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Commission asks for €66B EU budget top-up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

The European Commission requested an increase of €66 billion on Tuesday for the EU’s long-term budget after several crises drained the bloc’s coffers.“We have been using the budget more than ever,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We come today with a very targeted and a limited proposal for the absolute must.”The money would be spent as follows:— An estimated €19 billion to cover for a rise in interest payments on EU debt through 2027;— €17 billion for providing grants for Ukraine, alongside €33 billion in loans (the loans don’t count toward the overall top-up figure, as they’re borrowed against the EU’s budget);— €15 billion for migration and neighborhood policy;— €10 billion for a top-up of existing funds like InvestEU (€5 billion), Innovation Fund (€3 billion), the European Defense Fund (€1.5 billion) and European Innovation Council (€500 million), which combined with the redeployment of existing EU cohesion ...

UN environment chief slams EU nature law opponents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

BRUSSELS — The EU’s flagship biodiversity law must pass, the United Nations’ top environment official warned, condemning what she called “misinformation” spread about the legislation by some political parties. A growing backlash is jeopardizing the bloc’s Nature Restoration Law, which aims to return the Continent’s degraded natural areas to a healthy state. EU environment ministers narrowly agreed on a common position on the law on Tuesday. The bill is now heading for a decisive vote in the European Parliament’s environment committee on June 27 after conservative groups failed in their push to kill the legislation in a first round of voting last week. “If it were to fail, it would be a failure for the European people, for the nations of Europe and for the next European generations,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), told POLITICO during a visit to Brussels on Tuesday. “It is absolutely critical that we understand that this is...

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to federal tax charges, strikes deal on gun charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

(CNN) — Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors regarding a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings.The plea deal will have immediate reverberations in the 2024 presidential election.This story is breaking and will be updated.

Harmony Montgomery case documents unsealed, reveal disturbing details from homicide investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

New details from the Harmony Montgomery homicide investigation are coming to light after court documents in the case were unsealed on Tuesday.The documents reveal how investigators learned from the 5-year-old girl’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, that Adam Montgomery, the child’s father, struck Harmony on Dec. 7, 2019, which appeared to cause her death.Kayla reportedly told investigators that while living a vehicle together at the time, Adam was extremely upset that the child was not saying when she needed to use the restroom. According to the court documents, Kayla stated that Adam would get upset and strike Harmony in the face and head with a closed-fist.The stepmother said that after a final blow on that day, Adam said words to the effect of he “felt or heard something” and “I think I really hurt her this time.” She told investigators that Harmony went on to make a moaning noise for five minutes and that at no time did anyone stop to get the chi...

Hunter Biden makes plea deal on tax, weapons charges, Justice Department

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has been charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon and has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, according to a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. It is somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time the charges are filed in court, though it is not totally unheard of.The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks or distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Jus...

Raising Cane's to hold grand opening for new Chula Vista location

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Lovers of chicken fingers will soon have a new option to feast at when Raising Cane's opens their newest location in San Diego County.On Tuesday, June 20, Raising Cane's will host a grand opening for their Chula Vista location, located at 512 H Street, the sixth location to open in the county.The new spot can be found at the entrance of the Chula Vista Center and will feature a double drive-thru and a large indoor dining space.“We are excited to continue our expansion in the San Diego market with the opening of our sixth Restaurant in the area and first in Chula Vista!” Restaurant Leader Ale Gonzalez said in a news release. “We look forward to serving our community and celebrating on Tuesday.”The grand opening event will begin at 7 a.m. with a "Lucky 20" drawing, where 20 chicken finger fanatics will have a chance to win free Cane's for a year. Customers must be at least 13 years of age and entries will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., with the winners announ...

Tropical Storm Bret spins toward eastern Caribbean as forecasters warn it will strengthen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Bret chugged toward the eastern Caribbean on Tuesday as forecasters warned it could strengthen into a hurricane before approaching a region rushing to prepare itself for an unusually early storm.Bret had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving across the Atlantic Ocean at 17 mph (28 kph). It is expected to strengthen into a hurricane in coming days but then weaken ahead of its approach to the Lesser Antilles, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.The storm is expected to pummel some eastern Caribbean islands on Thursday and Friday at near hurricane strength.“Both the atmospheric and oceanic environment look conducive for strengthening during the next couple of days with low shear and abnormally warm ocean waters,” the center said.Dominica’s meteorological service said Tuesday that the storm poses a “high threat” to the island and warned of landslides, flooding and waves of up to 12 feet (4 meters).Mean...

9 Egyptians appear in Greek court over deadly migrant shipwreck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Nine Egyptian men accused of belonging to a human smuggling ring that authorities say bears responsibility for one of the worst migrant shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea appeared in court in southern Greece on Tuesday for questioning over their alleged role in the disaster.The nine face charges that include participation in a criminal organization, manslaughter and causing a shipwreck. The hearing was taking place in the southern city of Kalamata.More than 500 people are believed to be missing from last week’s sinking of the dilapidated fishing trawler, which according to some estimates was carrying up to 750 people from Libya to Italy. So far, 81 bodies have been recovered and 104 people, all men, have been rescued. A search and rescue operation continues in the area, but chances of locating more survivors were exceedingly slim.Asked about the incident as World Refugee Day was marked across the globe Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leye...

Stock market today: Wall Street slips after a 5-week rally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are slipping in Wall Street’s first trading after a five-week rally carried it to its highest level since the spring of last year. The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower in early trading Tuesday. The Dow was off 156 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite edged down 0.1%. The U.S. stock market is taking a breather after rising on hopes the economy can avoid a recession and inflation is easing enough for the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates soon. A frenzy around artificial intelligence has also vaulted a select group of tech stocks to huge gains. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street is stable Tuesday, the first trading day of the week, after a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Secretary of State Antony Blinken yielded no signs of progress from either side on Taiwan, human rights, technology and other issues of contention. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial and the S&P 500 fell about 0.3% before t...

Italy’s Meloni and France’s Macron are meeting in Paris following a spat over migration policies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:35:10 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday in Paris to mark the improvement of relations between the two countries after their latest dispute over migration issues.Talks are meant to prepare for the European summit later this month in Brussels and the NATO summit to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, next month, according to the French presidency. Macron and Meloni are expected to reaffirm their joint support of Ukraine in military, humanitarian, economic, diplomatic and judicial terms, the statement said. On Monday, Macron said that the Mamba anti-missile system developed together by France and Italy “is now deployed and operational in Ukraine, protecting key installations and lives.” The delivery of the system to Kyiv was announced by Paris and Rome in February.The trip comes weeks after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly canceled a visit to Paris in protest of the French interior minister’s criticism of his c...