Today: September 23, 2024
Today: September 23, 2024

World

World

Palestinian leader Abbas ends China trip after backing Beijing's crackdown on Muslim minorities

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wrapped up a trip to China Friday after seeking economic aid and voicing support for Beijing’s repressive policies toward Muslim minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. During his four-day visit, Abbas met with Chinese President and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping. The leaders then issued a joint statement endorsing Beijing’s domestic and foreign policies and repudiating Western concepts of human rights. In the statement, the Palestinian Authority said issues regarding China’s policy toward Muslims in Xinjiang have “nothing to do with human rights and are aimed at excising extremism

June 16, 2023
Palestinian leader Abbas ends China trip after backing Beijing's crackdown on Muslim minorities
World

Protesters in Senegal accuse police of using armed civilians to quell unrest

As gunfire rang out at a protest in Senegal’s capital, a man wearing khaki pants and a T-shirt shot Cheikh’s childhood friend in the chest. The bleeding 21-year-old slumped against a wall, displaying his wound in disbelief. “We thought tear gas and grenades would be used against us. We had no idea they would shoot,” said Cheikh, who was inches away when the bullet struck his friend and rushed him to the hospital in an unsuccessful attempt to save his life. “As I watched him on the way there, I realized it was over.” His friend,

June 16, 2023
Protesters in Senegal accuse police of using armed civilians to quell unrest
World

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder dies from injuries suffered in crash during Tour de Suisse

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder died Friday, one day after crashing and falling down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse, the Bahrain-Victorious team said. The 26-year-old Mäder crashed on a fast downhill road approaching the end of the mountainous fifth stage into La Punt. “Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained,” the team said in a statement. “Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30 a.m. we said goodbye to one of

June 16, 2023
Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder dies from injuries suffered in crash during Tour de Suisse
World

China condemns EU Parliament's resolution on Hong Kong's shrinking freedoms

China’s Foreign Ministry condemned a resolution passed by the European Parliament concerning Hong Kong’s shrinking rights to free speech, even as Beijing seeks to restore economic links with the EU. The EU body overwhelmingly adopted a resolution Thursday citing the deterioration of the city’s freedoms since the imposition by Beijing of a sweeping national security law in 2020. It urged the Hong Kong government to release and drop all charges against activist publisher Jimmy Lai, who was arrested under the security law, along with other pro-democracy activists. It also renewed its call on the EU to

June 16, 2023
China condemns EU Parliament's resolution on Hong Kong's shrinking freedoms
World

Amazon's $1.7 billion deal to buy Roomba maker iRobot gets UK approval

British antitrust regulators cleared Amazon’s purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot on Friday, but the $1.7 billion deal still faces scrutiny in the United States and Europe. The Competition and Markets Authority said it decided not to escalate its initial investigation because it concluded that the deal would not result in a “substantial lessening of competition” within the United Kingdom. Amazon said it was pleased with the result. “We look forward to similar decisions from other regulators soon,” the company said in a statement. Consumer groups have voiced concerns that Amazon’s purchase of Bedford, Massachusetts-based iRobot, which

June 16, 2023
Amazon's $1.7 billion deal to buy Roomba maker iRobot gets UK approval
World

Lawyer: Detained man, Gadhafi’s son, suffers deteriorating health 2 weeks into hunger strike

A son of Libya’s leader Moammar Gadhafi is suffering deteriorating health during the second week of a hunger strike to protest his detention in Beirut without trial, his lawyer said Friday. Hannibal Gadhafi is only drinking small amounts of water, his lawyer Paul Romanos said, adding that his client is suffering from weakness and muscle pains. “Had it not been for his solid will, he would not have been able to continue,” Romanos said about Hannibal Gadhafi. He added that a doctor is doing a daily checkups for the detainee, who has been also suffering from back

June 16, 2023
Lawyer: Detained man, Gadhafi’s son, suffers deteriorating health 2 weeks into hunger strike
World

US, Japan, Philippines agree to strengthen security ties amid tensions over China, North Korea

The national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, as Washington and its partners reinforce their alliances to adapt to growing tensions over North Korea, China and Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. Sullivan said he and his Japanese and Philippine counterparts discussed the “turbulent regional security environment and how we can collectively work to enhance peace and stability” in areas including freedom of navigation and economic security. Sullivan, Takeo Akiba of Japan and Eduardo Ano of the

June 16, 2023
US, Japan, Philippines agree to strengthen security ties amid tensions over China, North Korea
World

China calls hacking report 'far-fetched' and accuses the US of targeting the cybersecurity industry

China’s government on Friday rejected as “far-fetched and unprofessional” a report by a U.S. security firm that blamed Chinese-linked hackers for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world. A foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them. Mandiant’s report came ahead of a visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken aimed at repairing relations that have been strained by disputes over human rights, security and other irritants. Blinken’s visit was planned earlier this year but was canceled

June 16, 2023
China calls hacking report 'far-fetched' and accuses the US of targeting the cybersecurity industry
World

Film composer Hans Zimmer proposes to his partner on London stage, prompts raucous audience response

Hans Zimmer, the two-time Academy Award-winning composer, proposed to his partner on stage in London, prompting raucous applause from the audience. As his performance at the O2 arena was drawing to a close Thursday evening, the 65-year-old German asked his partner to join him on stage — and then proceeded to declare his love. Addressing her directly he said: “Why did I bring you up here? I was going to ask you something really important. Did you lock the back door? Is the milk in the fridge? Do we have any sorbet in the freezer?” And then,

June 16, 2023
Film composer Hans Zimmer proposes to his partner on London stage, prompts raucous audience response
World

Pastors find a role ministering to young men swept up in El Salvador's crackdown on gangs

The smell of pineapple bread fills the kitchen of “Vida Libre,” or “free life,” a gang rehabilitation program founded in El Salvador by American pastor Kenton Moody in 2021. The trust that Moody puts in former gang members is not widely shared. Thousands of lives have been destroyed in this Central American country after decades of extortion and murder committed by the gangs. Over the past year, President Nayib Bukele’s security forces have cracked down harshly on gangs, arresting more than 68,000 people suspected of criminal involvement, though human rights groups say innocent people

June 16, 2023
Pastors find a role ministering to young men swept up in El Salvador's crackdown on gangs
World

Cleanup begins after tornadoes hit in Texas and Florida, killing 4 and destroying homes

Cleanup efforts were beginning Friday morning after severe storms spawned tornadoes that left at least four dead, three in the Texas Panhandle and one in the Florida Panhandle as another series of fierce storms carved its way through Southern states. In Perryton, Texas, Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard said three people were killed when the tornado struck Thursday afternoon and rescue efforts continued. Another person died Thursday night in the Florida Panhandle when at least one confirmed tornado cut through Escambia County, toppling a tree onto a home, county spokesperson Andie Gibson told the Pensacola News

June 16, 2023
Cleanup begins after tornadoes hit in Texas and Florida, killing 4 and destroying homes
World

Germany hands over 2 Indigenous masks to Colombia as it reappraises the past

Germany handed over to Colombia on Friday two masks made by the Indigenous Kogi people that had been in a Berlin museum’s collection for more than a century, another step in the country’s restitution of cultural artifacts as European nations reappraise their colonial-era past. The wooden “sun masks,” which date back to the mid-15th century, were handed over at the presidential palace during a visit to Berlin by Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The decision to restitute them follows several years of contacts between Berlin’s museum authority and Colombia, and an official Colombian request last year for their

June 16, 2023
Germany hands over 2 Indigenous masks to Colombia as it reappraises the past
World

Family separations at the US border inspired Isabel Allende's newest novel

The separation of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border has always caused Isabel Allende pain: When she saw it during the Trump administration, her first impulse was to help reunify children and parents through her foundation. Then, the legendary Chilean author thought, she had to write a book. “The Wind Knows My Name,” which grapples with immigration, violence, solidarity, and love, is the latest novel by the award-winning writer who — with more than 77 million books sold — is considered the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author. Released earlier this month, it is available at bookstores

June 16, 2023
Family separations at the US border inspired Isabel Allende's newest novel
World

Jury resumes deliberating in trial of gunman who killed 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue

A jury resumed deliberating Friday in the federal trial of a truck driver who shot and killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jewish people. There is no dispute that 50-year-old Robert Bowers was the man who burst into Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle and other guns, although prosecutors and the defense sparred at trial over his motive. Seven people were wounded, including five police officers. After 11 days of testimony, jurors got the case Thursday afternoon and spent more than

June 16, 2023
Jury resumes deliberating in trial of gunman who killed 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue
World

Michael Jordan selling majority ownership stake in Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan is finalizing a deal to sell the majority share of the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise announced Friday, leaving the 30-team NBA without any Black majority ownership. Jordan is selling to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, the Hornets said. Plotkin has been a minority stakeholder in the Hornets since 2019. Schnall has been a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks since 2015 and is in the process of selling his investment in that team. It’s not clear how long the process of selling will take to be finalized by the NBA’s

June 16, 2023
Michael Jordan selling majority ownership stake in Charlotte Hornets
World

Putin touts Russian economy as Western investors steer clear of St. Petersburg event

President Vladimir Putin on Friday touted Russia’s prospects at the country’s main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Western officials and investors steered clear of the year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which began Wednesday and continues through Saturday. For decades, the gathering has been Russia’s premier event for attracting foreign capital, sometimes likened to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. The Kremlin banned journalists from “unfriendly” countries from covering the proceedings. Moscow gave that designation on scores of countries that sanctioned Russia over its invasion

June 16, 2023
Putin touts Russian economy as Western investors steer clear of St. Petersburg event
World

NBA suspends Ja Morant 25 games for latest social media incident involving a gun

Memphis guard Ja Morant has been suspended for the first 25 games of the upcoming season for his second known incident of displaying what appeared to be a firearm on social media, the NBA announced Friday. Morant will also have to adhere to certain conditions before being reinstated, the NBA said. It is the second time he has been suspended in the last three months for showing a firearm on social media, following an eight-game suspension in March. Morant is due to make around $33.5 million this season. He now stands to lose just over $300,000 per game during this

June 16, 2023
NBA suspends Ja Morant 25 games for latest social media incident involving a gun
World

Soccer players' union looks to hold FIFA accountable for player payments

The global soccer players’ union is working with FIFA to make sure that payments promised to all players at the Women’s World Cup actually reach them. FIFA confirmed last week that the 732 players participating in the tournament, which starts next month in Australia and New Zealand, will be paid at least $30,000 each. The paycheck rises if teams do well, with each player for the winning team earning $270,000. The players’ union, known as FIFPRO, helped push for FIFA to dedicate a percentage of the prize money to the players themselves. The union sent a letter to FIFA in

June 16, 2023
Soccer players' union looks to hold FIFA accountable for player payments
World

Notable moments of Ja Morant's Grizzlies career, both on and off the court

A timeline of some of the notable of moments on and off of Ja Morant’s career from the time the Memphis Grizzlies made him the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019 to his 25-game suspension announced Friday by the league. Commissioner Adam Silver had said the league would announce any discipline after the NBA Finals were completed following an investigation into a second social media incident involving a handgun within a three-month span. — June 16, 2023: The NBA suspends Morant 25 games for displaying what appeared to be a firearm on social media. Morant also has to meet

June 16, 2023
Notable moments of Ja Morant's Grizzlies career, both on and off the court
World

Japan raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, which was among the world's lowest

Japan’s parliament on Friday raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, a limit which had remained unchanged for more than a century and was among the world’s lowest, amid calls for greater protection of children and women. The revision was part of a revamping of laws related to sex crimes. Separately, Parliament passed a new law on Friday to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ issues which activists criticized for not guaranteeing equal rights for sexual minorities. Reforms providing greater protection for victims of sexual crimes and stricter punishment of assailants have come slowly in a

June 16, 2023
Japan raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, which was among the world's lowest
World

Unionized UPS workers vote to authorize a strike in high-stakes negotiations for a new contract

Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month. The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization. The Teamsters have urged workers to authorize a strike to give them more leverage in negotiations with the company, but a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent. “This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract

June 16, 2023
Unionized UPS workers vote to authorize a strike in high-stakes negotiations for a new contract
World

Family of girl who died in Border Patrol custody holds New York funeral, says they want justice

Balloons with rainbows and Minnie Mouse surrounded the casket of an 8-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody as dozens of people gathered Friday to remember Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez in New York City. Her family had been heading to the city last month before their journey across the southern U.S. border ended in tragedy. The child’s death has put the U.S. government under new scrutiny over the care given to thousands of detained migrants. The girl’s mother, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, hugged almost every guest, thanking them for coming to honor their daughter. She grabbed

June 16, 2023
Family of girl who died in Border Patrol custody holds New York funeral, says they want justice
World

MLB is pushing back the fences for Cardinals-Cubs in London after Yankees-Red Sox '19 slugfest

St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs hitters will have to work a little harder to match the Yankees-Red Sox slugfests from 2019 when they play in London because the fences are being pushed back. The center field wall will be 392 feet from home plate, seven feet deeper than four years ago, as part of changes that Major League Baseball said came about because of some seat restructuring at London Stadium and not because of the high scores in New York’s two wins over Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox combined for 10 homers over two games playing on artificial

June 17, 2023
MLB is pushing back the fences for Cardinals-Cubs in London after Yankees-Red Sox '19 slugfest
World

US announces sanctions on Mexican migrant-trafficking gang

The United States Treasury on Friday announced sanctions on a Mexico-based migrant-trafficking gang that supplied asylum seekers with false papers to game the process. Known as the Hernandez Salas organization, the gang is based in the border city of Mexicali, across the border from Calexico, California. Since at least 2018, the gang organized travel by migrants from “countries posing national security concerns,” according to the Treasury Department, though it did not specify what countries those were. The gang then smuggled the migrants into the United States. The Treasury said in a statement that the criminal scheme

June 17, 2023
US announces sanctions on Mexican migrant-trafficking gang
World

Jayland Walker's family sues officers and city, alleging excessive force

The eight police officers who shot Jayland Walker last summer used excessive force when they fired 94 bullets at him during a foot chase and participated in a “culture of violence and racism” within Akron’s police department, according to a lawsuit filed in Ohio federal court Friday. Months after a grand jury declined to indict the unnamed officers in the death of Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, his family is seeking at least $45 million in damages from the officers, the city of Akron and city officials, according to a press release. During a routine traffic

June 17, 2023
Jayland Walker's family sues officers and city, alleging excessive force

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