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How Eva met Francesco: The golden couple at the heart of Europe’s Qatargate scandal

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

How Eva met Francesco: The golden couple at the heart of Europe’s Qatargate scandalThe love story behind the biggest scandal to ever hit the European Parliament — and the cozy, transactional world in which it took place.By NICHOLAS VINOCUR, ELISA BRAUN, EDDY WAX and GIAN VOLPICELLIin BrusselsIllustration by Dato Parulava/POLITICOBRUSSELS — Eva Kaili and Francesco Giorgi had left nothing to chance.The duo that would later become the most famous — many would say infamous — couple in the European Union capital had been gearing up for this moment for years.As Qatar prepared to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, they were among the Gulf state’s fiercest advocates in Brussels, defending its record on human rights and fending off criticism of its treatment of migrant workers.And now, less than a week before the high-profile soccer tournament was to kick off, it was all coming to a head. At a crucial hearing in the European Parliament, Qatar’s Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri — aka “...

Elon Musk’s new enemy: Nordic workers

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

Nordic workers aren’t happy with Elon Musk’s Tesla — and they’re showing their displeasure. After Swedish workers began a strike earlier this fall against Musk’s electric vehicle giant, many comrades in neighboring countries are now either standing in solidarity or preparing to do so. Mechanics servicing Teslas in Sweden, who started striking in October, were joined by dockworkers and colleagues in car dealerships in a mounting anti-Tesla campaign. And help is now also starting to arrive from across Nordic borders. Swedish union IF Metall has been pushing Tesla to sign a collective agreement on wages and working conditions. It threatens that the strike will go on until a deal is reached. Continental union bosses are clear on how they feel about Musk, and they also want the EU to get involved. “It’s time for the European Union to step up and become tougher on Musk,” Claes-Mikael Ståhl, deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Conf...

Derrick White’s 30 points carries Celtics past Knicks 133-123; Boston’s Brown ejected with 2 Ts

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White scored 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 21 in his return to the lineup after missing four games with a strained left calf to lead the Boston Celtics to a 133-123 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.Jayson Tatum added 25 points, six rebounds and five assists for Boston, which improved to 10-0 at home. Celtics forward Jaylen Brown scored 17 points before he was ejected after getting two technical fouls midway into the final quarter.RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 23 points apiece. Julius Randle added 20 and Immanuel Quickley had 17 for New York, which dropped its second straight.Porzingis wasted little time getting going offensively, scoring Boston’s first eight points with a dunk and consecutive 3-pointers.The Celtics and TD Garden crowd had a brief scare late in the second quarter when Tatum made a breakaway dunk, landed awkwardly and went to the floor on the baseline. But he got up quickly.The Celtics shot 58.3% and led ...

Boston College scores 62 in the second half to crush Holy Cross

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

Boston College continues to feast on regional mid-major programs on the home hardwood.The Eagles outscored Holy Cross 62-33 in the second half and rolled to a 95-64 win before 4,866 fans on Friday night at Conte Forum. BC improved to 7-3 overall, 5-1 at home and cut the Crusaders’ lead in the series to 58-56 in the 114th meeting.The Eagles recorded earlier home wins over Fairfield, Harvard and Central Connecticut and will revisit their Big East roots against St. John’s in the 2023 BABC Brooklyn Showcase on Sunday at the Barclays Center.“This my third year here and every single year I’ve been here something bad has happened in the non-conference,” said junior guard Jaeden Zachery, who shot 8-of-12 from the floor and led BC with 18 points.“We can’t take them lightly because for them this is their NBA championship type of games, coming to an ACC team’s house. We can’t treat them lightly and come out and play like we know how to play.”BC shot 47.3% from the floor with 11 made thre...

Kristaps Porzingis looks sharp in return as Celtics hold on over Knicks

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

While it was not ideal that Kristaps Porzingis injured his calf, his four-game absence allowed the Celtics to play and grow in different ways. Others stepped up into bigger opportunities as the C’s continued to win, something that could benefit them in the long run.But there’s no question, the Celtics are at their best when Porzingis is on the floor.Porzingis was terrific in his return from a calf strain and didn’t seem to miss a beat, as he scored 21 points, but his mere presence allowed the Celtics to flourish once again. Derrick White scored 30 points as he drilled six 3-pointers and several others made big impacts, Even after Jaylen Brown was issued his first career ejection in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had more than enough to hold off the Knicks with a bounce-back, 133-123 victory at TD Garden.Jayson Tatum added 23 points, Jrue Holiday had 16 points and Al Horford scored 14 from the bench as the Celtics improved to 11-1 this season when their starting five is fully health...

Santa Ana winds this weekend prompt wind advisory, increased wildfire risk in SoCal

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Santa Ana winds are expected to hit Southern California this weekend, with a wind advisory in effect from Saturday morning into Sunday in inland San Diego County, while areas just north of the county are in a Red Flag Warning. Wind gusts from 20 to 30 mph could hit the following areas from 10 a.m. Saturday to 3 p.m. Sunday -- San Diego County Valleys, Riverside County Mountains, San Diego County Mountains, San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning, including the cities of Escondido, El Cajon, San Marcos, La Mesa, Santee, Poway, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Julian and Pine Valley. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for those areas. El Niño winter has started. Here’s what conditions are predicted for San Diego Stronger gusts up to 65 mph could happen in areas locally. It is cautioned to be vigilant when driving during high winds, especially in a high-profile vehicle. Don't forget to secure things down outside that could blow away. Also, be careful as there is a poten...

Texas Supreme Court pauses lower court’s order allowing pregnant woman to have an abortion

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday night put on hold a judge’s ruling that approved an abortion for a pregnant woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis, throwing into limbo an unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S. The order by the all-Republican court came more than 30 hours after Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, received a temporary restraining order from a lower court judge that prevents Texas from enforcing the state’s ban in her case. In a one-page order, the court said it was temporarily staying Thursday’s ruling “without regard to the merits.” The case is still pending.“While we still hope that the Court ultimately rejects the state’s request and does so quickly, in this case we fear that justice delayed will be justice denied,” said Molly Duane, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox.Cox’s attorneys have said they will not share h...

UN takes no immediate action at emergency meeting on Guyana-Venezuela dispute over oil-rich region

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations Security Council took no immediate action at a closed emergency meeting late Friday requested by Guyana after Venezuela’s referendum claiming the vast oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo region that makes up a large part of its neighbor.But diplomats said the widespread view of the 15 council members was that the international law must be respected, including the U.N. Charter’s requirement that all member nations respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every other nation — and for the parties to respect the International Court of Justice’s orders and its role as an arbiter.A possible press statement was circulated to council members and some said they needed to check with capitals, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the consultations were private.At the start of Friday’s meeting, the diplomats said, U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the council on the dispute.In a letter to the Security Council...

Latest Blue Jays, Ohtani frenzy shows dangers of unchecked gossip

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

In an information vacuum, when people are so susceptible to being lured into believing whatever they want to believe, it’s so easy to end up with the fevered, fact-free frenzy that surrounded Shohei Ohtani and the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.First, a speculative decision-timing post, quickly reinforced by a private charter between the appropriate airports found on an online flight tracker. The connection of B to A makes C, a post from an opera singer with details of a large dinner-party reservation made by Yusei Kikuchi at a downtown sushi restaurant, suddenly seem somewhat plausible. Eager anticipation of the two-way superstar’s fateful call now ratcheted up, D, a report from Dodgers Nation claiming the deal is done, makes so many people fully buy-in.Only this was a case of putting two, two, two and two together and getting nine.Ohtani is thought to be nearing a decision and the Blue Jays very much remain in play, but nothing is set as of yet, an industry source told me and Ben Nic...

Nikki Haley looks for a strong showing, not necessarily a win, in Iowa caucuses

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:02:42 GMT

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — For Nikki Haley, a win in Iowa doesn’t necessarily mean a win in the state’s Republican presidential caucuses.“The way I look at it, we just need to have a good showing in Iowa,” the former South Carolina governor said Friday in response to a question during a town hall event in Sioux City. “I don’t think that means we have to win necessarily, but I think that means we have to have a good showing.”The comments stand in stark contrast to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who declared decisively that “we’re going to win Iowa” on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last Sunday. DeSantis wouldn’t say whether he would end his campaign if he didn’t finish first or second.DeSantis and Haley are likely battling for a second-place finish, since former President Donald Trump continues to sit comfortably atop the field in polls of Republicans in Iowa and nationwide.The DeSantis campaign has largely focused on Iowa, hoping to deny Trump a big win in the caucuses. A super PAC supportin...