West Ham, Fiorentina aim to end long European trophy droughts in Europa Conference League final

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

West Ham, Fiorentina aim to end long European trophy droughts in Europa Conference League final PRAGUE (AP) — West Ham and Fiorentina haven’t won a European trophy for more than 50 years.The drought will end for one of them when they play out the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday in Prague.West Ham earned its lone European title in 1965, the old European Cup Winners’ Cup. Alan Sealey scored twice to beat 1860 Munich 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.The Hammers reached the final of the same competition in 1976. En route to this, West Ham’s third European final, forward Jarrod Bowen contributed four goals and can’t wait to play it.“I’ve played for England, but I think achieving this with your teammates who you’ve been with together to get to a final and you have the opportunity to win a trophy together, it will be a massive moment,” Bowen said.“We’re all excited about being in the final of a European competition and this will be the pinnacle for a lot of players. It will certainly be the biggest game of my career.”Fiorentina’s only European trophy was als...

Tottenham hires Ange Postecoglou as latest manager after his departure from Celtic

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Tottenham hires Ange Postecoglou as latest manager after his departure from Celtic Ange Postecoglou was hired as Tottenham manager on Tuesday as the English Premier League club begins its latest reboot after another turbulent season.The former Celtic manager is the fourth permanent manager to be hired since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in 2019 and will be tasked with the responsibility of turning Spurs’ fortunes around after 15 years without a trophy.He signed a four-year contract and follows on from Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, who all had short-lived reigns.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Atlanta council OKs funding construction of police and firefighter training center, decried as “Cop City” by activists

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Atlanta council OKs funding construction of police and firefighter training center, decried as “Cop City” by activists ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta council OKs funding construction of police and firefighter training center, decried as “Cop City” by activists.Source

Prince Harry swears to tell truth in phone hacking case, becomes first senior UK royal to testify since 19th century

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Prince Harry swears to tell truth in phone hacking case, becomes first senior UK royal to testify since 19th century LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry swears to tell truth in phone hacking case, becomes first senior UK royal to testify since 19th century.Source

El príncipe Harry llega a un tribunal de Londres a declarar en un caso de escuchas telefónicas contra medios de comunicación británicos

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

El príncipe Harry llega a un tribunal de Londres a declarar en un caso de escuchas telefónicas contra medios de comunicación británicos (CNN) — El duque de Sussex llegó este martes al Tribunal Superior de Londres para prestar declaración en su demanda contra Mirror Group Newspapers, a cuyas cabeceras acusa de pirateo telefónico y otras actividades ilícitas.Harry llegó al edificio Rolls, en el centro de Londres, hacia las 9:36 a.m. hora local, en un Range Rover negro, vestido con un traje negro.Entró en el edificio sin responder a las preguntas de los periodistas antes de pasar los controles de seguridad en el interior, según la agencia de noticias PA Media.La comparecencia en persona de Harry ante el tribunal es extremadamente rara para un miembro de la familia real británica. Se cree que es la primera vez que un miembro de la realeza comparece personalmente desde 2002, cuando la princesa Ana se declaró culpable después de que su perro mordiera a dos niños en un parque de Windsor, según la agencia de noticias PA Media.Hace más de 130 años que un alto miembro de la familia real no testifica ante un tribunal, cu...

Tribute held for teen who made ultimate sacrifice to save a stranger

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Tribute held for teen who made ultimate sacrifice to save a stranger In a touching tribute at Western High School, Aden Perry was honored as a heroic teenager who tragically lost his life while attempting to rescue a stranger from a canal. Aden’s mother, Sarah Perry, accepted his diploma on the graduation stage, commemorating his selflessness and bravery.On Monday evening, Sarah expressed her pride in her son and acknowledged the significance of accepting his diploma on his behalf. “He always made me proud. He would have been so proud accepting these himself,” she tearfully shared.Aden’s heroic act occurred in April of 2022 when he courageously jumped into a lake to assist a crash victim in Sunrise. Without hesitation, Aden selflessly dived into the water, exemplifying his unwavering commitment to helping others. Tragically, both Aden and the driver, Venkata Sai Krishnamurthy, did not survive.“He was an amazing young man and he was always helping other people,” said Aden’s mom. “What he did that night w...

As Ukraine reels from dam strike, UN celebrates Russian language day

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

As Ukraine reels from dam strike, UN celebrates Russian language day Ukraine to the U.N.: Think before you tweet.The United Nations faced blowback on social media Tuesday after tweeting that it was celebrating “Russian language day” — on the same day Kyiv accused Russia of blowing up a major dam on the Dnieper River, threatening an ecological and humanitarian disaster.“Tuesday is Russian Language Day,” the U.N. wrote on Twitter. “Follow @UnitedNationsRU for updates on the UN’s work in Russian.”The tweet sparked dozens of furious comments, including from Ukrainian officials, in a classic case of being ratioed — a social media phenomenon when a post receives a deluge of negative responses and reactions, and few positive ones.“@UnitedNationsRU tweets about cultural diversity, ignoring the biggest catastrophe in Europe in decades caused solely by Russia. Why be silent?” said Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry.Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine accused Russia of bombing the Nova K...

SUV barrels through martial arts studio in Southbridge, crashes into ravine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

SUV barrels through martial arts studio in Southbridge, crashes into ravine A driver barreled through a martial arts studio in Southbridge, punching a hole in the building in a crash caught on camera Monday afternoon. The SUV ended up in a ravine below, with its driver ejected onto a nearby riverbank.Emergency crews responded and the driver was rushed to a hospital. The business’ owner also rushed to the scene, where he noted concern for the driver and said he was thankful no one was inside the studio at the time of the crash.“I just wanted to make sure the driver was okay,” said Hector Arvelo. “You don’t want anyone to get hurt. Everything else, it’s wood. It’s replaceable.”Arvelo owns Arvelo Martial Arts Academy and said he received a phone call telling him what happened.Southbridge police said they responded alongside firefighters around 1:40 p.m. at the intersection of Pleasant Street and River Street. Police said the SUV appeared to speed through the area with no signs the driver tried to brake, leading them to believe he ma...

Rape trial of former state prosecutor set to begin in Boston

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Rape trial of former state prosecutor set to begin in Boston The trial for a former Boston attorney accused of rape is set to begin Tuesday in Boston.Gary Zerola, 51, a former criminal defense lawyer who was once named one of “People” magazine’s most eligible bachelors, is accused of raping a woman in 2016 in Boston after a concert. His attorney says the victim was affectionate toward Zerola and called the allegations false.Zerola is already facing charges in Suffolk Superior Court for the alleged rape of a different woman in 2016, and had posted $10,000 bail in that case, according to the office of the Suffolk County District Attorney.

Smoky Sun & Storms

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:11:29 GMT

Smoky Sun & Storms A colorful sunrise it was for many towns and cities this morning as smoky skies from the Canadian wildfires have made their presence felt, allowing for the added orange and red hues. With the smoke particles making their way down to ground level, there is an air quality alert in place for today.It’s a mix of smoky sun and clouds today with scattered showers and storms bubbling up this afternoon. As cold air aloft is still prevalent across New England, the daytime heating into the low to mid 70s will drive the instability that fuels the showers/storms. With that said, we will still have a lot of dry hours from town to town, just be mindful of that 15-30 minute period, where thunder/lightning, a downpour and even small hail is possible. As the are of low pressure to our northeast, continues to wobble around tomorrow, it’s push is a bit farther southwest. That’ll place most of the smoke to the west of us tomorrow, improving the air quality. However, it’ll also r...