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Four Rancho Santa Fe suspects plead not guilty to first degree burglary

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Four people accused of breaking into a home in the Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood that led police on a chase had their first court appearance Thursday.The four pleaded not guilty to several charges.Ignacio Antonio Parra Otarola, 31, Eduardo Andres Morajora and Jeremy Javier Ramirez Munoz, both 22, plus Fabian Cristobal Jerez Abarca, 19, all pleaded not guilty to several felony charges. Those charges include conspiracy to commit a crime, first degree burglary, attempted first degree burglary, evading officer with reckless driver and resisting executive officer.The prosecutor said on Dec. 23, the four rented a car from LAX and drove to the Rancho Santa Fe/4S Ranch neighborhood.Prosecutor said the four broke into one home through the rear master bedroom and ransacked the closet and bathroom. Prosecutor said officers would later find a stolen purse in the getaway car.The deputy district attorney said then three of them attempted to break into the home next door, and the owner...

Stock market today: Asian stocks mixed in muted holiday trading as 2023 draws to a close

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed in muted trading on Friday, the last trading day of the year, with some regional markets logging solid gains in 2023 while many sagged. U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gave up 0.2% to 33,464.17. It gained 27% in 2023, its best year in a decade as the Japanese central bank inches toward ending its longstanding ultra-lax monetary policy. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 0.2% at 16,966.77, while the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.6% to 2,971.35. The Shanghai index has lost about 4% this year and the Hang Seng is down nearly 15%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3% to 7,590.80, having gained about 6% for the year. India’s Sensex slipped 0.2% to 72,279.18. It has gained more than 18% this year, reaching new highs as retail investors bought heavily on expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates next year, giving the U.S. and other economies a boost after it manag...

A frantic push to safeguard the Paris Olympics promises thousands of jobs and new starts after riots

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

PARIS (AP) — With a name that doesn’t ring old-school French like Jean, Pierre or Jacques, and a home address in a tough suburb of Paris where riots flared, Salah Benkadmir is discovering how hard it can be to make prospective employers in France see beyond their prejudices.Despite having a high school diploma in sales and work experience as a vendor on his resume, the 19-year-old job seeker says that when he sends it to stores making hires, often no one calls him back. “I feel like I’ve got a label stuck to me. It is very unpleasant,” he says. But with the Olympic Games soon to hit Paris, Benkadmir thinks his fortunes may be about to improve. Organizers urgently need thousands of security guards to help keep athletes and spectators safe and reduce the likelihood of another deadly extremist attack in the French capital. Demand for people at checkpoints, to scan tickets and help manage crowds is so great that France’s state employment agency is offering free and exp...

After serving jail term over security law, a Hong Kong pro-independence activist seeks asylum in UK

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — An activist who advocated for Hong Kong independence and was jailed under a sweeping national security law fled to Britain to seek political asylum, according to his social media posts Friday. Tony Chung was among the first convicted under the Beijing-imposed law that was introduced after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. He was found guilty of secession and money laundering in 2020 and sentenced to 43 months in prison. In two Instagram posts Friday, Chung detailed how authorities closely watched him after he was released from prison: He was asked to meet with national security authorities regularly and report to them on where he had been, whom he had met with and his conversations, and authorities offered to pay him for information on others to prove he had reformed himself. They also proposed he go to mainland China. Chung said he was made to sign a document that barred him from disclosing his conversations with the authorities, so he could not seek help from any l...

Rogue wave slams into Southern California beachgoers, 9 hospitalized

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

Video captured the terrifying moment beachgoers were slammed into by a massive rogue wave in Ventura on Thursday. The incident happened as locals were being warned about a massive swell pounding the Southern California coastline this week.The rogue wave submerged bystanders at Pierpont Beach on Seaward Avenue around 11 a.m. That area has been hit the hardest with what the National Weather Service called “tremendous wave energy.”A witness, Colin Hoag, captured cell phone video of the explosive wave. As the waters suddenly flooded an observation zone, both people and vehicles were instantly swept away. Beachgoers were seen frantically running for their lives. The raging waters destroyed the windows of nearby beachfront buildings and hotels on its destructive path.Video captured the moment beachgoers were slammed into by a massive rogue wave in Ventura County on Dec. 28, 2023, sending nine people to the hospital. (Colin Hoag)Video captured the moment beachgoers were slammed into by a m...

Mugshots shared on social media by California law enforcement must use name and pronouns provided by arrestee, new law says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

A new California law is placing more rules on the use of mugshots posted to law enforcement agencies' social media accounts. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, police departments and sheriff's offices will have to include the name and pronouns provided by the person arrested when their mugshot is posted on the agencies' social media accounts. California police can no longer ask you this at a traffic stop starting in 2024 The new law, AB 994, also further limits the circumstances under which law enforcement can share a mugshot on social media and adds rules on the removal of new and existing mugshots from these sites. Using the name and pronouns provided by the arresteeAB 994 will require police and sheriff's offices to use the name and pronouns provided by the arrestee if their mugshot is to be posted on the agencies' social media accounts. This applies to individuals accused of any crime. The agencies will be authorized to use other legal names or aliases if these will assist in detainin...

No. 14 Arizona forces 6 turnovers, rallies to beat No. 12 Oklahoma 38-24 in Alamo Bowl

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gunner Maldonado returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown and also had an interception as No. 14 Arizona forced six turnovers in a 38-24 comeback victory over No. 12 Oklahoma on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl.Noah Fifita threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns for Arizona (10-3). The Wildcats closed with seven straight victories as they depart the Pac-12 to join the Big 12 next season. Leaving the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma also finished 10-3.Tetairoa McMillan had 10 receptions for 160 yards for Arizona.Oklahoma freshman Jackson Arnold threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but also had three interceptions in his first career start. Arnold started in place of Dillon Gabriel, who is transferring to Oregon after throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.Sooners running back Gavin Sawchuk rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.Arnold opened the game 3 for 8 with two interceptions before settling in behind ...

Andrei Svechnikov scores 3 times as Carolina Hurricanes beat Montreal Canadiens 5-3

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored three times and Jesper Fast had two goals, helping Antti Raanta and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 on Thursday night.Svechnikov got his fourth goal of the season 1:35 into the first period. He snapped a tie with 6:09 left in the third, and then secured his third career hat trick with an empty-netter with 18.9 seconds to play.Sebastian Aho had four assists for Carolina, and Brent Burns added three assists. The Hurricanes were coming off a 5-2 win at Nashville on Wednesday night.The 34-year-old Raanta made 18 saves in his first NHL game since Dec. 15. He was placed on waivers and completed an assignment in the American Hockey League before being recalled this week.Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens, who were coming off a five-day holiday break. Cayden Primeau made 26 stops.GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, KINGS 2LAS VEGAS (AP) — Logan Thompson made 32 saves, bouncing back from a shaky perf...

Thompson’s 32 saves helps Golden Knights end 4-game skid with 3-2 win over the Kings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Logan Thompson made 32 saves, bouncing back from a shaky performance, and the Vegas Golden Knights stopped a four-game slide by holding off the Los Angeles Kings for a 3-2 victory Thursday night.Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for Vegas — all in the first two periods. The Golden Knights had dropped five of six overall.Los Angeles had won four of five. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for the Kings, and Trevor Moore also scored. Cam Talbot made 29 saves.Thompson surrendered four goals on Anaheim’s first nine shots during a 5-2 loss at the Ducks on Wednesday night, but then stopped 14 of the next 15. He carried that play into the matchup with the Kings and got some help from his teammates, who blocked a season-high 34 shots.The four consecutive games for Vegas without a point — all on the road — was its longest such stretch under second-year coach Bruce Cassidy.It was just the second regulation road loss for the Kings, who are 13-2-1...

Victor Wembanyama scores 30, the Spurs snap 5-game skid with a 118-105 win over Trail Blazers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:26 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and seven blocks as the San Antonio Spurs snapped a five-game losing streak with a 118-105 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.Jeremy Sochan added 16 points and seven rebounds for San Antonio. Wembanyama had 30 or more points for the third time this season. The No. 1 pick in the draft scored 30 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 13, and had 38 in a win over the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 2.Wembanyama put on a show in a matchup against fellow lottery pick Scoot Henderson.Henderson finished with 25 points, four assists and six turnovers in Portland’s loss. Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant each scored 29 as the Trail Blazers were unable to overcome San Antonio’s quick start.The Spurs never trailed, building a 28 point lead in the first quarter and carrying a 38-14 lead into the second.The Spurs shot 14 for 21 (67%) in the quarter, while Portland went 5 for 23 (22%)Portland ...