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Editorial: China not credible peacemaker in Ukraine war

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

Whatever else it produced, this week’s visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow did not advance the cause of a just peace in Ukraine. If anything, Xi’s cordial courtship of Vladimir Putin provided the Russian president with a publicity coup days after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and a key minister alleging they committed war crimes.Under Xi, the People’s Republic of China has asserted itself on the international stage. For example, leveraging its economic influence, China recently brokered a resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a potentially positive development for peace and stability in the Middle East. But given its ever-closer relationship with Russia, China cannot credibly play the role of peacemaker in Ukraine.Its 12-point peace plan — which Putin praised on Tuesday — says that the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld.” But its call for a “compr...

Homes torched in Scituate fire on Minot Beach

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

The morning will show that multiple homes have burned to the ground in Scituate after flames jumped from house to house in the Minot Beach area.Scituate, Hanover, Hull, Duxbury, Rockland, Plymouth and Hanson firefighters all responded.MEMA’s Plymouth County coordinator was on scene and the plume from the blazes could be seen on radar.Scituate fire Chief John Murphy estimated that the fire started sometime between 7:30 p.m. and when first responders were notified just after 7:50 p.m. Friday. “Upon arrival, we had three homes well underway with flames,” Murphy told WCVB. “Everybody was evacuated.”Homes burn along the Glades section of Minot beach at a multi alarm fire on March 24, 2023 in , Scituate, MA. . (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)Homes burn along the Glades section of Minot beach at a multi alarm fire on March 24, 2023 in , Scituate, MA. . (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)Homes burn along the Glades section of Minot beach at a multi alarm fire on March 2...

Dear Abby: Daughter wrecks marriage & moves on

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

Dear Abby: My daughter, “Maddie,” 34, just left what I thought was a great marriage. After only five years, she cheated on her husband, “Glenn.” Their 6-year-old son is crushed. I know there are two sides to every story, but our entire family loves Glenn. He’s a hard worker, but quiet and kind of a homebody.I think poor communication and lack of excitement were her issues with him. (She refuses to talk with me about the situation, so I’m surmising based on what I know of them both.) This was their first marriage, but ever since high school, Maddie had a long string of boyfriends. Most of them seemed to be nice guys (she’s had a few duds), but when Maddie’s dad and I got to know them and became fond of them, she’d dump them.I think Maddie is upset with me because I can’t warm up to her newest guy. When she started cheating with him, he was also married. (He’s now divorced.) He’s a good bit older than she is, and ...

Bank failures and rescue test Yellen’s decades of experience

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Working against the clock to stop a developing banking crisis, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had until sunset on Sunday, March 12, to come up with a plan to calm the U.S. economy. She quickly turned to someone who had been through the fire before, and on a much larger scale: Hank Paulson. Paulson, who ran the Treasury Department during the financial crisis in 2008, counseled immediate government action. “It’s really hard to stop or even slow down a bank run. And to do that requires a powerful and quick government response,” Paulson said, recounting what he told Yellen. A bank run on Silicon Valley Bank had begun earlier in the week. Regulators took it over by that Friday afternoon. The move panicked shareholders and depositors, stirring stark reminders of earlier failures that triggered the Great Recession. Perhaps no treasury secretary has come to the office with Yellen’s ample resume, including service as the chair of the Federal Reserve and a lifetime of...

Trump rallying supporters in Waco ahead of possible charges

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

WACO, Texas (AP) — Staring down a possible indictment, a defiant Donald Trump is hoping to put on a show of force Saturday as he holds the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.The former president will gather with supporters at an airport in Waco, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the Waco massacre next month. In 1993, an attempted raid by law enforcement of a compound belonging to the Branch Davidians, a religious cult, resulted in a shootout that led to a 51-day siege, ending in a blaze that left dozens dead.The rally comes as Trump has berated prosecutors, encouraged protests and raised the prospect of possible violence should he become the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. Some of his recent rhetoric has echoed language he used before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters seeking to stop the transfer of power.“What kind of perso...

Bolsonaro’s legal woes deepen with undeclared diamond gifts

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Undeclared diamond jewelry brought into Brazil from Saudi Arabia has deepened the legal jeopardy of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. An investigation into two sets of jewels reportedly worth millions is only the latest scandal threatening the far-right politician. But an extensive paper trail and even videos could make the case particularly daunting for Bolsonaro.WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE DIAMONDS?Federal police and prosecutors are investigating whether Bolsonaro tried to sneak two sets of expensive diamond jewelry into Brazil without paying taxes — and whether he improperly sought to prevent the items from being incorporated into the presidency’s public collection. Authorities are also looking into whether he enlisted public officials to try to bypass customs.The first set of jewels, composed of earrings, a necklace, a ring and a watch by Swiss brand Chopard, arrived in Brazil in October 2021 through Sao Paulo’s international airport with an adviser to ...

Greene’s DC jail visit pulls GOP closer to Jan. 6 rioters

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan. 6 defendants, with Republican lawmakers handshaking and high-fiving the prisoners, who chanted “Let’s Go Brandon!” — a coded vulgarity against President Joe Biden — as the group left.A day earlier Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with the mother of slain rioter Ashli Babbitt, a Navy veteran who was shot and killed by police as she tried to climb through a broken window during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.And the House Republican leader recently gave Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to a trove of Jan. 6 surveillance tapes despite the conservative commentator’s airing of conspiracy theories about the Capitol attack.Taken together, the House Republicans can be seen as working steadily but intently to distort the facts of the deadly riot, which played out for the world to see when Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol, and in t...

Renamed Horseshoe to host Poker World Series on Vegas Strip

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A name paired with poker and Las Vegas lore now has a place on the neon-lit Strip following the rebranding of an iconic hotel with a memorable history at a crossroads shared with some of the most recognizable casinos in the world.The Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and its corporate owner, Caesars Entertainment Corp., hosted ceremonies Friday to mark the name change from Bally’s Las Vegas, before it again hosts the upcoming 54th annual World Series of Poker.“Not only are we excited for guests to experience the redesigned resort and its latest offerings, but we are also proud to reintroduce the historic gaming brand to Las Vegas,” Jason Gregorec, Horseshoe senior vice president and general manager, said in a statement.The 2,800-room property once was the MGM Grand Hotel, where a historic fire in 1980 killed 87 people. It was Bally’s Las Vegas for 36 years. Renovations and renaming harken back to Binion’s Horseshoe, a hotel and gambling hall in down...

Tatum: Celtics need Brown to be ‘best version of ourselves’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have operated at their best when All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both being playing their best basketball at the same time.Whether that partnership can endure long enough for them to lead the franchise to an 18th NBA title has been the persistent question surrounding the Celtics each of the past two seasons as rumors have swirled about Boston’s willingness to possibly trade Brown for more high-profile stars.It included this past offseason when reports surfaced about possible trade discussions between Boston and Brooklyn after Kevin Durant levied a trade request. Brown has been consistent in saying he has not let any of the rumors be a distraction for him on the court, as evidenced him averaging career highs in points (26.7) and rebounds this season. He had 27 points and seven rebounds in the Celtics’ 120-95 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, helping Boston stay in the hunt to catch Milwaukee for the top seed in the Eastern Confe...

Longhorns are Elite: Texas runs away from Xavier in Sweet 16 with 83-71 win

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:31:38 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KXAN) — Down one of their stars in the postseason, the Texas Longhorns didn't waver and plowed past the Xavier Musketeers 83-71 in the Sweet 16 on Friday at T-Mobile Center.Texas, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, will take on No. 5 seed Miami on Sunday in the Elite Eight for a spot in the Final Four. The Hurricanes upset No. 1 seed Houston 89-75, and all four No. 1 seeds in the tournament were eliminated before the Elite Eight. Texas forward Timmy Allen drives to the basket past Xavier forward Jerome Hunter in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Texas head coach Rodney Terry yells in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game against Xavier in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Texas forward Timmy Allen shoots over Xavier forward Jerome Hunter...