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England 15-16 South Africa: Springboks fightback settles World Cup semi-final

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South Africa have won both their quarter and semi-finals by a single point (BBC)

England fell agonisingly short of a supreme upset and a fifth Rugby World Cup final as South Africa came on strong to snatch victory in Paris.

England were canny and committed in the first half, raining down kicks into the South Africa backfield, forcing a steady supply of penalties. Owen Farrell converted four to send his side into the break with a 12-6 lead.

The Springboks chopped and changed their line-up after the break, but a Farrell drop-goal edged England further clear and to the brink of a seismic shock. However, an RG Snyman try 10 minutes from time cut the underdogs’ lead to 15-13 before the Boks’ scrum power earned Handre Pollard the match-winning penalty in the 77th minute.

It was a brutal ending for an England team who had led from the third minute until three minutes from time.

White shirts slumped to the sodden Stade de France turf, while elsewhere the tension and physicality of the contest spilled over with groups of players confronting each other.

It was characteristic of an England side who never took a step back and took the fight to their fancied opposition. The performance was also vindication for coach Steve Borthwick, who turned Leicester from relegation candidates to Premiership champions in 18 months and has produced another spectacular salvage job to guide England within a whisker of a final.

After beating hosts France by a similarly small margin on the same stage last weekend, South Africa will return to take on New Zealand in the showpiece match with both sides chasing a record fourth title.

Line-ups

England: Steward; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Farrell (capt), Mitchell; Marler, George, Cole, Itoje, Martin, Lawes, Curry, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Genge, Sinckler, Chessum, Vunipola, Care, Ford, Lawrence.

South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Kolbe; Libbok, Reinach; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Vermeulen.
Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Koch, Snyman, Smith, De Klerk, Pollard, Le Roux.

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)

Assistants: Mathieu Raynal (France) and Paul Williams (New Zealand)

TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

(BBC)



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Six lion cubs born at Ridiagama Safari park named

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The six lion cubs born at the Ridiagama safari park were named ata ceremony held at the park today (12)

The offspring of  Lara and Sula were named Mega, Tara and Agra while the offspring of Dora and Wolly were named Bhumi, Akira and Elsa.

 

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Asalanka’s ton and Theekshana’s four, down Australia

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Charith Asalanka scored 127 out of Sri Lanka's 214 [Cricinfo]

A captain’s innings of 127 off 126 balls by Charith Aslanka and a four wicket haul by Maheesh Theekshana helped Sri Lanka to defeat Australia in the first ODI played at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 214 in 46 overs [Charith Aslanka 127, Dunith Wellalage 30, Kusal Mendis 19; Spencer Johnson 2-44, Aaron Hardie 2-13, Sean Abott 3-61, Nathan Ellis 2-23] beat Australia 165 in 33.5 overs [Alex Careyb 41, Aaron Hardie 32, Sean Abott 20; Asitha Fernando 2-23, Maheesh Theekshana 4-40, Dunith Wellalage 2-33] by 49 runs

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Trade, tariffs and visas to dominate Trump-Modi talks

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Narendra Modi at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday [BBC]

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington and meets President Donald Trump later this week, there will be some warm hugs and shared laughs. But that will not be all.

Trump and Modi have developed a strong personal rapport over the years, marked by high-profile meetings and joint appearances.

Since their first meeting in Washington in 2017, their bond has grown through other events, including joint appearances at massive rallies in Houston and Ahmedabad. Their chemistry stems from shared worldviews and politics and a mutual strategic focus on countering China, a concern that has also strengthened the broader US-India partnership.

Not surprisingly, Trump has often criticised India, but he has never criticised Modi.

And so, during Modi’s visit, the two leaders will probably spend time mapping out next steps in the US-India strategic partnership, which is already in a good place.

Modi will reportedly meet several members of Trump’s cabinet, as well as US business leaders and members of the Indian-American community.

He may also meet SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk. Modi, keen to scale up India’s burgeoning electric vehicles sector, would be happy if Musk opened a Tesla factory in India.

And yet the Trump-Modi conviviality and heady talk of strategic partnership may mask a sobering reality: during Modi’s visit, the relationship’s transactional side will come into sharp relief with each leader, especially Trump, armed with an array of demands.

Delhi knows Trump well. Many of Modi’s current cabinet ministers also served during his previous term, which overlapped with part of the first Trump administration. That familiarity has been on display since Trump’s inauguration last month: Delhi has publicly signaled its willingness to lower tariffs, take back undocumented Indian immigrants and buy American oil.

It has already lowered some tariffs and taken back 104 undocumented Indians, with the first plane arriving in India last week. These pre-emptive steps are meant to prevent Trump from making specific demands of India and to reduce the likelihood of tensions with the new Trump administration.

Still, Trump may ask Modi to make additional tariff reductions, to further chip away at a US goods and services trade deficit with India that has approached $46bn (£37.10bn) in recent years. But an obstacle could become an opportunity: Modi may call on Trump to enter into bilateral talks on an economic partnership accord meant to reduce tariffs on both sides.

In recent years, Delhi has shown a growing willingness to pursue trade deals. The Trump administration may prove to be a more willing interlocutor than the Biden administration, which imposed heavy environmental and labour-related conditions on new trade agreements.

[BBC]

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