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How to do Britain’s boozy party conferences sober

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

LONDON — Four days in a stuffy conference center surrounded by political nerds: It’s enough to make lukewarm wine appealing.“It’s Glastonbury for geeks,” Labour adviser Matthew Torbitt said of Britain’s party conference season, in full swing this weekend as the Tories gather in Manchester. Just switch world-famous headliners and dawn raves for earnest panel events about High Speed Rail followed by late-night, booze-fueled networking sessions.So what’s it like to do this notoriously drunken political fixture while swearing off the sauce — either for your health, your faith or just your sanity?“When you get there on Sunday, there’s always a joke ‘oh, don’t go too hard tonight, pace yourself,’ because so much of conference centers around drinking,” said former Conservative special adviser James Starkie, who has been sober for three years and attending party conferences for a decade.For Labour staffer Torbitt, this will be the first sober confer...

How to dress for success at party conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

LONDON — Actress Bette Midler once said that “with the right footwear one can rule the world.”Delegates heading to Britain’s political party conferences this month might settle for the less lofty ambition of dry, blister-free feet.Matching practicality with looking the part at these annual gatherings of decision-makers, activists, lobbyists and journalists is no mean feat, according to veterans of the party conference circuit.“Packing for conference is a nightmare, and you can guarantee to forget something,” said Kat Logut, who helps run PR firm iNHouse’s conference lounge — where exhausted VIPs can get free coffee and survival packs.Those decamping from London to Manchester Sunday for Tory conference have had to pack light enough to navigate Britain’s strike-hit rail network — while also enduring the unpredictable weather.“It’s much easier for men who can pack a few shirts and suits, a pair of shoes and job done. Women have to contend with the change in weather — w...

Chicago Cubs are eliminated from postseason contention on the penultimate day of the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

As the Chicago Cubs prepared to hit entering the top of the eighth inning Saturday night, a smattering of cheers among the 42,652 fans spread through American Family Field.The Miami Marlins had just closed out a win in Pittsburgh, triggering the applause from Milwaukee Brewers fans who saw the final score pop up on the left-field out-of-town scoreboard. The Marlins’ victory eliminated the Cubs from postseason contention.The Cubs’ 10-6 win Saturday fittingly encapsulated their last three weeks.They built a 6-0 lead in the first inning thanks to Christopher Morel’s leadoff homer, Yan Gomes’ grand slam and Patrick Wisdom’s solo blast. What should have led to a desperately needed blowout win instead tested the Cubs’ resolve. Left-hander Jordan Wicks struggled to take advantage of the run support. The Brewers loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first and put up three runs before Wicks could get out of the inning.By the end of th...

Orioles delight sold-out crowd with 5-2 win over Red Sox for 101st win in penultimate game of regular season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

The game wasn’t important, but that didn’t matter to the 43,150 fans at Camden Yards on Saturday.The announced crowd was the sixth sellout of the season, as Baltimore fans showed out for the last night game of the 2023 regular season (and the hoodie giveaway, of course). Only three other games this season have produced more fans in the stands, including the traditionally sold-out home opener.The fans were rewarded with a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, the American League East-champion Orioles’ 101st of their historic season. Kyle Gibson pitched five shutout innings and the offense got hot late to carry the Orioles to victory in their penultimate game of the season.Attendance at Camden Yards this season has largely been positive, as the team has seen one of the largest increases in the majors this season. The total attendance of just over 1.9 million is more than 500,000 above their 2022 gate of 1.37 million.On a per-game basis, almost 7,000 more fans have atte...

Chicago White Sox reach 100 losses for the 5th time in franchise history after falling to the San Diego Padres 6-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

In a season filled with futility, the Chicago White Sox made the wrong type of history Saturday, suffering their 100th defeat in a 6-1 loss to the San Diego Padres at Guaranteed Rate Field.It’s just the fifth time in franchise history the Sox have lost 100 games. The 2023 team (61-100) joins the teams from 1932 (49-102), 1948 (51-101), 1970 (56-106) and 2018 (62-100) in reaching the dubious distinction.Before the game, manager Pedro Grifol wasn’t too caught up with the number.“I know people think it’s an ugly number, but 99 (losses) is not?” he said. “I’ve never been too caught up in that. I want our guys to go out there and compete. Respect the game and finish the season strong. And wherever we end up, we end up.“That’s not where we’re going to be next year, so I don’t get too caught up in 99 or 100 or anything like that. I really don’t. But I know it’s a big deal. People make it a big deal. ...

Red Sox waste another gem from Crawford, fall to Orioles in penultimate game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

Because the record books will suggest otherwise, it’s worth stating for posterity:The 2023 Red Sox are a not good-enough team with quite a few good players.They’ll be remembered for their lackluster, last-place sum, but many of the individual parts weren’t all that terrible. Some were even excellent.Kutter Crawford is the perfect example of a player who deserves more credit than he’ll get. He spent the season contributing in every way asked of him, making 23 starts and eight relief appearances, including five games finished. He capped off his season with an excellent final start, shutting out the Orioles for six nearly perfect innings in Baltimore. He gave up one hit, but the Red Sox still fell to the Orioles 5-2.Entering Saturday night’s contest, he ranked second in the Majors in batting average allowed on four-seam fastballs. Though his velocity was down across the board, that particular pitch worked to his advantage on Saturday night. Of the 76 pitches he needed to get through hi...

Saturday’s high school roundup/scores: Bo MacCormack scores 3 more TD’s in BB&N rout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

Bo MacCormack finished with three touchdowns and 182 yards on the ground to boost BB&N past Thayer Academy, 34-6.In other ISL action, Huge Djeumenis rushed for 239 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while adding a 53-yard TD reception as Tabor (2-0) defeated St. George’s, 41-7. … Marcus Griffin ran for a pair of scores as Belmont Hill (1-1) blanked Roxbury Latin, 31-0.Hudson Weidman threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth as Pingree (2-0) held off Proctor Academy, 28-26.Matt O’Donnell’s 20-yard TD run with 5:39 left gave Cardinal Spellman (4-0) an 18-12 win over Cathedral in the Catholic Central League.Gustavo Varela ran for 210 yards and a touchdown as Greater Lawrence (2-2) beat Greater Lowell 14-7 in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.Angel Cabrera’s six-yard TD run late in the third quarter broke a 6-6 tie and Nantucket (1-3) went on to defeat Tech Boston 19-6 in a nonleague contest. … Jimmy Nardone ran for a pair of scores and tacked on three successful 2-poin...

Revolution extend home unbeaten streak with 2-1 win over Charlotte FC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

The New England Revolution extended their home unbeaten streak to 15 games and moved into third place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.The Revolution improved to 14-6-10 overall and 11-0-4 at the Razor. The match was the first of three games in eight days for the Revolution and first win for interim head coach Clint Peay. The Revolution resume conference play against the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night (7:30) at Gillette. The Revolution are battling for home field advantage in the MLS playoffs with four games remaining.The Revolution took a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute on a brilliant collaboration between Noel Buck and Mark-Anthony Kaye.Kaye got the ball at the top of the box and spied Buck unattended in the left side of the penalty area. Kaye fed Buck, who pivoted and fired a hard shot that beat Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina to the far post for his third of the season.Charlotte tied the game in the 8...

Everett newspaper editor admits to fabrications in Everett mayor defamation suit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

The editor and publisher of a newspaper at the center of a defamation lawsuit filed by Everett’s mayor said under oath that he had invented stories to attack the mayor.“The factual allegations you’ve just leveled at me, okay, for printing or making statements about the Mayor, I regret. I regret, I’m embarrassed by some of it, and I apologize to the mayor for it,” Joshua Resnek, the editor of the Everett Leader Herald, said during the fifth day of his deposition in the lawsuit, on Sept. 21.DeMaria’s attorneys filed suit in October of 2021, claiming that the Everett Leader Herald and three senior members of its staff — including Resnek and owner Matthew Philbin — issued “malicious and outrageous publications of defamatory falsehoods concerning the plaintiff … in the weeks leading up to the Sept. 21, 2021 primary for Everett’s mayoral election,” falsely accusing him of various crimes.The lawsuit cites a series of articles published in the newspaper focused on a purpor...

One year after deadly fan crush at Indonesia soccer stadium, families still seek justice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:02 GMT

MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — A year has passed slowly for Devi Athok, an Indonesian man whose two teenage daughters died in a crush of fans at a soccer stadium in East Java in October 2022 after police fired tear gas, setting off a panicked run for the exits that left 135 people dead.The crowd surge in Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang city was among the world’s worst sporting tragedies. Some 43 children died and around 580 people were injured in the incident.Chaos broke out after Persebaya Surabaya defeated Arema Malang 3-2 in the Oct. 1 match in front of some 42,000 spectators, prompting police to fire tear gas, including toward the stadium’s stands, causing panic among the crowd.Athok had bought four tickets for the Saturday night match for his two daughters, his ex-wife and her new husband. His 13-year-old daughter, Naila Debi Anggraini, decided to join her family at the last minute. She died in the crush along with her older sister, 16-year-old Natasya Debi Ramadani, and their mother, G...