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Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for immediate end to violence in Myanmar after meeting with military

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for immediate end to violence in Myanmar after meeting with military.Source

Fitful start to new 3-day truce in Sudan; airlifts continue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s warring generals pledged Tuesday to observe a new three-day truce brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to pull Africa’s third-largest nation back from the abyss.The claims were immediately undercut by the sound of heavy gunfire and explosions in the capital of Khartoum. Residents said warplanes were flying overhead.Several previous cease-fires declared since the April 15 outbreak of fighting were not observed, although intermittent lulls during the weekend’s major Muslim holiday allowed for dramatic evacuations of hundreds of diplomats, aid workers and other foreigners by air and land.For many Sudanese, the departure of foreigners and closure of embassies is a terrifying sign that international powers expect a worsening of the fighting that has already pushed the population into disaster.Meanwhile, Sudanese desperately sought ways to escape the chaos, fearing that the rival camps will escalate their all-out battle for po...

Israel marks Memorial Day plagued by divisions, violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel marked its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks on Tuesday against the backdrop of some of the deepest political divisions in its history and soaring tensions with Palestinians.Memorial Day is one of the most solemn moments on Israel’s national calendar, in honor of its 24,213 war dead and 4,255 attack victims. People come to a standstill when a two-minute siren sounds late in the morning. Motorists and pedestrians halt in the street, stop their cars and stand with heads bowed. Bereaved families visit cemeteries and attend ceremonies while television and radio programming shifts to somber music and documentaries about slain soldiers.This year, Memorial Day is tainted by deep divisions roiling the country over a contentious plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judiciary. “Citizens of Israel, the siren this year, the intensely Israeli signature call, is a wake-up call for all of us. The c...

Under Lisbon's streets, ancient Roman galleries tell story of the past

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

Twice a year, a hatch in a busy Lisbon street opens to reveal steps leading to one of the Portuguese capital's most ancient sites: a 2,000-year-old Roman structure that still holds the buildings above it together.Dating back to the first century AD, the "cryptoportico" subterranean maze of tunnels and passageways was built by the Romans, who occupied the city then known as Olissipo beginning around 200 BC. The city remained under Roman control for several centuries."This structure guaranteed and, 2,000 years later, continues to guarantee that the buildings above our heads are stable and safe for those who live, work and walk up there," said Joana Sousa Monteiro, director of the Lisbon Museum, as she toured the site known as the Roman Galleries.It opens up for only a few days in April and September each year. The space is usually flooded due to an aquifer running beneath the city. The water, which is essential for its preservation, must be pumped out to allow access.The galleries wer...

Dear Abby: My husband says he’ll burn the house down if I go through with my plan to leave

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I’d like some advice about a family situation that has been going on for the entire 34 years of my marriage.My husband is not kind to my now-grown sons. He gives me the silent treatment for weeks over small disagreements. My eldest son visited us for my 75th birthday and, after receiving my spouse’s cold shoulder, he informed me he won’t be visiting again because of my husband’s rude behavior.I’m looking for a part-time job so I can pay off some bills and move out. I asked years ago that we put the house up for sale, divide the funds and go our separate ways. He said he’d burn down the house before he would allow me to get a penny from the sale.I want to keep things calm, but I want to leave in another year with some proceeds from the sale of the house.We no longer sleep together and we talk less to avoid disagreements. I don’t even want to cook for him, but I do it to avoid his negative reactions. What can I do?REACHED MY LIMIT I...

Mets begin 3-game series with the Nationals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

Washington Nationals (7-14, fifth in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (14-9, second in the NL East)New York; Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Josiah Gray (0-4, 3.74 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Mets: Jose Butto (0-0)BOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets host the Washington Nationals to open a three-game series.New York is 14-9 overall and 4-2 at home. The Mets have a 9-4 record in games when they record at least eight hits.Washington has gone 5-5 on the road and 7-14 overall. The Nationals have a 3-5 record in games decided by one run.The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Francisco Lindor has nine doubles and four home runs for the Mets. Pete Alonso is 12-for-42 with four home runs over the past 10 games.Victor Robles has a .290 batting average to lead the Nationals, and has three doubles and a triple. Jeimer Candelario is 12-for-39 with a home run and five RBI over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 7-3, .269 batting average, 4.19 E...

Braves meet the Marlins with 1-0 series lead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

Miami Marlins (12-11, third in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (15-8, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Tuesday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Bryan Hoeing (0-0); Braves: Charlie Morton (2-2, 3.22 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 17 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -248, Marlins +204; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves play the Miami Marlins with a 1-0 series lead.Atlanta is 15-8 overall and 5-6 in home games. The Braves have hit 35 total home runs to rank third in MLB play.Miami has a 12-11 record overall and a 5-5 record on the road. The Marlins have a 4-1 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.The matchup Tuesday is the second meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with six home runs while slugging .556. Ronald Acuna Jr. is 14-for-41 with five doubles, a home run and two RBI over the past 10 games.Jon Berti has three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI for the Marlins. Jorge Soler is 11-for-32 wi...

Pirates take on the Dodgers in first of 3-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (12-11, second in the NL West) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-7, first in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Tuesday, 6:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Noah Syndergaard (0-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 19 strikeouts); Pirates: Johan Oviedo (2-1, 2.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 25 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -129, Pirates +108; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates begin a three-game series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.Pittsburgh has a 7-3 record at home and a 16-7 record overall. The Pirates have hit 27 total home runs to rank sixth in the NL.Los Angeles is 6-5 in road games and 12-11 overall. The Dodgers have the best team slugging percentage in the NL at .461.The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew McCutchen has four doubles and four home runs for the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes is 13-for-41 with three doubles, two triples and a home run over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Pirat...

Cubs play the Padres in first of 3-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

San Diego Padres (12-12, third in the NL West) vs. Chicago Cubs (12-9, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Blake Snell (0-3, 6.50 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 21 strikeouts); Cubs: Justin Steele (3-0, 1.44 ERA, .88 WHIP, 24 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -124, Padres +105; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres to begin a three-game series.Chicago is 12-9 overall and 6-7 in home games. The Cubs have hit 28 total home runs to rank ninth in the majors.San Diego has a 7-4 record on the road and a 12-12 record overall. The Padres have a 7-2 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.TOP PERFORMERS: Patrick Wisdom leads Chicago with nine home runs while slugging .679. Yan Gomes is 12-for-38 with four home runs and seven RBI over the past 10 games.Xander Bogaerts has four doubles and five home runs while hi...

As Israel turns 75, its flag unfurls into deep divisions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:26 GMT

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (AP) — It’s become an unmistakable hallmark of the anti-government protests roiling Israel for the last few months: the country’s blue and white national flag adorned with the Star of David.To an outside observer, that may not be surprising, as the demonstrators say their struggle is over the very soul of the nation. For most Jewish Israelis, the flag has been a potent symbol of their foundational narrative — of a nation that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust to build a modern-day miracle, with a strong military and at the forefront of technology. However, those protesting now say that the flag has increasingly been co-opted by nationalists claiming to have greater legitimacy to decide the country’s character and its future. As Israel marks 75 years since its creation, the protesters say they are turning that argument on its head by reclaiming the flag. As flags are strewn across the country to mark Independence Day on Wednesday — along avenues and down skyscrape...