NATO allies pledge to beef up defenses

NATO allies pledge to beef up defenses

brussels

NATO foreign ministers moved Tuesday to beef up the defenses of front-line alliance members feeling menaced by a more assertive Russia, with Secretary of State John Kerry proclaiming the U.S. commitment to their security is “unwavering.”

The ministers from NATO’s 28 member nations also ordered suspension of all “practical civilian and military cooperation” with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, though they made sure a line of communication with the Kremlin remains open at the ambassadorial level.

On Tuesday, an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 Russian troops equipped with tanks, other armored vehicles and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft remained positioned near the border with Ukraine, a NATO military official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Congress sends bill to help out Ukraine

washington

Congress sent President Barack Obama a bill Tuesday to provide $1 billion in loan guarantees to cash-poor Ukraine and punish Russia for its bold annexation of part of the former Soviet republic.

Russia’s incursion into Crimea caused a deep rift between Moscow and Washington and the bill, passed with bipartisan support, was a way for Congress to denounce Russia’s move and express support for Kiev.

The House voted 378 to 34 for the bill, which also is aimed at discouraging any further actions that President Vladimir Putin might be contemplating in the region.

Magnitude-8.2 quake strikes Chile

SANTIAGO, CHILE

A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck off Chile’s northern coast Tuesday night, causing landslides and setting off a tsunami that forced an evacuation of coastal areas. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, but buildings shook in nearby Peru and in Bolivia’s high-altitude capital of La Paz.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded the magnitude. It said the quake struck 61 miles northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., hitting a region that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks. Aftershocks followed, including a magnitude-6.2 tremor and a 5.5 quake.

Man has chain saw embedded in neck

PITTSBURGH

A tree trimmer is recovering after he was rushed to a Pittsburgh hospital with a chain saw blade embedded in his neck.

James Valentine was in a tree in Ross Township on Monday afternoon when he was struck in the neck by the saw. Another worker helped him down, and his co-workers left the saw in place to try to limit the bleeding.

Valentine had emergency surgery at Allegheny General Hospital. Doctors say the saw missed major arteries and instead cut into muscle.

Frankie Knuckles dies

CHICAGO

Frankie Knuckles, a Grammy-winning Chicago disc jockey known as the “Godfather of House Music” who worked with artists including Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, has died at age 59.

Knuckles died Monday in Chicago, the Cook County medical examiner said Tuesday. The medical examiner said a cause of death was not available.

Knuckles is considered a key figure in the evolution of the house music genre, dating back three decades to venues in Chicago and New York.

Associated Press