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Zimbabwe’s newly reelected president appoints his son and nephew to deputy minister posts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Newly reelected Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa swore in a new Cabinet on Tuesday after appointing one of his sons and one of his nephews to deputy minister posts.Mnangagwa’s Cabinet was largely made up of loyalists from his ruling ZANU-PF party. The move to appoint his 34-year-old son David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa as deputy finance minister and nephew Tongai Mnangagwa as deputy tourism minister was criticized by the opposition.Mnangagwa, 80, did not include any members of the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party, which has rejected his victory in elections last month.The credibility of the vote was also questioned by both Western and African observers.Mnangagwa retained many of his old ministers in his new Cabinet while also including several younger members of ZANU-PF.The opposition CCC said Mnangagwa appointing family members was “particularly worrying.”“Rather than think of the national plight, Mr. Mnangagwa has set up an infrast...

OPINIÓN | Lo que Putin quiere de Kim no es ningún misterio

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

Nota del editor: Frida Ghitis (@fridaghitis), exproductora y corresponsal de CNN, es columnista de asuntos mundiales. Es colaboradora semanal de opinión de CNN, columnista del diario The Washington Post y de World Politics Review. Las opiniones expresadas en este comentario le pertenecen únicamente a su autora.(CNN) — Cuando el dictador norcoreano Kim Jong Un llegó este martes a la región rusa del Lejano Oriente en el tren verde blindado de su abuelo, camino de reunirse con el presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, contribuyó a subrayar dos hechos importantes sobre la guerra no provocada de Putin contra Ucrania.En primer lugar, Putin ha convertido lo que una vez fue un poderoso y respetado ejército, y país, en uno que se ve rebajado a pedir ayuda a un Estado empobrecido que apenas puede alimentar a su propio pueblo. Es un ejercicio humillante para un Putin disminuido, que se compara vanagloriosamente con el zar Pedro el Grande del siglo XVIII, y no es una gran imagen para una R...

Argentina beats altitude and Bolivia 3-0 in World Cup qualifier despite no Messi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Argentina expected a tough battle in the altitude of La Paz. The World Cup champion’s climb appeared even steeper with Lionel Messi out of the lineup.Argentina still beat Bolivia 3-0 on Tuesday in its second match of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.It’s now two for two in qualifiers for coach Lionel Scaloni’s team, which was led by veteran Ángel Di María and a strong midfield.Uruguay had the chance to join Argentina atop the standings table, but lost 2-1 at Ecuador. The Ecuadorians now have moved back to zero; they started the tournament at -3 after having three points deducted by FIFA for the falsification of birth information of defender Byron Castillo, who is of Colombian origin.Chile was hosting Colombia and Brazil was playing Peru later Tuesday. Brazil and Colombia are also coming off wins in their opening games.The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format. The top six teams i...

Gov. Healey declares state of emergency, Leominster schools closed again Wednesday after flooding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

Cleanup efforts continued in Leominster and several other Massachusetts communities Tuesday after heavy rains on Monday triggered flash flooding that damaged roads, homes and businesses and prompted the closure of local schools.Hours after sunrise revealed new damage and after touring impacted communities, Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday night officially announced a state of emergency declaration.“Today I saw firsthand the devastating impacts of severe flooding in Leominster and North Attleborough – and it was painfully clear that Massachusetts is in a state of emergency,” Healey said, in part.“This declaration will expedite our efforts to deliver relief to impacted communities and bolster our ability to access federal resources,” Healey said. More than 100 people were utilizing city emergency shelter space as of Tuesday morning, according to Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. In addition to local school closures, several roads in Leominster were closed throughout the day.In an upd...

Orioles starter John Means solid in return but bats struggle with runners in scoring position for 5-2 loss to Cardinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

The way John Means pitched Tuesday was encouraging. The way his offense hit wasn’t.In his first start since April 2022, Means pitched five innings of three-run ball, pounding the strike zone and looking like a starting pitcher capable of remaining in the rotation for the remainder of the season.But Baltimore’s bats didn’t back him up, putting together perhaps their worst offensive performance in weeks against the worst statistical starting pitcher in the major leagues. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright entered Tuesday with an 8.19 ERA that was 1.31 runs worse than any other starter with more than 80 innings pitched, but the Orioles couldn’t capitalize against the struggling veteran and his bullpen in a 5-2 loss.The matchup against the National League Central-worst Cardinals was ripe for the taking, as the Orioles have spent the past few weeks as one of the best offenses in the sport. They scored 48 runs in their previous five games and averaged...

Taylor Swift wins twice early at MTV VMAs as NSYNC reunites and Shakira delivers epic medley of hits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

By MARIA SHERMAN (AP Music Writer)At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, surprises were many — and immediate. Within the first half-hour, the boy band NSYNC reunited on stage to present the first award for best pop video, which went to Taylor Swift.In coordinating suits, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez shared the stage with Swift. Bass handed Swift a friendship bracelet just as fans do at the superstar’s shows. “You’re pop personified,” she told the group.She returned to the stage later in the show’s first hour to pick up the song of the year trophy for “Anti-Hero.”Lil Wayne opened the show for a performance of his new single “Kat Food.” Immediately afterward, Olivia Rodrigo brought her “Vampire” music video set to the stage, before launching into her cheeky pop-punk single “Get Him Back!”Between the two tracks, snippets of her sold singles played aloud –...

Revolution name Clint Peay new interim head coach amid changes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

The New England Revolution made wholesale changes in their coaching staff in the wake of head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena’s abrupt resignation on Saturday night.Clint Peay, head coach of Revolution II, will replace Richie Williams as interim head coach and he will be supplemented by Marcelo Santos as first assistant coach. In addition to Williams, the Revolution have parted ways with Arena’s two former assistant coaches. The Revolution released club legend Shalrie Joesph and Dave van den Bergh.The shakeup followed a series of team meetings on Tuesday morning involving Williams, the players, and members of team management at the Revolution’s training facility in Foxboro.Williams insisted during a 12:30 p.m. Zoom press conference that the team was onboard with moving forward with the status quo. Williams claimed the Revolution did not practice because they were tied up in meetings with the players, coaches, and team officials at the Revolution’s training facility.“We had b...

GOP mayoral primary involving Connecticut alderman facing charges in Jan. 6 riot headed for recount

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

DERBY, Conn. (AP) — A Republican primary between the incumbent mayor of Connecticut’s smallest city and an alderman facing criminal charges that he entered the U.S. Capitol with a mob of rioters appeared Tuesday to be headed for a recount.Final unofficial results showed a tight contest in the race in Derby, a city of 12,400 people about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of New York City. Mayor Richard Dziekan had 192 votes. His challenger, Gino DiGiovanni Jr., had 202. Races decided by less than 20 votes trigger an automatic recount. DiGiovanni, 42, who was elected to the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen in 2021, pressed ahead with his campaign despite his arrest Aug. 15. His presence in the crowd that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, also didn’t cost him the support of the Derby Republican Town Committee, which endorsed him in July over Dziekan, who chose not to seek the party’s backing.Regardless of the final Republican primary results, Dziekan has said he will appear...

Shuttered Michigan nuclear plant moves closer to reopening under power purchase agreement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A company seeking to restart a southwestern Michigan nuclear power plant said Tuesday it has taken a major step forward with the signing of a power purchase agreement.Holtec International said a subsidiary, Palisades Energy LLC, signed the deal this week with Wolverine Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit energy provider serving rural communities across Michigan.Under the “multi-decade” agreement, Wolverine agrees to purchase up to two-thirds of the power generated by Palisades for its Michigan-based member rural electric cooperatives. A partner, Bloomington, Indiana-based cooperative Hoosier Energy, will purchase the rest. A Holtec spokesperson said he could not elaborate on “multi-decade.” Financial terms were not disclosed.If it begins generating power again, Palisades would be the first shuttered nuclear power plant to do so.Holtec bought the former Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Covert Township in June 2022 for the stated ...

Lawyers for jailed reporter Evan Gershkovich ask UN to urgently declare he was arbitrarily detained

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:50 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Lawyers for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich asked a United Nations body on Tuesday to urgently issue an opinion that he has been arbitrarily detained by Russia on espionage charges which are “patently false.”The request to the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says “Russia has failed to produce a shred of evidence in support of its accusations” since the 31-year-old journalist was arrested on March 29 on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow.“Russia is not imprisoning Gershkovich because it legitimately believes its absurd claim that he is an American spy,” the Journal’s request said. “Instead, Russian President Vladimir Putin is using Gershkovich as a pawn, holding him hostage in order to gain leverage over – and extract a ransom from – the United States, just as he has done with other American citizens whom he has wrongfully detained.”Jason Conti, executive vice presiden...