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Riyadh not Rome: Anger rises over Macron’s backing for Saudi World Expo bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

PARIS — France has fired anger across Europe by backing Saudi Arabia rather than neighboring Italy to host the glitzy 2030 World Expo, as Emmanuel Macron pushes to boost trade and diplomatic ties with the world’s largest oil exporter. The French president’s support of a bid run by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) has irked Rome and raised concerns from NGOs campaigning against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, and in the wake of the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 — reportedly ordered by MBS himself. Macron’s move is now also raising concerns in other EU countries.Four countries have bid to host the 2030 World Expo — a massive event that allows countries to showcase themselves, held every five years, and which can generate cash, jobs and global attention. As well as Italy and Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and South Korea put themselves forward (although Ukraine’s bid has been excluded because o...

‘We know this is hard’: UK braces for more pain as BoE lifts rates again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

The Bank of England dished out more pain for the British economy on Thursday with a big hike in its key interest rate, arguing that nothing less will break the country’s stubborn inflationary spiral. Britain’s central bank raised the Bank Rate by a bigger-than-expected 0.50 percent on Thursday, the 13th increase in a row, as it struggles to contain the worst inflation shock in western Europe. Interest rates are now at a 15-year high of 5 percent and markets now expect them to rise by another full percentage point. The BoE’s counterparts in the U.S. and Europe, by contrast, have been tentatively signalling that their monetary tightening cycles are nearing their end.“The Bank of England has … launched a rate grenade at the specter of ongoing inflation,” Neil Birrell, Chief Investment Officer at Premier Miton Investors said in e-mailed comments. Data published on Wednesday showed consumer prices rose 8.7 percent on the year in May, while underlying i...

Invading mosquitoes bring killer diseases to Europe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

Europe has seen more cases of locally acquired dengue in 2022 than the total number of cases in the previous decade, as heat waves and flooding allow invasive mosquitoes to establish themselves further north and west in the region.The data released Thursday by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is a stark warning that climate change, as well as factors such as migration and land-use change, appears to be contributing to the spread of mosquito-borne diseases on the Continent. The ECDC’s Director Andrea Ammon warned that Europe could see more cases and potentially deaths from diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever.In 2022, there were 71 cases of locally acquired dengue, with 65 in France and six in Spain. There was also a peak in cases of West Nile virus, with 1,133 cases and 92 deaths. Most of those cases — 1,112 — were locally acquired in 11 countries, with more than 700 in Italy. It’s the highest number of cases since 2018, when a m...

AMBER Alert issued for 4-year-old child reportedly kidnapped in western Massachusetts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

Massachusetts State Police say an AMBER Alert has been activated after a 4-year-old girl was kidnapped in western Massachusetts.MSP spokesperson Dave Procopio said the child, Cortana Goncalves, was kidnapped in Springfield by her non-custodial biological mother, Brandee Arnold, 32, who was last seen in Blandford, Mass. around 9:30 a.m. on the Mass Pike.“ARNOLD and the child may be traveling in a gray 2010 Honda Accord with Massachusetts plate 3SCG24,” state police said in a news release. “ARNOLD took Cortana from a family gathering earlier this morning in violation of her custody agreement. ARNOLD has previously made both suicidal and homicidal statements, and there is urgent concern for the safety and well-being of the child.”“Cortana is described as a 4-year-old white female with brown hair. She is approximately 3′ tall and 30-35 lbs. Cortana was last seen wearing an aqua colored “Hello Kitty” shirt and striped shorts. ARNOLD’s...

MBTA announces 12-day closure of Green Line’s B branch for track replacement, additional work

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

The MBTA says for a 12-day stretch of July, rail service for the Green Line’s B branch will be replaced by shuttle buses as crews replace over 2,000 feet of track and make other improvements.“To accelerate critical track upgrades, the Green Line B Branch will be bused July 17-28,” the transportation authority said on Twitter. “During the 12-day full-access diversion, we aim to replace 2,000+ ft of track, update conduits, & repaint crossings to improve service & safety.”https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1671895870474977280During the closure, shuttles will replace trains between the Kenmore and Boston College stations.The announcement came just over a week after a B branch trolley derailed by Packard’s Corner on Monday, June 12, causing extensive delays.During their response at the time, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said the area where the trolley derailed was impacted by a speed restriction, which he said likely prevented ...

The U.S. Coast Guard says debris field has been found near the Titanic during search for submersible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in the around-the-clock effort.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out, a grim moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard.The Titan submersible was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic — but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub’s disappearance.Rescuers have rush...

Gary Phillips: How could Hal Steinbrenner not understand Yankees fans’ frustration?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

It’s impossible to know if Hal Steinbrenner spoke with a straight face when he delivered the most perplexing comment from his Wednesday phone interview with “The Michael Kay Show.”But given the Yankees owner’s befuddled tone, it’s fair to assume that Steinbrenner spoke seriously.“I’m a little confused this year, being the third week of June, why they’re so upset,” Steinbrenner said when Kay asked if he’s aware of distraught Yankees fans. “But they’re upset and that’s gonna get my attention, of course.”Steinbrenner’s words came just before a Yankees win, the team’s second in a row. But as baffled as the boss may be, the statement is far more puzzling considering where his team woke up on Thursday.Yes, the Yankees are 41-33 and in possession of the second American League wild card by half a game despite a barrage of injuries, including one to Aaron Judge that has hindered the offense. But t...

Hearing on Boston rent control bill could come in October, early November, staffer says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

The top state senator focused on housing policy is eyeing a fall hearing for a controversial bill authorizing rent control in Boston, a legislative aide told the Herald.A staff member for state Sen. Lydia Edwards, co-chair of the Housing Committee, said the committee is looking at holding a public hearing on the measure “likely” in October or early November. But the staff member stressed the hearing date is “subject to change” and will need final approval from both Democrats who chair the committee, Edwards and Rep. James Arciero of Westford.Arciero did not respond to repeated requests for comment.Rep. Samantha Montaño, a first-term Boston Democrat, filed the bill in mid-March on behalf of the Wu administration and City Council. The Legislature referred it to the Housing Committee in mid-April, where it has since sat quietly for more than two months.It has already received local approval from Boston city councilors and is a signature policy proposal from Mayor Michelle Wu.The bill, ...

Encore casino workers approve strike, set June 30 deadline for new contract

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

Unionized service workers at Encore Boston Harbor approved a strike Wednesday after more than 13 hours of voting and set a June 30 deadline for a deal to come together on a new contract.Nearly 1,000 workers covered by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 casted ballots in Charlestown and nearly all voted in favor of a labor strike scheduled to begin next week, pending any resolution with management at the Everett casino.“Going on strike is not easy for anyone, but the workers have spoken and they are united,” UNITE HERE Local 26 President Carolos Aramayo said in a statement. “They want a better future for themselves, for their families, and for each other. They are not asking for anything outrageous; they simply want Encore Boston Harbor to be the best place to work in Everett. They are ready to do what it takes to win that five-star contract.”The unions’ first contract expired in April, and the two sides have been at the negotiating table since the spring, Aramayo previously ...

Live updates | As oxygen levels on Titan submersible are depleted, there are ways to conserve

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:50 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.AS OXYGEN LEVELS RUN LOW ON BOARD TITAN, PASSENGERS CAN MAKE MINOR CONSERVATION EFFORTSThe Titan was said to have enough oxygen on board to to last 96 hours, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, meaning they could run out sometime Thursday.But there are ways the five passengers can conserve, said professor professor Hugh Montgomery, director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at University College London, even as temperatures drop to near freezing.The human body makes every effort to maintain a core body temperature so shivering may increase oxygen demands, he said.“The only effective way to limit O2 demand in this circumstance is not to burn excess energy,” Montgomery said.That means staying immobile or sleeping. Meditation can also slightly reduce oxygen demand by producing less stress hormones, less movement and more relaxed muscles, but such ef...