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After pounding the Rangers this past week, the Astros have a chance to take control in the AL West

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

The Houston Astros swept the Rangers in a Texas-sized rout, and now the question is whether the defending World Series champions will deny the AL West a thrilling division race.The Astros won three games at Texas by a combined score of 39-10 this past week, then followed that up by taking two of three at home against San Diego. Houston now leads the AL West by 2 1/2 games over Seattle and three over Texas. And there’s more bad news for those two challengers: Nine of the Astros’ next 12 games are against Oakland or Kansas City, a stretch interrupted only by three games against AL East-leading Baltimore.If the Mariners and Rangers can stay within striking distance, then this could be the division to watch at the very end of the regular season. Seattle has a series at Texas from Sept. 22-24, then hosts Houston from Sept. 25-27. Then the Mariners host Texas from Sept. 28-Oct. 1That’s quite a few head-to-head matchups that could decide the AL West champion, but right no...

Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem ventures into jai-alai ownership, aims for championship glory

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

Udonis Haslem, a revered figure in the Miami Heat organization, has ventured into a new arena, but it’s not basketball that he’s currently invested in. The Heat “lifer” and iconic player is donning a different hat as the proud owner of the Renegades, one of six teams competing in the World Jai-Alai League, a sport that holds a special place in Haslem’s heart.While his long-term aspiration is to join the Miami Heat’s front office, Haslem has embraced a new challenge, bringing his winning mentality to the fast-paced world of jai-alai. Known for its lightning-fast ball speeds, this sport has ignited Haslem’s competitive spirit once again.“There’s championship expectations here, fellas,” Haslem emphasized. “You know what I’m saying? I’m not in this just to be a figurehead. We want to win and we want to grow this league. We got a lot of guys that are from different countries. So you know, one of the guys told m...

Ukraine reclaims Black Sea oil and gas platforms from Russia, Kyiv says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

KYIV — Ukrainian military forces said Monday they managed to regain control over four strategically important oil and gas drilling platforms located in the Black Sea near the shores of Russian-occupied Crimea. “During the operation, the special forces managed to seize valuable trophies: a stockpile of helicopter ammunition of the NAR type (unguided aerial missiles), as well as the Neva radar, which can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea,” Ukraine’s military intelligence, also known as GUR, said.They posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers posing on the platforms at the Black Sea. Ukraine has been conducting a grinding summer counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Vladimir Putin’s invading Russian forces. POLITICO has not managed to independently verify the footage, but late last month the British Ministry of Defense reported that skirmishes were taking place between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the platforms between Crimea and Odesa.  “During...

Chicago baseball report: Cubs honor Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston — and the latest on White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

The Chicago Cubs avoided a disastrous weekend, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Sunday to prevent a four-game sweep and stay in the second wild-card position.The writing had been on the wall for a while for the White Sox, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.Every Monday throughout the season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and Sox.Memorable day for Grace and DunstonShawon Dunston and Mark Grace, as they so often did during nine seasons as teammates, walked through the Cubs dugout Sunday afternoon, stopping before they reached the steps.They were fittingly honored before the series finale, earning blue blazers with their enshrinement in the Cubs Hall of Fame. Dunston, 60, spent 12 seasons (1985-95, ‘97) on the Cubs, while Grace, 59, was a staple at first base for 13 years (1988-2000).Dunston said he likes to te...

Dutch court sentences ex-Pakistani cricketer to 12 years over reward for death of far-right lawmaker

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court on Monday sentenced a former Pakistani cricketer to 12 years in prison over allegations that he had offered a reward for the death of firebrand anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders.The suspect, identified by Wilders as Khalid Latif, is accused of offering a bounty of about 21,000 euros ($23,000) to anybody who killed Wilders.Latif did not appear in the high-security courtroom near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for the trial and he was not represented by a lawyer. He is believed to be in Pakistan, which has no extradition agreement with the Netherlands.Prosecutors did not name Latif, but said in a statement that a video posted online in 2018 showed a famous Pakistan cricketer offering the money for killing Wilders. The lawmaker, who was present for the verdict, has lived under around-the-clock protection for years because of repeated threats to his life sparked by his fierce criticism of Islam.“The court has now ruled that a long-term unc...

Moscow and Pyongyang confirm North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia to meet with Putin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russia and North Korea confirmed Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in a highly anticipated meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has sparked Western concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.A brief statement on the Kremlin’s website said Kim’s visit is at Putin’s invitation and would take place “in the coming days.” The visit also was reported by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, which said the leaders would meet — without specifying when and where. Associated Press journalists near the North Korea-Russia frontier saw a green train with yellow trim — similar to the train used by Kim during previous foreign trips — at a station on the North Korean side of a border river.It was unclear whether Kim was on the train, which was seen moving back and forth between the station and the approach to the bridge that connects the countries. It had not crossed the bridge as of 7 p.m. (1000 GM...

Crescent Point plans $1.05B to $1.15B in development capital expenditures for 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

CALGARY — Crescent Point Energy Corp. says it plans to spend $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion on development capital expenditures next year.Based on the plan, the company says it expects annual average production of 145,000 to 151,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024.The company says about 70 per cent of its 2024 budget is expected to be spent on its Kaybob Duvernay and Alberta Montney operations.The remaining portion of its capital budget will be spent on its long-cycle assets in Saskatchewan.Crescent Point says the preliminary guidance includes the planned sale of its North Dakota assets, which is expected to close in fourth quarter 2023.The company announced last month that it has signed a deal to sell its North Dakota assets to a private operator for about $675 million in cash.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:CPG)The Canadian Press

Arguments in trial of man accused in London, Ont., attack set to begin today

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

Arguments are set to get underway Monday at the trial of a man facing terror-related murder charges in the deaths of four members of a Muslim family in Ontario.Nathaniel Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting members of the Afzaal family with his truck while they were out for a walk in London, Ont., on the evening of June 6, 2021.He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in what prosecutors allege was an act of terrorism.Jury selection for the trial, which is taking place in Windsor, Ont., wrapped last week, with 14 jurors and two alternates chosen.RELATED: Man accused of killing Muslim family members pleads not guilty as trial opensSuperior Court Justice Renee Pomerance ruled last year that a change of venue was warranted in the case, moving the trial from London to Windsor.The reasons for that decision, as well as the evidence and arguments presented in court on the matter, cannot be disclosed due to a publication ban.

UN rights chief calls for ‘urgent reversal’ to civilian rule in coup-hit African countries

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights chief called on Monday for an “urgent reversal” of military takeovers and return to civilian rule in countries in Africa where coups have driven out elected leaders in recent years as he assailed a multitude of crises across the globe. Volker Türk’s comments set the early tone for the U.N.’s top human rights body as he opened its fall session against the backdrop of conflicts and crises — including the plights of migrants from Myanmar to Mali and Mexico.Speaking of the decade-old crisis in the Sahel region that stretches across North Africa, in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, he pointed to the impacts of climate change and a lack of investment in services like education and health care as factors that have fueled extremism. “The unconstitutional changes in government that we have seen in the Sahel are not the solution,” Türk said. “We need instead an urgent reversal to civilian governance and open spaces where people ca...

Russia’s election commission says the ruling party wins the most votes in occupied Ukrainian regions

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:32:14 GMT

Russia’s Central Election Commission said Monday that the country’s ruling party won the most votes in elections held in occupied Ukrainian regions as Russian authorities attempt to tighten their grip on territories Moscow illegally annexed a year ago and still does not fully control.Voting for Russia-installed legislatures began last week . According to the Central Election Commission, lawmakers from the ruling party, United Russia, came out on top in the four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed illegally in 2022 — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — and on the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. Balloting in the occupied areas of Ukraine has been denounced by Kyiv and the West as a sham and a violation of international law. On Friday, Ukrainian officials urged other countries not to recognize the results of the vote, which the Foreign Ministry called “fake elections.”The votes in the illegally annexed Ukrainian regions were timed to coincide with nationwide...