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Coach hired, team still required: Soccer’s status in the Marshall Islands is a work in progress

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Lloyd Owers recalls with fondness his initial visit from his home in England to the Marshall Islands, a small nation of five islands, 29 atolls and about 60,000 people situated in the western Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia.“I felt at home,” the 33-year-old soccer coach said of his first impressions. “The community welcomed me with open arms.”Owers wasn’t there as a widely-traveled Brit checking it out as a tourist. He was appointed technical director of the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation in December of last year, and was making his first official visit in August in that capacity.Oh, by the way, the Marshall Islands has no national soccer team. It’s been touted as the “last country on Earth” without international representation in the sport.“Yes,” Owers reiterates in emailed correspondence with The Associated Press. “We are the only U.N.-recognized nation that have never had a national representative team.”Enter Owers, a well-cre...

Stock market today: Asian shares slip after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday ahead of a Federal Reserve decision this week on interest rates. U.S. futures gained while oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel. as concerns over an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war added to uncertainty over supplies.The Israeli military’s ground forces conducted incursions into Gaza over the weekend and Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of a “long and difficult” war.A mixed set of economic reports Friday didn’t appear to change Wall Street’s expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep its benchmark rate of above 5.25% unchanged at a meeting Wednesday. A report showed that the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation remained high last month, but within economists’ expectations. Spending by U.S. consumers was stronger than expected, even though growth in their incomes fell short of forecasts.U.S. consumer expectations for inflation in the coming year are rising, up to 4.2% from 3.2% last month. That’s particularly conc...

More than 1,000 pay tribute to Maine’s mass shooting victims on day of prayer, reflection and hope

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Residents of Lewiston return to work and school Monday, the morning after coming together to mourn those lost in Maine’s worst mass shooting. They gathered Sunday evening, hugging one another, singing a rousing edition of “Amazing Grace,” and seeking guidance out of these dark days from religious leaders who talked of hope, healing and the power of prayer.More than 1,000 people attended Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul for a vigil in Lewiston, where days earlier a gunman fatally shot 18 people. Some put their heads in their hands as the names of the people who died in Wednesday’s shooting were read. Others quietly wept.Hundreds more watched a live stream of the vigil shown on a huge screen in front of the church. Some held American flags and others had lit candles in cups marked with the names of the dead and injured. “Remember to seek healing over relief. Relief is temporary. Healing is permanent. Pain is temporary,” the Rev. Gary Bragg of the Southern Bapti...

From meeting his wife to rescuing a child in a pond, retiring St. Anthony fire chief ‘grateful’ to serve hometown

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

When Mark Sitarz reflects on his 25 years as a St. Anthony firefighter, one word comes to mind above all.“Thankful,” he said last week.St. Anthony Fire Chief Mark Sitarz is retiring Oct. 31, 2023, after 25 years with the fire department. (Courtesy of the St. Anthony Fire Department)Sitarz is thankful the city he grew up in hired him as a paid on-call firefighter in 1998, then as a lieutenant, captain and finally fire chief in 2013.He’s thankful he was able to respond to what would become the memorable calls, like meeting his future wife, Sarah, after her car overheated in 2001, and rushing to the Interstate 35W Bridge collapse in Minneapolis in 2007.And, more recently, he’s thankful that he happened to be driving to work on Silver Lake Road one day in July — a moment in time that found him soon jumping into a murky pond and saving a boy from drowning. “Right place, right time,” he said.Sitarz, who turns 54 next month, now says the time is right to step away from the fire depar...

Driver charged with murder of 4 Pepperdine University students on PCH in Malibu out on bond

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

A 22-year-old driver facing four counts of murder after the vehicle he was driving earlier this month hit and killed four Pepperdine University students on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu has been released on Bond.  Fraser Bohm was taken into custody on Oct. 24 and charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams died when authorities say a speeding driver hit them on the Pacific Coast Highway roughly four miles east of the school. The crash happened on Oct. 17, when the four college seniors were hit by a vehicle allegedly driven by Bohm. The 22-year-old was arrested at the scene for gross vehicular manslaughter but was released from custody hours later while authorities investigated the circumstances of the crash. Authorities on Oct. 18, 2023, investigate a fatal crash in Malibu that occurred one day earlier. (KTLA)Accordi...

2 people stabbed near Bernal Heights in SF

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Two people were injured after a stabbing Sunday near the Bernal Heights neighborhood, the San Francisco Police Department said. The stabbing happened around 4:13 p.m. in the area of Bayshore Boulevard and Cortland Avenue. SFPD officers arrived at the scene and spotted two male victims suffering from stab wounds. They were both treated for medical care and taken to the hospital. As of Sunday evening, one victim has non-life-threatening injuries. The other has life-threatening injuries.The suspect, however, was able to escape before SFPD's arrival. No information was provided about the suspect. Assault suspect throws ‘suspicious devices’ towards pursuing officers, leads police on chase from SF to Martinez Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact SFPD at 415-575-4444. You can also text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with "SFPD."

24-acre brush fire burns near Lower Otay Lake

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Cal Fire crews are battling a multi-acre brush fire that broke out near the Lower Otay Lake Sunday afternoon.The fire, called the "Border 34" fire, was stopped at 24 acres, according to officials. As of 8:30 p.m., it was 60% contained.The fire, which broke out around 3:30 p.m., had a moderate rate of spread with the potential to reach 75 acres, the department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.No structures or homes were threatened with the fire, officials said. Brush fire near border prompts closure to I-8 The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Cal Fire. However, it came as the Santa Ana winds continued strengthening, giving way to elevated ignition risk across the county.Gusty eastern winds are expected to continue at high speeds through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.Farther north, parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties were placed under a red flag warning through Monday due to the risk of fire ignition wit...

Suspect detained in an explosion that killed 3 people at a Jehovah’s Witness gathering in India

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — A former Jehovah’s Witness has been detained on suspicion of setting off an explosive device that killed three people and wounded 50 others at a denomination gathering in southern India, authorities said Monday.Hundreds of Witnesses were at a local prayer session Sunday at the Zamra International Convention Center in the town of Kalamassery in Kerala state when the explosion took place. An improvised explosive device placed inside a tiffin box was believed responsible, the state’s top police officer, Sheik Darvesh Saheb, said.The suspect was identified by police as Dominic Martin, a former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who posted a video on Facebook claiming responsibility for the blast before surrendering to the police. Martin, a local, said in the video he decided to carry out the blast because he feels the Jehovah’s Witness theology is wrong.“They teach that all people of the world would perish and only they will live. What should we do with people who ...

Cornell University sends officers to Jewish center after violent, antisemitic messages posted online

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

Cornell University administrators dispatched campus police to a Jewish center after threatening statements appeared on a discussion board Sunday.Cornell President Martha E. Pollack issued a statement explaining there were a series of “horrendous, antisemitic messages” threatening violence against the university’s Jewish community, specifically naming the address of the Center for Jewish Living.“Threats of violence are absolutely intolerable, and we will work to ensure that the person or people who posted them are punished to the full extent of the law,” Pollack said. “Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe; we will continue to prioritize that.”The Cornell University Police Department is investigating and has notified the FBI of a potential hate crime, she said.Pollack said the website was not affiliated with the school in Ithaca, New York, about 227 miles (365 kilometers) northwest of New York City. “The virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism i...

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:48 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Monday ahead of a Federal Reserve decision this week on interest rates.U.S. futures gained while oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel. Concerns over an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war has added to uncertainty over supplies. The Israeli military’s ground forces conducted incursions into Gaza over the weekend and Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of a “long and difficult” war.A mixed set of economic reports Friday didn’t appear to alter Wall Street’s expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep its benchmark rate of above 5.25% unchanged at a meeting Wednesday.A report showed that the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation remained high last month, but within economists’ expectations. Spending by U.S. consumers was stronger than expected, even though growth in their incomes fell short of forecasts.U.S. consumer expectations for inflation in the coming year are rising, up to 4.2% from 3.2% last month. That’s particularly concerning for the...