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‘Robustly transparent’ or ‘really slippery’? UK ministers dispute WhatsApp disclosures in COVID inquiry

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

LONDON — Get ready for another three years of this.With the coronavirus pandemic over, the U.K.’s official inquiry into it — expected to run until 2026 — has yet to hold a single public hearing. But it’s already embroiled in a bitter disclosure dispute with the government over whether to hand over ministers’ private WhatsApp messages and notebooks.The post-mortem will drag on past the next general election, as confirmed Tuesday. It’s expected to call on senior figures from a series of British governments, roving over the state’s preparedness for the virus, decision-making by ministers and officials, the way public contracts were handed out, and how the country got jabs in arms.Yet before any of that, there’s the small matter of what the inquiry will actually be allowed to see.In a series of interviews Wednesday morning, Cabinet minister Mel Stride said the government will be “absolutely robustly transparent where it is appropriate to be so.”“I thi...

European Commission tells staff: Don’t use AI for ‘critical’ work

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

BRUSSELS — The European Commission has created guidelines for its staff regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Bard. According to the document’s introduction, its purpose is “to help staff members assess the risks and limitations of online available generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and set conditions for their safe use in working activities of the Commission.”Generative AI refers to tools used to create new content — such as text or images — based on prompts. The four-page paper, obtained by POLITICO and dated May 24, provides an outline of generative AI’s function and establishes five main rules Commission staffers are recommended to follow when using such tools. The rules include: not disclosing information not in the public domain when using a generative AI tool; being aware that the AI’s responses might be inaccurate or biased; considering whether the AI might be violating intellectual proper...

Stop getting Brexit wrong, Labour’s born-again Brexiteer Starmer tells Tories

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

LONDON — Keir Starmer is optimistic about Brexit after all.The U.K. Labour leader — who once campaigned harder than many in his party to try to reverse the result of 2016’s Brexit referendum — on Wednesday accused the Conservatives of failing to make the most of Britain’s newfound freedoms. And he doubled down on his view that the U.K.’s future “is outside the EU.”In an opinion piece for the deeply-Eurosceptic Daily Express newspaper, published Wednesday, Starmer argued that the government’s “total mismanagement of Brexit” was compounding a host of issues facing the U.K., including jitters from the country’s carmakers over imminent tariff hikes.“Every one of the problems I have outlined can be fixed from outside the EU,” Starmer wrote. “But it will require hard work, good relations and — above all — honesty. That’s why we should be optimistic.” Starmer — who leads a U.K. opposition that looks likely ...

‘Very militant’: France slams Novak Djokovic over Kosovo message

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s controversial message at the French Open, in which he said Kosovo was the “heart of Serbia,” is “clearly not appropriate,” France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said Wednesday.“It’s a very militant message, very political,” Oudéa-Castéra said in an interview with French public broadcaster France 2.“We really shouldn’t go down that road, especially given the circumstances,” the minister added, referring to recent clashes.One of the most successful athletes in tennis history with 22 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic caused an outcry on Monday after his first-round win at Roland-Garros. “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence,” Djokovic wrote in Serbian on a TV camera screen. Long-standing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo — which declared its independence in 2008 but is not recognized by Belgrade — have resurfaced in recent days, after clashes between p...

Warming Up!

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

After a hazy sunshine this morning (some smoke in the air from Nova Scotia Wildfires) temps will take off, heading well into the 70s and 80s this afternoon. The coolest temps will be across the Cape and Islands as winds are out of the south to southeast. Mostly sunny skies prevail this afternoon with just a bit of smoke in the air, although not as dense as yesterday, when you could smell it from time to time. The heat is on tomorrow and Friday as highs push into the lower 90s inland. Coastal temps stay in the 70s and 80s with winds turning onshore from time to time. Temps will be coolest across the South Coast and Cape and Islands with a southerly breeze prevailing. It’s generally a dry heat, although the humidity does come up a bit by Friday. Friday afternoon and evening will also feature the chance of a few scattered showers/storms as a cold front approaches. The other side of that cold front will provide some chillier air over the weekend. Showers likely start Saturday and ...

Man accused of ‘intentional’ crash in Alewife Station garage set to appear in court

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

The Medford man accused of intentionally ramming his car into the wall on the top level of the parking garage at the MBTA’s Alewife station in February is set to face a judge Wednesday.Sonny J. Khubchandani allegedly caused the Feb. 4 crash, which sent a cement slab crashing through the ceiling of the station and down onto the floor below. One person who was in the lobby at the time suffered minor injuries.The incident forced officials to temporarily close the parking garage while repairs were made.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Burlington firefighter accused of animal abuse set to appear in court

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

A Burlington firefighter who also used to run a dog training facility is set to appear in court on animal abuse charges after customers said their dogs were abused at “Falco K9” in South Boston.Tyler Falconer, 30, will face a judge on charges he abused and neglected the animals that were in his care.Several people who dropped their dogs off at the facility said they found them injured and emaciated, which led to charges against Falconer.7NEWS repeatedly reached out to Falconer and his attorney but did not hear back. This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

9/11 attacks a wedge issue for DeSantis vs. Trump

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is teeing up former President Donald Trump over golf.DeSantis hosted 9/11 Families over the Memorial Day weekend just as Trump National in Washington, D.C., was the site of the Saudi-backed LIV golf tournament.“The juxtaposition is stark,” said Brett Eagleson, who was 15 years old when his dad, Bruce, died while working at the Twin Towers on 9/11. “I don’t know if DeSantis will beat Trump, but the fact is he wants to talk to us about the Saudis.”Eagleson said he attended a barbecue in Florida hosted by DeSantis who told 9/11 loved ones he understands their “frustration” over the full story of the terror attacks being suppressed by the U.S. government.The Herald has reached out to the Trump campaign seeking comment, with one regional adviser saying they were more focused on the New Hampshire primary.Trump is destroying DeSantis in Republican presidential primary polls — 53.2% to 22.4%, according to a Real Clear...

Howie Carr: Thought Police stronger than ever

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

What this country needs is a new fraternal organization, a social club for millions of Americans who have something in common.Namely, being cancelled, banned or suspended from one form of social media or another.If all these victims, people like you and me, banded together, we might have a larger membership than the Elks, the Knights of Columbus, or the AARP.This thought occurred to me last week when Vivek Ramaswamy, a longshot Republican candidate for president, announced that he had been summarily tossed off LinkedIn.His crime? Putting out “misleading or inaccurate information,” including a reference to “climate religion,” which it quite clearly is. He was also flagged for his assertion that “fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity” – a fact which will certainly be proven correct once we are deprived of them by the… climate religion.Ramaswamy is said to be worth more than $600 million. You’d think this is just the sort of fat cat that LinkedIn would want on its site. B...

Greater Boston Food Bank: 1 in 3 Massachusetts adults face food insecurity

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:17:12 GMT

Food insecurity continues to persist across Massachusetts, and with it, families are sacrificing their health as they seek the cheapest products available, according to a new report from the Greater Boston Food Bank.The annual study, released Tuesday, surveyed 3,000 adults in the Bay State between November 2022 and this January, finding one in three reported they continue to struggle securing healthy food on a consistent basis.Though the rate is the same as in 2021, food agency leaders say they are concerned about what numbers may look like in the months ahead as low-income residents will soon lose  state-funded supplements for food assistance.Friday’s scheduled allotment of the state-funded emergency assistance will be the third and final under Gov. Maura Healey’s $388.7 million supplemental budget. The payments provided roughly $60 per month, since April, to the average household participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.“Even with the offramp of suppl...