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Putin’s propagandists cheer Geert Wilders’ Dutch election win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders is typically defined by his dislike of Islam and the European Union. But out of the main contenders in the Dutch parliamentary election, he was also the most Russia-friendly, a fact swiftly underscored by Russian media in the wake of his shock win. The ultranationalist outlet Tsargrad on Thursday morning contrasted Wilders, whom it bluntly described as a “supporter of Russia,” with outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a “fanatical supporter of Ukraine.”Several pro-Kremlin publications and so-called Z-channels on Telegram also went down memory lane, rehashing Wilders’ track record on Russia. One channel dug up a number of photographs and tweets published in 2018 around Wilders’ visit to Moscow, during which he met with several parliamentarians and officials. Among them was the head of the Duma’s foreign affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, sanctioned by the West over Russia’s ann...

Timmermans eyes opposition role after far-right win in Dutch election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans is ready to play his role in the Dutch opposition after the shock win of far-right politician Geert Wilders in the Dutch election on Wednesday. “I suspect that we will end up in the opposition,” Timmermans reportedly said on Thursday at a gathering of members of the joint Labor-Green alliance which he led into Wednesday’s election. The two parties performed well in the vote, raising their joint seat count from 17 to 25, according to projections by Dutch broadcaster NOS based on more than 99 percent of the votes counted. But the big leap forward was eclipsed by the win of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, which came in first place with 37 seats. It’s now Wilders’ turn to try to form a coalition, Timmermans hinted. Wilders said on election night that he might try to build a coalition with center-right parties, such as the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the centrist Ne...

Police investigating after 2 men stabbed in downtown Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Police are investigating after two men were found stabbed outside Bijou Nightclub in downtown Boston early Thursday morning.Officers responding to a report of a person stabbed in the area of 51 Stuart St. around 2 a.m. found two men suffering from non-life-threatening stab wounds, according to Boston police. Both were taken to a nearby hospital.Police officers could be seen gathering evidence in a taped-off area outside the nightclub.No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

What makes Matthew Slater an ‘honorary’ Patriots offensive lineman?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

FOXBORO — Matthew Slater is officially listed as a wide receiver on the Patriots roster, but he vowed two weeks ago in Germany that his days of being split out wide on offense are over.The special teams captain has a different “honorary” position around Gillette Stadium, however.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: Explaining intrigue around third-string QB Will Grier New England Patriots | Callahan: 7 reasons for Patriots fans to be thankful for in a lost season New England Patriots | Thanksgiving: A time for football, awkward conversations at dinner table New England Patriots | Patriots’ Trent Brown has explicit message for his haters New England Patriots | Patriots-Giants injury report: Trent Brown among 8 Patriots limited Wednesday, Saquon Barkley sits “He’s kind of an honorary offensive lineman,” center David Andrews said this morning. “H...

Holiday shoppers: Here are your big price cuts, as measured by the CPI

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Bargains are on the brains of shoppers as the holiday gift-buying season gets into high gear.And talk about information overload: You’d be hard-pressed to miss the flood of “best deals” lists offering tips on which retailers or brands are slashing prices on goods and services.But what if the nation’s official price tracker, the Consumer Price Index, was used as a bargain-hunting tool?INFLATION TRENDS: What’s up? What’s cheaper? What’s next? CLICK HERE!My trusty spreadsheet looked at the CPI’s 330 expenditure categories, seeking out large price declines between July and October. Perhaps it could find a cost-shaving shopping idea or two within the CPI’s biggest price cuts – or at least a hint of what’s behind inflation’s recent moves. Inflation rose 1% during the past three months after a 2.2% gain in the previous nine months.Here are some items with gift-season possibilities and noteworthy price dips, as suggested by recent ...

Patriots mailbag: Explaining intrigue around third-string QB Will Grier

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

At least the Patriots made this week interesting by creating a quarterback controversy heading into the bye week.There wouldn’t have been many questions about the current state of the 2-8 Patriots if Mac Jones wasn’t benched for Bailey Zappe at the end of their Week 10 loss to the Colts.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: 7 reasons for Patriots fans to be thankful for in a lost season New England Patriots | Thanksgiving: A time for football, awkward conversations at dinner table New England Patriots | Patriots’ Trent Brown has explicit message for his haters New England Patriots | Patriots-Giants injury report: Trent Brown among 8 Patriots limited Wednesday, Saquon Barkley sits New England Patriots | Patriots missing 1 wide receiver at Wednesday practice before Giants game Now everyone wants to know who’s going to start and why the Patriots have made this situation so...

Zach LaVine sits out with foot injury against Oklahoma City Thunder — plus 5 Chicago Bulls takeaways from the loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Zach LaVine missed his first game of the season for the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday as he sat out the first of four road games with a foot injury.LaVine described the injury as a midfoot sprain in his right foot. He began to notice pain in his right foot during the first home game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 18, cutting the tape off his foot at halftime in an attempt to alleviate discomfort.“During the Miami games, it was bugging me,” LaVine said. “Obviously, just trying today, it felt the same if not worse. Did a lot of warmups, a lot of treatment over the last couple of days. It didn’t feel right. Giving it a day, see how it feels. We’ll figure it out and get me feeling better.”The Bulls (5-11) couldn’t find an offensive spark without LaVine in the lineup, falling 116-102 to the Thunder (11-4).LaVine played through discomfort in the second Miami game on Monday, but said adrenaline kept the injury from inhibiting his movement throughout t...

Israel and Ukraine could face each other in a playoff final for a spot at soccer’s Euro 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Israel and Ukraine, two countries currently fighting wars, could face each other for a spot at next year’s European Championship.The two national teams were put on the same qualifying path in Thursday’s playoff draw, with a possible deciding match in March.Israel was paired with Iceland, while Ukraine will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the playoff semifinals. The 12 playoff teams will play the six semifinal matches on March 21. All three finals are scheduled for March 26.Neither Israel nor Ukraine can currently host games at home because the wars. If they both advance to the playoff final, they could meet in a neutral country.In the other playoff brackets, Wales will host Finland and the winner will then host Poland or Estonia, and Georgia or Luxembourg host either Euro 2004 champion Greece or Kazakhstan.European soccer governing body UEFA allocated home advantage for the finals in the three brackets. The 12 teams entered the playoffs based on their resul...

Brampton teen charged in crash that killed 64-year-old woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

A 19-year-old is facing charges following a multi-vehicle crash in Brampton last month that left a woman dead.Police were called to the area of Queen Street East and Central Park Drive around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 for reports of a crash.Peel Regional Police investigators say a black Lexus sedan was travelling westbound on Queen when the driver lost control and ended up in the eastbound lanes where he collided with two other vehicles.A 64-year-old Brampton woman was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition, where she was pronounced dead. A 54-year-old Brampton woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries.On Nov. 16, police charged 19-year-old Brampton resident Gurman Cheema with dangerous driving causing death.Anyone with additional information is asked to contact investigators.

Venice rolls out day-tripper fee to try to regulate mass crowds on peak weekends

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

ROME (AP) — Venice authorities on Thursday unveiled a pilot program to charge day-trippers 5 euros ($5.45) apiece to enter the fragile lagoon city on peak weekends next year in an effort to reduce crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for residents.The rollout of the tourist “contribution” program came after Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage site, narrowly escaped being placed on the U.N. agency’s danger list earlier this year because of the threat that overtourism was having on its delicate ecosystem. Member states cited the proposed new entry fee in deciding to spare Venice from the list.Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro stressed Thursday that the fee is not a new tourist tax or an attempt to bring in extra revenue. Rather, he said, it is a first-of-its-kind experiment in regulating tourist flows in one of the world’s most-visited places by incentivizing visitors to avoid high-traffic periods and come on other days.“Our attempt is to make a more livable cit...