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World Cup winner Argentina moves top of FIFA rankings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — World Cup winner Argentina topped the FIFA rankings on Thursday for the first time in six years. Argentina’s two wins in friendlies last month ended the one-year run at the top for Brazil, which lost at Morocco 2-1 and fell to No. 3. France, the World Cup beaten finalist, followed Argentina in rising one place, to No. 2. France won back-to-back European Championship qualifiers against No. 6 the Netherlands and Ireland.Belgium stayed at No. 4, with England next after two wins including beating No. 8 Italy. Europe completed the top 10 with No. 7 Croatia followed by Italy, Portugal and Spain.Morocco, which has joined the Spanish and Portuguese in a 2030 World Cup bidding plan, stayed at No. 11 to lead African teams.The United States was still No. 13, two ahead of regional rival Mexico. Canada, the other North American co-host of the 2026 World Cup, rose six to No. 47. Japan at No. 20 was the best of the Asian teams, and 2022 World Cup host Qatar fell to No. 61.___More AP ...

Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen diplomatic missions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Iran on Thursday announced an agreement to resume diplomatic ties and reopen missions in their capitals, taking another step toward reconciliation after seven years of tension. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said foreign ministers from both nations had signed a joint statement and expressed their determination to improve ties in line with their talks in Beijing last month.The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, said that as part of Thursday’s agreement, the two longtime regional rivals would reopen representative offices in their respective capitals and in two other major cities — Mashhad in Iran and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The report said both sides also agreed to study the prospects of resuming flights and official and private visits between the two nations, in addition to how to facilitate the visa process for their people.The rapprochement not only lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals – both directly and i...

Orioles’ home opener against Yankees postponed to Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles’ home opener against the New York Yankees on Thursday has been postponed because of severe weather in the forecast.The Orioles announced the game would be pushed back to 3:05 p.m. Friday, which had been scheduled as an off day before the teams meet again Saturday and Sunday.After consultation with MLB, tomorrow’s Home Opener at Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been postponed due to the forecast of severe inclement weather.The game will be made up on Friday, April 7 at 3:05 p.m. ET.— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 5, 2023The Orioles had a game at Texas on Wednesday, and the Yankees were home against Philadelphia. Dean Kremer was scheduled to start the home opener for Baltimore against New York’s Clarke Schmidt.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Protests again grip France but Macron not backing down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters disrupted traffic at Paris’ main airport and gathered again in other French cities on Thursday for strikes and demonstrations seeking to get President Emmanuel Macron to scrap pension reforms that have ignited a monthslong firestorm of public anger. In Paris, rat catchers set the tone by hurling the cadavers of rodents at City Hall. That protest Wednesday was one of the more shocking illustrations of how Macron’s plans to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 have infuriated workers. Broadcaster BFM-TV showed the rodents’ emaciated corpses being tossed by workers in white protective suits. Natacha Pommet, a leader of the public services branch of the CGT trade union, said Thursday that Paris’ rat catchers wanted “to show the hard reality of their mission” and that fury with Macron’s pension reforms is morphing into a wider movement of workers expressing grievances over salaries and other issues.“All this anger brings to...

Ravens GM: Jackson’s status doesn’t affect draft prep

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said Lamar Jackson’s situation isn’t causing the Ravens to look at quarterbacks differently in the upcoming draft, although he did say the team could conceivably take one in the first round.DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and director of player personnel Joe Hortiz hosted a pre-draft news conference Wednesday, and reporters were told to keep questions focused on the draft. Of course, Jackson’s status affects all aspects of the team’s future, and if he’s not a part of it, then Baltimore would need a quarterback.“It just depends on the board,” DeCosta said when asked if taking a quarterback in the first round is a consideration. “I guess I’d have to say yes because we have quarterbacks in our top 31. So just based on that alone, simple math, I would have to say yes.”As of now, the Ravens have the 22nd pick in the first round.The Ravens put the franchise tag on Jackson last month, so if he ...

Masters Tournament: 5 stories to follow on the course

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

Golf’s Masters begins the major tournament season with the usual fanfare and tradition that you can only get at Augusta National.The course, despite its changes over the years, remains the annual host and there’s a sense of familiarity that you don’t get with the PGA Championship or U.S. and British Opens.More Golf NewsMore Sports NewsPast is often present as we recall the meltdowns and the miracles of years gone by with every drive from Tiger Woods, to every missed putt by Rory McIlroy.Let’s get to the driving range and spray some worm-burners:Tiger’s Tale: The five-time winner begins his first round Thursday morning at 10:18 a.m. Woods has made the cut 23 times in 24 appearances (1996 the outlier) but finished 47th last year.“For him it’s not so much the golf it’s the walking,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan told the DC Sports Huddle, “His leg is rebuilt. Every night he’s got ice baths and he’s got to d...

Las comunidades de Missouri enfrentan un largo camino hacia la recuperación después de que una tormenta arrasó casas y dejó al menos 5 personas muertas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

(CNN) — A medida que se desvanece un sistema de tormentas generadoras de tornados que azotó el centro de EE.UU., las comunidades en el sureste de Missouri están tamizando los escombros de lo que solían ser casas y esperan un largo camino hacia la recuperación.Al menos cinco personas murieron cuando un tornado azotó el condado de Bollinger, Missouri, en la oscuridad de la noche de este miércoles, según el sheriff Casey Graham.La tormenta abrió un camino de destrucción en varias comunidades del condado, reduciendo las casas a montones de madera, raspando los techos de los edificios, astillando árboles y dejando caminos llenos de escombros.“Cuando observa la devastación de esto, van a pasar semanas y meses para poder recuperarse”, dijo el gobernador Mike Parson después de recorrer el condado de Bollinger. “Es un largo viaje por delante para las personas que viven aquí”.Al menos 87 estructuras resultaron dañadas, incluidas 12 que quedaron completamente destruidas, dijo el coronel ...

UM study: Possible link between COVID-19 transmission during pregnancy and brain damage in infants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

A new study from doctors at the University of Miami (UM) revealed that COVID-19 may cause brain damage in infants when transmitted from the mother during pregnancy. This is the first study of its kind and provides significant evidence of the impact of the virus on infants.The study was based on two infants born at Holtz Children’s Hospital. Although both infants tested negative for the virus at birth, they had antibodies detected in their blood. Both babies had seizures, small head sizes, and developmental delays, and one of the infants died by 13 months. The two mothers contracted COVID-19 in their second trimester and the study confirmed that the virus can breach a mother’s placenta, causing brain damage to the newborns.Other infants showed transmission of lung disease and blood pressure issues.The researchers noted that these occurrences are rare and that hundreds of pregnant women with COVID-19 seen by UM clinicians gave birth without their infants suffering a brain ...

EU to Elon Musk: We’re snubbing your paid Twitter verification plan 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

Twitter is this month unrolling its new paid-verification plan, but the European Union institutions are staying away from the controversial blue checks.The European Commission and European Parliament are not currently planning to pay Twitter to get their hundreds of official EU accounts — including those of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Parliament President Roberta Metsola — verified under the “Twitter Blue” program, according to the institutions’ press services. Reversing a previous policy that aimed to limit misinformation, Twitter said it will this month remove legacy blue checks that used to certify the authenticity of government officials, journalists and public figures’ accounts unless they pay. Meanwhile, any users could also soon be able to subscribe to get the once-coveted blue tick. Announced in November 2022 after Elon Musk bought the platform, the plan has sparked fears that it could result in a wave of fake accounts and an uptick in fake...

Thursday Turnaround

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:36 GMT

A damp and dreary start requires some patience this morning to see the improvements that are ahead. Although the turnaround won’t be quick, it will happen, as temps surge into the 60s and 70s away from the immediate coast by mid to late afternoon. AM clouds and drizzle taper off, allowing for some midday/afternoon breaks of sun as well. With that said, I do expect a few spotty showers late this afternoon and the risk for some evening showers/thunder rolling through. Below is a mid to late afternoon snapshot of temps. Boston will hang in the 50s most of the day and bump up into the 60s early this evening. The showers and thunder that slide through tonight are with a cold front, and on the other side of that front, we’ll catch a gusty breeze and chillier air with highs in the 50s and winds gusting 30-35mph. Easter weekend looks bright with some seasonable chill as highs near 50 on Saturday and near 55 Sunday. Both days start frosty, so plan on a cool feel to the air for th...