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Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia — Azerbaijan has agreed to reopen the only highway linking Armenia to the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a senior Azerbaijani official told POLITICO on Saturday.The news comes after authorities in the ethnic Armenian-controlled exclave — inside Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders — announced earlier in the day that it would accept humanitarian shipments from the Russian Red Cross via an alternative road from Aghdam, inside Azerbaijani government-held territory.According to Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, “Azerbaijan expressed its consent as a goodwill gesture to ensure simultaneous opening” of the so-called Lachin Corridor, which connects the mountainous territory to Armenia. “In the Lachin checkpoint, Azerbaijan’s customs and border regime must be observed,” he said.For close to two months, aid organizations including the International Red Cross have said they have been unable to transport supplies of...

Death toll rises above 1,300 in Morocco earthquake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

A powerful earthquake struck central Morocco Friday night, killing more than 1,300 people and injuring hundreds more.The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas.More than 1,200 people were reported injured in the tremor, the Associated Press reported, citing the Moroccan government. The quake was the biggest to hit Morocco in 120 years, according to the AP. The quake seriously damaged buildings, according to local media, including Marrakech, where people spent the night outside for safety reasons. A mosque minaret toppled in Jemaa al-Fna Square, the heart of Marrakech’s old city, Reuters reported. Heads of governments from all over the world were quick to express solidarity and offer help to Morocco. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is in India for a G20 summit, said her “heart” was with the Moroccan people. In a sign of the huge scale of the disaster, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI orde...

Powerful quake in Morocco kills more than 1,300 people and damages historic buildings in Marrakech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

By SAM METZ and MOSA’AB ELSHAMY (Associated Press)MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 1,300 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas.The magnitude-6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday. One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet. The quake brought down walls made from stone and masonry, covering whole communities with rubble. The devastation gripped each town along the High Atlas’ steep and winding switchbacks in similar ways: homes folding in on themselves and mothers and fathers crying as boys and helmet-clad police carried the dead through t...

Andrew Vaughn continues to build his infield skills for the Chicago White Sox at his natural position: first base

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

Kansas City Royals left fielder MJ Melendez ripped a line drive in the third inning Monday that looked like it was going to be an extra-base hit down the right-field line.Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn dove and made a tremendous catch for the final out of the inning.One inning later, Royals center fielder Drew Waters sent a hard-hit ball in Vaughn’s direction. Vaughn jumped as high as he could and made the catch.After spending most of his first two major-league seasons in the outfield, Vaughn moved to his natural position of first base this year.Vaughn told the Tribune last week he’s continuing to learn every day.“(I’ve been) trying to get better at it since spring training,” he said. “(I’m) working with (infield coach) Eddie (Rodríguez), getting my reps in and picks and footwork around the bag. All sorts of stuff.”Vaughn went 3-for-5 with two singles and a solo home run Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, but t...

Column: Winds of change factor at Wrigley Field into the Chicago Cubs’ 1-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

Nico Hoerner grabbed hold of a 94-mph fastball in the first inning of Friday’s Chicago Cubs-Arizona Diamondbacks game and launched it toward the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field.A crowd of 31,846 got on its feet in anticipation of a ”Whoomp! There it is!” moment.But Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. settled in front of the ivy-covered wall and watched a 12-mph wind blowing in from the north put the ball back in play, then made a routine catch on the warning track.Whoomp, there it wasn’t.Summer’s unofficial end traditionally turns Wrigley into a pitcher’s park in September, and Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen made the place his home in a complete game, 1-0 win against the Cubs.“I definitely thought it had a chance off the bat,” Hoerner said. “But obviously with the wind blowing in, and (it being) a higher-hit ball that was hit well but not crushed. … So yeah, it’s part of playing here.”Gallen (15-7) ...

Maura Healey: Feds need to speed up work authorizations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey insists the feds speed up migrant work authorization approvals, as she says employment will get them out of shelters sooner.In a Thursday letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Healey asked for a handful of regulatory changes that she said would help migrants quickly and immediately apply for work authorizations. The governor also urged the Biden administration to digitize immigration processes.“Thousands of families are living in emergency shelter in our state, with a significant rate of increase in the past several months,” Healey wrote in the letter. “Many of these new arrivals are drawn to Massachusetts for a safe haven, but arrive with neither the means nor personal connections to secure shelter and access to fundamental human necessities.”Healey said there is “historic demand” in Massachusetts for workers across all industries amid low unemployment. Tens of thousands of job openings could be filled by new arrivals, she said.“Every work...

NFL Lines: Who we like in Week 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

Gambling is legal in Massachusetts now. No one has ever wagered on NFL games here before.Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Great Pumpkin are real.Here’s the good news: If you do this sort of thing, I am here to tell you this is something I know a l’il something about. I love Barry and Bill, but I expect to crush them with this. No hard feelings, guys.Couple things … 1, do NOT trust my picks involving the Dallas Cowboys. My objectivity is suspect. 2, Week 1 games are hard to assess because we don’t know what we have yet.I’m always partial to home dogs; I’m riding 6 of them this week. The one I love the most? New England. But, I hate the Eagles, so …So here we go.BARRY: Optimism (or is that the lingering smoke from the Canadian wildfires?) hangs in the air like a Ray Guy punt.That’s right, Ray Guy. Huge fan of the Raiders growing up. But then I turned 12 and realized Jack Tatum wasn’t such a great guy. Anyway, the great thing about open...

MSTCA Cross-Country: McGrath kicks off soph campaign in big way

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

ATTLEBORO — Greg McGrath knew all summer that there would be two open slots at the top of the B.C. High cross country roster, and the Eagles’ sophomore made a big move Saturday to fill one of them.Racing at the MSTCA Cross Country Relays in oppressive humidity, McGrath, the winner of the Coaches Invitational freshman race last fall, tore through his 1.5-mile leg on the grassy Highland Park layout. When the smoke cleared, McGrath and teammates Owen Geagan and Colin Kurtz combined for an impressive 25-minute, 31.7-second win over the 4.6-mile course to take the freshman/sophomore event. Parker Charter had a strong race, taking second in 25:46.6 and Hopkinton was third in 26:27.1.“He was determined to train hard this summer and grab one of those two places,” said B.C. High head coach Seth Kirby of McGrath.McGrath, who was the lone freshman to qualify for the All-State 2-mile in the spring — knew the Eagles’ lineup would be very much in the battle against the oth...

Lincoln-Sudbury topples Methuen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

SUDBURY – It’s not too often a football team picks off another in real game action, two days in a row.Yet, the defensive performance No. 6 Lincoln-Sudbury maintained from Friday’s storm-suspended game en route to a 24-14 nonleague win over No. 4 Methuen on Saturday morning wasn’t a normal outcome against such a dangerous offense, either.The Warriors forced five turnovers between both days and held the Rangers without a point in the first half as Lincoln-Sudbury dominated time of possession. Four of those turnovers came in the second half, pairing with Cooper Tarantino’s two touchdown passes and the offense’s 4-for-5 fourth-down conversion rate to power a season-opening signature win.“We knew we had our hands full, but our kids executed,” said L-S head coach Jim Girard. “We didn’t (make the playoffs last year) and they had a sour taste in their mouths. We knew playing against a great team in the first game of the season was going to be important for us to get off to a good star...

Ticker: Auto union rejects wage offers from Detroit companies with strike deadline days away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:23 GMT

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union has rejected wage and benefit offers from all three Detroit automakers, raising tensions just six days before a strike deadline for 146,000 employees.Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance Friday that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket. He says the companies have yet to offer a fair contract.Automakers say they’re bargaining in good faith and want a contract that secures the future for workers and the companies. Negotiations are continuing through the weekend, but Fain warned that if there aren’t agreements by 11:59 p.m. Thursday there will be strikes against all three companies.Dutch police cleared out climate protesters blocking a highway over fossil fuel subsidiesTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Several thousand climate activists blocked a Dutch highway on Saturday in anger at billions of euros in government subsidies for industries that use oil, coal and gas. They broke...