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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
McIlroy makes Open charge, Scheffler stays ahead at Portrush
Golf - The 153rd Open Championship - Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Northern Ireland, Britain - July 19, 2025 Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 1st hole during the third round REUTERS/Russell Cheyne PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland - Home favourite Rory McIlroy birdied three of his first four holes to mount a third-round charge as world number Scottie Scheffler maintained his British Open lead in perfect scoring conditions on Saturday. The 36-year-old McIlroy began the day on three under par after two up-and-down rounds, seven strokes behind Scheffler, but roars resounded across the Dunluce Links as he made a dream start before reaching the turn at six under. After his majestic round of 64 on Friday, world number Scheffler was becalmed at the start, three-putting for a par five at the second hole. England's Matt Fitzpatrick, who began the day at nine under, missed a short par putt on the opening hole but responded with an eagle at the par-five second to join Scheffler on 10 under. American Scheffler, bidding to lift the Claret Jug for the first time, sparked into life at the seventh with an eagle three. China's Li Haotong was a shot back on nine under after a steady start. With huge galleries swarming down the first fairway and massed around the green, McIlroy left himself a 36-foot putt for birdie and curled his effort into the cup. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore He was close to an eagle at the par-five second, settling for another birdie, and made up his third stroke of the day at the fourth after a superb approach left him a seven-foot putt. MCILROY CHARGE Northern Ireland's McIlroy, bidding to win the Open for the second time after his maiden title at Hoylake in 2014, made six successive pars to remain at six under after 10 holes. He bogeyed the 11th but eagled the 12th with a snaking 56-foot putt to move to seven under, prompting wild celebrations in the crowd. After two days of unpredictable conditions, the weather gods relented to spark a feast of birdies and eagles. Early starter Russell Henley of the United States made five birdies and an eagle in a 65 to rocket up the leaderboard and take the clubhouse lead on six under. No Englishman has won the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 but Fitzpatrick was not the only player heading into the weekend hoping to end that drought. Tyrrell Hatton, who this week said "three is the magic number" for pints of the local stout, roared into contention when his approach shot at the 607-yard par-five seventh landed on the green and curled towards the hole before wobbling in for an eagle three. It was the second eagle at the seventh in successive groups after Scotland's Robert MacIntyre also made one. American Brian Harman, Open champion two years ago at Royal Liverpool, started two shots off the lead, but made a terrible start as he double-bogeyed his opening hole to fall back to six under. He responded with a birdie at the next but made a bogey at the third. Defending champion Xander Schauffele eagled the seventh and repeated the trick at the 12th before a birdie at the 15th lifted him within three shots of the lead. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US says attack on West Bank Palestinian church was 'act of terror'
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, look on during the visit to the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, following settler attacks, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman/File Photo RAMALLAH, West Bank - U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called on Saturday for the perpetrators of an attack on a Palestinian church in the occupied West Bank blamed on Israeli settlers to be prosecuted, calling it an "act of terror". Huckabee said he had visited the Christian town of Taybeh, where clerics said Israeli settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th-century church on July 8. "It is an act of terror, and it is a crime," Huckabee said in a statement, "Those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh – or anywhere – (should) be found and be prosecuted. Not just reprimanded, that's not enough." Israel's government has not commented on the incident, but has previously denounced such acts. On Tuesday, Huckabee said he had asked Israel to "aggressively investigate" the killing of a Palestinian American beaten by settlers in the West Bank, similarly describing it as a "criminal and terrorist act". Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlements and his comments are a rare and pointed public intervention by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank have risen since the start of Israel's war on the Hamas militant group in Gaza in October 2023, though violence has long simmered there. The United Nations' highest court said last year that Israel's settlements in territories it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including the West Bank, were illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical and historical ties to the land as well as security needs. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Britain's water polo late bloomer Toula Falvey has the stomach for success
Britain's Toula Falvey (right) in action at the World Aquatics Championships women's water polo play-off match against Japan at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 17. SINGAPORE – The night before her second training session with Britain's women's water polo team in 2021, Toula Falvey had severe stomach pain and was vomiting. Rushed to Ealing Hospital, what was initially diagnosed as kidney stones turned out to be renal vein thrombosis – a condition in which a blood clot forms in one of both of the veins that filter blood from the kidneys – after scans showed a swollen left kidney. Like a bolt from the blue, the doctor said that the kidney might need to be removed, and there was a possibility that she would not be able to play water polo again. 'It was definitely like a super emotional time for me,' said the 25-year-old British-American after their 20-12 loss to New Zealand in the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) 9th-12th semi-final on July 19. 'I was going over to England to live with my grandparents and train with the national team, I was training super hard every day, and I was told my kidney might already be dead and they needed to operate right away. 'It was a really, really hard time, not only because I was very worried about losing a kidney, but also losing my sport and my passion. I'm an athlete for life, and I was genuinely worried that I would never be able to play the sport again.' Fortunately, a surgeon at the neighbouring Northwick Park Hospital was able to break up the clot. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Falvey then had to cope a long road to recovery. After being hospitalised for 14 days, she was on blood thinners for six months. With a sarcastic laugh, she said: 'I swam the entire time, which was super fun and my favourite thing to do. 'I couldn't do contact sports, I couldn't even block because when I was on blood dinners, I bruised and bled easily. I was out for about eight months in total, which was super hard.' But the professional water polo athlete, who plays for Club Natacio Catalunya in Spain, does not do things the easy way. She was a team sports-loving girl who played basketball, football and American football. After knowing she was not going to make the volleyball team, she went for her high school water polo tryout, She said: 'I actually never learnt how to swim properly until I came into water polo. 'I'll never forget the first day of practice, and our coach Sophie Doyle made us swim 20 100 metres, and by the time the whole team finished swimming 20, I had done two. I was about to quit that day, and she said she believed in me and could see me playing in NCAA Division 1, and she was going to build me into a really good player.' Not only did Falvey end up playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 with the University of the Pacific, she rejoined the Britain national team and helped them reach the WCH for the first time in 11 years in 2024 – they eventually finished 11th. In Singapore, they beat France and South Africa to finish second in Group B behind Olympic champions Spain, before disappointing defeats by Japan and New Zealand in the knockout rounds. They will take on France again in the 11th-12th playoff and after the championships, the next step is to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since London 2012. Falvey said: 'We are all super excited about having 12 women's teams at LA 2028, and it's a huge opportunity for us. We did really well to finish seventh at the European Championships last year and we want to show we belong on the world and Olympic stage.' The quarter-finals on July 19 were a more keenly contested affair among the big guns. World Cup champions and World No. 5 Greece edged Olympic silver medallists and sixth-ranked Australia 8-7, thanks to Maria Myriokefalitaki's winning goal with two seconds to spare. They will face defending champions and world No. 3 United States, who beat 14th-ranked Japan 26-8, in the semi-finals on July 21. The other semi-final will pit world No. 4 Hungary, who beat seventh-ranked Italy 12-9, against Olympic champions and top-ranked Spain, who beat Olympic bronze medallists and world No. 2 Netherlands 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a thrilling 11-11 draw. Hosts Singapore concluded their campaign with an 8-4 loss to South Africa in the 15th-16th play-off to finish at the bottom, though they improved on their 20-6 defeat in 2024. Croatia beat Argentina 4-2 in a shoot-out after a 12-12 draw in the 13th-14th play-off. While Singapore women's water polo coach Yu Lei felt the team could have done better to put away their chances and avoid giving up so many scoring opportunities to their opponents, he said the team have grown since the previous championships. They narrowed the goal difference across five defeats from 15-139 to 27-114. He said: 'We lose out in terms of height, weight and power, but we can improve in terms of our mobility, fitness and technique. 'To do so, we will strive for more opportunities to compete and train overseas. We will send our women's team to an youth tournament in China in September, and the Sept 28-Oct 10 Asian Aquatics Championships in India, before an overseas training camp in November to prepare for the SEA Games. 'I've always emphasised that our aim is to snatch the gold away from Thailand. I used the term snatch because they are defending champions who have home ground advantage which we have to overcome by lifting our standards.' Noting that there are fewer than 100 girls playing water polo in Singapore, skipper Abielle Yeo hoped that the support and infrastructure will continue to improve to help the women's scene. She said: 'Hopefully the WCH has exposed women's water polo to more people, and more will come join us, and the level of play here will go up with a bigger player base.'
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Tensions rise as Lula blasts US over visa sanctions tied to Bolsonaro trial
Find out what's new on ST website and app. BRASILIA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a U.S. decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro's trial "arbitrary" and "baseless," and said foreign interference in the judiciary was "unacceptable." In a statement on Saturday, the leftist leader said the action violated fundamental principles of respect and sovereignty between nations. In an escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of Latin America's largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials. The visa bans were a response to the Supreme Court's decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost. "I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil's powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law," said Lula. Solicitor general Jorge Messias, the top judicial official for Lula's executive branch, said in a statement posted on X late Friday that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also targeted by the ban. Messias said no "improper maneuver" or "sordid conspiratorial act" would intimidate the judiciary in carrying out its duties with independence, as he condemned what he also described as arbitrary U.S. visa revocations targeting Brazilian officials for fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Singapore Why hiring more teachers makes sense, even with falling student numbers In addition to Moraes, seven other justices from Brazil's 11-member Supreme Court were also hit by the U.S. visa restrictions, Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said on Friday. They include justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes. The Prosecutor General's Office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump has criticised the proceedings against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt", a term he has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter last week, he announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting August 1, opening the message with criticism of the trial. Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in January 2023. The right-wing firebrand has denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government but has acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the election's outcome. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Senior Brazilian official says judiciary won't be intimidated by US visa bans
Find out what's new on ST website and app. BRASILIA - Brazil's judiciary will not be intimidated by a U.S. decision to target officials involved in the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro with visa bans, a senior judicial official said late on Friday, criticising the move as arbitrary. In an escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of Latin America's largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials. The visa bans were a response to the Supreme Court's decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost. Solicitor general Jorge Messias, the top judicial official for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's executive branch, said in a statement posted on X that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also targeted by the ban. "Rest assured that no improper maneuver or sordid conspiratorial act will intimidate our country's judiciary in the independent and dignified exercise of its task," he added. Messias said the Brazilian officials were subject to "arbitrary acts of visa revocation by a foreign nation on account of their fulfillment of their legitimate institutional responsibilities in accordance with constitutional terms." In addition to Moraes, seven other justices from Brazil's 11-member Supreme Court were also hit by the U.S. visa restrictions, Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said on Friday. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Singapore Who decides when you can't? A guide on planning for end-of-life care Singapore Why hiring more teachers makes sense, even with falling student numbers They include justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes. The Prosecutor General's Office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump has criticised the proceedings against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt", a term he has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter last week, he announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting August 1, opening the message with criticism of the trial. Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in January 2023. The right-wing firebrand has denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government but has acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the election's outcome. REUTERS
