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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
A healthy, rejuvenated Jhonattan Vegas returns to Twin Cities to defend his 3M Open title
Golf is one of the few sports where it's never too late for a career resurgence. The game has seen countless players find success early, stumble along the way, suffer injuries and setbacks, then burst back onto the scene with a win no one was expecting. Does the 2019 Masters ring a bell? Tiger Woods' defeat of father time at Augusta six years ago is certainly the most notable example of a resurgence in golf, but there's another player who's revisiting his own instance of jumpstarting a career that was thought to be sliding away. Jhonattan Vegas is back in Blaine, Minnesota at TPC Twin Cities for the 2025 3M Open, where he enters as the defending champion after a thrilling one-shot victory over Max Greyserman a year ago. Vegas did so while playing on a medical exemption after suffering a shoulder injury that kept him out of competition for nearly the entire 2022-23 season. But he fought back, and now the 40-year-old from Maturin, Venezuela, native gears up for this year's rendition of the 3M Open in an entirely different headspace than a year ago. "Last year, when I was coming back from shoulder surgery and I was just kind of getting back into the grind of things, didn't really have a clue kind of where my game was and how it was developing week after week," Vegas said in his pre-tournament press conference Wednesday. "But obviously, a year later, I feel like I come in a way better position physically, mentally, everything is there just to make a really good run here at the end of the season. Like I said, a lot more focus on playing good golf than just trying to get my body ready to play." The win at the 2024 3M Open, which was his fourth career victory on Tour but his first since 2017, wasn't a flash in the pan. He's followed it up with several solid performances in 2025, including a solo fourth at The Sentry in January and a T-5 at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow — his best career finish in a major by far. Those outings, along with three other top-25 finishes, have him sitting safely inside the top-70 cutoff to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, for now. He's No. 53 in the standings as he tees it up in the Twin Cities. Because of that newly-implemented top 70 threshold, late-season tournaments like the 3M Open are starting to get improved fields due to the fact that more players need points. This week's field includes Chris Gotterup, Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler and Haotong Li — who all placed in the top 15 at the Open Championship this past weekend — as well as Adam Scott, Max Homa and Sungjae Im. Not to mention three other past 3M Open winners, Lee Hodges, Cameron Champ and Tony Finau. "I mean, these tournaments are so important right now. I was talking to some other players early on where it doesn't matter where you are in the standings right now, you're always fighting for something," said Vegas, who didn't play in the Open. "[These] few tournaments at the end of the season mean a lot, so it's great to see a great field for a great tournament here, the sponsor deserves it, to have a great field. "And it's fun. Like I said, everyone is ready for the playoffs so we're all pushing with the pedal down and just kind of hoping for a good finish." Unlike most other PGA Tour events where the previous year's champion appears for a media day a few weeks ahead of the tournament, Wednesday was the local media's first look at Vegas since Sunday at the 2024 3M Open. Why? "My dad turned 70 about a month ago, and at the beginning of the year we made a trip for that week to go to Scotland and play golf," Vegas said. "He's never been, he's never played golf over there, so we wanted to give that experience to my dad. Unfortunately, it was the same week as media day, so you know, family first." Vegas tees off in the first round of the 2025 3M Open on Thursday at 1:54 p.m. ET along with Haotong Li and Sam Burns.
The South African
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Eritrea's president warns of war as Ethiopia eyes Red Sea access
Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki warned Ethiopia against launching a war over seaport access on 20 July 2025. Afwerki stated that Eritrea would resist any 'human wave' military strategy by Ethiopia's larger population. Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has renewed calls for sea access through Eritrean territory. Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a deadly war from 1998 to 2000, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. Afwerki accused Abiy of attempting to divert attention from Ethiopia's internal crises. The president's remarks follow Ethiopia's revived seaport ambitions since early 2023. Eritrean forces have remained present in parts of northern Ethiopia, including areas of Tigray, despite provisions in the 2022 Pretoria Agreement that required the withdrawal of all non-ENDF forces. The Pretoria Agreement, signed on 2 November 2022, mandated the withdrawal of Eritrean and other non-federal forces from the Tigray region. In March 2025, Ethiopia's federal army engaged in intense clashes with the Fano militia in the Amhara region, resulting in over 300 reported militia deaths. Gerrit Kurtz, senior researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), has stated that Eritrea benefits strategically from Ethiopia's internal divisions. Eritrean authorities have denied these allegations, labelling the reports of their military involvement as 'fabricated' and politically motivated. According to a June 2025 report by The Sentry, Eritrean forces looted factories, gold, and cultural artefacts from the Tigray region during the war. The report documents how looted gold and antiques were smuggled into Eritrea and monetised through state-controlled networks. Eritrean military officials used the proceeds to finance logistics and sustain war operations in Tigray. The United Nations imposed an arms embargo on Eritrea in 2009 under Resolution 1907, which was lifted in November 2018 following the peace agreement with Ethiopia. In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize for initiating the peace process with Eritrea; President Isaias Afwerki was not included as a laureate. Despite the 2022 Pretoria Agreement mandating foreign troop withdrawal, credible reports say Eritrean forces remain in northern Ethiopia, sparking regional stability concerns. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly reiterated his support for peace, including fully implementing the 2022 Pretoria Agreement. However, he faces growing political pressure ahead of the 2026 national elections. Analysts such as William Davison (International Crisis Group) and Gerrit Kurtz (SWP) warn that Abiy may exploit ongoing tensions to consolidate domestic political support. Tigray's interim president, Getachew Reda, has called for restraint and denied any provocation from his administration amid renewed cross-regional accusations. Factions within the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) remain divided, hindering regional diplomacy and delaying full disarmament under the peace deal. International bodies, including the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), continue to urge inclusive dialogue to prevent a relapse into conflict. The Horn of Africa remains geopolitically volatile, as overlapping crises in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia fuel regional instability. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Al-Ahram Weekly
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Eritrean president warns Ethiopia against waging war - Africa
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has warned neighbour Ethiopia against launching a new war between the bitter foes, with tensions high in the Horn of Africa region. Eritrea and Ethiopia have had fraught relations since the former declared independence in 1993, with tens of thousands of people killed in a war between the two from 1998 to 2000. At the heart of the current tension, according to the Eritrean government, is Ethiopia's long-held desire for a seaport, which is landlocked. Afwerki, who has ruled Eritrea with an iron fist since independence, warned Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that he would not be able to overwhelm his country by weight of numbers -- Ethiopia's population is 130 million, compared to just 3.5 million people living in Eritrea. "If he thinks he can overwhelm (Eritrean forces) with a human wave attack, he is mistaken," Afwerki told state television channel Eri-TV. "Before dragging the people of Ethiopia into unwanted wars or using them for another political agenda, the country's internal problems must first be addressed and solved," he said. He called Abiy's actions a "reckless" attempt to "divert attention" from domestic problems. Abiy signed a peace deal with Afwerki shortly after coming to power in 2018, but a violent conflict erupted in Ethiopia's Tigray province from 2020 to 2022 as Eritrea's forces backed rebels there fighting Ethiopian troops. At least 600,000 people were killed in the conflict, according to an African Union estimate. Although a peace deal ended the fighting, Eritrea has maintained a military presence in Tigray, and relations between the neighbours have deteriorated. Abiy has repeatedly said Ethiopia must have access to the sea, but by peaceful means. Last month, a report by a US monitoring group accused Eritrea of rebuilding its army and destabilising its neighbours. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel criticised the report by NGO The Sentry and blamed "the new tension in the region" on Ethiopia. Eritrea had been under US arms sanctions that were lifted after the 2018 peace deal. Eritrea is a single-party state which consistently ranks among the worst in the world for rights -- in last place for press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders, and 175th out of 183 for human development in 2022, according to the United Nations. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
NBC Sports
25-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Signature performances: The strokes-gained numbers behind this year's sig events
Who performed the best in the signature events? Who didn't? To no one's surprise, Scottie Scheffler was the only player to gain more than two strokes per round, doing so in six signature starts (he skipped two). Scheffler gained nearly a half-shot more than the next player, Rory McIlroy, who was one of nine players to average more than a stroke gained per round. On the other end of the spectrum, Davis Riley lost a little over four shots per round in two signature starts. As for players who didn't miss a signature event, Nick Dunlap was high man, losing just over two shots per round to the field. Here's the full breakdown of total strokes gained for all eight signature events this year on the PGA Tour, from The Sentry to the Travelers Championship, which concluded on Sunday: (Note: Strokes-gained numbers are per-round averages; players with just one signature start not included.)
Libya Review
02-06-2025
- Business
- Libya Review
French Report: €1.8 Billion in Gold Smuggled Through Libya
A French report has warned of a growing wave of illegal gold smuggling and counterfeit currency operations across Libya. The report, published by Mondafrique, focuses on a major gold smuggling case in Misrata. Customs officials at the city's international airport were involved in an attempt to move nearly 26 kilograms of gold out of the country, worth close to €1.8 billion at current market prices. Under Libyan law, only the Central Bank has the legal authority to export gold. Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, plays a central role in trade and transport but also hosts over 200 armed groups with around 20,000 fighters. These militias control strategic infrastructure and are linked to smuggling networks operating through ports and airports across western Libya. The report also references earlier findings by The Sentry, a U.S.-based organization that monitors illicit finance in conflict zones. It had previously been reported that Misrata serves as a key transit point for gold being smuggled to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are politically and militarily involved in Libya, supporting rival factions in Tripoli and Benghazi. The problem goes beyond gold. Libya has also seen a wave of counterfeit banknotes. Large volumes of fake 50-dinar bills have entered the market, according to the Central Bank. The Ministry of Finance in Tripoli responded by pulling the fake currency from circulation and urged citizens to exchange it at banks. Authorities in Tripoli blamed a Russian-backed militia near Benghazi, known to be associated with the Wagner Group, for distributing the forged notes. This follows a 2019 case when Malta intercepted a shipment of fake Libyan dinars printed in Russia and destined for eastern Libya. That shipment was worth over 4.5 billion dinars. Between 2015 and 2020, roughly 12 billion dinars were printed in Russia and sent to Libya, which contributed to rising inflation and a sharp drop in the currency's value. The report concludes that smuggling and forgery are now part of a broader effort to destabilize Libya's financial system and deepen its internal divisions. Tags: franceGoldGold Smugglinglibya
