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Ukraine strikes deal to get 2 Royal Navy minehunters from UK

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

LONDON — Britain will hand over two Royal Navy minehunter ships to Ukraine as the war-torn country grapples with a continued blockage of the Black Sea by Russia.U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps will on Monday announce Ukraine’s armed forces have “procured” the Sandown Class vessels from Britain’s Royal Navy, although the details of the transfer are still being arranged through U.K. Export Finance, London’s export credit agency. In remarks issued by the Ministry of Defense ahead of the announcement, Shapps said the minehunters, which are designed to clear mines to make waters safe for bigger vessels, would help Ukraine save lives at sea, and open up export routes, which have been severely limited by the Russian invasion.“This capability boost marks the beginning of a new dedicated effort by the U.K., Norway and our allies to strengthen Ukraine’s maritime capabilities over the long term, enhancing their ability to operate in defending their sove...

Christmas toy drive in Walpole organized by Olivia Knighton Foundation

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

A toy drive is being held in Walpole by the Olivia Knighton Foundation, which was established in memory of a young girl killed in a boating accident.Olivia was 11 years old when she was killed in a boating accident this past summer. She was the daughter of the former New England Revolution goalie Brad Knighton.The drive at the Rodham Arena is one of the foundation’s first events.Donations are being accepted through Saturday.Visit the website for more information.

Storm brings high winds, possible flooding

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

A strong storm system is headed towards New England, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.The worst of the storm is expected after midnight tonight, which could include some localized flooding and isolated wind damage. After midnight rain bands will continue to intensify, with pockets of downpours developing generally west of I-95.These bands of rain will move east, reaching Boston around 4am. At this point there may be minor flooding in some particularly flood-prone areas west of the city. The storm begins to clear out by 8am, as the center of the storm passes by and pushes the rain out to sea. Fortunately for locations southeast of Boston and along the coast, the heaviest rain is only expected to stick around for an hour or two. This will mitigate the flood risk for this area, where some locations to the west could see pockets of minor-moderate flooding.There is a Flood Watch in effect for most of the area with the exception of the Cape and Islands, anticipating the heavy rainfall...

Week 14: Chicago Bears close out Detroit Lions 28-13 weeks after blowing lead vs. NFC North-leading rival on road

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

The scenario was familiar Sunday at Soldier Field: a 12-point Chicago Bears lead in the fourth quarter against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions.Three weeks earlier, in the Nov. 19 game at Ford Field, the Bears let the same lead slip away in a loss.This time, the Bears finished, pulling off a 28-13 victory for their first two-game winning streak since late in the 2021 season.The Bears defense got three takeaways against Lions quarterback Jared Goff and came up with some major second-half stops, including three sacks in a span of six plays in two late fourth-quarter drives. Goff completed 20 of 35 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.Meanwhile, in his first start at Soldier Field since Oct. 15, Bears quarterback Justin Fields completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries.The momentum-changing play came on fourth-and-13 at the Lions 38-yard line with 1 minute, 42 seconds to play in the third quarter.Fields found ...

Column: Free play. Big win. How Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears turned a Detroit Lions gaffe into a statement moment.

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

There were a dozen descriptions bouncing around Soldier Field on Sunday of the play that swung the Chicago Bears’ 28-13 victory, the third-quarter 38-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to DJ Moore — a play the Bears never had any intention of running.On fourth-and-13? From well inside Detroit Lions territory?Yeah. That’s “Puntsville” all day long.“Prime territory to take a delay (penalty),” tight end Cole Kmet said.But hey. No harm in trying to bait an offside infraction, right?Thus, the Bears offense went into theater mode, approaching the line of scrimmage with 18 seconds on the play clock and working to put on a show. Of course, 21 players on the field and 62,185 people in the stands were fully expecting an intentional delay of game foul or maybe a Bears timeout.But then left tackle Braxton Jones and guard Teven Jenkins started doing their bit up front, shouting at one another and gesticulating in an effort to trick the Lions into thi...

D Branch trains to be replaced by shuttles as Green Line work continues

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

The Green Line’s D Branch trains will be replaced with shuttle buses starting Monday until Dec. 20 as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Track Improvement Program, agency officials announced.The shuttle buses, free to the public and accessible for individuals with disabilities, will travel from Kenmore to Riverside stations all day from the start to the end of service over the 10 days, transit officials announced. The morning rush hour buses will run from Riverside to Woodland to Copley from 6-10 a.m. on weekdays while the evening rush hour ones will run from Copley to Woodland to Riverside from 3-7 p.m. during the week.Express shuttles will depart from Riverside and Copley on the hour and half hour. The buses will stop at every D Branch station except for Beaconsfield, due to the narrow roads in the area. Officials encouraged those going to Beaconsfield to travel on the Green Line’s C Branch to Dean Road, roughly a four-minute walk to Beaconsfield.Full schedul...

Harvard Board convenes in regularly scheduled meeting following calls for President Gay’s resignation over antisemitism hearing testimony

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

The Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers met Sunday for the first time amid the substantial blowback to President Claudine Gay’s controversial congressional testimony on antisemitism.Gay, along with leaders at the University of Pennsylvania and MIT, testified before Congress on Tuesday in a hearing on antisemitism on their college campuses following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October.At the hearing, Gay spoke against “hateful” antisemitic speech but said the school is committed to protecting free speech, prompting a wave of backlash and calls for her resignation.The Harvard Crimson initially reported the Board meeting on Sunday — which was regularly scheduled — and stated Harvard did not comment on the Board meeting Sunday or provide information on the topics of the meeting.The university did not respond immediately to a Herald request for comment Sunday.Gay issued a statement on Wednesday clarifying her remarks and apolog...

Ticker: Feds probe Chevron-Hess merger; Fruity e-cigarettes from China under scrutiny 

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Chevron’s acquisition of Hess oil company, the second inquiry the independent agency has opened recently of a major oil industry merger.Chevron and Hess said in separate filings Friday that the FTC is seeking additional information and documentary materials related to Chevron’s proposed $53 billion purchase of Hess, announced in October.The statements follow an announcement last week that the FTC is reviewing ExxonMobil’s proposed $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. Such requests for information are steps the agency takes when reviewing whether a merger could be anticompetitive under U.S. law. If completed, the Exxon and Chevron deals would be among the largest mergers in the energy industry in two decades.The inquiries come after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 22 other Democratic senators urged the FTC to investigate the two deals. Schumer said Friday the Chevron-Hess merger would lead to &#...

3 people, including 2 kids, found without vital signs at Scarborough apartment building

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

Police are investigating after three people, including two children, were found without vital signs at a Scarborough apartment building on Sunday night.Investigators say they were called to Glamorgan Avenue near Kennedy and Ellesmere Roads just after 7:30 p.m. where a woman was located outside the building in critical condition. The children were located inside an apartment unit in critical condition. Police did not provide any further details as to the nature of the incident except that it is not related to a shooting or stabbing. All three have been taken to hospital. Paramedics tell CityNews they transported two children in critical condition to hospital but did not provide any further details on their condition.

New federal dental insurance program to be gradually phased in over 2024

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:32:10 GMT

The new federal dental insurance plan will be phased in gradually over 2024, with the first claims likely to be processed in May, government officials said ahead of a formal announcement scheduled for Monday morning. Applications are expected to open as early as next week, starting with qualifying seniors over the age of 87, but it will take months before they can start to claim the benefits, the officials said in a briefing provided to The Canadian Press on the condition they not be named. The insurance plan is a condition of the Liberals’ supply-and-confidence deal with the New Democrats to secure the opposition party’s support on key votes.The deal calls for a plan that would offer dental benefits directly to low- and middle-income Canadians without private insurance.Eligibility will gradually expand over the course of the year to include all qualifying seniors over the age of 65 by May 2024, then children under the age of 18 and people with disabilities by ...