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Tony Blair’s Labour rehabilitation continues as he shares stage with Keir Starmer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

LONDON — Look away, Labour left: Tony Blair is in fashion again.The former prime minister’s rehabilitation back into a party that once struggled to speak his name seemed complete on Tuesday as he shared a stage with current Labour leader Keir Starmer.In a cosy chat at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel just across the river from the Houses of Parliament, Blair and Starmer ended the day by congratulating each other on what a good job each had done. A major row between Starmer and some parts of his party over social security got only a cursory mention — although Starmer did use the opportunity to hit back at his internal critics.“We keep saying, collectively, as a party, we’ve got to make tough decisions,” Starmer told Blair, who was interviewing him to cap a day’s conference for his Institute for Global Change think tank. “And in the abstract everyone says, ‘That’s right Keir.’ But then we make tough decisions — and we’v...

US soldier crossed into North Korea ‘willfully and without authorization,’ officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

A junior enlisted U.S. soldier willfully crossed the border from South Korea to North Korea without authorization Tuesday, four U.S. officials and one person with knowledge of the incident confirmed to POLITICO.The soldier was on a civilian tour of the Demilitarized Zone, according to Col. Isaac Taylor of United States Forces Korea Public Affairs, and not on duty at the time. The soldier “willfully and without authorization” separated from the group and crossed the demarcation line, he said.“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” Taylor said.The soldier was observed running toward North Korea and being taken in to custody,said a person familiar with the incident who, like others quoted for this story, was granted anonymity to speak openly.The U.S. has already spoken with South Korea about the incident and plans to coordinate with Sweden, the U.S.’s interlocutors with North Korea, the same person said.The ...

Grilled by lawmakers, Vestager defends chief economist appointment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

BRUSSELS — European antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager faced lawmakers on Tuesday, fielding criticism and questions in Parliament over the controversial appointment of American Fiona Scott Morton to be the EU’s new chief competition economist.The Commission executive vice president was unequivocal in defending the appointment: “I would never ever ask the [College of Commissioners] to appoint a person I do not trust 100 percent,” she said.“I understand there are two aspects in the view of some that put [the choice] in question: She is an American citizen and possible [conflicts of interest],” Vestager said before the ECON Committee, summing up much of the opposition to the appointment, which has from come from some Commission officials and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others. Vestager said there were “not that many people in the world who fit this very specific role” and who were willing and able to take a temporary post in Brussels. As...

Parliament shouts, pounds table over ‘opaque’ Tunisia migrant deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

BRUSSELS — Are we not part of “Team Europe”?That’s essentially what European Parliament members fumed Tuesday as they shouted, banged their fists and grilled a top European Commission official over a recent deal with Tunisia to stem migrants coming to Europe.For an hour, they pestered EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson over the deal, which offers Tunisia millions to prop up its government, border agency and various industries in exchange for the country’s help in preventing migrants from making the journey to Europe.At the core of their anger was the fact that a trio of EU figures — European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch leader Mark Rutte — had sealed the deal.The EU billed the squad as “Team Europe,” a Brussels Bubble term for team-ups between the EU executive and national governments. But MEPs said the branding had just exposed three leaders freelancing on everyone’s be...

The incredible shrinking summit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

It could have been like getting back together with an old flame — but then Moscow ruined the date.The EU-Latin America summit, the first in eight years, was meant to symbolize a revived relationship. Dozens of leaders from both regions gathered in Brussels over two days to discuss issues from climate change, to trade, to drug violence. In a sign of their renewed ties, they agreed to meet every two years in future.But haggling over Russia’s war in Ukraine — a geopolitical must for the EU — also exposed their irreconcilable differences.During weeks of wrangling over the final summit communiqué, drafts went from condemning Russia’s war of aggression “in the strongest possible terms,” to merely expressing “concern.” The final version published on Tuesday — which had shrunk to 9 pages from 16 pages previously — finally expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing war against Ukraine.One country, named by several EU officials as Nicaragua, did not endorse the declaration “d...

Hundreds of New England officers honor one of their own: 19-year-old who died in car chase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

A 19-year-old Vermont police officer who died in a head-on collision with a burglary suspect she was pursuing was remembered Tuesday as a young woman who was passionate about law enforcement and public service and was devoted to her family.More than 1,000 people, including Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and hundreds of law enforcement officers from across New England and New York, attended the funeral service for Jessica Ebbighausen. She was hired in May as a part-time police officer in Rutland. She died July 7.“We don’t see a lot of young people that want to do this job anymore, but Jessica did,” said Rutland Sgt. Heath Plemmons, addressing the crowd at the Vermont State University campus in Castleton. “She prepared herself. She put in a lot of effort. It was her dream.“Jessica died a hero that day,” said Plemmons, who was her supervisor. “She saved lives. She went towards the danger instead of going the other way.”According to police, the suspect, identified as Tate Rhea...

Quick Fix: Thai Lamb Satay takes little effort with premade peanut sauce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service (TNS)I love lamb satay with a spicy peanut sauce but didn’t want to take the time to make my own sauce. So I was delighted to find a bottle of the sauce at the market. This meant that I could make the satay with very little effort. The lamb only cooks for about 10 minutes on two skewers. Tender lamb cubes cut from the leg of lamb are perfect for this recipe. If you use other cuts of lamb, let them marinate for about 5 minutes longer.Tip for making a satay or kebab: Leave about 1 inch between each lamb cube on the skewer so the heat can reach all sides of the meat.Helpful Hints:— In case you prefer to make your own peanut sauce, I’ve given a recipe below.— You can make the lamb on a stovetop grill or under a broiler. If using a broiler, place the skewers on a sheet pan.Countdown:— Marinate the lamb.— While the lamb marinates, prepare the remaining ingredients and microwave the rice.Shopping List:To buy: 3/4 pound lamb cubes cut from the leg o...

Trump and his legal woes overshadow DeSantis as he rolls out military policy plan in South Carolina

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

By MEG KINNARD and MICHELLE L. PRICE (Associated Press)WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a brief news conference Tuesday as part of a shift in strategy for his presidential campaign, but the governor took only four questions, almost all of which centered on the party’s front-runner, Donald Trump.DeSantis’ day on the campaign trail in South Carolina was supposed to be focused on his filing paperwork for South Carolina’s Republican primary and on the rollout of a policy plan for the military, followed by a news conference and a CNN interview later Tuesday.But shortly before DeSantis’ event was scheduled to start, Trump, as he often does, overshadowed the day. The Republican former president broke the news on his social media network that he’d been informed he is a target of the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.DeSantis’ attempt to change the ...

Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

Cate Deventer | Bankrate.com (TNS)While established trees may be a draw when house shopping, they can also cause damage to your property. Regular tree maintenance isn’t typically covered by home insurance, but damage from trees that occurs during a storm or other covered peril may be eligible for coverage. Our insurance editorial team breaks down the ins and outs of tree removal coverage to help you manage your property’s green space.How can trees damage my property?While having trees on your property can be aesthetically pleasing, trees do come with maintenance costs and can even cause damage to the home in a number of ways, including:— Damage to roofs: Tree limbs that overhang your home can be knocked down during storms, damaging your roof and even falling into your house.— Damage to siding: Limbs can also blow into your siding or repeatedly rub against your home and cause scratching or deeper damage.— Interior water damage: If a tree limb or an entire tree has fallen onto or agai...

MBTA eliminates Orange Line speed restrictions at ‘Tufts Curve’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:19 GMT

After four years and exhaustive safety work, the Orange Line will no longer be slowing down between the Back Bay and Tufts stops, the MBTA announced Tuesday.“While there is still work to do across the system, the completion of the Tufts Curve section of track represents an important step towards restoring the level of service our riders deserve,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng, thanking the workers involved.The repair is one of 39 Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) the MBTA was directed to design after a scathing safety report filed by the Federal Transit Authority in 2022. The MBTA listed it has 32% of the FTA’s special directive complete as of June and marks the end date as 2025.The FTA officially closed the CAP in a letter verifying the repairs met the safety standard. The Tufts Curve repair work is the second CAP closed in recent months, the MBTA said, following completed efforts to fix Green Line Work Trains closed in March.The Tufts Curve repair wo...