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Boston City Council starts new year with pay hike to $115,000

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

The Boston City Council is kicking off the new year with an $11,500 raise, a bump that will increase each council member’s salary from $103,500 to $115,000.The raises were approved by the City Council in November of last year, but only became effective on Jan. 1, per state ethics laws, which dictate that all pay hikes have to go into effect after the next election for a given position.While that caveat excluded the five councilors who have since left the body, three by choice and two who failed to win re-election, it also granted a more than 11% raise to the five newly elected council members, four of whom have yet to do much beyond being sworn in and selecting the body’s new president on Monday.The 13 councilors’ pay, per last fall’s vote, will continue to rise in 2025 and 2026, when their salaries increase to $120,000 and $125,000 in those respective years.The City Council opted to vote for a tiered increase structure after the body’s initial vote to hike its pay to $125,000 start...

Turkey detains 33 people suspected of spying on behalf of Israel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities have detained 33 people suspected of spying on behalf of Israel, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported on Tuesday.Authorities were still searching for 13 other people believed to have links to Israel’s Mossad security service, the Anadolu Agency reported.The suspects were detained in raids in Istanbul and seven other provinces for allegedly planning to carry out activities that included “reconnaissance” and “pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping” foreign nationals living in Turkey, the agency reported.Anadolu did not provide information on the suspects or the foreigners who were allegedly targeted. The report comes weeks after the head of Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said in an audio recording that his organization is prepared to destroy Hamas “in every place,” including in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Israel of “serious consequences” if it pressed ahead with its th...

Man arrested in Scarborough multi-vehicle crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

A man has been arrested after allegedly fleeing the scene of a multi-vehicle crash in Scarborough.Toronto police were called to McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue on Sunday to reports of the collision.Only minor injuries were reported and none of the involved parties had to be taken to hospital.One of the drivers involved allegedly fled the scene of the collision on foot, but was later taken into custody by police. It’s unknown if he is facing charges. Several roads in the area were closed for over two hours, but have since reopened.

Members of Germany’s smallest governing party vote to stay in Scholz’s coalition, prompting relief

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Members of the smallest party in German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular coalition have voted in a low-profile ballot to stay in the troubled government, but the result underlines the three-party alliance’s difficulties.The pro-business Free Democrats, who in recent decades have leaned to the right, joined a coalition with Scholz’s Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, both left-leaning parties, in late 2021. The government has become notorious for infighting, and the poll ratings of the Free Democrats, led by Finance Minister Christian Lindner, have declined sharply.The party’s rules stipulate that a ballot must be held if at least 500 members demand one, and 598 members forced a vote on whether to stay in the coalition. On Monday, party headquarters announced that those who voted opted to stay in by a narrow margin of 52.2% to 47.8%, with just under 40% of members taking part.The ballot was nonbinding and party leaders gave it li...

Plane catches fire on runway at Japan’s Haneda airport after collision, passengers reportedly safe

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A passenger plane burst into flames on the runway of Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, with news reports saying it hit another aircraft after landing. NHK TV reported that all occupants of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516, believed to total 379 people, got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames. The Japanese coast guard, which operated the other plane, said its pilot had escaped but five crewmembers are missing.Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. Footage an hour later showed the plane fully on fire.NHK TV said the plane was an Airbus A-350 that had flown from Shin Chitose airport, near the city of Sapporo, to Haneda. Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima confirmed the collision between the passenger plane and its flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8.Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people tr...

GasBuddy: Avg. Albany prices dip 3.7 cents in last week

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Average gasoline prices in Albany have fallen 3.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.26/g Tuesday, according to GasBuddy's survey of 546 stations in Albany. Prices in Albany are 21.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 13.2 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average diesel price has fallen 4.5 cents in the last week and stands at $3.96 per gallon. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Albany was priced at $2.95/g on Monday while the most expensive was $3.69/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state on Monday was $2.67/g while the highest was $4.29/g, a difference of $1.62/g.The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.06/g Tuesday. The national average is down 17.3 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 12.6 cents per gall...

Premier Lacrosse League returning to UAlbany for 2024 opening weekend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced Monday it will return to Tom & Mary Casey Stadium at the University at Albany for the league's 2024 Training Camp, Opening Weekend and inaugural home games for the New York Atlas on May 31-June 2, 2024. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! "We're thrilled to give fans across New York the opportunity to welcome the Atlas home to the State at UAlbany this season," said Mike Rabil, Co-Founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League. "UAlbany has been a fantastic host for our Training Camp and Opening Weekend in years past, even hosting the most watched outdoor pro lacrosse game in Game 1 of our 2023 season. We look forward to kicking off this historic season for the PLL in Albany once again."  The PLL recently assigned its eight teams to home cities, marking the league's biggest investment since its inception in 2018. Eight of the PLL's 10 regular season games will take pla...

Bridge: Jan. 2, 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

Cy the Cynic’s team had won a match — by 3 IMPs — in the club’s Double Knockout event.“I thought we were sunk,” Cy told me, “but then Ed worked some magic.”Ed is the club expert. Cy’s team trailed by 10 IMPs with one deal left.“My partner and I bid to 3NT as North-South,” the Cynic said. “We made two overtricks, plus 660. At the other table, they played at four spades. Ed was West and led the deuce of clubs.“Declarer took the ace and led a trump to his jack. Ed won with the queen and led … the four of clubs!”HONESTYSouth played low from dummy, ruffed East’s ten and next led the ace and a low trump. Ed took his king and — perhaps with an air of frank and open honesty — led the eight of clubs. South may have been suspicious, but he played low from dummy again and ruffed East’s jack.“South then drew Ed’s last trump,” Cy said, “but South had none left...

Horoscopes Jan. 2, 2024: Kate Bosworth, make productivity your priority

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kate Bosworth, 41; Dax Shepard, 49; Taye Diggs, 53; Cuba Gooding Jr., 56.Happy Birthday: Practicality and planning go hand in hand. You stand to prosper this year if you rely on yourself instead of letting others dictate what you can do. Use your energy to tighten up your routine and to ensure that everything in your life is in conjunction with efficiency. Invest in what saves you money, time and frustration, and everything else will fall into place. Take control and make productivity your priority. Your numbers are 3, 11, 22, 28, 31, 34, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Research before you open your wallet. Knowledge can be a saving grace when money is involved. Don’t be shy; ask questions, consider your needs and don’t feel obligated to follow in someone’s footsteps. Make decisions that reflect your physical, emotional and financial situations. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Tally your assets and liabilities before you start spending,...

Word Game: Jan. 2, 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:26:42 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — MUTINOUS (MUTINOUS: MYOO-tih-nis: Rebellious.)Average mark 18 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 22 or more words in MUTINOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — ENCHASE each ease encase cane case cash cease cense chase hence ache acne ashen sane scan scene seance seen sheenTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].