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US urges NATO vigilance for signs Russia could use nuclear weapon

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

The US and its NATO allies must remain alert for signs Russian President Vladimir Putin could use a tactical nuclear weapon in a "managed" escalation of his war in Ukraine, the second-highest US diplomat said on Tuesday (18 April).Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman issued the warning during the opening session of an annual NATO arms control conference that was being held in North America for the first time since its inception in 2004."We have all watched and worried that Vladimir Putin would use what he considers a non-strategic tactical nuclear weapon or use some demonstration effect to escalate, but in an managed risk escalation," Sherman said. "It is very critical to remain watchful of this."Putin's 25 March announcement that Russia is preparing to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus "is his effort to use this threat in a managed way", Sherman said.Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield gains or for use against limited military targets.Puti...

Formal campaign launched for overseas UK parliamentary constituencies to represent British citizens living abroad 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

The campaign gets under way as the UK government abolishes the legal bar, which currently prevents Britons who have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years, from voting in UK elections. The move followed a 20-year-long battle by Harry Shindler, a Second World War veteran and British resident in Italy to remove the so-called 15-year bar. He recently died, aged 101.The two groups behind the initiative are New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy.Speaking at the launch, , Dr Ruvi Ziegler, chairman of New Europeans UK, told this site: “The removal of the 15-year bar significantly strengthens the case for special representation for UK voters residing abroad. “Whereas Britons living abroad retain substantive interests on the UK national level that justify their continued enfranchisement in Westminster elections, their links to a parliamentary constituency in the UK, which they may have left decades ago, may be weak and is likely to get even weaker with the passage of time. Conversel...

Former Los Angeles police officer arrested for alleged rape of a child

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

A former Los Angeles police officer was arrested Thursday for the alleged rape of a child under 14 years old.The suspect was identified as Diego Jose Miranda Lopez, who was a former LAPD officer assigned to the North Hollywood area.The alleged assault occurred prior to his employment with the LAPD, authorities note.When Lopez was confronted with the rape allegations, he resigned from his role as a probationary officer, according to officials.Lopez was arrested on charges of forcible rape of a child under 14 years old. He is currently being held without bail at LAPD’s Valley Jail.The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office is set to review Lopez’s case on April 24 for filing considerations.No further details were released as the case remains under investigation."The Juvenile Division, under Detective Bureau, is investigating the criminal allegations of rape and Internal Affairs Division, under Professional Standards Bureau, is responsible for theadministrative investigation relating t...

Single family residence in Palo Alto sells for $5 million

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

2920 Cowper Street – Google Street ViewThe property located in the 2900 block of Cowper Street in Palo Alto was sold on March 30, 2023. The $4,995,000 purchase price works out to $3,431 per square foot. The house, built in 1949, has an interior space of 1,456 square feet. The property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, and one parking space. It sits on a 6,555-square-foot lot, which also has a pool.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:On Waverley Street, Palo Alto, in March 2023, a 1,371-square-foot home was sold for $6,000,000, a price per square foot of $4,376. The home has 3 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,383-square-foot home on Waverley Street in Palo Alto sold for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $2,169. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 3,958-square-foot home on the 300 block of Loma Verde Avenue in Palo Alto sold in July 2022, for $4,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,225. The home has 6 bedrooms a...

Millbrae educator arrested on suspicion of molesting students

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

MILLBRAE — A Millbrae middle school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of molesting students, authorities said.In a statement Thursday, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report in late February that a student had been sexually assaulted by a sixth-grade teacher at Taylor Middle School.An investigation revealed one student was molested between November 2021 and March 2022, the sheriff’s office said.In addition, detectives learned of several juveniles who also claimed to have been touched inappropriately over their clothing by the teacher between 2007 and 2022.The teacher was placed on administrative leave after the allegations surfaced, the sheriff’s office said.On Thursday, detectives arrested the teacher, identified as 54-year-old Matthew Garrett, at his home in San Francisco. The sheriff’s office said he was booked into San Mateo County Jail on 10 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14.Garrett’s bail was set at $5 million. He ...

AFSCME report: Staffing shortage by more than 3,400 at Maryland’s correctional facilities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.A new report released Thursday by Maryland’s largest state employee union shows the state’s correctional facilities have an extreme staffing shortage of more than 3,400.The 120-page staffing audit was completed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Maryland Council 3, which completed an in-depth review of all 19 state correctional facilities.During a three-day visit in December to the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, approximately 142 officers worked three shifts. In order to make sure the facility is safe for both workers and those incarcerated, 306 officers were needed, the union concluded. At that time, the facility had 147 vacancies.In the same month and same timeframe at Jessup Correctional Institution, 213 officers worked three shifts, but the report notes 357 officers were nee...

Padres ganan 7-5 a Diamondbacks; Tatis regresa a la acción

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Trent Grisham consiguió dos dobles y cuatro producidas, Xander Bogaerts disparó un jonrón de dos carreras y los Padres de San Diego vencieron el jueves 7-5 a los Diamondbacks de Arizona en el regreso a la acción de Fernando Tatis Jr. después de una larga suspensión por uso de sustancias prohibidas.El dominicano Tatis terminó de 5-0 y lo poncharon un par de ocasiones en su primer partido de campaña regular desde 2021; fue primero en el turno de bateo y cubrió el jardín derecho. Su intervención más notable de la noche fue en la defensiva en el octavo inning: se desplazó velozmente hacia atrás y su izquierda para atrapar una línea que impidió a Josh Rojas concretar un hit extrabase.Tatis, de 24 años, se perdió toda la campaña pasada, primero a causa de la fractura de su muñeca izquierda y después por una suspensión de 80 encuentros por uso de una sustancia prohibida para mejorar el rendimiento.Grisham y Bogaerts se contaron entre los jugadores de los Padres que compensar...

Duran doubles, hits Maeda in Red Sox’s 11-5 win over Twins

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran lined one ball off Kenta Maeda’s ankle, knocking the Twins starter out of the game, and another off the Green Monster during a six-run third inning on Thursday to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 11-5 victory over Minnesota.Maeda (0-3) allowed a home run to Alex Verdugo to lead off the bottom of the first and left trailing 1-0 after taking Duran’s 111 mph line drive off his left ankle in the second inning. The Twins right-hander made the play to get the out at first and end the inning. X-rays were negative. “He got hit squarely,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You’re really hoping not to get a really bad result, like a broken ankle or something like that. We were fearful, to be honest, watching him on the ground out there. But as he got up and the initial pain went away, he was able to stand and move around. So that was positive.”Emilio Pagan relieved Maeda and gave up five straight hits, including Duran’s double, as Boston opened a 7-0 lead. Third ...

México vende avión presidencial a Tayikistán por US$ 92 millones

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

(CNN Español) — La Presidencia de México informó este jueves a través de un comunicado que se concretó la venta del avión presidencial a la República de Tayikistán, ubicada en Asia Central.La Presidencia añadió que la venta del avión se concretó por un precio de US$ 92 millones, monto que, según la presidencia, cumple con la tasación realizada por el Instituto de Administración y Avalúos de Bienes Nacionales de México.AMLO reconoce que ha sido difícil vender el avión presidencialEl comunicado agregó que las autoridades mexicanas efectuaron la operación con el Comité Estatal de Inversiones y Administración de Propiedades de la República de Tayikistán, cuyos integrantes se encuentran en México y disponen de 10 días para llevarse la aeronave.El presidente de México, Andres Manuel López Obrador, dijo que van a usar el dinero de la venta del Boeing 787 para construir dos hospitales, cada uno de 80 camas, en las zonas de Tlapa, Guerrero, Tuxtepec, y Oaxaca.El Boeing 787 fue adquirid...

Russia accidentally bombs its own city

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:03 GMT

A Russian war plane accidentally discharged a weapon that exploded in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, late Thursday night, causing an explosion and injuring several people, according to state media.“At around 22:15 Moscow time on April 20, when a Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordnance occurred,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement to TASS, which didn’t specify the weapon that caused the damage. The Sukhoi Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber jet.Belgorod’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said earlier on Telegram that there had been an explosion in the center of the city, leaving a crater measuring 20 meters, with several cars and buildings damaged.In an update Friday morning, Gladkov added that three people had been hurt, though their injuries weren’t life-threatening.The Belgorod region, which is about an hour̵...