February 11, 2024 7:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Republican front-runner Donald Trump says he warned NATO allies as president that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to members who are “delinquent.” Trump’s comments Saturday were a ramping up of attacks on foreign aid and longstanding international alliances. Speaking at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recounted a story he has told before about a NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to defend members who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliance’s defense spending targets. But this time, Trump went further, saying had told the member that he would, in fact, “encourage” Russia to do as it wishes in that case.
February 11, 2024 7:16 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egypt has threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if the Israeli Gaza offensive expands into the densely populated border town of Rafah. That’s according to two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century, came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to send troops into Rafah, saying it was necessary to defeat Hamas. Over half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled to Rafah to escape fighting in other areas.
February 11, 2024 7:13 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have launched 45 drones over Ukraine in a five-and-a-half-hour barrage. In a statement, the Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 40 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine different regions, including on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Kyiv. The strike comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues his reshuffle of Ukraine’s war cabinet after naming Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as the country’s new military chief Thursday. He appointed Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk as the new commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, with Kyiv trying to maintain momentum against attacking Russian forces as the war enters its third year.
February 11, 2024 4:00 am
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI)-Seven pit bulls belonging to a couple arrested earlier this week after they were accused of keeping a child in a cage were taken to a kennel Friday evening. The dogs had been left alone in the home but were being cared for by the owner of the house. “I’ll be honest with you, if I wasn’t a dog lover, I wouldn’t do it,” Tim Cole said. He’s been walking the dogs and feeding them out of his own pocket. “This definitely is not my responsibility. I like the dogs more than I like the tenants, that’s for sure,” he said. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele came to the house Friday evening. He says the defendants were supposed to make arrangements but never did. He tried entering the home with Cole but one of the dogs ripped his pants. “I’m okay. It’s okay. He just got a little excited,” Aubele said of the incident. Aubele stayed at the home with Cole until late into the evening when animal control workers from a kennel arrived to take the dogs. The dogs were taken to Hoffman Animal Control. If you’d like to inquire about possibly adopting one of the dogs, you can call 724-468-5505.
February 11, 2024 1:53 am
North Franklin Township Supervisor Chairman and the townships Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Sabot says he’s concerned that there will be environmental and possibly road damage after an accident Thursday morning that shut down Interstate 70 between the Chestnut Street and Taylorstown Exits. One person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after a crash involving a tanker tractor trailer and a car just after 2 a.m. State Police say 48-year-old Eric Joseph of Florida lost control of his truck while traveling in the left lane of Interstate 70 eastbound and crossed the grass median and struck the car head-on in the westbound lanes. Forty-four-year old Lewis Stiltner of Belle Vernon was injured and was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Hazmat crews were called to the scene to address the issues of chemicals that were leaking from the truck. Sabot says he anticipates the clean-up to be a long process. He says crews from various state departments, including the Department of Environmental Resources and the Fish and Game Commission are on site trying to mop up the leaking materials. He says he’s concerned that the chemicals have gone into Chartiers Creek or neighborhood gas wells, and he’s also worried about possible damage to roads that are currently seeing heavy truck traffic.
February 10, 2024 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have been reminded of President Joe Biden’s political shortcomings this week. But Biden’s team hopes it has found an unlikely opportunity to go on offense — and perhaps to unite an anxious Democratic Party — following the release of a special prosecutor’s report that questioned his memory. Republican former President Donald Trump has done just that in the wake of far greater legal challenges. Special counsel Robert Hur on Thursday cleared Biden of criminal charges, despite finding evidence that the president willfully retained and shared highly classified information as a private citizen. The special counsel made repeated negative references to the 81-year-old president’s age and memory that echo broader concerns raised by voters in both parties.
February 10, 2024 4:53 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump told thousands of members of the National Rifle Association that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms” if he returns to the White House, and bragged that during his time as president he “did nothing” to curb guns. “During my four years nothing happened. And there was great pressure on me having to do with guns. We did nothing. We didn’t yield,” he said as he addressed the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg Friday evening. The Republican presidential nominating campaign Trump has dominated is turning toward South Carolina, where the Feb. 24 GOP primary may prove to be the last chance for Nikki Haley to blunt Trump’s march to the nomination.
February 10, 2024 4:50 am
HONOLULU (AP) — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake has struck the world’s largest active volcano. The Friday quake that struck Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii knocked items off shelves in nearby towns, but no major damage has been reported. No tsunami is expected. The earthquake was centered on Mauna Loa’s southern flank at a depth of 23 miles, 1.3 miles southwest of Pahala. The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported it as a magnitude 6.3 quake but downgraded it a short time later. Mauna Loa last erupted in late 2022. It’s one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island.
February 10, 2024 4:47 am
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has hit back at criticism over the conduct of its parliamentary elections, which were held amid sporadic militant attacks and an unprecedented suspension of all mobile phone services. It insists the vote was peaceful and successful. Saturday’s strongly worded reaction from the Foreign Ministry came after the U.S. State Department said Thursday’s vote was held under undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The European Union has also said it regrets the lack of a level playing field. No political party has gained a simple majority in the election but independent candidates backed by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan took a lead in the vote count.
February 10, 2024 4:03 am
BALDWIN BOROUGH, Pa. — (WPXI)-A woman was shot and killed in Baldwin Borough on Friday afternoon. According to Allegheny County Police, emergency crews were called to the 5400 block of Youngridge Drive at 4:32 p.m. Once on scene, police found a woman who had been shot multiple times inside her apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has been identified as Ramiah Griffin, 20. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-833-ALL-TIPS.
