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EU suspends Niger financial support, security cooperation after coup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

The EU suspended security cooperation and financial support for Niger and declared that it will not recognize the leaders of a “putsch” that ousted the democratically elected president.Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, called for President Mohamed Bazoum’s “unconditional” release from detention.“This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Niger’s republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation,” Borrell said, confirming an “immediate cessation of budget support” and the suspension of “cooperation actions in the security field.”The EU “does not recognize and will not recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch in Niger,” Borrell said. Borrell’s statement came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “unflagging support” for Bazoum and warned that “hundreds of millions of dollars” of U.S. security and economic assistance to Niger was at risk if “democratic governance” was not restor...

Spain election repeat more likely after expat vote count

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

Spain’s already complicated electoral landscape just got a lot more complex.On Saturday, the count of the 233,688 ballots deposited by Spaniards living abroad — which are tallied five days after the in-person vote is held — led to the redistribution of seats in the Spanish parliament. As a result, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party lost one of the spots it was allocated in Madrid, which will now go to the center-right Popular Party.The Popular Party is now set to have 137 MPs in the next legislature; together with the far-right Vox party’s 33 MPs and the single MP belonging to the affiliated Navarrese People’s Union (UPN), the right-wing bloc is set to control at least 171 seats — the same number as Sánchez and his preferred partners. Should the Canarian Coalition revise its stated position, which is against backing any government that includes Vox, the conservative bloc could add another seat to its tally.Those numbers do not ...

Police searching for man after series of smashed car windows in Newmarket, NH

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

Police in Newmarket, New Hampshire have identified the man they say smashed and shattered the back windows of several cars this week.23-year-old Travis Moseley allegedly smashed the windows of four cars on Sunday afternoon. Police received the four calls reporting the property damage within ten minutes, and all victims gave similar accounts of the vehicle involved.Police are also investigating a similar incident overnight on Tuesday.Police said Moseley drives a silver 2018 Ford Escape and are asking anyone with information to call police at (603)659-6636.

A large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Thailand kills at least 9 people and wounds scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand on Saturday killed at least nine people and wounded scores, officials said.The governor of the province of Narathiwas, Sanan Pongaksorn, told public broadcaster Thai PBS that also at least 115 people were hurt, and that many were in serious condition. He said about 500 to 800 people who live nearby may have to be moved to a temporary shelter. He did not elaborate.Videos posted on social media from the site show a huge plume of smoke over the area and many damaged structures, cars and motorbikes, as well as streets covered with debris. Many of the houses and other buildings have collapsed roofs and walls. About 100 residences in the area were also damaged, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.Sanan, the local governor, said the blast was likely ignited by construction work that was taking place in the warehouse, with flares from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside...

Man seriously injured in Brampton stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

A man suffered serious injuries after being stabbed in Brampton.Peel police were called to the area of Steeles Avenue and Chinguacousy Road just before 6:30 p.m. Friday night where they found a man suffering from stab wounds. Initially, the victim’s injuries were considered life-threatening as he was taken to a local hospital. He has since been upgraded to stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. There is no immediate word on the number of suspects being sought or any descriptions at this point.

Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team to receive silver medals in reallocation ceremony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

The Canadian men’s 4×100-metre relay team will receive their Olympic silver medals Saturday at the Canadian national trials in a medal reallocation ceremony.The group of Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Jerome Blake had initially earned bronze in the event at the Tokyo Games two years ago.However, an official upgrade came in May 2022 following the disqualification of the British team due to a doping violation by team member CJ Ujah.De Grasse – a six-time Olympic medallist and the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 – failed to qualify for the 100 final on Friday and Brown won his fifth straight national title.Damian Warner is competing in the men’s 110 hurdles final after failing to qualify for the 400 on Friday.Warner is competing in individual events at the national trials instead of the decathlon, where he is the reigning Olympic champion.

Do you believe in angels? About 7 in 10 U.S. adults do, a new AP-NORC poll shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies. In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. People turn to angels for comf...

With one eye on China, Japan backs Sri Lanka as a partner in the Indo-Pacific

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday that Sri Lanka is a key partner in a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at building security and economic cooperation around the Indo-Pacific but also at countering an increasingly assertive China. Sri Lanka, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is integral to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. He was speaking after a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in the capital, Colombo. The initiative, announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in March includes Japan’s assistance to emerging economies, support for maritime security, a provision of coast guard patrol boats and equipment and other infrastructure cooperation.Last year Sri Lanka, which owed $51 billion in foreign debt, became the first Asia-Pacific country since the late 1990s to default, sparking an economic crisis. While Japan is Sri Lanka’s largest creditor, about 10% of its debt is held by ...

Another unwanted record on the way

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- 21. Camp Mabry has reached a high of 100° and higher 21 times since June 8. That ties for second place with 2001 and 2002. The record for consecutive days of highs in triple digits is 27 set in 2011. Those of you who were here then well remember that Camp Mabry reached 100°+ an astounding 90 times.Second place ... for now.During this stretch of 21 days the average high temperature is 105.2 degrees. July 2022's average temperature was 90.6°. As of yesterday's high of 102° the average temperature for this July, highs and lows, is 90.7°. Even though there will be fewer highs of 100° and higher in 2023 vs. 2022 (25 by this month's end vs. 29 last year) the daily forecasts will be enough to make this July the hottest ever.Humidity percentages will lower nicely through the afternoon dropping to mostly the lower to middle 20s. That makes the heat index at or a little below the air temperature.Lower dew points equals lower humidity in the afternoonYou will notice a hazy sky...

Texas A&M regents could offer a settlement to the journalism professor at center of hiring controversy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:47:24 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will meet Sunday to authorize the university to negotiate a potential settlement with Kathleen McElroy, a Black University of Texas at Austin journalism professor, who turned down a position at A&M after the university changed her job offer under pressure from conservative groups.McElroy’s botched hiring led to the resignation of multiple administrators, including the university president last week. It’s not clear whether McElroy, who said she felt judged because of her race and gender, has filed claims against A&M, but if the board gives its approval the university could enter a settlement discussion with the UT professor, who has since hired legal counsel.The Board of Regents also plans to appoint an interim president for A&M, according to an agenda for the July 30 special meeting, which is open to the public.On July 20, M. Katherine Banks resigned as president of the university following the...