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EU countries bordering Russia on alert after Wagner insurrection

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

EU countries bordering Russia were on alert Saturday, with some beefing up their border security, after the Wagner paramilitary group seized control of a strategic Russian city and threatened to move on Moscow.The insurrection by the mercenary group came after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin declared war on Moscow’s defense ministry in the early hours of Saturday morning, claiming Kremlin officials had killed thousands of his soldiers. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the move “treason” and vowed to “neutralize” the threat in a televised address.Estonia and Latvia have stepped up their border security in response, according to the countries’ governments, while Latvia suspended visa applications and entry to the country from Russia.“Visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,” Latvian Foreign Minister and incoming President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote on Twitter. He added that there was “no direct...

Prigozhin’s insurrection may be destined to fail but it will weaken Putin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is the opinion editor of Politico Europe.Yevgeny Prigozhin’s insurrection — or “march for freedom,” as he describes it — doesn’t look like it will turn into Ten Days that Shook the World. Indeed, the mutiny-cum-coup appears to share the half-cocked and poorly prepared characteristics of the failed putsch to oust the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991.At least the KGB and Communist hardliners who tried to unseat Gorbachev had the good sense and fortune to begin their campaign in Moscow, understanding that whoever controls the capital, controls Russia. By contrast, the Wagner forces of paramilitary leader Prigozhin are 1,000 kilometers away in Rostov. Although there are reports his soldiers may have taken some military facilities in Voronezh, that’s still 500 kilometers from the Russian capital and there are now efforts to prevent him from proceeding along the highway to Moscow. Residents there are telling Russian media that the road is blocked south...

Transit officials, East Boston residents prepare for two-month Sumner Tunnel closure in July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

East Boston is bracing for a summer shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel.The closure, which starts July 5, will last for nearly two months and has some residents expecting traffic torture. State and transportation leaders are giving a tour inside the Sumner Tunnel Saturday.“I don’t have to commute. I feel bad for those who do,” a resident said at the MBTA’s informational meeting about the closure last Thursday.For the last year, weekend closures have given drivers a preview on what to expect.“On a Saturday night, if we want to go for dinner, a 15-minute drive, usually, is an hour and a half just trying to get out of East Boston,” a resident said at the meeting.Some have raised concerns about how ambulances and other emergency vehicles will cut through the congestion.Staging extra ambulances in East Boston is one way MassDOT hopes will alleviate disruption as crews repair the nearly 90-year-old tunnel.Crews will be doing work on the tunnel that includes ceiling, roadway, walls, ...

Putin vows to punish ‘armed uprising’ by Wagner militia as Russia is plunged into crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

(CNN) — Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest threat to his authority in two decades after the head of the Wagner paramilitary group launched an apparent insurrection, claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities, and warned that his troops would head for Moscow.Staring down a sudden and staggering escalation of internal tensions that have simmered for months, the Russian president said on Saturday that those on “path of treason” or armed rebellion would be punished.“It is a stab in the back of our country and our people,” he said in an address to the nation, threatening a harsh response for those planning “an armed rebellion.”Putin was speaking after the militia chief and his one-time ally Yevgeny Prigozhin dramatically stepped up his feud with Moscow’s security establishment over the handling of the invasion of Ukraine, throwing the country into crisis with a series of military moves that seemingly took Moscow by surprise.After Putin’s speech, Prigoz...

Cape Cod vacation rental sales are down, but prices are still up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

If you’re looking to book a Cape rental this summer, you could be looking at a double-edged sword. There’s a lot of homes ready to be rented, but you may be paying a bit more for your summer vacation.The market has returned to a more normal state since the pandemic, but what is high in demand always becomes more expensive.Jim Reese, the chief operating officer of WeNeedaVacation.com, said this year feels closer to normal.“If you’re looking back through the couple of years in the pandemic, that is when the frenzy was so hectic that there was very little availability as you reached the summer months,” Reese said.Vacationers flocked to the Cape throughout the pandemic, increasing the demand for rental properties.Bookings are down 9% compared to last year and up 19% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.Experts say what’s happening with vacation rentals in the Cape is mirroring what’s happening in the real estate market. Sales are down, but prices are high.“Occupancy leve...

Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal and vows to punish its leaders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

By The Associated PressPresident Vladimir Putin vowed Saturday to punish the organizers of an armed rebellion in Russia after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led his troops out of Ukraine and into a key southern city.Putin denounced the uprising as “a stab in the back.” It was the biggest threat to his leadership in over two decades in power. The private army led by Prigozhin appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow that runs Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.As the fast-moving events unfolded in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is suffering “full-scale weakness” and that Kyiv was protecting Europe from “the spread of Russian evil and chaos.”In his address, Putin called the actions by Prigozhin, whom he did not mention by name, a “betrayal” and “treason.”“All thos...

What was the timeline of the Titan submersible’s journey?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

The wrecks of the Titanic and the Titan sit on the ocean floor, separated by 1,600 feet (490 meters) and 111 years of history. How they came together unfolded over an intense week that raised temporary hopes and left lingering questions.THE BUILDUPThe Polar Prince, a Canadian icebreaker ship, steamed out of Newfoundland on Friday, June 16, towing the experimental Titan submersible and carrying the five-man team headed to explore the iconic ocean liner’s watery gravesite. Three missions involving other teams had been scrapped due to bad weather in the previous four weeks, but the latest OceanGate Expeditions group was hopeful.“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow,” renowned adventurer Hamish Harding said Saturday on Instagram. “More expedition updates to follow IF the weather holds!”THE DIVE DOWNMoving about the Polar Prince, mission participants were required to wear water-activated life vests, bright orange jackets, helmets and steel-toed ...

Suicide bomber in southwestern Pakistan kills 1 police and wounds 5 others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least one police and wounding five others in an attempt to target a paramilitary convoy, an official said.Authorities recovered the remains of a female bomber following the explosion in the southwestern city of Turbat, said Bashir Ahmed, a top administrative officer. Ahmed said the bomber had targeted a convoy of the paramilitary Frontier Corps but the main thrust of the blast hit a police vehicle. He said a Frontier Corps vehicle was slightly damaged and a female police officer was among the wounded. No one immediately claimed responsibility but similar attacks in the past were claimed by Baluch separatist groups.Southwestern Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low level insurgency by Baluch separatists under the umbrella group of the Baluchistan Nationalist Army. The Associated Press

One person in hospital after shooting in Mississauga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

One person is in hospital after a shooting in the Creditview and Britannia Roads area in Mississauga on Saturday morning.SHOOTING -report of shots fired area of Creditview and Britannia #Mississauga -one victim taken to hospital by associates suffering gunshot wounds – victim going to trauma centre shortly with critical injuries -heavy police presence in areaC/R 0139 hrs-occ PR230204516— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) June 24, 2023Police responded to reports of a shots fired in the area at approximately 1:39 a.m. and the victim was located.One victim was taken to hospital suffering gunshot wounds and later headed to a trauma centre with critical injuries.There is no suspect information available at this time.

Packages from China are surging into the U.S. Lawmakers wonder if an $800 exemption was a mistake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives anxious to counter America’s leading economic adversary have set their sights on a top trade priority for labor unions and progressives: cracking down on the deluge of duty-free packages coming in from China. The changing political dynamic could have major ramifications for e-commerce businesses and consumers importing products from China valued at less than $800. It also could add to the growing tensions between the countries.Under current U.S. law, most imports valued at less than $800 enter duty-free into the United States as long as they are packaged and addressed to individual buyers. It’s referred to as the de minimis rule. Efforts to lower the threshold amount or exclude certain countries altogether from duty-free treatment are set to become a major trade fight in this Congress.“De minimis has become a proxy for all sorts of anxieties as it relates to China and other trade-related challenges,” said John Drake, a vice president at th...