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Why this week’s mass exodus from embattled Nagorno-Karabakh reflects decades of animosity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The exodus of ethnic Armenians this week from the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh has been a vivid and shocking tableau of fear and misery. Roads are jammed with cars lumbering with heavy loads, waiting for hours in traffic jams. People sit amid mounds of hastily packed luggage.As of Thursday, about 70,000 people had left the breakaway region for Armenia. That’s a huge number — more than half of the population of the region that is located entirely within Azerbaijan.Still, it’s not the largest displacement of civilians in three decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.After ethnic Armenian forces secured control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territories in 1994, refugee organizations estimated that some 900,000 people had fled to Azerbaijan and 300,000 to Armenia.When war broke out again in 2020 and Azerbaijan seized more territory, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees s...

Last samba in Paris: Gabriela Hearst exits Chloé dancing, not crying, with runway swan song

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

PARIS (AP) — In a bold departure from the somber farewells often seen in fashion, designer Gabriela Hearst literally danced her way out of Chloé at her final show Thursday, radiating pure, unapologetic joy. Rather than poignant goodbyes, Hearst opted for lively samba beats, leaving an indelible mark on the onlookers as she lithely pirouetted past guests carefree alongside one of Brazil’s most reputed Samba schools. It wasn’t just about an exit; it was a celebration. And as the curtains drew on her Chloé chapter, Hearst’s pioneering green legacy remained in sharp focus.Delving into the Spring-Summer 2024 ready-to-wear collections, here are Thursday’s highlights, including when AP caught up with Cher at Givenchy:HEARST’S SWAN SONGHearst, a designer renowned for exploring the boundaries of femininity, bid adieu to Chloé in spectacular style. On Thursday, her final bow with the house celebrated minimalism and sportiness, weaving in her unmistakable touch of modernity.Kicking...

Swiss court acquits former Belarusian security operative in case of enforced disappearances

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — A court in northern Switzerland on Thursday acquitted a former security Belarusian operative over the enforced disappearances of three of President Aleksander Lukashenko’s political opponents in the late 1990s, said an advocacy group that spearheaded the case.Judges in the northern town of Rorschach said they were not convinced that the defendant, Yuri Harauski, a former member of a Belarusian military unit known as SOBR, was involved in the disappearances.According to the Geneva-based advocacy group TRIAL International, the court ruled that Harauski’s participation in the crimes could not be established beyond reasonable doubt.“The families of the victims remain in a state of uncertainty about the exact circumstances of their loved ones’ disappearances,” said the group.TRIAL International, the International Federation of Human Rights and Viasna — a Belarusian rights group whose founder Ales Bialiatski was a co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize — jointly...

Drive a Hyundai or Kia? See if your car is one of the nearly 3.4 million under recall for fire risks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Nearly 3.4 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S. are under recall due to the risk of engine compartment fires and it’s important for drivers to check if their car is one of them.Both the companies and federal regulators are warning owners of the recalled vehicles to park them outdoors until repairs are made. Mail notifications about the recalls won’t begin until November, but owners can check right now to see if their vehicle in on the list — which covers multiple car and SUV models from the model years 2010 through 2019.Here’s what you need to know about the recalls and what to do if your car is impacted by it.Why are these Hyundai and Kia cars getting recalled?According to documents posted this week by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an anti-lock brake control module in recalled vehicles can leak fluid and cause an electrical short, which can touch off a fire whether the cars or being driven, or are parked. Hyundai h...

Shutdown’s shadow, Biden’s speech and arguing the case: Takeaways from the House impeachment hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Thursday are holding the first hearing of their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and their effort to tie the him to the business dealings to his son Hunter. It’s a high-stakes opening act for Republicans as they begin a process that can lead to the ultimate penalty for a president, punishment for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the committee had “uncovered a mountain of evidence” that he said would show how the Democratic president abused his power and repeatedly lied about a “wall” between his political position and his son’s private business dealings. “There was no wall,” Comer said.Republicans have been investigating Hunter Biden for years, since his father was vice president. While questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business, no evidence has emerged so far to pro...

First congressional hearing on Maui wildfire focuses on island’s sole electric provider and grid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

Hawaii’s top public utility officials and the president of Hawaiian Electric testified Thursday in a congressional hearing about the role the electrical grid played in last month’s deadly Maui wildfire. Members of a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee question the utility officials about how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century began — and whether the electrical grid in Lahaina was safe and properly maintained. The fire killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, mostly homes. It first erupted at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric power line to fall, igniting dry brush and grass near a large subdivision.There is still much to sort out about the fire, Rep. Morgan Griffith R-Virginia said at the hearing’s start. Among questions that need to be answerered are how the fires spread and what efforts to reduce fire risk have been made in recent years. “It is extremely important that we ...

Furniture designer crafts a chair named ‘solace’ to aid those harmed by Fiona’s wrath

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

HALIFAX — Furniture designer Jonathan Otter has created a chair that suggests both a hurricane’s power and the support needed afterwards, as part of a fundraiser for those rebuilding after post-tropical storm Fiona.His work crafted from Nova Scotia red oak is up for auction at a starting bid of $30,000, and is among three artistic creations the United Way is selling to raise funds for those still recovering from the storm that hit Feb. 24, 2022.The auction also includes a hand-carved wood sculpture by Adam McNamara and an ink and water colour print of a tree ring by Kalen Roblee, and all three works were made from trees downed by Fiona.The storm was the costliest extreme weather event in the East Coast’s history, with about 100 houses destroyed by a tidal surge in southwestern Newfoundland, along with woodlands, farms, businesses and homes damaged across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.Otter says the woodlands he grew up in on his parents’ farm in central Nova...

Phillies deny emotional support alligator from entering ballpark

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Phillies fan and his emotional support animal, an alligator named WallyGator, were denied entrance to watch Philadelphia host Pittsburgh. Social media posts showed the gator on a leash with a harness with his name on it outside the stadium Wednesday.WallyGator is a working emotional support alligator owned by Joie Henney, of Jonestown, Pennsylvania. The reptile has a big presence on Instagram and TikTok.Citizens Bank Park’s policy on support animals is posted on the Phillies’ official website. It states, “Guide dogs, service animals, or service animals in training are welcome. All other animals are prohibited.” Henney spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer last year and said WallyGator helps him battle depression and that “he likes to give hugs.” Henney said then that the gator had never bitten anyone.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbThe Associated Press

Spotted lanternfly has spread to Illinois, threatening to crops and trees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois is the latest state to find invasive spotted lanternflies, an winged insect that’s spreading across the eastern U.S. and is subject to squish-on-sight requests in New York and elsewhere.First detected in the U.S. nearly a decade ago, the hitchhiking pest and its eggs have been getting rides on vehicles and trains as they expand from southeast Pennsylvania across the country. Although the inch-long planthopper looks pretty with its distinctive black spots and bright red wing markings, the sap-sucking bug likes to mass and feed on plants. It then excretes a sticky, sugary waste called honeydew that attracts insects and a form of sooty mold that can finish off the already weakened plants, posing a danger to crops and native trees. The gunk can also collect houses, decks and outdoor furniture.The Illinois Department of Agriculture said a sighting of one of the winged adult insects was reported on Sept. 16 at an undisclosed location. Department sta...

Police release images of suspects after attacks at Earlscourt Park cultural festival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:14 GMT

Toronto police have released images of suspects being sought in connection to violent attacks that took place at a cultural festival at Earlscourt Park in August.Officers were called to the park at around 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, for reports of a heated protest at The Festival Eritrea Toronto — a scheduled two-day sports and cultural event.Police say some of the protesters became confrontational, damaging property and assaulting several people. At least nine people were reportedly injured. On Thursday, Toronto police released images of three unnamed suspects wanted in connection to the incident.Suspects sought in assault investigation at Earlscourt Park on Aug. 5, 2023. HANDOUT/Toronto Police ServiceThe City of Toronto ended up revoking the festival’s permit “in the interest of public safety,” cancelling the events planned for the second day on Sunday.“The City does not tolerate or condone violence of any kind and is committed to providing a s...