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Australia rules out Quad summit going ahead in Sydney without Biden, but Modi still plans visit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out a so-called Quad summit taking place in Sydney without President Joe Biden, saying the four leaders will talk at the Group of Seven meeting this weekend in Japan. Albanese said Wednesday he understands why Biden pulled out of the summit to focus on debt limit talks in Washington since they are crucial to the economy. The summit including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had been scheduled for May 24. “The blocking and the disruption that’s occurring in domestic politics in the United States, with the debt ceiling issue, means that, because that has to be solved prior to 1st June — otherwise there are quite drastic consequences for the U.S. economy, which will flow on to the global economy — he understandably has had to make that decision,” Albanese told reporters.Biden “expressed very much his disappointment” at being unable to come to the Sydney summit an...

Right groups call on Pakistan not to try ‘arsonists’ from political protests in military courts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A leading international rights group and a local watchdog are calling on Pakistan not to try civilians who were involved in recent anti-government protests before military courts.Amnesty International and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan issued separate statements late Tuesday, saying they were alarmed by the government’s plan to bring supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan who clashed with police and rioted across the country to trial under military rules. Military trials in Pakistan are usually held behind closed doors, depriving civilians of some of their basic rights, including contracting a lawyer of their choice. A wave of violence engulfed Pakistan’s capital and other urban areas following the dramatic arrest of Khan — now opposition leader — from a courtroom in Islamabad on Tuesday last week. Angry Khan supporters torched buildings and vehicles and attacked police and military personnel and facilities. The clashes killed 10 people; aut...

3 dead as heavy rains in northern Italy burst riverbanks, flood towns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

ROME (AP) — Officials in northern Italy warned residents to get to higher ground Wednesday amid fears that rain-swollen rivers would again burst their banks, after flooding killed at least three people and forced the evacuation of some 5,000.The mayor of the city of Cesena, Enzo Lattuca, posted a video early Wednesday on Facebook to warn that continued heavy rains in the Emilia-Romagna region could again flood the Savio river and smaller tributaries. He urged residents to move to upper floors of their homes and avoid riverbanks, and announced the closure to traffic of some bridges and streets after heavy flooding sent rivers of mud sloshing through town.“The situation could again become critical,” he said. “We cannot in any way lower our guard.”Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemeci confirmed three people had been killed and some 5,000 people evacuated.The deputy chief of the agency, Titti Postiglione, said the rescue operations for those needing emergency evacuations were particu...

Smart ball technology to be trialed at rugby’s U20 world championship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

World Rugby will trial smart ball technology at the under-20 world championship in South Africa next month, assisting officials in getting more accuracy about lineouts, potential forward passes and whether the ball has crossed the try line.The trial comes after match officials expressed a desire for innovations to be explored to support accurate and quick decision-making. There are no plans for the technology to be implemented at the Rugby World Cup in France in September and October, but could offer a glimpse into the future of the game.The smart ball will be tracked in 3D and in real time, with beacons positioned around the field to determine the exact position of the ball up to 20 times per second and provide immediate feedback on every kick, pass and throw.The technology will ensure lineouts are taken from the spot the ball left the field of play and provide instantaneous feedback about whether a lineout throw is straight by measuring the angle from release to the moment it̵...

Hopes for historic Pacific visit dashed after President Joe Biden cancels trip to Papua New Guinea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Papua New Guinea had declared next Monday a public holiday in anticipation of an historic visit by U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders from the region.Police were tightening security, billboards were going up, and people were getting ready to sing and dance in the streets. Expectations were high for what would have been the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to any Pacific Island nation.“I am very honored that he has fulfilled his promise to me to visit our country,” Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape had written on Facebook.Those expectations were dashed Wednesday when Biden canceled the visit to focus on debt limit talks at home. To be sure, many of the festivities will still be going ahead. Biden’s planned three-hour stopover — sandwiched between the G-7 meeting in Japan and a now scrapped trip to Australia — was timed to coincide with a trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will still meet with Pacific Island ...

G-7 leaders likely to focus on the war in Ukraine and tensions in Asia at summit in Hiroshima

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — The symbolism will be palpable when leaders of the world’s rich democracies sit down in Hiroshima, a city whose name evokes the tragedy of war, to tackle a host of challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in Asia.The attention on the war in Europe comes just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy completed a whirlwind trip to meet many of the Group of Seven leaders now heading to Japan for the summit starting Friday. That tour was aimed at adding to his country’s weapons stockpile and building political support ahead of a widely anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim lands occupied by Moscow’s forces.“Ukraine has driven this sense of common purpose” for the G-7, said Matthew P. Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.He said the new commitments Zelenskyy received just ahead of the summit could push members of the bloc to step up their support...

Regional partners like Kazakhstan can be assets for US non-proliferation efforts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trip to Central Asia, where he emphasized that the United States supports the territorial integrity of regional countries and hopes to expand economic ties, missed the opportunity to highlight more substantial areas of cooperation—namely, nuclear proliferation and arms control. Amid Russia postponing New START meetings in late 2022 and China steadily increasing its nuclear warhead count, the prospects of arms control between Russia and the United States seem bleak. Moreover, worsening U.S.-Russia arms control relations could also threaten future cooperation on nonproliferation. However, one Central Asian country can play a critical role in these dire circumstances: Kazakhstan, writes Alex Little.Kazakhstan has been and can continue to be a partner for the United States in the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). After the fall of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan was left with one of the most significant remnants of the Soviet...

From Courtroom to Spotlight: Ricardo Vargas’ Inspiring Journey from Lawyer to Actor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

Photo credit: Cathryn FarnsworthIn a world where countless individuals tread paths they didn’t choose, shackled by fear of the unknown, Ricardo Vargas emerges as an emblem of courage. A successful lawyer turned actor, Ricardo symbolizes the power of pursuing passion over predictability. Leaving behind a flourishing legal career, he dared to embrace his dream, stepping onto the gleaming stages of Hollywood. His story illustrates how the courage to follow your heart can lead to a life beyond what you dare to imagine.A lawyer from Monterrey, Mexico, Ricardo is now a budding actor with an unyielding determination to live his lifelong passion. He has harbored a deep-seated love for acting since childhood. However, Ricardo understood the value of a stable career and pursued law, securing his degree in 2019. “Law was always plan B in case plan A (acting) didn’t work,” he says. For two years, Ricardo diligently worked as a lawyer, all the while saving enough to fund his dr...

Single family residence sells in San Ramon for $2.6 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

4032 Greenwich Drive – Google Street ViewA 3,547-square-foot house built in 1983 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 4000 block of Greenwich Drive in San Ramon was sold on April 21, 2023. The $2,618,000 purchase price works out to $738 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, three baths, an attached garage, and three parking spaces. It sits on a 0.4-acre lot, which also has a pool.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:A 3,184-square-foot home on the 10100 block of Nantucket Drive in San Ramon sold in August 2022, for $2,250,000, a price per square foot of $707. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Greenwich Drive, San Ramon, in August 2022, a 2,374-square-foot home was sold for $1,750,000, a price per square foot of $737. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In February 2023, a 1,601-square-foot home on Loreto Drive in San Ramon sold for $1,320,000, a price per square foot of $824. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bat...

Former French President Sarkozy loses appeal on corruption conviction; prison sentence upheld

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:11 GMT

PARIS (AP) — A French appeals court on Wednesday upheld a one-year prison sentence for former President Nicolas Sarkozy on a conviction for corruption and influence peddling.His lawyer said he will take the case to France’s highest court and insisted that Sarkozy is innocent. The 68-year-old ex-president would not have to serve time until a final ruling, and if definitively convicted, he could ask to serve his sentence at home.Sarkozy, 68, was convicted in 2021 of trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated. It was the first time in modern French history that a former president had been convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison.Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, denies wrongdoing and appealed the original ruling. The Paris appeals court on Wednesday upheld the conviction and the sentence, according to a court official.His lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont, called the decision “stupefying” and “unjust.”Sarkozy is en...