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The most powerful people in Britain: The Undecideds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

KIDSGROVE, England — “I’m basically becoming obsessed with potholes,” Jonathan Gullis announces proudly to the half-full community hall. “That’s going to be my life for the next 12 months … My fiancée is really excited.”Standing beneath a small disco ball in Victoria Hall in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, the Tory MP is holding a town hall. He rattles off answers to residents’ questions in machine-gun style — on housing (we need more); train ticket office closures (bad idea); and local plans for a Motocross track (maybe, maybe not).He keeps referencing his family, from his elderly mother’s cancer to his young daughter’s birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tellingly, his Union flag banner bears his own name (and face), but not that of the Conservative Party he represents.Gullis, in other words, is fighting for every vote. His 2019 victory in Stoke-on-Trent North ended Labour’s 69-year control of his seat. But since then, the Tories have fallen 20 points behind in the polls. Ev...

Britain’s North Sea decision: Waning leadership at home and abroad

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

Felipe Sanchez is a policy fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute and previously served as a senior policy adviser in the Strategy Unit of the U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.At the end of July — the hottest month ever recorded — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new oil and gas licenses will be granted in the North Sea.The United Kingdom government argued that more domestic oil and gas production is the key to reducing energy bills, carbon emissions and dependence on dictators. However, the argument doesn’t hold water.Framing the decision in this way masks the fact that over 80 percent of the crude oil produced in the U.K. is exported for reasons regarding market dynamics and process optimization. On the other hand, most of the natural gas produced in Britain is consumed domestically — primarily for heating. Therefore, the underlying issue at the heart of energy bills, emissions and security is almost exclusively linked to the U.K.’s depend...

The hunt for Russia’s secret ships

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

ISTANBUL — Yörük Işık puts down his espresso cup suddenly and picks up his camera. “This one is carrying diesel,” he says, training the long lens on a rusted red tanker bobbing into view in the distance. “Maybe in violation of the price cap.”For more than a decade, he’s watched the waters in his native Istanbul, tracking the comings and goings of the tens of thousands of grain carriers, container vessels and warships that chart a course along the Bosphorus Strait every year. The natural canal flowing through the heart of Europe’s largest city links the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, connecting Russia and Ukraine to the rest of the world.“I’m obsessive,” he explains, “I don’t like to go too far inland because I have this fear I’ll miss something. You never know what’s going to happen and often you don’t realize it’s suspicious until afterwards. Even when I have free time or I’m writing a report, I sit on my balcony so I can keep an eye out.”With his long hair and grey beard, Işık do...

Ronald Acuña Jr. weighs in on Mets prospect and younger brother Luisangel Acuña

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready for the rivalry between the Mets and the Atlanta Braves to heat up again.The Braves outfielder and one of the young faces of baseball is eagerly awaiting the day that his brother, Mets top prospect Luisangel Acuña, gets called up to the big club in Queens. The younger Acuña came to the Mets a few weeks ago from the Texas Rangers organization in a trade that saw right-handed ace Max Scherzer going to the Lonestar State.He’s currently playing for Double-A Binghamton, but he could reach the Major Leagues as soon as next season. Next season still isn’t quick enough for his big brother.“If it was up to me, he would already be up here,” Ronald said through a translator this weekend at Citi Field during the Mets series against the Braves.It hasn’t been much of a rivalry between the two NL East foes in recent seasons. Atlanta is 8-1 against the Mets this season. The Braves have won 14 of their last 16 games against them ...

Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

Far-right populist emerges as biggest vote-getter in Argentina’s presidential primary voting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Far-right populist Javier Milei rocked Argentina’s political establishment Sunday by emerging as the biggest vote-getter in primary elections to choose presidential candidates for the October general election in a nation battered by economic woes. Milei, an admirer of former U.S. President Donald Trump, says Argentina’s Central Bank should be abolished, thinks climate change is a lie, characterizes sex education as a ploy to destroy the family, believes the sale of human organs should be legal and wants to make it easier to own handguns.Votes were still being counted late Sunday, but analysts agreed that the upstart candidate who gained notoriety — and a rockstar-like following — by angrily ranting against the “political caste” did much better than expected and is a real contender for the presidency in this South American country.With nearly two-thirds of polling locations reporting results, Milei had around 32% of the total vote, according to of...

Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists partially win bid to quash convictions over 2019 protest

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates had part of their convictions quashed Monday over their roles in one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 2019. Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper; Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the city’s Democratic Party; and five former pro-democracy lawmakers, including barrister Margaret Ng, had been found guilty of organizing and participating an unauthorized assembly.Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung and Cyd Ho were jailed between eight to 18 months. Martin Lee, an octogenarian nicknamed the city’s “Father of Democracy,” Ng and Albert Ho were given suspended jail sentences.Their convictions two years ago and their sentences were widely seen as another blow to the city’s flagging democracy movement under an unprecedented crackdown by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities. Judge Andrew Macrae said he and other judges of the Court of Appeal unanimously quashed their convictions ov...

Lioness shot dead after escaping from farm in South Korea

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A lioness escaped from a farm in South Korea, touching off an emergency search before it was killed by a hunter Monday, officials said.The owner of the farm in the southeastern county of Goryeong reported the escape after finding her cage empty. Authorities quickly sent police officers, emergency workers and civilian hunters to the area, Goryeong police said.People were banned from entering a mountain area where the lioness was believed to have moved before one of the hunters killed her near the farm where it had lived, according to county officials.There were no reports of the lioness attacking anyone. The lioness had last been seen in her cage when she was fed Sunday night and it wasn’t known when she escaped.The farm has no other lions or lionesses and mostly raises beef cattle. The farm’s owner told investigators the lioness had been handed over when the farm was purchased last year, Goryeong police said.It wasn’t immediately known if the farm’s p...

WATCH: Video tribute on 45-year anniversary of Tom Skilling's first day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

CHICAGO — It's the 45th anniversary of Tom Skilling's very first day at WGN!Take a trip back in time with us to Aug. 13, 1978 for Tom's first appearance on TV in Chicago! Weather: Skilling's 7-day Forecast Tom is still forecasting weather at the same building here at Chicago's Very Own, although he's now doing it with significantly different technology.

Parliament of the World's Religions set to take place in Chicago

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:00:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Religious and spiritual leaders from more than 200 different faiths and traditions around the globe are meeting in Chicago this week for the Parliament of the World's Religions conference.Starting Monday morning, 6,500-plus leaders from faith, civic and grassroots backgrounds representing more than 80 countries will convene at McCormick Place's Lakeside Center, where a keynote speech will be given by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson."It's definitely the largest interfaith gathering in the world," said Stephen Avino, executive director for the conference. "Our theme this year is a call to conscience—defending freedom and human rights, and all people of faith, no faith and different ideologies could get behind that."Since the conference's inception at the Chicago's World Fair in 1893, the organization has focused on bringing a diverse group of people together who are committed to justice, peace and sustainability.When the group gathers this week, Avino said they will brainstorm...