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Deal off? Charges against Wagner warlord haven’t been dropped, Russian media reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

Russia’s criminal case against Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin remains open, in spite of an agreement found with the Kremlin which would allow the renegade warlord to avoid prosecution for leading a mutiny against President Vladimir Putin’s regime, according to media reports.“The criminal case against Prigozhin has not been terminated,” Russian state-owned newswire Ria Novosti reported Monday, quoting a “source in the Prosecutor General’s Office,” and confirming previous Russian media reports, including from the other major Russian state-owned newswire, TASS.Russia’s domestic intelligence service, the FSB, opened a criminal investigation into Prigozhin “for the organization of armed insurrection” on Friday evening, as the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group declared war on the Russian military establishment.The insurrection ended Saturday evening, with some Wagner mercenaries about 200 kilometers from Moscow, after a deal was ...

Newton residents urged to stay vigilant, lock doors and windows after 3 elderly family members found killed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

Authorities are warning Newton residents to remain vigilant and check their door and window locks after three elderly family members were found killed Sunday in an apparent triple homicide.Officers responding to a 911 call from a person known to the victims at a home on Broadway Street around 10 a.m. found the victims inside suffering from apparent stab wounds and blunt force trauma, according to a statement issued by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Newton Chief of Police John Carmichael.A preliminary investigation suggests there were signs of forced entry into the home. Two of the victims were about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.Investigators from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, state police detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and Newton police are following leads, including investigating another attempted break-in at Brookside Avenue, about a half-mile from the death investigation that was reported to police Sunday morning.It’s...

South Boston housing complex under intense scrutiny

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

The Mary Ellen McCormack housing complex where four kids were removed by the state following an apparent overdose in a squalid unit is now under intense scrutiny.Efforts are being made to quickly clean up the South Boston project ahead of a walk-through Monday by Mayor Michelle Wu and other officials.The discovery of the children near drugs triggered a 51A child neglect alert and dueling fire and police reports and push-back from Wu — but all eyes remain on the rundown housing project.“Nothing really gets done,” a resident of the complex told the Herald Sunday night. “We deserve to live in a clean and safe environment.”Allegations include failure to respond to serious complaints and tenants who sublet to others who don’t follow the rules. The Herald is delving deeper into other alleged infractions.City Council President Ed Flynn said that maintenance crews trying to clean up the project should be thanked, but that’s just a start.“Our p...

‘Moist, muggy, and unsettled’ weather pattern for Massachusetts, Tropical Storm Cindy could impact coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

Those wicked humid “moist” and “muggy” summer days will unfortunately be the weather story this week in Massachusetts, with daily shots for scattered showers and thunderstorms.While heavy downpours will be possible at times, meteorologists at the National Weather Service predict that there will be peaks of sunshine throughout the week.“It’s not going to be the most wonderful weather for the week ahead,” Alan Dunham, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald on Sunday. “There will be a chance for showers every single day.”Temps are expected to remain slightly cooler than seasonable with the muggy airmass still in place. Monday could be the warmest day of the week in the lower 80s before dropping into the 70s for the other days.“Low pressure to our west will continue the moist, muggy, and unsettled pattern through the upcoming week,” the National Weather Service’s forecas...

Biden will announce how billions of dollars for expanding broadband internet are being distributed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Monday his administration’s plans to distribute billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to deliver the internet to every household and small business in the United States. Likening the push for universal connectivity to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, when the federal government installed the electric utility lines that brought light to the countryside all across the U.S., White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said access to high-speed internet is as imperative to day-to-day life as electricity. “We all know how difficult life is when electricity goes down after a storm or for other reasons,” Zients said on a Friday call with reporters to preview the announcement. “For millions of Americans in rural communities in particular, the internet is down a lot. Sometimes there’s not even any access.”The amount each state, territory and Washington, D.C., will receive from the $42.5 billion program depends primarily on the numb...

The US government is awarding $1.7 billion to buy electric and low-emission buses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding almost $1.7 billion in grants for buying zero- and low-emission buses, with the money going to transit projects in 46 states and territories.The grants will enable transit agencies and state and local governments to buy 1,700 U.S.-built buses, nearly half of which will have zero carbon emissions. Funding for the grants comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Democratic president has made it a priority to put more electric vehicles on the road — especially for schools and public transit — in an effort to contain the damage from climate change.“Every day, millions of Americans climb aboard over 60,000 buses to get to work, to school, doctor’s appointments, everywhere they need to be,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a call with reporters. “These are unprecedented levels of investment when it comes to putting modern cleaner buses on the road.”Monday...

When, where, how to vote as Toronto heads to polls to elect next mayor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

Polls are set to open today as Toronto voters elect the next mayor of Canada’s most populous city, capping a hotly contested byelection campaign to replace scandal-departed John Tory.It’s the second mayoral election for the city since October, after Tory admitted to having an affair with a staffer and resigned just a few months into his third term.A record 102 candidates lined up to replace him, with roughly a half-dozen names rising to the top of the field over the course of the 12-week campaign.Polls are open today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1,445 voting locations across the city. Residents can find their assigned voting location on the city’s website.Who is eligible to votePeople must meet the following requirement to vote in the upcoming mayoral byelectionmust be a Canadian citizensmust be at least 18 years oldmust be a Toronto resident or must own or rent property in the city (or your spouse owns or rents property in the city)Those without a permanent address c...

Serbia releases 3 Kosovo police officers whose arrest fueled tensions between the Balkan foes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A Serbian court on Monday ordered the release of three police officers from Kosovo who were detained earlier this month as tensions escalated between the Balkan foes and following U.S. and European Union demands that they be set free.A court in the central Serbian town of Kraljevo said it was releasing the police officers, who will be allowed to return to Kosovo. The court said in a statement that the three were charged with illegal possession of weapons and explosive devices. It wasn’t immediately clear if the case would continue in their absence.Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti tweeted that “we confirm that the 3 kidnapped police officers have been released. Even though we are joyous that they get to return to their families, this abduction consists of a serious human rights violation & must be reprimanded. The Serbian aggression must be held accountable.”The three were detained in mid-June. Serbia has said they had crossed into the country from ...

Australia’s High Court dismisses Russia’s bid for injunction to halt its embassy’s eviction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court on Monday dismissed Russia’s request for an injunction that would have halted the eviction of its embassy from a site in the capital, Canberra. A man who had been occupying the block in a portable cabin for more than a week in an apparent act of Russian defiance left soon after.High Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia’s challenge of a law terminating the lease as weak. “I do not perceive (Russia’s) case … to be a strong one. Indeed, it is difficult to identify a serious question to be tried,” Jagot said.Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia’s lease on the largely empty block on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House.Government lawyer Tim Begbie said Russia appeared to be applying for the injunction to protect its own security and intelligence interests.“It’s not just that they haven’t made a compelling case for constitutional inv...

Stock market today: Global shares decline after armed rebellion quelled in Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:36 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares mostly fell Monday after a short-lived armed rebellion in Russia added to uncertainties over the war in Ukraine. France’s CAC 40 dipped 0.4% in early trading to 7,135.23. Germany’s DAX slipped 0.2% to 15,797.27. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 7,403.10. The futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were down 0.2%. The rebellion by mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow was over. But the brief weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces were facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner troops were some of Russia’s most effective fighters in Ukraine. Their aborted takeover of the capital also left their fate uncertain.Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said such geopolitical uncertainties have set off a cautious mood. “On the back of recent hawkish central bank moves amid high inflation and lo...