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France breathes sigh of relief as Mercosur trade talks collapse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

PARIS — French officials are relieved that the free-trade deal between the EU and countries of the South American Mercosur bloc is unlikely to land anytime soon. Brussels was hoping to push talks over the controversial trade deal over the finish line during a meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week. But negotiations faced a setback as Brazil — the rotating president of Mercosur bloc — signaled that the agreement will need the nod of the new Argentinian government led by anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei. The news prompted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trade Commisisoner Valdis Dombrovskis to ditch a visit to Rio de Janeiro at the last minute. What sounds like bad news for EU negotiators is music to French ears. “It’s good news,” said Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a French MEP and trade specialist from President Emmanuel Macron’s Renew group, echoing the view of other French officials. France has been a long-time opponent of the EU-Mercosur deal,&n...

Tiger Woods’ comeback at the Hero World Challenge proves he’s not ready to ‘sail off into the sunset’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

(CNN) — Most athletes with an injury list as long and detailed as Tiger Woods would be retired from professional sport. Woods, however, is different to most athletes.The 15-time major champion’s much-anticipated return to professional golf at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas wasn’t perfect, nor was it ever likely to be.But in his first tournament in nearly eight months, Woods demonstrated that he can still be competitive at a high standard and that his desire to keep playing remains undiminished.He finished on even par at Albany Golf Club on Sunday, placing 18th out of 20 on the overall leaderboard. His final round featured five birdies – including an excellent long putt on the fifth – as well as some wayward moments: a double bogey on the second hole and three further bogeys on the eighth, 11th and 16th.All in all, there were some promising signs for the 47-year-old. Woods averaged 305 yards off the tee, proving that his long game is in good health, and he als...

Mass. Democrats look to advance controversial budget bill over Republican objections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

Representatives trudged back to Beacon Hill Monday to again consider a $3.1 billion budget bill that includes public sector employee raises and emergency shelter funding after Democrats let Republicans block the proposal for three straight days.Democrats, who hold a supermajority in each branch, could call in enough members to overcome a procedural tactic conservatives have used to block the bill over concerns they have with funding for the state’s emergency shelter system.The House gaveled in to session at 10 a.m. and immediately recessed until 11:30 a.m. Neither party in the House scheduled a private party meeting for Monday, according to spokespeople House Speaker Ron Mariano or Minority Leader Brad Jones.Rep. Paul Donato, a Medford Democrat who presided over the start of the House session, said Democrats are hoping that by 11:30 a.m. “there’ll be a number of members who are interested in the issue to be here to make sure that, hopefully, it gets done.”“I’m not aware ...

Chicago Bears rookie report: How draft picks, including Darnell Wright and Gervon Dexter, have weathered ups and downs through 12 games

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

Chicago Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson had one of the biggest games of his NFL career last week in a 12-10 win against the Minnesota Vikings.With D’Onta Foreman out with ankle and shin injuries and Khalil Herbert still getting back to his old self after an ankle issue, Johnson received more work than he had all season. The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Texas played 74% of the offensive snaps — his previous high was 45% — and logged a career-high 10 carries for 35 yards and five catches for 40 yards as the Bears utilized their screen and short passing game.There was plenty of good to see from Johnson’s performance. A clip of him taking out two Vikings defenders while protecting quarterback Justin Fields went viral after the game. But coach Matt Eberflus also noted there were “a couple of hiccups” in pass protection against the high-pressure defense.Johnson played a part in two of the Vikings’ three sacks of Fields. He whiffed again...

Will the Chicago White Sox trade Eloy Jiménez? What’s the plan for Oscar Colás? Questions about the team’s outfield.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

The Chicago White Sox locked up one corner outfield spot last offseason, signing left fielder Andrew Benintendi to a five-year deal.Right field is a question this offseason. And designated hitter might be added to that list.Eloy Jiménez, who was the team’s primary DH and also played 14 games in right field in 2023, has been mentioned in trade speculation. The slugger appeared in more than 100 games (120) for just the second time in his career. He played in 122 games as a rookie in 2019, with injuries hampering him in 2021 and 2022.Jiménez hit .272 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs in 2023. He missed most of May after undergoing an appendectomy.“I made it very clear that the White Sox are willing to listen on any of our players,” general manager Chris Getz said during a video conference call Nov. 17. “When it comes to Eloy, we just had a visit with him in the Dominican Republic as a check-in, and he’s off and running with his offseason program. He ...

Former top Ohio utility regulator surrenders in $60 million bribery scheme linked to energy bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s former top utility regulator surrendered Monday in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme related to a legislative bailout for two Ohio nuclear power plants that has already resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for a former state House speaker.Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, self-surrendered at U.S. District Court in Cincinnati after being charged in an 11-count indictment that was returned on Nov. 29, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. He was scheduled for an initial appearance later in the day.Randazzo, 74, resigned in November 2020 after FBI agents searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy revealed in security filings that it had paid him $4.3 million for his future help at the commission a month before Republican Gov. Mike DeWine nominated him as Ohio’s top utility regulator.A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer.The long-awaited indictment marks the latest development in what has been...

The death toll from a mining tragedy in South Africa rises to 13 after a worker dies at a hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The death toll from a mining tragedy last week in South Africa that involved an elevator has risen to 13 people after a worker died at a hospital, the mine operator said Monday.Impala Platinum said that the worker died Sunday from injuries sustained when the elevator plummeted around 200 meters (650 feet) down the shaft of a platinum mine while carrying workers to the surface after their shift on Nov. 27. Eleven workers died that day, while the latest victim was the second mineworker to die at a hospital.The mine operator said that 50 workers remained hospitalized, with eight of them in critical care.Impala Platinum and the South African government announced an investigation into what mine officials called a highly unusual tragedy.The industrial elevator was carrying 86 workers to the surface when it suddenly dropped back down into the shaft, which is a kilometer (about a 1/2-mile) deep. The mine in the northern city of Rustenburg was the world’s biggest pl...

Opening arguments begin in Jonathan Majors assault trial in New York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Opening arguments began Monday in the criminal trial of actor Jonathan Majors, who was charged last spring for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend during an argument. Majors did not speak as he strode into a Manhattan courthouse seeking to clear his name following an arrest in March that has effectively stalled his fast-rising career. The six-person jury is expected to hear opposing narratives from 34-year-old Majors and his accuser, Grace Jabbari, a British dancer, about their confrontation in the back of a car. Prosecutors said Jabbari was riding in a car with Majors in late March when she grabbed the actor’s phone out of his hand after seeing a text message, presumably sent by another woman, that said: “Wish I was kissing you right now.”When Majors tried to snatch the phone back, he allegedly pulled her finger, twisted her arm behind her back and hit her in the face. After the pair got out out of the vehicle, he threw her back inside, Jabbari said.Attorneys f...

5 teens charged after attempting to steal vehicle before fleeing in another stolen vehicle: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

Five teens are facing charges after allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle in Whitby and then fleeing from officers in another stolen vehicle.Durham Regional Police (DRP) officers responded to a reported vehicle theft in the area of Taunton Road and Highway 412 around 2 a.m. on Nov. 26.It is alleged a group of suspects were trying to steal a vehicle in the area but fled before police arrived. Officers located a suspicious vehicle driving away as they searched the area.Police checked the vehicle’s licence plate and were able to determine it was stolen. The responding officers attempted to stop the vehicle before it allegedly fled the area.Officers were able to track the suspects with the help of DRP’s Air1 chopper to the area of Sherwood Drive in Ajax, where the stolen vehicle was abandoned and five occupants fled on foot.Police were able to locate the suspects at different locations a short distance away.Investigators have charged three 17-year-old girls, a 17-year-old ...

AP’s top albums of 2023: Music from Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, the Rolling Stones and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ten of the top albums of the year, as chosen by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman.It was a blockbuster year across genres, but only a few could make AP’s list. (SZA’s “SOS” released in December 2022, Ice Spice’s “Like…?” isn’t a full-length release, and the 11 Grammy nominations for “Barbie the Album” is recognition enough.) Instead of embracing the antiquated practice of ranking very different albums against one another, we’re celebrating the best next to the best. Enjoy.“Génesis,” Peso PlumaThe year belongs to regional Mexican artists, who brought their banda, norteño, mariachi, sierreño and more to geographies well beyond Mexico and the southwest U.S. As Carín León told The Associated Press earlier this year, it is no longer “regional,” but “global” music. Leading the charge is Peso Pluma, whose third studio album, “Génesis,” became the highest-charting regional Mexican album of all time. Across 14 tracks, Pluma mar...