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Rutte doesn’t rule out NATO post

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today that he doesn’t rule out taking on the position of head of the NATO defense alliance.The post of NATO secretary-general is “very interesting,” Rutte said on Dutch radio on Saturday. Rutte, who plans to leave domestic politics after the Dutch election in November, following his government’s collapse in July, has previously said he wasn’t interested in taking on such a large international role as the NATO leader.But on Saturday, Rutte said being chief of the defense alliance would mean he “could still contribute.” Rutte, one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, has been linked with a number of top jobs, including the NATO post. Jens Stoltenberg, who has been the head of NATO since 2014, over the summer agreed to stay on in the position until October 2024.

Summer today, reality tomorrow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

It’s beautiful out there this morning! Enjoy the summerlike temperatures today, because temperatures tumble overnight. It’ll stay cooler and cloudy with showers tomorrow.Can you spot the cold front? Boston down to Houston is in the warm air mass. The frontal boundary is locking the colder air off to our west. The cold front moves southeast later today. We stay dry, and won’t notice the drop in temperatures until overnight and tomorrow. An area of low pressure will form and ride along the front bringing us rain tomorrow and Monday.It’s a 50/50 weekend. The bright start and mild overnights lows have been a great launching pad to get us into the upper 70s/low 80s. Overnight we fall into the upper 40s/low 50s. Target the morning hours tomorrow. We’re mainly dry with a few sprinkles. Showers arrive by midday/afternoon and linger the rest of the day. It’ll rain most of Monday, but clear out for Halloween. Temperatures will be much cooler in the upper 40...

Two people shot at Worcester State University, police investigate as university cancels all events

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

Two people were shot at Worcester State University early Saturday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police who are investigating as the university canceled all events for the day.Police responded to the double shooting at around 2:44 a.m. in the area of a parking garage.Worcester Police and Massachusetts State Police patrols responded to the scene near Wasylean Hall and Sheehan Hall. Two gunshot victims were transported to UMass Medical Center.Mass State Police initially reported that a suspect was taken into custody by Worcester Police. However, police later said it was premature to state that a suspect was in custody as police continued to investigate.The victims and alleged suspects are not students of Worcester State University, according to the Worcester DA’s Office. The shooting was the result of an altercation and was not an active shooter incident, police said.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Authorities release new image of Gardner man Aa...

Alex Caruso’s 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in OT gives Chicago Bulls a 104-103 win. 6 takeaways from the wild victory.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

Alex Caruso delivered salvation for the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, lifting his team on both ends of the court in a 104-103 overtime victory for the team’s first win of the season.The night was defined by Caruso’s dogged pursuit of the ball. He racked up two steals and a block, drew five offensive fouls and snagged 13 rebounds — including six offensive boards. But in the final seconds of a convoluted and crazed game, it was Caruso’s poise with the ball in his hands that sealed the win.Zach LaVine grabbed a rebound with four seconds remaining in OT and a two-point deficit on the scoreboard. He tore off to the basket, bulldozing to the rim in signature form — but instead of taking the shot, he flipped the ball to Caruso in the corner.Caruso had made only one 3-pointer all night, but his ensuing shot with 2.3 seconds left was automatic.The bench stormed Caruso after the buzzer, ripping his signature sweatband off his head and dousing him with water.R...

Indonesian troops recover bodies of 6 workers missing after attack by Papua separatists

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian security forces said Saturday they have recovered the bodies of six traditional gold mining workers who had been missing since a separatist attack at their camp in the restive Papua region almost two weeks ago.Gunmen stormed a gold panning camp in the Yahukimo district of Highland Papua province on Oct. 16, killing seven workers and setting fire to three excavators and two trucks, said Faizal Ramadhani, a national police member who heads the joint security force. Hours later, a two-hour shootout took place between members of the joint security forces of police and military and the rebels occupying the camp, Ramadhani said.The West Papua Liberation Army, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization, has claimed responsibility for the attack.Eleven workers who had hid in the jungle were rescued safely after Indonesian security forces cleared the camp. However, they only found one body, and the six other victims had been declared missing until ...

Norway’s Mowinckel becomes first skier to be disqualified under new rule banning fluorinated wax

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

SOELDEN, Austria (AP) — Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel left the finish area of the season-opening women’s World Cup race in tears Saturday after becoming the first skier to be disqualified for a forbidden type of wax on her skis.Mowinckel, a two-time Olympic silver medalist from the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, had finished the first leg in sixth place before her skis failed the mandatory post-run test by FIS officials, who took her out of the competition.The race was won by Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland, while Mikaela Shiffrin placed sixth.A rule in effect this season forbids the use of fluorinated wax in the pre-race preparation of skis.FIS banned the substance from its competitions after years of debate about the potential harm fluorinated wax can cause to health and the environment.“We must find out what happened. We are not trying to cheat, because that is the worst thing for me,” Mowinckel told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.Peter Gerdol, the women’s race director of t...

Russia accuses Ukraine of damaging a nuclear waste warehouse as the battle for Avdiivika grinds on

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of damaging a nuclear waste storage facility in a drone strike on the Kursk nuclear power plant while fighting raged on for the control of the key eastern city of Avdiivika, where Russians apparently suffered heavy losses. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that three drones armed with explosives targeted the power plant on Thursday evening. 26, hitting both the station’s administration building and a warehouse storing nuclear waste.The press service for the Kursk nuclear power plant confirmed the strike on Friday, but told journalists that there had been no significant damage or casualties and that operations were continuing as normal.Russia’s Defence Ministry said that the country’s air defences shot down six Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Saturday, including four in the western Oryol region, and two more over the Tula region, south of Moscow.Ukraine’s air force reported four Iskander cruise missiles over the country’s...

Two people shot, injured in altercation at Worcester State University

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

WORCESTER, Massachusetts (AP) — A university campus in Massachusetts was locked down for seven hours Saturday after two people were shot in an altercation near a parking garage, authorities said.Neither the victims, who were hospitalized, nor the assailants were students at Worcester State University, according to a spokesperson for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early. A shelter-in-place order was being lifted around 9:30 a.m. but authorities urged the public to avoid areas where police were working, spokesperson Lindsay Corcoran said.Massachusetts State Police said the shooting happened shortly before 3 a.m. near Wasylean Hall and Sheehan Hall. “Preliminary investigation suggests the incident was the result of an altercation and was not an active shooter incident,” Dave Procopio, director of media communications, said in a press release.“It is premature to state that a suspect is in custody. Investigators are still probing all the facts and circumstances of the in...

Pedestrian struck by City of Toronto vehicle at Mooregate Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

A pedestrian has been struck by a City of Toronto vehicle while reportedly sleeping in Mooregate Park.Toronto police say they were called to the park at Treverton Drive and Mooregate Avenue near Kennedy Road and Eglinton Avenue just after 8 a.m. Saturday morning.It’s believed the pedestrian was sleeping under a bay when they were struck by the vehicle. They were transported to hospital by paramedics.It’s unknow the severity of their injuries.

Louisiana and Amtrak agree to revive train service between New Orleans, Baton Rouge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:20 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana is a step closer to connecting its capital city to New Orleans via a revived train line.Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a service development agreement that will advance the return of intercity passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, about an hour-long commute. The agreement, signed Thursday, is a breakthrough for a project that has been in the works since 2008.“All eight years I’ve been governor, I’ve been working to reestablish rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” Edwards told WBRZ-TV.According to the agreement, passenger service could start as early as 2027. The plan is to start with one round trip a day. More rides will be added as riders increase. Along the route, passengers can expect stops in Gonzales, Laplace, and Jefferson Parish.“An Amtrak line connecting Louisiana’s capital to the largest metropolitan area in the state will have immense economic benefits for both cities and the parishes in between,” Edwa...