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Populist, pro-Russia ex-premier leads leftist party to win in Slovakia’s parliamentary elections

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A populist former prime minister and his leftist party won parliamentary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, according to almost complete results.With results from 99.2% of some 6,000 polling stations counted by the Slovak Statistics Office early Sunday, former Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leftist Smer, or Direction, party led with 23.3% of the votes.The election Saturday was a test for the small eastern European country’s support for neighboring Ukraine in its war with Russia, and the win by Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.Fico, 59, vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine in Russia’s war if his attempt to return to power succeeded.The country of 5.5 million people created in 1993 following the breakup of Czechoslovakia has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia invaded last February, donating arms and opening th...

Andreas Maxsø scores and Marko Ilic makes 5 saves in Rapids’ 1-0 win over Austin

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Andreas Maxsø scored in the 41st minute, Marko Ilic made five saves and the Colorado Rapids beat Austin 1-0 on Saturday night for just their fifth victory of the season. Colorado (5-15-11) has avoided defeat in eight of its last 10 home matches, with three victories, in all competitions. The only MLS team to win at Colorado since the beginning of June is Seattle, which recorded a 2-1 victory on Sept. 20.Austin (9-14-8) is winless in 10 straight matches in all competitions, with seven losses, the longest run without a victory in club history.Ilic recorded his second shutout of the season. Brad Stuver saved two of the three shots he faced for Austin.The teams play again Wednesday, with the Rapids visiting Dallas while Austin hosts D.C. United.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

Kershaw loses for first time since May 21 as Giants beat Dodgers 2-1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw lost for the first time since May, allowing the go-ahead run when Max Muncy misplayed a potential inning-ending double-play grounder in a 2-1 defeat to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night that left the Los Angeles Dodgers one win shy of 100 going into their season finale.Kershaw (13-5), a 35-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner, had been 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 13 starts since a May 21 loss at St. Louis. Facing the Giants for the 59th time, he allowed a third-inning homer to Tyler Fitzgerald and gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted that Kershaw is in line to start the NL Division Series opener on Oct. 7.“Whenever it is, I’m just excited to get to do it,” Kershaw said. “It’ll be fun. With the way this year kind of went, I didn’t really expect to be in this spot for a lot of reasons. But it’s here and if that happens, I’ll be ready.”Kershaw, who has been pitching on extended rest...

Marie scores late to help Earthquakes earn 1-1 draw with Minnesota United

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Defender Paul Marie scored in the 82nd minute to rally the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United on Saturday night.Marie took passes from Cristian Espinoza and Carlos Akapo and netted his first goal of the season and the fourth of his career for San Jose (10-10-12). Espinoza’s assist was the 55th of his career in regular-season play. The Earthquakes have won just three of their last 37 road matches in all competitions.Minnesota United (9-11-11) took a 1-0 lead on Teemu Pukki’s sixth goal in 11 appearances this season, unassisted in the 56th minute.Daniel de Sousa Britto saved one shot for San Jose. Dayne St. Clair finished with one save for Minnesota United. Minnesota United is 5-1-3 in its last nine meetings with the Earthquakes. The club was coming off a 2-1 loss to St. Louis City in which it held the lead at home and avoided losing three straight at home for the first time.Minnesota United travels to play Los Angeles FC on W...

Hughes kicks 54-yard field goal as time expires, Appalachian State tops Louisiana-Monroe 41-40

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

MONROE, La. (AP) — Michael Hughes kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired to lift Appalachian State to a walk-off 41-40 win over Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both schools Saturday night. Joey Aguilar threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns and set up the game winner by hitting Kaedin Robinson with three straight completions, two for 14 and a third for 16 yards to reach the ULM 37 yard line for a game-winning kick that flew right down the middle. Louisiana-Monroe took a 14-0 first-quarter lead but Appalachian State answered with a 52-yard Aguilar-to-Christian Horn touchdown, and on the Warhawks first play from scrimmage following the ensuing kickoff, Tyrek Funderburk added a 23-yard pick six to make it 14-14 at intermission.Hughes hit a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to get the Mountaineers within two, 40-38.Aguilar had two passes picked off and fumbled. Nate Noel carried 18 times for 109 yards and Aguilar added 49 yards on seven carries...

McKinney accounts for 3 TDs to help Eastern Kentucky beat North Alabama 33-22

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — Parker McKinney passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, Joshua Carter had 138 yards rushing and a TD and Eastern Kentucky never trailed Saturday night in its 32-22 win over North Alabama. McKinney completed 14 of 21 passes for 256 yards with two interceptions. The redshirt senior hit Hunter Brown down the left sideline for a 60-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and a few plays later his 8-yard touchdown run opened the scoring with 13:08 left in the first quarter. After a North Alabama punt, the Colonels went 86 yards in just six plays, capped when McKinney stepped up in the pocket and rolled right before throwing a strike to a wide-open Jaden Smith at the 10 and he raced the rest of the way for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 about 5 minutes later. McKinney lobbed a perfectly placed ball up the right sideline to Bradon Sloan on a wheel route for a 44-yard touchdown that gave Eastern Kentucky (2-3, 1-0 United Athletic Conference) a 28-7 lead ...

No. 12 Alabama beats Mississippi State for 16th straight time, 40-17 in Starkville

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Jalen Milroe was efficient at quarterback for No. 12 Alabama and the Crimson Tide scored touchdowns off two first-half interceptions in a 40-17 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night.Milroe completed his first eight passes and ended up 10 of 12 for 164 yards. He ran 11 times for 69 yards and two touchdowns — opening the scoring on a 53-yard scamper — to help Alabama (4-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) to its 16th straight victory over the Bulldogs (2-3, 0-3).Mississippi State’s Will Rogers was 15 of 26 for 107 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions.Chris Braswell returned one of Rogers’ interceptions 28 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. With Mississippi State trailing 24-10 in the final seconds of the first half, Rogers threw his second and gave Alabama a short field that MIlroe took advantage of to score of the second of his touchdown runs.Mississippi State cut it to 17-10 in the first half, then was outscored 23-7.Rogers...

US shutdown averted, White House prepares to fight for Ukraine aid

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

With minutes to spare, President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill Saturday to avert a shutdown and keep the government open for 45 days.In doing so, he capped a chaotic 24 hours that riveted much of Washington but left one of the White House’s top priorities, aid for Ukraine, in serious jeopardy.Like others in the nation’s capital, the Biden White House had been caught off guard Saturday morning when Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly reversed course and announced that he would bring a clean, stop gap bill to fund the government through November 17, 2023.But aides weren’t terribly surprised. They had assumed the government shutdown showdown would end this way at some point — with the main question being whether McCarthy would take his lumps before or after the funding deadline.They weren’t displeased with the outcome either. The bill didn’t just fund the government, it also included $16 billion in disaster relief and, as one White House official noted, avoids “any version of the...

India’s devastating monsoon season is a sign of things to come, as climate and poor planning combine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Sanjay Chauhan witnessed monsoon rains lash down over his home and farm in the Indian Himalayas this year with a magnitude and intensity he’s never experienced before.“Buildings have collapsed, roads are broken, there were so many landslides including one that has destroyed a large part of my orchard,” said the 56-year-old farmer, who lives in the town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. “I have not seen anything like this.”The devastation of this year’s monsoon season in India, which runs from June to September, has been significant: Local government estimates say that 428 people have died and Himachal Pradesh suffered over $1.42 billion worth in property damage since June. Human-caused climate change is making rain more extreme in the region and scientists warn Himalayan states should expect more unpredictable and heavy seasons like this one. But the damage is also exacerbated by developers paying little mind to environmental regulations and bu...

Rishi Sunak needs to rally his flagging Conservatives. He hopes a dash of populism will do the trick

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:10:26 GMT

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak heads to the governing Conservative Party’s annual conference on Sunday facing a triple challenge: Cheer up a party that’s trailing in opinion polls, sideline rivals who are eyeing his job and persuade the voting public that a party in power for 13 years deserves another term in office.Sunak’s arsenal includes a package of populist measures — such as slowing moves to phase out fossil fuels — designed to win back voters who have rejected the Conservatives over Britain’s stagnating economy, cost-of-living crisis and waves of strikes that have intermittently shut down doctors’ offices, schools and train services.“Public services are crumbling, the economy’s not responding and (the Conservatives) haven’t met some of the pledges they’ve made, so you’d expect them to be pretty downhearted,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. He said that in response, the party is “doubling down on the populism....