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Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after a plane crash outside Moscow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

By DASHA LITVINOVA (Associated Press)TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, was presumed dead Wednesday after a plane crash north of Moscow that killed all 10 people on board.Prigozhin was on the plane, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, which cited the airline. The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped. The Wagner chief, whose troops were some of the best fighting forces for Russia in Ukraine, was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping up in Russia from time to time.The crash also comes after Russian media ...

Nicaraguan government bans Jesuit order and says all its property will be confiscated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua’s government on Wednesday declared the Jesuit religious order illegal and ordered the confiscation of all its property.The move comes one week after the government of President Daniel Ortega confiscated the Jesuit-run University of Central America in Nicaragua, arguing it was a “center of terrorism.” The confiscation order published Wednesday claimed the Roman Catholic order had failed to comply with tax reporting.It was the latest in a series of increasingly authoritarian actions by the Nicaraguan government against the Catholic Church and opposition figures. The Jesuit order, known as the Society of Jesus, has condemned the measures.The University of Central America in Nicaragua was a hub for 2018 protests against the Ortega regime.After last week’s announcement, the Society of Jesus of Central America said in a statement: “This is a government policy that systematically violates human rights and appears to be aimed at consolidating a totalitaria...

What’s going on with Scooter Braun’s artist roster? Here’s what we know and what’s still speculation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scooter Braun is one of the most recognizable names in the music business for his singular work as an executive and entrepreneur. He’s managed many of your favorite artists, propelling the likes of Justin Bieber to stratospheric fame, and earned the ire of Taylor Swift and her legions of fans for his business practices.On Friday, rumors circulated online that Justin Bieber was leaving Braun, his longtime manager — and the man credited with discovering him. In the days that followed, speculation grew, and media outlets began reporting that some of Braun’s other hype-profile clients like Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato were also parting ways with him — all of which has yet to be confirmed.Braun hasn’t issued a public statement, but did tweet in jest, writing “Breaking news… I’m no longer managing myself.” As the story continues to unfold, here’s everything we know — and everything we don’t — about what’s going with Scooter Braun and his powerful client roster.W...

Man convicted of killing Kristin Smart is attacked in prison and hospitalized in serious condition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

COALINGA, Calif. (AP) — The man convicted of killing Kristin Smart, who vanished from a California college campus more than 25 years ago, was hospitalized after he was attacked in state prison, his lawyer said Wednesday.Paul Flores was taken Wednesday from Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga to an outside hospital where he was in serious condition, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.The department didn’t confirm that Flores had been attacked, with a spokeswoman saying via email that the circumstances surrounding his injury were under investigation and details wouldn’t immediately be released.His attorney, Harold Mesick, said he was notified by corrections officials that Flores was attacked Wednesday, although he didn’t have any details.“I just pray for his recovery,” Mesick said.Flores had only been transferred to the Central Valley prison last week from North Kern State Prison, Mesick said.North Kern is where prisoners ar...

North Korea says its 2nd attempt to launch a spy satellite has failed, vows 3rd try

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday that its second attempt to launch a spy satellite failed again but vowed to make another attempt in October, demonstrating willingness to endure flops to acquire a key military asset coveted by leader Kim Jong Un.The failed launch prompted neighboring Japan to issue brief a “J-alert” ordering some residents to evacuate to safe places as the North Korean rocket flew over its southernmost islands of Okinawa to the Pacific Ocean. The North’s space agency said it used the new-type carrier rocket Chollima-1 to put the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 into orbit. It said the flights of the rocket’s first and second stages were normal, but the launch eventually failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.The National Aerospace Development Administration said it would make a third launch attempt in October after studying what went wrong wit...

At least 1 person is dead and 2 are missing as Tropical Storm Franklin batters Dominican Republic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tropical Storm Franklin unleashed heavy floods and landslides in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday after making landfall in the country’s southern region, killing at least one person and leaving two others missing.The storm began to slowly spin away late Wednesday afternoon from the island of Hispaniola that the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti after dumping heavy rain for several hours. Forecasters warned the storm could drop up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the Dominican Republic, with a maximum of 16 inches (41 centimeters) for the country’s western and central regions. Meanwhile, up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain are forecast for Haiti, with nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) for the country’s eastern regions.“The population of the Dominican Republic must all be right now, without exception, in their homes, the homes of friends and family, or in shelters,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, emergency operation...

18-year-old at large, teen charged after 15-year-old shot in Palatine dies, ID'd

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

PALATINE, Ill. —  A 15-year-old boy critically wounded after a shooting in unincorporated Palatine last week has died, and been identified, according to multiple sources Wednesday. The Cook Count Medical Examiner's Office identified the 15-year-old boy as Damian Hernandez.An 18-year-old male and a 14-year-old boy face charges in connection with the deadly shooting. On Aug. 17, just before 5:20 a.m., Palatine police officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 1700 block of E. Clear Creek Bay. Arriving officers located several shell casings and eventually discovered the 15-year-old boy nearby with a gunshot wound to the upper body.The boy was rushed to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in critical condition. He died days later from his injuries on Tuesday, Aug. 22. 3 charged with murder after man killed in Aurora home invasion That same day, a 14-year-old was charged in juvenile court for his role in the shooting. The juvenile faces felony charges of ...

Mug shots released in Trump Georgia election case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.The former New York mayor, was indicted last week along with Trump and 17 others. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020.Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000.Rudolph Giuliani Jenna EllisSidney Powell Ray Smith Cathleen Latham Kenneth Chesebro David Shafer Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump.Other high-profile...

Indiana Task Force works towards 'overhaul' of state's tax system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS-- An Indiana task force is working towards what the chairperson calls a potential "overhaul" of the state's tax system. Wednesday's meeting, which featured nearly three hours of testimony from state tax experts, marked the first of several meetings planned for the new "State and Local Tax Review Tax Force."The group started out by looking into three key issues:The State DebtState-managed pensionsThe State's short- and long-term financial outlookThe State Budget Agency says Indiana currently has a healthy balance between revenues and costs. However, the agency's chief economist told the task force the overall amount of revenue coming in is going down, and isn't expected to stabilize until next year. The chairperson of the task force says there are also growing concerns if the state remains complacent with the current tax system, Indiana could lose its competitive advantage to bring in more business. That's why the chairperson said the task force has assigned smaller work...

In ‘Ahsoka,’ a ‘Star Wars’ fan favorite returns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

For many casual viewers, “Star Wars” is the domain of familiar faces: the heroic Jedi Luke Skywalker, the nefarious Sith Lord Darth Vader, the roguish smuggler Han Solo and the tenacious Princess Leia.But over the years, the universe of “Star Wars” has expanded far beyond the realm originally imagined by George Lucas. For viewers who have not been inclined or able to consume all of the seemingly endless array of “Star Wars” sequels, prequels, TV spinoffs, and book and video game adaptations, keeping up with the recurring characters can feel a bit like trying to memorize an intergalactic phone book. You might know the droids R2-D2, C3PO and BB-8. But what about L0-LA59, C1-10P and L3-37?The title of the latest “Star Wars” series, “Ahsoka,” premiering Wednesday on Disney+, may be unfamiliar even for viewers who consider themselves relatively knowledgeable about the franchise. The title character, played by Rosario Dawson in the series, has never appeared in a live-action “Star Wars” m...