Midday Roundup: Russia begins blame game for Syrian hospital bombings

Finger pointing. Russia denies its warplanes struck a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Syria on Monday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a Russian airstrike targeted the hospital in Idlib Province, destroying it and killing nine people. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said those who blame Moscow for the bombing should look to the “primary source”—official announcements from the Syrian government. He told journalists the Syrian government made a string of announcements on who could have been behind the bombing. He also noted Syria’s ambassador to Russia said the hospital was destroyed by the Americans, a claim the Pentagon called “patently false.”

Set free. Three Americans abducted in Baghdad last month have been freed and handed over to the U.S. Embassy, Iraqi officials said today. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press, said all three were in good health. In January, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed several Americans had gone missing. Iraqi authorities said the three were kidnapped from a “suspicious apartment.” Iraqi and Western officials said they suspected one of two powerful Shiite militias was behind the kidnapping. The Americans were abducted in Dora, a mixed neighborhood home to both Shiites and Sunnis.

Wild winter. Many in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states are happy to get a break from a brutally cold Valentine’s weekend. Plummeting temperatures and stiff winds combined for record-breaking wind chill factors of minus 114 degrees in parts of upstate New York. Farther south, parts of Virginia and North Carolina have been blanketed by snow and ice. But beginning today, residents of many iced-over regions will begin to thaw. Temps are expected to rise for the rest of the week, reaching at least the mid 40s and perhaps as high as the low 50s by the weekend.

And the Grammy goes to … The biggest names in music gathered last night for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars won best record of the year for “Uptown Funk,” and Taylor Swift took home best album of the year for 1989, which sold more than 5 million copies in the United States. Meghan Trainor won best new artist, and rap artist Kendrick Lamar went home with five awards, including best rap song and best rap performance. The award for best contemporary Christian music album went to TobyMac for This is Not a Test.

WORLD Radio’s Kristen Eicher and Mary Reichard and The Associated Press contributed to this report.