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Ex-Wagner commander seeks asylum in Norway after being cleared of violence against police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

Andrei Medvedev, a former commander in Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, said he hopes to be given asylum in Norway after an Oslo court on Thursday cleared him on charges of violence against police.“I want to thank the court for a fair ruling,” Medvedev told Reuters after the verdict, adding that he was studying Norwegian. “I hope I will get asylum,” he said.Medvedev, who fled to Norway in January, had been accused of resisting arrest and kicking an officer as he was being led to a police car after a bar fight.His lawyer argued that it was a “misunderstanding,” saying that Medvedev did not kick the police officer but instead was moving about because the handcuffs hurt.In a separate incident in March, Medvedev was caught with an air rifle in a bar in downtown Oslo. He pleaded guilty to that charge and to his involvement in the bar fight, and was given 14 days in prison and two years’ probation.He was acquitted of committing violence agai...

German landlord wins right to sunbathe naked despite complaints from tenants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

(CNN) — A German landlord has won the right to sunbathe naked in the courtyard of his Frankfurt building, in spite of complaints from his tenants.The landlord, who has not been named, resorted to taking legal action after a human resources company that rented premises in the building withheld payments because of his fondness for sunbathing nude in a common courtyard area, according to Frankfurt’s highest regional court.The firm, which has also not been identified, had reduced and partially withheld payments that it owed for its office space in the residential building in an upscale neighborhood of the city.It claimed the landlord would walk unclothed through the stairwell to the courtyard, so that “a resident or visitor who happened to be on the stairs at that time would be confronted with his nakedness.”But a legal team who visited the site did not find that to be the case, the court stated. “On the contrary, the plaintiff had credi...

Biden administration braces for a migrant surge when Covid-era restrictions lift

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

(CNN) — The Biden administration is bracing for a surge of migrants at the US-Mexico border when a Covid-era border restriction lifts next month, putting an issue that’s been a political vulnerability for President Joe Biden at the forefront just weeks off his 2024 campaign announcement.On May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, a Covid-era border restriction, known as Title 42, will expire, meaning border authorities will no longer be able to quickly expel certain migrants. Instead, authorities will have to return to decades-old protocols at a time of unprecedented mass migration in the Western hemisphere, raising concerns within the administration about a surge in the immediate aftermath of Title 42 lifting.It comes at a critical moment for Biden who on the heels of launching his 2024 bid will also have to navigate another potential border crisis, opening him up to attacks from Republicans who have hammered the administration and are already wielding...

E. Jean Carroll concludes direct testimony in trial accusing Trump of rape

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

(CNN) — E. Jean Carroll returned to the stand on Thursday in her civil battery and defamation trial against Donald Trump, with the columnist telling the jury about why she was suing the former president, and what had happened to her since she filed the suit.“I think rape is one of the most violent and horrible things that can happen to a woman or a man,” Carroll said.“I don’t particularly like attention because — I’m suing. Getting attention for being raped is not — It’s hard. Getting attention for making a great three-bean salad, that would be good,” she said.Carroll is suing Trump for battery and defamation, alleging that he raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the spring of 1996 and then defamed her years later when she went public with the allegations. Trump has repeatedly denied her allegations.Asked by her attorney Mike Ferrara on Thursday if she ever regrets bringing the suit, she replied: ...

Mitchell Robinson emerged as Knicks playoff weapon with dominant performance against Cavs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

CLEVELAND — Mitchell Robinson sat back in the chair, admiring the work. Box score in hand, he whistled to emphasize the impressiveness.Catcalling his own rebounds, essentially.“Eleven offensive,” he told teammate RJ Barrett just seconds earlier, hamming it up for the assembled media.“This whole series was about getting rebounds and stuff like that,” the center added. “Whoever gets the most rebounds wins the game nine times out of 10.”That’s a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly carried round 1 against the Cavaliers. And Robinson, the 7-foot-1 pogostick, emerged as the difference maker.A breakout force.Facing two All-Defense players in Cleveland’s frontcourt, Robinson controlled the glass in a way that deflated hopes and dreams.Many strong Cavs defensive efforts died in the hands of Robinson, who grabbed nearly double the offensive rebounds (29) than anybody else in the series.Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were utterly and emb...

Consistency key for back half of Yankees lineup going into series against Rangers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

ARLINGTON — When the Yankees broke out for their biggest offensive output of the young season Wednesday, it wasn’t just the top of the batting order doing damage.The 6 through 9 hitters in the Yankees lineup contributed five hits and scored five of the team’s 12 runs in its win over the Minnesota Twins, adding an element to the offense that’s been missing most of April.Continued production from players like Willie Calhoun, Oswaldo Cabrera and Isiah Kiner-Falefa would help lessen the blows of injuries to Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson as the Yankees try to get back to winning series, beginning with their four-game road set against the Texas Rangers.“[It’s] nice to have everyone up and down the lineup contributing,” manager Aaron Boone said following the 12-6 win in Minneapolis.The Yankees were the final MLB team to lose a series this season, having won or split each of their first six. They’ve since dropped two series in a row and...

Hot Property: Brookline Victorian has classy opulence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

With a whole lot of old-world character and a dash of whimsy, the late 19th century Victorian at 224 Aspinwall Avenue in Brookline exudes just the right amount of storybook vibes.At a hefty 5,000+ square feet, the eight-bedroom home is a substantial property that allows both intimacy and entertaining on a grand scale to elegantly coexist.Just as spacious, the 0.18 acre lot includes landscaped gardens, a private, fenced-in stone patio area, and mature plantings including a striking, sky-high evergreen in the front yard. A perk of Brookline living, you get generously proportioned outdoor space without giving up ease of access. From its Brookline Village locale, the home is a skip away from Coolidge Corner, the Longwood Medical Area, playgrounds, the Emerald Necklace, and never-ending dining options.Fans of Victorian-era opulence are in for a special treat with 224 Aspinwall. The home retains seven original fireplaces, including one in the foyer. Paneling and extensive millwork welcome...

Jerry Springer, politician turned TV ringmaster, dies at 79

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

By DAN SEWELL (Associated Press)CINCINNATI (AP) — Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional guests willing to bare all — sometimes literally — as they brawled and hurled obscenities before a raucous audience, died Thursday at 79.At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run, at one point topping Oprah Winfrey’s show.Springer called it “escapist entertainment,” while others saw the show as contributing to a dumbing-down decline in American social values.“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a pho...

Tucker Carlson speaks out for 1st time after Fox News firing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

NEW YORK — Tucker Carlson emerged Wednesday, two days after Fox News fired him, with a two-minute, campaign-style monologue that didn’t address why he suddenly became unemployed.He posted a video on Twitter shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern, the time his Fox show used to begin, that talked about a lack of honest political debate in the media.Carlson said one of the things he noticed, “when you step away from the noise for a few days,” is how nice some people are, and how hilarious some are.“The other thing you notice when you take a little time off is how unbelievably stupid most of the debates you see on television are,” he said. “They’re completely irrelevant. They mean nothing. In five years we won’t even remember we heard them. Trust me, as somebody who participated.”Fox fired its most popular personality on Monday without explanation, less than a week after settling a lawsuit concerning the spread of lies about the 2020 presidential election.The mystery about why Fox Corp. leadershi...

Maple Leafs locked in as Lightning pushed into ‘fight or flight’ mode

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:07 GMT

During the prolonged two-day break between the magic in Tampa and the anticipation in Toronto, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and the rest have all been quick to remind the hopeful that the fourth win is always the hardest.Despite leaping ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 in the series and earning themselves three cracks to break their 19-year-old spell, nothing is being taken for granted in Leafland.It’s all game faces and deadbolt routine at Scotiabank Arena on the morning of Game 5.“We’ve got to prepare to win one very challenging hockey game. Anything else outside of our preparation and our execution, when game time comes, is a distraction,” Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe says. “And it’s on me as a coach and our players individually to eliminate as many distractions as possible.”Ryan O’Reilly: “They’re going to throw everything they have at us… By no means is this series over.”— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebo...