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Women’s World Cup opening ceremony focused on First Nations

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The Women’s World Cup opened Thursday with an elaborate greeting from the Maori people of New Zealand and the First Nations people of Australia.In a moment intended by FIFA to stress the cultural roots of tournament co-hosts New Zealand and Australia, along with international unity, the roughly 10-minute ceremony focused on groups of people meeting peacefully at the center of Eden Park.For New Zealand, volunteers held aloft an artistic representation of a giant stingray, which in traditional beliefs is said to have been caught by the demi-god Maui and turned into what has become the country’s North Island. A giant rainbow serpent, representing Australia, was likewise held up by the cast and joined the stingray.Monique Maihi-Pihema, a descendant of the Ngati Whatua Orakei tribe that has the historical rights over Eden Park, where the opening match between New Zealand and Norway took place, sang a traditional calling to welcome the Australians.The ce...

The next chapter of Lionel Messi’s career begins Friday at 18,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The seats at DRV PNK Stadium filled up quickly with fans eager to get a glimpse at Inter Miami’s new superstar.Lionel Messi — arguably the greatest soccer player ever — stood on a runway in the middle of the field looking out at his new home.“Thank you Miami,” Messi said to the crowd. “I’m happy to be here with you all.”The next chapter of the 36-year-old’s storied career will begin here. Not at Camp Nou in Barcelona or Parc des Princes in Paris. At Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium — a cozy venue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, decorated with the team’s pink and black colors.Messi will make his Inter Miami debut Friday against Cruz Azul in the League’s Cup. Coach Tata Martino told ESPN on Wednesday that he hasn’t decided if Messi and fellow Inter Miami newcomer Sergio Busquets will start, or how long they will play.When the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner announced in June that he would join Inter Miami, the club — which is only in its fourth s...

Vestager’s economist mishap complicates her bid for the EIB

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

France’s opposition to Margrethe Vestager’s pick of an American citizen as chief competition economist could harm her chances of getting the next job she’s eyeing.Vestager, who is the European Commission executive vice president, is Denmark’s nominee to lead the European Investment Bank when Werner Hoyer’s mandate ends this year. She had been considered the front-runner.But after Paris successfully led the charge against the appointment of Fiona Scott Morton to the role at DG COMP, the Commission’s department in charge of antitrust enforcement, Vestager is now uncertain to get French support for the EIB. Vestager’s bid is not dead in the water, several French officials said, but many factors will be taken into consideration. One of them is how much a Vestager-led EIB would consider French interests, including a request by President Emmanuel Macron for the body to fund nuclear energy, and a push for it to invest more in defense. Another factor is who Vestager is up ...

Frans Timmermans to leave Brussels to run in Dutch election

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

EU Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans will leave the European Commission to run in the Dutch election, local media reported on Thursday. The Netherlands will head to the polls in November. Long-time Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced his departure from politics earlier this month following his government’s collapse. Members of Timmermans’ Labor Party recently voted to fight in the upcoming election together with the Dutch Greens. This morning, Timmermans told NOS that he would run as a candidate to lead the joint list. He’s expected to make a formal announcement later today. De Volkskrant reported that he has already informed Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of his imminent departure. Timmermans has served in the Commission since 2014. In 2019, he became executive vice president in charge of the European Green Deal. 

Summer Beauty

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

Whoa! How about that start to the day this morning! Temps and humidity down a few notches and it feels great. In Boston, the dew point has slid to 59, one of the lowest readings we’ve have over the last month. In addition, temps inland feel back into the upper 50s and low 60s overnight, allowing for a very comfy feel to the air to kick off this Thursday morning. The lower humidity will last into the afternoon with highs running 80-85 away from the beaches and 75-80 close to the coast. Overall, with a mix of clouds and sun and the less humidity air, we’re in store for a beauty of a summer’s day. Now the question… can we keep this pattern around? In short, the 7 day forecast does offer more nice weather, but not every day. Tomorrow, humidity ramps back up with more clouds in the mix. Temps hold near 80 with dew points push up into the mid to upper 60s. That higher humidity, combined with a disturbance moving in from the west, will create the opportunity for ...

US says North Korea has not responded to attempts to discuss American soldier who ran across border

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea hasn’t responded to U.S. attempts to discuss the American soldier who bolted across the heavily armed border, officials in Washington said, underscoring that the serviceman’s prospects for a quick release are unclear at a time of high tensions and inactive communication channels.Pvt. Travis King, who was supposed to be on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas, after finishing a prison sentence in South Korea for assault, ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday. He is the first known American held in North Korea in nearly five years.“Yesterday the Pentagon reached out to counterparts in the (North) Korean People’s Army. My understanding is that those communications have not yet been answered,” Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, told reporters Wednesday in Washington.The U.S. and North Korea, who fought during the 1950-53 Korean War, are still technically a...

The Senate Judiciary panel will consider ethics rules for the Supreme Court

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Thursday on a new ethics code for the Supreme Court, an attempt to respond to recent revelations about justices’ interactions with wealthy donors and others. Republicans are strongly opposed, arguing the ethics bill could “destroy” the high court.The committee’s legislation would impose new ethics rules on the court and a process to enforce them, including new standards for transparency around recusals, gifts and potential conflicts of interest. Democrats first pushed the legislation after reports earlier this year that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real estate deal with a top GOP donor — and after Chief Justice John Roberts declined to testify before the committee about the ethics of the court.Since then, news reports also revealed that Justice Samuel Alito had taken a luxury vacation with a GOP donor. And The Associated Press reported last week that J...

Volleyball All-Scholastics and league All-Stars

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

VOLLEYBALL ALL-SCHOLASTICSAaron Bennett (Haverhill)Callum Brown (St. John’s Prep)Nate Caldwell (North Quincy)Adam Christianson (Newton North)Mason Cleary (BC High)Matt Deeley (St. John’s Shrewsbury)Cody Fitzpatrick (Lowell)Arthur Gomes (Milford)Alex Guerra (Milford)Nick Heitman (Acton-Boxboro)Cam Jilek (Brookline)Cameron Johnston (North Quincy)Joe Kelly (Wayland)Harrison Landry (Natick)Luke Lorence (Needham)Tyrell Lout (Lowell)Matteo Luciani (Lexington)Ethan McCarron (Needham)Jonathan Narsjo (O’Bryant)Son Nguyen (O’Bryant)Tyler Randall (Newton North)Matt Salerno (Natick)Isaac Wedaman (Cambridge)Raymond Weng (Needham)Jamie Watt (Winchester)HONORABLE MENTIONBranch Barnes (Natick)Finn Bell (Wayland)Christyan Berger (Revere)Henry Bonney (Cambridge)Justin Cheng (Lexington)Eddie Djatcha (Lowell)Dom Flores (Chelmsford)Alex Gundaker (Needham)Oscar Klappenbach (Lincoln-Sudbury)James Levesque (Methuen)Tighe Lusk (St. John’s Prep)Ben Saro (St. John’s Shrewsbury)Kyler Shea (North Andover)Lucas ...

Push to take back Roxbury park from Mass & Cass addicts

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

City officials say they are committed to making the deplorable Clifford Playground a safer and more accessible park for local youth sports organizations and the community at large.Residents, starting in August, will get the chance to suggest how the city should redesign the 8-acre Roxbury park, a few blocks from the heart of Mass and Cass, where people roam the streets, visibly buying, selling and using drugs.The community engagement will inform what is included in the renovated playground, with construction slated for next year. Officials allocated $7.2 million towards the project in this year’s $4.2 billion capital plan.A Pop Warner football program that plays at the park, the Boston Bengals, had been on the verge of collapse due to the unsanitary conditions; needles, human feces and other trash. But area philanthropist Ernie Boch Jr. tossed a $15,000 donation for Domingos DaRosa to save his non-profit organization after reading a Herald article on the state of the playground.Spea...

BMW M340i is sporty and pricey

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:06:30 GMT

BMW, known for their sportiness in the consumer market, is also known in Grasso’s Garage for their excellent driving automobiles. Fun to drive and good looking while doing so, the 2023 M340i xDrive sedan is no different.Wrapped in upgraded Tanzanite Blue Metallic paired with Mocha Vernasca leather was glorious. Did I mention the M-Sport package addition as well? This combo of Red calipers, 19” alloy wheels and that color combination was a huge hit in town and around the community. Comfort was what stood out the best in Grasso’s Garage as we noticed a great span of legroom in the front seats, while still having enough space for passengers in the back. Carbon Fiber, and a sleek interior also helped the interiors historic lack-luster appearance.A 3.0 Liter TwinTurbo inline 5-cylinder engine is paired with a 48V mild hybrid technology and an 8-speed sport automatic transmission. With selectable drive modes at your fingertips, the BMW M340i comes to life in both sport and sport plus mode...