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Mediators look to extend truce in Gaza on its final day, with one more hostage swap planned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — International mediators worked Wednesday to extend the truce in Gaza, hoping the territory’s Hamas rulers will keep freeing hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further respite from Israel’s air and ground offensive. It will otherwise expire within a day.Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives. But its other major goal — the annihilation of the armed group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years — could be slipping out of reach.Weeks of heavy aerial bombardment and a ground invasion have demolished vast swathes of northern Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians. But it seems to have had little effect on Hamas’ rule, evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the smooth release of hostages.Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, and other com...

Myanmar and China conduct naval drills together as fighting surges in border area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar and China are conducting naval drills together as the military government in the Southeast Asian nation loses ground in its northeast border region to a coalition of militias that also has strong ties to Beijing. State-run Myanma Alinn newspaper said Wednesday that three Chinese vessels were anchored in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, and that officials from both nations met Tuesday to discuss the maritime security exercises. The Chinese vessels – the destroyer Zibo, frigate Jing Zhou and supply ship Qian Dao Hu – carry about 700 sailors and arrived at the Myanmar port Monday. The report didn’t give more details on the drills. Myanmar’s military seized power from an elected government in 2021 and since has been in armed conflict with pro-democracy forces and ethnic militias. The visit of the Chinese vessels comes during an upsurge in violence on Myanmar’s border with China by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a group of militias that launched a coordinated...

Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall after Wall Street rallies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell Wednesday although a strong report on U.S. consumer confidence and hopes the Federal Reserve is finished with its aggressive interest rate hikes sent shares higher on Wall Street. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 0.3% to finish at 33,321.22. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.3% to 7,035.30. South Korea’s Kospi shed nearly 0.2% to 2,518.10. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.4% to 16,940.09, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% to 3,022.08. Heavy selling of Chinese technology and property shares pulled benchmarks lower. Food delivery company Meituan’s Hong Kong-traded shares dropped 11% after it forecast its revenue will fall in the current quarter. Troubled property developer China Evergrande sank 9.2% following reports that its property services group was suing the parent company to recover deposit guarantees. Oil prices were little changed ahead of a meeting of OPEC members set for Thursday. “OPEC+ is strug...

US military Osprey aircraft with 8 aboard crashes into the sea off southern Japan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying eight people crashed Wednesday into the sea off southern Japan, and the Japanese coast guard is heading to the site for search and rescue operations, officials said.Details about what happened to the Osprey and to the people on board were not immediately known, coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.The coast guard received an emergency call from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu, he said.It was not immediately clear which U.S. base the Osprey belonged to, but it was believed to be heading from Iwakuni to Okinawa.The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane. Versions of the aircraft are flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.A U.S. Marine Corps Osprey aircraft with 23 Marines aboard crashed on a north Australian ...

Australia proposes new laws to detain potentially dangerous migrants who can’t be deported

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government on Wednesday proposed new laws that would place behind bars some of the 141 migrants who have been set free in the three weeks since the High Court ruled their indefinite detention was unconstitutional.Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said Parliament would not end sittings for the year as scheduled next week unless new laws were enacted to allow potentially dangerous migrants to be detained.“We are moving quickly to implement a preventive detention regime,” O’Neil told Parliament.In 2021, the High Court upheld a law that can keep extremists in prison for three years after they have served their sentences if they continue to pose a danger.O’Neil said the government intended to extend the preventative detention concept beyond terrorism to crimes including pedophilia.“What we will do is build the toughest and most robust regime that we can because our sole focus here is protecting the Australian community,” O’Neil said.O’Neil...

Criminalization of domestic violence in New Uzbekistan: Implementation of international obligations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

In our country, traditionally family and its relationships have been considered as a national value. In this regard, issues of equality, mutual trust and inviolability in family relationships are under the legal protection of the state. Thanks to the comprehensive reforms carried out in recent years, a strong legal framework has been created in the Republic of Uzbekistan on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in all spheres of public life and activity, protecting women from oppression and violence.At the meeting with members of the Constitutional Commission on June 20, 2022, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed out that it is necessary to reflect in the primary law of the country the responsibilities of the state to provide the population with housing, strengthen the economic and spiritual foundations of the family, creation of all conditions for ensuring the interests and full development of children, support persons with disa...

Stolen vehicle pursuit ends in violent rollover crash in Echo Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

Three people were taken to the hospital, including a stolen vehicle pursuit suspect who led police on a chase that ended in a rollover crash in Echo Park Tuesday night, authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to KTLA.  Calls about the pursuit crash at Sunset Boulevard and Lemoyne Street came in at around 10 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.  Video of the scene captured by Sky5 showed a sedan on its side in the roadway near several cars parked along the curb, and a pickup truck on the sidewalk that nearly ran into Masa of Echo Park Bakery and Café.  L.A. police and fire crews on the scene of a pursuit that ended in a rollover crash in Echo Park on Nov. 28, 2023. (Citizen)L.A. police and fire crews on the scene of a pursuit that ended in a rollover crash in Echo Park on Nov. 28, 2023. (Citizen)L.A. police and fire crews on the scene of a pursuit that ended in a rollover crash in Echo Park on Nov. 28, 2023. (Citizen)Details are limited and it...

Knicks rout Hornets, earn wild-card spot in East to advance in the In-Season Tournament

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks were already making plans for a trip to Las Vegas after learning they had advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament.Their destination is actually Milwaukee, where they would need a victory over the Bucks to reach the Final Four in Vegas.Even the players are still learning how the NBA’s new event works.Julius Randle had 25 points and 20 rebounds, RJ Barrett scored 16 points and the Knicks advanced to the knockout stage with a 115-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.“We all thought we were going to Vegas, I cannot lie,” reserve guard Immanuel Quickley said. “When we first won, we all were saying we were going to Vegas like we were going to Disney World when you go to the Super Bowl.”The Knicks missed their chance to win Group B when the Bucks beat the Miami Heat to finish unbeaten in pool play. But the Knicks took the wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by tiebreaker because of their point differenti...

Habib’s last-second layup off mad dash to the rim sends Portland State past Portland 75-74

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ismail Habib scored 18 points and his layup with two seconds left after splitting multiple defenders carried Portland State to a 75-74 win over Portland on Tuesday.Vukasin Masic made a running jumper in the lane off one foot with 6.6 seconds left to put the Pilots up 74-73. The Vikings declined a timeout and put the ball in Habib’s hand off the inbound and he drove the length of the floor to the rim for the winner.Portland’s Tyler Robertson missed a desperation three-quarter court heave with 0.8 seconds left to end it.Isaiah Johnson also scored 18 points for the Vikings (6-1) and reserve Bobby Harvey scored 16.Tyler Robertson scored 28 points, Alimamy Koroma scored 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds and Masic scored 12 for the Pilots (4-3).___ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apne...

Et la fortune Riyad aux audacieux

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

Notre newsletter quotidienne sur les enjeux de lobbying et de transparence en France.Par OCÉANE HERREROAvec AURORE GORIUS, ALEXANDRE LÉCHENET, PAUL DE VILLEPIN et JASON WIELSInfos, tuyaux et mini-drames à partager ? Ecrivez à Océane Herrero, Aurore Gorius, Alexandre Léchenet et Paul de Villepin | Voir dans votre navigateurLE MENU DU JOUR— Pas surprise : les Saoudiens triomphent en remportant l’Expo 2030.— Surprise : la commission d’enquête sur les crèches aura bien lieu.— Les petits réacteurs nucléaires se préparent à pousser comme des champignons.Bonjour à toutes et à tous, nous sommes mercredi 29 novembre et le croustillant classement POLITICO 28 des personnalités les plus influentes d’Europe vient tout juste de sortir du four. On met fin direct au suspense : le dirigeant libéral polonais Donald Tusk arrive premier du cru 2024, lui qui a su mener la Coalition civique à la victoire aux dernières législatives.Et les Frenchies ? Rassurez-vous, nos têtes de gondole franchoui...