now final far longer than they as soon as did. Additionally, 27 is simply “previous” if you happen to’re Andrew Tate.

The meet began off with a large Biles benefit. Though Andrade threw an impressive Cheng—she is, I’m going to say it, the perfect to ever do that exact vault—the Cheng’s problem worth of 5.6 paled compared to you-know-what: That’s proper! The Biles 2, or Yurchenko double pike (problem: 6.4), the ability Biles has mentioned makes her scared she would possibly die actually each time she does it. After she landed this monster on her ft with just one sizeable step again—do not come for me with “however her landings!”; this vault under-rotated may break each of her legs—the meet was hers to lose. After which she went to the accursed uneven bars and got here as near dropping it as I’ve ever seen her do.

Biles entered the second rotation with a lead of greater than half some extent—which she promptly chucked straight into the garbaggio after pulling by way of a very heroic save, when her high-to-low-bar transition went awry. It was a testomony to her nerves, expertise, and teeny tiny peak that this error didn’t put her onto the mat; as a substitute, she swung by way of on the low bar with bent knees (one massive deduction) after which needed to insert corrective expertise (one other whopper). In the long run, she someway wrangled a decent 13.733 (a fall routine could be someplace within the 12s), however her margin of error shrank to a unfavourable quantity. With Andrade’s bar routine coming in at 14.666, this erased Biles’ lead, after which some. In truth, at one level, after Algeria’s magnificent bar employee Kaylia Nemour pulled a 15.533 on her signature occasion, Biles stood, horror of horrors, in third place. (This was as a result of Nemour’s a bar prodigy, and her different occasions rating within the human vary—however that didn’t cease a whole lot of chatter!)  

In the meantime! The gold race wasn’t the one factor that made me think about speaking to my physician about no matter hypertension drug was marketed between occasions. For between Nemour and Italy’s wonder-twin Alice D’Amato, our very personal Suni Lee, who wasn’t even speculated to be right here right now, was discovering herself in a lifeless warmth for the bronze after a stable (however comparatively small) vault and a shocking bar set. (A yr in the past, Lee was identified with two separate continual kidney illnesses, and advised she would possibly by no means do gymnastics once more.)

What higher option to assuage the nerves of a world collectively about to barf than everybody’s favourite occasion, the very chill stability beam? (At the least it wasn’t pommels!) Nonetheless, the second I noticed Biles ace the mount that’s been dogging her just lately, I knew she’d be OK. Her solely deductions of observe, in actual fact, had been a small wobble after the facet aerial that briefly derailed her in workforce finals, and an totally heroic muscle-through save on her accursed wolf flip, which regular folks most likely didn’t discover as a result of wolf turns are humorous wanting even when carried out proper.

So now the meet was Biles’ to lose once more. Would Andrade present an help? She wouldn’t! Her beam routine, although nice, was not as tough and scored a 14.133 to Biles 14.566. Concurrently, would any of the bronze-medal contenders offer Lee any tenths to spare? No they’d not; it was Lee who provided quite a few small corrections and points all through her beam routine.

At this level my blood had returned to a human stage of strain, as a result of I knew that whereas Biles’ fluke on bars had made issues attention-grabbing, this meet was now squarely within the GOAT’s bailiwick. The final occasion was the ground train, on which no gymnast has ever come near her problem. And whereas it’s gymnastics, so something can occur—minutes earlier than, Brazil’s Flavia Saraiva had bounced so onerous out of a double tuck that she actually stomach flopped out of bounds!—Biles may have, ultimately, counted an out-of-bounds on all 4 tumbling passes and nonetheless walked away with the gold. (Biles is so good on ground—her fundamentals so flawless, her amplitude unparalleled, and her in-air execution often good—that overdoing her tumbling is often the one notable mistake she makes.)

After Tokyo I take nothing without any consideration, and probably like lots of you, I discovered this meet practically unimaginable to observe. As a lot as I do know she doesn’t want a single medal extra to cement her standing as the best to ever do it, I additionally know that Biles wouldn’t have come again to those Olympics if she didn’t need to win them. Nonetheless, as a lot as I needed this for her—the redemption she has been after for 3 years—I additionally understood that it was precisely this exact expectation from the world that broke her earlier than. So, though Biles has not scored beneath a 14 on ground at any time throughout the 2024 quadrennial—and though, after Andrade posted a beautiful however not-as-difficult ground routine (alas, no secret new tumbling, which she had been rumored to be debuting in Paris), the American wanted however a 13.868 to win. It was crucial that on behalf of the whole world that I calmed my hormones.

Nicely, possibly I did and possibly I didn’t! As a result of I could or might not have brought about a minor commotion in my home when Biles completely drilled her ground routine, obliterating any scintilla of hater doubt about whether or not she was well worth the hype. When all was flipped and twisted on the finish of the ground rotation, not solely had Biles landed on the prime of the rostrum, however with some minor assists from D’Amato and Nemour on ground, Lee clawed her manner again up there too. (Lee wanted to do the literal greatest ground routine she had ever carried out since Tokyo, and he or she did—in, I ought to point out, her literal first worldwide competitors since Tokyo.)

With Biles and Lee bookending Andrade (all three ladies’s all-around medalists are returning to this podium, for the primary time in historical past!), this may not have been the rostrum that some curmudgeonly worldwide followers had been hoping for—extra people within the deep “gymternet” had been rooting for a “Simone flop” than I’ll ever dignify in print once more—nevertheless it was the rostrum that every of those phenomenal athletes earned. There may be additionally no imaginary time journey math wanted to show Biles’ greatness; Andrade circa 2024 was, and stays, the one actual all-around competitors she has had in additional than a decade. And whereas Andrade was magnificent and spent the whole meet inside Biles’ margin of error, ultimately the GOAT’s errors remained marginal sufficient to maintain her on prime.

This Olympics has gone phenomenally properly for the U.S. gymnastics workforce, with solely occasion finals now left. Now, everybody (together with, maybe, me?) will get an entire total day to relaxation, earlier than every exceptional equipment turns into the focal point within the occasion finals. Mentioned occasion finals often is the final time we ever see Biles or Andrade face off, or probably—sniff—compete in any respect. So let’s all be thankful for another sensible weekend—as we hope our blood strain holds out.

Biles back on top: Simone Biles clinches second Olympic all-around gold

The world watched in awe as Biles, undeterred by previous challenges and setbacks, delivered a efficiency for the ages in Paris. 

Biles began her night on vault, launching her eponymous Yurchenko double pike into the stratosphere for an early lead of 0.666 factors. 

Biles admitted after the competitors that she initially wasn’t planning to compete the Yurchenko double pike, however in the end determined she may gain advantage from the rating enhance to distance herself from Andrade. 

“I do not need to compete with Rebeca no extra – I am drained,” Biles joked. “She’s manner too shut. I’ve by no means had an athlete that shut, so it undoubtedly put me on my toes and it introduced out the very best athlete (in me) … I am getting uncomfortable guys! I used to be stressing.” 

Within the second rotation, Biles mistimed her Pak Salto on the uneven bars. Consequently, she had a big knee bend and likewise took an additional swing to get her rhythm again. 

“I am undecided what the digicam caught or what I used to be doing,” Biles mentioned. “I used to be most likely praying to each single God on the market; making an attempt to refocus and re-center myself as a result of that is not the bars that I have been coaching. Out of all of the occasions, I believe bars is the one I have not tousled as soon as the entire complete coaching right here or again in Houston. So simply refocusing and ensuring that as quickly as we go to beam, since I am first up, I can simply re-center myself and end the remainder of the competitors as a result of its not over till its over.” 

Biles quickly slipped within the standings, however rallied again on stability beam and sealed the cope with an electrical flooring routine within the last rotation. 

Andrade, who’s extensively thought-about to be Biles’ largest rival, is using a excessive after serving to lead Staff Brazil to an historic staff bronze medal. Andrade began the competitors with a caught Cheng and didn’t look again, locking in her fourth profession Olympic medal. 

“I am simply very joyful and grateful,” Andrade mentioned. “It was a troublesome competitors. It’s totally troublesome to have three days of competitors (qualification, staff last after which the person all-around), however I am very pleased with how I carried out.”

Imane Khelif, Algeria boxer who had gender test issue, wins first Olympic fight

VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Imane Khelif and Angela Carini exchanged just a few brisk punches of their 46 seconds of competitors within the Paris ring. They have been sufficient to influence Carini that her Olympic debut was completed.

The Italy boxer abruptly walked away from her Algerian opponent and went to her nook Thursday, abandoning her bout — a particularly uncommon prevalence in Olympic boxing.

Carini didn’t shake Khelif’s hand after the referee formally raised it, however she cried within the ring after sinking to her knees. Minutes afterward, a still-tearful Carini stated she stop due to the ache from these opening punches.

“I felt a extreme ache in my nostril, and with the maturity of a boxer, I stated ‘sufficient,’ as a result of I didn’t need to, I didn’t need to, I couldn’t end the match,” Carini stated.

Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility check, and her presence on the Paris Olympics has turn into a divisive concern.

Carini, who had a spot of blood on her trunks, stated she wasn’t making a political assertion and was not refusing to battle Khelif. Carini additional stated she just isn’t certified to determine whether or not Khelif needs to be allowed to compete.

“I simply did my job as a boxer,” Carini stated. “I bought into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held excessive and with a damaged coronary heart for not having completed the final kilometer.”

Carini later obtained a go to from Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who consoled the boxer in a photograph posted on Meloni’s Instagram web page.

“I do know you gained’t hand over, Angela,” Meloni wrote, “and I do know in the future you’ll win what you deserve with effort and sweat. In a contest that’s lastly equal.”

Khelif is an achieved newbie who gained a silver medal on the Worldwide Boxing Affiliation’s 2022 world championships. The IBA — which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019 after years of disputes with the IOC — disqualified her from final 12 months’s championships shortly earlier than her gold-medal match due to what it claimed have been elevated ranges of testosterone.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, left, fights Italy’s Angela Carini of their girls’s 66kg preliminary boxing match on the 2024 Summer season Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photograph/John Locher)

The 25-year-old entered the ring on the North Paris Enviornment to a refrain of cheers, however the crowd was confused by the bout’s sudden finish. Italy coach Emanuele Renzini stated he mentioned the matchup with Carini and supplied to permit her to again out earlier, however the boxer had been “very decided” to battle till the opening minute.

“I’m heartbroken as a result of I’m a fighter,” Carini stated. “My father taught me to be a warrior. I’ve at all times stepped into the ring with honor and I’ve at all times (served) my nation with loyalty. And this time I couldn’t do it as a result of I couldn’t battle anymore, and so I ended the match.”

Khelif may clinch an Olympic medal with a victory in her quarterfinal bout on Saturday in opposition to Anna Luca Hamori, Hungary’s first Olympic girls’s boxer.

Hamori expressed no concern about preventing Khelif.

“I’m not scared,” stated Hamori, who trounced Marissa Williamson Pohlman of Australia. “I don’t care in regards to the press story and social media. If he or she is a person, it will likely be a much bigger victory for me if I win.”

Khelif’s passport says she is feminine.

Hamori and Khelif have by no means sparred, however they’ve competed in the identical match earlier than. Hamori repeatedly stated she isn’t listening to the controversy as a result of it’s solely a hindrance to her quest for gold.

“I’m attempting to not use my telephone earlier than the battle,” Hamori stated. “I don’t need to care in regards to the feedback or the story or the information. I simply need to keep targeted on myself. I did it earlier than my final two fights, so I feel that is the important thing, and we are going to see.”

And Hamori may solely shrug at Carini’s determination to stop.

“It was her alternative,” Hamori stated. “I don’t perceive, as a result of I assumed each boxer’s thoughts is identical like mine, to by no means hand over. Nevertheless it was her alternative. We don’t know what was the explanation. It’s her life, however I do know I need to do that in my very own life.”

After years of competitors in newbie tournaments all over the world, Khelif and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan instantly have obtained large scrutiny for his or her presence in Paris. Lin gained IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022, however the governing physique stripped her of a bronze medal final 12 months as a result of it claimed she failed to fulfill unspecified eligibility necessities in a biochemical check.

Lin begins her Paris run Friday. She fights Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in her opening bout after receiving a first-round bye because the No. 1 seed within the 57-kilogram class, though Olympic seeding is continuously not indicative of the highest medal contenders in a division.

The Algerian Olympic Committee issued a press release Wednesday condemning what it termed “lies” and “unethical concentrating on and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from sure international media retailers.”

Meloni, who was visiting Italy athletes within the Olympic Village on Thursday, voiced criticism that Carini needed to field Khelif, saying she had since 2021 opposed permitting athletes with “genetically male” traits to compete in opposition to girls.

“We’ve got to concentrate, in an try and not discriminate, that we’re truly discriminating” in opposition to girls’s rights, Meloni stated.

Khelif and Lin are two-time Olympians who fought within the Tokyo Video games. Lin has been an elite-level newbie boxer for a decade and Khelif for six years.

The IOC repeatedly defended the boxers’ proper to compete this week. Olympic boxing reached gender parity for the primary time this 12 months, with 124 males and 124 girls competing in Paris.

The IOC stated it made its eligibility choices on boxers based mostly on the gender-related guidelines that utilized on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. A number of sports activities have up to date their gender guidelines over the previous three years, together with World Aquatics, World Athletics and the Worldwide Biking Union. The monitor physique additionally final 12 months tightened guidelines on athletes with variations in intercourse improvement.

The IOC is answerable for boxing in Paris as a result of it has revoked the Olympic standing of the IBA following years of governance issues, a scarcity of economic transparency and lots of perceived cases of corruption in judging and refereeing.

The IBA is managed by president Umar Kremlev, who’s Russian. He introduced in Russian state-owned Gazprom as its major sponsor and moved a lot of the IBA’s operations to Russia.

The IBA has since misplaced greater than three dozen members who’ve fashioned a brand new group known as World Boxing, which hopes to be acknowledged by the IOC as the game’s governing physique forward of the 2028 Los Angeles Video games.

The IBA has aggressively seized on the 2 boxers’ presence in Paris to criticize the IOC. After the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport upheld the IOC’s ban earlier this 12 months, the IBA appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal in a last-gasp try and beat the IOC.

The banned physique issued a press release Wednesday wherein it claimed each boxers didn’t have a “testosterone examination” final 12 months however have been “topic to a separate and acknowledged check” for his or her disqualification. The IBA stated the check’s “specifics stay confidential,” refusing to elucidate it.

The IBA disregarded IOC suggestions and allowed Russian fighters to compete on the 2023 world championships below the Russian flag. The governing physique then disqualified Khelif solely after Khelif defeated Russian boxer Azalia Amineva throughout the match.

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Related Press Author Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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