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Putin says ‘Wagner does not exist’ after meeting Prigozhin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his own account of a June 29 meeting with Wagner mutineer Yevgeny Prigozhin and his men in the Kremlin after the paramilitary group’s aborted mutiny, claiming he gave the fighters an opportunity to continue fighting in Ukraine. Speaking to a reporter from Russia’s state-controlled Kommersant newspaper on Thursday, Putin said 35 Wagner fighters accompanied Prigozhin to the three-hour meeting in the Kremlin last month. The Russian president said he offered Wagner troops several options, including continuing to operate under the command of someone he identified by the call sign “Sedoy,” meaning “Gray-haired,” whom they had served under for 16 months. “All of them could have gathered in one place and continued to serve,” Putin said, “and nothing would have changed for them. They would have been led by the same person who has been their real commander all this time.” “Many people nodded...

Biden admin believes hack gave China insights into US thinking ahead of Blinken’s crucial Beijing visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

(CNN) — The Biden administration believes that a Chinese hacking operation which breached US government email systems, including the State Department, gave the Chinese government insights about US thinking heading into Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing in June, according to two US officials.The hack – which Microsoft said was launched in mid-May – was discovered by the State Department right around the time of Blinken’s visit to Beijing, officials said. But it was not immediately clear that China was behind it and it was not widely known about within the department, they said.The news that the hack allowed China to access information ahead of a crucial visit that US officials hoped would start a reset of relations after months of tensions underlines the complexities of modern diplomacy but it’s unlikely to shock US officials who are well aware that two major global powers spy on each other’s communications.On Friday, Blinken would not say h...

Crews rescue construction worker stuck on lift in Framingham

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

Crews in Framingham responded on Thursday to rescue a man after he ended up stuck in the bucket of a lift vehicle roughly 100 feet above the ground, officials said. The Framingham Fire Department, in a statement, said the incident happened on Bishop Street, involving a 29-year-old construction worker.“While adjusting his position, the bucket of his lift got stuck on the railing that was being removed from the old Dennison smoke stack,” fire officials said. Crews spent roughly three hours working on the rescue, navigating high voltage wires, among other things, according to the fire department. Ultimately, officials said crews were able to get the man back to the ground safely. “All crews did a phenomenal job working together in challenging extreme heat conditions,” the fire department said.Photos from the scene showed the rescue in progress, with crews using at least two ladder trucks in their efforts. 

West Nile Virus detected in mosquitos in Worcester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitos in Worcester, marking the second mosquito sample to test positive for the virus in Massachusetts this year, officials announced. There have been no human cases in Massachusetts to date in 2023 and the risk level for West Nile Virus remained low throughout the state as of Friday, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Still, officials are planning to spray in a designated area in Worcester after sunset on either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, depending on weather. The designated area where mosquitoes tested positive and where officials plan to spray includes part of Burncoat Street and the surrounding area, as detailed in a map from the city of Worcester.West Nile Virus is most commonly transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. While it often causes no symptoms in the people it infects, the virus can cause “flu-like illness” and, in rare cases, more severe symptoms.Worcester officials said there were eig...

Gilgo Beach murders: Suspect taken into custody in Long Island serial killings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

A suspect has been taken into custody on New York’s Long Island in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday.The case has drawn immense public attention since human remains were found along a New York beach highway more than a decade ago. The mystery attracted national headlines for many years and the unsolved killings were the subject of the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.”The suspect was taken into custody in Massapequa late Thursday and investigators were at a home connected to the case on Friday, the official said. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.The suspect’s name was not immediately released.The deaths of 11 people whose remains were found in 2010 and 2011 have long stumped investigators. Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Several of the bodies were found ...

Q&A: Robert Downey Jr. on how ‘Oppenheimer’ represents the Manhattan Project with nuance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Robert Downey Jr. said he came away from Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” thinking about how important context is to understand significant moments in history.The film tells the story of the controversial theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), who oversaw the development of the first atomic bomb during World War II. Downey plays former chair of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Lewis Strauss, a key figure in the revocation of Oppenheimer’s security clearance.“Oppenheimer” is out in theaters July 21. The interview, which was conducted before the actors strike was called, has been edited for clarity and brevity.AP: You were immersed in this project and have focused on this pivotal moment in history, what has been your takeaway?DOWNEY: Context is so critical. The timing of the Manhattan Project, the need for it, the deployment of it, necessary or not — you can read plenty of data that would support either — regardless, the “why” can...

Biden and Democrats raised $72 million-plus for his 2024 race since he opened his campaign in April

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $72 million for his reelection in the 10 weeks since he announced his 2024 candidacy, his campaign announced Friday.That is all the money raised between April 25, when Biden made his announcement, and the end of June, and includes donations to his campaign and to a network of joint fundraising arrangements with the national and state parties. By comparison, President Barack Obama raised $85.6 million during the April-to-June quarter in 2011 when he launched his campaign for a second term, though he announced his candidacy three weeks earlier that April than did Biden.Biden, who has cleared the field of any serious rivals for for the Democratic nomination, has nevertheless been confronting persistent concerns from within the party about voter enthusiasm for an 80-year-old candidate.The campaign did not detail the sum raised directly by Biden’s campaign. That figure is set to be reported...

Supreme Court orders new trial on criminal organization charge over jury instruction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has set aside a man’s conviction for taking part in the activities of a criminal organization, saying the trial judge’s instruction to the jury was insufficient.In a 7-1 decision today, the top court ordered a new trial for Ahmed Abdullahi on the count in question, which stemmed from an investigation into the trafficking of illegal firearms in Ontario.A jury found Abdullahi guilty of various firearm-related offences, and the convictions were upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal.However, a dissenting judge disagreed in one respect, saying the trial judge erred by failing to adequately instruct the jury on the definition of a criminal organization in the Criminal Code.That opened the door to a hearing for Abdullahi in the Supreme Court.His lawyers told the top court the trial judge’s instruction indeed fell short, meaning there should be a new trial on the count of participating in the activities of a criminal organization.This r...

Stock market today: Wall Street ticks higher after profit reports, heads for another winning week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ticking higher Friday following profit reports from several big U.S. companies that topped expectations, keeping Wall Street on pace for another winning week.The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher in morning trading, coming off its highest close since April 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 137 points, or 0.4%, at 34,532, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group rallied 7.2% after it said profit growth during the spring was better than feared. It also raised the bottom end of its forecast for earnings for the full year.JPMorgan Chase gained 0.6% after it said its profit during the spring grew by more than expected thanks in part to its acquisition of the troubled First Republic Bank. Wells Fargo rose 0.1% after it also reported stronger profit for the second quarter than expected. On the losing end was State Street, which fell 9.9% after reporting slightly weaker revenue than expected f...

As inflation inches closer to 3%, economists warn progress will stall this year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:17 GMT

OTTAWA — As inflation inches closer to three per cent, economists are warning the steady monthly declines in annual price growth will stall and even potentially reverse in the second half of the year. Statistics Canada is set to release its consumer price index report for June next week, and forecasters are anticipating the annual inflation rate fell from 3.4 per cent in May.“We’re expecting a deceleration to three per cent year-over-year. And that’s really mainly because the gasoline prices we’re paying today are being compared with the very peaks of what we saw last year,” said Andrew Grantham, an executive director of economics at CIBC.But inflation isn’t expected to fall much further this year, making the journey back to the two per cent target a long and tumultuous one. Desjardins chief economist Jimmy Jean says the upcoming CPI report marks a turning point in the fight against inflation.“June is going to be really the peak disinflation...