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Springboks pull surprise with Reinach at No. 9 for Rugby World Cup quarterfinal vs. France

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

PARIS (AP) — South Africa provided a big surprise on Friday by naming Cobus Reinach to start at scrumhalf ahead of regular Faf de Klerk in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against France, likely pitting him against the best player in the world if Antoine Dupont returns from injury to lead the host team.Reinach will partner Manie Libbok, who retained his place as first-choice flyhalf for the defending champion Springboks despite 2019 World Cup winner Handre Pollard’s call-up to the squad.Pollard, de Klerk and Willie le Roux are the three backs on the bench as South Africa went with a traditional 5-3 split in the reserves.Reinach has scored four tries at the tournament but his job on Sunday may largely revolve around keeping Dupont in check.Dupont sustained a facial fracture against Namibia three weeks ago and had surgery but has been cleared to return to full-contact training and the French are hopeful their tactical genius can play at Stade de France. France is expected to nam...

Open de Espana Par Scores

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

ThursdayAt Club de Campo Villa de MadridMadridYardage: 7,154; Par: 71First RoundMatthieu Pavon, France32-31—63-8Wil Besseling, Netherlands32-32—64-7Mike Lorenzo-Vera, France33-32—65-6Eddie Pepperell, England33-32—65-6Pedro Figueiredo, Portugal34-31—65-6Joost Luiten, Netherlands31-35—66-5Ross Fisher, England34-32—66-5Shubhankar Sharma, India34-32—66-5Victor Garcia Broto, Spain33-33—66-5Deon Germishuys, South Africa34-32—66-5Calum Hill, Scotland35-31—66-5Nathan Kimsey, England31-35—66-5Romain Langasque, France35-31—66-5Zander Lombard, South Africa33-33—66-5Tapio Pulkkanen, Finland32-34—66-5Marcel Siem, Germany32-34—66-5Antoine Rozner, France33-34—67-4Daniel Brown, England33-34—67-4Sami Valimaki, Finland34-33—67-4Grant Forrest, Scotland34-33—67-4Marcus Helligkilde, Denmark33-34—67-4Jon Rahm, Spain33-34—67-4Kalle Samooja, Finland34-33—67-4Jorge Campillo, Spain36-32—68-3Ewen Ferguson, Scotland36-32—68-3Aaron Cockerill, Canada35-33—68-3Alejandro Del Rey, Spain33-35—68-3Pablo Larrazabal, S...

Presto’s Picks: Homecoming for U.Md., VT with routs served on the midday menu

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

Homecoming celebration is a dish best served at 3:30 p.m.Let’s be honest, students don’t always wake up early on Saturday mornings to show up at their best for a noon kickoff. And it’s nice to give the alumni a decent window to tailgate, from my friends Matt and Stacia at Maryland (shrimp dip with Frito’s, plus Coors Light to wash it down) to my pals Ray & Leanne at Virginia Tech (smoked turkey legs with Milwaukee’s Best) without giving them all day to graze.On Saturday, the Terps and Hokies begin the second halves of their seasons by welcoming back alumni in the midafternoon window, leaving exclusivity at noon for a sneaky/good matchup involving a local school (James Madison and Georgia Southern delivered a doozy of a game last year).You should at least expect a closer game in Harrisonburg than the noon quartet on the major outlets: On CBS, No. 1 Georgia is a 31.5 point favorite over Vanderbilt, while No. 2 Michigan is favored by 33.5 over Indiana on FOX (even the power of Gus ...

New Zealand wins toss and chooses to bowl first against Bangladesh at the Cricket World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Star batter and inspirational captain Kane Williamson is playing his first match at the Cricket World Cup for New Zealand after a long-term knee injury.Williamson won the toss for his team on Friday and opted to bowl first against Bangladesh.Opener Will Young was left out for Williamson, who had sustained his injury during the 2023 Indian Premier League season.Williamson will bat at No. 3, a spot occupied in the first two games by Rachin Ravindra, who will open for New Zealand against Bangladesh. Ravindra scored 123 not out and 51 in his two outings.Pacer Tim Southee is still unavailable for selection. Leg spinner Ish Sodhi misses out again.Bangladesh brought back all-rounder Mahmudullah into the side with bowler Sheikh Mahedi Hasan left out.The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium should be spin-friendly once again. In two ODIs at Chepauk this year — both contested between India and Australia — spinners have taken 17 wickets.The Black Caps are second in the poi...

Hamas dice que 13 rehenes, varios de ellos extranjeros, murieron en bombardeos israelíes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

Los intensos bombardeos israelíes sobre la Franja de Gaza mataron a 13 rehenes, varios de ellos extranjeros, retenidos por Hamas, según el grupo insurgente.El ala militar de Hamas indicó en un comunicado el viernes que las 13 personas murieron en distintos emplazamientos en las últimas 24 horas, pero no ofreció detalles sobre las nacionalidades de los extranjeros. Israel no ha confirmado la información. El ejército israelí ordenó el viernes la evacuación de cientos de miles de civiles que viven en la Ciudad de Gaza antes de su temida ofensiva terrestre. La orden se produjo luego de que Naciones Unidas indicó que había recibido una advertencia israelí para sacar a 1.1 millones de residentes en el norte de la Franja en un plazo de 24 horas. Lo último de la guerra entre Israel y Hamas: ya son más de 1,700 muertos Escondidos y separados de sus familias: así se llevó Hamas a algunos de los rehenes Hamas ha exigido la libertad de los 5,...

Israel le dice a 1,1 millones de habitantes de Gaza que evacúen hacia el sur, una orden “imposible”, según la ONU

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

(CNN) — El ejército de Israel le advirtió a 1,1 millones de personas que viven en el norte de Gaza que deben evacuar sus hogares, en medio de indicios de que va a intensificar su ofensiva de represalia contra Hamas tras los ataques terroristas del grupo del 7 de octubre.“Civiles de la ciudad de Gaza, evacúen hacia el sur por su propia seguridad y la de sus familias y aléjense de los terroristas de Hamas que los están utilizando como escudos humanos”, dijeron las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (FDI).“En los próximos días, las IDF continuarán operando de forma significativa en la ciudad de Gaza y harán grandes esfuerzos para evitar dañar a los civiles”.Este jueves, la ONU dijo haber sido informada por sus oficiales de enlace en el ejército israelí de que “toda la población de Gaza al norte de Wadi Gaza debe trasladarse al sur de Gaza en las próximas 24 horas”.La ONU ha censurado tal orden, afirmando que es imposible que los civiles evacuen.̶...

Player of the Week: John Champe’s Bryce Rohr

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

Bryce Rohr is a senior at John Champe High School in Aldie, Virginia, and has committed to swim for Arizona State University after graduation. (Courtesy Matthew Rohr) Bryce Rohr is a senior at John Champe High School in Aldie, Virginia, and has committed to swim for Arizona State University after graduation. (Courtesy Matthew Rohr) Each week, WTOP is picking one student athlete to be featured on air and online as our Player of the Week. This week’s WTOP Player of the Week is Bryce Rohr of John Champe High School in Aldie, Virginia.Rohr is a senior at John Champe and has committed to swim at Arizona State University after graduation. A distance freestyle specialist, Rohr has U.S. Open and Summer Juniors quali...

From food truck to restaurant: Fairfax Co.-based La Tingeria celebrates 10 years with expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

WTOP is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. All this month, discover stories from the diverse Latino communities in the D.C. region, here at WTOP.com and on air at WTOP-FM.At 25 years old, David Peña was a young sous-chef in Northern Virginia, living out his dream and comfortable with his position. Once a week, as part of a family meal for employees, the Arlington native began making chicken tinga — a Mexican dish made with shredded chicken in a sauce made from tomatoes, chipotle chilies and onions.The meal became a favorite dish, causing someone to ask Peña when he planned to open “La Tingeria”: a play off the dish and “taqueria,” the Spanish word for a restaurant that specializes in tacos.“Fast forward to me getting laid off, I was like ‘dude, that name.'” Peña said. “I just kept remembering that name. So I was like, ‘you know what, let’s open up La Tingeria.'”Ten years later, Peña’s ...

Opening of ‘other fronts’ possible in Israel-Hamas war, Iran warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that opening other fronts in the Israel-Hamas war was a “real possibility” as Israel intensified its retaliatory attacks on the Gaza Strip, sparking fears that the conflict would turn into a regional war.“With the continuation of aggression, war crimes and the siege of Gaza, the opening of other fronts is a real possibility,” Amir-Abdollahian said late Thursday upon arriving in Beirut, Lebanon, where he traveled to meet leaders of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.“I will discuss the situation in Gaza with the Lebanese authorities,” Amir-Abdollahian said. “Iran strongly continues its political and media support for the Palestinian resistance.”A long-standing backer of both Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran has denied any involvement in the surprise incursion into Israel by Hamas last weekend.The Iranian minister’s statement comes...

French authorities investigate potential poisoning of Russian anti-war journalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:15 GMT

French prosecutors are investigating the potential poisoning of former Russian state TV journalist turned Kremlin critic Marina Ovsyannikova after she was suddenly taken ill in Paris this week.Ovsyannikova reportedly called for help on Thursday afternoon “because she had collapsed outside her home in the 6th arrondissement and feared poisoning,” a spokesperson with the Paris Criminal Court said. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation into the incident and police were reportedly examining her apartment as part of the probe. Ovsyannikova, who made headlines around the world in March last year when she denounced Moscow’s war on Ukraine during a live Russian TV broadcast, remained under medical supervision on Thursday, but her condition had improved, according to Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders Christophe Deloire.Deloire said Thursday evening on social media that the organization had been by Ovsyannikova’s si...