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Clinton, Blair to mark Northern Ireland peace milestone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and past leaders of the U.K. and Ireland are gathering in Belfast on Monday, 25 years after their charm, clout and determination helped Northern Ireland strike a historic peace accord.They are meeting for an anniversary conference in a Northern Ireland that has changed dramatically since 1998, and where some wonder if the accord that created peace is still capable of sustaining it.A young peacetime generation is increasingly shedding the rival identities — British unionist and Irish nationalist — that erupted into three decades of bloodshed that killed 3,600 people. But at the same time, Northern Ireland is locked in a political crisis that threatens to rattle the peace secured by the Good Friday Agreement.“You’ve got a transformed society in which (the labels) unionist, nationalist for many young people doesn’t mean anything,” said Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen’s University Belfast.“But on...

Myanmar army rulers free 3,000 prisoners in holiday gesture

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government on Monday granted amnesty to more than 3,000 prisoners to mark the traditional lunar New Year holiday, but it wasn’t immediately clear if those released included the thousands of political detainees locked up for opposing army rule.State-run MRTV television reported that the State Administration Council, the ruling body created by the military after it seized power in 2021, had pardoned 3,113 prisoners, including 98 foreigners who will be deported. Mass prisoner releases are common on major holidays.An official from Yangon’s Insein Prison, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information, said the number and names of people to be freed from the country’s largest penitentiary was not yet known. The releases were expected to begin Monday.Some 17,460 political detainees, including Myanmar’s former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were in detention as of last Wednesday, according to the Assistance...

Kyiv denies Wagner Bakhmut claim, Russia says forces advancing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

Ukraine vs Russia fought over the control of Bakhmut by the Kremlin, which has been the focus of Moscow's attempts to invade eastern Ukraine for months.The Ukrainian military claimed it had "considerably" over 20% of the city under its control. Yevgeny Privozhin's claim that his Wagner mercenary team had seized more Bakhmut than 80% was false, the military stated.Russia's Defence Ministry countered that Wagner forces had taken three blocks of the city. It claimed that Russian forces had attacked Ukrainian army reserves in an attempt to break through.Russia's military retreated from an attempt to advance on Kyiv last January in what Moscow calls "special military operations". It has now primarily focused on the capture of Bakhmut, a stepstone to further west in Donetsk.However, its gains were largely incremental and have been made over many months. Prigozhin made a few premature announcements regarding Wagner's position at Bakhmut.Serhiy Cherevatyi (spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern...

Kosovo police arrest three men for beating journalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

Three men were arrested by the Kosovo police for allegedly beating a journalist who had left the studio where he was a guest on a talk show.Valon Syla claimed he was attacked for making comments about a local Imam who received a Mercedes car to retire from his worshippers.Syla stated that the attack was likely related to his comments about the "Mercedes Imam"... which prompted this community Islamic militants to organize a premeditated atrocity. He also said that Syla had been following the attackers in their car until he was attacked at a cafe bar.Police stated that the case was being dealt with by the anti-terrorism unit. The men were identified only by their initials and are facing criminal charges of "inciting disorder and intolerance."Syla was seen bleeding from injuries to his head and left arm by local media. He was treated and released from hospital.Kosovo has a more than 90% Muslim majority, but it is also secular.Syla also manages Gazeta metro news portal. Syla is well-kno...

Palo Alto: Service resumes after person dies in Caltrain collision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

PALO ALTO — A person died after being struck by a Caltrain Sunday night, authorities said.The collision happened at 8:43 p.m. on tracks at the Churchill Avenue grade crossing near Alma Street, about a half-mile south of the Stanford station and three-quarters of a mile north of the California Avenue station.None of the 46 passengers on southbound Train No. 678 were injured, Caltrain said.It was the railway’s second train fatality of the year, following a fatal strike in January in a San Francisco tunnel.According to a Caltrain spokesperson, staffers set up a SamTrans bus bridge to serve passengers between the San Antonio and Menlo Park stations shortly before 9:45 p.m., and opened the northbound track several minutes later with 20-mile-per-hour speed restrictions. Caltrain said the train was released to continue southbound at 10:22 p.m.Emergency personnel responded, but the person was pronounced dead at the scene. An identity was not available Sunday night, pending next-of-kin...

“No he cometido peculado y se lo tengo que decir a todos los asambleístas en la Asamblea”, dice Guillermo Lasso

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

(CNN Español) — Ecuador vive días convulsionados por el incremento de la tasa de homicidios del país, que según el centro de estudios Insight Crime de EE.UU. subió un 86% el año pasado. También sufre las consecuencias de una crisis carcelaria que continúa con una espiral de violencia, y una lucha contra el narcotráfico que cada vez más afecta la seguridad de la población civil.Y en medio de todo eso, está el torbellino político alrededor de la figura del presidente Guillermo Lasso: la Asamblea Nacional del país adelanta los trámites para hacerle un juicio político por el presunto delito de peculado. Así las cosas, con un Congreso ecuatoriano de mayoría opositora, el mandatario podría enfrentarse a una destitución en el futuro cercano.Guillermo Lasso habló con Andrés Oppenheimer sobre cómo afrontaría un juicio político, la lucha contra el narcotráfico y su visión de país. Estos son algunos apartes de la entrevista.Dos modelos de Gobierno“Lo que sucede en Ecuador es un debate en...

Continúan los intensos combates por tercer día consecutivo en Sudán, con ataques aéreos contra el aeropuerto de Jartum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

(CNN) — Los combates continúan durante el tercer día en Jartum, Sudán, según informes de testigos presenciales facilitados a CNN y videos que han sido verificados por CNN.Los combates entre el grupo paramilitar sudanés Rapid Support Forces (RSF) y el Ejército de Sudán continuaron durante la noche de este domingo y se intensificaron después de las oraciones del alba, al igual que el domingo. Testigos presenciales dijeron a CNN que escucharon intensos combates con morteros y artillería en las primeras horas de la mañana de este lunes.Testigos presenciales declararon a CNN que se habían incrementado los ataques aéreos en los alrededores del aeropuerto de Jartum y en las guarniciones del ejército sudanés. Hubo ataques de artillería al este del aeropuerto de Jartum.Sudán: fuertes combates estallan entre el ejército y el grupo paramilitar RSFLos combates de este lunes por la mañana se están concentrando en torno a las guarniciones del ejército sudanés y de la (RSF), según declararon...

Australia says Chinese relations won’t improve to past highs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia is working to stabilize relations with China but could not return to the thriving economic relationship with its biggest trading partner that existed 15 years ago, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Monday.Icy bilateral relations that deteriorated during the previous conservative Australian government’s nine years in power have shown signs of improvement since Wong’s center-left Labor Party was elected almost a year ago. Minister-to-minister meetings have resumed, China has recently lifted restrictions on Australian coal imports and Australia hopes a 3-year-old tariff barrier on Australian barley will be lifted within months.But Wong said that trade relations could not return to the level when conservative Prime Minister John was in power from 1996 until 2007. Trade was then separated from political and strategic priorities.“I have been very clear that we seek to stabilize the relationship,” Wong told the National Press Club. “I think...

Ex-leader Merkel to be decorated with highest German honor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Former Chancellor Angela Merkel is to be decorated with Germany’s highest possible honor on Monday in recognition of her near-record 16 years at the helm of the country.President Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to bestow the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement on the four-term chancellor, who will become only the third ex-leader to receive that level of distinction. The other two were Konrad Adenauer, West Germany’s first leader, and Helmut Kohl, who led Germany to reunification.Merkel, 68, was the first woman to lead Germany and the first chancellor who grew up behind the Iron Curtain in communist East Germany. She stepped down in December 2021 with a well-regarded record of leading Europe’s biggest economy through a series of crises, including the global financial crisis, the eurozone debt crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. She didn’t seek a fifth term and ended her tenure as post-World War II Germany’s second-longest ...

Asian shares rise despite economic growth, rate worries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:58 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian markets rose Monday, although worries continued about economic growth and inflationary pressures.Traders are focused on companies’ upcoming earnings reports and worry about how inflation might affect moves by the Federal Reserve and the world’s other central banks on interest rates.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 inched up nearly 0.1% to 28,514.78. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.3% to 7,381.50, while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2% to 2,575.91. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.7% to 20,793.06. The Shanghai Composite gained 1.4% to 3,385.61. “Markets suffer from more heat than light as hyper-sensitivity of Fed policy projections to U.S. data continues to infuse out-sized volatility,” said Tan Boon Heng at Mizuho Bank. China’s central bank kept the one-year medium-term lending facility rate unchanged at 2.75%, suggesting economic growth data to be released Tuesday won’t be too alarming. Stocks on Wall Street ended last week ...