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New Zealand to boost its defense capabilities as it faces increasing tensions in the Pacific

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand said Friday it plans to boost its defense capabilities as tensions rise in the Pacific, due in part to a military buildup by China.Defense Minister Andrew Little said current defense spending amounted to about 1% of the nation’s economy, a proportion he expected would need to increase, although not as high as 2%.He said replacing aging navy frigates and patrol vessels is among the most pressing needs under consideration. He said the country is also facing an increase in domestic threats such as misinformation, cyberattacks and terrorism.The new defense policy paper released by Little contained no specifics about increases in spending, equipment or troops, with those details expected to be finalized in a later plan.Rather the paper pointed to a rethinking about the role of the nation’s military, which has often been used primarily to act as peacekeepers or provide aid when Pacific countries are hit by natural disasters.Now, the p...

Scarborough residents facing possible municipal byelection this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

Some Scarborough residents could be faced with going back to the polls for the second time in four months.City council will meet on August 10th to decide what to do with the vacancy in Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest. The opening was created following the resignation of longtime councillor Gary Crawford, who unsuccessfully ran for Doug Ford’s Conservatives in the byelection that was held in Scarborough-Guildwood last month. Council will officially declare the seat vacant at that meeting, giving them 60 days to either hold a byelection to fill the opening or appoint someone to fill the vacancy. “Until the vacancy is filled, the former councillor’s staff remain in place and are available to address constituency matters for residents of Scarborough Southwest,” the city said in a statement. Scarborough residents in that ward last headed to the polls to elect a new mayor back on June 26.

Mexico recovers body of Honduran migrant in Rio Grande; another body found near floating barrier

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities said Thursday that a Honduran migrant identified one of the two bodies recovered from the Rio Grande as her son. But the 20-year-old Honduran man was not the body found near a floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had installed in the river, across from Eagle Pass, Texas. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said a body recovered about 3 miles upriver from the buoys was tentatively identified as the Honduran man by his mother, but the body was badly decomposed and fingerprint tests would be needed for confirmation. The department said the mother, who is at a migrant shelter in Piedras Negras, the Mexican border town across from Eagle Pass, said she recognized the tattoos on the body as her son’s.It said there was still no word on the identity of the second person whose body was found in the river near the buoys. The department said no identification had been found on the body, and nobody had come forward to report the victim. The ...

Appeals court allows Biden asylum restrictions to stay in place

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An appeals court Thursday allowed a rule restricting asylum at the southern border to stay in place. The decision is a major win for the Biden administration, which had argued that the rule was integral to its efforts to maintain order along the U.S.-Mexico border.The new rule makes it extremely difficult for people to be granted asylum unless they first seek protection in a country they’re traveling through on their way to the U.S. or apply online. It includes room for exceptions and does not apply to children traveling alone.The decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals grants a temporary reprieve from a lower court decision that had found the policy illegal and ordered the government to end its use by this coming Monday. The government had gone quickly to the appeals court asking for the rule to be allowed to remain in use while the larger court battles surrounding its legality play out. The new asylum rule was put in place back in May. At the time, t...

2 men killed in Villa Park fatal wrong way crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

VILLA PARK, Ill. -- A 35-year-old man was driving the wrong way on Route 83 in Villa Park when his car collided with another killing both drivers early Thursday morning.According to the Villa Park Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Route 83 and Washington Street on reports of a multi-vehicle crash just before 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 3. Deadly shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 critical in South Shore Investigators report that a Hyundai Elantra was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Route 83 when it crashed into a Honda Odyssey which was traveling northbound on Route 83.The driver of the Hyundai, a 35-year-old man from Chicago, was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where he was pronounced dead.The driver of the Honda, a 69-year-old man from Bensenville, was pronounced dead at the scene.Villa Park police believe that speed and alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.The investigation is ongoing.

What it was like inside the courtroom for Trump's arraignment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

Courtroom 22 at the D.C. federal courthouse has seen its fair share of defendants over the years. But never a former president.That changed Thursday afternoon, when former President Trump entered and proceeded to be arraigned on four criminal charges stemming from his efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election.The Hill was one of a few outlets selected by a random drawing to have a seat in the courtroom and witness the proceeding in person.Reporters were ushered into the second-floor courtroom about an hour and a half before the arraignment began. Law enforcement officers required all electronics be turned off before entering the room, cutting the reporters off from the outside world. "As the wait began for Trump’s arrival from New Jersey, the four-row public gallery in the back of the courtroom and the jury box filled up with law clerks, court staff, sketch artists and even a few members of the public."Yosi Zelalem, 22, a George Washington University student,...

Jeep Wrangler graphics pack celebrates 'Jurassic Park' anniversary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

(Motor Authority) -- It’s been 30 years since “Jurassic Park” first hit theaters and forever changed the aesthetic of dinosaur movies.Jeep has decided to celebrate the milestone by offering a Jurassic Park-inspired graphics pack that will enable owners of the current Wrangler to turn their off-roaders into something resembling the 1992 Wrangler Saharas that featured in the film. The graphics pack can also be used for the Gladiator, Jeep said.The packs are available via the website www.JeepGraphicStudio.com, but only to customers in North America. They are also limited to just 100 units, each uniquely numbered.Two versions are available. The first costs $550 and includes the famous Jurassic Park logo on the doors, plus hood and fender graphics, a swing gate handle graphic (Wrangler only), and a shifter insert. The second pack costs $650 and includes all of the items of the first package, plus a second shifter insert for the transfer case.Jurassic Park Package by Jeep G...

Joe Ryan lands on injured list, paving way for Dallas Keuchel to join Twins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

ST. LOUIS — Joe Ryan was in the midst of his pregame stretching in late June in Atlanta when he first felt a pull in the groin that radiated downward. Ryan said he was in shock, unsure of what to do in that situation, being that it was the first time something like that had happened.He went out and pitched, giving up five home runs in a loss. The nagging injury, which the Twins have diagnosed as a left groin strain, has affected him since then, through a period that’s been the toughest on the mound since Ryan debuted in 2021.Ryan finally mentioned something on Wednesday night after yet another rocky start, prompting the Twins to put him on the 15-day injured list and select the contract of veteran lefty Dallas Keuchel, who will slide into his spot in the rotation and make his first start as a Twin this weekend.“The communication on this certainly has to be better and he knows that,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We talked about that with Joe. It was something that he thought he coul...

Lawmakers sound alarm on threat of government shutdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A federal shutdown is on the horizon with Congress at odds over how to fund the government. Right now, lawmakers are out on recess, but once they return to Capitol Hill the race to pass a budget is on. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger is one of the lawmakers sounding the alarm about the possibility of a shutdown.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "I'm incredibly concerned.," Spanberger said. She says a government shutdown would be crushing for the millions of federal employees, like those living in her Virginia district. She adds that beyond that, a shutdown would hurt people across the country who rely on federal services like social security, Medicare or VA healthcare. "When those agencies shut down in the case of a shutdown that work gets delayed and so the impact is significant no matter where you live," Spanberger said. The government will shut down if Democrats and Republicans fai...

Trump pleads not guilty to Jan. 6 charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:44 GMT

Former President Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday on charges he faces stemming from his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. It was the second time this year Trump was face-to-face with special counsel Jack Smith, this time facing four counts, including on efforts to defraud the U.S. and obstruct congressional proceedings, as the Justice Department contends his plot to remain in power was “fueled by lies.” His motorcade arrived around 3:15 p.m. at Washington's federal courthouse, blocks from the U.S. Capitol, where a mob of his supporters rioted on Jan. 6, 2021, as a result of those efforts. Trump walked into the courtroom wearing his signature blue suit and red tie with a stony expression on his face, a look that changed little during the brief proceedings. The former president spoke little during the hearing, answering questions about his name and age, while rarely glancing at prosecutors. When asked whether he understood that his words c...