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US, Japan and Australia plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines this week to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, Filipino security officials said Sunday.On Aug. 5, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels in the contested waterway where disputes have long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and have become a fault line in the rivalry between the U.S. and China in the region.The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together in a show of force and undertaking joint drills. Their commanders are set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press.Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to publicly discuss details of the planned drills.The U.S....

Bangladesh police clash with opposition activists ahead of elections, leaving hundreds injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — Police in northeastern Bangladesh used batons and tear gas to disperse opposition activists amid a political dispute over who would oversee the next election, which is expected to be held in January, police and activists said Sunday.Around 300 people were injured in the clash on Saturday evening, including some with bullets, the country’s leading Bengali-language daily newspaper Prothom Alo reported, adding that police had opened fire on supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.The United News of Bangladesh agency said as many as 150 people including police officers were hurt in the clashes, which occurred in Habiganj town.G.K. Gaus, a local leader in Zia’s party, said chaos broke out after thousands of party supporters began marching through the streets. Police confronted them and ordered them to stop.Palash Ranjan Dey, a police official in Habiganj district, said police were forced to take actio...

Pakistan arrests opposition leader for exposing official secrets, harming national interest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s top investigation agency has arrested an opposition leader, who is a close aide of convicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan, for exposing official secrets and harming state interests, according to case documents revealed Sunday.It’s the latest development in a standoff between the administration of outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his predecessor Khan, who was jailed earlier this month on graft charges. Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested Saturday night at his Islamabad home by the Federal Investigation Agency on charges of exposing a letter last year to claim that Khan was ousted from power by the U.S. The letter has not been made public but was apparently diplomatic correspondence between a Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.Cricketing hero Khan was booted out of parliament in April 2022 in a no-confidence vote. He insists his removal was engineered by Washington, Sharif’s government and t...

Chicago Area Heat Advisories Issued For Sunday; Southern California Braces For Heavy Rains

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

A Heat Advisory is in effect Sunday 1 PM-8PM for the orange highlighted counties in the graphic below.  Heat Index values are expected to reach 100-107 degrees in the advisory area.  A breezy off the lake will bring some relief from the heat so that's why Lake, Central & Northern Cook County aren't in the advisory.  At least we'll know where to find relief:READ FULL BULLETIN HERE"Hilary" is on its way to becoming the first tropical storm to reach California in the 84 years since 1939—and, as UCLA climate researcher and California weather/climate guru Dr. Daniel Swain points out on his WeatherWest blog:"The only other known tropical cyclone to actually make coastal landfall in California was the 1858 San Diego Hurricane. There have been other tropical cyclone remnant events (as recently as Kay last year in 2022, and memorably for some folks Kathleen in 1976) that have brought major summer storm and flood-related impacts over the decades, but in terms of actual tropical cyclone la...

Dear Abby: My husband justifies his behavior by saying he doesn’t like boys

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I have two grandkids — a 4-year-old granddaughter, “Emily,” and a 2-year-old grandson, “Earl.”Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I find it obnoxious when my boyfriend preaches that I’m going to hell Advice | Dear Abby: Our neighbors are such narcissists. How do we deal with this? Advice | Dear Abby: My neighbor is too noisy but I’m the one catching flak Advice | Dear Abby: Is it weird that I think this actress could be my sister? Advice | Dear Abby: Why are people so rude to me lately? I’m a nice guy. My husband is not blood-related to them. He treats Emily like a princess, but treats Earl badly. She can do no wrong; he can do no right.Anytime I have them both over, my husband and I have huge fights because of how he disciplines and ignores my grandson. He doesn’t show Earl any of the love he shows my granddaughter. I have tried talking to...

Review: Arena rockers Duran Duran play intimate benefit show for 500 fans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

Someone referred to it as “the biggest show in the history of Menlo Park.”Not sure if that says more about the band that was playing or the city the band was playing in.Either way, it sure was cool to get to see Duran Duran — an act that is typically found rocking arenas — play before some 500 lucky fans at the Guild Theatre on Saturday (Aug. 19).“It’s a lovely way to start the second leg of the North American tour,” vocalist Simon Le Bon said. to the adoring crowd. “And to do something useful.”The purpose of the visit was to raise money for the fight against prostrate cancer, a cause that has been very dear to these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ hearts ever since Andy Taylor — the band’s former guitarist — revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 prostrate cancer some years back. Money raised at the event went to the U.K.-based charity the Cancer Awareness Trust.“I’ve got to tell you, (Tayl...

España vs. Inglaterra, final del Mundial Femenino 2023: cuándo es, a qué hora y cómo verlo en vivo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

(CNN Español) — Tras un mes de actividad constante y de partidos llenos de drama, la Copa Mundial Femenina 2023 de la FIFA llega a su culminación con sus dos finalistas: España e Inglaterra.Por un lado, la selección española alcanzó la final del Mundial Femenino tras vencer por 2-1 a su similar de Suecia en lo que fue un encuentro altamente cardiaco y probablemente uno de los mejores del torneo.Y por el otro, el conjunto inglés logró avanzar a la final luego de derrotar 3-1 a Australia, que, junto con Nueva Zelandia, fue el país anfitrión del certamen más importante a nivel selecciones en el fútbol femenino.Las Leonas llegan como las favoritas para ganar el Mundial por dos razones, principalmente: llega como la actual campeona de Europa (tras vencer a Alemania en la Eurocopa 2022) y, además, se encuentra invicta en esta copa del mundo.En tanto, la Furia Roja buscará su revancha, ya que en la Euro 2022 fue eliminada por Inglaterra en cuartos de final.Pase lo que pase, tendremos...

MLB Notes: AL East may be strongest division ever, but for how much longer?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

This year’s AL East is on track to be the strongest division in MLB history.Up until this week, when the New York Yankees dipped below .500 amid their ongoing swoon, all five AL East teams had been above .500 for the majority of the season. Entering the weekend the division’s collective win percentage was .554, which is the best for a five-team division in MLB history.It’s been a gauntlet for a couple of years now. Last year’s AL East set a new record with a .540 win percentage, and in 2021 four of the five teams topped 90 wins.Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Are these five teams destined to do battle forever?Perhaps not.As strong as the AL East is right now, the cracks are beginning to show and it won’t be a shock if a couple of former contenders began taking a step back.Baltimore seems like the only sure thing. The Orioles have emerged from the other side of their years-long rebuild and now rank among the best teams in baseball. They a...

Live Updates: Lauren James on the bench for England in Women’s World Cup final against Spain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — The Latest from the Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain:___England retained the same starting lineup for the Women’s World Cup final as the Lionesses’ used in their seminal victory, which meant playmaker Lauren James was on the bench Sunday against Spain.James is returning from a two-game suspension for stomping on a Nigeria player in the round of 16. The 21-year-old James apologized to her teammates but was not available for England’s wins over Colombia and Australia. The Chelsea winger scored three goals and had three assists in the tournament prior to her red card. Ella Toone, who started in place of James during her suspension, was the listed starter for England against Spain. ___UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin was not in attendance for the Women’s World Cup final despite the championship match featuring two European teams.England and Spain were facing off for what will be the first Women’s World Cup title for either team.UEFA inst...

A tanker believed to hold sanctioned Iran oil starts offloading near Texas despite Tehran’s threats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An American-owned oil tanker long suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil began offloading its cargo near Texas late Saturday, tracking data showed, even as Tehran has threatened to target shipping in the Persian Gulf over it.Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan was undergoing a ship-to-ship transfer of its oil to another tanker, the MR Euphrates, near Galveston, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Houston. The fate of the cargo aboard the Suez Rajan has become mired in the wider tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic, even as Tehran and Washington work toward a trade of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea for the release of five Iranian-Americans held in Tehran. Already, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned that those involved in offloading the cargo “should expect to be struck back.” The U.S. Navy has increased i...