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From pariah to peacemaker: Saudi Arabia’s bid to become Ukraine war middleman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Saudi Arabia was dismissed globally as a human rights pariah following the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But this weekend, the country will burnish its credentials as a peacemaker when it hosts talks on the Ukraine war. Dozens of national security advisers and senior-ranking officials are descending on the Red Sea city of Jeddah for a meeting that kicks off Friday evening.The aim is to bring together countries from the “global south,” such as India, Brazil and South Africa — as well as European Union countries, along with the United States and Canada — to rally around Ukraine’s efforts to broker a peace plan.Countries like Brazil and India have not always had a clear stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine; the European Union — and Ukraine — has sought to bring them on board when it comes to holding Russia accountable. Ukraine will be represented at the summit; Russia was not invited.But the big question is whether China shows up. “It matters wh...

Kings of the castle! How our political leaders splash the cash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Welcome to Declassified, a weekly humor column.Declassified is taking a break at its tax-free summer residence in the Cayman Islands to drink gin and think of more offensive nicknames for politicians. Back in September.“We’re all in this together.” So said man of the people, Eton-educated pig enthusiast, and one-time British Prime Minister David Cameron.But our leaders aren’t like us ordinary folk, with our supermarket own-brand cheese and need to remember what day the rubbish gets collected. Cameron’s eventual successor, Rishi Sunak (whose net worth, along with his heiress wife, Akshata Murty, was a mere £529 million, or €600 million, in the latest Sunday Times rich list), has decided that what his country needs is more chess.He’s planning to install chess tables in parks, encourage the game in schools, and back the English Chess Federation to the tune of £500,000. No word yet on how much if any of that cash will be spent on vibrating anal b...

Britain’s creaking energy grid isn’t ready for net zero

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

LONDON — The U.K.’s energy grid is just not ready for the shift to clean power.That’s the stark finding of a year-long, government-commissioned review published Friday, which warns the country’s existing energy policies are “badly out of date” as a crucial decarbonization deadline looms and Britain eyes a future of electric cars in every driveway and heat pumps in every home.Getting buy-in for the major changes needed will be a mammoth task, it warns — and could even require cold hard cash payments to a pylon-skeptic British public.Despite recent anti-green noises, the British government has strict net zero targets, including an interim goal of decarbonizing its power grid by 2035.Overhauling and expanding the electricity network — the swathes of cables and pylons covering the U.K. — will be central to determining whether the government hits or misses those lofty aims.In his long-awaited report, Nick Winser, the government’s electricity networks czar, warns t...

Now is the time to double down on green pledges — not back down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Matt Hancock is a member of parliament of the United Kingdom and former secretary of state for health and social care.As the impact of climate change becomes more apparent, and the competition for green investment intensifies, it is clear that voters will not forgive politicians that slow down. They will reward those who double down and deliver the fair, affordable and ambitious environmental action we need to see.Thus, we must hold our nerve to reach net zero by 2050 and end the United Kingdom’s contribution to climate change. It is the challenge and economic opportunity of the century, and successive Conservative governments have developed plans and policies to answer it and grasp the benefits.There’s no point denying it, we can already see the impact of a changing climate around us. This summer’s devastating heat waves and wildfires in Europe, Canada and the United States aren’t just “weather” — strong scientific evidence suggests they would be virtually impossible without human-...

Trump’s in big legal trouble, but he’s still a nightmare for Europe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. With former United States President Donald Trump ensnared in mounting and potentially politically terminal legal woes, some European leaders and politicians are breathing more easily . . . but only a little. For months now, in the margins of global summits and gatherings — including Davos, the Munich Security Conference and the Aspen Ideas Festival — discussions have increasingly turned to considering what a second Trump term might mean for Europe and NATO, as well what its impact would be on the West’s support for Ukraine.“It is all anyone wants to talk about,” said Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, who heads the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “Everyone’s asking everyone else what’s going to happen. I hear people asking all the time what it will do to Ukraine if Trump gets back into the White House.”Europe’s nightmare is still of a Trump return, but it’s a bad dream that’s been pushed to the back of the mi...

Local leaders, nonprofit bring lacrosse to Dorchester with free clinic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Kids in Boston are giving lacrosse a shot. More than 300 kids learned to scoop, pass and score at a free clinic Thursday.Local leaders teamed up with Harlem Lacrosse, a nonprofit youth service organization, to give Boston city kids an opportunity to learn the sport.“Growing up in Dorchester and Roxbury, there were two sports. There’s basketball and there’s football,” state Rep. Christopher Worrell said. “So we’re teaching inner city kids, kids of the fifth Suffolk, how to play lacrosse to give different avenues of different sports.”Kids also went home with a free lacrosse stick.“This is an avenue to higher education, something new to develop identity, their confidence and a real sense of team and community,” said state Rep. Simon Cataldo.It’s a personal cause for Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who was a collegiate lacrosse player. He passed on his love of the game to his kids, one of whom helped coach at the clinic.“Using lax as a vehicle and tool for leadership devel...

Outfielder Trayce Thompson feels ‘super blessed’ to return for a 3rd stint with the Chicago White Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Trayce Thompson compared the feeling of putting on a Chicago White Sox uniform for a third stint to being drafted again.“Never could have envisioned this,” the outfielder, whom the Sox selected in the second round of the 2009 major-league draft, said Thursday morning at Globe Life Field. “Still feels surreal to me.”Thompson appeared in a combined 92 games with the Sox in 2015 and 2018. He was back in the lineup as the Sox completed the three-game series Thursday against the Texas Rangers.“I’m really excited,” he said, “and now it’s time to help these guys win some games.”The Sox acquired Thompson as part of the trade that sent starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28. After a short rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte, he joined the Sox.Thompson went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the 5-3 loss to the Rangers in front of 29,804. He reached base in the eighth when a wild pitch on s...

South Korean police pursue suspect in 2nd stabbing attack in 2 days

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

By KIM TONG-HYUNG (Associated Press)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A man rammed a car onto a sidewalk Thursday in the South Korean city of Seongnam, then stepped out of the vehicle and began stabbing people at a shopping mall, leaving at least 14 people wounded. Just hours after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday called for “ultra-strong” law enforcement measures in response to that attack, police found themselves chasing the suspect in another stabbing incident at a high school in Daejeon city.Cho Byeong-tae, an official at the Daejeon metropolitan police department, said the attack at Songchon High School left at least one teacher hurt. He did not identify the victim or provide details about the victim’s health.At least five people were hurt by the car and nine others were stabbed during Thursday’s attack in Seongnam that occurred in a crowded leisure district near a subway, according to Yoon Sung-hyun, an official from the southern Gyeonggi pr...

Revolution advance in the Leagues Cup tournament with shootout win over Atlas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

FOXBORO – The New England Revolution advanced to the Round of 16 in the Leagues Cup Tournament with a shootout victory over Atlas FC before 9,299 fans at Gillette StadiumThe game ended in a 2-2 tie but Revolution prevailed 8-7 in penalty kicks with center back Andrew Farrell netting the game winner. The Revolution will host the winner of the Pumas UNAM vs. Queretaro game.The Revolution are an original MLS franchise and the match against Atlas was the club’s milestone 1,000th game across all competitions.The Revolution were managed from the sidelines by interim head coach Richie Williams, who assumed the top spot when the team placed head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena on indefinite admirative leave. Arena is the subject of an MLS investigation for making “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”Williams made limited changes to the Starting XI that pummeled Atletico San Luis 5-1 on July 26 at Gillette with one notable exception. All-Star goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic did not dr...

Northeast 7 on 7: Methuen nips Milton for New England title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

WESTWOOD — For the Northeast 7v7 New England title Thursday night at Xaverian, the top seeds and highest-performing teams met in the championship.It came as a surprise that Methuen and Milton were the last teams standing.In a hotly-contested game, Methuen earned a 22-19 victory, and with that the Rangers have earned a boost heading into the fall.Methuen won the North regional a few weeks ago, and only lost to Peabody on Thursday.“That definitely gives us a lot of momentum now,” said Methuen quarterback Drew Eason, who is going into his third year starting for the Rangers. “Obviously, we know we can be at the top and win like this, against good teams, too. It gives us a lot of momentum going into the season.”Rangers coach Tom Ryan was pleased with how 7-on-7 has impacted his squad.“I think, honestly, the synergy between the quarterback and wide receivers (stands out),” Ryan said. “That’s always the best benefit of 7-on-7. Defensively, i...