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Low ‘concerning’ number of North Atlantic right whale births reported this season: New England Aquarium

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

As North Atlantic right whale calving season ends, New England Aquarium scientists are sounding the alarm that the number of mother-calf pairs documented this season is far below what’s needed to sustain the critically endangered species.The annual calving season in the southeastern U.S. produced 11 mother-calf pairs and a 12th calf without an observed mother. Nine of those calves were born by the end of December, with the last one detected on Jan. 20.In the last 10 years, scientists have documented 108 calves born, while the previous 10 years yielded 216 calves.“There were half as many right whales born this past decade,” said senior scientist Philip Hamilton, who leads the New England Aquarium’s right whale research program in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.“To reach the previous decade’s number, we would need an average of 22 right whales born each year,” Hamilton added. “It is certainly concerning for a population that ha...

Massachusetts State Police investigating after dead body found along Charles River in Newton

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

State Police are investigating the death of a person who was found along the Charles River in Newton Saturday night, according to police.Troopers from the State Police-Boston Barracks and local police responded at about 8 p.m., to Forte Park along the Charles River after the dead body was discovered.The location is state Department of Conservation and Recreation property.“Troopers from the State Police Troop H Detective Unit, the State Police Detective Unit for Middlesex County, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section also responded and at this time continue to investigate the identity of the body and the facts and circumstances of the death,” a Massachusetts State Police spokesperson said in a statement.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Easter fire that destroyed Cambridge church investigated as ‘suspected arson,’ police ask public for help Crime & Public Safety | Police investigate discovery infant remains ...

Peru’s ex-president returned home to face corruption charges

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Former President Alejandro Toledo arrived in Lima Sunday after being extradited from the United States to face charges he allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes in a giant corruption scandal that has ensnared four of Peru’s ex-presidents. Toledo, who was Peru’s president from 2001 to 2006, had surrendered to U.S. authorities on Friday, ending a yearslong legal battle against his extradition, which started in 2019 when he was arrested at his home in Menlo Park, California. Police and officials from Peru’s prosecutor’s office received Toledo, 77, at Lima’s airport early Sunday. Police released a photo of Toledo, looking disheveled, accompanied by agents. He was transferred to a court in Lima’s historic center. Peru’s former president will serve 18 months of preventative detention while he is investigated for allegedly taking at least $20 million in bribes from Odebrecht, a giant Brazilian construction company that has admitted to U.S. authorities that...

Sudan fighting hastens evacuations of diplomats, citizens

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Foreign governments evacuated diplomats, staff and others trapped in Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for a ninth day with no sign of a truce that had been declared for a major Muslim holiday.While world powers like the U.S. and Britain airlifted their diplomats from the capital of Khartoum, Sudanese desperately sought to flee the chaos. Many traveled risked dangerous roads to seek safer spots or crossed the northern frontier into Egypt.“My family — my mother, my siblings and my nephews — are on the road from Sudan to Cairo through Aswan,” prominent Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abual-Ala wrote on Facebook.Fighting raged in Omdurman, a city across the Nile from Khartoum, residents said, despite a hoped-for cease-fire to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.“We did not see such a truce,” Amin al-Tayed said from his home near state TV headquarters in Omdurman, adding that heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the cit...

German soccer match abandoned after referee doused in beer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

ZWICKAU, Germany (AP) — A third-tier soccer game in Germany was abandoned on Sunday after the referee was doused in beer by an angry fan at halftime. Relegation-threatened Zwickau’s match against visiting Rot-Weiss Essen did not continue for the second half because referee Nicolas Winter had a cup of beer thrown in his face by a fan, who was apparently unhappy with his decision to send off a Zwickau player and award a penalty to Essen before halftime.Winter showed Zwickau defender Nils Butzen a red card for bringing down American forward Isaiah Young, then awarded Essen a penalty for hand ball from the resultant free kick.Simon Engelmann scored from the penalty spot to equalize for 1-1 before the break, when the home fans made their frustrations known. The match officials waited before the leaving the field. Magenta Sport TV showed the fan throwing the beer at the referee’s face.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsThe Associated Press

Ukrainian troop positions spark counteroffensive speculation

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive.The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with “stable supply lines” to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country’s south.Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the...

Ex-Disney employee allegedly shot videos up women’s skirts

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A former Walt Disney World employee is facing a charge that he surreptitiously took a video up the skirt of a female customer, allegedly telling investigators he had done it more than 500 times over the past six years. Jorge Diaz Vega, 26, worked at the Star Wars gift shop inside Disney World’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida until his recent arrest on one count of video voyeurism, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. According to court records filed by Orange County Sheriff’s detectives, Vega was spotted by a witness shooting a video up an 18-year-old woman’s skirt. She later told security officers she was not aware of Vega’s actions. Detectives said that Vega volunteered during questioning that he takes the videos as a “guilty pleasure” and showed them multiple examples on his cellphone. He was arrested March 31 and released on $2,500 bail. Court records do not show if Vega has an attorney and a ...

Russian airspace ban means pricier flights for Canadian travellers and airlines

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

MONTREAL — Ross Aimer still recalls the snow-white Russian tundra unfurling on the horizon during flights he piloted between the U.S. and Asia.“In summertime, it’s all daytime flying. That’s beautiful views,” said Aimer, CEO of California-based Aero Consulting Experts and a former United Airlines captain.Those vistas are no longer available to flight crews from many Western countries. Russia barred Canadian, American, British and European Union operators from its airspace more than a year ago in response to airspace prohibitions against it by those states and others that support Ukraine, after Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022.European airlines are among the most affected, having to reroute planes on hours-long detours to reach Asia and parts of the Middle East.But Canadian carriers are impacted too, with planes en route to East Asia and South Asia forced to skirt around Russian airspace daily, and no sign of relief on the radar. The detours mean longer trips...

Indian climber pulled from crevasse in Nepal improving

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — An Indian climber who was rescued after spending three days in a 300-meter (980-foot) -deep crevasse is recovering in a Kathmandu hospital but his condition is still critical, his family said Sunday. Anurag Maloo had fallen into the crevasse while descending Mount Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest, on April 17. After several attempts, he was rescued on Thursday. “He is under medical supervision, but doctors are saying he is slowing improving,” his younger brother, Ashish Maloo, told reporters, adding that he remains critical. He called the rescue and recovery “a miracle.”After he was plucked out of the crevasse, Maloo was flown to a hospital in the resort town of Pokhara. “The doctor gave him CPR, he tried his best for next to three hours, which made his revival and that was a sign of relief for us,” Ashish Maloo said. “There were so much emotions at that moment I can’t really express.”Rescuers had struggled with bad weather, avalanches an...

Animatronic dragon goes up in flames at Disneyland

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:47 GMT

(KTLA) – A fire broke out at Disneyland Saturday night as packed crowds were enjoying the theme park.The fire ignited on Tom Sawyer Island during the Fantasmic! nighttime water and fireworks show held on the Rivers of America. Disneyland to resume Magic Key annual pass sales Videos taken by parkgoers show flames fully engulfing Maleficent's dragon prop on stage. The flames first took over the dragon's face before spreading to the rest of its body.Heavy plumes of dark smoke could be seen billowing from the stage and were visible throughout the park. Disneyland announces closing date for Splash Mountain Video showed cast members evacuating crowds out of the waterfront viewing area and nearby attractions as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Bystanders outside of the Disneyland resort captured pictures and video of a line of firetrucks rushing to the Anaheim, California, theme park."During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park o...