U.S. fears Russia may use biological weapons in Ukraine

GENEVA » Russia's invasion of Ukraine has elevated U.S. concerns that Vladimir Putin's government could use biological weapons, according to a top State Department official who's in Geneva for a review of the global treaty addressing such threats.

“We've always been concerned about their own biological program,” Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said, speaking from the U.S. Mission in Geneva. But those concerns have increased as Russia has continued to make unsupported allegations about U.S. development of biological weapons in Ukraine. Such disinformation could mask Russia's own weaponization of infectious diseases, she said.

“As long as they continue the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine ... and making these allegations — there's always a possibility that they've been using” disinformation as a cover, she said.

No worries: Ingrid Yang, left, and Kelly Bruno, both of San Diego, take a selfie in front of lava erupting from Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano Wednesday near Hilo, Hawaii. The world's largest volcano oozed rivers of glowing lava Wednesday, drawing thousands of awestruck viewers on a highway that soon may be covered in lava.

Judge bemoans bike hazard in `Gone Girl' actor's death

NEW YORK » A judge decried New York City's problems with electric and gas-powered bikes on Wednesday as he sentenced the electric scooter rider who crashed into “Gone Girl” actor Lisa Banes to one to three years in prison for his manslaughter conviction.

Brian Boyd, 27, was led away in handcuffs after sentencing in Manhattan state court by Judge Gregory Carro in the death of Banes. She was struck by the scooter Boyd operated as she crossed a midtown Manhattan street in June 2021. She died 10 days later at a hospital.

Carro said Boyd sped through a red light, struck Banes and fled to a bike shop, where he drank a beer.

The judge said the city “has a problem” with the motorized bikes and he wants drivers of unregistered and unlicensed bikes to know they can go to jail when they do harm.

Traffic fatalities have been on the rise in the city.

Crackdown vowed on `hostile forces' as public tests Xi

BEIJING » China's ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. A massive show of force by the security services Wednesday sought to deter further protests.

The statement from the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission released late Tuesday followed protests that broke out over the weekend in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and several other cities.

While it did not directly address the protests, the statement was a reminder of the party's determination to enforce its rule.

Hundreds of SUVs, vans and armored vehicles with flashing lights were parked on city streets while police and paramilitary forces conducted random ID checks and searched people's mobile phones evidence of protests.

McCarthy warns Jan. 6 panel Republicans will investigate it

WASHINGTON » Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican who is attempting to become the next House speaker, on Wednesday warned the special committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol that members of his party planned to launch an inquiry of their own into the panel's work next year when Republicans assume control of the chamber.

In a letter sent to the committee's chair, McCarthy instructed the panel to preserve its records — an action already required under House rules — including any recorded transcripts of its more than 1,000 interviews. The missive was the first official indication that newly empowered House Republicans plan not only to end the inquiry at the start of the new Congress, but also to attempt to dismantle and discredit its findings — the latest piece of a broader effort the party has undertaken over the past two years to deny, downplay or shift blame for the deadly attack by a pro-Trump mob.

A slice of France, the baguette, is granted world heritage label

PARIS » It is more French than, perhaps, the Eiffel Tower or the Seine. It is carried home by millions each day under arms or strapped to the back of bicycles. It is the baguette, the bread that has set the pace for life in France for decades and has become an essential part of French identity.

On Wednesday, UNESCO, the United Nations heritage agency, named the baguette something worthy of humanity's preservation, adding it to the “cultural heritage” list.

The decision captured more than the craft knowledge of making bread; it also honored a way of life that the thin crusty loaf has long symbolized and that recent economic upheavals have put under threat. UNESCO's choice came as boulangeries in rural areas are vanishing, hammered by economic forces like the slow hollowing out of villages, and as the economic crisis gripping Europe has pushed the baguette's price high for an average price of about 1 euro, or about $1.