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UK’s embattled Rishi Sunak ‘entirely confident’ he can win in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

NEW DELHI — Rishi Sunak said he is “fired up” and “entirely confident” he can win the next U.K. general election despite the opposition Labour Party’s commanding 18-point lead in the polls.Speaking to reporters traveling with him to New Delhi for the G20 summit, Sunak said: “I am entirely confident that we can win the next election.”Sunak took office last year after the chaotic and short-lived premiership of his Conservative predecessor Liz Truss. His party is struggling to close the polling gap with Labour but, asked what his message was to Conservatives who have given up hope of winning, Sunak said: “I can tell you — certainly in Downing Street, we are fired up.”“We’ve brought some new people in … that are joining the team because they believe that we will win — they are hungry to win, I am hungry to win, and they are fired up to deliver it.”Sunak announced a shake-up of his Downing Street team last week, appointing former special adviser Jamie Njoku-Goodwin as head of strat...

Severe thunderstorms across Massachusetts damage homes, cars, power lines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

Storms rolled through much of southern New England Friday afternoon, bringing down trees and utility poles while knocking out power for thousands of people.As of 11 p.m., some 47,000 customers were without power across the Bay State alone, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s outage map.Around 79 percent of Andover, totaling more than 11,500 customers, is out of power, and North Andover, Lawrence and Acton are all experiencing significant outages as of 11 p.m.Much of central and western Massachusetts remained under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 p.m., with Middlesex, Essex, Worcester, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties all a part of the watch.In terms of damage, scenes across the region included one in Andover where crews were responding to report of a tree that splintered and fell onto a vehicle. In Maynard, strong winds knocked down trees and electrical poles while in Tewksbury, a tree was completely uprooted and ripped up a sidewalk.This...

Kyle Bradish solid for AL-best Orioles, who beat Red Sox 11-2 to run win streak to 6 games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Kyle Bradish struck out nine batters in six strong innings, Adley Rutschman homered and drove in three runs, and the AL-best Baltimore Orioles beat the fading Boston Red Sox 11-2 on Friday night.After going 5-1 on the western portion of its nine-game trip, Baltimore posted its sixth straight victory and 12th in the last 15 games. The Orioles extended their streak of series without being swept to 85.Ryan O’Hearn also homered for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins had a two-run double during a four-run sixth inning that chased Boston starter Tanner Houck (4-9).Connor Wong hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who have lost three straight and eight of 11. On the fringe of the AL’s wild-card chase, Boston entered the day five games out of the third and final spot.Mixing his fastball, curve and slider, Bradish (11-6) breezed through five scoreless innings with seven Ks, allowing only one hit before giving up two runs on three hits in the sixth.O’Hearn’s homer sailed a few rows behind ...

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum closes on free admission night due to planned climate protest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum closed to visitors Thursday night due to a planned climate protest.More than a thousand people were expected for a free admission night, but officials said threats of a protest were a high risk. “To have to shut the doors was really a hard decision, but on the other hand we don’t want to ever risk their safety, the safety of our staff, or the safety, of course, of the artwork,” said Donna Hardwick with the museum.They abruptly closed four hours early, canceling their popular Free First Thursdays admission program.“We have to just evaluate what the information is as we get it,” Hardwick said.The climate activists were planning to put their artwork in frames in the Dutch Room of the museum. The frames, left empty since 1990, previously held famous Vermeer, Rembrandt and other paintings stolen in the infamous unsolved art heist.“It’s an interesting thought and an interesting piece of theater, but I think it’s just too threatening to the museum,”...

St. John’s Prep responds to Marshfield challenge, 41-20

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

MARSHFIELD — St. John’s Prep title defense began with a victory.Cam LaGrassa rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns as St. John’s Prep overcame a furious second-half comeback from host Marshfield and opened the 2023 season with a 41-20 win on Friday night.Eagles junior quarterback Deacon Robillard threw for two touchdowns.“We’re young in some spots and (Marshfield) is a really good team but we were able to regather the rope once they made a run,” said St. John’s Prep coach Brian St. Pierre. “Our running backs ran hard and the offensive line stepped up.”St. John’s Prep held a 28-0 lead at the break but Marshfield came storming back in the third quarter. Reid Bergamesca hauled in a 34-yard touchdown reception from Tor Maas on the Rams first drive of the half. After a Prep three and out, Davin True got to the outside on a handoff and took off for a 48-yard touchdown run to trim the deficit to 28-13.Moments later, Jake Ekstrom cam...

Barnstable blasts Brockton in Wiggins’ debut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

BROCKTON – Well, that didn’t go as planned in Boxer Country.Barnstable came to town and spoiled the head coaching debut for Jermaine Wiggins with a 49-14 rout over Brockton at a packed Rocky Marciano Stadium.Aiden Kundel was spectacular under center and finished 16-of-23 for 284 yards, throwing three TDs while adding two rushing touchdowns and 54 yards on the ground. The senior quarterback had a successful two-point conversion as the cherry on the Red Hawks’ winning sundae.“We play like a family, and we just kept switching things up and a lot of motions, a lot of shifts, just a lot of stuff to keep them on their toes,” said Kundel.  “We have we have a lot of plays where they give me free range to pick what I want to do, and I trust in my brothers, and we got it done.”In the first half alone, Kundel had a hand in all the Red Hawks’ scores. Kundel was a perfect 5-of-5 on the first drive of the game for 85 yards, which finished with a wide-open post route from Kyle Cogswell in th...

Orioles pound Red Sox, 11-2, backing another Kyle Bradish quality start for 6th straight win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

Before the Orioles played their first game at Fenway Park since the opening series of the season, manager Brandon Hyde remarked on how far his team had come in the five months since.Few players who made that initial trip to Boston have blossomed as much in that time as the right-hander Baltimore sent to the mound for Friday night’s series opener against the Red Sox. In an 11-2 victory, second-year starter Kyle Bradish continued to state his case to be the Orioles’ Game 1 starter come the postseason.Thanks to Bradish’s fifth straight quality start and offensive support that included home runs from Ryan O’Hearn and Adley Rutschman, Baltimore’s lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East remained at four games. Regardless of divisional standings, a playoff berth for the Orioles (89-51) could be guaranteed by the end of their upcoming homestand. They have won six straight and need one win over the next two days for a seventh straight series vic...

Tanner Houck runs out of gas in sixth as Red Sox lose to Orioles 11-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

Coming off Wednesday’s ugly showing in Tampa Bay, the Red Sox offense was looking for a reset. Having struck out 17 times while going 0 for 8 with runner’s in scoring position the club no doubt hoped the off-day and a return to Fenway Park would be just what the doctor ordered.Kyle Bradish had other ideas.The Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher tied the Red Sox in a knot for the majority of Friday night’s series opener. The Red Sox only managed one hit through the first five innings and a familiar combination of poor pitching and sloppy defense by Boston proved too much to overcome in the 11-2 loss.Bradish retired 16 of the first 17 men he faced and didn’t face any meaningful resistance until the sixth, when Connor Wong hit a solo home run and Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner hit a pair of doubles.“His stuff is good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Bradish, who boasts a 3.03 ERA on the season. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the big ...

Man in life-threatening condition after being hit by vehicle in Toronto’s east end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

A man has been rushed to a Toronto trauma centre in life-threatening condition after authorities say he was hit by a vehicle in the city’s east end Friday evening.Emergency crews were called to a property on Biggin Court at Victoria Park Avenue, just north of Eglinton Avenue East, at around 8:40 p.m. with reports a pedestrian was hit.The circumstances leading up to the collision and the exact nature of the injuries weren’t immediately clear.RELATED: OPP reports 8 deaths, more than 7,700 charges over Civic Day holiday weekendToronto police officers said the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. Investigators temporarily closed Victoria Park Avenue near the collision scene in order to gather evidence.It’s not clear what, if any, charges might be laid.COLLISION:(UPDATE)Biggin Crt & Victoria Park Ave– victim's injuries are life threatening – N/B and S/B Victoria Park Ave being re-directed– ongoing investigation#GO2104181^sc— Toron...

Powerful earthquake strikes Morocco, killing hundreds and damaging historic buildings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:33 GMT

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing hundreds of people and damaging buildings and historic landmarks in major cities.Morocco’s Interior Ministry said early Saturday that at least 296 people had died in the provinces near the quake. Additionally, 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust, and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaged. Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city as throbbing club music played.Reports on damage and any casualties often take time to filter in after many earthquakes, particularly those that hit in the middle of the night.Rather than return to concrete buildings, men, women and children stayed out in the streets worried about aftershocks ...