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French troops are starting to withdraw from Niger following the July coup as extremist attacks rise

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

COTONOU, Benin (AP) — French troops have started leaving Niger more than two months after mutinous soldiers toppled the African country’s democratically elected president, the military said Wednesday. The French didn’t specify how many troops were departing or where they were headed.Late Tuesday, Niger’s state television broadcast images of a convoy leaving a base in Ouallam in the country’s north, saying it was bound for neighboring Chad, to the east. French military transport aircraft were also shown departing from an airbase in the capital, Niamey. The departure comes weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum in late July. Some 1,500 French troops have been operating in Niger, training its military and conducting joint operations.Since seizing power, Niger’s military leaders have leveraged anti-French sentiment a...

Norway activists renew protest against wind farm on land used by herders

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Dozen of activists protested Wednesday at Norway’s parliament to express frustration over the Norwegian government’s failure to shut down a wind farm they say endangers the way of life of Sami reindeer herders.At the center of the dispute are the 151 turbines of Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, which is located in central Norway’s Fosen district, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) north of Oslo. The activists say a transition to green energy shouldn’t come at the expense of the rights of Indigenous people. They have demonstrated repeatedly against the wind farm’s continued operation since the Supreme Court of Norway ruled in October 2021 that the construction of the turbines had violated the rights of the Sami, who have used the land for reindeer for centuries.”The trust of Sami in the state is at a breaking point,” activist Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen said Wednesday. “It is absurd, because the reindeer owners of Fosen won in court. The gov...

What to know on 5th day of latest Israel-Palestinian war

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

The war between Israel and the militant group Hamas raged for a fifth day on Wednesday, as Israeli warplanes hammered neighborhood after neighborhood in the Gaza Strip, reducing buildings to rubble and sending people scrambling to find safety.As authorities in Gaza warned that rescue teams were unable to reach many areas and that electricity supplies would run out within hours, humanitarian groups pleaded for the creation of corridors that would allow them to deliver aid.The war, which has claimed at least 2,100 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate.Israel has vowed an unprecedented offensive against Hamas, after the Islamic militant group’s fighters broke through the border fence and stormed into the country’s south on Saturday, gunning down hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.The Israeli military said more than 1,200 people, including 155 soldiers, have died in Israel since Saturday’s incursion. In Gaza, 950 people have...

FTC proposes a ban on ‘junk fees’ and says hidden charges push up prices

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday proposed a rule to ban any hidden and bogus “junk” fees, which can mask the total cost of concert tickets, hotel rooms and utility bills.President Joe Biden has made the removal of these fees a priority of his administration. The effort has led to a legislative push and a spate of initiatives aimed at helping consumers. Administration officials have said these additional costs can inflate prices and waste people’s time.“The proposed rule would prohibit corporations from running up the bills with hidden and bogus fees, requiring honest pricing and spurring firms to compete on honesty rather than deception,” said FTC Chair Lina Kahn on a call with reporters. “Violators will be subject to civil penalties and be required to pay back Americans that they tricked.”The FTC proposal is being coupled with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announcing that it will block large banks from charging junk fees in order to provi...

Columbia, Bethlehem battle to draw in state ranked matchup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, NY (NEWS10) -- A battle between state ranked boys soccer teams in Section 2 Class AA took place at Columbia High School on Tuesday night. The 12th ranked Blue Devils played host to the 5th ranked Bethlehem Eagles. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Columbia's Cameron Mingle sent a beautiful through ball to Cody Hamilton, who tallied the game's first goal to give the Blue Devils the lead. Mingle also set up the Blue Devils' second goal, which was shrouded in controversy. Mingle hit a free kick off of the crossbar, which was then headed in by Freshman Aiden Graber. The Eagles argued that the ball not only hit the crossbar of the soccer goal, but also skimmed off of the football crossbar, which is out of play. However, it was ruled a goal and Columbia took a 2-0 lead.The Eagles responded later in the first half, with Marcello Michel finding the back of the net off an indirect kick. It was 2-1 Columbia at the half, an...

Commission publishes template for compliance report under the Digital Markets Act

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

The Commission has published the template for the compliance report that designated gatekeepers will need to submit under theDigital Markets Act (‘DMA').The compliance reports must include in a detailed and transparent manner all relevant information needed by the Commission to assess the effective compliance of designated gatekeepers with the DMA. They must cover all core platform services listed in the relevant designation decision.Designated gatekeepers will need to submit compliance reports within six months from designation and update them at least once per year. The gatekeepers designated on 6 September 2023 will need to submit the first reports by 7 March 2024. The Commission will then publish a non-confidential summary of each compliance report.The Commission has also published (i) the replies to the consultation on the draft template for compliance reports that were received between 6 June and 5 July 2023; and (ii) other relevant templates that designated gatekeepers will n...

EU’s foreign policy chief calls on Israel ‘to respect international law’ while some EU member states want the EU to show more solidarity with Jerusalem

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

"Israel has the right to defend itself, but it has to be done according to the right of international law, humanitarian law. Some decisions are against this international law," declared EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.Speaking in Muscat, Oman, at a press conference following a special informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on the situation in Israel, Borrell“Some of the actions [by Israel]— and the United Nations has already said it — cutting water, cutting electricity, cutting food to a mass of civilian people is against international law so yes, there are some actions that are not in accordance with international law."Earlier, Borrell and EU Foreign Ministers  had a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council member states to discuss about their co-operation "but also about the dramatic moments that we are living since last Saturday, when Hamas attacked Israel, with mass murders of civilians and kidnapping people".In his statement to reporters, Borrell said: "I can say tha...

Horoscopes Oct. 11, 2023: Jane Krakowski, connect with like-minded people

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Matt Bomer, 46; Emily Deschanel, 47; Jane Krakowski, 55; Joan Cusack, 61.Happy Birthday: Look at the big picture and carve a path to help you reach your goal. Put an affordable budget in place and prepare to adjust your lifestyle to fit your dreams, hopes and wishes. Connect with like-minded people and settle into a routine to help you build your desired life. Implement changes that will deter anyone from interfering with your plans. Your numbers are 6, 17, 22, 27, 32, 41, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Assess relationships and determine who is for and against you. It’s essential to align yourself with people who get what you are trying to achieve and distance yourself from those likely to sabotage your efforts. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stay on target, regardless of what others say. A passionate approach will lead to unique ideas that separate you from the crowd. By putting your energy and discipline to good use, you’ll outdo anyone w...

Word Game: Oct. 11, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — ANALOGOUS (ANALOGOUS: uh-NAL-uh-gus: Similar or comparable to something.)Average mark 30 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 36 or more words in ANALOGOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — BROUGHAM boar bora bough brag burg rhumb roam rough rumba garb grab gram grub guar gumbo harm hoar homburg hora hour humor abhor amourTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Bridge: Oct. 11, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:15 GMT

“You’re an expert,” Cy the Cynic said to me. “How would you play four spades?”Cy displayed today’s North-South cards.“West leads three high hearts, and you ruff. What next?”“I see at least five trump tricks,” I said cautiously, “four diamonds and a club. If I take the A-K of trumps and a defender discards, I can’t get all four diamonds and must rely on the club finesse. So I take the ace of trumps, unblock the Q-J of diamonds, then lead a low trump. If a defender wins, dummy’s ten is an entry to the diamonds. I’m sure of 10 tricks.”SATISFIEDCy looked satisfied.“Where did this deal occur?” I asked.“Minnie was declarer in a penny game.”Minnie Bottoms, my club’s senior member, wears old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay.“She thought dummy’s jack of trumps was the king,” I laughed.“She made an ex...