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Foreign nationals evacuate Niger as regional tensions rise after coup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Foreign nationals lined up outside an airport in Niger’s capital Wednesday morning to wait for a French military evacuation flight, while a regional bloc continued talks about its response to the military coup that took place last week.France, Italy and Spain all announced evacuations for their citizens and other Europeans in the capital, Niamey, following concerns that they could become trapped after soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum and seized power. The United States has yet to announce plans for an evacuation, but some of its citizens have left with the help of the Europeans. France’s first two flights evacuated more than 350 French nationals, as well as people from Niger and at least 10 other countries, the French Foreign Ministry said. The Paris airport authority said two more evacuation flights are scheduled to land Wednesday afternoon.Some 1,200 French citizens are registered at the French embassy, said the Foreign Ministry, and about half...

Germany’s Wacken metal festival halts admissions after persistent rain turns site to mud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in northern Germany is opening on Wednesday with a reduced audience after persistent rain turned the grounds to mud and forced organizers to order a halt to all new arrivals.Organizers of the famed music festival in the village of Wacken, in a rural area northwest of Hamburg, had already told fans on Tuesday that no more cars and trucks could be admitted to the site because camping areas, the grounds and access roads were in poor condition because of heavy rain in recent days, and more was expected.Early Wednesday, they announced a “total admission stop.” In a statement on the festival’s website, they said that “considering the weather conditions, the reasonable visitor capacity for Wacken Open Air 2023 has now been reached.” It was, they said, the first time since the event was first held in 1990 that they had had to stop admissions — adding that “we are very sad, but the continuing difficult weather situation unfortunate...

Former Ivory Coast President Bédié known for promoting ethnic tensions dies at 89, his party says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Former Ivory Coast president Henri Konan Bédié died Tuesday night at the age of 89, according to a communiqué from his party.State media reported that he was rushed from his hometown of Daoukro in central Ivory Coast yesterday evening after falling ill. He arrived by helicopter around 8 p.m. at a hospital in Abidjan, the nation’s largest city and economic hub, where he passed away.Till his death, Bédié was president of the Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast, which planned to take part in the nation’s 2025 elections.In a statement on Wednesday, his party called him a “Great Statesman” who worked to bring peace to the country and “the Grandeur of our nation.”A career diplomat and politician, Bédié was head of state in the West African nation from 1993 to 1999 before he was overthrown in a military coup. The late president was known for promoting the concept of “Ivoirité,” which stoked ethnic and religious tensions and corresponded to an uptick in violence ...

Powder Keg Pine Fire in Bastrop estimated at 100 acres, 50% contained

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — First responders Tuesday afternoon said they were working to evacuate homes as a "precautionary measure" because of a wildfire burning near Bastrop State Park. The fire, which is now called the Powder Keg Pine Fire, is estimated at 100 acres and is 50% contained as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.The Forest Service said in a social media post Wednesday morning dozers made improvements to the containment line overnight, and firefighters patrolled and mitigated hotspots near the fire perimeter.Additionally, the Austin Fire Department said it and other Travis County ESDs sent multiple units as mutual aid to to the fire.Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday first responders said people living in the areas affected by the evacuations could return home. That area was between Harmon Road and Pine Hill Loop in Bastrop. It's unclear how many homes are impacted at this time. Neighbors are advised to contact the county hotline at (512) 303-4...

Family waits for answers after 22-year-old died in custody at Anoka County jail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

The family of a 22-year-old Anoka County inmate who died in jail late last month wants to know more about what happened in the moments leading up to his death.According to a statement from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Cristian Rivera-Coba, of Minneapolis, became unresponsive while being attended to by a detention deputy and medical staff on July 21.“It’s shocking — it happened all too fast. We don’t have any answers,” said Rivera-Coba’s older sister, Yessenia. “The way he went just doesn’t make sense to us.”Rivera-Coba was booked into jail July 18 and charged with auto theft, fleeing police in a vehicle, and driving under the influence. Charges said he admitted to smoking Percocet pills with fentanyl shortly before he was pulled over.“The jail and medical staff immediately requested assistance from Allina EMS and began actively administering life saving measures on the inmate,” the statement said. “Emergency responders escorted him to a local hosp...

Five weeknight dishes: Herby orzo with a bright topping

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

If you only master two cooking fundamentals this summer, let it be these: cooking meat, fish, tofu and vegetables in utterly simple ways and making an easy sauce to go with them. Yewande Komolafe’s steak recipe brings both skills together in one dish, giving you instructions for grilling the meat and blending up a sauce of scallions, garlic, parsley and chiles. Likewise, Ali Slagle’s baked BBQ chicken comes down to properly roasting bone-in chicken leg quarters in a sticky-sweet blanket of barbecue sauce. Melissa Clark’s new orzo recipe leans on golden brown sautéed zucchini and pesto for instantaneous flavor.These recipes and more are below, and there are thousands and thousands more at New York Times Cooking. (Subscribe for full access.) For a few more weeks, text a fruit or vegetable emoji to 361-COOK-NYT (361-266-5698) and get free recipes.One-Pan Zucchini-Pesto OrzoOne-pan zucchini-pesto orzo on July 10, 2023. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)Keeping...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Should I Have to Eat Healthier Just Because My Spouse Is?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Shane and it's about eating with your spouse. Here's his email: Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I am having a hard time with something and am looking for advice. My wife and I have been married for 18 years and we’re both heavier now than we were back in the day. She recently made a decision to get back in shape and started exercising and eating healthier. She makes most of our meals, so like it or not, I’m along for the ride. This has caused tension in our relationship because I’m not always in the mood to eat the food she prepares for us. I like pizza and burgers and fries and those are completely off the table now. I don’t want to be ungrateful, but I think that just because she wants to lose weight, I shouldn’t be forced to eat the same stuff all the time. Back me up here. Am I wrong? Thanks so much.ShaneWell, I don't think Shane should have to eat...

Teen hiker rescued in Ulster County after hitting head

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

DENNING, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 13-year-old hiker was rescued after being found conscious and alert with blue lips, hands, and feet at Peekamoose Blue Hole in Denning. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the hiker was accompanied by her father at the time. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On Friday, around 4:15 p.m., forest rangers heard radio reports about a teenager possibly having a seizure at Peekamoose Blue Hole. When rangers arrived, they found the teen conscious and alert, but with blue lips, hands, and feet, according to the DEC. The DEC says she hit her head on a rock and passed out, as she was lethargic, lightheaded, and shivering due to dehydration and hypothermia. She was given water, dry clothes, and snacks.She was taken to a hospital via Neversink EMS. Resources were clear at 5:45 p.m.

Ask Amy: Family tragedy leads to unfounded accusation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

Dear Amy: Two years ago, my family experienced the tragedy of a homicide-suicide by a beloved family member.It was a difficult time for all.The evening of the night it happened, I was there and am believed to be the last person to have seen them alive.I am in therapy now, but I really struggled with this.Last year, we held a beautiful memorial tribute to our deceased family members. Many people came in from out of town, and I opened my home over that week as a place to gather.Over dinner with my husband, my daughter, my cousin, and my sibling’s family, the conversation turned to the timeline of that night.My husband unfortunately drank too much, and my cousin took offense.She began to needle him verbally, and he barked at her.I was furious with him that evening and did my best to smooth it over with her.In my mind, her actions were less wrong; she was grieving and has had a negative experience with someone in her life related to alcohol.I have forgiven my husband. He’s hurting...

Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Pierre Cardin and its licensee Ahlers over distribution and licensing practices for clothing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:00 GMT

The European Commission has informed Pierre Cardin and its licensee Ahlers of its preliminary view that the companies may have breached EU antitrust rules by restricting cross-border sales of Pierre Cardin-licensed clothing, as well as sales of such products to specific customers.The Commission has concerns that, for more than a decade, Pierre Cardin and Ahlers entered into anticompetitive agreements and coordinated to restrict the ability of other Pierre Cardin licensees and their customers to sell Pierre Cardin-licensed clothing, both offline and online: (a) into Ahlers' EEA licensed territories; and/or (b) to low-price retailers (such as discounters) offering lower prices to consumers in such territories.The Commission preliminarily found that the ultimate objective of such coordination between Pierre Cardin and Ahlers was to ensure Ahlers' absolute territorial protection in the countries covered by its licensing agreements with Pierre Cardin in the EEA.If the Commission's prelim...