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EU transport chief set to leave his post over free Qatar flights, officials say

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

BRUSSELS — A top European Union official is set to leave his role in charge of transport policy, following POLITICO’s revelations that he accepted free flights on Qatar Airways while his team negotiated a major aviation deal with the Gulf state, according to three officials.Henrik Hololei, director general of the European Commission’s transport department, faces an internal investigation into the flights, and whether he was right to clear himself of any conflict of interest. According to two Commission insiders and another person familiar with the matter, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, Hololei will leave his job as director general of the transport department and will become a political adviser in the Commission’s department in charge of international partnerships. A spokesperson for the Commission declined to comment, citing policy not to discuss human resources issues. POLITICO revealed a month ago that Hololei flew b...

Amsterdam tells British sex-and-drug tourists: Stay away!

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

“So, coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.”That’s the message from Amsterdam city authorities, who have launched an online advertising campaign to warn visitors against “let[ting] loose” in the Dutch capital.People who look up terms like “stag party Amsterdam,” “cheap hotel Amsterdam” or “pub crawl Amsterdam” on the internet ahead of a visit to the Dutch city will be shown short videos stressing “the risks and consequences of nuisance and excessive alcohol and drug use,” the city of Amsterdam said in a statement published Tuesday.Initially targeting “British men aged 18 to 35,” the campaign could be extended to tourists from the Netherlands or EU countries “in the course of the year,” the statement read. The 30-second videos are brutally straightforward.To the sound of sirens, broken glass and threatening music, one video depicts an unconscious young man being taken to t...

One dead, two unaccounted for in fire at New Bedford rooming house

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

Two people remained unaccounted for Wednesday morning in connection with a fire at a rooming house in New Bedford that killed one person, hurt several others, and displaced more than two dozen people, according to local officials. Firefighters were called to the scene around 3 p.m. and remained on scene overnight, pouring water on the four-story structure on the corner of Tallman Street and Acushnet Avenue. Officials announced earlier Tuesday afternoon that at least one person had died. Five other people were taken to the hospital, with three in serious condition. Officials later said the person who died was an adult male. New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said the building’s roof caved in during the response, posing a challenge as crews had to pull back.“Once you lose the roof, it makes all of the walls more unstable, especially the top floor,” Kruger said. SKY7 was over the area earlier Tuesday afternoon, when video showed flames shooting from the windows of the b...

Police investigating serious crash in Quincy

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

Police are investigating a serious crash in Quincy.Officers reconstructed a scene involving and SUV up on the curb on Newport Avenue near Holbrook Road. There is no word on any injuries.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

SiriusXM NFL analyst Jim Miller sees Patriots winning AFC East

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

PHOENIX — While many analysts already have the Patriots finishing dead last in the AFC East, at least one expert has a completely different take.SiriusXM NFL’s Jim Miller doesn’t see the Patriots as cellar dwellers. In fact, Miller sees the Patriots winning the division this year.And he wasn’t joking.“I just personally think, when you have Mac Jones teamed up with Bill O’Brien, they’ll be able to win the division,” Miller said Monday before hitting the airwaves. “I think they’re that talented of a team. Nobody’s thinking about them, everybody thinks they’re going to be fourth, but I think they’re going to be much better. They’ll be right in the mix to compete and win the division . . . I think you’re going to see an offense that returns to the style of play New England has always had.”Better than three-time defending champion Buffalo with Josh Allen? Better than a Dolphins team that shore...

Crime Briefs: Boston Police find loaded handgun at Mattapan playground

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

Boston police found a loaded 9 mm pistol on a playground in Mattapan in the middle of the day.On Monday, “a concerned individual” called the cops to report the unattended firearm, according to a police statement. Officers responded to Walker Playground, 550 Norfolk St., at around 2:46 p.m. and found a loaded Taurus GC3 handgun with an additional magazine, for a total of 19 9 mm rounds.Police said the citizen report was helpful in “possibly averting an accident or an act of violence within the community,” adding that “If you see something, say something.”There have already been seven more fatal shootings so far this year in the city over last year’s total of one, according to Police Department statistics released Sunday, and a total of 30 total shooting victims compared to 26 during the same period last year. Both numbers are also higher than the five-year average of 5.8 for fatal shootings and 28.4 total victims.At the movies, all the action’s supposed be on screenA Boston man is be...

Five things we learned from Orioles spring training

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

After six long weeks of spring training, the Orioles are heading north to play in games that finally count.Most of camp was drama-free, without injuries or transactions disrupting the team’s ramp-up. That slightly changed the final week with injuries to reliever Mychal Givens and catcher James McCann, as well as the decision to start top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez in Triple-A.Before Baltimore begins the season against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, here’s a look at some of what we learned about the Orioles this spring.Grayson Rodriguez isn’t invincibleThe Orioles’ decision to not have Rodriguez open the season on the major league roster was controversial.The move led to questions about the organization’s true motivation for sending him down as well as questions about what the rotation could look like later in the year.What isn’t controversial, though, is the fact that Rodriguez didn’t perform well in camp. The Orioles’ top pi...

City council to declare mayor’s office vacant in first meeting since Tory’s resignation

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

Toronto city council is set to meet for the first time Wednesday since the shocking resignation of former mayor John Tory.One of the item’s on the agenda will be to declare the mayor’s office vacant ahead of the upcoming June byelection. Once the office is officially vacated then a bylaw will be passed requiring a byelection.If approved, nominations for candidates would open on April 3. A number of high-profile candidates have already declared their intention to run for mayor.The mayoral byelection is set for June 26 with advanced voting to begin on June 8.The byelection for a new mayor was triggered after John Tory officially stepped down back on Feb. 17 after announcing he had an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who used to work on his staff.Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie has assumed his duties on an interim basis and has said she will not be among the candidates running to replace him.

Philippine police seize large stash of drugs in tea bags

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

BAGUIO, Philippines (AP) — Philippine police seized more than 500 kilograms (more than half a ton) of suspected methamphetamine concealed in tea bags Wednesday and arrested a suspected Chinese drug dealer in a northern mountain resort city, police officials said.The drug seizure in Baguio city had an estimated street value of 4 billion pesos ($74 million) and was one of the largest in recent years, officials said.A drug syndicate apparently hid the suspected drugs, locally known as shabu, in Baguio, a popular tourism destination known for its mountain scenery and pine trees, and not in metropolitan Manila due to an ongoing anti-drugs crackdown in the capital region, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and police officials said.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June, has vowed to press on with his predecessor’s crackdown against illegal drugs, which left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead, but said it would be done differently and focus more on rehabilit...

Chairman says Gazprom close to maximum gas supply to China

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

BO’AO, China (AP) — Russia’s Gazprom is increasing gas supplies to China and expects soon to reach the maximum planned level through a Siberian pipeline, its chairman said Wednesday, highlighting Beijing’s importance as his country’s top export market in the face of Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.Gazprom is negotiating with China over a possible additional supply project across neighboring Mongolia, Viktor Zubkov said at a government-organized economic forum. He said the company is open to serving other Asian markets.Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government sees Moscow as a diplomatic partner in opposing U.S. domination of global affairs and has refused to criticized its invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has called for a cease-fire and negotiations but not a Russian withdrawal.China’s imports from Russia, mostly oil and gas, surged 31.3% over a year ago in January and February to $18.6 billion. That helps President Vladimir Putin offset lost re...