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Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to three federal gun charges filed after his plea deal collapsed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to three federal firearms charges filed after a plea deal imploded, putting the case on track toward a possible trial as the 2024 election looms.His lawyer Abbe Lowell said in court he plans to file a motion to dismiss the case, challenging their constitutionality.President Joe Biden’s son faces charges that he lied about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days.He’s acknowledged struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine during that period, but his lawyers have said he didn’t break the law. Gun charges like these are rare, and an appeals court has found the ban on drug users having guns violates the Second Amendment under new Supreme Court standards.Hunter Biden’s attorneys are suggesting that prosecutors bowed to pressure by Republicans who have insisted the Democratic president’s son got a sweetheart deal, and that the charges were the result of poli...

Trapped driver rescued from overturned semi-truck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A driver was rescued after his semi-truck overturned on a freeway in Otay Mesa early Tuesday.The rollover crash happened around 2 a.m. on the Siempre Viva off-ramp from southbound Interstate 905.By 6:30 a.m., all of the lanes had reopened. Campland on the Bay storage facility erupts in flames Check back for updates on this developing story.

I-805 north connector to SR-15 closed due to fatal crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The northbound Interstate 805 connector to northbound state Route 15 was closed Tuesday morning due to a fatal crash.Traffic was backed up to state Route 54. Campland on the Bay storage facility erupts in flames The crash was first reported around 4:38 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol's online incident log.Check back for updates on this developing story.

More evidence that the US job market remains hot after US job openings rise unexpectedly in August

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in August, another sign the U.S. labor market remains strong desite higher interest rates — perhaps too strong for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve.American employers posted 9.6 million job openings in August, up from 8.9 million in July and the first uptick in three months, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Economists had expected only another 8.9 million vacancies. The number of layoffs and of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — were both essentially unchanged from July.Nick Bunker, head of economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, noted that most of the August increase in openings came from just one industry: professional and business services. “”Yes, the job market is still retaining a lot of heat,” he said, “but it hasn’t gone back on the boil.”The Federal Reserve wants to see the red-hot U.S. job market cool off, reducing pressure on busi...

EU demands answers from Poland about visa fraud allegations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Poland must clarify allegations that its consulates in Africa and Asia sold temporary work visas to migrants for thousands of dollars each in a scheme that could undermine free travel in Europe, a senior European Union official said Tuesday.European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said that travel within the 27-nation ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area relies on trust between the members, which include most EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.“What happens in a Schengen state affects the functioning of all Schengen countries. That is why the alleged cases of fraud and corruption in the Polish visa system are extremely worrying,” Schinas told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France.“If third-country nationals have been allowed the right of free movement within Schengen, without respecting the appropriate conditions and procedures, this would amount to a violation of EU law, in particular the EU visa code,” he said...

Zimbabwe’s opposition boycotts president’s 1st State of the Nation speech since disputed election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s main opposition party on Tuesday boycotted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation address following his reelection in a disputed August election, revealing the widening political cracks in the southern African nation amid allegations of a post-vote clampdown on government critics.Citizens Coalition for Change spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the party’s lawmakers stayed away from the speech because it views Mnangagwa as “illegitimate.”The CCC accuses Mnangagwa, 81, of fraudulently winning a second term and using violence and intimidation against critics, including by having some elected opposition officials arrested.The ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power in Zimbabwe since the country’s independence from white minority rule in 1980, also retained a majority of Parliament seats in the late August voting. Western and African observers questioned the credibility of the polling, saying an atmosphere of intimid...

Chanel takes a dip: Viard’s spring show brings Paris stalwart down to earth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

PARIS (AP) — As Chanel’s models took their sashay down the Paris runway, guests could practically hear the faint splashes from the pools of the villa Noailles. This historic cubist space in the south of France, once graced by luminaries like Buñuel, Man Ray, Dali —and also Karl Lagerfeld — has for more than a century been a beacon for art. Virginie Viard’s spring collection emerged as a sun-drenched ode to liberty and movement, inspired directly from the villa’s gardens. With Gigi Hadid leading the pack in flip-flops, the stalwart was stripped of its typical high-brow allure, grounding Chanel styles in an earthy, relaxed summer vibe.Here are some highlights, including when Penélope Cruz told The Associated Press why heartfelt memories of her grandmother drew her to fashion.VIARD MAKES CHANEL RELATEABLE“Sophistication juxtaposed with informality, the ever-present tweed, sporty touches, and delicate lace: I aimed for a harmonious blend of contrasts,” Viard said. Using the sunlit...

Cyclist struck by dump truck near Rosedale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

A cyclist has been struck by a dump truck near Rosedale on Tuesday morning.Police responded to reports at approximately 10:08 a.m. that a cyclist was struck by a dump struck in the Park Road and Church Street area.The driver remained on the scene and medics say an adult female was taken to a trauma centre, but injuries are unknown.There are delays in the area and those in the area should consider alternate routes.

Order a bagel and schmear at Feltz Bagels, and you’ll be fed an original piece of art

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — While not one the major food groups, a bagel and a schmear made of felt might satisfy your appetite for art.“Feltz Bagels,” the latest installation from British artist Lucy Sparrow, uses approximately 30,000 pieces of felt to recreate the look and feel of the authentic Jewish bagel shops prominent in New York’s Lower East Side neighborhood.Sparrow says she wanted to depict how this breakfast food brought here by Eastern European immigrants in the late 19th century “morphed into New York society” and beyond, making the bagel the Swiss Army knife of breads. Cream cheese, butter, cold cuts, lox — anything that fits on the circular bread is fair game, Sparrow felt.Taking over an abandoned storefront in the East Village, Sparrow’s pop-up shop runs from Tuesday through the end of October, offering a step back in time and the ambience of a real New York bagel shop.Adding a dose of reality, Sparrow works the counter, taking orders for the bagel of your dreams — o...

Shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall kills at least 2 and a suspect is in custody

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:28 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A shooter opened fire inside a major shopping mall in the center of Thailand’s capital Tuesday afternoon, killing at least two people before being apprehended, authorities said. Police said a suspect was taken into custody less than an hour after the first reported gunshots at the Siam Paragon Mall, long been seen as one of Bangkok’s biggest and most upscale shopping destinations. Video uploaded to social media and broadcast on television showed a long-haired teenage boy in the custody of police. Major Thai media said he was 14 years old, though recently appointed police chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed only that he is a minor and appeared to be suffering from mental illness.Torsak said two people had been killed, a visitor from China and a Myanmar national. Earlier, Yutthana Sretthanan, director of Bangkok’s Erawan Emergency Medical Center, had said three people were killed and six were injured. There was no explanation of the discrepancy, though Yutthana later ...