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Vermont police say bodies found off rural Vermont road are those of 2 missing Massachusetts men

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

EDEN, Vt. (AP) — Autopsies have confirmed that the two bodies found in a wooded area off a rural road in northern Vermont are those of two missing Massachusetts men who were shot to death, Vermont State Police said Thursday.Police found the bodies of 21-year-olds Jahim Solomon, of Pittsfield, and Eric White, of Chicopee, on Wednesday in a wooded area in Eden. Autopsies performed Thursday determined that Solomon died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head and White died of a single gunshot wound to the head, police said.State police said they continue to follow up on leads in the case and said tips from the public are an important part of the investigation. Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police’s criminal division, said Wednesday that police have a number of suspects and people of interest in mind.Solomon and White disappeared under “suspicious circumstances” while traveling through several communities, state police said Saturday. They were reported missing on Oct. ...

Callahan: What is the Patriots’ next move at wide receiver?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

FOXBORO — Down in Miami, the big story of the week broke Thursday when Dolphins star Tyreek Hill told reporters he planned to play this weekend against the Patriots.In New England, the Pats’ top news hit a little differently.That headline read: “Patriots sign Jalen Reagor from practice squad to active roster.”Womp, womp.No two stories could offer a clearer or stronger contrast between the state of these rival offenses. The Patriots are 2-5 because they’ve bogged down by a porous offensive line and one of the league’s least threatening receiving corps. Meanwhile the Dolphins, even after getting thumped last Sunday in Philadelphia, are cruising at 5-2 with the NFL’s most explosive weaponry.In Miami, Hill is the system, and the system is Hill. He leads the NFL in receiving with 906 yards and covers hundreds more in pre-snap motion that stretches defenses. If he retired tomorrow, Hill could safely begin to draft his speech for the Pro Football Hall of...

Male pedestrian injured, struck by vehicle in Scarborough

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

A man has been rushed to a trauma centre after he was struck by a vehicle near the Scarborough and Markham border on Friday.Toronto police were called to the Steeles Avenue East and McCowan Road area around 7:15 a.m. Officers said a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle. Toronto paramedics tell CityNews the male victim has been transported to a trauma centre with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.Steeles Avenue is closed in both directions for the investigation.

Pope orders Vatican to reopen case of priest ousted from Jesuits after claims of adult abuse

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to reopen the case of a well-known priest-artist accused of sexually, psychologically and spiritually abusing adult women, and removed the statute of limitations on their claims, the Vatican said Friday. The announcement marked a major turnaround for the Holy See and followed an outcry among victims and their advocates over the handling of the case of the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a former Jesuit whose mosaics grace churches and basilicas around the world.A Vatican statement said Francis’ abuse prevention commission had flagged “serious problems” in the way his case was handled initially, particularly in the “lack of outreach to victims.” That terminology in itself was significant because church authorities had previously refused to even consider women with claims against Rupnik as “victims.”Francis asked the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles abuse-related crimes according to church law, “to re...

Gas and power utility Fortis reports $394M Q3 profit, up from $326M a year earlier

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $394 million, up from $326 million a year earlier.The gas and power utility says the profit amounted to 81 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 68 cents per diluted share in the same period of 2022.Revenue for the quarter totalled $2.72 billion, up from $2.55 billion.On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 84 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 71 cents per share a year earlier.The company says its increased profits reflect the new cost of capital parameters approved for the FortisBC utilities in September 2023, higher retail revenue in Arizona due to warmer weather and new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power, and rate base growth across its utilities.It says earnings were tempered by lower long-term wholesale and transmission revenue, as well as higher operating and corporate finance costs.This report by The Canadian Press was first publis...

China’s chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou who helped drive the anti-COVID fight dies at age 60

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Wu Zunyou, an epidemiologist who helped drive anti-COVID-19 measures in China that suspended access to cities and confined millions to their homes has died on Friday. He was 60. An announcement from China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention about Wu’s death gave no cause, but said that “rescue measures failed.” The news of Wu’s death came just hours after the death of former Premier Li Keqiang was announced. Li was the country’s No. 2 leader during the pandemic.Wu was the chief epidemiologist of China’s CDC and one of the public faces of the country’s zero-COVID measures that suspended international travel, imposed draconian lockdowns and prompted protests at the end of 2022.The Associated Press

Seeing no military answer to Israel-Palestinian tensions, the EU plans for a more peaceful future

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — As distant as the prospect of peace might seem, European Union leaders believe it is time to start laying the foundations for a future relationship between Israel and the Palestinians where the militant group Hamas does not control Gaza.Mindful that resentment and even conflict in the wider Middle East and Gulf regions have been fueled by decades of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, the 27-nation bloc has begun exploring ways to realize a long-held EU ideal — two states living peacefully side by side.As the Palestinian death toll climbed beyond 7,000 and Israel carried out airstrikes on Friday in response to the bloody Hamas incursion into southern Israel, EU leaders meeting in Brussels for a second day encouraged broader diplomatic and security initiatives to stop the conflict from spreading, and ultimately from ever starting again.“The history of this conflict didn’t begin with the attacks on Oct. 7 and won’t end with a land war in Gaza,” Irish Prime Mi...

Activists slam Malaysia’s solidarity program for Palestinians after children seen toting toy guns

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian activists on Friday slammed the government’s plan for a weeklong program in schools nationwide to support the Palestinian cause after pictures of teachers and students toting toy guns went viral on social media.The Education Ministry has said the Palestine Solidarity Week program starting Monday is aimed at teaching students about humanitarian values such as empathy and concern toward the suffering experienced by others regardless of race or religion. It said it is aligned with the government’s stance to defend the rights and freedom of the Palestinian people.But pictures posted on social media showing primary school students and teachers brandishing firearms sparked a backlash, Some students also used the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf to wrap around their heads like militants.“Are we training jihadis now in our schools? What’s with the weapons and all?…this is sick,” lawyer and activist Siti Kasim wrote on Facebook. Other civil...

Chicagoland's Halloween Houses: Lehman Manor in West Chicago

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

WEST CHICAGO, Ill.  — We continue our quest to find the best Halloween decorated homes in the Chicago area, and that quest can't be complete without a visit to Lehman Manor. 17 year-old Miles McCabe started his home haunt eight years ago. The St. Charles East High School student has created a Halloween lover's dream home haunt. The property is packed with more than 150 animatronics, many to the level you would find in some of the best professional haunted houses. Lehman Manor also features an entire walk-through haunted house experience. It starts in the garage and moves its way all throughout the yard. There is a creepy clown section, a haunted harvest patch, a fisherman fishing in the pool, a lab with mad scientists, a butcher - and out front, you'll find a kid-friendly section with ghosts in a graveyard.Lehman Manor has earned national exposure and Miles has big dreams to take it into a full-on professional haunt. You can see our interview with him above. Here's where you can fin...

Friday Forecast: Temps in low 70s with chance for rain, t-storms

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:17 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy Friday with 50 percent rain/t'storm chance. Winds: SW 10-15 G25. High: 73. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with chance for showers/t'storms. Winds: NNW 10-15 G25. Low: 38.Saturday Forecast: Increasing clouds, NE 5-10, night rain likely. High: 53.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog