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The Springboks are not truly representative of African rugby. African rugby is struggling

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Once again, Africa is home to the Rugby World Cup champion.The Springboks beat New Zealand in an epic final on Saturday in Paris, winning back-to-back titles.But a South Africa led by charismatic captain Siya Kolisi isn’t a true representation of African rugby.Outside of South Africa, African rugby struggles to be competitive, and is a gold mine of talent without the means to unearth it.Rugby Africa president Herbert Mensah welcomed the decision this week to expand the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia from 20 teams to 24. That could mean Africa receiving a second extra qualifying berth. But he warned that a second berth will not help grow the game in Africa or make African countries competitive unless it comes with the right support.“We are a continent of 1.4 billion people, with some of the most talented athletes in the world. But we simply don’t have the investments to be able to compete at the levels that we need to compete,” said Mensah, who ...

Live updates: More snow expected to fall Sunday

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Snow continues to fall along the Front Range on Sunday as winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings remain in effect until noon in the Denver weather forecast. A Pinpoint Weather Alert Day has been issued for Sunday. Several inches of snow have already coated roads along the Front Range and Denver metro. More snow will continue to fall Sunday morning. How to prepare for avalanche danger to increase with snow accumulation The snow will eventually taper off by the afternoon. Get real-time updates from FOX31 and the Pinpoint Weather team in the live blog below, and on TV, watch for the latest updates on FOX31 and Channel 2.⬇️ Live blog with updates below.Weather Quick Links🌨️ Radar Map❄️ Latest Forecast⚠️ Weather Alerts⚫ ClosingsLive Updates

Mainers gather for Sunday mass to pray, reflect days after a mass shooting left 18 dead

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Dozens of Maine residents gathered at Sunday services to pray and support one another following a traumatic week in which a fellow Mainer gunned down 18 people in the worst mass killing in state history.The Rev. Daniel Greenleaf began services at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston with a moment of silence. Then, he told the congregation that it was good to be able to finally pray together after days of lockdown imposed while police searched for the 40-year-old gunman Robert Card.Several women wore black veils in the cavernous sanctuary, where a church official said they are raising funds to help shooting victims and others hurt by “the horrible events in our small town.”“We can see the rays of light in darkness,“ Greenleaf said during his sermon. He told the worshippers that it is times like this that they have “practiced” their faith for.“We cannot fix this, but then again human beings are not machines to be fixed,” Greenleaf sai...

5 injured, 40 displaced after blaze breaks out at Framingham apartment complex

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

Fire crews battled a three-alarm blaze at an apartment complex in Framingham Saturday night that left five people injured, including four firefighters, and 40 displaced. The fire broke out at 1630 Worcester Road, causing significant damage to a unit on the fourth-floor, according to Fire Chief Michael Dutcher. Management is working with the American Red Cross to find them emergency shelter, the City of Framingham said in a post on Facebook.The four firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. A pregnant woman was also transported.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Union beat short-handed Revolution in MLS playoffs behind goals from Gazdag, Uhre and Harriel

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Dániel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre and Nathan Harriel each scored in the first half and the Philadelphia Union beat the short-handed New England Revolution 3-1 on Saturday in the first round of the MLS playoffs.Philadelphia (16-9-10), the defending Eastern Conference champions, will play at New England (15-10-10) on Nov. 8 in Game 2 of the best-of-three series.New England captain Carles Gil left the game early in the first half with an apparent leg injury. Gil’s exit came after a rough challenge from Uhre and followed Gazdag’s 19th-minute goal from the penalty spot.Uhre made it 2-0 in the 26th and Harriel added another 11 minutes later for a 3-0 lead. Gustavo Bou scored for New England in the 68th.Philadelphia and New England met in the playoffs for the second time after the Revs eliminated the Supporters’ Shield winning Union 2–0 in Chester in the first round in 2020.Philadelphia entered the playoffs having drawn six of their last eight games, with the lone loss i...

Cooler with showers today

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

Good morning! It’ll look and feel much different today with temperatures in the 50s. Have the rain gear with you, and keep the umbrella with you for most of tomorrow as it’s a soggy start to the work week. By midweek, you might want the coat as temperatures drop into the 30s overnight and highs stays in the 40s.Today’s high temperatures were around midnight as we were still coming down from yesterday’s near record highs. Temperatures will be in the mid 50s this morning before falling into the low 50s this afternoon. Target this morning to get outside and enjoy dry time. Clouds thicken and showers fill in by midday and stay scattered this afternoon and evening. Showers will be light. It won’t be raining the entire time for everyone, but it will be a damp day. Overnight temperatures will be cool in the 40s with a few showers. Tomorrow starts off soggy. Give yourself extra time for the morning commute. Showers will be around through the morning. The wet we...

Biden will visit a Minnesota family farm this week as top officials kick off stops in rural America

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit a family farm in Minnesota on Wednesday as part of two weeks of stops in rural America by top administration officials that are intended to highlight how increases in government spending can help improve peoples’ lives.Biden’s focus on the state comes just five days after Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota announced he was running for president, becoming the party’s first elected official to challenge Biden in the 2024 primary.Administration officials say the trip to Minnesota was planned long before Phillips’ announcement, even though the congressman had been publicly mulling a primary campaign for months, and is more about promoting policy than politics.Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will use the farm as a backdrop to highlight how federal investment in rural areas helps farmers through legislation the White House helped champion, including the public works l...

Bangladesh police detain key opposition figure, a day after clashes left one dead and scores injured

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Authorities in Bangladesh detained a key opposition figure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party which called for a nationwide strike Sunday. This comes a day after clashes — which left at least one policeman dead and scores injured — erupted during a massive rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee general elections next year.Faruk Hossain, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Media Cell, told The Associated Press that Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgi was detained, but didn’t give further details. Alamgir is the secretary general of the Nationalist Party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s party and Hasina’s main rival. The party denounced his detention.As per Bangladeshi law, a detainee must appear before a court within 24 hours.Hossain also said six cases were filed against some 1300 people being investigated for SaturdayR...

Water woes, hot summers and labor costs are haunting pumpkin farmers in the West

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

Hudson, CO. (AP) — Alan Mazzotti can see the Rocky Mountains about 30 miles west of his pumpkin patch in northeast Colorado on a clear day. He could tell the snow was abundant last winter, and verified it up close when he floated through fresh powder alongside his wife and three sons at the popular Winter Park Resort.But one season of above-average snowfall wasn’t enough to refill the dwindling reservoir he relies on to irrigate his pumpkins. He received news this spring that his water delivery would be about half of what it was from the previous season, so he planted just half of his typical pumpkin crop. Then heavy rains in May and June brought plenty of water and turned fields into a muddy mess, preventing any additional planting many farmers might have wanted to do.“By time it started raining and the rain started to affect our reservoir supplies and everything else, it was just too late for this year,” Mazzotti said.For some pumpkin growers in states like Texas, New Mexico...

GMs Mike Hazen and Chris Young face off in World Series 25 years after meeting at Princeton

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:45:17 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Twenty-five years after they first met at Princeton, Chris Young and Mike Hazen are facing off in the World Series as architects of pennant-winning teams.Hazen is in his seventh season as general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Young in his third as GM of the Texas Rangers. Two days before the World Series opener, they sent a group text inviting Scott Bradley, their Princeton coach, to Games 1 and 2.“When you look at both Mike and Chris as they’ve evolved into these roles, I think their ability to deal with people, to have difficult and honest conversations, to see the value in character I think is probably their greatest strengths,” said Bradley, a former major league catcher and a brother of former U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley.Their ties go back to Old Nassau. Hazen was a senior outfielder on Bradley’s first Princeton team in 1998, six years after Bradley’s ninth and final major league season. Young was among Bradley’s first recruits, played ...