The Boston Globe
The US news site reports that a “bomb cyclone” of a winter storm barraged much of eastern Massachusetts yesterday (Saturday), cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people, disrupting travel, and leaving officials scrambling to assess the damage.
It said with its blinding snow and punishing winds, the "nor’eastern", which had been expected to hit the US north-east and mid-Atlantic regions, drew comparisons to the devastating blizzard of 1978, which dumped more than 27in of snow on Boston. The National Weather Service dubbed the storm a “bomb cyclone,” essentially a winter hurricane, as a result of a rapid drop in air pressure and strengthening of the storm.
Speaking at a news conference, Charlie Baker, the Massachusetts governor, said the snow was expected to stop falling at about 11pm., but the cleanup could continue into Monday.
“It’s been a very long storm. We’re not quite out of the woods yet,” he said. The storm, with gusts of up to 83mph, appeared to hit the hardest on Cape Cod, especially Provincetown, where nearly all 3,000 residents lost power.
Italia Mia
The Italian president Sergio Mattarella has been elected for a second term, with parties asking him to stay on after a week of often fraught voting in parliament to choose a successor.
The Italian news site said relieved party chiefs thanked 80-year-old Mr Mattarella yesterday (Saturday) for agreeing to remain, but the failed attempts to replace him during seven rounds of balloting have left deep scars, with potentially dangerous repercussions for political stability.
In the eighth round of voting among more than 1,000 lawmakers and regional delegates in the Chamber of Deputies, loud and prolonged applause broke out when Mr Mattarella passed the 505 votes needed for election.
He had long ruled out remaining in office, but with the country’s political stability at risk, he changed his mind in the face of appeals from parliamentary leaders who met him at the presidential palace earlier in the day.
The Canberra Times, Australia
The newspaper reports that music superstar Kanye West must be fully vaccinated to perform in Australia, the prime minister Scott Morrison has insisted, just weeks after the tennis player Novak Djokovic's deportation.
The hip-hop artist reportedly plans to hold concerts in Australia in March, but his vaccination status remains unclear after comments allegedly attacking the Covid-19 jab.
Mr Morrison said yesterday (Saturday) the same rules that applied to Mr Djokovic could bar Mr West from entering the country.
Mr Morrison insisted the Grammy-winner would need to prove his vaccination status, with recent events evidence Australia's border laws were enforced equally. "The rules are: you have to be fully-vaccinated. Those are the rules, they apply to everybody," he said.
The French Daily News
The site yesterday (Saturday) reported that European hauliers are preparing an operation "identical to that of Canadian truckers opposed to health restrictions". It says they plan to converge on Brussels, Belgium, on February 7.
It said that Canadian truckers opposed to mandatory vaccinations had arrived in Ottowa, adding that: "In France, as in other European countries, truckers are preparing the 'freedom convoy' via social networks. But we don’t know much, for the moment, about their degree of organisation. It is not known whether or not health care workers, firefighters and other personnel affected by health constraints are planning to participate in this operation. It is also not known how large the operation will be. However, the meeting is scheduled to take place in Brussels on February 7."
It said: "What seems certain, however, is that in many European countries, the level of discontent with sanitary measures is reaching new heights," adding: "Decidedly, this damned virus makes you crazy!"
The Moscow Times
The Russian military said yesterday (Saturday) that planned naval drills set to take part in Irish fishing waters will be relocated amid "concern in Dublin and other European capitals".
Russia’s Navy was scheduled to conduct exercises off the Irish coast between February 3 and 8, in international waters.
In a statement published yesterday evening, Russia’s ambassador to Ireland, Yuri Filatov, said Russia would move the drills to outside Irish fishing waters.
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu “has made a decision, as a gesture of goodwill, to relocate the exercises … outside the Irish exclusive economic zone, with the aim not to hinder fishing activities by the Irish vessels in the traditional fishing areas,” Mr Filatov said.
The naval drills come amid a tense standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops, heavy equipment and logistical support near its border with Ukraine and is also planning military training exercises with neighbouring Belarus over the next few weeks.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea
