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Biden ‘not making promises’ US will further assist Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

President Joe Biden on Tuesday mounted a full-throated case for maintaining critical support for Ukraine in its war with Russia — but sounded less certain than ever he’d be able to deliver on it.Standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden hailed the nation’s survival during two years of brutal war as an “enormous victory.” He expressed full confidence that Ukraine could ultimately prevail, and vowed that his White House would remain steadfast in its allyship.Yet facing entrenched Republican resistance to billions of dollars more in funding to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses, Biden could not deliver Zelensky what he wanted: a rock-solid promise.“We’re in negotiations to get funding we need. Not making promises, but hopeful we can get there — I think we can,” Biden said at a White House press conference with Zelenskyy.Minutes earlier, Biden said the U.S. would continue to supply Ukraine with air defenses, artillery and other weapons “as long as we can” — a far cry ...

Cyberattack takes down Ukraine’s largest mobile operator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile and internet provider, said Russian hackers were responsible for shutting down its services on Tuesday.More than 24.3 million Kyivstar customers lost phone reception, banks reported disruptions to their services and Ukrainians in the country’s eastern war zone were left without a connection. State-owned Privatbank, Ukraine’s largest bank, also reported issues at terminals connected with Kyivstar.“Unfortunately, the war with Russia has several dimensions. One of them is in cyberspace,” said Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov in a video statement. “Today Kyivstar became the target of a powerful hacker attack, as a result of which mobile and internet services became temporarily unavailable.”Stable mobile services have been crucial for Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, as smartphones have been used to send air raid alerts and donations to the army, and to transfer money to U...

UN General Assembly passes resolution demanding humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution late Tuesday demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and the release of all hostages.The resolution passed with the support of 153 countries in the 193-member General Assembly, while 23 countries abstained and 10 voted against, including the U.S., which last week vetoed a cease-fire resolution in the Security Council.Unlike a Security Council resolution, a General Assembly vote is not binding, but carries political weight and expresses global sentiment.Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said ahead of the vote that a cease-fire would lead to “continued suffering.”“A cease-fire means one thing and one thing only — ensuring the survival of Hamas, ensuring the survival of genocidal terrorists committed to the annihilation of Israel and Jews,” he said.Palestine’s U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, meanwhile, hailed the vote as “historic” and said it sent a “powerful m...

Defense seeks delay in retrial of man accused of killing Weymouth police officer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

The defense team in the case of a man accused of killing a police officer and a 77-year-old woman in Weymouth is now asking for a six month delay in their client’s retrial, according to court documents. Prosecutors have detailed allegations against Emanuel Lopes, saying he hit Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna with a rock before shooting him with his own service firearm back in 2018. Prosecutors said Chesna later shot and killed 77-year-old Vera Adams while he ran from other officers and while Adams was sitting on her porch.Lopes already went on trial in the case earlier this year. After days of deliberations, though, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict and the judge declared a mistrial. Now eyeing a new trial date, Lopes’ defense team in a motion filed Monday argued the trial should be delayed to give time for Lopes to “engage an expert in forensic psychiatry to provide expert opinion testimony on criminal responsibility, genetic predisposition and adolescent br...

Dog owner’s son says dog still recovering, family still shaken up after alleged attack on Burlington walking trail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

While a dog recovers, its owner’s son on Tuesday said his family is still shaken up after police said a man started beating the dog on a walking trail in Burlington last week. The attack happened on Dec. 5. Recently speaking with 7NEWS, John Romano Jr. said the family of GiGi the dog is relieved the alleged attacker later turned himself in. Still, Romano Jr. said, the incident has taken an emotional toll.“It just blows my mind,” Romano Jr. said. Romano Jr. said his stepfather was walking the family’s rescue dog around Mill Pond Reservoir when a man on a bicycle became violent. Romano Jr. said the man’s dogs and GiGi ultimately had to be separated on the trail. Austin Beliveau Jr. turned himself in to Burlington police on Monday. He was subsequently arraigned on animal cruelty charges. According to court documents, the 45-year-old from Woburn severely beat GiGi, punching her in the face repeatedly and, at one point, striking her with his bike’s tire. “This level o...

Everett soccer stadium still on the table; senator vows to file standalone bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

Don’t rule out a dilapidated industrial site in Everett being transformed into a soccer stadium just yet.State Sen. Sal DiDomenico has vowed to file a standalone bill at the State House that would contain language to help kickstart construction of a soccer stadium and waterfront park along the Mystic River, removing the 43-acre site as a Designated Port Area.DiDomenico, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and other supporters say the DPA status, which restricts properties from being used beyond maritime purposes, is blocking the city from “realizing the benefits” that a remediation project could generate.The standalone bill that DiDomenico said he will be filing will include the same language that lawmakers ultimately left out of the $3.1 billion budget bill Gov. Maura Healey signed last week.DiDomenico made clear to the Everett City Council on Monday that the bill is only requesting the DPA designation be detached from the site, opening up more opportunities for the public to weigh in on t...

Donald Trump’s lawyers again ask for early verdict in civil fraud trial, judge says ‘no way’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s lawyers rested his defense Tuesday and sought anew to immediately end the New York civil fraud trial that threatens the former president’s real estate empire. The judge said “there’s no way I’m going to grant that.”Trump’s lawyers — thwarted in a similar bid last month — were swatted down as they asked Judge Arthur Engoron to cut the trial short and issue a verdict clearing Trump, his company and top executives of wrongdoing. The judge reiterated his feeling that state lawyers had met their legal burden for seeing the three-month trial through to its conclusion.New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges Trump duped banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth on financial statements used in securing loans and make deals. Engoron has already ruled on James’ top claim that Trump committed fraud.Trump’s lawyers renewe...

98.5’s Rob ‘Hardy’ Poole joining ‘Toucher and Rich’ full time? Speculation continues to swirl as he fills in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

The obvious pick for the “Toucher and Rich” job opening has been filling in on the morning show this week, continuing to spark speculation that the 98.5 The Sports Hub personality will be joining the show full time.98.5’s Rob “Hardy” Poole, who’s the third chair on the midday show “Zolak and Bertrand,” has been floated for months as the replacement for Rich Shertenlieb on the popular morning show. Shertenlieb left “Toucher and Rich” last month after Fred Toucher signed a multiyear contract to stay with the morning show.Hardy has been missing from the midday show this week, leaving a gaping hole as he fills in as the second chair on “Toucher and Rich.” His midday colleagues on Tuesday commented on Hardy’s future.Host Marc Bertrand during the show read a listener’s email.“With Hardy being test driven on the morning show this week, I predict Hardy is essentially gone, and you just cannot say it,&#...

Andrea Campbell said alleged drug-dealing neighbor had been a problem on her street for years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

Massachusetts’ Attorney General Andrea Campbell said that her neighbor who was busted last week for allegedly dealing meth and fentanyl had been terrorizing the neighborhood for years.“As you all know, I live in Mattapan and there was a recent Herald article about a bust of some trafficking of meth and fentanyl,” Campbell said at the outset of her interview on WGBH Tuesday morning. “It is a major public safety hazard for my family, for my husband, my kids and for the whole neighborhood. The sad part is it’s been a problem property in the city for probably over four years.”Campbell had declined to comment for the initial Herald article but said Tuesday that Kemar Barcley, 31, had “illegally” moved into the house of her neighbor, Helen, an “elder Irish woman who lived in Mattapan probably close to 50 years,” after she had died during the COVID pandemic. The Herald had erroneously reported that Barcley lived two doors down from, and not right next door to, Campbell due to confusion ove...

Motorcyclist killed in multi-vehicle crash in Chula Vista

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:14:47 GMT

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the incident occurred on Monday. We apologize for the error.CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A motorcyclist was killed in a multi-vehicle collision in Chula Vista Monday night. Police are asking for the public's help in finding one of the vehicles involved that fled the scene.Authorities were alerted to the crash around 8:31 p.m. after receiving a report of a collision involving a motorcycle in the 00 block of H Street. When CVPD officers arrived on scene, the motorcyclist was found lying in the eastbound lane of H Street with major trauma.Medics with the Chula Vista Fire Department attempted lifesaving measures on the motorcyclist, but he was later pronounced dead on scene. Their identity is being withheld by authorities at this time. Man hit, killed by car in East County Preliminary investigation led officers to determine that there were three vehicles involved in the traffic collision in addition to the motorcycle, however, only ...