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Leaked doc shows Biden admin is more worried about Ukraine corruption than it says publicly

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

Biden administration officials are far more worried about corruption in Ukraine than they publicly admit, a confidential U.S. strategy document obtained by POLITICO suggests.The “sensitive but unclassified” version of the long-term U.S. plan lays out numerous steps Washington is taking to help Kyiv root out malfeasance and otherwise reform an array of Ukrainian sectors. It stresses that corruption could cause Western allies to abandon Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, and that Kyiv cannot put off the anti-graft effort.“Perceptions of high-level corruption” the confidential version of the document warns, could “undermine the Ukrainian public’s and foreign leaders’ confidence in the war-time government.”That’s starker than the analysis available in the little-noticed public version of the 22-page document, which the State Department appears to have posted on its website with no fanfare about a month ago.The confidential version of the “Integrated Country Strategy” is abo...

Firefighter injured, 13 displaced after multi-alarm blaze breaks out in Mattapan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

A Boston firefighter was taken to the hospital and 13 people are now displaced after a fast-moving blaze broke out in a vacant three-family home on Woodson Street on Monday morning, officials said.Crews responding to a reported structure fire at 52 Woodston St. around 5:25 a.m. found heavy flames coming from the rear of the building, which is currently under construction, according to Boston Deputy Fire Chief Brian Tully.The fire began to spread to the adjacent building at 56 Woodson St,, prompting a second and third alarm be ordered, fire officials said.The fire burned through the rear porches and across the roof at 52 Woodson St., according to a post on the department’s X account.Fire officials say an aggressive interior and exterior attack prevented the flames from spreading to a third home that was damaged by the extreme heat.One firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.Six adults and 7 children were displaced at 56 Woodson St. The American Red...

NY authorities are searching for 9-year-old Charlotte Sena who vanished while biking on a camping trip in a state park

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

(CNN) — More than 100 people are searching for a 9-year-old girl who went missing while camping with friends and family members Saturday in upstate New York, the governor said.Charlotte Sena was camping in Moreau Lake State Park with her family and went on a bike ride with close friends around dinner time Saturday evening, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference Sunday.After biking a couple of loops together, “she just wanted to go around one more time by herself, be that big girl and do it by herself,” the governor said.When Charlotte didn’t return roughly 15 minutes later, her parents “knew immediately something was up,” and began calling her name. People from other campgrounds soon joined the search, Hochul said.The girl was last seen around 6:15 p.m. ET riding her bike in one of the park’s loops, Lt. Colonel Richard L. Mazzone, of the New York State Police, said in the news conference.At about 6:45 p.m., her bike was found in the loop, Mazzone said.Two minutes later...

Back to Summer?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

Smoky skies blotted out the sun for a while Sunday, but the sunshine did come back from northwest to southeast throughout the day. While some smoke lingers in the sky, providing a bit of haze from time to time, it’ll be a nice day overall as highs recover into the lower 70s for many. That’s a bit above average for the time of year. Tomorrow will be well above average as a summer session is in store as highs head for the low to mid 80s for many. While we may fall just shy of records, it’ll be close, and certainly more of a late August feel to the air vs. October. Wednesday will be quite warm too, although we’ll sea breeze at the coast, knocking temps back into the lower 70s there. Thursday is still mild and dry, with highs in the 70s. The next rain chance runs in here late Friday, into Saturday, with scattered showers and storms moving in. Sunday and Monday are likely dry and cooler, with a gusty breeze Sunday.

Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and could be used in the future to create other shots.Katalin Karikó, a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Drew Weissman, of the University of Pennsylvania, were awarded the prize for “their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system,” the panel that awarded the prize said. “The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the panel added.Karikó said her husband was the first to pick up the early morning call, then handed it to her to hear the news. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was very much surprised. But I am very happy.”Before COVID-19, mRNA vaccines were already being teste...

At least 10 people are dead after church roof collapsed in northern Mexico during Sunday Mass

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

CIUDAD MADERO, Mexico (AP) — The roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico during Sunday Mass, killing at least 10 people and injuring around 60, authorities said as searchers probed in the wreckage throughout the night and into Monday morning looking for survivors and more victims.Approximately 30 parishioners were believed to have been trapped in the rubble when the roof caved in, officials said. Searchers crawled under the roof slabs and officials brought in dogs to help search for possible survivors.The Tamaulipas state police said about 100 people were in the church at the time of the collapse. The state security spokesman’s office said early Monday that 10 people had been confirmed dead from the collapse, which it described as likely being caused by a structural failure” The office said 23 of the 60 injured remain hospitalized, with two in serious condition.Tamaulipas state police said units of the National Guard, the state police and state civil defense office and t...

The Supreme Court justices are taking the bench for the first time since June

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The justices are taking the bench at the Supreme Court for the first time since late June. Their new term begins Monday with ethics concerns swirling around the court.The only case being argued Monday concerns the meaning of the word “and” in a federal law dealing with prison terms for low-level drug dealers. The length of thousands of sentences a year is at stake.The court also is expected to get rid of hundreds of appeals that accumulated over the summer.The term is shaping up as an important one for social media as the court continues to grapple with applying older laws and rulings to the digital age.Several cases also confront the court with the continuing push by conservatives to constrict federal regulatory agencies. On Tuesday, the court will hear a challenge that could disrupt the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.The court also is dealing with the fallout from major rulings a year ago that overturned Roe v. Wade and expanded gun rights. A gun case will ...

Iraqi Christian religious leaders demand an international investigation into deadly wedding fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — Christian religious leaders in northern Iraq called for an international investigation Monday into a deadly wedding fire that killed more than 100 people last week and slammed the government’s probe, which had blamed the blaze on negligence and lack of precautionary measures.An Iraqi Syriac Catholic priest, meanwhile, said widespread corruption in the country and the influence of armed militias on the government was one of the factors that enabled the fire. Father Boutros Sheeto, spoke to The Associated Press over the phone from the town of Qaraqosh, where five members of his family, including his Iraqi-American sister, were buried on Monday morning. He claimed the fire was “intentional,” without offering any evidence. Scores of panicked guests surged for the exits on Tuesday night in the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.Iraq released t...

5 Papuan independence fighters killed in clash in Indonesia’s restive Papua region

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Five Papuan independence fighters were killed in a clash between security forces and a rebel group in Indonesia’s restive Papua region, police and rebels said Monday.A joint military and police force killed the five fighters from the West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, in a battle on Saturday with dozens of rebels armed with military-grade weapons and arrows in the hilly Serambakon village in Papua Highland province, said Faizal Ramadhani, a national police member who heads the joint security force.Security forces seized two assault rifles, a pistol, several arrows, two mobile phones, cash, more than 300 rounds of ammunition and a “morning star” flag — a separatist symbol — after the clash, Ramadhani said.Clashes between the two sides began in mid-April when attackers from the liberation army ambushed dozens of government soldiers in Nduga district and killed at least six Indonesian troops who were searching for Phillip M...

Pakistan launches anti-polio vaccine drive targeting 44M children amid tight security

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan launched its second nationwide anti-polio campaign of the year Monday in an effort to inoculate 44 million children under the age of 5 amid signs the country was close to eradicating the disease. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq-Kakar launched the five-day vaccination campaign in the capital, Islamabad, and urged parents in a televised address to cooperate with the 350,000 health workers who are going door-to-door to administer vaccine drops to children.The campaign was taking place under heavy security. The government deployed police and security forces to ensure the safety of the inoculation drive workers.Vaccine providers and the police assigned to protect them have been attacked during past anti-polio campaigns, which militants falsely claimed were a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.Pakistan has registered two new polio cases since January, a blow to the goal of eradicating a disease that affects the nervous system and can cause severe para...