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Western powers race to finish security pledges for Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

A small group of Western allies are engaged in “advanced” and “frantic, last-minute” negotiations to finalize a security assurance declaration for Ukraine ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, according to four officials familiar with the talks.For weeks, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have been discussing the issue with Kyiv, and have also reached out to other allies in NATO, the EU and the G7. The idea is to create an “umbrella” for all countries willing to provide Ukraine with ongoing military aid, even if the details vary from country to country.The effort is part of broader negotiations at NATO and among several groups of nations over how Western allies should display long-term support for Ukraine. Kyiv wants to join NATO as soon as possible, giving it access to the alliance’s vaunted Article 5 clause — an attack on one is an attack on all. But many allies within the alliance broadly agree Ukraine can only join after the war ends, at the...

Moscow says NATO leaders should discuss Ukraine nuclear plant

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

Russia said on Sunday that NATO leaders should discuss conditions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant at their summit this week, as an accident at the facility could affect the territories of alliance members.Ukraine warned last week that Moscow could be preparing to blow up the nuclear power station, which could lead to a radioactive disaster, after Russian workers were told to leave the facility. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday accused Kyiv of “systematic infliction of damage” to the Zaporizhzhia plant and warned of the possible fallout from a catastrophe there. “Key attention should be devoted” to the Zaporizhzhia facility at the NATO meeting starting Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Telegram post. “After all, the vast majority of the alliance members will be in the direct impact zone” of any potential accident, she said.Leaders of the NATO alliance will meet on July 11-12 in the Lithuanian c...

Zelenskyy brings home Azov fighters from Turkey, angering Moscow

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned to Ukraine on Saturday bringing home with him five former Azov commanders who had fought in the battle over Mariupol. The Kremlin accused Turkey of violating the prisoner-exchange agreement that was signed last year.“We are returning home from Türkiye and bringing our heroes home,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Ukrainian soldiers Denys Prokopenko, Svyatoslav Palamar, Serhiy Volynsky, Oleh Khomenko and Denys Shleha. They will finally be with their relatives.” The Ukrainian president hugged the servicemen at the Istanbul airport and flew them home with him. Upon news of the release, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had not been informed and that Turkey had promised to keep the former prisoners on its home soil. The move “goes against the terms of existing agreements,”Peskov said. “The conditions of return were violated by both the Turkish and Kyiv sides,” he said.“Nobod...

Yacht Rock Revue sets steady course for musical treasures

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

You’d think that people would’ve had enough of silly love songs. I looked around the Leader Bank Pavilion and I saw it wasn’t so.On Thursday night, on the huge Pavilion stage, Yacht Rock Revue sold nostalgia, escapism, the notion that musical chops matter, and a post-modernist take on popular music. But mostly, like Paul McCartney before them, the aviator-sporting middle aged guys in YRR sold silly love songs. Or at least re-sold them.An Atlanta-born tribute to ’70s AM Gold and ’80s Top 40, YRR went mainstream on the back of years of touring – the band plays the Cape Cod Melody Tent Wednesday and Thursday before returning to the Pavilion on Friday. Too good to remain purely a cover band, YRR made an album of originals in 2020 – the LP, “Hot Dads in Tight Jeans,” is a tasty cocktail of soft rock, indie pop, sparkling disco and glitchy electronica. The Revue’s covers and originals both work because they take the music (if not themselves) seriously.And yes, you can take Looking G...

Top EU lawmaker says firewall against German far right stands, but willing to work with Meloni

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The leader of the conservative bloc in the European Parliament said in an interview published Sunday that his party would not cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany but expressed a willingness to work with Italy’s far-right premier to curb migration.Manfred Weber, the German EU lawmaker who heads the European People’s Party (EPP), dismissed suggestions that his bloc could drop its refusal to cooperate with Alternative for Germany at the state and federal level in the coming years amid growing support for the far-right party.“The firewall stands,” Weber told the Funke Medie Group, adding that Alternative for Germany “isn’t just a political competitor, but an adversary and enemy.”Weber, who is also co-leader of the conservative Christian Social Union at the national level, warned that the far right’s plans to dismantle the European Union would hurt Germany’s economy and security. Asked whether the EPP’s outreach to Italian post...

Nine people shot in Cleveland’s Warehouse District: police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nine people were wounded by gunshots early Sunday morning in a mass shooting in Cleveland, police said.Victims were taken to the hospital. No deaths were reported, the Cleveland Division of Police said in a Facebook post.Police were investigating Sunday, including a review of video evidence, and asking members of the public with information about the shooting to contact them. No arrests have yet been made. According to police, officers responded at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday to West 6th Street and Johnson Court in the city’s Warehouse District, a few blocks from Cleveland Browns Stadium, for reports of multiple people shot. Police said their preliminary investigation indicates a suspect fired on a group of people and fled. No further details were immediately available. The Associated Press

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reaches 4th round at Wimbledon in her debut at the All England Club

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva, playing at Wimbledon for the first time, earned the final spot in the fourth round of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament on Sunday.The Russian qualifier is the latest teen sensation in tennis, and she isn’t disappointing at the All England Club. Andreeva is the youngest player since Coco Gauff in 2019 to reach the women’s fourth round at Wimbledon. She reached the third round at this year’s French Open in her first major tournament.Despite trailing 4-1 in the second set, Andreeva beat 22nd-seeded Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5 on No. 3 Court.“I came back from 1-4, so of course I feel great,” Andreeva said on court before explaining how she keeps her cool. “Today, honestly, even if I wanted to show some emotions, I honestly, I couldn’t because I was out of breath almost every point. I really couldn’t show any emotions.”They came out after, though, when Andreeva sat in her chair and pulled her purple Wi...

US drone strike kills Islamic State group leader in Syria, Defense Department says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defense Department.Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a U.S. defense official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the military operation. The official said al-Muhajir was in northwest Syria at the time of the strike, but that he usually operated in the east.It was not immediately clear how the U.S. military confirmed that the person killed was al-Muhajir; no other details were provided.In a statement Sunday, U.S. Central Command said there are no i...

Next steps on new health care deal tops agenda as premiers meet in Winnipeg

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

OTTAWA — The last time all of Canada’s premiers sat down around the same table, their attention was focused on getting Ottawa to pay more to fix the understaffed, hospitals, shuttered emergency rooms, surgical backlogs and health-worker shortages threatening the viability of their health systems.When they sit down in Winnipeg for their annual summer gathering this week, the attention will turn more to how to use the new money Ottawa has now promised.After two years of provincial pleading and sabre rattling for a new health care deal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally put new money on the table at a first ministers’ meeting in Ottawa in February. That $46 billion-deal fell far short of what provinces had asked for but they were left with little choice but to accept it.Dr. Kathleen Ross, the president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association, said health must remain at the top of the agenda.“We are really on the peak of our challenges at the moment,” Ross ...

At least 23 injured after fiery bus crash on LSD: CFD

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:50 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicago Fire reported of a fiery CTA bus crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive that left at least 23 injured in the city's Kenwood neighborhood early Sunday morning. According to Chicago Fire Department, Lake Shore Drive northbound is closed due to a crash involving a car and a CTA bus near the 4400 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Multiple armed robberies conducted on Divvy bikes in Loop: CPD Fire said six were transported to the hospital, 13 are in good condition and three are in critical condition. Seven individuals refused medical attention.WGN is following the incident and will update as more information is available.