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Europe, US must stand together, says UK chancellor in wake of Macron’s China comments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

WASHINGTON — History shows Europe and the United States need to “stand together” to defend “democracy and freedom,” U.K. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said, after French President Emmanuel Macron warned against becoming ensnared in a U.S.-China dispute over Taiwan.Speaking to POLITICO on the sidelines of this week’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Hunt signaled that the U.K. isn’t interested in breaking with the U.S. on geopolitics — days after the French president called for Europe to bolster its autonomy from Washington.“Ukraine stands free and independent today, because of leadership by the United States,” said Hunt, who talked up the “complete unity in Europe” that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.“That says to me one very simple thing: that when Europe and the United States stand together, we can successfully defend democracy and freedom around the world,” Hunt added.“An...

Rishi Sunak reckons it’s ‘great’ Boris Johnson is still lurking in the background

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

LONDON — Boris Johnson may be unable to resist swiping at Rishi Sunak — but Sunak thinks that’s just “great.”“It’s great that we’ve got former prime ministers who want to contribute, still, to public life and feel that they can do that,” the current U.K. prime minister told the Conservative Home website in an interview Thursday.Johnson — ousted after a spate of Cabinet resignations last year — has proved a thorn in Sunak’s side during his fledgling premiership.As a backbench MP, Johnson has intervened to criticize Sunak on multiple occasions — particularly on his post-Brexit Windsor Framework deal on the Northern Ireland protocol. To Sunak’s chagrin, Johnson and a very small band of Tory MPs, including his fellow former PM Liz Truss, voted against that deal. Johnson has also attacked Sunak’s decision not to send fighter jets to Ukraine. But if Sunak minds he isn’t letting on. He said of the interventions from Johnson,...

African penguin chick hatches at New England Aquarium

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

The New England Aquarium is celebrating the arrival of an African penguin chick who hatched behind the scenes three weeks ago.The chick, born to parents Malgas II and Demersus III, came into the world on March 23 and has been rapidly growing – it is now 16 times its hatch weight. It is the first chick to join the penguin colony since 2019. Aquarium taffers say they are pleased with the chick’s progress so far, but there are still many milestones to go. In the next few weeks, they will be transitioning the bird to hand feeding and helping it become accustomed to the daily routine of other penguins in the colony. “Raising a penguin chick is no easy feat for us, or its parents! Months of planning, preparation, and hard work go into ensuring each chick has the best chance for success,” said Eric Fox, Assistant Curator of Penguins. “It has been a while since we have had a new chick join our colony, so it is a huge win for our team and for this endangered species.&...

Jamie Foxx is recovering after suffering undisclosed ‘medical complication,’ daughter says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

(CNN) — Actor Jamie Foxx is recovering after experiencing a “medical complication,” according to an Instagram post Wednesday night from his daughter Corinne Foxx.“We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,” the post from Corinne Foxx reads. “We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.”The exact nature of Foxx’s medical scare has not been disclosed.Alan Nierob, a spokesman for Jamie Foxx, declined to share anything beyond Corinne Foxx’s Instagram post.“Nothing more, at this time, than what was posted,” he told CNN by email Wednesday.The movie “Back in Action,” which includes Jamie Foxx, had recently been filming in Georgia.

Lobsterman Catches Five-footer: Maine State Police defuse military rocket caught by lobster trapper

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

State police in Maine safely disposed of a five-foot-long military rocket discovered off the coast this week.Maine State Police said members of its bomb squad were called in Tuesday morning after a lobsterman based out of Cushing caught the armament some 20 miles away from shore.According to MSP’s Facebook page, the lobsterman brought the rocket ashore and contacted authorities a day after making the discovery.Bomb squad personnel were able to analyze the item and identify it as an “MK29 Mod-0” type rocket, but when using X-ray imaging, state police said technicians could not confirm whether it contained explosive materials.Due to the condition of the missile, authorities opted to “countercharge” the missile with guidance from a Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit and were able to safely dispose of it.

Mega Millions jackpot up to $476M for Friday’s drawing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday’s drawing is an estimated $476 million with a cash option of $256 million, according to the Mass Lottery.Friday’s Mega Millions drawing will be the 21st since the jackpot was last hit on Jan. 31, when a ticket sold in Woburn won a $31 million jackpot. One week earlier, on Jan. 24, a ticket sold in Belchertown won a $33 million jackpot. This week’s jackpot is the game’s largest since Jan. 13, when a ticket sold in Maine won a $1.35 billion jackpot.Mega Millions tickets are $2 each and can be played in 45 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets for Friday’s drawing can be purchased until 10:45 p.m. Friday at Mass Lottery retailers throughout the state. Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m. in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Powerball jackpot for the Saturday, April 15 drawing is an estimated $219 million with a cash option of $119.7 million, and the Megabucks Doubler jackpot for Saturday is an estimate...

Trump will answer questions in NY fraud lawsuit, lawyer says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK (ASSOCIATED PRESS)NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump arrived at the offices of New York’s attorney general Thursday for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company’s business practices, with his lawyer signaling that he intends to answer questions this time instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination.“President Trump is not only willing but also eager to testify before the Attorney General today,” his attorney, Alina Habba, said in a statement. “He remains resolute in his stance that he has nothing to conceal, and he looks forward to educating the Attorney General about the immense success of his multi-billion dollar company.”The Republican was meeting with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. Her lawsuit claims Trump and his family misled banks and business associates by giving them false information about his net worth and the val...

Mary Quant, miniskirt designer who swung the 60s, dies at 93

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

By DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized Swinging London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, has died. She was 93.Quant’s family said she died “peacefully at home” in Surrey, southern England, on Thursday.Quant helped popularize the miniskirt — some credit her with inventing it — and the innovative tights that went along with it, creating dresses and accessories that were an integral part of the look. She created mix-and-match, simple garments that had an element of whimsy. Some compared her impact on the fashion world with The Beatles’ impact on pop music.“I think it was a happy confluence of events, which is really what fashion is so often all about,” said Hamish Bowles, international editor at large for American Vogue magazine. “She was the right person with the right sensibility in the ri...

Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire closes after receiving school shooting threat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

Portsmouth High School, on New Hampshire’s coast, did not open for school today and remains closed after it received a threat of a school shooting.“This evening the Portsmouth Police Department notified me of a threat to commit a school shooting at Portsmouth High School via a social media platform. They received a video of someone saying they would shoot up the school. The police department is following up on leads,” Portsmouth Superintendent of Schools Zach McLaughlin wrote in a statement posted to the school’s Facebook page at 10:23 p.m. Wednesday.McLaughlin wrote that he made the decision to close the schools “out of an abundance of caution and a commitment to the safety of our school community.”The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management released a statement this morning that it is “aware of a threat.”“We continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to ensure that schools in New Hampshire ...

Survival diaries: Decade on, Boston Marathon bombing echoes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:25:54 GMT

By JIMMY GOLEN (AP Sports Writer)BOSTON (AP) — She didn’t even know the Boston Marathon was going on when she wandered out for a walk along Boylston Street. Nor could she understand why someone would run 26.2 miles for “a statement necklace and a banana.”Then, Adrienne Haslet says, “My life changed.”The ballroom dancer was standing next to the second of two pressure-cooker bombs that exploded among the spectators watching the finish of the 2013 race. Three people were killed and nearly 300 others wounded. Seventeen people lost limbs in the blast. Haslet was one of them.She relearned to walk with a prosthetic left leg and vowed to return to dancing. She also set a goal that surprised friends and family who knew her as someone who didn’t like to sweat in public: She would return to the course, this time as a runner.Haslet completed the race for the first time in 2016, and she is back in the field for Monday’s 127th Boston Marathon as the...