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‘City killer’ asteroid safely passes through Earth and moon

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An asteroid big enough to wipe out a city harmlessly passed between Earth and the moon’s orbit this weekend, missing both celestial bodies.Saturday’s close encounter offered astronomers the chance to study a space rock from just over 100,000 miles (168,000 kilometers) away. That’s less than half the distance from here to the moon, making it visible through binoculars and small telescopes.While asteroid flybys are common, NASA said it’s rare for one so big to come so close — about once a decade. Scientists estimate its size somewhere between 130 feet and 300 feet (40 meters and 90 meters).Discovered a month ago, the asteroid known as 2023 DZ2 passed within 320,000 miles (515,000 kilometers) of the moon on Saturday and, several hours later, buzzed the Indian Ocean at about 17,500 mph (28,000 kph).“There was no chance of this ‘city killer’ striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,” the European Space Agency’s p...

Keir Starmer to make good on his vow to stop Jeremy Corbyn running for UK Labour

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

LONDON — Three years after he quit as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn will on Tuesday be blocked from standing under its banner.His successor as the U.K.’s opposition leader, Keir Starmer, has proposed a motion to his party’s ruling body that would prevent it selecting Corbyn as a Labour candidate in the next general election.The motion is expected to pass. Supporters of the left-wing MP were once narrowly in control of the National Executive Committee (NEC), but are now easily outnumbered.“It’s so long, farewell. Auf Weidersehen, goodbye,” a senior Labour MP told POLITICO.The decision will reinflame a factional battle in the party. Corbyn, who has not yet confirmed his intentions should he be blocked, has not ruled out standing as an independent candidate.Corbyn was suspended from the Labour whip by Starmer in 2020, after saying the scale of antisemitism cases in the party had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”But he has rem...

Top European human rights body slates UK’s asylum bill

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

LONDON — British lawmakers are being urged not to support a major shake-up of the country’s asylum laws because the plan could encourage other states to start “evading and abdicating” their own human rights obligations.The Council of Europe — a non-EU body tasked with monitoring and upholding human rights on the Continent and which counts Britain among its founding members — launched a blast at the Illegal Migration Bill on the day it returns to the House of Commons for fresh scrutiny.In a letter addressed to the speakers and members of both the Commons and the House of Lords, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović said ensuring access to asylum “is a key component of the system of human rights protection in Europe” and stressed the need for peoples’ claims to be heard “regardless” of how they arrive in the country.“By effectively preventing people arriving irregularly from having their asylum claims asse...

Police investigating cause behind deadly Roslindale crash

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

Police are investigating the cause behind a deadly crash in Roslindale on Sunday that killed one person and injured another after a car slammed into a triple-decker.The incident happened in the area of Washington and Brookdale Streets. The silver sedan took down what appeared to be a chain-link fence and came to rest almost perfectly parallel with the road. The Suffolk County DA’s office confirmed that neither of the victims, both men in their 60s, were inside the car that crashed. There is no word on the condition of the surviving victim. One young woman who moved to the neighborhood a couple months ago told 7NEWS she always feels safe walking down Washington street. Now she has some reservations as she anxiously awaits what exactly caused the car to crash. “I’m kind of in a little bit of shock,” she said. “I’m probably going to talk to my roommate more when I get inside, make sure everyone is okay that we know. I feel awful for the people who go...

Solid Start

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

Sure, the wind was a bit gusty yesterday, but overall, it was a solid end to the weekend as temps jumped up in the 50s and lower 60s. With quite a bit of sunshine in place it certainly felt like early Spring. Today, despite the chilly start, it’ll be another solid day overall as highs head for the mid 50s to near 60 and morning sun yields to increasing afternoon clouds. With the breeze being very light, it’s easy for the sea breeze to kick in and that will allow for a bit of a chill at the coast, where temps hover in the upper 40s to low 50s. We’ll track some wet weather overnight tonight as showers move in from the west. It’ll be a cold rain with temps falling into the upper 30s and lower 40s and even some wet snow mixed in across the higher terrain. While I don’t expect much accumulations, slushy coating on non paved surfaces are possible across the hilly terrain of Worcester County. Tomorrow looks damp and dreary with highs stuck in the lower to mid ...

Police: Officer-involved shooting under investigation in Manchester, NH

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

An officer-involved shooting is under investigation in Manchester, NH after an incident that occurred late Sunday night, according to police. The incident took place around 11:55 p.m. in the area of 261 Maple Street. Police say one man was injured and taken to a local hospital, where he is in stable condition. No officers were injured and there is no threat to the public, police say.Maple Street will be closed from Valley Street to Auburn Street as the New Hampshire AG’s Office and state police investigate. No additional information has been released.

NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams calls for Mets to rename Citi Field over bank’s ‘toxic’ fossil fuel investments

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

Mets-boosting Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is joining a coalition of local environmental activists in calling on the baseball team’s owner to rename Citi Field over climate change concerns.The Queens ballpark’s name comes from Citibank, which has held a contract with the Mets for the naming rights since 2008. Williams told the Daily News on Friday that Mets owner Steven Cohen should scrap that contract and give the stadium another name because of the bank’s significant investments in the fossil fuel industry.“New Yorkers know I bleed blue and orange — the Mets represent an incredible spirit, history and institution, and are a tremendous value to New Yorkers,” Williams said. “The practices of Citibank, though, don’t represent the values of the Mets or of our city, and we must demand better. If Citi refuses to end its toxic relationship with the fossil fuel industry, the Mets should end their partnership with Citi.”Williams, a ...

ASK IRA: Are the Heat not alone in the NBA’s season of misery?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

Q: I think one word to use this season is perspective. Outside of Milwaukee and Boston there are plenty of other teams who had high expectations and way more talent than us, with average records. You take the Lakers, Mavericks, Clippers, Hawks and Warriors. All have arguably more talent but worse records. This year has been a struggle for many teams given injuries and overall boredom it seems with the season. Don’t you think we should judge this team once they make it into the postseason? Everyone keeps saying blow it up, but many of the teams with all these stars aren’t faring much better. – Brett, Key Largo.A: I agree that this is a season of misery across the league, save, say for Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Denver, Sacramento and maybe New York. The reality is that even after the loss to the Nets, the Heat awoke Sunday with the 10th-best record in the NBA. No, not where they might have wanted to be, but still ahead of 20 other teams. Twenty. It’s alm...

‘Moneyball’ questioned first base’s challenges. Some Orioles are learning the position is ‘unlike any other.’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

One of the most intriguing competitions at Orioles spring training is among the left-handed hitters vying to be Ryan Mountcastle’s backup first baseman.The team compiled a group of these players with major league experience — including Ryan O’Hearn, Franchy Cordero, Josh Lester and Lewin Díaz — and invited them to spring training as nonroster invitees to compete for that spot.But will that seat on the bench even exist come opening day Thursday in Boston?The answer to that might depend on the club’s confidence in a separate group of players who could serve as insurance behind Mountcastle if the Orioles choose not to roster one of the left-handed hitting first basemen. Some of those players, such as utilityman Terrin Vavra and outfielder Anthony Santander, have spent time this spring learning how to play first base to give the team positional flexibility during the season.“If we need them in a pinch to play first for whatever reason, we feel co...

State Auditor’s plan to look at Legislature an ‘uber-reach,’ Speaker says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:56:56 GMT

The state auditor’s plan to look into the Legislature is not going as smoothly as she might have hoped.“She won a statewide election and worked very hard,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said. “Maybe she thinks she’s uber-powerful, that can audit anything. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t understand what she hopes to accomplish with this.”State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, true to a long standing campaign promise, announced on March 7 that her office was in the midst of conducting an audit of the state Legislature with which she hoped legislative leadership would be willing to participate and comply.However, neither Senate President Karen Spilka or Mariano have indicated they will play along with DiZoglio’s apparent quest for transparency, pointing to independent audits of both chambers annually conducted with the assistance of outside agencies as one reason and a need to maintain the separation of powers as another.Mariano doubled down this weekend, telling WCVB’s Sharman Sacchetti and Ed Harding...