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UK MP Scott Benton loses Tory whip after gambling sting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

LONDON — The U.K.’s ruling Conservative Party has suspended the whip from MP Scott Benton, after undercover footage showed him offering to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors.As part of an investigation by the Times newspaper, Benton — a backbench MP elected in 2019 — was offered a paid advisory role in a fake company by reporters posing as gambling industry investors. In the secretly-filmed footage, the MP offered to ask questions in parliament, leak a confidential policy document or “call in favors” from parliamentary colleagues on behalf of the gambling industry ‘investors’. He also said he had “easy access” to government ministers if the fake firm needed urgent answers to questions. In a statement, Benton admitted he met with two individuals claiming to represent a “company offering me an expert advisory role.”“After this meeting, I was asked to forward my CV and some other personal details. I did not do so ...

EU institutions snub Twitter’s paid blue-check verification plan 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

Twitter is this month unrolling its new paid-verification plan, but the European Union institutions are staying away from the controversial blue checks.The European Commission and European Parliament are not currently planning to pay Twitter to get their hundreds of official EU accounts — including those of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Parliament President Roberta Metsola — verified under the “Twitter Blue” program, according to the institutions’ press services. Reversing a previous policy that aimed to limit misinformation, Twitter said it will this month remove legacy blue checks that used to certify the authenticity of government officials, journalists and public figures’ accounts unless they pay. Meanwhile, any users could also soon be able to subscribe to get the once-coveted blue tick. Announced in November 2022 after Elon Musk bought the platform, the plan has sparked fears that it could result in a wave of fake accounts and an uptick in fake...

FBI: Delta pilot mistakenly detained by federal agents at Boston hotel during botched training exercise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

Federal agents went to the wrong room and detained the wrong person during a Department of Defense training exercise in a Boston hotel on Tuesday, the FBI confirmed.In a statement, the FBI said the incident happened around 10 p.m. while the FBI’s Boston Division was aiding the Department of Defense in an exercise “to simulate a situation their personnel might encounter in a deployed environment.”“Based on inaccurate information, they were mistakenly sent to the wrong room and detained an individual, not the intended role player,” the FBI said.A Boston police report said the incident happened at the Revere Hotel. 7NEWS sources said the person who was mistakenly detained is a pilot for Delta Air Lines.Nobody was injured in the incident, according to the FBI. The FBI said Boston police were called to confirm the situation was a training exercise.The Boston Police Department’s report filed after the incident described the response. It said officers responded to the...

Six people injured in crash that sent MBTA bus through fence, into cemetery in Jamaica Plain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

Six people were injured in a crash involving an MBTA bus and another vehicle in Jamaica Plain on Wednesday, officials said. SKY7-HD was over the scene shortly before 6 p.m., capturing video of the bus and its damaged windshield after the bus crashed through a fence into the Forest Hills Cemetery.Another vehicle involved in the crash was stopped in the nearby intersection of Forest Hills Avenue and Morton Street with visible damage. Debris was also seen elsewhere around the crash site as traffic backed up on nearby roads.In a statement, MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said a preliminary investigation found the crash happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. when a passenger vehicle “made an abrupt turn” in front of the MBTA bus. The bus swerved to avoid further collisions after it and the passenger vehicle collided, according to Sullivan. Sullivan said four people on the bus and two people in the passenger vehicle reported injuries. All reported injuries were non...

At least 1 injured in serious crash in Dorchester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

At least one person was taken to the hospital following a serious crash in Dorchester late Wednesday night. Three cars, including what looks like an unmarked police cruiser, were involved in the crash on Dorchester Avenue. Police, fire, and EMS all responded to the scene. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez has small town roots. His friends and family prove that.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

Grayson Rodriguez is not from Houston.His mother, Temple, gets frustrated when she sees it written that her son is a Houston native.“Please tell them,” she pleaded. “He is not from Houston. He was just born there because I was high risk. He’s from Nacogdoches.”To some, the distinction might not seem important. Houston, about 140 miles south, is the closest major city in Texas to Nacogdoches.But the significance of noting that Rodriguez, the Orioles’ top pitching prospect, isn’t from Houston — population 2.28 million — and is instead from Nacogdoches — population 32,118 — was obvious Wednesday when he made his MLB debut in Texas against the Rangers. Seated behind the third base dugout for his first big league start were scores of Rodriguez supporters from Nacogdoches — family, friends and former teammates and coaches — all donning either Central Heights High blue or Orioles orange.“It was a lot of fun...

Weekend need to know: Easter events, Cirque du Soleil; road closures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

It’s the Easter Holiday weekend and the city is celebrating with the annual Beaches Easter Parade, as well as a Good Friday procession.Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA has also arrived in Toronto, and jazz lovers can check out a live Caribbean Jazz show.A long weekend also means some businesses will be closed. Check out what is open and closed for Good Friday here.There are no scheduled subway closures this weekend, but ongoing roads closures continue. Scroll below for those details.Here’s what’s happening this weekend:Top eventsBeaches Easter Parade & Easter Egg Scavenger HuntThe Beaches Easter Parade weekend is back in the city.Events include an Easter egg scavenger hunt taking place on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Participants can register online and download an app to reveal the scavenger hunt’s clues.Groups will decipher clues that will lead to 12 different locations across The Beach.Once the hunt is complete, participants will receive instructions guiding t...

Jill Biden keeps ‘EGGucation’ theme for Easter Egg Roll

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden wants the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll to be about more than just coaxing hard-boiled eggs across the lawn to a finish line. A teacher for 30 years, the first lady is again turning the annual tradition into an “EGGucational” experience. A variety of stations on the South Lawn and Ellipse will help teach thousands of children about farming, healthier eating, exercise and more, the White House announced on Thursday. In a nod to Biden’s “EGGucation” theme, NASA sent a souvenir wooden White House Easter egg to the International Space Station for the astronauts to help teach students about gravity. About 30,000 people, most of them children, are expected to participate in the festivities in nine waves between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, the White House said. Participants include military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors, including those from the USS Delaware and the USS Gabrielle Giffords. Both Navy vessels are sponsored by ...

Global shares trade mixed amid worries about slowing economy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were trading mixed Thursday as investors turned their attention to upcoming earnings reports and other economic indicators. France’s CAC 40 added 0.2% in early trading to 7,329.86, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.2% to 15,553.23. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.5% to 7,697.24. The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up less than 0.1% and that for the S&P 500 was almost unchanged. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 1.2% to finish at 27,472.63. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 7,219.00. South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.4% to 2,459.23. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.3% to 20,331.20. The Shanghai Composite declined 0.3% to 3,312.63. While efforts to cool inflation by raising interest rates are designed to slow overheated economies, the worry is that central bank policymakers might overdo it, leading to recession. Many regional economies are seeing weakness in exports due to softer demand in major markets lik...

Pope leads Holy Thursday service in Vatican basilica

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:17 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis led the first of two major Holy Thursday ceremonies, presiding at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica as he continues his stamina-testing Holy Week appointments days after battling bronchitis in the hospital.The pope’s voice sounded strong during the basilica Mass as he read a long homily during the service, which was dedicated to the theme of the priesthood . Francis, who is 86, was discharged five days earlier from a Rome hospital, where he received antibiotics administered intravenously. Inmates at a juvenile prison on Rome’s outskirts awaited the pontiff later in the day for Mass and the foot-washing ritual that commemorates the final supper of Jesus before crucifixion. It is the same juvenile facility where Francis carried out the foot-washing — a powerful symbol of humility and priestly service to others — shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013. From the start, Francis has used his papacy to stress attention to those living on society’...