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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to visit Berlin on May 13

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Berlin on May 13, local police said Wednesday.A spokesperson for the Berlin police department told POLITICO that Zelenskyy will travel to the German capital at the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Local newspaper B.Z. first reported Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit.Zelenskyy, who has been in close contact with Scholz since the beginning of the war, said in an interview a few months ago that there were “ups and downs in the relationship with Germany.” Ukraine has pushed for Berlin to deliver more weapons more quickly for it to use in battle against invading Russian forces. According to media reports, Zelenskyy is expected to land at the military section of the Berlin airport and then check into the Ritz-Carlton hotel at central Potsdamer Platz.He will then be officially received with military honors by Scholz on May 14. Talks and a press conference are planned, according to B.Z. Around 12 p.m., a discussion with German ...

Serbia school shooter kills at least 9, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

At least eight children and a security guard were killed Wednesday morning in a shooting at an elementary school in Vračar, a Belgrade suburb, the Serbian interior ministry said in a statement.Six children and one teacher were also injured in the attack, the statement said, adding that police had arrested a suspect, born in 2009, in the schoolyard.Mass shootings are rare in Europe — unlike in the U.S., where gun violence is a politically divisive issue lawmakers have long struggled to address.Among the most recent mass shootings on the Continent was an attack at a secondary school near Stuttgart, Germany, in 2009 in which a teenage gunman killed 15 people.Serbia has the third highest rate of civilian firearms holdings in the world — tied with Montenegro, but far behind the U.S. and Yemen — with 39.1 firearms per 100 residents, according to the Small Arms Survey, published in 2018.

Report: Over 250 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

More than 250 million people faced severe hunger last year, with people in seven countries on the brink of starvation, according to a United Nations-led report published on Wednesday.The fallout of the war in Ukraine, including high food prices, was the major driver of hunger, particularly in the world’s poorest countries, which have still not recovered from economic shocks triggered by COVID-19. Conflicts were another key factor, along with climate change and extreme weather events. Some 258 million people in 58 countries or territories faced crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in 2022 — a sharp increase from 193 million in 2021.Last year was the fourth year in a row that the number in urgent need of food aid has risen, according to the Global Report on Food Crises released today by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, the World Bank, the EU, the U.S. and members of the Global Network against Food Crises. “The latest figures ...

In mega mafia raid across Europe, cops arrest 100+ suspects

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

Dozens of people were arrested Wednesday across Europe in a sprawling probe against members of the ‘Ndrangheta, a mafia organization from the southern Italian region of Calabria. Police swooped in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium.In Italy, 108 people suspected of participation in a mafia-type association were arrested by Calabria’s regional police on a range of charges, including arms and international drug trafficking, Italian newswire ANSA reported.In Germany, police forces carried out more than 30 arrests in five different regions, raiding dozens of houses, apartments and offices, the police of North Rhine-Westphalia said in a statement.Some 20 houses were raided in Belgium, the federal public prosecutor’s office said in a statement, adding that the operation targeted “over one hundred alleged members of the Calabrese mafia.”The operation followed a joint investigation by Europol and the EU’s judicial cooperation agency, Euro...

Arrest made in bomb threat, extortion plot against Harvard University

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

Federal investigators have arrested a man who they say was involved in a bomb threat and extortion plot against Harvard University. According to an FBI affidavit, William Giordani is seen placing an explosive device in the Science Center Plaza on April 13, the same day Harvard police received a threatening call stating, “There are three bombs planted around the Harvard campus.” The caller said the bombs would be detonated if demands were not met. They then added, “You should begin preparing a large bitcoin transaction as soon as possible.”Harvard Police evacuated the area and detonated the device. A picture shows a tool bag containing wires, fireworks, and a digital lock. Giordani told authorities he answered a Craigslist ad asking for someone to deliver a package to a Harvard student. The FBI tracked Giordani to a Home Depot in Dorchester that day. Surveillance video and receipts show him buying a similar bag and wires under the name of the person who posted...

MBTA releases video of equipment falling on woman at Harvard station, says object has not been in use for 10 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

The MBTA has released footage of an incident involving heavy equipment falling from a column at Harvard station, striking a person in the process on Monday.The footage showed about two dozen people waiting at a Red Line platform when a person wearing a white coat and backpack approached a column.Almost immediately after the person leaned against a column in the background, a large piece of equipment dropped from above, appearing to strike the individual, who could be seen immediately grabbing their head and walking out of view.RELATED: Woman taken to hospital after heavy equipment falls at Harvard MBTA stationShortly before the footage was released to 7NEWS, an MBTA spokesperson sent out a new update on the incident. Earlier in the day, MBTA officials announced they had determined that a corroded support strap led to the utility box falling, making contact with a woman below.The victim, described as a woman in her late 20s, suffered non-life-threatening injuries according to the Cam...

The Texas massacre suspect was found hiding in a closet just miles from the crime scene, authorities say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

(CNN) — Francisco Oropesa, the man suspected of gunning down five people in a neighboring home in Texas, including a 9-year-old boy and his mother, was captured Tuesday evening after a tip helped lead authorities to his whereabouts, ending a dayslong search for the fugitive, officials announced.Ultimately, law enforcement found him stowed under a pile of laundry in the closet of a home just miles from the Cleveland, Texas, residence where the attack took place, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Tuesday.The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect was discovered in the town of Cut and Shoot, but the FBI Houston office tweeted that he was found in the neighboring city of Conroe.Oropesa — a Mexican national — is accused of gunning down five people on Friday after he was asked to stop shooting his rifle outdoors near a neighboring home.Wilson Garcia, whose wife and son were killed in the attack, told CNN he and ...

More Cool Air, Few Showers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

There’s certainly been no lack of chilly air and wet weather over the last several days and today, will feature more of the same. With that said, we’ll also have some breaks of sun and the showers won’t be as widespread as yesterday’s, but it’ll be a bit unsettled nonetheless. Highs today max out in the mid to upper 50s. Scattered showers are mainly near and north of the Mass Pike today, leaving many hours dry across Southeast Mass. The weather gets worse before it gets better as chilly air and patchy light showers and drizzle greet us tomorrow morning. While we’ll catch some dry hours in the afternoon, it’ll be a raw day with high temps struggling to get out of the upper 40s. Friday will feature some improvements, but not a huge warm-up as highs crack 50 once again with afternoon temps in the mid 50s. While a few spot light showers are possible, most of the day is dry. The biggest flip in the pattern moves in over the weekend. With more sun...

Worcester City Council approves stipend for police officers wearing body cameras

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

The Worcester City Council has approved a controversial stipend for police officers who wear a body camera. Under the new ordinance, which passed Tuesday with an 8-3 vote, each officer using the new cameras would get a $1,300 annual stipend. Those who support the stipend say the raise is only fair. But critics say it marks a step backward for accountability.The Worcester Police Department rolled out its body camera program on Feb. 27 after the Department of Justice previously announced it is investigating the department’s practices and use of force. 

Mansfield woman charged in connection with boyfriend’s death due back in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

Court proceedings connected to the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe are set to continue Wednesday, several weeks after the defense team for O’Keefe’s girlfriend filed a motion asking for records they believe exonerate their client.Karen Read of Mansfield has been charged with charges including second-degree murder. She has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors maintain Read and O’Keefe had been out drinking with friends, including another police officer, on the night O’Keefe died.O’Keefe’s body was later found in a snowbank outside the other officer’s home hours after Read dropped him off. Read, who is accused of backing her SUV into O’Keefe, has claimed she is innocent for more than a year. Her defense has now asked for cell phone records that they said show the sister-in-law of the homeowner in whose snow-covered yard O’Keefe’s body was found deleted a Google search for the phrase “hos (how) long to die in the cold.” Read’s defense said the search was made at 2:27 a...