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Azerbaijan’s path to COP29 clear after Bulgaria drops bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bulgaria has withdrawn its bid to host next year’s global climate summit, clearing the way for the conference to take place in oil-rich Azerbaijan. Bulgarian Environment Minister Julian Popov told POLITICO that the country was sending its letter of withdrawal on Friday evening, one day after Armenia gave up on its aspirations to host COP29 and backed Baku. “In the spirit of goodwill and for the sake of a successful climate conference hosted by the Eastern European Group, the Republic of Bulgaria is hereby withdrawing its candidature for hosting COP29,” a statement subsequently sent by the Bulgarian environment ministry said. “We therefore lend our support for the Republic of Azerbaijan’s candidature.” On Thursday, before the decision was announced, Popov told POLITICO in an interview: “Our position is that we care about the process. The moment we are convinced that if we withdraw the process will benefit, we will d...

Diplomatic cables reveal UK fears over $15B Vietnam coal deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Vietnam made a big splash at COP28 by announcing details of a $15.5 billion, G7-backed plan to shutter its coal industry — but British diplomats worry that Hanoi is not fully on board, according to briefing notes seen by POLITICO.The plan drew praise at an event on December 1 alongside the opening of the U.N. climate conference in Dubai, where Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính joined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.K. Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho in heralding the release of a detailed blueprint for spending the cash promised by a group of wealthy nations. The so-called Resource Mobilisation Plan (RMP) was a “great milestone,” said von der Leyen. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, whose government is one of the funders, said it could lead to a “dynamic and just green economy and cleaner future for the Vietnamese people.”But private briefing notes between U.K. government officials, dated this week, indicate a lot of c...

Driver crashes into yard, damages two cars in Jamaica Plain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

Two cars were damaged Thursday night when a driver crashed into a yard in Jamaica Plain. The crash happened in the area of Chestnut Avenue and Ashley Street. Later speaking with 7NEWS, the owner of one of the damaged cars said he heard screeching and saw the driver slam into his car. The owner, Alfredo Liriano, said the person was trying to parallel park but hit the gas instead of the brake. He continued, saying he was just one month away from his last car loan payment.“Six years of payments and now it gets hit like that,” he said. “That’s amazing. What timing?”A Boston police spokesperson confirmed police received a call about this crash near 8:40 p.m.Police subsequently responded to the area.No injuries were reported, the spokesperson said.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Menorah lit on Boston Common, marking first night of Hanukkah

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

Members of the Boston Jewish community gathered on Boston Common Thursday night to mark the first night of Hanukkah.Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were on hand for the fortieth public menorah lighting organized by Chabad of Boston. Local Jewish leaders said they hope the holiday can shine a positive light with antisemitism on the rise, with this year’s large 22-foot tall menorah leading the way. The city is seeing a surge in public Hanukkah displays, with many in the Jewish community planning to light their menorahs in visible places to express and share their pride. “There’s no better time to be proud to be Jewish, to be proud to support Israel, and to be in a city where we should be proud of our identity and be public about our identity,” said Robert Trestan, Vice President of the of the Anti-Defamation League. Hanukkah will be celebrated through Friday, Dec. 15.

Multiple cars damaged in Revere crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

Multiple cars were damaged early Friday morning in a crash in Revere. The crash happened on Abruzzi Street and appeared to involve several vehicles. A home in the area also appeared to be damaged. Emergency crews were spotted on scene and cars were eventually towed away from the area. No further information was immediately available. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

2023 in books: Protests, bannings and the rise of AI helped shape the story of publishing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Book publishing in 2023 was a story of cooling sales and rising conflict, marked by legal action, protests, censorship and the impact of forces well beyond the industry.Print book sales continued to recede following the pandemic-era surge, but fiction remained strong, thanks in part to the young readers on BookTok. Colleen Hoover, one of BookTok’s signature authors, continued her reign as the country’s top-selling author, even without releasing a new book in 2023. Three of her novels were among the top 10 sellers as tracked by Circana, with other popular releases including novels by two authors, Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, regarded as leaders of romantasy, a newly branded genre that combines romance and fantasy. Literary highlights included Justin Torres’ inventive narrative on the hidden history of gay sexuality, “Blackouts,” winner of the National Book Award for fiction. Critics also praised James McBride’s multiethnic crime story “The Heave...

Iowa pilot flying again after waterfowl crashed through windshield of his helicopter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa helicopter pilot is back in the air, two weeks after a waterfowl smashed through the windshield of his chopper and knocked him for a loop.Pilot Troy McCormick told KCAU-TV that he’s lucky he wasn’t hurt worse on Nov. 23 when what he believed was a duck came crashing through the windshield. He returned to work Wednesday.McCormick flies for Wings Rescue in Sioux City. He was en route to Storm Lake Hospital to pick up a patient. The chopper was near the hospital, “and just about that time, ‘wham!’” McCormick recalled. “The bird came through the windscreen and hit me right in the side of the head here, ‘boom,’ and then exploded all over in the inside of the aircraft.”McCormick, covered in blood and feathers, was able to divert to Storm Lake Airport and land, though he remains fuzzy about how that happened.“Knocked me out for a little bit I think,” he said. “I don’t remember some of the information about what all happened. I remembered (a...

Michigan State selects UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor as next president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University named the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as it’s next president Friday morning, ending a search that began last October after the previous president quit amid tension with the school’s governing board. Kevin Guskiewicz, who has served as chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill for the past four years, was approved by the Board of Trustees in an unanimous vote Friday morning. He will become Michigan State’s 22nd overall president and the fifth person to lead the university since former President Anna Lou Simon resigned in 2018 in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal. The university has remained embroiled in controversy since the scandal. A Michigan State hearing officer determined in October that former football coach Mel Tucker, who was fired in September, sexually harassed and exploited rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy.Women who were assaulted by Nassar sued the university in July, accu...

How Spotify Wrapped its hands around the music industry, and us

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

Most of you probably at least glanced at it. And many of you were excited and eager to share your Spotify Wrapped details with your friends and followers. After all, isn’t that the whole point? To show off your musical taste, connect with others who share it and provide free marketing for a streaming behemoth?Kelsey McKinney is a reporter and writer at Defector and the host of Normal Gossip. “The thing that is, I think, scary about the Spotify Wrapped is that it is so beautiful and it’s so easy to share that it is easy to forget that this is a company that artists themselves are saying — and have been saying for almost a decade now — is destroying their careers,” said McKinney. Spotify’s Wrapped is the biggest and most popular of algorithmically created personal year-end lists, but it isn’t alone. Why do these things always suck us in? How has Spotify managed to convince us to pay them, instead of the artists we love directly? And if Spotify is...

The IOC confirms Russian athletes can compete at Paris Olympics with approved neutral status

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:13 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC said Friday, in a decision that removed the option of a blanket ban over the invasion of Ukraine.The International Olympic Committee’s decision confirms moves it started one year ago to reintegrate Russia and its military ally Belarus into global sports, and nine months after it urged sports governing bodies to look at ways to let individual athletes compete.It is up to each Olympic sport’s governing body to assess and enforce neutral status for individual athletes who have not actively supported the war and are not contracted to military or state security agencies. Those who are given neutral status must compete without national identity of flag, anthem or colours. Russia remains banned from team sports.The IOC said eight Russians and three from Belarus are among 4,600 athletes worldwide who have so far qualified for the Summer Games, which open in July.Russ...