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Barca edge Real Madrid in extra-time to win wild Copa del Rey final
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'Legendary' Eubank Jr beats Benn in grudge bout
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Thunder sweep past Grizzlies into NBA playoffs 2nd round, Cavs on brink
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South Korea's Ryu and Japan's Saigo share LPGA Chevron lead
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Canada leaders make closing pitches in campaign upended by Trump
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De Bruyne's Man City exit 'so difficult' for Guardiola
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'No regrets' for Amorim over Man Utd move
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Lyon and Strasbourg win to close in on Europe, Montpellier relegated from Ligue 1
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Toulouse thrash Castres as Top 14 pursuers stumble
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Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener, Swiatek advances
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Olympic champs Russell, Davis-Woodhall win at Drake Relays
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Browns end Sanders long draft slide
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Cavs crush Heat, on brink of NBA playoff sweep
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Fire rages after major blast at Iran port kills 8, injures hundreds
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Kiwi Beamish wins Penn Relays 1,500m crown with late kick
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Mbappe on Real Madrid bench for Clasico Copa del Rey final
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England survive France fightback to seal Women's 6 Nations slam
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Palace sweep past Villa to reach FA Cup final
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CAF appoint Moroccan Lekjaa first vice-president
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Major blast at Iran port kills 5, injures hundreds
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Rodgers vows to stay with Celtic after fourth successive Scottish title
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Ipswich relegated as Newcastle, Chelsea boost top five bids
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Canada leaders make final pitches in campaign upended by Trump
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Mullins -- Ireland's national training treasure
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US, Iran say progress in 'positive' nuclear talks
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Mullins emulates O'Brien with second successive trainer's title
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Ipswich relegated after one season in Premier League
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Just Stop Oil activist group holds final march
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Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener
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Syria's Kurds demand 'democratic decentralised' Syria
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Leverkusen win to delay Bayern and Kane's title party
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Buenos Aires farewells native pontiff with tears and calls to action
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Turkey's opposition says Erdogan's canal plan behind latest arrests
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Maresca hails 'nasty' Chelsea as top five bid stays alive
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Trump raises Putin doubts after Zelensky talks at pope's funeral
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Major blast at Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
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Napoleon's sword to be sold at auction in Paris
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Iran, US discuss nuclear deal in third round of talks
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Buenos Aires farewells native pontiff with call to action
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Warholm sets hurdles world record at Diamond League, Holloway shocked
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US students 'race' sperm in reproductive health stunt
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Wikileaks founder Assange joins crowds for pope funeral
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Leader Marc Marquez claims Spanish MotoGP sprint victory
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Celtic win fourth successive Scottish Premiership title
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Jackson ends drought as Chelsea boost top five push
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Warholm sets 300m hurdles world record in Diamond League opener
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Major blast at south Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
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Russia says retook Kursk from Ukraine with North Korean help
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Francis laid to rest as 400,000 mourn pope 'with an open heart'
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Trump, Zelensky meet on sidelines of pope's funeral

Biden announces more offshore drilling, angering environmentalists
President Joe Biden's administration on Friday announced it would auction three new oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering a furious reaction from environmental groups who said the move would accelerate climate change.
Biden, who faces re-election next year, has repeatedly broken his promise made as a candidate to end new drilling on federal land and water, and the issue could be a drag on his ability to energize Democratic voters, especially youth, in 2024.
Biden did order a pause on new drilling soon after taking office, but analysts say he has been restricted in what he can accomplish because of hostile court decisions and the delicate balance of power in Congress.
And Friday's move was also denounced by advocates of the fossil fuel industry because it represented a significant reduction on the number of lease sales planned under former Republican president Donald Trump -- 47 off all US coastal areas in the 2024-2029 period.
It "includes a maximum of three potential oil and gas lease sales -- the fewest oil and gas lease sales in history -- in the Gulf of Mexico Program Area scheduled in 2025, 2027 and 2029," said a statement from the Interior Department.
The statement added that the government is constrained by the terms of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) -- Biden's signature climate-investment law passed last year --- which makes the development of new offshore wind farms contingent on also offering at least 60 million acres of oil and gas leases in the previous year.
This rider was added by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, an ardent backer of fossil fuels, as a condition of his support, which was in turn crucial to pass the bill.
"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a clean energy future that ensures America's energy independence," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
"The proposed final program, which represents the smallest number of oil and gas lease sales in history, sets a course for the department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities."
- Prioritizing polluters over climate -
Those reassurances failed to satisfy climate action activists.
"This decision is beyond disappointing, as Americans face the impacts of the growing climate crisis through more frequent and intense fires, droughts, hurricanes, and floods," said Beth Lowell, vice president for the United States of the non-profit Oceana.
"President Biden is unfortunately showing the world that it's okay to continue to prioritize polluters over real climate solutions."
Mattea Mrkusic, energy transition policy lead for the nonprofit Evergreen Action added: "Experts have warned us for years that any new fossil fuel production is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5 C degrees -- and just this week the International Energy Agency reaffirmed that these kinds of fossil fuel projects are not needed to meet our energy needs."
Mrkusic added new drilling wouldn't just accelerate climate change but also subject frontline communities to deadly pollution.
The American Petroleum Institute on the other hand slammed the auctions for being too "restrictive."
"At a time when inflation runs rampant across the country, the Biden administration is choosing failed energy policies that are adding to the pain Americans are feeling at the pump," said API President and CEO Mike Sommers.
M.Thompson--AMWN