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Head of Japanese entertainment company mired in sex abuse scandal apologizes, promises fix

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The head of a major Japanese boys-group talent agency has released a YouTube video apologizing for the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by her predecessor and promised to prevent a recurrence.Allegations against Johnny Kitagawa, a powerful figure in Japanese entertainment and the founder of Johnny & Associates, have been tossed around for more than 20 years, although he was never charged with crimes. He died in 2019.The allegations resurfaced as a hot topic of scrutiny after BBC News did a special earlier this year, focusing on several people who said they were sexually abused.“More than anything, I apologize very deeply to the victims,” said a solemn Julie Keiko Fujishima, bowing four times during a one-minute video released late Sunday.The scandal has served as a wake-up call for Japan’s lagging fight against sexual harassment. A consumer boycott has begun against Johnny’s, as the company is also known, making for an extensive list, as dozens of the “tarento,” o...

NHL player Hathaway makes clean grab of foul ball at Fenway Park

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — NHL player Garnet Hathaway just settled into his seat in a luxury box behind home plate, getting ready to enjoy a Sunday night game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals when a foul ball off the bat of Boston’s Justin Turner came sailing back at him in the first inning.So, what did the 31-year-old forward do? He stood up, reached with both hands and made the clean grab.Hathaway played for the Bruins this season after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. He’s currently a free agent.“You never think it’s going to happen and then it happens,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been here for a few hours already. It’s my son’s birthday. We got to bring him around the stadium. It was amazing.”Hathaway said he had warning about foul balls just as the game started.“One of the concession guys said: ‘Heads up. If it’s a righty batter, they come quick, they come often. Pay attention,’’’ he said. “I had just sat down and my wife took the kids home. The n...

Scherzer wins in return, Mets score 8 in 5th to beat Nats 8-2 for Sunday split

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched five steady innings in his return from neck spasms and the New York Mets finally broke loose for eight runs in the fifth to beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 on Sunday.Slumping outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha both had two hits and two RBIs during New York’s biggest inning this season. After losing 3-2 hours earlier in the completion of a game suspended Saturday because of rain, the scuffling Mets improved to 6-14 in their last 20.The 38-year-old Scherzer (3-2) allowed one run and two hits against his former team, striking out six and walking two. He threw 83 pitches, 50 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 4.88. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was scratched from his scheduled start last Tuesday in Cincinnati due to neck spasms.Scherzer is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his past four starts against Washington, and his 40 wins at Nationals Park are third all-time behind Stephen Strasburg (54) and Gio Gonzalez (41). In the completion o...

Jason Day ends 5-year drought, Jin Young Ko back to No. 1 in women’s golf

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Jason Day won his first PGA Tour event in five years Sunday, closing with a 9-under 62 for a one-shot victory over Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim at the AT&T Byron Nelson.Day, winless in 105 starts since the 2018 Wells Fargo, took his first lead when he broke a tie at 20 under with hometown favorite Scottie Scheffler by chipping in for birdie at the par-4 12th, the second-toughest hole of the week that played as a par 5 the past two years at the TPC Craig Ranch.Playing on Mother’s Day a little more than a year after losing his mom to cancer, Day finished 23 under while ending his victory drought the week before the PGA Championship.With the heaviest rain coming down near the end of an off-and-on rainy final round, Day put his approach at 18 inside 3 feet. Kim made a short birdie for 63 that forced Day to make his easy tap-in before Day greeted his kids and wife, who is expecting their fifth child.Eckroat had a 65 for his best finish on the PGA Tour. C.T. Pa...

Tyler Lussi scores to give the Courage a 1-0 win over OL Reign

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

Tyler Lussi’s first-half goal powered the North Carolina Courage to a 1-0 win against OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday. In the 34th minute at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, Courage forward Rikke Madsen sent a through ball to Lussi just over the halfway line. The forward beat her defender on the fast break and slotted a shot into the far post.North Carolina (3-3-1), which had 69% of possession in the first half, also had two first-half goals called back for offside.OL Reign (4-2-1) got its first shot on goal in the 61st minute when goalkeeper Casey Murphy had to push away a Jordyn Huitema header. Huitema got a similar look five minutes later, but Murphy again made the save.The Reign lost for the first time since their NWSL regular-season opener. WAVE 2, CURRENT 0Belle Briede scored her first goal of the season in San Diego’s road win against Kansas City.The match was played in front of 12,969 fans at Children’s Mercy Park ...

Ajax’s game abandoned after smoke bombs thrown onto pitch in Dutch soccer league

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

GRONINGEN, Netherlands (AP) — Ajax’s game at relegated Groningen was abandoned after smoke bombs were thrown onto the field on Sunday.Groningen was relegated last weekend after drawing 1-1 with the Go Ahead Eagles, ending a 23-year stay in the top-tier Eredivisie.Just minutes after Sunday’s game began, fans started to throw fireworks onto the pitch, leading to the referee halting the match and players being taken off the field for about 15 minutes.The game restarted but was soon abandoned after fireworks continued to be thrown.Ajax players later went out to applaud the away supporters, with the club fourth in the standings as Feyenoord wrapped up the title on Sunday.Last month, former Everton midfielder Davy Klaassen was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd during the Dutch Cup semifinal game between Ajax and Feyenoord.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

García slam, 5 RBIs lead Rangers to 11-3 win, dropping A’s to 9-33

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Adolis García doubled to start an eight-run eighth inning capped by his second grand slam this season, and the Texas Rangers routed Oakland 11-3 on Sunday to take three of four from the Athletics.García had three hits and five RBIs. He has 10 homers and leads the major leagues with 42 RBIs.“We’ve had some tough games get away from us but today guys were determined to find a way to get it done,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “If we play our game we’re a tough team to beat.”It was the majors-leading 10th time this season that Texas has scored 10 or more runs — no other team has done it more than seven times.Oakland dropped to a major league-worst 9-33 and is on pace finish 35-127, which would be the most losses in the major leagues since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders went 20-134. The A’s have allowed 316 runs, 71 more than any other team.The game drew 7,793 to the Coliseum, the finale of a four-game series that totaled 25,547. The A’s have drawn under 10,...

Ko wins Founders Cup for third time in five years, beating Minjee Lee in playoff

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — Jin Young Ko overcam a four-shot deficit to win the Founders Cup for the third time in five years, getting the victory on the first playoff hole Sunday when defending champion Minjee Lee three-putted for bogey.In winning for the 15th time on the LPGA Tour and the second time this year, Ko shot a final round-best 5-under 67 in tough, windy conditions. The 27-year-old South Korean forced the playoff making a clutch downhill birdie from roughly 15 feet on No. 18 to tie for the lead.Ko joins Lilia Vu as the only players with multiple wins on tour this year, earning $450,000 from the $3 million purse.The players went back to the par 4 No. 18 at the Upper Montclair Country Club for the playoff. Both players hit the green with their second shots with Lee being about 15 feet away and closer than Ko, who had a winding putt from right to left.Ko snuggled her birdie attempt to tap-in range and Lee went for the win, but putted it six feet past the hole, missing the par save...

MATCHDAY: Relegation-threatened Leicester faces tough test against Liverpool

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:ENGLANDLeicester can climb out of the relegation zone with a win against Liverpool on Monday. The Foxes are running out of time in their bid to avoid the drop, with just three more games to play this season. A win would see Leicester climb above Leeds and Everton up to 17th in the Premier League. Liverpool, meanwhile, is hoping to keep the pressure on Manchester United and Newcastle in its bid to qualify for the Champions League. The Merseyside club is in fifth place, four points adrift of the top four.SPAINReal Betis hosts Rayo Vallecano and is bidding to strengthen its hold on one of the European places in the Spanish league. Betis is in sixth place, four points ahead of seventh-place Girona. Manuel Pellegrini’s team, which has won only once in its last four matches, is five points from fifth-place Villarreal. Its gap to fourth-place Real Sociedad, which currently has the final Champions League spot, is at 10 points. Ra...

Chaos at Coors Field: Phillies' Harper, Rockies' Bird get tossed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:25:53 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was ejected for charging Colorado's dugout, and Kyle Freeland dominated for six innings on his 30th birthday in the Rockies' 4-0 win Sunday.Harper appeared to respond to Colorado reliever Jake Bird, who clapped a hand against his glove and said something toward the Philadelphia dugout after the last out of the top of the seventh.“I get emotional," Harper said. "I understand getting fired up for an inning and stuff like that, but once you make it about a team or make it about yourself and the other team, that’s when I’ve kind of got a problem with it.” Rockies pitcher has skull fracture, concussion after taking line drive to the head Harper was initially restrained by Rockies catcher Elias Díaz, then Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan prevented the two-time NL MVP from entering a group of players and coaches gathered near the first-base line.“It could be," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said when asked whether Harper's reactio...