Putin ups tensions over Ukraine, suspending START nuke pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the U.S. He announced the move Tuesday in a bitter speech where he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine. In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast his country and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing. He said it was Russia, not Ukraine, fighting for its very existence. The speech reiterated a litany of grievances that the Russian leader has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned military campaign while vowing no military let-up in a conflict that has reawakened fears of a new Cold War.

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New quake brings fresh losses to residents of Turkey, Syria

ISTANBUL (AP) — Survivors of the earthquake that jolted Turkey and Syria 15 days ago are dealing with more trauma and loss after another strong quake and aftershocks rocked the region. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Monday evening had its epicenter in the Defne district of Turkey’s Hatay province, which was of the area’s most affected by the Feb. 6 magnitude 7.8 quake that killed nearly 46,000 people in the two countries. Turkey’s disaster management authority said the new quake killed six people and injured 294 others. Pro-government media outlets in Syria said a woman and a girl died as a result of panic during Monday’s earthquake.