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Former Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian leader arrested amid mass exodus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

KORNIDZOR, Armenia — The former leader of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians has been detained by Azerbaijani forces as he attempted to escape the war-ravaged region alongside tens of thousands of civilians.In a statement shared with state media on Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s border guard service said it had arrested Ruben Vardanyan “as a result of the vigilance of military personnel” as he attempted to cross the internationally recognized border into Armenia. A photograph of the bearded Russian-Armenian oligarch being escorted by officers has since been published.Moments earlier, Vardanyan’s wife, Veronika Zonabend, shared an impassioned plea with POLITICO in which she confirmed her husband was blocked from leaving the exclave, alongside an estimated 42,500 people who have fled their homes in the past three days. “Ruben has stood with the Arsakh people during the 10-month blockade and has suffered with them in their struggle for survival,” she said.V...

Spain’s Feijóo loses first vote to become prime minister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

Spain’s Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on Wednesday failed to obtain enough support in the Spanish parliament to be appointed the country’s prime minister.The conservative boss needed to secure the support of at least 176 of the parliament’s 350 lawmakers — an absolute majority — to be confirmed as prime minister in Wednesday’s vote. But only 172 MPs voted in favor of his candidacy, with 178 voting against.Although the Popular Party won the most votes in July’s national election, it fell short of a majority, and its proximity to the far-right Vox party has made it impossible for Feijóo to secure additional support from other groups in parliament.Spain’s constitution requires the parliament to vote on Feijóo’s bid to form a government for a second time in 48 hours. The Popular Party leader only needs to secure a simple majority of the ballots — more yeas than nays — but a majority of lawmakers are expected to once ag...

‘I honestly thought it went into my glove’: Chicago Cubs suffer devastating 7-6 loss on Seiya Suzuki’s error

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

A routine fly ball turned into a nightmare for Seiya Suzuki and the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park — and with it a heartbreaking blow to their postseason hopes.The Cubs were an out away in the eighth inning from escaping with a one-run lead intact when left-hander Drew Smyly got Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy to hit a ball to right field with runners on second and third base. What should have been an easy inning-ending flyout to Suzuki became a disaster. Suzuki whiffed on the would-be inning-ending catch, allowing two runs to score on his error.The Cubs went down in the ninth to seal a devastating 7-6 loss Tuesday night in a game they led 6-0 entering the bottom of the sixth.The lights contributed to misplaying the fly ball, Suzuki explained through interpreter Toy Matsushita. He saw the ball pretty well until the last second.“I honestly thought it went into my glove, so it was just that split second where it blurred my vision,” Suzuki said of the lights at Truist...

Column: Sleepless nights for David Ross in the wild-card chase unlikely to end after Chicago Cubs’ shocking loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

David Ross participated in seven postseasons as a player with four teams and one season on “Dancing With the Stars.” But the pressure Ross faced before is nothing like what he’s going through now managing the Chicago Cubs in this crazy National League wild-card chase.The challenge of getting this Cubs team into the postseason has been one of the biggest of his life and is why Ross sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night.“Way different as a manager than as a player,” Ross said Tuesday before the Cubs’ 7-6 loss to Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s fun, and you try and prepare and keep it all the same, but inside you’re riding it.“But within that it’s fun. (Julian) Merryweather the other day walks the first two guys (in the ninth inning) and gets out of that. You’re carrying it. I don’t get that (feeling) golfing on the weekend. That’s what you sign up for...

Patrick Williams must find his footing in fourth year with the Chicago Bulls: ‘I’m not where I want to be’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

Patrick Williams knows last season wasn’t enough.He knew it from the final buzzer of the Chicago Bulls season, a haphazard run that ended in crushing fashion as the team let a lead — and a shot at the playoffs — slip away in Miami. In the aftermath of the play-in tournament loss, Williams cradled his head in his hands in the cramped visiting locker room, struggling to find words to articulate his own disappointment.Did he live up to his potential?“Hell no,” Williams said.Williams’ third year repeated the patterns that have defined his career — too timid on the boards, too hesitant with the ball in his hands, showing flashes of promise that never evolved into consistent production. The result was a slip from a hopeful position in the starting lineup to a regular role in the secondary rotation, a demotion that sharpened the spotlight on the former No. 4 draft pick.Throughout a frustrating season, Williams reiterated his own frustration —...

Patriots extra points: Bill O’Brien calls Cowboys defender a top-5 player in the NFL

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

During a video conference with reporters Tuesday, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien called Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons a top-5 player in the NFL regardless of position.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | OBF: Mac Jones creates controversy with saucy confrontation New England Patriots | Patriots place DL Daniel Ekuale on IR, release William Hooper from practice squad New England Patriots | Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez has Cowboys’ attention with early standout play New England Patriots | Why the Cowboys are changing their offense before facing the Patriots New England Patriots | Bill O’Brien responds to Cowboys’ claim Patriots will interrogate ex-QB for intel “He’s a great football player. (Cowboys defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn does a good job of using them in a lot of different areas. And it just jumps out to you on film,” O’Brien said. “S...

Crowds of masked teens ransack Philadelphia stores and arrests are made, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Groups of teenagers swarmed into stores in several areas of Philadelphia, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, and police arrested 15 to 20 people, authorities said.The flash mob-style ransacking Tuesday night at stores, including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple in Center City, followed an earlier peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window.However, the ransacking was not connected to the protest, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference. “What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a situation and make an attempt to destroy our city,” he said.The thefts and unrest stretched from Center City to Northeast and West Philadelphia.Stanford said that people appeared to have organized efforts on social media. He said police are investigating “that there wa...

Azerbaijan arrests the former head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government after an offensive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Azerbaijan said Wednesday it has detained the former head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government as he tried to cross into Armenia following Azerbaijan’s 24-hour blitz last week to reclaim control of the enclave. The arrest of Ruben Vardanyan was announced by Azerbaijan’s border guard service. It appears to reflect Azerbaijan’s intention to quickly and forcefully enforce its grip on the region after the military offensive that also saw an exodus of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians — more than a third of its population.Vardanyan, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Russia where he owned a major investment bank, moved to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022 and served as the head the regional government for several months before stepping down earlier this year.Azerbaijan’s Health Ministry said earlier Wednesday that a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during the offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. One Azeri civilian a...

Carbonara burgers and a ‘Spritz Bar’ truck highlight the Ryder Cup food court menu in Italy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Beyond the fancy hospitality tents, the Ryder Cup’s food scene is decidedly local at the Marco Simone club outside Rome.There’s an “APECESARE” food truck named after Julius Caesar selling “Street Food Romano,” where the menu highlight is a carbonara burger — a spinoff on Rome’s most famous pasta dish — with Damini beef, carbonara sauce, guanciale, soncino lettuce, pepper and caramelized onion.“Eat one and you’re all set,” vendor Alessandro Favola said.Another option at the same truck is a cacio e pepe burger based on another classic Roman pasta. Both burgers sell for 23 euros ($24), with fries.A few trucks down is an orange-colored “Spritz Bar” on wheels. But don’t expect to find the classic Aperol Spritz here. That’s because Aperol isn’t an official Ryder Cup sponsor.Instead, the spritzes are provided by Ryder Cup champagne partner Moet & Chandon.The “spritzes” — if they can still be called that without prosecco, too — come already mixed with t...

Leader of Spain’s conservatives loses his first bid to become prime minister and will try again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:53 GMT

MADRID (AP) — The leader of Spain’s conservatives failed Wednesday in his long-shot first bid to become the country’s next prime minister when he fell short of the votes he needed in the Spanish parliament to form a government.As expected, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo came up four votes shy of the necessary absolute majority of 176 votes in his favor.Feijóo will try again on Friday when the bar is lowered and he needs only more “yes” than “no” votes from parliament’s 350 lawmakers.The Popular Party holds 137 seats in the Madrid-based Congress of the Deputies, the most of any party. But even with backing from the far-right Vox’s 33 lawmakers and two from small conservative parties representing Navarra and the Canary Islands, Feijóo only reached 172 votes in his favor to 178 against him.Spain’s July 23 national election left the parliament highly fragmented with its legislators spread between 11 different parties, setting the stage for a difficult path to power for ...