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Pardon frees more than 2,100 Myanmar political prisoners

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military council on Wednesday said it was releasing more than 2,100 political prisoners as a humanitarian gesture. Thousands more remain imprisoned on charges generally involving nonviolent protests or criticism of military rule, which began when the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.State-run MRTV television reported that the head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had pardoned 2,153 prisoners on the most important Buddhist holy day of the year, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.The releases began Wednesday, but may take a few days to be completed. The identities of those released were not immediately available, but would not include Suu Kyi, who is serving a prison term of 33 years on more than a dozen charges her supporters say were trumped up by the military.According to an official announcement on state media, all of the prisoners granted pardon on Wednes...

Quarterbacks come off board at record rate in NFL draft

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

The Brock Purdy impact was in full effect in this year’s NFL draft.A year after the San Francisco 49ers found their starting quarterback with the final pick of the draft, teams were far more aggressive when it came to drafting quarterbacks in the later rounds.Three quarterbacks went in the fourth round for the second time in the past 10 drafts and four quarterbacks went in round five for the first time since 2002. That led to a record 12 QBs going in the first five rounds for the first time ever in the common draft era that started in 1967. The previous high was 11 in 1995. The run on QBs started early with Bryce Young going first to Carolina and C.J. Stroud going second to Houston — marking the ninth time quarterbacks went 1-2 in the common draft era, with five of those coming in the last 12 drafts.Indianapolis then took Anthony Richardson fourth, marking the fourth time that three quarterbacks were taken with the first four picks.Things slowed down from there with Will Levis...

Gourde gets OT goal, Kraken beat Stars despite Pavs’ 4 goals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Yanni Gourde scored 12:17 into overtime with a quick shot after regathering a loose puck and the Seattle Kraken beat Dallas 5-4 in Game 1 of their second-round series Tuesday night, even as Joe Pavelski scored all four Stars goals in his return to their lineup. Gourde was on the edge of the circle to the left of the Dallas net when he tried to send a pass to a teammate on the blue line to reset. The puck instead ricocheted off Evgenii Dadonov, and Gourde quickly whipped around for a shot that went into a small gap to the left of goalie Jake Oettinger for the game-winner.Pavelski, at 38 years and 295 days old, became the oldest player ever with a four-goal game in the NHL playoffs. It came in in his 170th postseason game — he is one of only five players with that many without winning a Stanley Cup — and after he had missed the last five games in the first round while in concussion protocol.The second-year Kraken got goals from five different players after 15 different p...

Harper 0 for 4 in return, Urías helps Dodgers top Phils 13-1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his return to the Phillies just 160 days after Tommy John surgery, and Philadelphia lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-1 on Tuesday night as Julio Urías allowed one hit and struck out 10 in seven innings.Harper, a two-time NL MVP, was activated from the injured list and was the designated hitter.When Harper had surgery on Nov. 23, the Phillies said he was expected to return around the All-Star break in mid-July. He was cleared to play after an appointment with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday morning.Miguel Vargas had four hits as the Dodgers scored 13 runs for the second straight night and set a season high with 17 hits.Urías had sixth double-digit strikeout game of his big league career as he mostly silenced a Phillies’ offense that entered third in the majors with a .271 batting average. The only hit the left-hander allowed was a home run to Trea Turner to lead off the fourth inning. Turner was with the Dodg...

East County residents continue to question Loveland Reservoir closure

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

ALPINE, Calif. -- East County residents are still searching for answers after the Loveland Reservoir was drained and then closed to public access. They haven’t been told when or if they’ll be able to use the area for recreation again.“Their contract was to provide public access again. It’s right in their mission statement, public participation, and they are not adhering to their part of the bargain,” Elisa Peskin said.People living in the Alpine area continue to be concerned about the ongoing closure of the reservoir.“This is the only opportunity to do hiking. I know that we can’t fish because the fish all died when the lake was drained, but at least we could take advantage of the other opportunities here,” said Karen Wood, who also pointed out it’s the only parking lot available along Japatul Road.While recreation cut off since early this year, the dismay for residents really hit in November 2022 when the reservoir was drained to dead pool level, killing off the fish.The Sweetwater...

Showtime! UK readies pomp for King Charles III’s coronation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The crown has been resized. The troops are prepared for the biggest military procession in 70 years. The Gold State Coach is ready to roll.Now it’s time for the show.King Charles III will be crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey in an event full of all the pageantry Britain can muster.Enrobed clergymen will hand over the medieval symbols of power — the rod, the scepter and the orb. Brass bands and soldiers in bearskin hats will troop through the streets. And the new king and queen will presumably end the day on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to the cheering crowds.But don’t be too dazzled. There’s purpose behind the pomp: to buttress the crown’s foundations and show that the people of the United Kingdom still support their monarch.Royal historian Robert Lacey compares the event to a U.S. presidential election and an inauguration rolled into one — a celebration as well as a test of how the public sees the new sovereign.“The king obviously is not subject to the...

Syrian refugees fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

QAB ELIAS, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials are cracking down on Syrian refugees against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis and political stalemate, an escalation that has caused a panic among Syrians in the country.In recent weeks, the army has raided refugee camps and set up checkpoints to review the documentation of non-Lebanese citizens, arresting and in many cases deporting Syrians found not to have legal residency, according to refugees and humanitarian organizations.“People aren’t sleeping in their houses … and are afraid even to go to work,” said a woman originally from the Syrian province of Idlib who is living in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. Her husband was deported on April 10, along with 28 other men, after a raid on an apartment building in the Beirut suburb of Jounieh, she said, and she hasn’t heard from him since.Like other Syrians interviewed for this story, the woman spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.Her 4-year-old son asks where ...

German police clamp down on Italian mob with raids, arrests

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Police arrested suspects and raided homes early Wednesday across Germany in a massive effort to clamp down on member of the Italian ’ndrangheta organized crime syndicate.More than 1,000 officers searched dozens of homes, offices, stores in the states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, prosecutors said in a joint statement.Over 30 suspects who had outstanding warrants were arrested.“Among other things, the accused are accused of money laundering, gang tax evasion, commercial gang fraud, and narcotics smuggling,” said a statement from the state office of criminal investigation in North Rhine-Westphalia. The raids are part of a wider joint investigation involving Europol and also included simultaneous measures against the group in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, the statement said.The Associated Press

IMF says inflation to slow growth across Mideast this year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Economies across the Middle East and Central Asia will likely slow this year as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates bite into their post-pandemic gains, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday. The IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook blamed in part rising energy costs, as well as elevated food prices, for the estimated slower growth. The report said that while oil-dependent economies of the Gulf Arab states and others in the region have reaped the benefits of elevated crude prices, other countries — such as Pakistan — have seen growth collapse after an unprecedented flooding last summer or as economic woes worsened.The regional slowdown also comes as an explosion of fighting in Sudan between two top rival generals — who only a year ago as allies orchestrated a military coup that upended the African country’s transition to democracy — threatens a nation where IMF and World Bank debt relief remains on hold. Rising int...

No winning ticket sold for Tuesday’s $18 million Lotto Max jackpot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:06 GMT

There was no winning ticket sold in Tuesday’s Lotto Max $18 million draw.The jackpot for the next draw on May 5 will be an estimated $23 million.The Canadian Press