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How have the Chicago Cubs slipped in the NL Central? Jet lag, air pollution, rain delays — and a breakdown in all 3 phases of the game.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

The Chicago Cubs scored four first-inning runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of the London Series on June 25, looking to get back to .500 for the first time since May 12.With 11 wins in their previous 13 games and Marcus Stroman on the mound riding a seven-game win streak, it looked like the Cubs finally had turned a corner in a season that began with so much promise before hitting a wall in late April.The Cubs were trying to buck history. A 12-26 stretch that began the final weekend of April had left them 10 games under .500 after a sweep by the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on June 8. Only two teams in franchise history were able to fight back to .500 after being double-digits under the breakeven mark.If the 2023 Cubs were to become the third, it would go down as an inspiring comeback story for a veteran team led by newcomers like Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger and Trey Mancini — all of whom were brought here in part for their championship experience.But...

Neutral Switzerland and Austria will join European air defense project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Switzerland plans to take part in a Europe-wide air defense project initiated in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, officials said Tuesday.The Alpine country is the second neutral nation after Austria to signal its intention to join the European Sky Shield Initiative launched by Germany last year.Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd and her Austrian counterpart will sign a memorandum of understanding at a meeting Friday in Bern with Germany’s Boris Pistorius.The European Sky Shield Initiative, or ESSI, was proposed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August of last year as a means of bundling the continent’s efforts to defend against possible aircraft or missile attacks. It will complement existing air defense systems established by the NATO alliance, which Austria and Switzerland aren’t members of.The two countries have made clear that joining the initiative won’t entail any participation in international military conflicts.So far 17 ...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not testify at his impeachment trial, attorney says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not testify in his upcoming impeachment trial that could result in the Republican being permanently removed from office, according to his defense team.In a lengthy statement released Monday night, Paxton’s lead attorney against criticized the proceedings that led to the GOP-controlled Texas House impeaching the state’s top law enforcement in May. The trial in the Texas Senate is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. “‘They had the opportunity to have Attorney General Paxton testify during their sham investigation but refused to do so,” attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement. “We will not bow to their evil, illegal, and unprecedented weaponization of state power in the Senate chamber.”A spokesman for the House managers leading the impeachment did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday. Paxton, a Republican, is temporarily suspended from office pending the outcome ...

Akwesasne police say body found near island in St-Lawrence River

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Police in Akwesasne Mohawk Territory say a body has been found near a small island in the St. Lawrence River.The body was located about 10 kilometres northeast from Snye, Akwesasne, where the bodies of eight people were found in a marshy area of the river last March.Police have said that those eight people — two families of Indian and Romanian migrants — died during a failed attempt to cross illegally into the United States by boat.Since then, Akwesasne police have been searching for a 30-year-old local man, Casey Oakes, who was last seen operating the boat that was later found next to the bodies of the two migrant families.Police said Monday the body was found around 2 p.m. that day near Ross Island and that they were awaiting confirmation of the person’s identity by the coroner.Authorities describe Akwesasne, about 130 kilometres southwest of Montreal, as a popular spot for human smuggling due to its geography, which straddles the borders between Quebec, Ontario a...

July Fourth for presidents has been a day for golf, fishing, speeches and one perilous stomachache

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Through history, the Fourth of July has been a day for some presidents to declare their independence from the public. They’ve bailed to the beach, the mountains, the golf course, the farm, the ranch. In the middle of the Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was sailing to Hawaii on a fishing and working vacation.It’s also been a day for some presidents to insert themselves front and center in the fabric of it all. Teddy Roosevelt drew hundreds of thousands for his July Fourth oratory. John F. Kennedy commanded a huge crowd from Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. In 2019, Donald Trump marshaled tanks, bombers and other war machinery for a celebration that typically avoids military muscle.Richard Nixon enraged the anti-war masses without even showing up. As the anti-Nixon demonstrations of 1970 showed, Independence Day in the capital isn’t always just fun and games. It has a tradition of red, white and boo, too.In recent times, though, presidents have tended to stand bac...

French court upholds freezing of assets of Lebanon’s embattled central bank chief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A French court Tuesday upheld the freezing of the assets of Lebanon’s embattled central bank governor, rejecting his appeal to have them released, an official close to the investigation said.Several European countries are investigating central bank Gov. Riad Salameh and his associates over myriad alleged financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and laundering of $330 million. A French investigative judge on May 16 issued an international arrest warrant, or Interpol red notice, for the 72-year-old Salameh after he failed to show up in Paris for questioning.France, Germany and Luxembourg in March 2022 froze more than $130 million in assets linked to the investigation. The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, or Eurojust, said at the time that the investigation targets five suspects accused of money laundering.Salameh, who has repeatedly denied charges of corruption had requested that his assets be unfrozen. On Tuesday, a French appeals court reje...

Indonesia pulls out of hosting Beach Games, 3 months after losing U20 World Cup over Israel issue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Indonesia pulled out of hosting another global sports event at short notice Tuesday, three months after refusing to welcome Israel’s team for soccer’s Under-20 World Cup.The World Beach Games had been set to be staged in Bali from Aug. 5-15 but were canceled after the Indonesian government pulled the budget, the global group of national Olympic bodies known as ANOC said Tuesday.ANOC said it had no option but to cancel the 14-sport championships — including beach versions of soccer, tennis and volleyball, plus surfing and open water swimming — because it was unable to find a replacement host with so little time.About 1,500 athletes from 100 nations, including Israel, were expected to compete in Bali across 41 medal events.Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, while publicly supporting the Palestinian cause.“The KOI (Indonesian Olympic Committee) stated the decision w...

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite as oil tops US$70 a barrel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

TORONTO — Energy stocks helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher in late-morning trading as the price of oil also rose to top US$70 a barrel.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 44.31 points at 20,199.60.U.S. stock markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday.The Canadian dollar traded for 75.68 cents US compared with 75.53 cents US on Friday.The August crude oil contract was up US$1.37 at US$71.16 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was up four cents at US$2.75 per mmBTU.The August gold contract was up US$6.00 at US$1,935.50 an ounce and the September copper contract was down less than a penny at US$3.79 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Brazil’s Neymar fined $3.3 million for illegal artificial lake at mansion outside Rio

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer star Neymar was fined more than $3.3 million for violating local environmental rules during renovations at his mansion in the city of Mangaratiba outside Rio de Janeiro.The Mangaratiba city hall said in a statement Monday night it had issued four fines totalling about 16 million Brazilian reals after Neymar was accused of illegally building an artificial lake at his mansion.“Among the dozens of infractions that were noticed at the player’s property are the start of an unauthorized construction which requires environmental control; capture of a river course and detouring it without authorization; moving rock and sand; supressing vegetation without authorization and non-compliance of an embargo,” the statement said.A city hall document obtained by The Associated Press says that the latter charge is related to Neymar’s decision to swim in the artificial lake despite the fact that local authorities had shown up to forbid him from that area d...

Alcaraz starts his Wimbledon with a straight-set win, defending champion Rybakina beats Rogers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:50 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — In only his third Wimbledon tournament, Carlos Alcaraz is already one of the main men to beat.The top-seeded Spaniard hasn’t been past the fourth round at the All England Club, but he has become the primary threat in Novak Djokovic’s quest for a record-equaling eighth men’s title at the grass-court Grand Slam.On Tuesday, Alcaraz beat Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 on No. 1 Court — a fitting location for the No. 1 player in the world.The match was played under the roof because rain affected play on the outside courts for the second straight day.“Obviously without the roof, with sun, is much better for me. I think for everyone as well,” Alcaraz said on court. “With the roof or not, I have to show my best level.”His best led Alcaraz to his first major title at the U.S. Open last year. He reached the final at this year’s French Open, but Djokovic ended up winning his 23rd Grand Slam title in that match.At Wimbledon, Alcaraz reached the second round in 2021, ...