World
No McCaffrey? No problem for emboldened Panthers run game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Christian McCaffrey had been the lone vibrant spot on the league’s thirty second ranked offense by six video games this season, accounting for 39.8% of the Carolina Panthers’ yards from scrimmage.
So when the Panthers traded the 2019 All-Professional operating again to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday evening, the one logical expectation was the Panthers would go from unhealthy to worse, proper?
Solely that didn’t occur Sunday.
The Panthers ran for a season-high 173 yards behind D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard and the 13 1/2-point underdogs rolled previous Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3.
Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo took {the handcuffs} off quarterback P.J. Walker, who was restricted to 60 yards passing in a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams final week, and he threw completed with 177 yards and two touchdowns on some spectacular downfield throws.
Foreman had simply 12 carries and Hubbard six coming into the sport.
“I feel all of us consider that if we are able to get the operating recreation going it’s going to open up so much for the passing recreation,” mentioned Foreman, who ran for 118 yards on 15 carries. “And P.J. Walker performed an ideal recreation, and I really feel like we helped him simply with the ability to run the ball and have him all balanced. You recognize we weren’t one dimensional as we speak. We had been in a position to do just about what we needed to do.”
Panthers guard Austin Corbett mentioned after shedding McCaffrey, the offensive line put it on themselves to step up.
“Yeah, little doubt, particularly as a result of (the commerce) occurred a bit of later within the week,” Corbett mentioned.
McCaffrey was a well-liked and revered participant within the locker room due to his work ethic, and the departure of No. 22 may have simply gutted the crew and despatched it right into a freefall.
Many followers thought the crew was tanking it for the No. 1 decide in subsequent yr’s NFL draft.
As an alternative, McCaffrey’s departure appeared to provoke the Panthers (2-5), who at the moment are only one recreation behind the Bucs and Falcons within the NFC South and the one crew with out a divisional loss at 2-0.
Interim coach Steve Wilks made an impassioned plea to gamers on the crew lodge on Saturday evening, urging them to maintain urgent ahead, promising that higher issues are across the nook.
“I informed guys we have now to go on the market with a leap of religion and consider in each other and that when we do this, we are going to actually take off,” Wilks mentioned. “That was the emphasis and guys actually purchased into that.”
The operating recreation is what finally broke the Bucs.
Whereas Carolina’s protection was busy stymying seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion Brady, the Panthers leaned on the Bucs on the line of scrimmage within the second half. The dam broke on Foreman’s 60-yard go off the precise aspect, organising a Hubbard’s 17-yard TD run for a 14-0 lead. Walker added a TD cross to Tommy Tremble within the fourth quarter to place the sport away.
“These males on this room have an excessive amount of character and our crew didn’t even fathom one thing like that,” Wilks mentioned with reference to tanking.
McCaffrey’s impression with the Panthers can’t be understated.
He racked up 7,272 yards from scrimmage — 3,980 dashing and three,292 receiving — in 65 video games performed and scored 50 touchdowns after arriving because the eighth total draft decide in 2017.
After being traded, McCaffrey informed Wilks he needed to talk along with his former teammates to want them properly and thank them. However as a result of he needed to catch an early morning flight to the Bay Space and get to apply, that by no means occurred. McCaffrey talked to a number of gamers individually.
“All of the ups and downs we’ve been by, all of the detrimental speak, man we’ve simply are available right here and preserving combating, preserve working arduous, simply preserve believing,” Foreman mentioned. “We’ve nonetheless received positives within the season and if we deal with these positives we are able to have a optimistic final result.”
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Extra AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

World
Venice says it will host Bezos wedding and denies reports of possible disruptions for the city
ROME (AP) — The city of Venice confirmed Saturday it will host the wedding of multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez, denying reports the famous Italian city would be invaded by hundreds of celebrities and possible disruptions for citizens and tourists.
The city in a short statement didn’t give a date for the wedding. Italian media have reported it will be between June 24-26, with a few days of celebrations.
“The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos’ wedding are completely unfounded,” the statement said.
Bezos is the owner of The Washington Post and founder and largest individual shareholder of Amazon. Among others, George and Amal Clooney celebrated their wedding in Venice in 2014.
The city said only 200 guests would be invited, a number easily accommodated without any disruption to the city, its residents and visitors. It noted that it has broad experience handling international events “much larger than this.”
“Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts,” the city said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events and VIP weddings.
Several reports in both Italian and international media suggested that Bezos’ wedding organizers had already booked rooms at Venice’s main luxury hotels and reserved for a few days in late June large numbers of gondolas and water taxis — which are mainly used by locals and tourists for daily transportation.
The city denied those reports, saying it “is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone.”
“We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said.
World
Faye Hall, American detained by Taliban, has been released

An American woman who had been detained by the Taliban since February has been freed, a source with knowledge of the release told Fox News on Saturday.
American citizen Faye Hall was released on Thursday and received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul. She has been confirmed to be in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks, the source said. Arrangements are currently underway for her return to the United States.
The Taliban agreed to release Hall after President Donald Trump removed multimillion-dollar bounties on senior members of the militant group, according to a report by the Telegraph.
Faye Hall, an American woman who had been detained by the Taliban since February, has been freed a source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Saturday. (Diplomatic source in Afghanistan)
TALIBAN FREES AMERICAN HOSTAGE GEORGE GLEZMANN FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH US, QATAR
Trump agreed to remove millions of dollars of bounties on three senior members of the Haqqani network, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister, the outlet reported, noting that Washington was offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Fox News Digital wasn’t immediately able to confirm the nature of the agreement and has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
Her release was initiated following a court order and with logistical support from Qatar serving in its role as the United States’ protecting power in Afghanistan, the Fox News source said.
Hall, along with the British couple, Peter Reynolds, 79, his wife Barbie, 75, and their interpreter were arrested on Feb. 1, the outlet reported.

Faye Hall pictured with Qatari officials following her release. (Diplomatic source in Afghanistan)
FAMILY OF THIRD AMERICAN HELD BY TALIBAN CALLS FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ‘WE ARE CONCERNED’
The Associated Press previously reported that the British couple ran education programs in Afghanistan via Rebuild, an organization that provides education and training programs for businesses, government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups.
The Sunday Times said one project was for mothers and children. The Taliban severely restricts women’s education and activities in the country.
It is unclear what relationship Hall had with the couple or their group.
The couple’s detention was not based on any violations of local laws or religious customs, but was a political move by a faction to increase international pressure on the government and Haibatullah Akhundzada, its supreme leader, the Telegraph reported.

Trump agreed to remove millions of dollars of bounties on three senior members of the Haqqani network, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister, the Telegraph reported.
The couple’s children wrote a letter to the Taliban pleading for their release, saying that the couple respected and obeyed the laws.
“They have chosen Afghanistan as their home, rather than with family in England, and they wish to spend the rest of their lives in Afghanistan,” the letter reads in part, according to the Associated Press.
Hall’s release comes after the Taliban released American hostage George Glezmann, 65, last week after holding him for more than two years. That deal was also struck after negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials. Glezmann was abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022.
Two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released earlier this year in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final-hour deal struck by the Biden administration.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
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