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Claire Coutinho, new UK energy secretary, has distinct shades of green

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

LONDON — Claire Coutinho is in a hurry.Less than four years after being elected MP for East Surrey, the U.K.’s new secretary of state for energy security and net zero finds herself in charge of keeping the lights on in the U.K — and delivering on the country’s legal commitment to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050.It’s a big promotion for the 38-year-old, who has previously held two junior ministerial posts, most recently as minister for children, families and wellbeing. She is the first of the Conservatives’ 2019 election in-take to join the Cabinet. Her rapid ascent sees the U.K.’s six-month old Department for Energy Security and Net Zero switching Grant Shapps, a pugnacious media performer and one of the government’s most experienced figures, for a Tory rising star who some hope will restore the party’s green credentials, at a time when many Tory MPs are questioning the wisdom of the net zero project.A close ally of the prime minister, Coutinho work...

Police: Man crashes car into Hudson, N.H. church, sets fire at entrance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

HUDSON, N.H. — Police say a Salem, N.H. man crashed his car into the First Baptist Church in Hudson, started a fire at the church’s entrance, and attempted to break into a 7-Eleven located next door, all during the early morning hours Saturday.The Hudson Police said the destructive incident was brought to their attention at around 2:30 a.m. when they were flagged down by a man standing in the roadway, near the intersection of Central and Greeley streets.Police said the man, later identified as 29-year-old Matthew Jackson, alerted officers to a fire at the First Baptist Church, located at 236 Central St.Based on an on-scene investigation, police said they developed probable cause to believe Jackson intentionally started the fire at the entrance of the church, “causing extensive fire damage.”With Jackson in custody, an additional investigation was conducted, at which point police said they discovered Jackson had crashed his car — a Nissan Versa — into the side of the church. The crash...

Healey, Fiandaca shed no new light on Secretary’s departure 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey and outgoing Transportation secretary Gina Finadaca appeared together during Wednesday’s tour of the Sumner Tunnel but did not answer multiple questions surrounding Fiandaca’s exit from office after just seven months on the job.In a surprise announcement Monday, the Healey administration said Fiandaca, who served four years as transportation commissioner under former Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, will depart from her post on Sept. 11 and stay in an advisory role for the rest of the year.Related Articles Battenfeld: First major shake-up of Healey administration shrouded in mystery Sumner Tunnel reopens Friday; some weekend shutdowns will persist Top legislative Democrats confident in Healey’s MassDOT as Gina Fiandaca departs Healey’s Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca out after less than a year As an advisor, Fiandaca will continue to collect her $181,722 salary, according to MassDOT.She was appoi...

Man ran over by delivery truck dies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man was killed Wednesday after being ran over by a delivery truck in Miramar, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, a 31-year-old man entered his parked Chevrolet delivery truck around 2 a.m. and began to drive eastbound through the parking lot of 9750 Distribution Ave. 5 things to do Labor Day weekend in San Diego Unbeknownst to the driver, a 28-year-old man was laying down underneath the delivery truck at the time, police explained. Ultimately, the delivery truck ran over the man who was laying underneath it. The injured man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.SDPD's Traffic Division responded and is handling the investigation. During the investigation, police say it was determined the man underneath the vehicle had been consuming alcoholic beverages prior to the incident.Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

5 things to do Labor Day weekend in San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Labor Day weekend is upon us! For those who have yet to make plans for the long holiday, there are plenty of ways to kick back and relax right here in San Diego County.With an Excessive Heat Warning making most of the region sweat in the days ahead of the three-day weekend, many residents may be looking for ways to cool off as they spend their time leisurely. Here are five things to do to kick-off the month of September as we honor all the work and contributions of laborers across the country: Brazilian Day Festival coming to San Diego -- Go paddle boarding: What better way to spend the holiday than out on the water? San Diego County has several ideal spots for paddle boarding such as Mission Bay, La Jolla Shores, Carlsbad Lagoon, or one of the county's many reservoirs. Check ahead to ensure bookings are available.-- Post up at the beach: Sink your toes into the sand at one of San Diego's pristine beaches. This option is for those who don't mind crowds as Labor Day we...

At least 73 are dead, many of them homeless, as fire rips through a rundown building in South Africa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A nighttime fire ripped through a rundown apartment building mainly occupied by homeless people and squatters in Johannesburg, forcing some to throw babies out of third-story windows in a desperate attempt to save them and leaving at least 73 people dead early Thursday, witnesses and emergency services in South Africa’s biggest city said.At least seven of the victims were children, the youngest a 1-year-old, according to an emergency services spokesperson. A South African television station reported that the number had climbed to 12 children dead, although emergency services didn’t immediately confirm that.More than 50 people were injured and emergency services officials warned that the death toll could still rise as they continued to search the scene more than 12 hours after the blaze broke out at around 1 a.m.Dozens of bodies recovered by firefighters lay on a side road outside the apartment block, some in body bags but others covered in silver shee...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens modestly higher but still headed for a loss in August

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening modestly higher on Wall Street, on track to end a mostly miserable August on an up note. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in early Thursday. It’s still on track for its first monthly loss since February. The Dow rose 165 points, or 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.2%. Treasury yields were holding relatively steady. The government reported that the measure of inflation that’s closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained low last month. That’s the latest sign that price increases are cooling. Investors are hoping the Fed may be close to done raising interest rates. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street pushed higher Thursday ahead of new inflation and jobs data that could influence the Federal Reserve and its policy decisions regarding benchmark interest rates. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials rose 0.5% and the S&P 500 advanced 0.2% as more corporate earnings reports trickled in after the bell Wednesda...

Shopify, Amazon strike deal to integrate ‘Buy with Prime’ in Shopify stores

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

TORONTO — Shopify Inc. has reached an agreement with rival Amazon.com Inc. that will allow Shopify merchants to embed Amazon’s logistics capabilities within their Shopify stores.The competing e-commerce companies say the deal centres on an app Amazon will release within Shopify’s ecosystem letting U.S. merchants that use Amazon’s fulfilment network to add Buy with Prime to their Shopify checkout process.Buy with Prime is an Amazon program helping merchants offer speedy shipping on orders made through their own sites by leveraging the Seattle-based business’s behemoth fulfilment network.Before the surprise deal was announced, merchants using Ottawa-based Shopify had to manage Buy with Prime independent of their Shopify stores.When the app is made available to U.S. merchants using Amazon fulfilment over September, the companies say Prime members will land access to fast and free delivery outside of Amazon.com for the first time ever.Shopify president Harley Finkelstein had long ...

Kia recalls cars to fix trunk latch that won’t open from the inside and could trap people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Kia is recalling about 320,000 cars in the U.S. to fix a problem that could prevent the trunk from being opened from the inside.The recall covers the Optima midsize car from 2016 through 2018, Optima hybrids and plug-ins from 2017 and 2018, and the Rio small car from 2016 and 2017.Kia says in documents posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators that the trunk latch base can crack, and may not open from the inside. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a person inside the trunk could become trapped.Dealers will replace part of the trunk latch base. Owners will be notified by letter starting Oct. 19.The Associated Press

German court convicts a Russian man of plotting to kill an exiled Chechen dissident

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:07 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German court on Thursday convicted a Russian man of plotting the murder of an exiled Chechen dissident on orders from a cousin of the Russian republic’s Moscow-backed strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.The Munich state court sentenced the defendant, whom it identified only as Valid D. in line with German privacy rules, to 10 years in prison and also ordered the confiscation of his car. He was convicted of agreeing to commit murder, preparing a serious act of violence and violations of weapons laws.Judges found that a cousin of Kadyrov tasked him with killing an opponent who lives in Germany, Mokhmad Abdurakhmanov. They said the aim was to silence Abdurakhmanov’s elder brother, a prominent opponent of the Chechen government who lives in Sweden and had already been targeted there.The court found that the killing was ordered between March and June 2020, German news agency dpa reported. A court statement said that the defendant tasked another Chechen man, who t...