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Diplomatic accord lets Saudi clubs with Ronaldo and Neymar go to Iran for Asian Champions League

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema and their Saudi Arabian soccer clubs will play in Iran for Asian Champions League games this season because of improved relations between the countries.The Asian Football Confederation on Monday praised “a groundbreaking agreement” between the Saudi and Iranian soccer federations that lets their teams host each other in home and away games instead of seeking neutral ground.Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s team, is scheduled to play Persepolis in Tehran on Sept. 19. The return game on Nov. 27 will be played in Riyadh.The 2015 Asian Champions League edition was the last time Saudi and Iranian teams faced each other on home turf in the group stage or knockout rounds.Long-standing diplomat tensions between the two countries are easing and Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, went to Saudi Arabia last month for the first such visit in eight years.Since the AFC ruling on using neutral venues took effect in 2016, ...

Faculty unions form at Howard, Frederick community colleges under new law

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.Two new public employee unions had extra cause to celebrate this Labor Day weekend.New faculty unions at Howard Community College and Frederick Community College were certified and recognized last week under a state law governing unionization on community college campuses.Howard and Frederick are the first community college faculties in Maryland to organize after the General Assembly passed a collective bargaining bill in 2021, over the veto of former Gov. Larry Hogan (R).On Wednesday, the full-time faculty at the campuses were recognized as members of AFT-Maryland by the state Public Employee Relations Board.The unions were formed under a new “card check” law, through which unions are recognized if more than 50% of bargaining unit members sign authorization cards saying they’d like to join.After months of organizing, more than 80% o...

From 'Pop-pop' to 'Nana': Colorado's most popular nicknames for grandparents

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – There's a special connection between grandparents and their grandkids made only stronger with each wink, hug, present and surreptitious candy slipped into a small hand.When it comes to nicknames that children develop for their grandparents a new survey by Preply found that popularity varies by state. The dive into Americans' terms of endearment for their grandparents comes in anticipation of national Grandparent's Day, on Sunday, Sept. 10. Where’s my Facebook settlement check? Why payments haven’t arrived – and when they might One grandchild's beloved "Nana" in Nevada may have been referred to as "Bubbe" if they lived in New Jersey, for instance. When it comes to the overall most popular nicknames, excluding just "Grandma" and "Grandpa," the survey found that "Nana" and "Papa" dominate.The most popular nicknames for "Grandma." (Preply)The most popular nicknames for "Grandpa." (Preply)When it comes to affectionate terms for grandmothers, "Nana" was the most popular in 1...

Labor Day celebration in Lauderhill turns chaotic as gunfire erupts, injuring 3

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

A Labor Day celebration in Lauderhill took a terrifying turn as gunshots rang out, sending partygoers fleeing in fear. The incident unfolded around 12:23 a.m. and left a trail of chaos, but fortunately, all three individuals who were shot survived the ordeal.Cell phone videos captured the abrupt shift from merriment to mayhem in a span of just three minutes. What began as a joyous gathering devolved into a scene of pandemonium, as revelers scrambled for safety.Keiana McDonald, one of the attendees, recounted the experience. “We heard the shots; everyone ran out this gate. People were trampling people. My sister’s like, ‘Come on, come on.’ I ran, a guy jumped on my head,” she said. Lauderhill police quickly responded to the incident as they were in the vicinity of 1400 N. SR. 7 after they responded to an unrelated matter when they received the call about the shooting. According to officials, authorities discovered a man in the parking lot with a single g...

Roads out of Burning Man might reopen today for tens of thousands still trapped after intense rain left the festival site smothered in mud

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

(CNN) — Roads out of the Burning Man festival could reopen Monday for the estimated 72,000 people trapped for a third day in the Nevada desert after heavy rains smothered the grounds with ankle-deep mud too thick to drive on.Roads leading in and out of the Black Rock Desert event were closed Saturday, and event organizers imposed shelter-in-place orders. Attendees were told to conserve food, water and fuel after the deluge made it virtually impossible for vehicles to drive on the surface, authorities said.The remote area in northwest Nevada was hit with two to three months’ worth of rain – up to 0.8 inches – in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. About 72,000 people remain on site, according to a Sunday night update from Burning Man organizers.The weeklong festival is scheduled to end Monday, but it’s unclear exactly when attendees will be allowed to drive out of the area.“The roads in Black Rock City remain too wet and muddy to officially open them for Exodus on Sund...

Northern Irish police chief quits over claims he sought ‘to appease Sinn Féin’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

DUBLIN – The commander of Northern Ireland’s police force resigned Monday after infuriating rank-and-file officers over his bungled handling of two separate scandals.Against the odds, Chief Constable Simon Byrne had defied demands for his immediate resignation following last month’s accidental publication of the professional details of his entire 10,000-strong workforce. That unprecedented data breach revealed the closely guarded identities of key anti-terrorist personnel, exposing them to potential attack by Irish Republican Army die-hards.But he couldn’t survive the even stronger internal uproar over his defiant announcement last week that he intended to appeal a Belfast High Court judgment. It found he had unlawfully punished two junior officers as they tried to enforce coronavirus regulations at an Irish republican event in 2021. The court found he had bowed to political pressure from Sinn Féin, a finding that both he and the Irish republican party denied.“The last few day...

Mercedes unveils new electric vehicles with better range than any Tesla model

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

London (CNN) — Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled new “close-to-production” concept vehicles that could outdo Tesla cars by going more than 466 miles on a single charge. That’s compared with a range of less than 380 miles for any Tesla model.The German automaker’s Concept CLA Class, revealed Sunday at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, comprises four new models: a sedan, a station wagon and two SUVs. The company did not specify when exactly they would enter production.The vehicles will each have a range of more than 750 kilometers (466 miles), versus Tesla’s (TSLA) Model 3 and Model S, which have the brand’s highest ranges and each can go for just under 375 miles off one charge.Meanwhile, BMW also made a splash at the show by revealing a new electric vehicle that boasts a longer range and faster charging, in further evidence of German automakers’ efforts to fend off growing EV competition.Big European carmakers such as Volkswagen and Renault a...

Steve Harwell, former Smash Mouth lead singer, dies at 56

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of the rock band Smash Mouth, which was best known for its ubiquitous 1999 hit “All Star,” died Monday. He was 56.His death, at his home in Boise, Idaho, was confirmed by the band’s manager, Robert Hayes, who said the cause was liver failure.Smash Mouth was founded in 1994 in San Jose, California, and was made up of Harwell, the lead singer, Kevin Coleman on drums, Greg Camp on guitar, and Paul De Lisle on bass. The band first broke out with their 1997 song “Walkin’ on the Sun,” which appeared on their debut album, “Fush Yu Mang.”“‘Walkin’ on the Sun’ changed music. It changed the way people listen to music,” Harwell told Rolling Stone in 2019. “It was so different and it was so unusual, and it was so special. It just had that sound that we created. Ask anybody that’s tried to copy us, you can’t. You just can’t.”The band enjoyed even greater success with the release of their next album, “Astro Lounge,” in 1999, and its chart-topping hit “All Sta...

Mattapan nightclub shooting: Jamaica Plain man arrested after 2 people shot at Macumba

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

Two people were shot in a Mattapan nightclub early Monday morning, as Boston Police officers arrested a Jamaica Plain man on gun charges in connection to the shooting.The gunshots rang out while a police officer was near the River Street nightclub Macumba after midnight — addressing community complaints for illegally parked cars.While at the scene, the cop saw people streaming out of the nightclub after a person was shot. The officer was also told that a suspect with a gun was fleeing the area.As the cop chased the suspect, he allegedly dropped a firearm. Officers recovered the gun, and handcuffed Regan Feliz, 29, of Jamaica Plain. Police also found a firearm in his waistband.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Heavy fire spreads through three residential Mattapan buildings As responding officers arrived at the scene, they found a victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening in...

Nigeria mulls G20 bloc membership as president heads to India to attend summit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:15 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu left for India on Monday to attend this year’s G20 summit, as his country considers joining the bloc of major world economies, presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a special invitation to Tinubu, as Nigeria’s membership is under consideration.“While Nigeria’s membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership,” Ngelale said in a statement.The G20 brings together 19 countries and the European Union, with India currently holding its presidency, which rotates annually among the members. Many world leaders are expected to attend the two-day global summit in New Delhi.If Nigeria joins the G20 bloc, it would be the second African country after South Africa to join the league of the most industrialized nations of the world. Nigeria has the highest GDP in Afric...