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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by American rapper Wiz Khalifa to annul his nine-month jail sentence handed down for drug possession in the Eastern European country.

The Constanta Court of Appeal's decision came after Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, filed an appeal last month against theDecember conviction. The sentence came after Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after allegedly smoking cannabis on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County.

Prosecutors said the rapper was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis, and that he consumed some on stage.

The court convicted Khalifa of "possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption."

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The appeals court on Thursday rejected as inadmissible Khalifa's appeal to annul the sentence, and ruled as unfounded a request to suspend the sentence.

The Associated Press contacted Khalifa's representatives via email to request a comment on the latest legal developments, but has not yet received a response.

That December conviction came after a lower court in April issued Khalifa a criminal fine of 3,600 lei ($830) for "illegal possession of dangerous drugs," but prosecutors appealed that decision and sought a higher sentence.

Romania has some of the harsher drugs laws in Europe. Possession of cannabis for personal use is criminalized and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years, or a fine.

It isn't clear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request, since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and doesn't reside in Romania.

Sylvester Stallone on Wednesday shared the grueling, body-punishing work it took to make the fight scenes in "Rocky" look like the real thing.

"Before Rocky ever stepped into the ring on screen, there were hours like this," the 79-year-old wrote on his Instagram while sharing a video that showed Stallone and Apollo Creed actor Carl Weathers working out theirboxing choreography.

"Repetition. Footwork. Timing," he added. "Getting hit and getting back up. I wrote the script in 3½ days, but the physical work took months. Nothing about it was accidental. If you want it to feel real, you have to live it."

In the throwback video,Stallone and Weathersare figuring out each punch and fall, with Stallone saying to his costar of the titular character, "So, I'm a little hurt. You've got me stung with the jabs."

Sylvester Stallone Says Kennedy Center Honor Is 'Something I Still Can't Fathom'

He then throws himself against the ropes after Weathers gives him a fake punch, telling his costar he needs to be closer to the edge of the ring because he wants to "fly into the ropes" and grab his hand around them when he falls.

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"These ropes are like guitar wires," he joked.

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"Left, right," he told Weathers where to throw his punches before launching himself 180 degrees against the ropes again.

'Rocky' Star Sylvester Stallone Reveals Brutal Hollywood Snub And How He Clawed His Way Back To The Top

"Now, I'm going to hang," Sylvester continued, explaining the camera should be positioned low to see Rocky from the perspective of the ground. "When he gets up, the bell rings. Carl raises his hand."

He then explained that Rocky should get picked up by his team and have water thrown on his face and be told, "'Why didn't you take bookkeeping in high school?'"

Weathers then pulls more punches at him, with Stallone advising the late "Happy Gilmore" actor, "You've got me hurt" and to "throw left, then right" before Stallone hurls himself to the ground.

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Stallone then continued to direct Weathers on what jabs to take, joking, "Beat me! Beat me! I love it!" before he finally gets a couple of his own punches in, and the two fall down laughing."

Stallone received a flood of praise from fans in the comments on the commitment to his first role, including comedian David Spade who wrote, "V cool."

Last month, Stallone shared a post of himselfat the gymadmitting he hadn't been in one "in a long time."

"Its kind of like, in a way, a sanctuary, a church. We pray to get better, to feel better physically, so, you have the strength to arrive at your goals really confident and ready to face any challenge," he said.

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He added in the caption, "Every year it gets harder and harder, but that's why you gotta push harder and harder. blood sweat and tears."

"Rocky" won three Oscars in 1977 for best picture, best director and best film editing, and Stallone was nominated for best actor and best original screenplay.

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While filming "Rocky IV," which came out in 1985,Stallone broke ribsduring his legendary fight scene with costar Dolph Lundgren.

"I didn't know it happened. We were both getting hit in that fight," Lundgren told "Fox & Friends" last year. "We shot for two weeks in Vancouver, and I got back to L.A. … The producer called and said, 'Hey, Dolph, you got two weeks off.' I said, 'That's great, what's going on?' 'Sly's in the hospital.' I found out that way."

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Lundgren, who played Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago, admitted the news took him by surprise.

"I did feel a little guilty. You know, he hit me too. He was the boss. I did what he told me, which was good. Go really hard with the body, you know those Russian uppercuts. I don't know if it was my body or exhaustion or my punches. I don't know, but he did get hurt. I'm sorry about that," he said.

Fox News Digital's Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.

Original article source:Sylvester Stallone reveals grueling 'Rocky' prep: 'If you want it to feel real, you have to live it'

The FBI is moving its command post in theNancy Guthrieinvestigation from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CBS News on Thursday.

The transition is being done because the large Phoenix command post will be able to operate more efficiently for the long term and most of the agents who have been working on the investigation in Tucson are based in Phoenix, the source said.

The investigative squads,evidencerecovery teams and SWAT teams will all remain in Tucson as they are assigned to the FBI's Tucson office, which is a large satellite office.

Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1, sparking a massive search effort.

The investigation is still running at full speed, the source said. Leads are still being worked, andvideo footageis still being reviewed. Digital evidence, including cellphones, is being analyzed. Tips are still being followed.

The source said a lot of the work going forward does not require boots on the ground in Tucson and can be done from Phoenix or offices anywhere in the country.

A second law enforcement source briefed on the investigation said when a major case breaks, the FBI surges resources fast. It brings in extra agents, stands up a command post and throws everything at the time-sensitive work that has to happen in those initial critical days.

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That work includes neighborhood canvasses, evidence collection and running down every lead as soon as it comes in, the source said. That work in the Guthrie case is now done.

The source familiar with the investigation noted those specialized resources, including the hostage rescue team from Quantico, Virginia, are always readily available. They can be back on the ground in Tucson quickly if something breaks in the case.

The FBI has received over 23,600 tips since Guthrie's disappearance, which was reported to authorities Feb. 1. More than 1,500 of those tips have come in since the family offered arewardof up to $1 million this week, according to a law enforcement source.

Meanwhile, the house where authorities believe Guthrie was abducted in the middle of the night will soon bereturned to her family, a law enforcement source said.

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Hillary Clinton posts opening statement for Epstein deposition

By Richard Cowan and Ryan Patrick Jones

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify behind closed doors in congressional Epstein probe

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a congressional committee on Thursday that she did not remember ever meeting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had no information to share about his criminal activities.

"I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew ‌on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices," Clinton said in a statement, which she released as she delivered a closed-door deposition to the House of Representatives ‌Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York.

Following a seven-hour appearance before the panel, Clinton told reporters she repeatedly was asked the same questions throughout the day, but that she also offered some suggestions on conducting the investigation. She did not detail ​those ideas.

Clinton said that late into the procedures "it got quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories."

She was referring to false, widely disseminated musings in 2016 that a Washington, D.C. pizzeria was a front for a child sex ring run by her and that New York City police had discovered a pedophilia ring linked to Democrats.

In her prepared testimony, Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, also accused the Republican-led panel of trying to shift focus away from Trump's ties to Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 ‌while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. She noted Trump's administration has "gutted" ⁠a State Department office focused on international sex trafficking.

Speaking to reporters after Clinton's testimony, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer dismissed the idea of having Trump appear before the panel.

"President Trump has answered hundreds if not thousands of questions from you all about Epstein and I think he's been very transparent ⁠in releasing the documents," said Comer, a Kentucky Republican.

Clinton and her husband, Democratic former President Bill Clinton, initially refused to testify before the committee, but relented when lawmakers moved to hold them in contempt of Congress.

Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify to the committee on Friday.

Hillary Clinton told reporters that the former president will tell the committee that the "vast majority" of people who had contact with Epstein before his criminal pleas in 2008 "did ​not ​know" about the sex trafficking. "That is exactly what my husband will testify to tomorrow," she said.

Before the hearing, Comer ​denied that the probe was a partisan effort, noting that several Democrats had ‌pushed for the Clintons to testify.

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"No one is accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing but we do have a lot of questions," Comer said.

He said the committee would seek to find out about any interactions she might have had with Epstein, his involvement with the Clintons' charitable work, and any relationship she may have had with jailed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. He said transcripts and video of the Clintons' interviews will be made public.

Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters that Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should also testify. Lutnick has admitted to visiting Epstein's private island years after he says he broke off ties. Comer said it was "possible" the committee might subpoena him.

MISSING FILES

Garcia and other Democrats are accusing Trump's Justice Department ‌of selectively withholding material from 3 million Epstein-related documents it released to shield Trump from scrutiny. That includes records ​of a woman who accused Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, Garcia said.

"Where are these ​files? Who removed them? These questions have to be answered," he said.

The Justice Department said ​it is reviewing whether any documents were improperly withheld and would publish them if appropriate. It has previously cautioned that the material it has released includes ‌unfounded accusations and sensationalist claims about Trump.

Law enforcement authorities have not accused Trump ​of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. ​Trump socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, before his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Comer said evidence gathered by the panel does not implicate Trump.

Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's plane several times in the early 2000s after he left office. He has denied wrongdoing and expressed regret for his association.

According to Comer, Epstein visited the ​White House 17 times while Clinton was in office.

The Justice Department sought ‌to draw attention to photos of Bill Clinton in its document dump, but they also have revealed Epstein's ties to a long list of business and political leaders, including ​Lutnick and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Overseas, they have prompted criminal investigations of Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, and other prominent figures.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Ryan ​Patrick Jones, Doina Chiacu, Ismail Shakil and David Morgan; editing by Andy Sullivan, Alistair Bell and Sergio Non)

By Simon Jessop

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Activists are set to take to British streets on Friday for two days of protests against the expansion of data centres ‌to serve booming demand forartificial intelligence, and the impact of the facilities ‌on communities and the environment.

The protests, coordinated by environmental charity Global Action Plan, are part of a growing international backlash ​against the power- and water-hungry sites needed to meet surging demand for AI computing power.

"Big Tech's unchecked construction of hyperscale AI data centres is putting the UK's climate targets at risk," said Oliver Hayes, Head of Campaigns at Global Action Plan, in a statement.

Among the biggest is set to ‌be the 'March Against The Machines' event ⁠starting outside the offices ofOpenAIon Saturday at midday.

While there is no formal definition of what a data centre is in Britain or ⁠how many there are, a techUK report from November 2024 put the number at around 450.

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The British energy regulator said 140 data centres had signalled they wanted to plug into the grid and could ​require 50 ​gigawatts of power. By comparison, it said peak ​British electricity demand on February 11 was ‌45 GW.

OpenAI said in January it would create a community plan for each of the sites in its Stargate operation, a $500 billion initiative to build AI data centres for training and inference.

Tech companies are investing directly in power infrastructure as energy access becomes a critical constraint on AI expansion, with the push for larger and more numerous data centres driving electricity demand higher.

In ‌Havering, east London, Ian Pirie, Coordinator Friends of the ​Earth Havering, said plans to build locally were "completely inappropriate ​in a semi-rural Green Belt area", citing ​what he called its power and water needs and the destruction of ‌farmland.

Leigh Tugwood, Co-chair of Iver Heath Residents Association, ​protesting against a build ​in Buckinghamshire, said he was concerned that datacentre development was being fast-tracked at the expense of local communities.

"We are, therefore, in support of a moratorium on all future hyperscale ​data centre development unless and ‌until there is informed debate, a public inquiry and a meaningful community-designed engagement framework ​that ensures ownership of the process by those most likely to be impacted," he ​said.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop, Editing by William Maclean)

Ford Motor is recalling nearly 4.4 million vehicles over a software problem that could cause an attached trailer's tail lights, turn signals and brakes to fail.

The technology glitch can cause a loss of communication between the towing vehicle and the trailer, which Ford told CBS News typically happens when the vehicle is first started. As a result, the trailer's tail lights and turn signals won't turn on, and the brake function could stop working, the automaker said in a statement.

If a communication loss occurs, the driver will see a "Trailer Brake Module Fault" message and the turn signal will flash rapidly, according to Ford. A "Blind Spot Assist System fault" message may also appear, the company said.

The software issue can increase the risk of a crash, according to a recentnoticefrom the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

"Inoperable trailer lighting and trailer braking functions can reduce a driver's ability to control an attached trailer and make the attached trailer less visible to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash," the federal regulator said.

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The recall affects  Ford trucks, vans and SUVs with model years between 2021 and 2026. Ford F-150 and F-250 pickups account for more than 3.4 million of the recalled vehicles.

Ford said it plans to issue a remote, automatic software update for the affected vehicles in May, adding that drivers will be notified once it is complete. Owners can also go to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have their vehicle fixed free of charge.

The Detroit auto manufacturer said it is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to the software flaw. Ford said it started investigating the issue in October of 2025.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans judge ordered actorShia LaBeoufto return to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and set a $100,000 bond Thursday after the film star was charged with two counts of batteryover an alleged assaultoutside a bar during Mardi Gras.

CORRECTION Shia LaBeouf-Arrest

LaBeouf, who appeared in court wearing a fleece jacket and jeans tucked into cowboy boots, was also admonished by the judge forallegedly yelling homophobic slurswhile hitting multiple people near the French Quarter. The police report said LaBeouf dislocated one victim's nose.

The judge ordered LaBeouf, 39, to submit to weekly drug tests, including one on the spot in the courthouse. LaBeouf agreed and his attorney said the test did not show illegal substances in his system.

Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Simone Levine called the episode earlier this month a concern for "the safety of this larger community, especially relative to a marginalized community that has gone through so much terror," referring to the LGBTQ+ community.

"This defendant does not take his alcohol addiction seriously," Levine said. "This court does not believe he understands the level of seriousness when it comes to these allegations."

LaBeouf posted bond and declined to comment to reporters. He has not yet formally entered a plea to the charges.

"No, I won't say a word," he said in a court hallway while returning from taking a drug and alcohol test before the judge's order. "God bless you, leave me alone."

Jeffrey Damnit, a local entertainer identified in the police report as Jeffrey Klein, previously told The Associated Press that LaBeouf repeatedly punched him and used homophobic slurs while threatening his life. Damnit said he believed LaBeouf had targeted him because he wore makeup and eyeliner.

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"This guy wants me to be dead because I wear makeup," Damnit said. "It's a screwed-up thing."

The judge said that when she originally released LaBeouf without bond within hours of his arrest on Feb. 17 she had not previously had access to a police report that describes the actor allegedly using homophobic slurs as he returned to a bar and hit people with a closed fist after being asked to leave. Videos of the altercations have surfaced showing LaBeouf striking multiple people.

After LaBeouf was released from custody, the actor was seen in the French Quarter dancing in the streets on Mardi Gras.

Levine ordered LaBeouf to stay away from the victims and the bar where the episode occurred.

The judge denied a request by LaBeouf to travel to Rome in March for "religious observations, including his father's baptism."

Levine said during the hearing that she was concerned whether LaBeouf "could handle his alcohol."

"Frankly," LaBeouf's attorney Sarah Chervinsky told the judge, "being drunk on Mardi Gras is not a crime." ___

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.