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Britain’s COVID inquiry wants ministers to swear they don’t have Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

LONDON — British politics is having another normal one.The U.K’s official inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic wants a top government department to prove it doesn’t possess Boris Johnson’s notebooks or WhatsApp messages, amid a bitter row over the disclosure of the ex-PM’s material.The public inquiry’s chair, Heather Hallett, has been embroiled in a dispute with the Cabinet Office even before the probe’s formal hearings have begun. Hallett has requested un-redacted information about Johnson’s handling of the pandemic, but the Cabinet Office argues much of what it’s being asked to hand over is “unambiguously irrelevant to the Inquiry’s work.”A fresh twist came Tuesday when the inquiry said it had been informed by the Cabinet Office that it does not possess either Johnson’s messages or his notebooks. Hallett wants proof.In a notice on the inquiry website, Hallett said that if the Cabinet Office is sticking to that story...

Police: Man dies after losing balance, falling under Green Line train at North Station

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

A man died after losing his balance and falling underneath a Green Line trolley at the MBTA’s North Station early Tuesday morning, officials said.Officers responding to a report of a person struck by an outbound trolley around 12:18 a.m. conducted an investigation and determined the man tried to kick the side of a moving trolley that was departing the station and fell underneath it as it was leaving, according to a transit police spokesman.He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.In a statement, a transit police spokesman said, “On behalf of the entire MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to family, friends and loved ones of the decedent.”No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Friends, family mourn woman killed in Fall River car wash shooting as suspect faces murder charge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

Family and friends of a New Bedford woman who was fatally shot at a car wash in Fall River on Monday afternoon came together in grief to light candles and honor the memory of their loved one taken too soon.Officers responding to a reported shooting at the Globe Car Wash on Broadway around 12:30 p.m. found Jessenia Simmons, 45, of New Bedford, dead in one of the car wash bays, according to the Bristol District Attorney’s Office.Angelo O. Leo, 33, initially fled from the scene of the shooting but turned himself in to police in Tiverton, Rhode Island, about a half-hour later, officials said. It’s unclear when he will be arraigned on a murder charge in Fall River District Court.

Rights group says Uyghur student reported to be missing in Hong Kong did not travel to city

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Amnesty International said Tuesday that a Uyghur student who it had said was missing in Hong Kong after being interrogated did not travel to the city, easing concerns over his safety but raising questions over how the allegations first emerged. The human rights group said last Friday that Abuduwaili Abudureheman, who was born in Xinjiang in western China, had traveled to Hong Kong from South Korea to visit a friend on May 10 and had not been heard from since he texted his friend about being questioned at the city’s airport. But Amnesty International said the student told the group on Tuesday that he did not travel to Hong Kong, “contrary to previous information received.” “We are pleased that Abuduwaili Abudureheman is accounted for,” it said. “We will continue to strive to offer support to people who reach out to us when they believe they or their loved ones are at risk of human rights violations.” It did not provide further details about what had ha...

Tesla’s Musk meets Chinese foreign minister, who calls for ‘mutual respect’ in US-China relations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s foreign minister met Tesla Ltd. CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday and said strained U.S.-Chinese relations require “mutual respect,” while delivering a message of reassurance that foreign companies are welcome.U.S.-Chinese relations are especially tense after Washington shot down a Chinese balloon believed to be gathering intelligence and warned Beijing against supplying arms to Russia for its war against Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported China has rejected a request for its defense minister to meet the U.S. defense secretary when both are in Singapore this weekend.“We need to keep the steering wheel in the right direction of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” Qin Gang told Musk, according to a ministry statement.The two sides should “avoid ‘dangerous driving,’ ” Qin said. He gave no details of steps to improve relations.Musk’s visit comes at a time when the ruling Communist Party is trying to revive investor interest in China&...

Resolute Forest Products signs deal to sell pulp and paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

MONTREAL — Resolute Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Domtar Corp. and a part of the Paper Excellence Group, has signed a deal to sell its pulp and paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ont., to an affiliate of U.S. company Atlas Holdings.Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.The sale of the mill is a requirement under an agreement between Domtar and the Competition Bureau in connection to the company’s acquisition of Resolute, which will continue to operate its sawmills and woodlands operations in northwestern Ontario. Resolute says once the sale of the mill is complete it expects to enter into a long-term wood chip and biomass supply deal that will see it continue to provide chips and biomass to the operation.The agreement is expected to close in the second half of the year and is subject to closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals.Paper Excellence completed its acquisition of Resolute through its Domtar subsidiary on March 1.This report by T...

Norway says Beluga whale with apparent Russian-made harness swims south to Sweden

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norwegian authorities said Tuesday that a beluga whale, which was first spotted in Arctic Norway four years ago with an apparent Russian-made harness and alleged to have come from a Russian military facility, has been seen off Sweden’s coast nearly 2,000 kilometers (around 1,250 miles) to the south.“During the last few weeks, it has moved quickly and swam several hundred kilometers” before reaching waters off Sweden’s west coast, Olav Lekve of the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries said.He said it has been reported off Lysekill, which sits north of Goteborg, Sweden’s second-largest city. There was no immediate comment from Swedish authorities.Last week, the white mammal was spotted in the inner Oslo fjord where the directorate urged people to avoid contact with the animal to ensure its safety and wellbeing. Whale-watchers in Norway have nicknamed it Hvaldimir, combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the Russian first nam...

Overnight fire at Austrian hospital kills 3 patients, cause unclear

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Three patients died in a fire that broke out overnight at a hospital in a town just outside Vienna, Austrian authorities said Tuesday.The blaze started in a fourth-floor room at the hospital in Moedling, and rescuers were unable to save three men who were in that room, Matthias Hofer, a spokesman for Lower Austria province’s health agency, told the Austria Press Agency.It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire, which authorities were alerted to shortly before 1 a.m. and that filled the internal medicine ward with smoke. Around 90 patients were evacuated, with some being moved to other parts of the hospital and others transferred to a clinic in nearby Baden.The fire was extinguished by 3 a.m.The Associated Press

One in hospital after TTC bus collision in Scarborough

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

One person has been transported to hospital after a collision between a TTC bus and a vehicle on Tuesday morning.COLLISION:Lawrence Ave E & Ling Rd6:57 am-TTC bus and vehicle involved-all e/b lanes blocked at Lawrence and Ling Rd–@Toronto_Fire & @TorontoMedics enroute–@TTCnotices advised-police o/s-unknown injuries#GO1218534^sc— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) May 30, 2023Toronto police arrived on scene just before 7:00 a.m. after a TTC bus collided with a vehicle in the Lawrence Avenue East and Ling Road area.Emergency services tell CityNews they have transported one female to local hospital with relatively minor injuries.All eastbound lanes are blocked at Lawrence Avenue and Ling Road.

At least 17 civilians killed by extremist rebels in eastern Congo

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:16:13 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — At least 17 people were killed by extremist rebels in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province, local authorities said. Civilians were killed by fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces — believed to be linked with the Islamic State group — in the Bambuba-kisiki area in Beni territory, said Sabiti Njiamoja, a deputy to the local governor, on Monday. “We buried 10 bodies on Sunday. The victims are civilians killed by ADF between Thursday and Friday in Kainana. Seven others were found on Monday,” he said. Conflict has been simmering for decades in eastern Congo, where more than 120 armed groups are fighting. Most are vying for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, while some groups are trying to protect their communities.Since last April, ADF attacks have killed at least 370 civilians and several hundred people have been abducted, including a significant number of children, according to the UN. The group also extended its area of operations to Gom...