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David Cameron makes shock comeback as Rishi Sunak’s foreign secretary in UK reshuffle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak appointed David Cameron as Britain’s new foreign secretary — in a shock comeback for the former prime minister.Cameron, who resigned as PM in 2016 after losing the Brexit referendum, will become a life peer in the House of Lords in order to take on the government role.The move comes as Sunak carries out a major reshuffle of his government ranks, in a bid to arrest his Conservative Party’s large deficit in opinion polling. He kicked off the reshuffle Monday by firing Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a key figure on the party’s right. James Cleverly, previously foreign sec, takes over from Braverman at the interior ministry.Cameron’s return on Monday to one of the highest positions in government sent shockwaves through Westminster and the Conservative Party.It marks the first post-war example of a former prime minister serving in a successor’s Cabinet since the 1970s, when Conservative Alec Douglas-Home was named foreign secretary in ...

Long-haul carrier Emirates opens Dubai Air Show with $52 billion aircraft purchase from Boeing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-haul carrier Emirates opened the Dubai Air Show with a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft, showing how aviation has bounced back after the groundings of the coronavirus pandemic, even as Israel’s war with Hamas clouds regional security.Its low-cost sister airline, FlyDubai, followed up with an order of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, the first wide-body aircraft in its fleet. Both sales together marked a significant win for the Virginia-based Boeing Co. out of the gates on the first day of the air show, as airlines appear poised for even more billion-dollar deals this year.Emirates made the announcement witnessed by the crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, at a news conference Monday afternoon. Emirates CEO and Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the deal would see the carrier purchase 90 Boeing 777 aircraft, 55 of them its 777-9 variants and 35 of them 777-8s.Emirates will also add an additional...

Gregg Olson looks forward to passing Orioles’ Rookie of the Year mantle to Gunnar Henderson: ‘It’s been way too long’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

Gregg Olson sees plenty of similarities between the Orioles’ 1989 and 2023 teams. He hopes they soon have another aspect in common.For his contributions to the unexpected success of the 1989 “Why Not?” Orioles, Olson became the first reliever to win American League Rookie of the Year. No Oriole has received that honor since, but that likely changes Monday, when Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson is expected to win it. Every other AL team has had at least one Rookie of the Year since Olson’s win, with five clubs having four recipients in that span.“It’s been way too long,” Olson told The Baltimore Sun. “Somebody else can take the mantle now.”In Henderson, Olson sees a fitting successor. Amid a 1988 season that infamously began with a record 21 straight losses and ended with them holding the worst record in the majors, the Orioles drafted Olson fourth overall out of Auburn University. The next year, the 22-year-old right-hander w...

Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

The Ravens looked to be headed toward another blowout victory.Less than five minutes into a hugely important AFC North game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium, they were already up 14-0, courtesy of a wild Kyle Hamilton interception that he tipped to himself and returned for a touchdown on the second play of the game and an explosive 39-yard touchdown run by rookie Keaton Mitchell.But the Browns also boast one of the league’s best defenses, their own dynamic quarterback and a tough ground game, which shredded the Ravens for 178 yards. All of it, along with some self-inflicted errors by Baltimore, was enough for Cleveland to rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and win, 33-31.Here are five things we learned from the game.Ball security continues to be a problemThe Ravens came into Sunday just plus-one in turnover differential, and with quarterback Lamar Jackson having more fumbles (10) than touchdown passes (9) this season. That unsettling trend continu...

Larry Lucchino exploring sale of Worcester Red Sox

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

Larry Lucchino, the former Boston Red Sox president and current chairman and principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox, said this week he plans to sell the Triple-A franchise.“I’m now 78, I’ve been at this for over 40 years, so it’s time to sell this team and to move on to blissful retirement,” said Lucchino, speaking to former Boston sports anchors Bob Lobel and Mike Lynch on the “UnAnchored Boston” podcast.Lucchino has owned the WooSox since 2015, when he led a group that purchased the then-Pawtucket Red Sox for $25 million. Under his ownership the franchise relocated from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Worcester and opened the brand new Polar Park in 2021.If Lucchino does sell, the WooSox will become the third Red Sox affiliate to change hands in the past two years. The Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A) and Salem Red Sox (Low-A) were both recently acquired by Diamond Baseball Holdings, a well-financed upstart that has quickly become the largest owner of minor league franchises ...

Red Sox game times to remain unchanged in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

Over the past three seasons the Red Sox have settled into a standard set of start times throughout the week, and those times will remain the same next season as well.According to a Red Sox spokesperson, home games at Fenway Park will continue to start at 7:10 p.m. on weeknights, 4:10 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:35 p.m. on Sundays in 2024. Some start times may vary due to getaway days, national broadcasts or special occasions like the tradition 11 a.m. Patriots Day game, but the default times will remain unchanged.The Red Sox have stuck with the same set of start times despite an increased prevalence of clubs starting night games earlier, usually at 6:40 p.m. The Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies are among the teams who have made the change in recent years, in large part to compensate for the increased length of games that — prior to the introduction of the pitch clock — often resulted in games stretching well past 10 p.m.Last offseason the Red Sox ind...

5 people drown after a boat carrying migrants capsizes off the Turkish coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A boat carrying migrants capsized off the Turkish Aegean coastal province of Izmir on Monday, killing at least five people, the Turkish coast guard said. A further six migrants were rescued.The coast guard said a search and rescue mission was underway for two other migrants thought to be missing after the rubber boat capsized in stormy weather off the resort of Cesme. HaberTurk news channel said the migrants were trying to reach the Greek island of Chios.There was no immediate information on the migrants’ nationalities.Many boatloads of migrants attempt to make the dangerous sea crossing to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast, hoping to eventually make their way to more prosperous European Union countries.Others attempt to enter Greece by crossing a river that runs along the land border between the two countries.The Associated Press

Tea and nickel on the agenda as Biden hosts Indonesian president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the White House on Monday, one day before the U.S. leader leaves for San Francisco to attend a summit of Asian leaders.The two presidents will share an afternoon tea and meet with top advisers, according to senior administration officials who insisted on anonymity to preview the schedule. They will also talk about ways to expand the trade of critical minerals like nickel, which can be used to produce electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said they “will explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on the clean energy transition, advance economic prosperity, bolster regional peace and stability, and reinforce our people-to-people ties.”Biden’s meeting with Widodo comes shortly before he sits down with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Indones...

New ‘joint employer’ rule could make it easier for millions to unionize – if it survives challenges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

A new federal rule that goes into effect next month could make it easier for millions of workers to form unions at big companies like McDonald’s. But it’s already facing significant pushback from businesses and some members of Congress.The rule — announced late last month by the National Labor Relations Board –- sets new standards for determining when two companies should be considered “joint employers” under the National Labor Relations Act.It sounds wonky. But essentially, the rule could widen the number of companies that must participate in labor negotiations alongside their franchisees or independent contractors. For example, it might require Burger King to bargain with workers even though most of its U.S. restaurants are owned by franchisees. Or it could require Amazon to negotiate with delivery drivers who are employed by independent contractors. “It’s trying to take in the realities of today’s workforce, when many employers subcontract out work and say, ‘Oh, we’re not the emp...

EU nations condemn Hamas for what they describe as use of hospitals, civilians as ‘human shields’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:37 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The 27 European Union nations have jointly condemned Hamas for what they described as the use of hospitals and civilians as “human shields” in the war against Israel.EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Monday that at the same time the bloc asked Israel “for maximum restraint and targeting in order to avoid human casualties.”At a meeting of the bloc’s foreign affairs ministers, Borrell brandished a statement he issued on behalf of the 27 nations as a show of unity following weeks of often contrasting statements on how the group should address the Israel-Hamas war.“You know how difficult it has been the last times, after the vote in the United Nations, where countries were voted in different ways, to present a completely united approach,” Borrell said. Only hours after EU leaders professed unity over the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 28, the member states were totally split in a vote on a General Assembly resolution calling for humanitarian truces in Gaza lead...