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Afghan Taliban raid kills 6 members of Islamic State group

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An overnight raid by Taliban forces in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province killed six members of the extremist Islamic State group, a Taliban spokesman said on Tuesday.The regional affiliate of the IS group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — has been the key rival of the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The militant group has increased its attacks, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority.According to Mohammad Asif Waziri, a spokesman for the police chief in Balkh, the operation late Monday night targeted an IS hideout in Nahri Shahi district and six members of the militant group were killed.The Taliban swept across Afghanistan in August 2021, seizing power as U.S. and NATO forces were withdrew after 20 years of war. The international community has not recognized the Taliban government, wary of the harsh measures they have imposed since their takeover — including restricting rights and ...

Padres 1st MLB team to walk off on back-to-back HRs by 8-9

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The not-so-glamorous bottom of the San Diego Padres’ lineup delivered a stunning walk-off win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pinch-hitter David Dahl and Kim Ha-seong hit consecutive home runs opening the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Padres over Arizona 5-4 on Monday night for their third straight victory.San Diego moved above .500 for the first time this year and became the first team in major league history with a walk-off win on back-to-back homers by its No. 8 and No. 9 batters, according to OptaSTATS.“David Dahl hit the tying home run and I was just wanting to keep that momentum going and then I had a great pitch to hit and I was able to walk it off,” Kim said through an interpreter. “I’m kind of sorry for David that I took all the spotlight, but he hit a great tying home run that was able to set me up for a great moment. Giving the team the win was the most important thing.” The Diamondbacks took a 4-3 lead on Evan Longoria’s homer in t...

Cousins Hawkins, Reese claim titles on consecutive days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — UConn’s Jordan Hawkins made this year’s NCAA championships a family affair Monday night when he picked up a title a day after his cousin Angel Reese led LSU to the women’s crown.And he had a message for those who’ve criticized Reese for waving her hand in front of her face while staring down Iowa star Caitlin Clark before pointing toward her finger where a championship ring might be while walking toward the Iowa star.“We’re national champions. They’re not,” he said. “So, at the end of the day, they can say whatever they want.”Reese, who was named Most Outstanding Player, was unapologetic over her actions after social media went wild with opinions on her trash talk in the closing minutes of LSU’s 102-85 victory Sunday.“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said Sunday. “I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look li...

Ramírez hits RBI single in 10th, Guardians outslug A’s 12-11

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Eli Morgan’s first career save called for a celebratory beer shower — and the Cleveland Guardians sure had to work to win this one.José Ramírez hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning after his RBI triple in the eighth gave Cleveland the lead, and the Guardians rallied to beat the Oakland Athletics 12-11 on Monday night.Cleveland added an insurance run on a wild pitch by Trevor May (1-1), which the Guardians needed when Oakland got one back in the bottom of the 10th on Esteury Ruiz’s double.“That was a hard game to win for a lot of reasons,” manager Terry Francona said. “We got down, we got up, we got down, they fought back. I give them a lot of credit, and you’re on the road so you’re always a swing away. But we did enough to win, and that’s what we set out to do so it makes for a good day.”Seth Brown hit a tying, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase (1-0).Brown struck out on an automatic ...

Australia prohíbe TikTok en los dispositivos del gobierno federal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

(CNN) — Australia se unió a otros países occidentales en la prohibición del uso de TikTok en los dispositivos gubernamentales, ya que la aplicación de vídeo de propiedad china está siendo objeto de una creciente presión debido a las afirmaciones de que representa un problema de seguridad.El fiscal general de Australia, Mark Dreyfus, anunció la prohibición este martes tras recibir asesoramiento de los servicios de inteligencia y seguridad, y afirmó que la directiva se impondría “tan pronto como sea posible”.El gobierno australiano se ha unido a la creciente lista de países que prohíben TikTok en los dispositivos gubernamentales. (Crédito: Natalia/Adobe Stock)La decisión pone a Australia en la línea de sus aliados de la alianza de inteligencia Five Eyes: EE.UU., Gran Bretaña y Canadá ya han anunciado restricciones similares, mientras que el Parlamento de Nueva Zelanda también ordenó retirar la aplicación de todos los dispositivos con acceso a la legislatura.Noruega y...

Jacinda Ardern to begin new role combating online extremism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Jacinda Ardern, who stepped down as New Zealand’s prime minister in January, will begin an unpaid role this month combating online extremism.New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who took over as leader from Ardern, announced Tuesday he’d appointed Ardern as Special Envoy for the Christchurch Call. Hipkins said Ardern would begin the part-time role this month, right after she leaves Parliament and that she’d declined to accept any pay. He said the role would be reviewed at the end of the year.Ardern launched the Christchurch Call with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019, two months after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. The gunman livestreamed the slaughter for 17 minutes on Facebook before the video was taken down. Christchurch Call’s goal is to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. More than 50 countries have since signed up to the ...

Palestinian stabs 2 Israelis in attack near army base

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian suspect stabbed two Israelis near an army base south of Tel Aviv on Tuesday in the latest incident in a yearlong spate of violence that shows no sign of abating. The Magen David Adom paramedic service said first responders treated two men for stab wounds in the incident on a highway near the Tsrifin military base. They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment their injuries. Israeli media identified the two victims as soldiers. The suspect’s condition was unclear. Palestinians have carried out numerous attacks on Israeli security personnel and civilians in the past year as violence has surged.On Monday, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian gunmen during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. At least 88 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli or settler gunfire this year, according to an Associated Press tally. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 15 people in the same period.The Associated Press

Credit Suisse shareholders get last crack at annual meeting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Once-venerable Credit Suisse is heading into a possible firestorm Tuesday as shareholders meet for what is shaping up to be their last crack at managers following a colossal collapse of the bank’s stock price over the last decade and as rival UBS is set to gobble up the 167-year-old Swiss lender at a bargain-basement price. In 2007, Credit Suisse shares fetched as much nearly 88 Swiss francs (dollars). Today, they’re trading at about 80 cents. As the stock skid worsened and jittery depositors pulled their money, Swiss government officials hastily orchestrated a $3.25 billion takeover by UBS two weekends ago. Political leaders, financial regulators and the central bank feared a teetering Credit Suisse could further roil global financial markets following the collapse of two U.S. banks.Crosstown competitor UBS has been known for a more conservative culture after surviving the 2008 financial crisis, thanks in part to a government bailout.The annual general meeting, ...

German climber killed in fall near Swiss resort of Zermatt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — A German climber has died after falling some 500 meters (1,640 feet) in the Alps in southern Switzerland, police said Tuesday.The accident happened near the resort of Zermatt on Sunday, police in Valais canton (state) state in a statement. Authorities were alerted Monday that the 26-year-old man, who lived in Germany, was missing, and rescuers in a helicopter found his body on a glacier.The man had set out alone on Sunday morning to climb the Strahlhorn peak, police said in a statement. The accident happened on the Adlerpass, a mountain pass below the peak at some 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) above sea level. For reasons that weren’t immediately clear, the climber fell about 500 meters down a rock face on one side of the pass.The Associated Press

Finland set to join NATO, in blow to Putin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:43:01 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Finland is set to officially become a member of NATO later on Tuesday and take its place among the ranks of the world’s biggest security alliance.Neighboring Russia has already warned that it will bolster its defenses near their joint border if NATO deploys any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.Finland’s blue and white flag is scheduled to be raised among those of its partners outside NATO’s Brussels headquarters. Finland’s president, foreign and defense ministers will take part.The ceremony falls on NATO’s very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.Turkey became the last NATO member country to ratify Finland’s membership protocol on Thursday. It will hand over the document officially enshrining that decision to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken before the ceremony.Finland will then give B...