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Russia fortifies defenses around Crimea bridge, UK says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Russia’s armed forces are reportedly reinforcing the only bridge linking the country to Crimea, in an increasingly desperate effort to protect the vital logistics route against Ukrainian attacks on Moscow’s military infrastructure around the Black Sea.The British Ministry of Defense said that “Russia is employing a range of passive defenses such as smoke generators and underwater barriers, alongside active defense measures such as air defense systems,” according to the latest U.K. war intelligence update released Friday.The Russian move is designed to “strengthen the survivability” of the 19-kilometer Crimean bridge — Europe’s longest — and also protect ferries carrying troops and weapons into Ukraine, according to the assessment.According to U.K. intelligence, satellite imagery shows that since August 29, an underwater barrier has been created using sunken ships to block sea drones. Just a fortnight ago, Kyiv’s forces said they had us...

Georgia’s ruling party moves to impeach president over EU trips: Report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Georgia’s ruling party said Friday it began impeachment proceedings against the country’s president, Salome Zourabichvili.The party is accusing the president of violating the constitution by visiting foreign countries in the EU without the government’s approval, Georgian news agency InterPressNews reported, citing Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the governing Georgian Dream party.“The government of Georgia has the goal of strengthening the state, including the goal of strengthening its foreign positions,” Kobakhidze said. “We see that Salome Zurabishvili is acting with opposite interests.”Georgia, which applied for EU membership after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, has seen rocky progress toward that goal, amid fears the country under the Georgian Dream party is seeking closer economic relations with Russia. Brussels has warned the administration in Tbilisi about “setbacks” in upholding the rule of law and human rights in the country.In 202...

Wagner Group founder Utkin buried near Moscow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Two days after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried privately in St. Petersburg, the group’s battlefield commander Dmitry Utkin was laid to rest at a military cemetery close to Moscow on Thursday. “At the request of his family, the ceremony was held only in the presence of relatives and close friends,” Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. In a small circle of 20 relatives, Nazi-tattooed mercenary leader Utkin was buried at the “Pantheon of Defenders of the Fatherland” north of Moscow on Thursday morning. The funeral started in the Church St. Sergius, until the coffin was driven to the military cemetery in Mytishchi. The ceremony was held under strong police protection and attendees — some of whom wore Wagner logos — had to be personally invited by the family.Utkin was among 10 people killed in the same jet crash as Prigozhin last week, two months after the Wagner Group rose up against the Kremlin in an aborted mutiny. Russian Pr...

Russia’s Putin and Turkey’s Erdogan will meet next week after Ukraine grain deal unraveled

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.His remarks came after weeks of speculation about when and where the two leaders might meet next. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted his Turkish counterpart for talks in Moscow.Turkey, together with the United Nations, brokered a deal in July 2022 that allowed Ukraine to ship grain and other foodstuffs from three Black Sea ports.A separate memorandum between the U.N. and Russia, agreed at the same time, pledged to overcome obstacles to Moscow’s shipment of food and fertilizer to world markets.However, Russia pulled out of the deals earlier this year, claiming that its conditions hadn’t been met.Meanwhile, Russian officials said Friday that air defenses intercepted drones heading toward three of the country’s western regions, while satellite images indicated that a major dron...

Fall Freshies to Summer Stunner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Whoosh… as we flushed out the higher humidity, we certainly flushed out the warm air as well with a classic mid to late September feel to the air outside this morning. Temps start the day in the upper 40s in many burbs and upper 50s in Boston. Temps below were “current” around 6am this morning. With a ton of sunshine, the bounce back is nice though as temps head back for the upper 70s inland to near 70 at the coast. It will be coolest along the coast thanks to a sea breeze kicking in. We’ll still have some wave action along the coast too with a moderate risk of rip currents. Sunshine wins out tomorrow and after a chilly start, it’s a stunning day with warm afternoon temps as highs head for the low 80s. It’ll be a bit cooler across Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Some clouds stream in tomorrow night into early Sunday morning, but Sunday looks dry and warm again with more sunshine return midday into the afternoon as highs head into the mid 80s inland, 75-80 ...

Orioles roundtable: Answering questions about Baltimore’s AL East chances, John Means, the September bullpen and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

The stretch run is here, and the Orioles enter it as the American League’s best team.Baltimore (83-50) is on pace to win 101 games — potentially reaching the century mark for the first time since 1980 — after going 18-9 in August. But the Tampa Bay Rays kept pace with a 17-8 mark to remain just 1 1/2 games back of the Orioles atop the AL East.With 29 games remaining, FanGraphs gives the Orioles a 99.9% chance to make the playoffs, but playing well enough down the stretch to win the division and enter the postseason on a high note is critical.With about one month remaining in the regular season, Baltimore Sun Orioles reporters Nathan Ruiz and Jacob Calvin Meyer and editor Tim Schwartz answer five questions facing the team.Will the Orioles win the AL East?Ruiz: Yes. The loss of All-Star closer Félix Bautista to an ulnar collateral ligament injury obviously hurts their chances, but it’s not as if the Rays are at full strength, either. Baltimore’s best...

Patriots mailbag: Tyquan Thornton’ standing in receiver mix amid latest IR stint

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

The Patriots’ 53-man roster and practice squad are mostly set. The players have their game plan for the season opener against the Eagles. The season starts in just over a week.Still, questions abound about the 2023 Patriots.Let’s answer them in our latest Patriots mailbag.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots sign ex-Eagles WR to practice squad before opener vs. Philadelphia New England Patriots | Patriots WR Demario Douglas aiming to ‘make a statement’ in NFL debut New England Patriots | Source: Patriots claiming QB Matt Corral off waivers from Panthers New England Patriots | Patriots WR DeVante Parker misses second straight practice Thursday New England Patriots | Callahan: Bailey Zappe’s release another reminder the Patriots have no sacred cows @chickenuruuWhats Tyquans Injury? This is two years hes started on IR and honestly i feel he is going to get lost in th...

Nobel body reverses invitation policy. Russia, Belarus, Iran and far-right leader are welcome

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Nobel Foundation that administers the prestigious awards, has reversed its invitation policy and invited Russia, Belarus and Iran, as well as the leader of a far-right Swedish party, who had previously been banned.Vidar Helgesen, the executive director of the private foundation said in a statement that there was a global trend in which “dialogue between those with differing views is being reduced.”To counter that, he said, “we are now broadening our invitations to celebrate and understand the Nobel Prize and the importance of free science, free culture and free, peaceful societies.” The foundation said that invitation for the 2023 events was extended to all countries with diplomatic missions in Sweden and Norway and parties “that have parliamentary representation via democratic elections,” adding that “this common approach promotes opportunities to convey the important messages of the Nobel Prize to everyone, and in future this practice will be...

Metro workers back on job today but shuttered stores won’t reopen right away

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Some Metro workers will be back on the job Friday but customers won’t be browsing the aisles of their local stores until next week.Workers are expected to return to the 27 shuttered stores (full list below) after union members approved a tentative agreement to end their month-long strike in a vote on Thursday.The company says the locations that were closed won’t be ready to reopen until Tuesday since they are in need of major restocking after being shut down for more than 30 days. Some workers will be back on the job to help with the restocking on Friday.Metro says all 27 of its stores impacted by the strike that ended yesterday when workers ratified a new agreement won’t be open to shoppers until Tuesday. Some workers may be back at the locations re-stocking today. https://t.co/mgQQZFmElC pic.twitter.com/5qlINSyxXx— Alex Bloomfield (@AlexCityNews) September 1, 2023The workers, represented by Unifor, voted to ratify the deal just two days after Metro was granted a ...

Biden wants an extra $4 billion for disaster relief, bringing total request to $16 billion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House will seek an additional $4 billion to address natural disasters as part of its supplemental funding request — a sign that wildfires, flooding and hurricanes that have intensified during a period of climate change are imposing ever higher costs on U.S. taxpayers.The Biden administration had initially requested $12 billion in extra funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund, which helps with rescue and relief efforts. But a policy analyst in the Office of Management and Budget, Shelby Wagenseller, said that the fires in Hawaii and Louisiana as well as flooding in Vermont and Hurricane Idalia striking Florida and other Southeastern states mean that a total of $16 billion is needed.As recently as Tuesday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had stressed that $12 billion would be enough to meet the agency’s needs through the end of the fiscal year this month.Criswell told reporters at a White House briefing that...