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Serbia again threatens armed intervention in Kosovo as tension escalates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia on Friday reiterated a threat to intervene militarily in its former province of Kosovo if NATO-led peacekeepers there fail to protect minority Serbs from what Belgrade called the terrorist threat of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian authorities.In a brief televised address, the Serbian army chief-of-staff, Gen. Milan Mojsilovic, said Kosovo Serbs can no longer “tolerate the terror” of the Kosovo government, and that Serbia’s military stands ready to fulfil its tasks “in accordance” with the Serbian constitution and any orders from President Aleksandar Vucic.Serbia has put its troops on the border with Kosovo on the highest state of alert amid a series of recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs on one side and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers, known as KFOR, on the other. In recent weeks, NATO has sent in reinforcements amid fears of an open clash between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.Serbia’s armed intervention in Kosovo would mean a direct cl...

How the unconventional design of the Titan sub may have destined it for disaster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The deadly implosion of the Titan submersible raises questions about whether the vessel exploring the Titanic wreckage was destined for its own disaster because of its unconventional design and its creator’s refusal to submit to safety checks that are standard in the industry.All five people aboard the Titan died when it was crushed near the world’s most famous shipwreck, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said Thursday, bringing an end to a massive multinational search that began Sunday when the vessel first lost contact with its mother ship in the unforgiving North Atlantic.The Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, first began taking people to the Titanic in 2021. It was touted for a design that included a carbon fiber composite hull and an elongated chamber for crew and passengers — a departure from more traditional spherical cabin areas and all-titanium construction.The cabin where people sit in most submersibles is spherical, said Chris Rom...

Man gets life sentence for killing mail carrier who refused to deliver marijuana package

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being convicted of killing a mail carrier who instead of delivering a large package of marijuana to his home left a note in the mailbox requiring him to come to a South Carolina post office to pick it up.Trevor Raekwon Seward, 25, was found guilty of murder of a federal employee in the course of her duties and other crimes in the September 2019 shooting of 64-year-old Irene Pressley as she delivered mail in rural Williamsburg County, federal prosecutors said.After finding the note in his mailbox instead of the 2-pound (0.9-kilogram) package of marijuana from California he was expecting, Seward confronted Pressley a few minutes later demanding his package. The U.S. Postal Service mail carrier refused, according to court documents.Seward then got a semi-automatic rifle and waited for Pressley to come down a street in Andrews, firing about 20 times into the back of her mail truck, prosecutors said.Several bullet...

Orcas disrupt boat race near Spain in latest display of puzzling aggressive behavior

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar, the latest encounter in what researchers say is a growing trend of sometimes-aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas.The 15-minute run-in with at least three of the giant mammals forced the crew competing in The Ocean Race on Thursday to drop its sails and raise a clatter in an attempt to scare the approaching orcas off. No one was injured, but Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said in a video posted on The Ocean Race website that it was “a scary moment.”“Twenty minutes ago, we got hit by some orcas,” he said in the video. “Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team.”Team JAJO was approaching the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea on a leg from the Netherlands to Italy when at least three orcas approached the VO65 class sloop. Video taken by the crew show...

Biden to deliver speech on the economy in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

President Biden will travel to Chicago on Wednesday to deliver a speech on the economy, the White House announced on Friday.Biden’s “major address” will be on “Bidenomics,” which is the president’s “vision for growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top-down,” according to the White House.Biden faces the uphill battle of convincing voters that the U.S. economy is strong after he has spent the last year digging itself out of a host of economic setbacks. His remarks in Chicago will come a few weeks after the news that inflation fell to its lowest rate since March 2021 and after the Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates unchanged for the first time since January 2022. He has previously touted the strong labor market, with unemployment around 3.7 percent and millions of jobs added under his tenure. But the lower inflation and the Fed’s decision gives Biden an extra boost as he turns his focus to his reelection bid.While in Chicago, Biden ...

Life in Illinois gets more expensive on July 1 with multiple tax increases, new laws

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

ILLINOIS — The end of a grocery tax suspension, the increase of the state's tax on gas, the doubling of certain fees; there are multiple aspects of life in Illinois set to become more expensive on July 1. Most unique ice cream treats for your Chicago summer Tax on groceries returnsPerhaps the most far-reaching impending change is the return of the state's 1% tax on sales of groceries. Though one penny for every dollar spent is arguably a low amount, it is a tax which impacts nearly every resident of Illinois.Read the Illinois Department of Revenue's informational bulletin for retailers on the return of this tax.Motor fuel tax increasesThe state's Motor Fuel Tax Law imposes an annual increase on July 1 to Illinois' Part A fuel tax. This is a separate tax from the Part B rate determined January 1 every year, and any July 1 local municipal fuel tax increases such as those in DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties.The yearly increase is tied to the Consumer Price Index from th...

Doja Cat coming to Chicago's United Center with Ice Spice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP/WGN) — Rapper-singer Doja Cat — the Grammy Award winner, fashion muse, and creator of many TikTok hits — is set to embark on a 2023 North American tour this fall.Doja Cat will be joined by song of the summer contender Ice Spice and up-and-coming rapper Doechii, as they open on select dates of her 24-date run. The Scarlet Tour kicks off on Halloween night in San Francisco and runs through Dec. 13, with a final show scheduled in Chicago at the United Center. Ice Spice is scheduled to appear, according to Billboard.The tour will hit most major cities in the U.S. as well as Toronto. Pitbull, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias to bring ‘Trilogy Tour’ to Chicago The announcement arrives a week after Doja Cat released a new single, a fiery rap titled “Attention” that negotiates her relationship with online commentary from fans and critics alike.Doja Cat first found mainstream fame when her 2018 single, “MOO!”, went viral. Since then, she’s been nominated for many Gr...

Philosophy of love baked into every treat at Chicago bakery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

CHICAGO — Pride — and pastry.In Chicago’s lakeview neighborhood, partners James Cox and Ryan Ibasco have combined their love of baking and their love of one another to create a sweet spot in the heart of the North Side.Filipino recipes meet American classics at Chicago Sugar Daddy. More: Pride: Stories of Chicago's Very Own The philosophy of love and community baked into every item.You can visit Chicago Sugar Daddy patisserie at the corner of Broadway and Melrose, Tuesday through Sunday.

WATCH: Police tear Winnebago open with excavator, arrest barricade suspect in Virginia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – A man who barricaded himself inside a Winnebago after leading police on a chase has been arrested in Henrico County, Virginia, by Virginia State Police. Officers used an excavator vehicle to tear open the Winnebago and apprehend the suspect inside.The incident began around 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning when deputies in King William County were called to a residence for a domestic dispute.Deputies learned that a man had driven away from the scene in a 1992 Winnebago. Law enforcement pursued the vehicle as far as Glenside Drive in Henrico County, where Virginia State Police took the lead in the chase.(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Allie Barefoot, 8News)(Photo: Howard Williams, 8News)(Photo: Howard Williams, 8News)(Photo: Howard Williams, 8News)The Winnebago stopped when it ran out of gas near an intersec...

Dr. Dre becomes first-ever artist to receive new ASCAP award: 'I feel so fortunate'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:33 GMT

(KTLA) – The "Next Episode" for Dr. Dre is a big one. The native of Compton, California, received a high honor from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) on Thursday night, becoming the first-ever artist to be presented with the organization's Hip-Hop Icon Award. ‘There was no problem’: Dr. Dre on Eminem taking a knee during Super Bowl show "I feel so fortunate to be involved in a movement where disenfranchised Black youth had a hand in revolutionizing our culture," the producer said accepting the honor. "Hip-hop gave an outlet to a creative young man like myself and allowed us to be seen and heard beyond the concrete walls of our neighborhood."Dr. Dre's friend and frequent collaborator Snoop Dogg was also in attendance to celebrate the former's award.Dr. Dre received a high honor from ASCAP on Thursday night, becoming the first-ever artist to be presented with the organization's Hip-Hop Icon Award. (KTLA)Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, has a caree...