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Iran FM says he and Saudi FM agree to joint agenda to resume economic ties, pursue regional stability

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Iran FM says he and Saudi FM agree to joint agenda to resume economic ties, pursue regional stability.Source

False accounting inquiry targets Roma’s American owners

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

ROME (AP) — Roma’s current and former American owners and Lazio president Claudio Lotito are among numerous officials at the two clubs being investigated by Italian authorities for false accounting via alleged abuse of capital gains in the transfer market.Prosecutors in Rome (for Roma) and Tivoli (for Lazio) announced the investigations, which also involve a third Serie A club, Salernitana, and which resulted in financial police searches at offices for the clubs on Wednesday.Prosecutors say the clubs involved earned profits by falsely reporting the values of players bought and sold on the transfer market.Current Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin, as well as former Roma owner James Pallotta, were named in the prosecutors’ report.Lotito formerly owned Salernitana as well.The transfer deals being examined occurred between 2017 and 2021.All three clubs maintain that they operated within the rules.Juventus and several other clubs in Italy have also been investigated for capital gains cas...

Orioles top pitching prospect Rodriguez has solid MLB debut

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Once Baltimore Orioles top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez got through a nervous first inning in his big league debut, he settled in and got a no-decision while going head-to-head against an ace.“There were a lot of nerves that first inning. Really couldn’t feel the baseball,” Rodriguez said. “I kind of felt like I was on an island, but yeah, the second inning was pretty normal.”After needing 30 pitches to get through the first inning Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, who got early back-to-back RBI hits to Adolis García and Josh Jung, Rodriguez retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out All-Star shortstop Corey Seager twice, including a 97-mph fastball on his last pitch in what was then a tie game.“He got a little nervous there in the first inning, might not get out of it. He was just really excited, a little jumpy,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “He just really did a great job of settling down....

Traffic stopped on southbound I-95 in Prince William Co. after police chase, shooting leaves 1 dead

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

A shootout following a police chase has left a woman dead and a man hospitalized, while causing headaches for drivers on southbound Interstate 95 in Dumfries, Virginia.Virginia State Police said an SUV with “the wrong license plates displayed on it” was seen traveling south on I-95 near the Backlick Road exit in Springfield at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.More Virginia NewsMore Local NewsWhen the state trooper tried to stop the vehicle, the driver sped away, according to Virginia State Police.Despite the SUV then crashing near the 152 mile marker in Dumfries, where it struck a guardrail, the vehicle continued south toward Exit 148 in Stafford.That’s when police said it left the roadway and crashed in a wooded area. As troopers approached the SUV, the male driver began shooting at them and they returned fire.Police said the female passenger died at the scene, the driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injures.None of the state troopers involved in the sho...

World Cup winner Argentina moves top of FIFA rankings

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — World Cup winner Argentina topped the FIFA rankings on Thursday for the first time in six years. Argentina’s two wins in friendlies last month ended the one-year run at the top for Brazil, which lost at Morocco 2-1 and fell to No. 3. France, the World Cup beaten finalist, followed Argentina in rising one place, to No. 2. France won back-to-back European Championship qualifiers against No. 6 the Netherlands and Ireland.Belgium stayed at No. 4, with England next after two wins including beating No. 8 Italy. Europe completed the top 10 with No. 7 Croatia followed by Italy, Portugal and Spain.Morocco, which has joined the Spanish and Portuguese in a 2030 World Cup bidding plan, stayed at No. 11 to lead African teams.The United States was still No. 13, two ahead of regional rival Mexico. Canada, the other North American co-host of the 2026 World Cup, rose six to No. 47. Japan at No. 20 was the best of the Asian teams, and 2022 World Cup host Qatar fell to No. 61.___More AP ...

Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen diplomatic missions

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Iran on Thursday announced an agreement to resume diplomatic ties and reopen missions in their capitals, taking another step toward reconciliation after seven years of tension. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said foreign ministers from both nations had signed a joint statement and expressed their determination to improve ties in line with their talks in Beijing last month.The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, said that as part of Thursday’s agreement, the two longtime regional rivals would reopen representative offices in their respective capitals and in two other major cities — Mashhad in Iran and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The report said both sides also agreed to study the prospects of resuming flights and official and private visits between the two nations, in addition to how to facilitate the visa process for their people.The rapprochement not only lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals – both directly and i...

Orioles’ home opener against Yankees postponed to Friday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles’ home opener against the New York Yankees on Thursday has been postponed because of severe weather in the forecast.The Orioles announced the game would be pushed back to 3:05 p.m. Friday, which had been scheduled as an off day before the teams meet again Saturday and Sunday.After consultation with MLB, tomorrow’s Home Opener at Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been postponed due to the forecast of severe inclement weather.The game will be made up on Friday, April 7 at 3:05 p.m. ET.— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 5, 2023The Orioles had a game at Texas on Wednesday, and the Yankees were home against Philadelphia. Dean Kremer was scheduled to start the home opener for Baltimore against New York’s Clarke Schmidt.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Protests again grip France but Macron not backing down

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters disrupted traffic at Paris’ main airport and gathered again in other French cities on Thursday for strikes and demonstrations seeking to get President Emmanuel Macron to scrap pension reforms that have ignited a monthslong firestorm of public anger. In Paris, rat catchers set the tone by hurling the cadavers of rodents at City Hall. That protest Wednesday was one of the more shocking illustrations of how Macron’s plans to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 have infuriated workers. Broadcaster BFM-TV showed the rodents’ emaciated corpses being tossed by workers in white protective suits. Natacha Pommet, a leader of the public services branch of the CGT trade union, said Thursday that Paris’ rat catchers wanted “to show the hard reality of their mission” and that fury with Macron’s pension reforms is morphing into a wider movement of workers expressing grievances over salaries and other issues.“All this anger brings to...

Ravens GM: Jackson’s status doesn’t affect draft prep

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said Lamar Jackson’s situation isn’t causing the Ravens to look at quarterbacks differently in the upcoming draft, although he did say the team could conceivably take one in the first round.DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and director of player personnel Joe Hortiz hosted a pre-draft news conference Wednesday, and reporters were told to keep questions focused on the draft. Of course, Jackson’s status affects all aspects of the team’s future, and if he’s not a part of it, then Baltimore would need a quarterback.“It just depends on the board,” DeCosta said when asked if taking a quarterback in the first round is a consideration. “I guess I’d have to say yes because we have quarterbacks in our top 31. So just based on that alone, simple math, I would have to say yes.”As of now, the Ravens have the 22nd pick in the first round.The Ravens put the franchise tag on Jackson last month, so if he ...

Masters Tournament: 5 stories to follow on the course

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:08:33 GMT

Golf’s Masters begins the major tournament season with the usual fanfare and tradition that you can only get at Augusta National.The course, despite its changes over the years, remains the annual host and there’s a sense of familiarity that you don’t get with the PGA Championship or U.S. and British Opens.More Golf NewsMore Sports NewsPast is often present as we recall the meltdowns and the miracles of years gone by with every drive from Tiger Woods, to every missed putt by Rory McIlroy.Let’s get to the driving range and spray some worm-burners:Tiger’s Tale: The five-time winner begins his first round Thursday morning at 10:18 a.m. Woods has made the cut 23 times in 24 appearances (1996 the outlier) but finished 47th last year.“For him it’s not so much the golf it’s the walking,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan told the DC Sports Huddle, “His leg is rebuilt. Every night he’s got ice baths and he’s got to d...