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In coup-hit West Africa, regional leaders acknowledge little progress in their push for democracy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — In a renewed push for respect for democracy in coup-hit West Africa, leaders from across the region kicked off a crucial meeting in Nigeria on Sunday and acknowledged for the first time that their efforts to stem the tide of coups have so far met with little success.The 15-nation regional bloc, ECOWAS, has unsuccessfully tried to restore political stability across West and Central Africa which has recorded eight military takeovers since 2020, including in Niger and Gabon. In the past month, the governments of Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau have also described political crises as attempted coups.Despite sanctions and other measures by ECOWAS, the junta in Niger has consolidated its grip on power, while the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso have stopped collaborating with the bloc on their countries’ transition to civilian rule, ECOWAS commission president Omar Alieu Touray told the 64th ordinary session of the bloc in Abuja, Nigeria’s cap...

Gaza fallout: Antisemitism row sparked by Mideast war topples US university head

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

University of Pennsylvania’s president has resigned after coming under fire for her response to antisemitism on campus, as the U.S. homes in on higher education’s response to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Elizabeth Magill stepped down on Saturday, days after she appeared before the U.S. Congress alongside other university leaders. Magill, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, participated in a contentious, five-hour grilling from lawmakers on Tuesday over their response to antisemitism on their campuses.They faced an intense backlash for evading a question about pro-Palestinian student protesters’ calls for “intifada” or “the genocide of Jews.”Magill, whose position was already under pressure following her rejection of calls to cancel a planned Palestinian literary conference, on Wednesday released a video statement apologizing for her testimony. The video, published on X, has been&nb...

One person shot in nightclub parking lot in Mississauga

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

One person has suffered gunshot wounds after being shot in a nightclub parking lot in Mississauga.Police received a call at approximately 2:34 a.m. of reports of a shooting in the Eglinton Avenue East and Dixie Road area.A victim was found with gunshot wounds in stable condition suffering non-life threatening injuries.The suspect vehicle is a dark sedan. There is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact police.SHOOTING – Nightclub parking lot near Eglinton Ave E/Dixie Rd #Mississauga– victim with gunshot wounds; stable, non-life threatening injuries– suspect vehicle- dark sedan– on-going investigation – any info- contact 905-453-2121 x 1233– C/R at 2:34 am– PR23-0396307 pic.twitter.com/wTna6OqmuK— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) December 10, 2023

Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ is No. 1 at the box office, a first for the Japanese anime master

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time in Hayao Miyazaki’s decades-spanning career, the 82-year-old Japanese anime master is No. 1 at the North American box office. Miyazaki’s latest enchantment, “The Boy and the Heron,” debuted with $12.8 million, according to studio estimates.“The Boy and the Heron,” the long-awaited animated fantasy from the director of “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and other cherished anime classics, is only the third anime to ever top the box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters and the first original anime to do so. The film, which is playing in both subtitled and dubbed versions, is also the first fully foreign film to land atop the domestic box office this year. Though Miyazaki’s movies have often been enormous hits in Japan and Asia, they’ve traditionally made less of a mark in North American cinemas. The director’s previous best performer was his last movie, 2013’s “The Wind Rises,” which grossed $5.2 million in its ...

Diamonds in the vacuum cleaner: Paris’ luxury Ritz hotel finds guest’s missing ring

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Lost a very expensive diamond ring? Try checking the vacuum cleaner. That’s what employees of Paris’ luxury Ritz hotel did — and got lucky.Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday that a Malaysian guest of the hotel filed a police complaint on Friday alleging that her diamond ring vanished from her room. The newspaper said the ring was worth an estimated 750,000 euros, or more than $800,000.The Ritz Paris wouldn’t release details about the ring or the client but said the ring had been found on Sunday.“Thanks to meticulous searches by security agents at the Ritz Paris, the ring was found this morning in a vacuum cleaner bag,” the hotel said in a statement. “Our client is happy at the news.”The Associated Press

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back on X after Elon Musk restores account

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

(AP) -- Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out in favor of the Infowars host who repeatedly called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.It poses new uncertainty for advertisers, who have fled X over concerns about hate speech appearing alongside their ads, and is the latest divisive public personality to get back their banned account.Musk posted a poll on Saturday asking if Jones should be reinstated, with the results showing 70% of those who responded in favor. Early Sunday, Musk tweeted, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.”A few hours later, Jones' posts were visible again and he retweeted a post about his video game. He and his Infowars show had been permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior.Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, said the move was about protecting those rights. In resp...

Ready for a meteor shower? One of the best celestial displays returns this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

ST. LOUIS (KTVI) -- This week, bright and colorful meteors are expected to light up the night sky. The nights of December 13 and 14 will feature the peak of the Geminids meteor shower.The Geminids earn their reputation as one of the best celestial displays each year because they are known for their vibrant and vivid meteors. They stand out as one of the most reliable and active meteor showers annually, according to NASA. The Geminids reached their peak in mid-December and have a rich history that dates back to the mid-1800s. They started with a modest showing of only 10 to 20 meteors per hour, which initially made them unremarkable. Rare eclipse: Asteroid will pass in front of bright star Betelgeuse Monday Over time, a major meteor shower has evolved, and observers can witness a spectacular display of up to 120 Geminids meteors per hour under optimal conditions at its peak. These meteors have a reputation for being bright, moving at high speeds, and frequently displaying a distinc...

Your car might be watching you to keep you safe − at the expense of your privacy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

(The Conversation) - Depending on which late-model vehicle you own, your car might be watching you – literally and figuratively – as you drive down the road. It’s watching you with cameras that monitor the cabin and track where you’re looking, and with sensors that track your speed, lane position and rate of acceleration.Your car uses this data to make your ride safe, comfortable and convenient. For example, the cameras can tell when you’ve been distracted and need to bring your attention back to the road. They can also identify when you are speeding by verifying the speed limit from your GPS position or traffic signs along the road and warn you to slow down. Some carmakers are also beginning to incorporate similar features for convenience, such as unlocking your car by scanning your face or fingerprint. Your car may also transmit some of this data to the manufacturer’s data centers, where the company uses it to improve your driving experience or provid...

'Griswold House' in Kansas is decked out with over 100,000 Christmas lights

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

ROSE HILL, Kan. (KSNW) -- A Kansas man has tapped into his inner Clark Griswold, decorating the outside of his home with tens of thousands of Christmas lights.In the 1989 holiday film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, covers his home with 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights. How much Christmas lights add to your — and Clark Griswold’s — electric bill Putting the Griswold residence to shame, Michael Russell has decorated the outside of his home in Rose Hill with more than 100,000 lights and 40 inflatables.Russell said he started the project 15 years ago, and his display brings joy to thousands of people during the holiday season. Photo credit: Derek Lytle, KSNW "I have a guest book. People write in it. I had a bad year this year. This brought joy," he said. "I know kids are going to love it, but I really enjoy it when I see adults that get a real kick out of it." Russell said his community came up with the name for his display,...

Travis County strikes out on federal passenger rail grant award

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:56 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Dec. 10, 2023.TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) didn't select Travis County as one of the recipients for its passenger rail expansion efforts in Texas, county officials announced Friday. The federal government allocated $66 billion toward passenger rail developments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law back in 2021. The FRA highlighted five corridors within Texas had been earmarked for passenger rail expansions, excluding the Austin-San Antonio region and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the release said.Currently, population estimates anticipate approximately five million people live within the "Travis-Bexar County super-region," with estimates expecting the region to grow to more than eight million people by 2050, per the release.“The FRA’s failure to include the Travis – Bexar County corridor is a significant missed opportunity to support responsible growth and investment across Cen...