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Germany aims for a ‘war-ready’ military

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

BERLIN — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is forcing Germany to turn its military into a powerful and well-financed fighting force focused on defending the country and NATO allies, Germany’s chancellor said on Friday.“Today, nobody can seriously doubt what we in Germany have been avoiding for a long time, namely that we need a powerful Bundeswehr,” Olaf Scholz said on the second day of a political-military conference presenting the deep change in Berlin’s strategic thinking. “Our peace order is in danger,” he warned, also mentioning the war between Hamas and Israel and adding that Germany needs “a long-term, permanent change of course.”But to defend Germany and its allies, the German military, or Bundeswehr, “needs to be upgraded for this. Only a Bundeswehr that is so strong … can ultimately prevent the worst from happening,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. “We need a Bundeswehr that can defend itself and wage war in order to ...

EU nature law fight ends in pyrrhic victory for Green Deal defenders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

EU negotiators have finally clinched a political deal on new rules aimed at boosting nature restoration across the bloc, saving the legislation from a conservative-led campaign to kill it. But if green-minded politicians let out a sigh of relief after months of campaigning and hours of negotiations on Thursday, the final deal is bittersweet as it came at a high price: major concessions to the center-right European People’s Party. The largest group in the European Parliament and the most vocal critic of the bill aimed at restoring the EU’s damaged ecosystems, the EPP, over the past year led a tough campaign against the legislation, claiming it would hurt Europe’s farmers and put the bloc’s food security at risk. It successfully weakened the Parliament’s position going into the talks, where it pushed to water down key aspects even further.Writing on X after the deal was reached, German MEP Peter Liese celebrated that what had been “a piranha” is ...

Massachusetts historic signs to be covered up in Concord due to their ‘offensive’ nature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

Concord officials are covering up signs that have stood in town for nearly a century because they say the plaques have lost their appeal and are offensive to Indigenous people.In 1930, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission distributed three markers to the town as part of an initiative recognizing the 300th anniversary of the original colony’s founding.The Select Board this week voted to cover up the signs, a step that officials say was needed to create a more respectful community for all.The signs convey what life was like close to four centuries ago when settlers founded the town in 1635. But officials say the markers don’t accurately represent the history nor the people who live and visit Concord today.Officials had yet to cover the signs as of Wednesday. The markers highlight an oak tree that settlers bought from Indians for the town’s incorporation, the site of an Indian fishing weir and a slope where settlers built their first dwellings.Select Board member Mark H...

Cape Cod man charged with 11 counts of rape involving 3 women

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

A Cape Cod man is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail after being charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting three different women in his garage, which also served as his home office.Barry Viprino, 42, of Harwich, was arraigned in Orleans District Court Thursday on 11 charges of rape, one count of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years old or older and illegally possessing a large-capacity firearm.The charges are across two different cases: one involving a woman prosecutors are calling Victim 1 who brought the allegations against Viprino and another involving two other women who came forward with their own allegations during the police investigation into the first woman’s allegations.Victim 1 said that she was in Viprino’s garage/home office in August when he locked the door and pulled up his shirt to reveal a gun before telling her to take off her clothes and lay down on the couch. She told police she did as she was told out of fear and that Viprino then sexually assaul...

Healey will stop announcing out-of-state travel plans to public

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey traveled to North Carolina last month without disclosing her trip and, in confirming the travel, her office said that it will no longer tell the public in advance when Healey is traveling out of state because of unspecified “security concerns.”A disclosure that Healey filed last month with the State Ethics Commission, which was made available to the News Service on Thursday morning, revealed that Healey planned to travel to Asheville, N.C., for a Democratic Governors Association meeting on Oct. 2 and 3, and that the DGA would foot the estimated $1,341.30 bill for Healey’s travel. The trip was never mentioned on any of Healey’s public schedules and was not disclosed at the time.In response to questions about the governor’s apparent trip to North Carolina, a Healey spokesperson said the administration will no longer publicly announce when the governor travels. Until that trip, Healey’s office regularly informed the press before the...

Bill Belichick addresses ‘personal’ Patriots player absences from Germany trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany — Three Patriots players didn’t make the trip to Germany for the team’s Week 10 matchup with the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium, and two of those three were listed as having “personal” matters.Left tackle Trent Brown was ruled out Thursday with an ankle injury and a personal issue. Cornerback J.C. Jackson, who was disciplined in the Patriots’ Week 9 loss to the Commanders for being tardy to the team hotel, didn’t make the trip for a lack of dependability.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick sees Patriots rookie Kayshon Boutte ‘trending in the right direction’ New England Patriots | Patriots look healthy at lone Germany practice before international game New England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: What is Mac Jones’ future beyond 2023 season? New England Patriots | Patriots offense gets bad news before flight to Germany New England Patriots | ...

3 teens arrested after a suspected hate-motivated ‘violent attack’ in downtown Toronto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

Three teens are in custody after allegedly “violently” attacking someone in an incident believed to be motivated by hate towards the 2SLGBTQ+ community.Police say a victim was in the area of Yonge and Wellesley streets around 1 p.m. Wednesday when they became “concerned with the treatment of a group of young women and intervened to check on their well-being.”It is alleged the victim got into an argument with a group and was physically attacked by three suspects. The victim was left with serious injuries.Police arrested two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old and charged them with assault causing bodily harm.“After consultation with the service’s specialized hate crime unit, the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence,” reads a Toronto police release.The three youths are scheduled to appear in court in January.Anyone with more information about the incident is asked to contact police.

Fans push Fisher-Price Corn Popper into toy HOF, with NERF, Cabbage Patch Kids, baseball cards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Fans have pushed the Fisher-Price Corn Popper into the National Toy Hall of Fame, elevating it from perpetual finalist to 2023 inductee, alongside baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF foam toys, the Hall of Fame announced Friday.The Fisher-Price push toy that encourages babies to walk was chosen by fans, who were invited to celebrate the Toy Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary by voting for one of five toys that had made it to the finals more than once but were passed over. The rest of the so-called “Forgotten Five” included the pogo stick, My Little Pony, PEZ dispensers and Transformers.Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF toys were voted in in the usual way from among a field of 12 finalists, with input from a panel of experts. Those finalists included Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, who didn’t make the cut despite a big boost in visibility from the summer “Barbie” movie. “These four deserving inductees represent a great blend of types o...

Mattress retailer Sleep Country reports Q3 profit down from year ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

TORONTO — Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as it saw pockets of softness in consumer demand, particularly on larger ticket items.Sleep Country chief executive Stewart Schaefer says the company was pleased with the performance amid an evolving environment, as high interest rates and inflation continue to affect consumer confidence. The mattress retailer says its net income attributable to the company amounted to $24.7 million for the quarter, down from $28.9 million in the same quarter last year.The profit amounted to 70 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from 79 cents per diluted share a year earlier.Revenues rose to $255.7 million compared with $251.0 million a year earlier, but same-store sales fell 5.5 per cent.On an adjusted basis, Sleep Country says it earned 76 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of 89 cents per diluted share a year earlier.This report by The Ca...

Four Ontario municipalities turn down strong mayor powers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:50 GMT

Several Ontario municipalities have turned down the province’s offer of strong mayor powers because of concerns either with housing targets the government has tied to them, or worries that the powers would lend themselves to a “dictatorship.”The Progressive Conservative government has assigned housing targets to 50 municipalities — their portion of the 1.5 million homes that Premier Doug Ford has promised to get built by 2031. Ontario is currently well behind the pace needed to accomplish that goal.As long as the municipality formally commits to their target through a housing pledge, the province will grant them strong mayor powers, which include allowing the head of council to propose housing-related bylaws and pass them with the support of one-third of councillors, override council approval of certain bylaws, and prepare their city’s budget, instead of council.The province has framed the powers as a way to get more housing built quickly.But some of the mayors with those powers hav...