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Why the EU loves Erdoğan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

BRUSSELS — There are a lot of reasons for Western leaders not to like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During his 20-year reign at the top of his country’s politics, the Turkish president has imprisoned journalists and opposition figures, violently cracked down on protesters and woefully managed the economy.On the foreign policy front, the consummate strongman has cozied up to Russia, launched an incursion into Syria and leveraged its veto in NATO to block Swedish accession at a critical moment for the alliance.But there’s one reason EU leaders in particular might miss the aging leader should he lose against his centrist challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu when Turks vote in a presidential election on May 14. Having Erdoğan in power, particularly as he has taken an increasingly authoritarian turn in recent years, has allowed the EU to sidestep the question of whether Turkey should join its ranks.For many European politicians, Erdoğan has been a useful political foil, allowing the EU to legitimately ...

King Charles’ missing diamond

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

LONDON — With its array of gleaming bracelets, crowns, orbs and scepters, King Charles III’s coronation was hardly short on bling.But something was missing amid the procession of gilded artifacts and gemstones at Westminster Abbey. Perhaps the most historic jewel in the royal collection was nowhere to be seen.The stunning Koh-i-Noor diamond — gifted to Charles’ great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria in 1849, and one of the largest and oldest cut diamonds in the world — had once been the centerpiece of the century-old crown of Queen Mary, a modified version of which was worn last Saturday by Charles’ wife Queen Camilla.The enormous rock, an extraordinary 793 carats before being cut down to 106 by Victoria’s husband Albert, was worn by Mary when her husband King George V was crowned in 1911. The diamond was worn again by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in a different crown at the coronation of her husband, King George VI, in 1937.But for Saturday’...

The battle of the Turkish centuries

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Hugh Pope is a Brussels-based writer and was a reporter based in Turkey for three decades. He is the author of several books on the country and the region.The promise of a “Turkish Century” has been one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s big slogans ahead of the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections this Sunday. And there’s little doubt as to what he’s competing against: the upcoming centennial of the Republic of Turkey, founded under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on October 29, 1923.Since rising to national power in 2002, Erdoğan has certainly proved himself to be the most impactful Turkish leader since Atatürk. He’s held onto power the longest, shown himself to be a skilled politician and presided over the construction of triumphal infrastructure projects, including huge bridges, giant airports, high-speed railways — as well as a 1,100-room palace for himself.But can this cure him of what some have called “Atatürk envy”? That is, can Erdoğan’s legacy eclipse that of Turkey’s...

The life-or-death fight over car pollution rules

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The EU wants to set tough new pollution standards for cars; automakers are aghast, but health lobbies argue that updated Euro 7 rules will save lives.“The modelling shows that strong Euro 7 legislation could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths per year,” said Cale Lawlor, senior policy manager for global public health with the European Public Health Alliance, an NGO. “This legislation needs to be implemented urgently to prevent this massive burden.”Magnus Everitt is well aware of the negative impact of car pollution. The Stockholm resident starts his mornings with a cocktail of medicines that keep him breathing.First, there are the pills. Then, the 67-year-old retired engineer spends 20 minutes inhaling three treatments designed to break up the mucus in his lungs and quiet the inflammation in his airways. There’s also the lunch-time regimen, and the evening ritual. All in all, Everitt spends over 40 minutes a day taking medicines to manage his lung diseas...

Jansen becomes 7th in major league history with 400 saves, Red Sox beat Braves 5-2

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Kenley Jansen became the seventh player in major league history to earn 400 saves, pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Wednesday night.Jansen, who had 41 saves last year in his only season with the Braves, faced four batters for his ninth save in 10 chances.The 35-year-old right-hander trails Billy Wagner by 22 saves for sixth place on the career list. Jansen retired Sean Murphy on a shallow fly, gave up a double to Eddie Rosario, retired Ozzie Albies on a flyout and struck out Travis d’Arnaud to end it.Facing reliever Nick Anderson, Tapia drove in Jarren Duran from second to make it 3-2. The run was charged to A.J. Minter (2-4).Triston Casas hit a two-run homer 442 feet off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to make it 5-2 in the ninth.The Braves began the night leading the NL with an .809 OPS and a .465 slugging percentage, but didn’t score a run against Boston starte...

Off-leash dogs cause concerns in South Boston

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Off-leash dogs have caused concerns in South Boston, where some say the animals are being allowed to run free at a popular park. Last month, an unleashed dog bit a four-year-old girl. Now, parents are pushing for leash laws to be enforced, with some showing up at a community meeting Wednesday night where some dog owners said poor conditions at area dog parks have left them frustrated.“We’re doing our best to get more dog parks here in South Boston, but I also need you to be a good neighbor to make sure that your dog is leashed in the interest of little kids,” said Boston City Council President Ed Flynn.The Medal of Honor Park in South Boston is at the center of the current discussion. On Wednesday, the mother of the girl who was bitten joined animal control and city council members to talk to dog owners within South Boston, asking them to keep their animals on a leash. “I’m not anti-dog by any means, but I should be able to walk across the park with my child without t...

Group protests loss of inpatient psychiatric beds at new Norwood Hospital

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

A small group gathered Wednesday to protest a decision that will result in the loss of 61 inpatient psychiatric beds at Norwood Hospital once the hospital is rebuilt. Heavy rain flooded the hospital in 2020, forcing the facility to close. Just under three years later, Steward Health Care, which runs Norwood Hospital now plans to move the 61 psychiatric beds from Norwood to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton. Some don’t agree with the plan.“There are plans to build back a smaller hospital,” said psychiatrist George Sigel. “That’s fine with me, but the total omission of all mental health programming including substance abuse is egregious.”“I think that it’s critically important to have local psych beds because the seniors and people that have psychiatric issues need a place to go,” said Norwood resident Pam Chubet. Steward Health Care issued a statement this week, saying in part that it is “committed to being part of the solution in our region for ...

Mitchell Robinson foils Miami’s attempted Hack-a-Shaq in Game 5

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Mitchell Robinson trotted to the bench with a grin so wide, you could see it from the other side of the bridge.Only Latrell Sprewell got louder applause than the Knicks’ starting center Wednesday night.It took a Knicks legend sitting courtside during an elimination Game 5 to one-up the standing ovation Robinson received when he spoiled the Miami Heat’s late-game plans.Trailing eight with under 5:30 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s futile attempt to close-out their second-round playoff series against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the Heat resorted to intentionally fouling Robinson, a historically poor free throw shooter who has shot worse than 50% from the line in each of his last three seasons.Robinson stepped to the line with his funky — some would say, broken — free-throw shooting form and netted the first attempt, then signaled for an already uproarious crowd to cheer louder.He then missed the second free throw, a calm 50-50 split at t...

Dean Kremer, two-run sixth propel Orioles past Rays, 2-1, for series win over MLB’s best team

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The Tampa Bay Rays might be leaving Baltimore in the same position they arrived — as owners of the best record in the major leagues — but they took a back seat to the Orioles this week.The three-game set between the two best teams in the American League opened with a dominant Rays victory, but the Orioles overcame that shutout loss Monday to win two straight and take the series over the AL East juggernaut. Baltimore won the rubber match Wednesday, 2-1, thanks to Dean Kremer’s stellar start and a sixth-inning rally on offense.Kremer pitched perhaps his best game this season, especially considering the opponent. The 27-year-old delivered six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out four, to continue Baltimore’s stretch of six consecutive solid (or better) starts that dates to Friday in Atlanta.“I think our pitching really stepped up,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “… We had some high-scoring games there an...

Jalen Brunson scores 38 points to help Knicks win, force Game 6 vs. Heat

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The Knicks needed a hero to keep their season alive. Jalen Brunson strapped on the cape.Backed by strong efforts from his sidekicks RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, Brunson played all 48 minutes and scored 38 points in Wednesday’s 112-103 Game 5 victory.His gutsy performance cut the series deficit to 3-2 for the Knicks, who now have to win two more — the first at Miami on Friday — to pull off the improbable comeback.Brunson was the catalyst, scoring and making whatever plays the circumstances called for. He finished with nine rebounds and seven assists. Despite the zero rest, his production never tapered with ten points in the fourth quarter. Barrett added clutch free throws in the final period, continuing his strong postseason.For Randle, it was a wild roller coaster. About an hour before tipoff, he was announced as an All-NBA Third Team selection — the second time Randle was picked as one of the NBA’s top-15 players in the last three years.Then he was hi...