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Rishi Sunak walks away from leadership pledge to close China-backed Confucius Institutes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. government won’t shut down Chinese-state sponsored Confucius Institutes across the country despite a Conservative leadership pledge made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.A British government spokesman confirmed Wednesday it would be “disproportionate” to ban the 30 institutes, which promote and teach Chinese culture and Mandarin language and which are attached to universities across the U.K.Sunak had promised to close all of them during his first run for the Conservative leadership in July 2022, arguing that they serve as a tool to promote Chinese soft power.“We recognise concerns about overseas interference in our higher education sector, including through Confucius Institutes, and regularly assess the risks facing academia,” the spokesman said. “We are taking action to remove any government funding from Confucius Institutes in the U.K., but currently judge that it would be disproportionate to ban them.”The U-turn, first reported by TalkTV, has already infuriated som...

Inflation? Don’t blame us, says bank chief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

LONDON — Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hit back at critics of the central bank’s record on Wednesday, insisting that it shouldn’t be blamed for rampant inflation.“Even if we had had the benefit of full hindsight in the run-up to the war in Ukraine, and ample advanced warning,” Bailey said in a keynote speech to the British Chambers of Commerce, “then in order to keep inflation at around 2 percent, we would have had to raise Bank Rate well into double digits, sending unemployment much higher than it is today, and we would have had to do so in the middle of the worst pandemic in more than a century.”Bailey is due in parliament on Thursday to face questions from the Treasury Select Committee on the impact of the Bank’s ‘quantitative easing’ policies over the last decade, which some economists argue has played a large role in preparing the ground for last year’s surge in prices. The Bank has already tried to push back ...

EU Commission delays flagship Green Deal package

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

The European Commission has delayed four key pieces of Green Deal legislation, according to the new Commission program seen by POLITICO. With European elections now set for June 6-9, 2024, the holdup will increase pressure on Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission to push through its green agenda before the clock runs down on its mandate.The executive will not publish the food and biodiversity package until July 5 — a month later than originally planned. This package includes a new Soil Health Law, regulation on plants produced by new genomic techniques (NGTs) and revisions of the food waste and textiles aspects in the EU Waste Framework Directive and of legislation on seeds and other plant and forest reproductive material. The delay comes as the EU’s green policies face pushback from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), which has been pitching itself as a defender of farmers ahead of next year’s vote.The conservative party recently adopted a resolution re...

New Yorker wins big in Bay State after buying winning Lucky for Life ticket at Hannaford supermarket in Waltham

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

A man from New York who stopped by a grocery store for popsicles ended up with a winning Lucky for Life ticket and a nearly $400,000 prize.Robert Ayebale, who hails from Willsboro, New York, won big after the first five numbers on his Quic Pic ticket matched the digits selected during a May 10 drawing.According to the Massachusetts State Lottery, Ayebale works as a private aid and bought the ticket after he had stopped at the Hannaford supermarket in Waltham to buy popsicles for the person he works for.That ticket ended up having the right combination for the game’s $25,000 a year for life prize.According to lottery officials, Ayebale opted for the prize’s cash option and received a one-time payment of $390,000 (before taxes). He also said he hoped to use the money to buy a house and help his community.The Hannaford supermarket on Russell Street also received a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Two suspects arrested in connection with violent robbery in Manchester, NH

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

Police in Manchester took two men into custody following a violent robbery that happened in the city earlier in the month.Officials said David Hoffens, 30, and Adrian Hardisty, 26, were arrested in connection with a theft that occurred on May 2, involving a victim who was assaulted on Calef Road.According to the department, it was around 9 p.m. when the victim was walking through the area and was approached from behind by an SUV. Police said two males exited the vehicle and proceeded to grab the victim, drag him to the ground, and assault him before taking the victim’s iPhone and other items and driving away.“Through the course of the investigation, Manchester Police were able to identify the two suspects as 30-year-old David Hoffens and 26-year-old Adrian Hardisty, both of Manchester,” the department stated in a news release.Both suspects were arrested and charged with Felony Robbery. Police also discovered Hardisty had multiple warrants for his arrest, with charg...

Blue Jays bring Aaron Judge, coaching suspicions to MLB, but Yankees not expecting investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

TORONTO — A night after Aaron Judge’s wandering eyes drew suspicions from Blue Jays broadcasters and manager John Schneider, Major League Baseball is aware of Toronto’s concerns.Schneider said Toronto talked to the league about Yankees coaches being out of place — such as first base coach Travis Chapman being well outside the box to the side of first base so that he could relay pitches — in Monday’s series opener. This happened after broadcasters Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez noticed Judge looking away from the mound before clobbering a 462-foot home run in the Yankees’ Monday win.Judge and Aaron Boone claimed that the slugger looked toward the Yankees’ dugout because peers were still “chirping” at home plate umpire Clint Vondrak after Boone was ejected, which annoyed Judge as he tried to focus on his at-bat.“I’m kind of looking like, ‘Who’s still talking?’ It’s 6-0,” Judge said Mon...

Police conduct homicide investigation at Campland on the Bay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A homicide investigation is underway at Campland on the Bay near Pacific Beach, the San Diego Police Department said.Authorities say an incident occurred around 10 p.m. Tuesday night at Pacific Beach Drive. The RV resort offers waterfront RV and tent camping, according to its website. Explosion in Tijuana injures 20, three in critical condition Authorities are at the scene with a police presence seen directly behind the gates at Campland on the Bay.FOX 5 is on the scene and is working to confirm more information surrounding the circumstances of the investigation. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Convicted murderer escapes from federal prison in Kingston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

Police are searching for a man who escaped from a minimum-security unit at a federal prison in Kingston, Ont.The Correctional Service of Canada says staff discovered Joshua Kenneth Kohl, 42, was missing during a formal count at the Collins Bay Institution on Tuesday.The correctional service says Kingston Police were contacted immediately and a warrant has been issued for the man’s arrest.The service says it will investigate and is working with police to locate him “as quickly as possible.”He is serving an indeterminate sentence for second-degree murder at the multi-level federal prison.The Ontario Provincial Police issued a wanted notice for the man, who is described as about six feet tall, 160 pounds, with short brown hair, a receding hairline, blue eyes, a pockmarked face and glasses.

The likelihood that Earth briefly hits key warming threshold grows bigger and closer, UN forecasts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

There’s a two-out-of-three chance that the world will temporarily hit a key warming limit within the next five years, the United Nations weather agency said Wednesday.But it likely would only be a fleeting and less worrisome flirtation with the internationally agreed upon temperature threshold. Scientists expect a temporary burst of heat from El Nino — a naturally-occurring weather phenomenon — to supercharge human-caused warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas to new heights. Temperatures are expected to then slip back down a bit.The World Meteorological Organization forecasts a 66% likelihood that between now and 2027, the globe will have a year that averages 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the mid 19th century.That number is critical because the 2015 Paris climate agreement set 1.5 degrees Celsius as a global guardrail in atmospheric warming, with countries pledging to try to prevent that much long-term warming if possible. Scientists in a spe...

Former Pakistani premier Imran Khan says police are surrounding his home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:17 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday that police were surrounding his house in an upscale area of the eastern city of Lahore and he could be arrested.However, police said they were surrounding the home because dozens of people linked to last week’s violent attacks on public property and military installations were hiding there.“Probably my last tweet before my next arrest. Police have surrounded my house,” Khan wrote on Twitter.The development comes hours after Amir Mir, a spokesman for the Punjab provincial government, said Khan has 24 hours to hand over 40 suspects allegedly hiding at his home or face a police raid. He told a news conference that so far 3,400 suspects have been arrested and more raids were underway.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The following is AP’s earlier story. Pakistani authorities on Wednesday pressed on with efforts to try civilians involved in recent anti-government protests before military courts despite appea...