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Fighting breaks out inside Russia as Prigozhin’s rebellion menaces Moscow

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

Russian forces on Saturday appeared to bombard the southern city of Voronezh in an attempt to extinguish a rebellion by mercenary troops loyal to the embittered warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is now posing one of the gravest threats to President Vladimir Putin’s nearly 25-year rule. Putin had earlier raised the specter of civil war after Prigozhin, furious over the Kremlin’s bungled invasion of Ukraine, seized key parts of southern Russia — most crucially the major strategic city of Rostov-on-Don — and threatened to march on Moscow. In a sign that fears of internal conflict are not far-fetched, Chechen strongman and Putin loyalist Ramzan Kadyrov vowed to throw his fighters behind the president and take on Prigozhin’s Wagner Group in Rostov. “The rebellion must be crushed, and if this requires harsh measures, then we are ready!” he said. Images of shelling in Voronezh, some 500 kilometers south of Moscow, could not immediately be verified, but the governor...

Who You Gonna Call?: New Bedford fan recreates ‘Ghostbusters’ Ectomobile

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

While cars of all kinds come and go in New Bedford, Ethan Tripp’s ride is unique to say the least.Because propped on top, with proton packs in the back, almost every angle of his Toyota Rav has been converted into a more modern-day replica of the infamous Ecto 1 from “Ghostbusters.”“This is my everyday car,” Tripp said. “Something about that just said yep I can make this work. The array on top helps them hunt ghosts.”“I think of it more as my own Ecto so it’s the Ecto 84.”Born on June 8, 1984, Tripp said his dedication to fictional fun was undeniably destiny.“That is the day that “Ghostbusters” was also released in theaters,” he said, “so the running joke is instead of celebrating my birthday I like to celebrate ‘Ghostbusters’ release day.”Having been a fan all his life, he had every toy made from the movie. Not only does he enjoy the costume for cosplay but as an adult, he decided to take things a step further.“It just see...

Boys lacrosse year in review: SJP officially a dynasty

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

Entering the season, John Pynchon wasn’t exactly too sure what to make of his group.Sure, St. John’s Prep was coming off back-to-back Div. 1 boys lacrosse championships, and he knew there was potential. But the Eagles had lost so many key pieces he worried if a three-peat was truly possible.Turns out it was. St. John’s Prep (22-1) is now officially in the midst of a dynasty, having knocked off BC High to win the crown again.The latest title bout between the two Catholic Conference foes proved to be the most epic, as Johns Hopkins commit Jimmy Ayers (five goals, assist) and junior star Jake Vana (four goals, two assists) combined to rally the Eagles from a four-goal fourth quarter deficit to an unforgettable 16-14 victory. In doing so, St. John’s Prep avenged its lone MIAA loss of the season, and added another piece of hardware to the trophy case.Most pundits were saying that if there ever was a year for Reading to win the Div. 2 title, it was this one. The Rockets (22-1) delivered o...

Live Updates | Armed rebellion by Russian mercenary chief of Wagner Group

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

By The Associated PressThe latest on the armed rebellion declared by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin:—Security in a number of Russian regions was tightened as authorities sought to thwart an armed rebellion spearheaded by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.There was tighter security particularly in areas between the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, where Prigozhin’s Wagner group appeared to control military headquarters, and Moscow.The governor of the Lipetsk region asked residents to stay at home and refrain from traveling. Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram that Wagner had entered the province but “the situation is under control.”In the neighboring Tambov region, mass events were canceled Saturday.Those events included high school graduation parties. Russia’s Education Ministry said such parties were being postponed until July 1 in Moscow, the region around the capital and “a number of other regions where additional anti-terrorist measures have been introduced.”In th...

Volleyball year in review: Needham writes chapter in record books

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

Preaching his famous “corner our performance” response throughout, what’s proved almost as rare as Needham’s 73-game win streak is head coach Dave Powell acknowledging it – let alone opening up about it to reporters.Yet, in the moments after the Rockets realized a third straight perfect season by beating Newton North in the Div. 1 state final at Worcester State, becoming just the third MIAA boys volleyball program to three-peat, he had much more to say in reflection of a challenging year.The picture that opposing coaches painted in the preseason suggested that this season – of all three since the pandemic – presented the best chance for a different team to raise the championship trophy. They said the Div. 1 state tournament was wide open for the first time since 2019, and they weren’t wrong.In turn, the target on Needham’s back was larger than ever. Constant updates of the growing historic mark served as a daily reminder of exactly what the Rockets tried not to focus on. Every set o...

Baseball/softball year in review: Taunton builds a juggernaut

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

Once again, Taunton is the rule of the roost.For the third time in four years Taunton captured the Div. 1 state championship as it rolled past BC High, St. John’s Shrewsbury, and Hockomock Kelley-Rex league rival Franklin to capture the title.The Tigers are just the fourth Div. 1 team since 1990 to win three state titles joining New Bedford, BC High, and Xaverian.While Taunton won the crown, Methuen stole a lot of hearts and minds as the No. 21 seeded Rangers defeated No. 12 Andover, No. 5 Xaverian, and No. 4 Central Catholic to reach the state semifinals. Matt Pappalardo asserted himself as one of the state’s best.Brendan Morrissey’s Milton crew won their second straight title, again defeating King Philip in the season finale. Owen McHugh and Scott Longo formed one of the premier 1-2 combinations in the state while Tommy Mitchell provided key relief in the postseason.Whitman-Hanson showed it may be primed for contention for the foreseeable future. The young Panthe...

One year later, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision is both scorned and praised

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

Activists and politicians are marking the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned a nationwide right to abortion by both bashing and celebrating it.Rallies on both sides were scheduled for Saturday in Washington and across the country.In a statement, President Joe Biden pledged to protect access and decried the court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court’s conservative majority on June 24, 2022, overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, which had been in place for nearly a half-century.“States have imposed extreme and dangerous abortion bans that put the health and lives of women in jeopardy, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide,” Biden said.Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel praised the ruling, which was made possible by former President Donald Trump&...

Indian Prime Minister Modi arrives in Egypt on a two-day visit to strengthen ties

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a two-day visit to Egypt on Saturday, a trip that underscores the growing ties between the two countries.Modi’s flight landed at Cairo’s international airport Saturday afternoon, coming from a four-day trip to the United States where he held talks with President Joe Biden, delivered a speech to the U.S. Congress, and met with top American and Indian executives.It’s the first state visit to Egypt by an Indian prime minister since 1997. Modi was received by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, and the two inspected an honor guard and listened to the national anthems. Modi took to Twitter to thank Madboubly for “the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport,” and added, “May India-Egypt ties flourish and benefit the people of our nations.”Modi is scheduled to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday. The two countries would also sign a set of memorandums aiming at solidifying their ties, accor...

Israeli military kills Palestinian gunman as settlers rampage through Palestinian town

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian assailant opened fire at an Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank on Saturday before being shot and killed, Israeli police said. Elsewhere in the occupied territory, settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village, hurling stones, spraying bullets and setting fire to homes. The Palestinian gunman approached Israeli troops stationed at the Qalandiya checkpoint outside Jerusalem early in the morning, pulled out an M16 rifle and opened fire, the Israeli police said.Israeli security forces said they shot back, killing the suspected assailant. According to the Israeli rescue service, two security guards in their 20s were hospitalized with minor wounds — at least one from bullet fragments. There was no immediate word on the attacker’s identity.Later on Saturday, residents of the Palestinian village of Umm Safa said that some 50 Israeli settlers armed with rifles and flammable liquid stormed through the streets and tried to set fire to at least f...

Pakistan accuses Indian troops of killing 2 civilians in cross-border incident in Kashmir

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:20 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Indian troops fired without provocation across the Line of Control separating Indian and Pakistani Kashmir on Saturday, killing two civilians and injuring another, Pakistan’s military said. The Indian troops fired indiscriminately on a group of shepherds around noon killing one of them on the spot and critically wounding two others, the military said in a statement. It said one of the wounded later died at a hospital.The Indian army said in a tweet that a team of its soldiers and police intercepted three infiltrators from the Pakistani side in the Krishna Ghati sector. It said they “engaged” the infiltrators, who were seen “falling down” near the border. The Indian army said one Indian soldier suffered a gunshot wound.The conflicting details given by the two sides could not immediately be reconciled.The Pakistani military said it issued a strong protest with Indian officials and said Pakistan reserves the right to respond in a manner of its choosin...