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U.S. sanctions Russia-backed actors over Moldovan destabilization protests

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. sanctioned a group of Russian-intelligence linked individuals Monday for their role in allegedly helping the Kremlin destabilize Moldova’s democratically-elected government through protests in Moldova’s capitol earlier this year. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated seven members of a group linked to sanctioned Moldovan oligarch, Ilan Shor, currently in exile in Israel, and leader of Moldova’s pro-Russia Shor Party. The Shor Party supports a group calling itself Movement for the People, which organized the anti-government protest in Moldova’s capital earlier this year. The protestors demanded that the country’s pro-Western government fully subsidize citizens’ winter energy bills and to “not involve the country in war.”Moldovan police in March said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed actors who were trained to cause mass unrest during the protest.Brian E. Nelson, Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and fina...

Man charged for sexually assaulting woman multiple times at Vaughan Mills mall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

York Regional Police have arrested and charged a man in the alleged sexual assault of a woman while she shopped with her children at a mall in Vaughan.Investigators received reports of a sexual assault at Vaughan Mills in the Rutherford Road and Jane Street area just after 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.It’s alleged that a 48-year-old woman was shopping with her children when an unknown man sexually touched the victim while she was in a shoe store.Police said she left the store, and the suspect followed her to the food court, where another assault occurred. The victim informed mall security, and the police were called.Responding officers located the man in the mall and arrested him a short time later.The accused was identified as 27-year-old Tyrone Medeiros of Forest, Ont. He’s facing two counts of sexual assault.Police said they released the man’s photo, hoping other victims would come forward.

Wildfire on German military training site contamined with ammunition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Strong winds have fanned flames at a wildfire on a German military training site that is known to contain large amounts of ammunition, causing it to double in size, officials said Monday.The fire near Jueterbog, south of Berlin, had been simmering for days as authorities scrambled to prevent it reaching surrounding villages.Firefighters have cleared large strips of land to contain the blaze but are avoiding the training grounds itself, where several explosions were heard Monday, officials said.Weeks of dry weather have increased the risk of wildfires in eastern Germany, with some regions on the second-highest alert level.Meteorologists say rain predicted for the coming days may lower the threat of wildfires again.The Associated Press

California attorney general blames Florida for charter flight that took migrants to Sacramento

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Florida appears to have arranged for a group of South American migrants to be transported from Texas to California and dropped off in Sacramento, California’s attorney general said, noting that he’s looking into whether any crimes may have been committed.If true, the 16 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants who turned up at the Roman Catholic Church diocese’s headquarters in Sacramento on Friday would be the latest to have been moved from a Republican-led state to one led by Democrats.Attorney General Rob Bonta said that although the circumstances surrounding their arrival in the California capital are still being investigated, the migrants had documentation that appeared to have been issued by Florida.He also said he’s evaluating whether violations of civil or criminal law took place.“While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting,...

Three bodies recovered in Iowa building collapse; lawsuit accuses city and owners of negligence

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The bodies of three men have been removed from the site of a collapsed six-story apartment building, the police chief in Davenport, Iowa, announced Monday. “We don’t have any other information at this time that there are any additional people missing,” Chief Jeff Bladel said.One of the residents injured in the collapse of an apartment building sued the city of Davenport and the building’s current and former owners on Monday, alleging they knew of the deteriorating conditions and failed to warn residents of the risk.The complaint filed on behalf of Dayna Feuerbach alleges multiple counts of negligence and seeks unspecified damages. It also notes that additional lawsuits are likely. “The city had warning after warning,” attorney Jeffrey Goodman said in an interview with The Associated Press. He called it a common trend in major structural collapses he’s seen. “They had the responsibility to make sure that the safety of the citizens comes first. It is very...

European Central Bank chief signals more rate hikes ahead with inflation still ‘strong’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde said Monday that price pressures are “strong” and made clear that the bank will raise interest rates high enough to bring down inflation and keep them there “for as long as necessary.”Lagarde’s remarks reinforced her earlier statements indicating the ECB was not done raising rates even after inflation fell by almost a full percentage point in May, to 6.1%. The ECB has been hiking rates at the fastest pace in its history, launching its drive in July 2022 as inflation headed for record highs. While energy prices are falling and food prices have started to ease from high levels, “there is no clear evidence that underlying inflation has peaked,” Lagarde told the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee in Brussels. “Our future decisions will ensure that the policy rates will be brought to levels sufficiently restrictive to achieve a timely return of inflation to our 2% medium-te...

'Was hit 25 times': Mother wants justice after 16-year-old son gunned down in Joliet

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A mother is devastated after she said two suspects "mutilated" her son at a Joliet playground.At around 6 p.m. on May 31, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of South Joliet Street on the report of a person shot. It happened at the Warren Sharpe Playground.Within two hours, 16-year-old Antoine Shropshire was pronounced dead at the scene."My son was in the house until 5:45 p.m. and then his friends called him to come out," mother Tysha Hammond said. "They went to the park, you know being kids, talking to girls."Hammond said her son, who just finished his sophomore year at Joliet West High School, was initially shot in the head and then sustained around 25 gunshot wounds."He was hit 25 times. The shooters were shooting at the park — some kids there were as young as four," Hammond said. "They had no regard for human life."On Saturday afternoon, Joliet police released surveillance footage and images asking the public for help identifying two people near the scene.Bo...

Taylor Swift wraps up 3-day 'Eras Tour' stop in Chicago

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards has the highlights from Taylor Swift's 3-day 'Eras Tour' stop in Chicago this past weekend.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

'Extremely surreal': Liam & Kristi Hendriks discuss White Sox return - and effort to help others beat cancer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

CHICAGO — While he's pitched in a few games since, including getting the win for the White Sox on Sunday, there may never be anything like Memorial Day at Guaranteed Rate Field for the closer.From the pregame ceremony to the walk to the bullpen to his light show rock entrance to the mound to the standing ovation he received, it was a true moment in time for Liam Hendriks.From Stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in January to a major league appearance before June, it was something to behold. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)"I'm very grateful," said Hendriks to WGN News Now of the reception he got that first night as he returned to the White Sox after beating cancer."I knew something was going to happen, but just the plethora of messages and people stopping on the street, the whole thing on Monday night was insane."It was a lot more than I expected."By his side that night, and his entire battle with cancer, was his wife Kristi, who was there to take part in the pregame ceremony befo...

Can’t access your email? Microsoft Outlook seeing widespread outage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:19:38 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Microsoft is having a case of the Mondays. People around the U.S. are noting that the company's Outlook email system is currently down.“We're having issues, but we're working on it,” Microsoft’s service portal states, indicating that Outlook is experiencing issues with a red “X” next to its software status. Another tweet from the company stated other systems were having issues: "We’ve identified downstream impact for Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business."KOIN reached out to Microsoft’s media relations department for more information but has not yet received a response. However, the company’s Twitter account for Microsoft 365 service issues states that the company is currently working to fix the problem.