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China has key role in finding ‘path to peace’ in Ukraine, Macron says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

BEIJING — French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that while he disagrees with China’s peace plan for Ukraine, it shows Beijing wants to “build a pathway toward peace.” Speaking to representatives of the French community in Beijing ahead of his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Thursday, Macron said he did not agree with China’s 12-point peace plan but argued that Europeans should engage with China to find a resolution to the war in Ukraine.“China, with its close relationship with Russia, which has been reaffirmed in recent days, can play a major role,” he said. China’s peace plan, which was unveiled in February, has drawn fire for failing to describe the war as a Russian invasion and for criticizing Western sanctions on Russia. “Do we agree with everything in [China’s plan]? No. However it shows … a will to play a responsible role and try to build a pathway to peace,” he said.“We, Europeans, would be mistaken to let Russia be the only European nation spe...

Silvio Berlusconi is in intensive care

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s former prime minister, was taken into intensive care in a hospital cardiac unit Wednesday, after suffering from “breathlessness.”It comes after the 86 year old was discharged just days ago on March 30 from Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital following checks likely related to heart issues. He was initially hospitalized on March 27. Berlusconi, who is the leader of Forza Italia, a coalition party in Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, is said to be “stable,” according to local media reports.“Silvio Berlusconi speaks and has been hospitalized because the previous problem had not been solved,” Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday on the sidelines of a NATO meeting, adding that he had not been able to hear directly from Berlusconi as he was busy with other meetings and without a phone.During the pandemic, Berlusconi suffered serious complications after a bout of COVID-19, which he desc...

Dover to cap coach numbers crossing Channel to avoid post-Brexit border delays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

LONDON — The Port of Dover has announced it will cap the number of coaches crossing the English Channel on ferries on Friday, to avoid another weekend of chaos at the border.Coaches full of children setting off on school trips to the EU had to wait for hours throughout last weekend, in some cases only to turn back or stay in hotels near Dover.Following an urgent probe, the Port of Dover has struck a deal with ferry operators to spread coach bookings from tomorrow to Saturday, in a bid to avoid similar delays over the Easter holiday weekend. Ferry operators including DFDS, Irish Ferries and P&O will spread coach bookings across a three-day period from Thursday to Saturday, the port said.There will also be additional French border officers and temporary border booths to speed up passport checks of coach passengers, after officials complained each bus was taking up to an hour to process. In a statement, the port said it was “acutely aware that last weekend was a horrible situa...

UK set to impose more red tape on EU imports from October

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

LONDON — British firms importing goods from the EU will be forced to deal with increased red tape from October, after the U.K. government today released its new post-Brexit border proposals.Imports of plant and animal products considered to be a “medium risk” — including meat, dairy and fish — and foods of a non-animal origin considered to be “high risk” will need to have health certificates from October.Phytosanitary certificates will also be required for phytosanitary goods — items like fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains — imported from the EU.New physical checks will be implemented at the U.K. border from January, before further security and safety checks for all EU imports are introduced in October 2024.The long-awaited Border Targeted Operating Model was released today after a series of delays on more stringent checks on goods coming from the EU to the U.K.Britain’s Cabinet Office said that the introduction of the plans would be staggered to minimiz...

Zelenskyy’s Warsaw visit overshadowed by political blowup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s state visit Wednesday to Warsaw blew up into a political crisis when Poland’s agriculture minister quit on the same day over his inability to cut the amount of Ukrainian agricultural products flooding into the country.That’s a key political issue for Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, which has to keep farmers onside ahead of this fall’s parliamentary election; farmers are increasingly outraged over falling produce prices caused by soaring Ukrainian imports.Zelenskyy was greeted with the full pomp due a visiting head of state, complete with military bands and marching soldiers. It’s a sign of the weight of the relationship between the two countries. Poland and Ukraine have centuries of tangled ties, often cooperating and sometimes warring against each other, but Russia’s full-scale invasion a year ago has made them very close allies. In an address last year, Zelenskyy even called Poland a “sister” nati...

Transit Police: Man arrested for allegedly striking victim in back of the head at Downtown Crossing MBTA station

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

A 44-year-old Boston man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly striking an unsuspecting victim in the back of the head at the Downtown Crossing MBTA station. Police say the incident happened around 10 p.m. and officers located the suspect in Boston Common a short time later. The suspect was placed into custody and found to have several outstanding warrants for his arrest. Police say he was also in possession of a stolen credit card. The victim was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated. Their condition is unknown at this time. No additional information has been released. https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/1643587382103404545

Hopkinton brewing company creates new beer in honor of Boston Marathon runner Dick Hoyt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

A Hopkinton brewing company has created a new beer paying homage to Dick Hoyt, who pushed his son in the Boston Marathon for decades, Start Line Brewing Company welcomed the Hoyt family as they packaged their Marathoner IPA before this year’s race. Every year, the brewery recognizes a person or theme that embodies the spirit of marathoning. Some of the proceeds will be donated to the 26.2 Foundation.

Mass. Board of Higher Ed to discuss bill that would require high school students to complete FAFSA application

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education is set to discuss a bill Wednesday that would require students to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before they graduate high school. Lawmakers say the goal of the bill is to “maximize federal and state postsecondary financial aid options.” Wednesday’s briefing will focus on FAFSA completion for high school students, research on universal FAFSA initiatives nationwide, and the bill in relation to the state’s equity agenda. New Hampshire passed a similar bill that is set to go into effect for the next school year.

Dedham Police issue warning after reports of turkeys ‘following’ and ‘intimidating’ residents, USPS mail carrier

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

Dedham Police have issued a warning after receiving multiple reports of wild turkeys “following” and “intimidating” residents and a USPS mail carrier. The department says it is the middle of turkey breeding season, meaning the birds get more aggressive this time of year. Police are urging people not to feed the birds and avoid leaving anything reflective outside, as turkeys often mistake their reflection for other turkeys.According to animal control officers, effective deterrents for turkeys include loud noises, bright lights, hoses, dogs in the yard, and the use of property “scarecrows.”

Chicago Bears Q&A: Do you draft for need or ‘best player available’? How far would GM Ryan Poles trade down?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

We’re a little more than three weeks from the NFL draft, and even after trading the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Bears strategy remains full of intrigue. Brad Biggs attempts to sort it out in his weekly mailbag.Does a situation arise picking for need vs. picking the best player on your draft board? — @gcominos“Best player available” is one of the more twisted and misunderstood terms this time of year. It’s fueled at times by teams declaring after the draft how they were delighted so-and-so fell to them because he just happened to be the highest-graded player on their board.Would the Bears draft a safety with their first pick? I’d be stunned. Now, there’s not a safety worthy of a top-10 pick, but consider my point. Review the roster and the Bears have gaping needs at defensive tackle and on the edge, have yet to do enough to overhaul the offensive line and need another cornerback. They could go in at least three directions and satisfy “need&...