All posts tagged: points

How having zero points in tennis — or ‘love’ — came to sound so sweet : NPR

How having zero points in tennis — or ‘love’ — came to sound so sweet : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

The scoreboard shows the results of the women’s singles final match between Iga Swiatek of Poland and Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption toggle caption Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Fifteen points in tennis? Nice. Thirty, 40 — even better. Advantage — that sounds good. “Love” — that also must be great, right? Well, not quite. As the French Open rolls on and Serena Williams has announced her return to the sport, maybe you’ve been paying a little more attention to tennis. The sport’s scoring system is notably distinct, and can sometimes be hard to grasp for newcomers. But even tennis aficionados might not know why, or how, “love” became the unmistakable callout for zero points. For this installment of NPR’s Word of the Week, we’re exploring how a word that signifies trailing behind got such a sweet name. “Love” comes from the heart — or an egg? It’s hard to pinpoint when the first tennis ball went over the net. Tennis is a …

Intercepted Iranian Missile Injures 5 Americans At Kuwaiti Air Base; Tehran Identifies Two Key MOU Sticking Points

Intercepted Iranian Missile Injures 5 Americans At Kuwaiti Air Base; Tehran Identifies Two Key MOU Sticking Points

Published by Jenni Sidey

Summary Iran is pushing forward legislation formalizing control/management of Hormuz Strait shipping, which flies in the face of Trump warnings & conditions. An Iranian Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile targeted Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, a key operational hub for the U.S. Air Force. BBG says missile intercepted, but falling debris struck part of the base, injuring five Americans. Two more American drones reported destroyed or damaged in the Kuwait base attack (DropSite/BBG). Iran says two big MOU agreement issues remain & are not finalized: Unfreezing of Assets & Sanctions, Nuclear File US-Iran nuclear deal by July 31?Yes 55% · No 45%View full market & trade on Polymarket *  *  * Iran Moves to ‘Legalize/Formalize’ Management Of Hormuz Strait A Saturday message and warning from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters via Al Jazeera: “The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It added that “all ships, commercial vessels and tankers are only required to travel through the designated routes and obtain permission …

How NCP_WIDERA.NET supports applicants and National Contact Points

How NCP_WIDERA.NET supports applicants and National Contact Points

Published by skeptic

We learn more about the NCP-WIDERA.NET project and how it supports applicants and NCPs with the widening aspect of the Horizon Europe programme Across Europe, building a more inclusive and competitive research and innovation ecosystem remains a central priority. While Horizon Europe provides a wide range of funding opportunities, participation levels still differ significantly between countries. Bridging this gap is a core objective of the WIDERA programme – and one that the NCP_WIDERA.NET, a project coordinated by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) in Poland, is actively supporting. By strengthening National Contact Points (NCPs), improving proposal quality, and enabling international collaboration, NCP_WIDERA.NET supports applicants across Horizon Europe, with a particular focus on WIDERA and Pillar II opportunities. Empowering National Contact Points At the heart of the project, there is a clear idea: effective support for applicants begins with well-equipped National Contact Points. NCP_WIDERA.NET is a transnational network focused on enhancing the capacity of WIDERA NCPs. These professionals act as key intermediaries between the Horizon Europe programme and potential applicants, providing guidance on calls, …

LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt loses it after journalist points out he lives in Santa Barbara

LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt loses it after journalist points out he lives in Santa Barbara

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt reacted angrily on social media after a journalist pointed out that he’s not currently living in Los Angeles. The former cast member of reality show The Hills has claimed in multiple campaign videos that he was living in a trailer at the site of his Palisades home, which burned down in the 2025 L.A. fires. However, recent reporting has uncovered that Pratt has, in fact, been splitting time between a high-end L.A. hotel and a rental house outside the city. On X, Variety journalist Marlow Stern reacted to a headline claiming that Pratt plans to leave Los Angeles if he loses the election in June by writing: “he… lives in santa barbara.” Pratt was clearly upset by the jibe, writing in response: “My house burned down. I lost everything. I can’t rebuild. As a 42 …

UK Eurovision Act Breaks Silence After Receiving Zero Points From Viewers

UK Eurovision Act Breaks Silence After Receiving Zero Points From Viewers

Published by Sam Flores

Look Mum No Computer on stage in Vienna during the Eurovision dress rehearsal last week HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA/Shutterstock The UK’s Eurovision 2026 entrant has shared his take after failing to secure any votes from viewers at this year’s contest. On Saturday night, Look Mum No Computer – the stage name of musician and YouTube personality Sam Battle – represented the UK at the contest in Vienna, Austria with his song Eins, Zwei, Drei. In the end, the UK landed at the bottom of the leaderboard and, for the third year in a row, didn’t earn any points from viewers in the televote, meaning no competing countries had us in their top 10 acts. Fortunately, Look Mum No Computer was spared the dreaded “nul points” as he secured one single point in the jury vote from Ukraine. During the announcement over the weekend, the UK’s act seemed to take the blow in his stride and laughed it off, and later posted about the result on Instagram on Sunday. After celebrating that the “deserved winner” had ended up …

Eurovision 2026 results: Full scoreboard and points

Eurovision 2026 results: Full scoreboard and points

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s been a long but exciting night for music fans thanks to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which held its 70th annual competition in host city Vienna this evening (Saturday 16 May). The grand final saw the qualifying 25 countries take centre stage hoping to bring home the title of Eurovision 2026 champion. Voting began as the contest opened, with those around the world and in participating countries able to vote up to 20 times for who they’d like to win. For audiences in the United Kingdom, commentary was once again provided for the final by the ‘King of Eurovision’, Graham Norton, as he provided his witty and unique opinions on each act that stepped foot on the Austrian stage. But who scored what? Read on for a breakdown of the Eurovision scoreboard as they come through LIVE. Eurovision 2026 scoreboard and points Here’s a breakdown of the 2026 Eurovision votes in full: Bulgaria, Dara – 516 Israel, Noam Bettan – 343 Romania, Alexandra Căpitănescu – 296 Australia, Delta Goodrem – 287 Italy, Sal Da …

Cannes Film Festival 2026: The biggest talking points from day one

Cannes Film Festival 2026: The biggest talking points from day one

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The 79th Cannes Film Festival has officially commenced, ushering in 12 days of highly anticipated premieres and cinematic showcases that will culminate on 23 May with the presentation of the prestigious Palme d’Or. The opening day saw a blend of celebratory tributes, powerful political statements, and unexpected appearances, setting a dynamic tone for the festival. Among the first honours bestowed was an honorary Palme d’Or to acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson. Introduced by Elijah Wood, who famously played Frodo Baggins in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the New Zealand director expressed his surprise. “I’ve never figured out why I’m getting a Palme d’Or. I’m not a Palme d’Or sorta guy,” he quipped. The tribute concluded with a rendition of The Beatles’ “Get Back,” a nod to Jackson’s lauded 2021 documentary, as the director was seen mouthing the lyrics from the stage. …

Trump-Xi Summit Key for Both Geopolitics, Consumer Pricing | U.S. News Decision Points

Trump-Xi Summit Key for Both Geopolitics, Consumer Pricing | U.S. News Decision Points

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump will sit down this week in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit overshadowed by the Iran war. Geopolitics aside, the meeting could have major ramifications for everyone from American farmers to shoppers for cars and phones. Trump, who postponed his trip from late March to reckon with the new Middle East conflict, predicted in mid-April that Xi would give him “a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks,” adding: “We are working together smartly, and very well!” There almost certainly will not be a literal hug. But Xi is expected to roll out all of the pomp and pageantry he can muster for what will be the first state visit by a U.S. president since Trump went to Beijing in November 2017 amid tensions over the two superpowers’ economic ties. Those tensions still define what is often called the most important bilateral relationship in the world. With U.S. midterm elections barely six months away, Trump will be under pressure to deliver cost-of-living wins. And Xi …