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UK resists pressure to station troops permanently in Estonia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

VILNIUS — Britain’s prime minister shied away from promising to station British troops in Estonia on a permanent basis — despite pressure to do so from the U.K.’s Baltic partners.A decision by Germany to station 4,000 of its troops in Lithuania in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has added to pressure on the U.K. to make a similar commitment to Estonia. The U.K. already leads a NATO battlegroup in Estonia and deploys troops there on rotating tours.But asked Tuesday if Britain would follow suit, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would say only that his government has a “long track record” of supporting Estonia in its defense. Sunak’s comments, which come as he prepares to attend the NATO summit in Vilnius, suggest he is not contemplating a change in the U.K.’s position.“The Estonians are incredibly grateful for our presence and we made some changes last year: We keep a brigade in advanced readiness and we enhanced the lethality of the operation that we have there as well,” the U....

Rishi Sunak says misconduct claims against BBC host are ‘shocking’ and ‘concerning’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

VILNIUS — Allegations that a BBC presenter accused of sexual misconduct was not immediately taken off air are “shocking” and “concerning,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, as he urged the publicly funded broadcaster to move “swiftly” in its investigation. The BBC is facing intense scrutiny this week after the Sun reported allegations that a high-profile host — who has not been publicly named — paid a vulnerable young person thousands of pounds in exchange for explicit images. The prime minister stressed that he had not been told the identity of the BBC presenter, who has been suspended by the broadcaster while it carries out a probe into the claims. Speaking to reporters Tuesday on a plane to Vilnius, Sunak said his culture secretary had been reassured by the BBC that its investigation will be “rigorous” and will be “swift.”“I think that’s the right thing to do, because given the concerning nature of the allegations, it’s right that they are investigated swiftly and...

Tear-filled vigil held in Lowell after desperate search for missing girl has tragic end

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

Dozens of Lowell community members came together in prayer Monday night at Saint Michael Parish in support of the family of a 7-year-old girl whose body was found in the Merrimack River hours earlier.Anna Mburu was reported missing by her family on Sunday afternoon after she took off on her bike. A day later, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said divers recovered a body believed to be Mburu’s from a part of the Merrimack River in Tewksbury. “It’s very sad, very frustrating,” said one woman at Saint Michael Parish. “We were hoping that she would be found alive, but that didn’t happen, so it’s actually very, very sad.”Police said Mburu was on the autism spectrum and nonverbal. Continuing through Monday morning, the search for Mburu was large, with personnel from multiple agencies combing the area using K9 teams, drones, a state police helicopter, bicycles, ATVs and members of the public also aided in the search.The DA’s office, in a statement, said state enviro...

WATCH: Shocking video shows gas station worker attacked, robbed in Revere

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

A cash grab was recently caught on camera in Revere as a gas station worker was ambushed, sending dollar bills flying. A group of people could be seen pouncing on the money, racing to pick it up. Days later, the longtime owner of the Gulf Station on Broadway in Revere, Sam Kanj told 7NEWS he was shocked to see one of his employees attacked.“We’ve never had this problem before but, this time, it was bad,” Kanj said. The incident happened on Friday night. Kanj said a group of “young kids” arrived on scooters and said they needed gas. “He was trying to help,” Kanj said of the clerk. “Suddenly, he walks inside to grab something to help them out.” Kanj said the individuals pushed the clerk and snatched money from his pockets. “You can see how they beat him up,” Kanj said, referring to video of the incident.Cameras showed one of the teens snatching money from the station clerk while others dove for cash on the floor. Then, video showed the assault.&...

Rescuers brace for more rain as relentless storms flood Northeast, VT hit hard

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

ANDOVER, Vt. (AP) — Swift water rescue teams and local officials across Vermont braced for more precipitation and flooding Tuesday after persistent heavy rains drenched the state and other parts of the Northeast, unleashing fast-moving waters that washed out roads, trapped residents in their homes and disrupted travel.One person was killed in New York as she tried to leave her inundated house.There have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to the flooding in Vermont, according to emergency officials. But dozens of roads were closed, including many along the spine of the Green Mountains. And the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and advisories for much of the state from the Massachusetts line north to the Canadian border.The U.S Army Corps of Engineers said late Monday they expected two dams to release water overnight, causing “severe flooding” downstream likely to affect multiple towns.Rescue crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among ...

No more free sailing for John Kerry, Republicans to grill him Thursday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

Climate czar John Kerry will finally feel the heat when he’s grilled by House Republicans this week.The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability is set to force Kerry to explain his budget beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. The hearing will be carried live on YouTube, and accessible on bostonherald.com. (You can set a reminder below.)Kerry has been criss-crossing the globe and holding high-level meetings, with little oversight, since being named President Biden’s first-ever Special Envoy for Climate on Jan. 20, 2021. His office has informed the Herald he only reports to the president.The Herald has also been told Kerry won’t divulge his complete office staff, including titles and pay, until October of 2024 — a month before the next general election. An appeal to the U.S. State Department Freedom of Information office has been denied.That lack of transparency is the main reason the oversight subcommittee is hauling Kerry before the panel.“...

Battenfeld: Can Boston get its act together for upcoming NAACP convention?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

Boston, a city that struggles with a history of racism, nightmare traffic, dysfunctional government and an aging and unreliable public transit system, is about to welcome thousands of Black convention goers in a potentially awkward and embarrassing embrace.Can the Hub get its act together in time for all these important people from the NAACP coming in?We’ll find out in two weeks when the national convention, expected to generate $10 million for the local economy, begins.For the city’s reputation, the NAACP gathering is as important as a national political convention. These are prominent activists, community leaders and elected officials from around the country who may not have a great image of Boston. Hillary Clinton will be here to speak to the attendees, along with so-called surprise guests.What are they going to see?We have a mayor who faces daily protests and challenges, open drug dealing and violence at Mass and Cass, a public transit system that’s a running joke, a City Counci...

Orioles minor league report: Which prospect will be next to make his MLB debut?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

The Orioles called up Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser in a span of 10 days. The organization’s other top prospects are jostling to be next.From prospects who have yet to make their MLB debuts — Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby and Coby Mayo — to those who have already gotten a taste of the show — Joey Ortiz and Grayson Rodriguez — Baltimore has plenty of talent to choose from in Triple-A.Who could be next? And is there even space (or playing time) for any of those players on the 2023 Orioles?Westburg and Cowser were both putting up massive numbers in Triple-A — the former for essentially a full season’s worth of games, the latter reaching base at an otherwordly pace. Throughout the first three months of the season, there was clamoring for the club to promote the two prospects who rank inside Baseball America’s top 40. Whether the timing was correct or not, they’ve now been added to an impressively long list of prospects the Oriole...

Tourists are told to stay away from an erupting volcano in Iceland because of poisonous gases

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Authorities in Iceland on Tuesday warned tourists and other spectators to stay away from a newly erupting volcano that is spewing lava and noxious gases from a fissure in the country’s southwest.The eruption began Monday afternoon after thousands of earthquakes in the area, meteorological authorities said. This one comes 11 months after its last eruption officially ended. The eruption is in an uninhabited valley near the Litli-Hrútur mountain, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik.The area, known broadly as Fagradalsfjall volcano, erupted in 2021 and 2022 without causing damage or disruptions to flights, despite being near Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub. The airport remained open on Tuesday.The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption was initially more explosive than the previous two. Aerial footage showed streams of orange molten lava and clouds of gases spewing from a snaking fissure about 9...

Iran’s president delays Africa tour without elaboration

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:08:52 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi did not depart on a three-nation tour to Africa as planned, state media reported without elaboration.Raisi was supposed to travel from Tehran on Tuesday morning, but no Iranian news outlets reported him leaving. The country’s media said repeatedly over the past week that the president planned to visit Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. State media did not elaborate on why he hadn’t departed. Kenya’s foreign ministry said in a brief statement that the visit was delayed until Wednesday morning so key memoranda of understanding could be finalized “that are central to the furtherance of relations.” The statement said the presidents would have a bilateral meeting after Raisi arrived.It would be unusual for Iran’s president to call off a foreign trip, though domestic visits sometimes are canceled.In 2018, Iran canceled a visit by Iraq’s then-prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, after he said he had no choice but to abide by renewe...