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A scramble of last-ditch diplomacy aims at finding a peaceful solution to Niger’s deepening crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A delegation from regional nations is expected to arrive in Niger in a last-ditch diplomacy effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country’s president last month.The representatives from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, could arrive in the capital, Niamey, as early as Saturday and would join efforts by United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, who came on Friday, in trying to facilitate a resolution to the ongoing crisis.On Friday U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Simao would meet with the junta and other parties to try and facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to Niger’s crisis.“What we want to see is a return to the constitutional order. We want to see the liberation of the president and his family and restoration of his legitimate authority,” he said.ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby force” on August 10 to restore constitutional rule in the cou...

Swiss national arrested in military-ruled Myanmar for allegedly insulting Buddhism in film

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A Swiss citizen was arrested in military-ruled Myanmar for creating a film that allegedly insulted Buddhism, state media reported Saturday.Didier Nusbaumer, 52, was arrested on Aug. 8 along with 13 Myanmar nationals, including a 12-year-old girl, Myanma Alinn newspaper said.Insulting Buddhism is a punishable offense in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where religious nationalism has surged in recent years. About 90% of Myanmar people are Buddhist. The news report said that Nusbaumer wrote, filmed and edited the 75-minute movie “Don’t Expect Anything,” which was posted on YouTube on July 24. Short clips from the movie spread on social media including on TikTok and Facebook, drawing rebukes from Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar.“Although the people in the film’s main roles are Buddhist, they behaved inappropriately and degraded the dignity and morals of monks through their physical gestures and dialogue,” the media report said.The report did not say where any of the sus...

Chinese military launches drills around Taiwan as a ‘warning’ after a top island official went to US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan on Saturday as a “stern warning” over what it called collusion between “separatists and foreign forces,” its defense ministry said, days after the island’s vice president stopped over in the United States. Taiwanese Vice President William Lai’s recent trip to Paraguay to reinforce relations with his government’s last diplomatic partner in South America included stops in San Francisco and New York City. The mainland’s ruling Communist Party claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and says it has no right to conduct foreign relations.A spokesperson for China’s Eastern Theater Command said in a brief statement that the military exercises involved the coordination of vessels and planes and their ability to seize control of air and sea spaces.It was also testing the forces’ “actual combat capabilities,” Shi Yi said. The drills in the waters and airspace to the north and southwest of ...

Ciudades fantasma: Canadá ordena desalojos masivos ante intensos incendios

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

TORONTO, Canadá – El oeste de Canadá declaró este viernes el estado de emergencia ante el empeoramiento de la crisis causada por centenares de incendios forestales que han obligado a la evacuación en las últimas horas de miles de personas.David Elby, el primer ministro de la provincia de Columbia Británica, en el extremo occidental del país, anunció la declaración del estado de emergencia en una rueda de prensa celebrada en la noche del viernes en la que rogó a la población que cumpla con las órdenes de evacuación.Las autoridades tomaron la decisión de declarar el estado de emergencia cuando el crecimiento de varios incendios obligó a ordenar la evacuación de 15,000 personas. Además, otras 20,000 han sido advertidas que en cualquier momento pueden tener que abandonar sus hogares.Este viernes, la provincia tenía activos 388 incendios forestales pero se teme que la situación empeorará en las próximas horas por las condiciones meteorológicas. En todo Canadá, que sufre su peor tem...

Indiana plays Phoenix on 4-game road skid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

Indiana Fever (8-24, 4-13 Eastern Conference) at Phoenix Mercury (9-21, 2-13 Western Conference)Phoenix; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Indiana will try to break its four-game road slide when the Fever take on Phoenix.The Mercury have gone 8-8 at home. Phoenix ranks sixth in the Western Conference in rebounding averaging 30.7 rebounds. Brianna Turner leads the Mercury with 6.1 boards.The Fever have gone 5-12 away from home. Indiana has a 3-8 record in games decided by 10 or more points.The two teams play for the fourth time this season. The Fever defeated the Mercury 72-71 in their last matchup on Aug. 1. Emma Cannon led the Fever with 23 points, and Diana Taurasi led the Mercury with 29 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Brittney Griner is scoring 17.9 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Mercury. Taurasi is averaging 15.9 points over the last 10 games for Phoenix.Aliyah Boston is averaging 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 18.1 point...

Dallas visits Washington following Sykes’ 30-point outing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

Dallas Wings (17-14, 9-7 Western Conference) at Washington Mystics (15-16, 8-9 Eastern Conference)Washington; Sunday, 3 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Washington takes on the Dallas Wings after Brittney Sykes scored 30 points in the Washington Mystics’ 83-79 win against the Indiana Fever.The Mystics have gone 10-5 in home games. Washington is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 18.9 assists per game led by Natasha Cloud averaging 5.8.The Wings have gone 7-8 away from home. Dallas ranks fifth in the Western Conference giving up 83.8 points while holding opponents to 44.0% shooting.The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Wings won 90-62 in the last meeting on July 29. Teaira McCowan led the Wings with 18 points, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the Mystics with 14 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Cloud is averaging 12.4 points and 5.8 assists for the Mystics. Sykes is averaging 19.8 points over the last 10 games for Washington.Satou Sabally is averaging 18 points, 8.5 rebounds, ...

Connecticut faces Chicago, aims to end 3-game skid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

Connecticut Sun (21-10, 11-3 Eastern Conference) at Chicago Sky (12-19, 3-13 Eastern Conference)Chicago; Sunday, 5 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Connecticut enters the matchup with Chicago as losers of three straight games.The Sky are 3-13 in Eastern Conference games. Chicago is seventh in the WNBA allowing 83.5 points per game while holding opponents to 45.7% shooting.The Sun are 11-3 against Eastern Conference opponents. Connecticut has a 1-0 record in one-possession games.The teams square off for the third time this season. The Sun won the last matchup 84-72 on July 12, with Tiffany Hayes scoring 22 points in the win.TOP PERFORMERS: Kahleah Copper is averaging 18.7 points for the Sky. Marina Mabrey is averaging 15.2 points over the last 10 games for Chicago.Alyssa Thomas is averaging 15.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the Sun. DeWanna Bonner is averaging 17.4 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 39.4% over the last 10 games for Connecticut.LAST 10 GAMES: Sky: 4-6...

Seattle puts road win streak on the line against Minnesota

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

Seattle Storm (9-21, 6-9 Western Conference) at Minnesota Lynx (14-16, 9-7 Western Conference)Minneapolis; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Seattle will try to keep its three-game road win streak alive when the Storm face Minnesota.The Lynx are 9-7 against conference opponents. Minnesota is sixth in the WNBA with 35.7 points in the paint led by Napheesa Collier averaging 11.2.The Storm have gone 6-9 against Western Conference opponents. Seattle is 4-11 in games decided by 10 points or more.TOP PERFORMERS: Collier is shooting 47.9% and averaging 21.4 points for the Lynx. Kayla McBride is averaging 13.4 points over the last 10 games for Minnesota.Jewell Loyd is scoring 24.1 points per game and averaging 4.6 rebounds for the Storm. Sami Whitcomb is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Seattle.LAST 10 GAMES: Lynx: 5-5, averaging 79.5 points, 33.8 rebounds, 19.0 assists, 6.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have average...

Biden hails ‘new era of partnership’ for US, South Korea and Japan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

President Joe Biden on Friday signed historic agreements with the leaders of South Korea and Japan, bridging the fraught history between the two countries with promises of strengthening each nation’s economic and national security interests.In what was a clear message to China, Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the first trilateral meeting between the three countries that wasn’t held on the sidelines of an international gathering.“This is the first summit I’ve hosted at Camp David, and I can think of no more fitting location to symbolize our new era of cooperation,” Biden said at a joint press conference held at the rustic presidential campsite in the Catoctin Mountains, about 60 miles north of Washington.The looming threats of China and North Korea shadowed the summit. Both Japan and South Korea are well within range of Pyongyang’s rocket tests, and both nations also have attempted to curb Beijing’s growing strength in...

Hurricane Hilary threatens dangerous rain for Mexico’s Baja. California may get rare tropical storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:27 GMT

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Hilary headed for Mexico’s Baja California with “life-threatening and potentially catastrophic” rain and flash flooding, while officials as far north as Los Angeles scrambled to get the homeless off the streets, set up shelters and prepare for evacuations.Hilary is expected to plow into the Mexican peninsula sometime Sunday and then surge northward and enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years by late Sunday or Monday.The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for a wide swath of Southern California from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts. Officials talked of evacuation plans for California’s Catalina Island.“I don’t think any of us — I know me particularly — never thought I’d be standing here talking about a hurricane or a tropical storm,” said Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.After rapidly gaining power early Friday,...