Welsh rugby greats Jones, Tipuric and Halfpenny make farewell international appearances

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Welsh rugby greats Jones, Tipuric and Halfpenny make farewell international appearances CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Rugby greats Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Leigh Halfpenny bid farewell to the international game in Wales’ 49-26 win over the Barbarians in a non-cap test match in Cardiff on Saturday.Wyn Jones and Tipuric, who played for the Baa-Baas, retired from Wales’ team before the World Cup while Halfpenny announced after the tournament in France that he would be quitting international rugby. The trio made a combined 352 appearances for Wales, with Jones a long-time captain of the team. The lock scored one of the four tries by the Barbarians, an invitational team containing players from countries around the world, while Wales crossed seven times — five of which were converted by Halfpenny.Dewi Lake, Tom Rogers, Sam Costelow, Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright and Kieran Hardy (two) were the try-scorers for the Welsh, who have just returned from a quarterfinal exit at the World Cup.Fiji international Api Ratuniyarawa pulled out of an appearance for the Bar...

US and Arab partners disagree over the need for a cease-fire as Israeli strikes kill more civilians

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

US and Arab partners disagree over the need for a cease-fire as Israeli strikes kill more civilians RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The United States and Arab partners disagreed Saturday on the need for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as Israeli military strikes killed multiple civilians at a U.N. shelter and a hospital in a growing assault on the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers.Large columns of smoke rose as Israel’s military said it had encircled Gaza City, the target of its offensive to crush Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry has said more than 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, and that number is likely to rise as the assault continues.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Arab foreign ministers in Jordan a day after talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary cease-fire until all hostages held by Hamas are released.Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Arab countries want an immediate cease-fire, saying “the whole region is sinking in a sea of hatred that will define generations to come.”...

OPINIÓN | ‘Nyad’ cuenta una historia increíble, pero para cualquier cubanoamericano trae dolor

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

OPINIÓN | ‘Nyad’ cuenta una historia increíble, pero para cualquier cubanoamericano trae dolor Nota del editor: Elena Sheppard es una escritora de cultura, que se centra en libros, moda, teatro e historia. Su primer libro, “El bosque eterno: una memoria de la diáspora cubana”, se publicará próximamente en St. Martin’s Press. Las opiniones expresadas aquí son suyas.(CNN) — Diana Nyad estaba obsesionada con completar lo que se llama el “Monte Everest” de los nados: 177 km desde Cuba hasta Cayo Hueso. En 1978, cuando tenía 28 años, intentó la travesía por primera vez. Nadó durante 41 horas y 47 minutos seguidos antes de que las corrientes y las peligrosas olas la obligaran a detenerse. En 2013, a los 64 años y tras cinco intentos en 35 años, Nyad triunfó. El nado le llevó 53 horas. “Nunca supe que sufriría como lo hice”, le dijo al corresponsal médico jefe de CNN, el Dr. Sanjay Gupta, en una entrevista.En la nueva película “Nyad”, protagonizada por Annette Bening, la narrativa se centra en el capítulo de la vida de Nyad cuando, décadas después de su primer intento, s...

Riquelme y la Copa Libertadores: de ganarla como jugador a perseguirla como dirigente

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Riquelme y la Copa Libertadores: de ganarla como jugador a perseguirla como dirigente (CNN Español) — “La Copa Libertadores es la más linda de todas”, asegura Juan Román Riquelme, exjugador de Boca Juniors y ahora vicepresidente del mismo equipo. En la cancha, Riquelme disputó esta copa en ocho oportunidades, de las cuales ganó tres. Ahora también la quiere ganar afuera del rectángulo, como directivo.Sin duda, la relación de Riquelme con la Copa Libertadores es una de las más idílicas que ha dado el continente. Emblema del ciclo de Carlos Bianchi en el Boca Juniors que se coronó con el trofeo más importante de América en dos oportunidades; en 2007 volvió como el hijo pródigo para llevar a Boca nuevamente a la cima de la Conmebol. La única vez que llegó a una final y no terminó dando la vuelta olímpica fue en 2012 cuando Corinthians derrotó al Xeneize dirigido por Julio Falcioni.Bicampeón de la LibertadoresDebut y vuelta olímpica. Así se puede definir la Copa Libertadores del año 2000 para Juan Román Riquelme, cuando el equipo Xeneize ganó después de 23 años y e...

3 tips for driving after daylight saving time ends

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

3 tips for driving after daylight saving time ends DENVER (KDVR) -- Daylight saving time is ending, and while it leads to an extra hour of sleep, it can also lead to drowsy or fatigued driving, according to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes or contributes to an estimated 100,000 crashes per year. When does daylight saving time end in Colorado? “We know that this change in time can affect the way people sleep and that, in addition to driving more in the dark, can create risk of drowsiness or fatigue behind the wheel,” DMV Senior Director Electra Bustle said.The DMV gave eight warning signs of drowsy driving that people should watch for:Finding it hard to focus on the roadStarting to daydreamHaving trouble remembering the last few miles drivenMissing an exit or ignoring traffic signsYawning or rubbing your eyes oftenFinding it hard to keep your head upDrifting from your lane, tailgating another car or hitting a shoulder rumble stripFeeling ...

Ankara recalls ambassador from Israel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Ankara recalls ambassador from Israel Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel on Saturday morning, citing the “humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza and “Israel’s refusal of calls for cease-fire.”Turkey joins regional states Bahrain and Jordan in pulling ambassadors from Israel in protest against the Israeli government’s bombardment of neighboring Gaza in the four weeks since Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack.On Friday night, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by Turkish media saying: “[Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off.”The move is the latest step Turkey has taken to distance itself from Israel, however, it does not appear to represent a full severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.“Complete disconnection is not possible, especially in international diplomacy,” Erdogan said. “But Netanyahu bears the main responsibility for the violence. What he needs to do is take a step back and stop it.”Israel’s ambassador to Ankara, Irit Lilli...

Column: Montez Sweat trade comes down to 1 goal — GM Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are seeking to add ‘erasers’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Column: Montez Sweat trade comes down to 1 goal — GM Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are seeking to add ‘erasers’ It’s going to be a lot to ask Montez Sweat to make the impact Khalil Mack had with the Chicago Bears in his first game and before him Julius Peppers.But Ryan Poles was dreaming big when he became the only general manager for a team with a losing record — the Bears enter Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome at 2-6 — to be a buyer at the trade deadline day Tuesday.Poles is banking on Sweat being a difference maker for seasons to come and used the term “eraser” when talking about the need to add elite players to the roster Wednesday after Sweat passed his physical and the trade of a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders was finalized.What does an eraser look like?They come in all shapes and sizes and play nearly every position. You see them routinely when you watch weekend highlights. They come in the form of edge rushers who defeat offensive tackles with aggressive hand moves before bending the co...

Women’s lawsuit accuses Kansas City, Kansas, of allowing police corruption to thrive for years

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Women’s lawsuit accuses Kansas City, Kansas, of allowing police corruption to thrive for years KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Five women who say they were sexually assaulted or harassed by a former Kansas City, Kansas, detective filed a lawsuit Friday accusing the government of allowing police corruption to thrive for years.The Kansas City Star reports that the federal lawsuit says the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, allowed its officers to “terrorize, abuse and violate” Black residents through a pattern of misconduct and assaults without being disciplined or investigated.The government declined to comment because of the pending litigation, and a lawyer for former Detective Roger Golubski told the newspaper he couldn’t comment because he hadn’t read the lawsuit.Golubski has been accused by federal prosecutors and civil rights groups of framing Black citizens and sexually harassing Black women and girls for years in Kansas City, Kansas. He is currently on house arrest facing two federal indictments alleging he sexually assaulted and kidnap...

Leroy Stover, Birmingham’s first Black police officer, dies at 90

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Leroy Stover, Birmingham’s first Black police officer, dies at 90 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The City of Birmingham’s first Black police officer, Leroy Stover, has died. He was 90.Birmingham Police on Friday posted about Stover’s death on X, formerly known as Twitter.“Today, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of former Deputy Chief Leroy Stover. As the first black officer to integrate the Birmingham force, his legacy and work at the Birmingham Police Department paved a way for others to follow in his footsteps,” the department said. Stover died Thursday, al.com reported. He was 90 years old. The police department did not share a cause of death. Funeral arrangements are pending.Stover joined the force in March 1966 at the age of 33 and rose to the rank of deputy chief. He retired in 1998, with 32 years of service, news outlets reported.“We offer our full condolences to the family and know that he would forever be in our hearts and mind,” the police department’s statement said.In 2021, while reflecting on his career, the Birmin...

A Norway spruce from West Virginia is headed to the US Capitol to be this year’s Christmas tree

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

A Norway spruce from West Virginia is headed to the US Capitol to be this year’s Christmas tree CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A 63-foot (19-meter) Norway spruce from the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia is on its way to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to be the Christmas tree for 2023.Snow fell on the crew members Wednesday in Monongahela National Forest as they harvested the tree selected for this year’s holiday season.The tree was selected by Jim Kaufmann, Director of the Capitol Grounds for the Architect of the Capitol, according to the USDA Forest Service.Over the next several days, the tree will be taken to several cities in West Virginia before arriving in the Capitol in Washington. The Forest Service said the tree will be decorated with thousands of handcrafted ornaments from the people of West Virginia. The tree will be lit sometime after Thanksgiving.The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 53-year tradition in which one of America’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season.The Associated Press