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How the EU can enlarge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

Nathalie Tocci is director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and a part-time professor at the European University Institute. Her latest book, “A Green and Global Europe,” is out with Polity.The European Union doesn’t like to enlarge.Even in the best of times, enlargement leads to a dilution of power for existing members. And if it also means an economic cost, resistance grows further. On top of that, if there’s no compelling security reason for it, and candidates drag their feet on reforms, the process freezes once more.This has been the story of the Western Balkans and Turkey: Below EU-average economies, weak governance, imperfect democracies, unsolved conflicts and the politicization of enlargement — alongside the security guarantee provided by Turkey, Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro’s NATO membership, as well as the alliance’s presence in Kosovo — have long hollowed out the drive for enlargement.Yet, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of the so-called “e...

Rishi Sunak’s Tory MPs want a summer of passion … from him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak’s hoping to take his first summer holiday in five years. He’s going to need it.The British prime minister — known for his punishing work ethic — heads into Westminster’s summer break with plenty to keep his mind on the day job.Last week saw his Conservative party, currently trailing in the national opinion polls, suffer two heavy by-election losses. And, while he managed to hang on to Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge, few believe it’s the sign of a big Tory resurgence.“They have at least got one straw to cling to,” Anthony Wells, head of research at YouGov, said of the Tories’ Uxbridge result. “Not a very good straw, but if you’re in a storm you cling to what you can.”As Conservative MPs flee Westminster and head back to their constituencies for an earful from voters, there’s a sense the prime minister needs to use his summer wisely and come back with a fired-up plan to save the party’s skin.“Incremental ...

State police assisting in search for missing paddleboarder on Martha’s Vineyard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

State police are assisting in the search for a missing paddleboarder on Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday.The search is unfolding on Edgartown Great Pond.At 7:46 p.m, Martha’s Vineyard police and fire agencies responded to Great Pond in the vicinity of Turkeyland Cove for a call for a male paddleboarder who had gone into the water, appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface, and then submerged and did not resurface, police said.The paddleboarder is a 43-year-old man. Another paddleboarder was on the pond with him at the time and saw him go under the water. No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

19-year-old swimmer dies after being pulled from Sandy Pond Beach in Ayer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

A 19-year-old who was pulled from Sandy Pond Beach in Ayer on Saturday afternoon has died, officials said.Emergency crews responded to the beach around 3 p.m. after learning from on-duty lifeguards that a swimmer was unaccounted for, according to police.After several minutes of searching, the swimmer was located in approximately 6 to 8 feet of water and taken to Lahey Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.No additional information was immediately released.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Mets lose series to Red Sox as season continues to slip away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

BOSTON — It might not be over for the Mets yet, but it’s certainly starting to feel like it.Carlos Carrasco turned in another brutal start in a 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night at Fenway Park. The veteran right-hander couldn’t even make it through the third inning. It would have been much worse if it weren’t for left fielder Mark Canha, who made three outfield assists, including two to save runs in the first and third innings.The Red Sox (52-47) took the series, 2-1, and the Mets (46-53), who are desperate to save their season before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, dropped their fifth game since the All-Star break.The 35-year-old Carrasco has shown flashes of what he used to look like this season, but overall, he hasn’t been able to sustain any sort of success from start to start. Carrasco is not alone in this — Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Peterson and Tylor Megill are all trying to figure out why they have pitched to the same p...

Anthony Rizzo ends slump with help of Taylor Swift

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

Anthony Rizzo turned to Taylor Swift for his new walk-up song — and shook off his slump.The Yankees first baseman on Sunday went 4-for-4 with his first home run since May 20 after changing his walk-up music to Swift’s “…Ready For It?”“Taylor Swift, it’s her summer, really,” Rizzo said after the Yankees’ 8-5 win against the Royals. “She’s helping the economy in every city she goes.”The 33-year-old was referring to Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour, which came to New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for three concerts in May. Last month, Aaron Judge said multiple teammates attended a Swift concert.“Rizzo, he grabbed a couple T-shirts and sweatshirts,” Judge said on Bleacher Report’s “On Base with Mookie Betts” interview show. “He was grabbing all the merchandise. He was killing it.”Rizzo previously walked up to Swift’s “Bad Blood”...

Chicago White Sox squander late lead and lose 5-4 to the Minnesota Twins in 12, drop to 19 games under .500

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito reached a milestone, collecting the 1,000th strikeout of his career during Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins.What comes next for the right-hander will be closely monitored as the Aug. 1 trade deadline nears.Giolito showed again why he’s one of the top pitchers mentioned in trade speculation, allowing allowed six hits in five scoreless innings.But the Sox squandered that performance and a three-run, ninth-inning lead in a 5-4 loss in 12 innings in front of 29,001 at Target Field.With the late collapse, the Sox were swept in the three-game series. They are a season-high 19 games under .500 at 41-60 and trail the first-place Twins by 12 games in the American League Central.“This one really hurts,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “3-0 lead in the ninth against these guys, this one stings a little bit.“We had a lot more opportunities than they did to put this game away. We’ve got to find a way to have th...

Behind Jameson Taillon’s solid start and Cody Bellinger’s home run, Chicago Cubs win third straight game ahead of big week: ‘You’re starting to see the best version of us’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

Two and a half weeks ago, shortly after his best start of the year in Yankee Stadium, Jameson Taillon wondered whether Chicago Cubs fans truly knew what kind of pitcher he can be when he gets on a roll.Taillon’s eight shutout innings of one-hit ball that night in New York sparked his best stretch of the season at a decisive point for the direction of the team. He allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings in Sunday’s 7-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving him a 1.83 ERA over his last three starts.As Taillon walked off the mound toward the dugout, the 31-year-old right-hander Cubs received a standing ovation from Cubs fans among the 38,223 at Wrigley Field.“I mean, that’s a great feeling,” Taillon said of the reaction. “I walked off a little nervous because I left some runners on base and some traffic. But that’s a very gratifying moment. Fans are into it here. Every game, packed house, Cubs-Cardinals, doesn’t get much better than th...

Red Sox keep hits coming to beat Mets 6-1 in Sunday night series finale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

Normally recording four outs on the basepaths would be a recipe for disaster, and Boston’s careless baserunning Sunday cost the club at least two runs.But when you’re also hitting the way the Red Sox were, you can get away with a little more than usual.The Red Sox were all over the New York Mets in Sunday night’s series finale, piling up 15 hits en route to a decisive 6-1 win that should have been even more lopsided than it was.“We put the ball in play, had some quality at bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I know we got thrown out and all that stuff, but we’re stealing bases, it’s a little bit different than the last few years, they’re doing an outstanding job putting pressure on the opposition and they showed today that we can score runs in a different way.”Boston’s big offensive surge came in the bottom of the third, when the club strung together a season-high seven consecutive hits to chase Mets starting pitc...

3 officers hurt in La Jolla UTV rollover crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:52:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Three San Diego police officers were injured Sunday in a crash when their law enforcement utility-terrain vehicle rolled over in the La Jolla area, authorities said.The collision occurred along the beach about a half-a-mile north from the La Jolla Shores Scripps Pier, the San Diego Police Department confirmed to FOX 5.The three officers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, according to police. Jockey ‘under further evaluation’ after horse race fall in Del Mar Authorities did not release any other information about the incident.Check back for updates on this developing story.