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See you in court! UK government in legal fight to keep Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps secret

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. government is taking legal action to avoid handing over sensitive material — including Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps — to the public inquiry into its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.The Cabinet Office announced Thursday that it is seeking a judicial review of the COVID-19 inquiry’s demands for Johnson’s notebooks, diaries and un-redacted WhatsApp messages with advisers and ministers.It means a High Court judge will be asked to decide whether the inquiry has overreached its legal powers in demanding the evidence.The action is an attempt by ministers to avoid submitting all the material the inquiry’s chair Heather Hallett has asked for. It includes messages Johnson exchanged with senior figures such as Rishi Sunak and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case during the pandemic.It comes after a 10-day stand-off between the Cabinet Office — which has resisted the demands for the material on the basis it’s irrelevant to the inquiry’s remit — and Hallett, who says it is her ...

Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili wants to get out of town (for work)

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

ATHENS — Free from house arrest, Eva Kaili now also wants to travel.Days after Belgian prosecutors announced she was no longer under house arrest and her electronic tag was removed, Kaili’s legal team is seeking to eliminate restrictions on being able to move freely beyond Belgium. “Legal proceedings have been initiated to abolish the restrictive conditions, especially the ban on exiting the country,” her lawyers Sven Mary and Michalis Dimitrakopoulos said in a joint statement.The EU lawmaker wants the travel restrictions to be lifted as she wishes to attend the next plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg mid-June, Dimitrakopoulos said.On Friday, the attorneys had said that “the restrictive condition of the ban on leaving Belgium, which was imposed, does not upset her, since Kaili will return to Greece only after her judicial vindication.”Despite pledges to return to work, Kaili did not attend Thursday’s session of the European Parliament “due to a personal o...

Lawyer arrested in connection with sexual assaults in Boston 15 years ago waives extradition

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man suspected in a series of sexual assaults in Boston that took place about 15 years ago agreed to waive extradition back to Massachusetts during his initial court appearance.Matthew J. Nilo, 35, who is a lawyer, was arrested Tuesday at his Weehawken home and briefly appeared Thursday in state Superior Court in Jersey City. Jeff Garrigan, the attorney representing him at the hearing, told WABC-TV in New York that Nilo would plead not guilty and fight the charges.Nilo is charged with three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and single counts of assault with attempt to rape and indecent assault and battery in connection with the assaults in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood in 2007 and 2008. Nilo lived in Boston at the time, authorities have said.It was not immediately clear when Nilo would be brought back to Massachusetts or when his next court hearing would be held.Nilo was identified as a suspect with the h...

NASA team studying unidentified phenomena shares preliminary update

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

(CNN) — A team of 16 experts and scientists assembled by NASA aims to publish its first report on unidentified anomalous phenomena, also known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOS, by midsummer.“Unidentified anomalous phenomena has truly captured the attention of the public, of the scientific community and nowadays, the US government as well, and we at NASA strongly believe that it’s our responsibility all working together to investigate these with the scientific scrutiny that NASA is well known for,” said Dan Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.“We’ve tasked (the team) with helping NASA produce a roadmap, a roadmap that doesn’t necessarily look back at previous grainy footage, sort of acknowledges that many UAPs historically we’ll never be able to get to the bottom because the data are of such poor quality,” Evans said on Wednesday.“We’re trying to assess whether those phenomena pose any risks to safety and we’re ...

Stumped for a dad or grad gift? Tech to the rescue. Here are four suggestions.

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

It’s that time of year. College students are graduating, and your calendar has filled up with party invitations hosted by proud parents. Don’t show up empty-handed.Meanwhile, Father’s Day isn’t too far off. Do you know what you’ll get him?Tech gear tends to go over well, and I have four gadget suggestions that dads and grads are sure to like.Studio Buds +How about earbuds? Sure, you could go with Apple’s AirPods, but consider the just-released Studio Buds + earbuds. These are good for just about anyone.They come from Beats by Dre, which is owned by Apple, so the iPhone compatibility is there. The buds also are Android-friendly, and therefore good for those who prefer Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phones.You’re sure to make a splash by getting the retro-looking translucent-gray variations of the Studio Buds +, but the black and beige versions are nice, too.Choose the $169.99 Studio Buds + over the $179 AirPods for features such as active noise cancellation (to block out ambient nois...

NFL great Tom Brady says he is retired for good: ‘I’m certain I’m not playing again’

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

Just in case you needed to hear it again, Tom Brady says he is retired for good.Brady called it a career — for a second time — on Feb. 1, 2023 and doesn’t expect to touch the playing field ever again.“I’m certain I’m not playing again,” Brady told Sports Illustrated Thursday as rumors have swirled about a possible comeback. “So, I’ve tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that because I’ve already told people that lots of times, but I’m looking forward to my broadcasting job at Fox next year, I’m looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the Raiders and we’re in the process of that along with the other different things that I’m a part of professionally and in my personal life — just spending as much time with my kids as I can.”The 45-year-old agreed to a 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal with Fox in May 2022 that was supposed to kick into place immediately af...

Brad Stevens views Jaylen Brown in Celtics’ future as extension talks loom: ‘He’s a big part of us’

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens can’t speak about contracts publicly yet but he made one thing clear on Thursday at the Auerbach Center: He wants Jaylen Brown to stay in Boston.Brown earned an All-NBA second team selection this season, which means that beginning on July 1, the Celtics have the opportunity to lock in their star to a five-year supermax extension worth about $295 million, which would start in the 2024-25 season. Asked if he would offer that extension, Stevens couldn’t answer directly but expressed his commitment to the two-time All-Star who he once coached.“I’ve had nothing but great conversations with Jaylen, but we can’t talk about all that stuff,” Stevens said. “I’m not allowed to talk about A, the contract details, let alone the extension because it’s not of that time right now. His window is between July 1 and October or whatever it is. But I can say without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here and he’s a big par...

Somerville woman charged with assaulting her own mother, who was found dead in suspect’s apartment

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

A Somerville woman is facing charges of assaulting her 73-year-old mother, who was found dead inside the suspect’s apartment.April Monroe, 48, of Somerville, was arraigned in Somerville District Court Thursday on charges of strangulation and assault and battery on a person over 60 causing serious bodily injury. The Middlesex District Attorney’s office says that the matter is still under investigation and additional charges are possible.The evening of May 28, the husband of the alleged victim, Gail Gasperini, 73, of East Boston, called police to report that his wife had gone to visit her daughter in Somerville but had never returned home. Police went to the apartment and found Gasperini dead, and purportedly with injuries indicating assault.The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took possession of Gasperini’s body and has yet to make a ruling on the cause and manner of death, according to a statement by the Middlesex DA.This is a developing story.

State looking into sudden closure of Compass Medical facilities

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

The sudden closure of a group of medical centers based out of Quincy is turning heads at top levels of state government, with the Healey administration saying they are “concerned” by Compass Medical’s decision to shutter all of its facilities in Massachusetts.Compass Medical, which has 450 employees in the state, announced an “imminent plan” to close all of its facilities in a statement posted to its website Wednesday that left many scratching their heads. It comes after the company lost a lawsuit to a Dallas-based physicians group, costing them millions.At an unrelated press conference inside the State House Thursday, Gov. Maura Healey said anytime someone’s access to health care is interfered with, “that’s troubling.”“It’s very concerning and distressing, and I think I appreciate the real distress that causes for patients out there affected by this,” Healey told reporters. “We are working closely with our secretary of Health and Human Services, who has already reached out to...

Tourists warned about thieves on motorcycles racing through Tijuana

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:33 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Baja California's Attorney General Iván Carpio Sánchez is warning residents and tourists to be on the lookout for gangs on motorcycles who have been robbing people and businesses along busy streets and tourist destinations in Tijuana.During a news conference with reporters this week, Carpio Sánchez stated the thieves are using the same "modus operandi" and it's become apparent it's the same group of robbers.In recent weeks, he says restaurants frequented by visitors, shops and businesses have been robbed with the suspects riding away in their motorcycles. The thieves are also said to be robbing people who are simply walking along busy streets and intersections."We have a lot of developing information where the suspects spot someone with expensive watches and other items, then follow them until they pounce on their victims," said Carpio Sánchez.The attorney general said recently, a suspect tried to rob a bank and flee on a motorcycle only to be stopped by a police office...