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Alcaraz wins Italian Open debut to regain No. 1 and secure Roland Garros top seed

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

ROME (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz will reclaim the No. 1 ranking after beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-1 in his Italian Open debut on Saturday.Alcaraz will pass Novak Djokovic for the top spot when the rankings are next published on May 22 — ensuring he will get the No. 1 seeding at the French Open, which starts on May 28.Alcaraz double-faulted to hand Ramos-Vinolas a break of his serve in the opening game of the match but quickly recovered and used his well-disguised drop shot to set up the key break at the end of the first set.Alcaraz produced nearly three times as many winners as Ramos-Vinolas, 28-11, despite slow conditions on a rainy day at the Foro Italico.Coming off titles in Barcelona and Madrid, Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 12 matches and improved to 20-1 on clay this year.In other second-round matches, sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4; J.J. Wolf eliminated 14th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-4; and Borna Coric rallied past Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 7-6 ...

Nottingham Forest draws at Chelsea to inch toward EPL survival

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Taiwo Awoniyi’s second goal of the day helped relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest draw with Chelsea 2-2 in the English Premier League on Saturday after Raheem Sterling’s quick-fire goals at Stamford Bridge.Awoniyi, who also netted twice last week, opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a powerful header and nodded home again just past the hour mark, shortly after Sterling equalized and put Chelsea in front with goals seven minutes apart.The draw inched Forest closer to safety, with Steve Cooper’s team in 16th place and three points above the relegation zone with two games remaining. Forest hosts Arsenal next weekend and ends its season at Crystal Palace.Chelsea is winless in its past six league games at Stamford Bridge as its disappointing season grinds toward completion. The Blues are in 11th place.Sterling’s performance was a positive development for interim manager Frank Lampard. The England forward scored from Trevor Chalobah’s pass ...

Strasburg man leads Fauquier deputies on pursuit, hitting a speed of 130 mph

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.A Strasburg man was arrested Thursday after attempting to elude Fauquier County sheriff’s deputy while hitting a speed of 130 mph.Ashton Julius Stover, 19, was charged with felony eluding, reckless driving by speed and driving with no headlights following the pursuit, according to a news release.Deputy David Settle was patrolling the 12600 block of Marsh Road in the 11 p.m. hour Thursday when a vehicle entered his radar at 85 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to the release.After Settle activated his emergency equipment and pursued a 2008 Infiniti G35 sedan, the vehicle accelerated northbound on Marsh Road, when the car hit a speed of 130 mph and almost struck another deputy’s patrol vehicle near Marsh Road and Fayetteville Road, according to the release.During the pursuit, the driver — later identified as Stover — attempted to el...

Man United beats Wolves and back on track for Champions League

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United’s home form looks like being enough to earn the team a return to the Champions League.United beat Wolverhampton 2-0 on Saturday for a fourth straight home win at Old Trafford in the English Premier League, with Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho scoring.Erik ten Hag’s team lost its previous two games 1-0 and both were away, against Brighton and West Ham.United moved level on points with third-placed Newcastle and both were four clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, with all three teams having three games left. Significantly, two of United’s are at home against Chelsea and Fulham.Martial slotted home in the 32nd minute after a square ball from Brazil winger Antony to give United the lead and only an impressive display by Wolves goalkeeper Dan Bentley, making his league debut, kept the score down.Garnacho sealed the victory after beating the offside trap to race onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass and providing the finish in t...

Volleyball notebook: Needham boys keep rolling

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

The Ohio State and Harvard mens volleyball rosters verify what two-time defending Div. 1 champion Needham accomplished in each of the last two unbeaten seasons.Ben Putnam is now surrounded by teammates from California or the Midwest on the national championship-contending Buckeyes. Same for Owen Fanning through two years with the Crimson.Between them, two-time All-Scholastic Nolan Leary, two-time All-Scholastic Raymond Weng, and All-Scholastic contributions from Kevin Coppinger, Eli Blumenstein and Ethan McCarron, the Rockets were overwhelmingly loaded with talent. And after all but seniors Weng and McCarron graduated in either 2021 or 2022, the widespread belief in the boys volleyball community was that this year – while it would still be difficult to beat the Rockets – would be different.But at 15-0 so far with the state’s second-highest strength of schedule, Needham is proving that breaking down its success doesn’t come down to a just handful of star players.The current 61-game w...

Looking Glass: I don’t care what the captain is doing, get him out here!

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

About halfway through a flight from Barbados to South Florida, a passenger became enraged because he felt that flight attendants were not sufficiently deferential to him. He insulted them and demanded that they “get the Captain out here.” He shoved one flight attendant and pinned another up against the cockpit door before another passenger lifted him up and forced him back into his seat.WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY’RE MINE, OFFICER?: A woman claimed that the pants she was wearing were not hers when police found methamphetamine in her pocket after they pulled her over for a traffic violation in Bedford, Ind.HOW YOU GALS DOIN’?: Officials have released “frisky teenage” stallions into New Forest National Park in England for breeding purposes after keeping them in an isolated field for most of the year to help manage population numbers. They have urged visitors to give the animals a wide berth. “The stallions … haven’t seen a girl for ten months, (and the female) ponies haven’t...

San Diego breaks ground on nation’s first childcare center for police 

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Police Department broke ground Thursday on the nation’s first childcare center for police, said the City of San Diego.Officials say this historic project is meant to provide better childcare options for law enforcement while customizing services to their specific needs. More migrants arrive at border as donations continue According to the city, this program is led by the San Diego Police Officers Association with support from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “This first-of-its-kind childcare facility is part of our comprehensive effort to ensure SDPD is a great department to work for,” said Gloria. “With careers in law enforcement being more demanding than ever, this childcare center will help alleviate our officers’ childcare challenges so they can focus on keeping San Diego one of the safest big cities in America."The city says this childcare center will offer police offers extended hours to accommodate non-traditional work schedules and affordable rates t...

Zelenskyy meets with Pope Francis at Vatican, says he sought backing for his peace plan

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had private talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, later saying he sought support for his peace plan from the pontiff , who in the past has offered to try to help end the war launched by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.Zelenskyy held his hand over his heart and said it was a “great honor” to meet with the pope. Francis, using a cane for his knee problem, came to greet the Ukrainian president before ushering him into a papal studio near the Vatican’s audience hall. “Thank you for your visit,” Francis said, as their 40-minute-long meeting began.In a tweet after the papal audience, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Francis for “his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians.” He said he spoke with the pontiff “about the tens of thousands of deported (Ukrainian) children. We must make every effort to return them home.” Last month, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys S...

German rail union cancels planned two-day strike after employers meet minimum wage demand

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A labor union representing more than 200,000 railway workers in Germany said Saturday that it was cancelling plans for a two-day strike after employers met one of its key demands.The EVG union had said earlier this week that its members would walk out for 50 hours from late Sunday until late Tuesday. Rail company Deutsche Bahn said this would have affected all long-distance travel during that period and warned that most regional trains also wouldn’t run.Deutsche Bahn had sought a court injunction against the strike Saturday, insisting that it had agreed to the union’s demand for the minimum wage of 12 euros an hour to be ensured through basic pay rather than with bonuses.Negotiations on a broader deal continue.The company has offered tax-free one-off payments and a raise of 10% for low- and medium-wage groups, as well as 8% for those on higher wages. EVG had demanded an increase of 12%, saying it wanted an agreement valid for 12 months rather than Deutsche ...

DeSantis and Trump competing to sway Iowa GOP activists at dueling events

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:20:42 GMT

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — With hamburgers and handshakes, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to weaken former President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party on Saturday as the GOP’s leading presidential prospects collided in battleground Iowa.DeSantis, expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day, waded into Iowa’s hand-to-hand politicking at a congressman’s fundraiser in Sioux Center where several hundred conservatives ate burgers while surrounded by classic Corvettes. DeSantis later planned to attend a state party fundraiser in Cedar Rapids, while Trump, a candidate since November, hoped to demonstrate his political strength with a large outdoor rally in Des Moines, the capital.Although Trump and DeSantis were scheduled to be hundreds of miles apart, the split-screen moment in the GOP’s leadoff primary state marked a first for the two Republican powerhouses. The day offered an early preview of the match-up between Trump, well ahead...