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A deadline has arrived for Niger’s junta to reinstate the president. Residents brace for what’s next

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The deadline has arrived Sunday for Niger’s military junta to reinstate the country’s ousted president, but the West Africa regional bloc that has threatened a military intervention faces prominent appeals to pursue more peaceful means.Neighboring Nigeria’s Senate on Saturday pushed back against the plan by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, urging Nigeria’s president, the bloc’s current chair, to explore options other than the use of force. ECOWAS can still move ahead, as final decisions are taken by consensus by member states, but the warning on the eve of Sunday’s deadline raised questions about the intervention’s fate.Algeria and Chad, non-ECOWAS neighbors with strong militaries in the region, both have said they oppose the use of force or won’t intervene militarily, and neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso – both run by juntas – have said an intervention would be a “declaration of war” against them, too.Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum...

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra seen in video at Cambodian leader’s birthday party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attended a birthday party for outgoing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, according to video posted online Sunday, a day after Thaksin said he would delay plans to return to Thailand following years of self-imposed exile.Thaksin’s appearance in Cambodia came at a politically sensitive time in neighboring Thailand, as Pheu Thai, the latest in a string of parties affiliated with Thaksin, is seeking to win enough support in Parliament for one of its members to become the next prime minister almost three months after a general election in May.Thaksin said on Saturday on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would delay a planned return to Thailand next Thursday for “no longer than two weeks,” citing a doctor’s appointment.His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who campaigned for prime minister with Pheu Thai in the latest election, had said nearly two weeks ago her father would return to T...

Pope wraps up an improvised World Youth Day with 1.5 million attendees and a very big Mass

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis wrapped up his five-day trip to Portugal on Sunday with a massive open-air Mass for an estimated 1.5 million people who camped out overnight on a vast field to attend the grand finale of the World Youth Day festival.The sun rose over the River Tagus, waking up pilgrims who slept on mats, cots and the bare ground to be in place for Francis’ Mass, scheduled for early to avoid midday temperatures that are expected to hit 40 degrees C (104 F). Starting at dawn, a priest-DJ started spinning thumping reggae and Christian hymns from the sound system.Francis set out earlier than planned Sunday morning to loop the field in his popemobile, continuing the improvisation that has characterized this trip. He has ditched speeches in favor of off-the-cuff conversations with young people and substituted a formal prayer for peace in Ukraine at the Fatima shrine, long associated with exhortations of peace and conversion in Russia. The Vatican later published part o...

Staff working behind the scenes of Canada’s fire fight essential to battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

VANCOUVER — The days of fighting wildfires are long and exhausting, so when crews return to camp, the last thing they want to do is search out a place to sleep or find something to eat.Behind the firefighters battling what is B.C.’s most destructive wildfire season is an army of more than 1,400 contracted support staff, doing everything from first aid to sandwich making. Among them is Susanne Callihoo, who manages the Takla incident camp in north-central B.C. for the contract service agency Horizon North. Her job, she explained, is to ensure the camp runs smoothly, that fire crews have all their essential needs met and are as “comfortable” as possible when they finish a shift on the fire lines. “They’re away from home … so we want to keep them well fed and housed,” she said.The small camp has a staff of about eight workers, which includes a chef, cooks, a health staffer, a janitor, a maintenance worker and a designated sandwich maker whose sole jo...

Daily horoscope for August 6, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping and important decisions from 9 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. PDT. After that, the Moon moves from Aries into TaurusHappy Birthday for Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023:You are sensual and passionate, and you love adventure and stimulation. (You don’t do boring.) You are attracted to the unique and the unusual. This is a wonderful year to socialize and enjoy yourself! Let your guard down and loosen up. Old friends might reappear in your world.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★If you gamble, be careful today. It’s easy to think something is better than it is. This applies to sports, games and even romantic relationships. Pull in your reins a bit so you can better gauge the lay of the land. Tonight: Patience. This Week: Socialize; enjoy life, especially next weekend.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Group gatherings at home will be joyful. Nevertheless, something excessive will be the tone of the day. Too many people? Too much food? Arrogant opinions? How many people will that balc...

A Brussels NGO and a Kazakh oligarch in exile in the service of Russia?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

As the European Union spends billions and empties its stockpiles of armaments to help Ukraine in its war against Russia, an NGO, based a stone's throw from the European Commission, is suspected by Kiev of being a horse of Troy from Moscow. Ukrainian authorities have opened an investigation. PAN is able to go further: Brussels is now at the centre of occult influence manoeuvres that could lead to a new “Kazakhgate”. A mind-blowing investigation in which we meet Pier Antonio Panzeri, the main actor of Qatargate and the Belgian MEP Maria Arena… writes Paul Ymepatraux in PAN.Mukhtar Ablyazov and the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) are no strangers to Pan readers. On March 30, 2022, our newspaper devoted an article to the unconditional support that the Honorable Guy Verhofstadt had given them in the corridors of the European Parliament (“Guy Verhofstadt defends a sulphurous pro-Russian ASBL”, PAN, March 30, 2022). We wrote then: “In Warsaw, it is whispered, in well-informed circles, that ...

Seminar on Human Rights Violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir held in Brussels to mark “Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

The Embassy of Pakistan Brussels organized a Seminar on the eve of Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of exploitation) Kashmir to express its firm support to the people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).The Seminar which was held in hybrid format was aimed at highlighting the Human Rights violations by the Indian government in the IIOJ&K especially in the wake of August 5, 2019 actions to modify the status contrary to the international commitments.Former Member of the European Parliament Mr Phil Bennion, Chairman Kashmir Institute of International Relations Mr. Altaf Hussain Wani, Former President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry Dr. Mubeen Shah and Chairman EU Kashmir Council Mr. Ali Raza Syed expressed their views focusing on the gross violations by the Indian forces of the right to liberty, health, education, expression, assembly and freedom of religion.While highlighting the grave human rig...

Dear Abby: The children’s impersonal fundraising requests annoy me

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I am being asked to donate to my grandchildren’s fundraisers for school activities like band, cheerleading, etc. This is happening via email requests from a third-party site using their name.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: The bride’s dramatic cousins unleashed wedding backlash Advice | Dear Abby: This unpleasant couple is ruining my peace and quiet Advice | Dear Abby: He put security cameras everywhere, and now he’s logging our activities Advice | Dear Abby: The photos he takes of me are threatening our marriage Advice | Dear Abby: My friends are going to be angry about what I’ve hidden from them My issue is, I believe my grandchildren should ask me personally, or at least warn me they’re raising money for their activity and I’ll be receiving an email. Am I wrong to want a personal request?GROUCHY GRAN IN NEW MEXICODEAR GRAN: You are not wrong. However,...

Paris’ test for Olympic swimming in the Seine canceled due to poor water quality

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

Heavy rains in Paris have led to the cancellation on Sunday of a swimming event in the River Seine that was to be a test for next year’s Summer Olympics, but Games organizers say the waterway will be better prepared in 2024.The Open Water Swimming World Cup event was canceled because “the water quality in the Seine has remained below acceptable standards for safeguarding swimmers’ health,” French Swimming Federation (FFN) said in a statement Sunday.Water quality falls below acceptable standards when rains cause overflows of untreated waste into the Seine. France’s capital city is spending massively on water-management projects that officials say will make pollution caused by storms less frequent.World Aquatics’ President Husain al-Musallam said the organization is “disappointed… but the health of our athletes must always be our top priority.“World Aquatics remains excited at the prospect of city-centre Olympic racing for the world’s best open water swimmers next summer. ...

Keira Walsh practices with England ahead of Women’s World Cup knockout game against Nigeria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Keira Walsh gave England a potential boost ahead of its Women’s World Cup round of 16 clash with Nigeria when the midfielder was able to practice with the team Sunday, one day before the elimination match.Walsh sustained a knee injury in England’s 1-0 win against Denmark in the Lionesses’ second game of the group stage. Scans showed she didn’t damage her ACL, but it wasn’t clear if Walsh would be able to play again this tournament. Walsh, who plays for Barcelona, participated in individual training to regain her fitness and finally rejoined her teammates in Sunday’s practice. England plays Nigeria on Monday in Brisbane, Australia, in a knockout game. England did not reveal if Walsh, the most expensive player in women’s soccer, will play against Nigeria. Walsh joined Barcelona from Manchester City last year for a reported fee of 400,000 pounds ($513,000), a record for women’s soccer. Despite concerns England wouldn’t be able to ...