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Boris Johnson says NATO ‘vacillation’ on Ukraine will embolden Putin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

LONDON — NATO “vacillating” over Ukraine’s admission to the alliance risks pushing it “back into the orbit of Moscow,” former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson charged Friday.Johnson — a vocal supporter of Ukraine who was ousted from office last year after a host of scandals — accused the organization of ignoring the lessons of history and ducking the chance to send the “right message” to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the NATO summit in Vilnius this week.Ukraine had hoped that this year’s NATO gathering would end with a clear declaration from members of the military alliance that it can become a member once its war with Russia ends.But a communiqué released by allies Tuesday fell short, promising instead NATO will “be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine when allies agree and conditions are met.” Frustration over the process spilled into the open, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying there appeared to be “...

Man arraigned on weapons charges after 12-year-old fatally shot in Mattapan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

A 22-year-old man was arraigned on weapons charges Friday in connection with the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy in Mattapan on Thursday. Walter Hendrick is facing charges including improper storage of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. He was arrested on Thursday after gunshots rang out, according to police. Hendrick is expected to be released on $2,500 bail and is expected back in court in September. In the meantime, the boy who was killed is being remembered by friends and family members after his life was cut short. “Mr. Hendrick did make statements indicating ownership of the involved firearm,” said prosecutor Nicole Gemba while discussing allegations against Hendrick. Boston police said first responders were called to a triple-decker off Fessenden Street just after 2 p.m. Thursday for a report of a shooting. Once on scene, police said officers found the boy inside the home with a gunshot wound. The boy was taken by ambul...

Striking actors begin picketing alongside writers in fight over the future of Hollywood

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some of the nation’s top movie stars could be on the picket lines Friday when striking screen actors protest alongside writers on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades.The picketing comes a day after the main actors’ union voted to join screenwriters in a double-barreled strike for the first time in more than six decades. The dispute immediately shut down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.The famous faces of Oscar and Emmy winners will likely be seen with some regularity on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, adding star power to the demonstrations outside studios and corporate offices.In recent weeks, many actors made a show of solidarity with writers, who walked out in May. Now 65,000 members of the actors’ union will formally join them on strike.The two guild...

4 money moves to make if your flight is canceled or delayed

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

By Sally French | NerdWalletYour flight was just canceled. Now what? Unexpected disruptions can send even the most seasoned travelers into a frenzy.Happily, flight cancellations are less common these days. For the first three months of 2023, the cancellation rate among U.S. airlines was 1.7%, down from 4.1% for the same period in 2022, according to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). But for the unlucky folks in that 1.7% bucket, a canceled flight often can be just as disruptive to your bank account as it is to your travel plans. That is, unless you make the right money moves.From understanding your right to a refund to securing alternative arrangements, take these steps to get your trip back on track for minimal cost, while also getting the flight cancellation compensation you deserve.1. Seek out the customer service deskAssuming you’re already at the airport, make a beeline for the customer service desk. Time is money, and ...

This iconic San Diego hotel is hosting a 'dive-in movie' ahead of Shark Week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- You've heard of the classic drive-in movies, but an iconic San Diego hotel is taking it up a notch by hosting poolside "dive-in" movies.In recognition of Shark Awareness Day, The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma is gearing up for a shark-themed weekend complete with an action packed movie and sea-style cocktails. With record-breaking temperatures expected in parts of San Diego County the next couple of days, taking dip a in The Pearl's pool with a cold drink in hand might be a great option when deciding how to stay cool during this heat wave. How to swim at resorts without the hefty price tag In essence, the mid-century modern hotel -- a long-time favorite in San Diego -- will be playing the popular shark thriller "Jaws" on its poolside movie screen.The event begins with shark-themed trivia at 7 p.m. Friday and the movie start at 8 p.m. Guests can enjoy the show in the water, at the hotel's bar or in the seating areas surrounding the pool. One of the specialty drinks will be...

Montreal must become ‘sponge city’ as extreme weather to become more common

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

MONTREAL — As Montreal emerges from a severe thunderstorm that flooded underpasses and more than 130 homes on Thursday, the city must do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather, says a spokesperson.In less than two hours, central parts of Montreal received a month’s worth of rain, as much as 85 millimetres, Philippe Sabourin told reporters Friday. The rain flooded underpasses, causing sewer overflows and potentially contaminating bodies of water, which he warned residents to avoid for the next 48 hours.The storm also triggered what Sabourin said was the city’s first tornado warning as wind gusts of almost 100 kilometres per hour downed trees and knocked out power lines.“We’ll need to collectively develop reflexes” to become more resilient to such weather events, he said.Those reflexes, he said, could include building “immense” underground reservoirs to store surplus water, and more green infrastructure, such as parks and roadside gar...

Rescuers evacuate 14,000 people from flood-hit villages in eastern Pakistan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers in boats evacuated 14,000 people over the past several days after floodwaters from two rivers swollen by monsoon rains inundated dozens of villages in eastern Pakistan, officials said Friday. Monsoon rains began lashing the South Asian country in late June and since then, at least 91 people have died in weather-related incidents across the country. Mohsin Naqvi, a top official in eastern Punjab province, tweeted Friday that he visited flood-hit areas. The evacuations began earlier this week after neighboring India diverted waters from dams into the Ravi River, which flows from India into Pakistan. An overflowing Sutlej River has also inundated villages in various parts of the province.According to the national weather agency, rains will continue this week to lash the southwestern Baluchistan and southern Sindh provinces, where thousands died in floods last summer. The floods affected 33 million people and killed 1,739 in Pakistan. They also caused $3...

Putin wants to attend an August summit. Host country South Africa doesn’t want to have to arrest him

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to attend an economic summit in South Africa next month and the country is desperately trying to persuade him to stay away to avoid the legal and diplomatic fallout over his international arrest warrant, South Africa’s deputy president said in an interview with a news website on Friday.As a signatory to the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, South Africa is obliged to arrest Putin on an indictment the court issued against the Russian leader in March for war crimes involving the abduction of children from Ukraine.Moscow has dismissed the warrant. South African authorities are likely to breach the treaty and not arrest Putin, but some opposition parties, rights groups and legal activists have said he should be arrested and have threatened to do it themselves, raising security issues for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.Having already decided not to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine...

Actor with roles in ‘Guiding Light,’ ‘Hunger Games’ film accuses resort owner of sexual harassment

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — An actor and model who had roles in the soap opera “Guiding Light” and movies including “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” says in a lawsuit that she was sexually harassed by the owner of a Rhode Island resort where she had been hired to work as a consultant.Alison McDaniel’s lawsuit, filed this week in federal court in Rhode Island, seeks more than $3.3 million in damages and unpaid back wages.McDaniel, 42, was subjected to “repeated sexual advances including attempts to kiss her on the mouth, requests for sexual favors, inappropriate touching, ogling with suggestive overtones, and verbal and physical harassment of a sexual nature” by Paul Mihailides, owner of The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences, in Richmond, she says in the lawsuit.An attorney for Mihailides disputed the claims.“Sexual harassment in the workplace is unacceptable at any level and The Preserve holds all who work there in any capacity to a high standard,” attorne...

AP gets a rare look at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant as it prepares to release radioactive water

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:14 GMT

FUTABA, Japan (AP) — At Japan’s tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, giant blue pipes have been constructed to bring in torrents of seawater to dilute treated, radioactive water under a plan to discharge it gradually into the Pacific Ocean.Workers were making final preparations as Associated Press journalists received a rare opportunity Friday to get a look at key equipment and facilities for the release, expected in coming weeks or months.The International Atomic Energy Agency has looked at Japan’s wastewater-release plan and said it would cause negligible radioactivity in the sea and no effect on neighboring countries. But the plans continue to draw strong protest and no starting date has been set. Japan’s fishing industry fears it will destroy the reputation of the country’s seafood, and groups in South Korea and China also have raised concerns. Hong Kong announced Wednesday it would ban seafood imports from 10 Japanese prefectures once the release begins, and B...