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England avoids huge Rugby World Cup upset with comeback 1-point win over Samoa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

LILLE, France (AP) — England gathered its senses from 17-8 down against Samoa and avoided one of the greatest Rugby World Cup upsets by edging a thrilling pool match 18-17 on Saturday.Pool D was already won by quarterfinal-bound England which wanted to maintain momentum into the knockout stage next week. But a sloppy, second-rate performance was exploited by a fired-up Manu Samoa, who pulled out one more final trick to almost complete a shock win.Wing Neria Foma’i was freed by fullback Duncan Paia’aua and was flying toward the tryline. He was eight meters from history when he was brought down from behind by England’s oldest back, replacement scrumhalf Danny Care. Foma’i’s pop-up pass was knocked on and the chance died for Samoa.Samoa scored two converted tries and had two other tries ruled out in a second quarter in which England was blown away. Somehow, Samoa led at halftime by only six points.The second half belonged to England, but it struggled to tu...

Minnesota tops Dallas, sweeps 2-game NBA preseason set in Abu Dhabi

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid each scored 14 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves topped the Dallas Mavericks 104-96 on Saturday to complete a two-game sweep of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games.Anthony Edwards, who missed the first game on Thursday with an ankle issue, scored 13 for Minnesota.Luka Doncic had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds in 19 minutes for Dallas, which was without Kyrie Irving (left groin), Seth Curry (illness) and Markieff Morris (left ankle).Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 22 points and eight rebounds in a game where the majority of starters didn’t appear in the second half.Dallas never led in Thursday’s preseason opener; it had the lead only three times on Saturday — 3-0, 6-5 and 13-11. Those stints with the lead were all short-lived, lasting a combined 2:13 and all coming in the game’s opening six minutes.Other than that, Minnesota — riding the strength of a 27-7 run over a 10-minute stretch of the first half — was...

Sen. Griffith resigning to take over Md. Hospital Association

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.Sen. Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince George’s), the chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, will resign at the end of the month to become president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association.Griffith told Maryland Matters Friday that she accepted the job in the morning and will begin her new position on Dec. 18.“This has been a tremendously difficult decision,” she said.Griffith, who is in her fifth year in the Senate and previously served for 16 years in the House of Delegates, has worked as a health care policy expert and advocate for her entire professional career. In an interview, she said she initially resisted the opportunity to apply for the hospital association position, but finally came around to the idea that she could advance many of her top priorities in the new job.“Someone poin...

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins Formula One world championship for 3rd straight season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

LOSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Max Verstappen secured the Formula One title for the third straight year on Saturday in a season of near-total domination for the Red Bull driver.Verstappen finished second in the sprint race in Qatar and his teammate Sergio Perez, the only driver who could catch him in the standings, crashed out after being struck by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine.Rookie Oscar Piastri won the sprint for McLaren and his teammate Lando Norris was third.The title race was all but over long before Verstappen made sure of it Saturday. His run of 10 straight wins, an all-time F1 record, from May to September left him far ahead in the standings.“Unbelievable. Guys, I don’t know what to say,” Verstappen told his team. “It’s been a pleasure so far this year.”Verstappen parked up in the pit lane and stood atop his car with three fingers raised on his right hand before going to celebrate with his team.Verstappen started third Saturday but was slow off the line and was in fifth after the first lap ...

Dodgers leave infielder Rosario and reliever Yarbrough off NLDS roster against D-backs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers left infielder Amed Rosario and reliever Ryan Yarbrough off their roster for the NL Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of Game 1 on Saturday.The Dodgers will carry 13 pitchers and 13 position players for the best-of-five series.Four rookie pitchers made the roster, including Bobby Miller, who will start Game 2 on Monday. He’s joined by Michael Grove, Ryan Pepiot and Emmet Sheehan. Rosario was acquired by the Dodgers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline from Cleveland after the team unloaded struggling pitcher Noah Syndergaard to get him. He was brought in to bolster the team’s hitting against left-handed pitchers.Instead of the right-handed Rosario, the Dodgers chose veteran infielder Kolten Wong, who joined the team on Sept. 1. The left-hander batted .300 in 34 plate appearances.Yarbrough made his first start for the Dodgers last month, allowing two runs in four innings. He was acquired from Kansas City at the trade...

Kyle Busch internalizes his driving style as he faces elimination from NASCAR playoffs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Another crash has Kyle Busch last in the playoff standings and in danger of elimination Sunday on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch doesn’t need a win to guarantee he advances into the round of eight, but it’s his only guaranteed path. Four drivers will be cut after the race on the hybrid road course/oval, and, short of a victory, Busch will need significant help from other playoff drivers to advance. He will start fifth Sunday but he’s below the cutline in 12th in the standings. He trails Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain. Reddick, at ninth in the standings, won the pole in Saturday qualifying and trails Brad Keselowski by just two points for the eighth and final spot. William Byron and Ryan Blaney have both already advanced based on wins in the first two races of the round of 12. After crashing in the opening race of this round at Texas, Busch said he had to “fix” his driving style to better adapt to NASCAR’s sec...

1 killed in overnight crash on I-70 in Aurora

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- One person died in a crash overnight on Interstate 70 and North Chambers Road in Aurora, according to police.The Aurora Police Department said officers found a pickup truck had left the roadway and crashed down the side of an embankment.One occupant in the vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene.The road was closed in the area and opened up around 5:30 a.m. Saturday.The death was the 57th traffic-related fatality so far in 2023.

Gearing up for the 250th Boston Tea Party anniversary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

More than two months away from the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, organizers say they have already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into marking the grand occasion, a total they anticipate to continue growing.At least 10,000 people from all over the country and abroad are expected to flock to the city on Dec. 16 for the full-scale, live reenactment of colonists protesting taxation without representation by throwing British tea into Boston Harbor, a pivotal event leading to the American Revolution.“This is the kind of event when all is said and done, if you tabulate it out, all the work that has been done all year long to promote this, it’s going to be well over $1 million to do just this one event,” said Jonathan Lane, executive director of Revolution 250, a consortium of more than 70 Bay State organizations working together on the commemoration.Lane stopped by the Old Burying Ground in Cambridge on Friday to honor John Hicks, a Tea Party participant and a milit...

Biden decries the ‘unconscionable’ Hamas attack and warns Israel’s enemies not to exploit the crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday decried the “unconscionable” assault by Hamas militants and his administration pledged to ensure Israel has “what it needs to defend itself” after the surprise attack that drew worldwide condemnation and anger from Israel’s allies.Biden said from the White House that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop. There’s never a justification for terrorist attacks and my administration’s support for Israeli’s security is rock solid and unwavering.’’The president also warned Israeli’s enemies that “this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.” Biden said he would keep in close touch with Netanyahu, and had called Jordan’s King Abdullah II and members of Congress to dis...

Gunfire, rockets and carnage: Israelis are stunned and shaken by unprecedented Hamas attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:02 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis in the country’s south near the volatile frontier with Gaza have grown so used to rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants that they hardly bat an eye when the air raid sirens wail. But this time, Hamas has shaken their steely nerves. Residents of southern Israel described Saturday’s unprecedented ground assault — with fighters entering their communities in pick-up trucks, on boats and by hang-gliders — as a nightmare come true.For Israelis working and living within range of Gaza, the sight of Hamas militants roaming outside their homes Saturday – and reports that Hamas had taken dozens of civilians and soldiers captive – marked a terrifying turn of events unlike anything residents had experienced before. “This was always the nightmare. We told ourselves that one day, the terrorists will come inside here,” said Jehan Berman, a 42-year-old in the small community of Avshalom, just a few kilometers (miles) from Gaza. He added that it took ei...