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Reality TV can make or break a politician (unless you’re Donald Trump)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

Welcome to Declassified, a weekly humor column.Living in Belgium is a giant reality TV show, albeit one designed by people on the strongest of psychedelic drugs. But actual reality television proved too much this week for Georges-Louis Bouchez, leader of the French-speaking Reformist Movement political party, who quit Flemish reality show “Special Forces: Who Dares Wins” after just two episodes. Bouchez’s performance had come under fire because of a perceived lack of team spirit and effort — which sounds exactly like every party’s performance in every Belgian coalition government formation talks but was clearly too much for a bit of telly.“I take responsibility. If the group is punished because of me every time, I can’t continue,” Bouchez said, which also sounds like something a party leader would say after the collapse of Belgian coalition government talks.While we’re on the subject of politicians on reality TV, all eyes during the coronation in the U.K. were on P...

New EU border chief vows to clean up Frontex agency as migrant numbers surge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

BRUSSELS — Europe is facing an increase in migrant arrivals — but the EU border agency will not again turn its back to human rights violations along its borders.That’s the message of Hans Leijtens, the new head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, also known as Frontex, in an interview with POLITICO. Leijtens, described by some as “a cop with strong diplomatic skills,” started as Frontex’s executive director in March.The Dutchman took office as agency figures show a more than 300 percent increase in migrant arrivals in the Central Mediterranean in the first three months of this year alone.“I became a bit allergic [to] the word crisis,” he said, speaking at the agency’s office in Brussels. “I just see facts and figures. And those worry me — because what I see is a huge rise,” in people crossing the Mediterranean especially.He noted that along other routes, such as the Western Balkans, migrant crossings have decreased. Yet on average across all tracks, the in...

Cracks emerge in one of Erdoğan’s electoral bastions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

SİVAS, Turkey — When asked about the importance of Sunday’s election in Turkey, Hikmet Teker did not mince his words.“He has to go,” the 58-year-old said, standing in his empty barbershop, with a picture of Mecca above the mirror and the air heavy with the cloying scent of cologne. It’s perfectly clear who “he” is, but these are not words you expect to hear too often in the city of Sivas. Nestled in the rugged Anatolian highlands, a 700-kilometer flight east of Istanbul, Sivas is traditionally a bastion of conservative religious support for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AK party.But even here cracks are emerging, and they help explain why Erdoğan is now in the battle of his political life. In the shops and cafés only a stone’s throw from the twin 13th-century minarets that dominate the heart of the city, a striking number of people insist that, after two decades at the helm, the strongman has outstayed his welcome.Under tight security — with riflemen on the red-...

Rail strikes and Ukrainian flags: Britain does Eurovision for the first time in 25 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

For the second weekend running, the U.K. is preparing to put on a global event full of pageantry, eccentric costumes and exuberant performances. Except this one — the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest — crowns a winner democratically via the public.While the event will be rich with British traditions, from bouts of inclement weather to national train disruptions, there also will be a distinctly blue and gold tinge to proceedings. The U.K., last year’s runner’s up, is hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, which won the 2022 contest but cannot hold the event amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.Russia, for its part, remains banned from participating. That Britain nearly won the 2022 edition came as quite a shock, given the country’s recent — ahem — unique approach to European diplomacy. Nonetheless, finish second it did, and with victors Ukraine unable to host, as is tradition for the winner, U.K. cities vied to hold the event. Organizers chose Liverpool, a city...

Tatum’s 4th-quarter 3s push Celtics past 76ers 95-86; force Game 7

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.Game 7 is Sunday.Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn’t hold a 16-point lead.With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.And that was ...

Back Bay residents mark end of COVID emergency with encore of pandemic ‘Sweet Caroline’ performances

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

Back Bay residents marked the end of state and federal COVID-19 emergencies Thursday with an encore performance of a pandemic tradition. Three years ago, residents sang “Sweet Caroline” nearly every night in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, they gathered once again on Beacon Street.The tradition began in March of 2020 with Mike DiCarlo belting a Boston favorite from his balcony. “Originally, when the health emergency came up, I was inspired by these people who were singing out the window, in Venice in particular,” DiCarlo said this week. “I said ‘Jeez, that’s really fun. I wish someone would do that here in the Back Bay.” “I said ‘Well, might as well be me,’” DiCarlo continued. DiCarlo took some liberties with the classic Neil Diamond song, rewriting the lyrics to fit the times. “Hands not touching hands,” went one new line. People in the neighborhood caught on. “[T]here were five people,” DiCarlo said. “And then there w...

Drew Rasmussen stifles Yankees again in one-sided Rays win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

The Rays’ pitching ain’t the A’s pitching.The Yankees quickly realized that during Thursday’s series-opener, as Tampa Bay came an out away from shutting the Bombers out at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees had just spent three days battering an awful Oakland club and were looking forward to a four-game rematch with the first-place Rays, but Drew Rasmussen had no issues in an 8-2 win for Tampa Bay.The right-handed Rasmussen blanked the Yankees for the second time in less than a week, twirling seven economical innings while walking none and striking out seven over 76 pitches. The Yanks made plenty of hard contact against Rasmussen, but two Jake Bauers singles were all they had to show for it.After 21 career innings against the Yankees, Rasmussen has yet to surrender a run to the division rival.The Yankees’ starter, Domingo German, offered a valiant effort himself, allowing three hits, two runs, one earned, three walks and three strikeouts over 5.2 innings and 8...

Jayson Tatum delivers late as Celtics beat Sixers, force Game 7

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — For 44 minutes on Thursday night, Jayson Tatum was lost.The Celtics star was rattled. In one of the biggest games of his life, Tatum looked like he was about to throw Boston’s season away. Literally. Turnovers mounted. He couldn’t buy a bucket.Until he could.With the Celtics’ seismic championship expectations seemingly weighing on his shoulders, Tatum came through when he was desperately needed. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots, but kept shooting. And he willed the Celtics like he’s done so many times, making four 3-pointers in the final four minutes. The Celtics committed 17 turnovers, they blew a 16-point lead. Their season looked like it was crumbling. But Tatum saved their season, pushing them to 95-86 victory in Game 6.There will be a Game 7 on Sunday at TD Garden. Somehow, someway.The Celtics trailed by two with less than five minutes to play when Tatum found life. He hit his first 3-pointer of the game to give Boston the lead, then after Joel Embiid’s shot ri...

Brady Dwyer, Newton North knock off Natick in volleyball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

NATICK — Newton North boys volleyball coach Nile Fox wasn’t even sure at the beginning of the season if he would carry sophomore Brady Dwyer on varsity.But when missing star setter Tyler Randall for a second straight game due to injury Thursday night, it was Dwyer’s name the Tigers loudly chanted following their biggest win yet this season.With 20 assists and three signature blocks, Dwyer helped lead a scrappy Newton North effort to edge out a 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17) win over Natick as revenge for a loss to the RedHawks earlier in the year. He paired with fellow setter Joaquin Cuevas-Torres (21 assists, ace) to feed star hitters Simon Vardeh (21 kills, two blocks) and Adam Christianson (13 kills), while a large cast of characters similarly stepped up to overcome the fellow Div. 1 title contender.Considering an hour-late arrival due to bus issues contributed to slow starts in each of the first two sets, Fox was thoroughly impressed with his team.Especially Dwyer.“I think Tyl...

Chris Stapleton wins top honor at Academy of Country Music Awards; Lainey Wilson triumphs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:37 GMT

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Chris Stapleton topped the Academy of Country Music Awards, winning entertainer of the year on a night that saw HARDY, Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson win multiple honors.“I am shocked, truly,” Stapleton said. “By any imaginable metric, I don’t deserve this. … I’ve never thought of myself as somebody who would win this award.”He dedicated the award to his children at home, saying they sacrifice a lot of time with him and his wife because of his career.Wilson was one of the night’s biggest stars, performing, collecting awards and delivering heartfelt speeches. She won album of the year for “Bell Bottom Country,” accepting the honor slightly breathless after performing her song “Grease.”Wilson called the album a “labor of love” and said she wrote 300 songs during the pandemic. She said people often tell her how much the album means to their lives, and she said writing them “saved mine.”Wilson won female artist of the year, and co-host Dolly Parton handed her the t...