In a 357-page ruling on Tuesday, the trial court judges presiding over the case ruled 3-0 and wrote that the state’s current districts “deprive North Carolina citizens of the right to vote for General Assembly members in elections that are conducted freely and honestly to ascertain, fairly and truthfully, the will of the people.” The three-judge panel consisted of Democrats Alma Hinton of Halifax County, Paul Ridgeway of Wake County and Republican Joseph Crosswhite of Iredell County....

Beasley is in Brazil, and starting for the USA, not because of his ability to maintain the same trajectory throughout his career, like Rafa Marquez has done for Mexico. No, the 32-year-old Beasley has made it to World Cup No. 4 by reinventing himself and being open to doing whatever it takes to continue being a part of the national team setup. Four years ago, Beasley’s World Cup participation consisted of one 10-minute cameo in the U....

Not after snowmobiles were the only way to drive to work. Not after an unscheduled plane ride for a “home” game that isn’t. Not after most players left their families behind, some still buried under the 6 feet of snow that pummeled western New York last week. Not after almost a full week without practice. MORE: ‘Free’ tickets only $125 a pop, thanks to scalpers | GALLERY: Crazy Buffalo storm photos...

Alas, when that historic battle occurred, the Americans won. For many Chinese, the defeat rankled; local resentment against the United States still simmers in the wake of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Although the final took place before sunrise in Beijing, the city’s police appeared ready for trouble, congregating in unusual strength not far from the U.S. Embassy. The streets remained quiet. Nationalist rancor aside, though, the Chinese women inspired deep admiration among the country’s growing ranks of fans....

Tevez – reportedly earning a weekly salary of £615,000 – has been heavily criticised for his performances and fitness since joining Shenhua from Boca Juniors in December, leading to speculation of a possible departure. The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus forward has only scored three goals in 13 matches for Shenhua, who parted with head coach Gus Poyet last month. Argentina 9/1 to win WC But Tevez will not be returning to South America via Palmeiras, according to Adrian Ruocco....

Reports emerged in October that suggested the 32-year-old was in discussions about a return to Serie A with Juve on a possible free transfer at the end of the current campaign. Thiago Silva’s current deal with PSG expires at the end of the season, but his contract will automatically renew if the club qualifies for the Champions League, something the Ligue 1 champion has not failed to do since the 2010-11 campaign....

What a profound and thorough Special Report on AIDS (" The Plague Years," Jan. 17)! It was an excellent way to break the silence. We’re proud that Dutch photographer Geert van Kesteren got to show his work so extensively. When we gave him the Zambia assignment, we did not expect such a broad coverage of his message. Chapeaux bas! Wiebe van der Woude Amsterdam, Netherlands “The Plague Years” was the most interesting coverage of the subject I’ve read....

Badu, who is on loan from Italian side Udinese, featured throughout for the Green Crocodiles at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. Paul Le Guen started the Balck stars anchorman alongside Nigerian international Mikel Agu in front of his back four as they came up against Emmanuel Adebayor and fellow Ghanaian Joseph Attamah. Super Eagles defender Willian Troost-Ekong also started for Bursaspor. Agyemang-Badu, however, could not help the Bursa side avoid defeat on the road as they were undone by Eljero Elia’s 21st minute strike....

Instead, Logano was fastest qualifier for the Xfinity Series race, the Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200. Then he came back and won the race, too. There are a lot of periods there. For provide an exclamation point, Logano must beat Harvick in Sunday’s Campingworld.com 500. Green flag: 3:30 p.m. ET from Phoenix International Raceway. MORE: Phoenix lineup | Odds on Harvick win? | Kevin’s key moment at Phoenix Logano has been really good this season, starting with his Daytona 500 victory....

As Biden takes the stage for the State of the Union, Americans are facing rising price tags amid inflation, an uncertain future as violence between Ukraine and Russia continues and an ongoing pandemic. Elected to take the country in an upward direction, Biden’s approval ratings have been underwater since summer and voters aren’t confident in his strategy for tackling key issues that could negatively impact Democrats in the upcoming midterms....

Despite her Grammy-winning couplets about missed opportunities and wayward souls, Mann is not one of the desperate characters in her songs. Somewhere between 1999’s “Magnolia” soundtrack and her 2005 concept album, “The Forgotten Arm,” Mann’s cool factor tripled, catapulting her from mere champion of the indie music spirit to the embodiment of modern literate songwriting. Perhaps “Forgotten Arm”’s story about an alcoholic Vietnam vet and his “kind of white trash” girlfriend proved too dramatic for critics and fans alike, or maybe the ensuing hoopla about her finely crafted verse threatened to overshadow the importance of her melodic gifts....

The Montreal-based airline said all employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 30. It will also make full vaccination a condition of employment for any new hires. “Under the mandatory vaccination policy, testing will not be offered as an alternative,” the airline said in a news release issued on Wednesday, August 25. “While Air Canada will fulfil its duties to accommodate employees who for valid reasons, such as medical conditions, cannot be vaccinated, failure to be fully vaccinated by October 30, 2021 will have consequences up to and including unpaid leave or termination, except for those who qualify for accommodation....

In fact, the company has been on autopilot for the past six years. Airbus’s problems stem from three long-term issues: disastrous management, a politically motivated reluctance to downsize or outsource and a failing gamble on the biggest plane in history. The troubles came to the fore last summer, when the company was forced to admit that its new megajet, the A380, had technical problems and couldn’t be delivered on time, costing the company billions....

Now, top-ranked Alabama's quarterback steps onto one with something more personal potentially at stake, too: His Heisman Trophy chances. McCarron can bolster his case if he leads the Crimson Tide past rival No. 4 Auburn on Saturday and looks good doing it. MORE: Top 10 Iron Bowls and Rivalries | SN’s picks | The Iron Bowl vs. The Game The player whose gaudiest numbers are the wins and championships he has collected remains adamant that he's all about winning games, not statues....

The 19-year-old has starred for Ajax in 2016-17, earning him widespread acclaim and reports of interest from Manchester United. Dolberg will lock horns with the Red Devils in the Europa League final on Wednesday, with his Dutch club looking to him for inspiration in the final third. Dolberg rules out Utd or City move He has provided that on numerous occasions since breaking through in Amsterdam, but did end up sending an unfortunate fan to casualty on his last appearance against Willem II after firing a wild pre-match shot into the stands....

Suarez ’never imagined’ dream Liverpool move In the 72nd minute of the game at Lindenstadion in Hippach, the 20-year-old midfielder lay down on his back inside the Bremen half in clear discomfort. Ambulances and paramedics then tended to Nouri on the pitch, with a screen drawn around him. “Emergency services are still [treating] Nouri, players look worried,” Ajax tweeted. “It is serious, we [will let you] know immediately if there is more clarity....

Arbour, the second-winningest coach in NHL history, died Friday. He was 82. MORE: Notable sports deaths | Canada auctioning Wayne Gretzky memorabilia A defenseman who toiled most of his career with Original Six teams, Arbour played more than 600 games wearing spectacles. He was the first captain of the Blues and became their coach. But it was his tenure behind the Islanders bench that made him a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame....

By Eleanor Clift Al Gore on the second ballot: A scenario that a few weeks ago seemed preposterous is beginning to look plausible to some nervous Democrats looking for a way out of the deadlock between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It goes like this: We love them both, but neither is a sure bet when it comes to electability. It’s not about gender and race, each has more mundane vulnerabilities....

Then something clicked. Jefferson, who entered the third quarter without a single field goal, took advantage of the Bobcats' ramped up efforts to feed him the ball in the post. MORE: Bobcats coach Steve Clifford returns after heart procedure | NBA’s hazing policy Jefferson first caught the ball on the block, executed a drop step and put down a one-handed dunk for his first points. Jefferson followed that effort with two more scores, and he began to show why the Bobcats signed him this offseason....