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The generation game: Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak try to bridge a 37-year divide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

WASHINGTON — Rishi Sunak, not a tall man, looked tiny against the backdrop of the vast Washington Nationals stadium, largely empty Wednesday night beneath blankets of heavy smog.The British prime minister’s enthusiasm was undimmed as he smiled and waved at fans in his shiny baseball jacket, determined to make the most of a brief moment in the American spotlight.In truth, Sunak is more cricket fan than baseball guy — unlike his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, a regular at Philadelphia Phillies matches back when he was vice president. When they met this week in the U.S. capital, the British prime minister and the American president tried to make the most of their mutual interests, despite the glaringly obvious differences.It’s not just cricket vs. baseball; nor even just Conservative vs. Democrat. Sunak is 43 years old; Biden over 80. Sunak attended one of England’s most expensive public schools and is married to a billionaire heiress; Biden plays up his blue collar cre...

Can Rishi Sunak ‘Stop the Boats’?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Stitcher .st0{fill:#EB8A23;} .st1{fill:#FAC617;} .st2{fill:#612368;} .st3{fill:#3792C4;} .st4{fill:#C33727;} Acast Host Ailbhe Rea explores how and why dealing with migrants crossing the English Channel has shot to the top of the prime minister’s to-do list — and what he’s actually doing about it.Pollster Scarlett Magui...

José Ramírez hits 3 homers to power Guardians to 10-3 win over slumping Red Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez’s only misses came on swings for history.Ramírez homered in his first three at-bats — and from both sides of the plate — to power the Cleveland Guardians to a 10-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.Ramírez connected for a solo shot in the first inning off Matt Dermody (0-1), belted a two-run shot — his 200th career homer — in the third and added another solo blast in the sixth when the Guardians hit for the cycle, had eight straight hits and scored five times.Ramírez came up a second time in the sixth bidding for a rare four-homer game, but struck out swinging. The four-time All-Star third baseman had another chance in the eighth, and grounded to third.“My last two at-bats I was swinging away,” Ramírez admitted.There have only been 16 four-homer games in the majors since 1901. The last to do it was Arizona’s J.D. Martinez in 2017. Cleveland got one from Rocky Colavito on June 10, 1959.“Everyone in (the clubhouse) would say th...

Mets suffer heartbreaking loss after Ozzie Albies hits walk-off bomb to complete comeback for Braves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

ATLANTA — Everything went wrong for the Mets in Atlanta this week, until the final game of a three-game series. Just when it finally looked as though things would go right, the Mets somehow found a way to lose in an even more heartbreaking fashion than the two games prior.The Braves walked it off by scoring in the 10th to secure a 13-10 win and series sweep on Thursday night at Truist Park. Raisel Iglesias (2-2) set the Mets down in order in the top of the 10th and Tommy Hunter (0-1) gave up a three-run bomb to Ozzie Albies to extend the Mets’ losing streak to six.Two home runs from Francisco Alvarez and a grand slam from Brandon Nimmo helped the Mets overcome an abysmal pitching performance from Justin Verlander. Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, Brett Baty and Starling Marte all had multi-hit games.Nimmo’s grand slam in the second inning off Spencer Strider gave the Mets a 5-3 lead and two big blasts by Alvarez helped them stay on top until the ninth inning when Orl...

Thursday’s high school roundup/scores: Taunton cruises past Springfield Central, 8-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

BASEBALLDwayne Burgo and Ryan MacDougall each drove in three runs as No. 2 Taunton (18-4) defeated Springfield Central 8-0 to advance to the Div. 1 quarterfinals.Dan Joyce’s game-winning RBI single lifted No. 5 Whitman-Hanson (18-4) to a 3-2 win over No. 12 Somerset Berkley in a Div. 2 second-round contest. … Joshua Wagner scattered three hits and allowed an unearned run as No. 20 Westfield (13-7) eliminated No. 29 Marblehead, 4-1.In Div. 3 second-round action, Scott Donahue smashed a walk-off home run to lift No. 2 Medfield (16-5) to a 2-1 victory over No. 18 Apponequet.GIRLS LACROSSEIn the second round of the Div. 4 tournament, Halle Greenleaf and Ella Stein each potted a hat trick for top ranked Ipswich (17-1) in a 17-5 win over No. 17 Monomoy (16-4).Emerson Clark had seven goals as No. 6 Masconomet (17-5) defeated No. 11 Ashland 12-5 in a Div. 2 second-round contest.BOYS LACROSSEBaxter Jennings tallied five goals as No. 7 Marblehead (20-0) handled No. 23 Milton 16-8 in a Div. 2 ...

Guardians clobber Kluber, Dermody as Red Sox lose series finale 10-3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

The Red Sox have the look of a club that’s teetering on the brink.Its pitching staff decimated by injuries, the Red Sox turned to Matt Dermody to start Thursday’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians, opting for the career minor leaguer rather than anyone else who may have been available.The move immediately prompted an outpouring of criticism given Dermody’s past history of bigoted social media activity, and on top of that Red Sox manager Alex Cora also announced pregame that leadoff hitter Alex Verdugo was being benched for not running out a ground ball.Needless to say, the vibes weren’t great when the Red Sox took the field at Progressive Field, and things only got worse once the game started.Cleveland clobbered Boston 10-3 to take the series and knock the Red Sox below .500 for the first time since April 28. Slumping superstar Jose Ramirez led the charge with three home runs, and after Dermody was lifted following four innings Corey Kluber came i...

Former beauty queen, model, actress and prominent Tijuana businesswoman dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- It's being widely reported among media outlets south of the border, including by El Sol de Tijuana, that María Luisa Manríquez, a well-known business owner and former model and actress was killed inside her home on Tuesday.Baja California's Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez confirmed her death, but did not offer any other details about how she died.On the same day Manríquez was found dead, her ex-husband was killed in a single-vehicle accident, which Carpio Sánchez called a suicide.Baja's attorney general said surveillance cameras in Manríquez's property show her ex-husband arriving at the home on a bicycle. He was killed after leaving the victim's house in a pickup truck registered in her name. He slammed the vehicle into a wall, dying almost instantly, according to Carpio Sánchez.Manríquez was widely known south of the border after enjoying success not only as a beauty queen, but a model, actress and businesswoman.She was 44 years old and had two children a...

Police investigating after body discoverd at Liberty Village building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a sudden death in Liberty Village. Investigators were called to a building on East Liberty Street near Strachan Avenue around 12:30 p.m. Thursday for reports of hazardous materials inside a garbage compactor when the shocking discovery was made. Police have not commented on the deceased person’s identity or the cause of death.

Japan aims to refocus its foreign aid on maritime and economic security and national interests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan approved a major revision to its development aid policy Friday to focus on maritime and economic security and its national interests while helping developing nations overcome compound challenges amid China’s growing global influence.The revision to the Development Cooperation Charter, approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet, comes two years early since the last was in 2015 and updates are usually on a 10-year cycle. That underscores the sense of urgency in addressing widening China concern and other global challenges such as the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Japan in December adopted a new National Security Strategy, setting a goal of doubling defense spending to 43 trillion yen ($310 billon) over the next five years to fund a military buildup. That means Japan, with fiscal conditions already tight, must use development aid more effectively and strategically.Under the new security strategy, Japan’s Foreign Ministry has launched official ...

The bill closing the Illinois property tax loophole may help residents buy abandoned homes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:55 GMT

Governor Pritzker is expected to sign a bill that would close a property tax loophole that many have complained about for years. It’s known as the “sale in error” approach and is often used by large institutional investors looking to profit from holding on to a delinquent tax bill. Ianna Kachoris is with The Chicago Community Trust."What we hope for the bill to accomplish is that it unlocks all of these properties that have been stuck in a cycle of tax sales for the last several decades and allows them to be redeveloped for community wealth building purposes,” she said.Florence Spann is hoping the legislation allows her to purchase one of the lots next to her South Side home. She’s been maintaining the land for years but has been unable to purchase it. Studies show that only about 6% of abandoned properties end up in the hands of individuals like her."We would make probably a garden or a playground for my grandson,” she said. More Coverage: WGN Investigates The Chic...