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As host of UN COP28 climate talks, the autocratic UAE is now allowing in critics it once kept out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As participants at the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks filed in Sunday for another day of talks, they found themselves greeted by a rare sight in the United Arab Emirates — a protest. From activism about the Israel-Hamas war to environmental issues, activists allowed into the UAE can demonstrate under strict guidelines in this autocratic nation. Others from organizations long banned by the country also have been let in, providing them some the opportunity for the first time in over a decade to offer criticism — though many acknowledge it may see them never allowed back in the country. The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms led by Abu Dhabi’s ruler, bans political parties and labor unions. All power rests in each emirate’s hereditary ruler. Broad laws tightly restrict speech and nearly all major local media are either state-owned or state-affiliated outlets.Laws also criminalize the very few protests that take place by foreign laborers ...

Richmond pastor accused of kidnapping, molesting child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

RICHMOND, Calif. (KRON) -- A Richmond pastor is behind bars, charged with kidnapping and molesting a child.Richmond police say the victim is under the age of 14 and a member of the pastor's congregation and they may not be the only victim.A betrayal of trust, a spiritual leader and authority figure taking advantage of a child. Friday, 53-year-old Victor Hernandez-Pineda was arrested by Richmond police in Oakland. He is charged with multiple counts of kidnapping and continuously molesting a child. Alameda County DA Pamela Price’s office changes course after excluding some journalists from briefings Herrnandez-Pineda is a pastor at Iglesia Pentecostal Movimiento de Gloria, a Spanish-language Christian church on 3rd Street near MacDonald Avenue in Richmond. Police Sergeant Leah Joseph is a parent herself, and she knows the challenges that come with trying to keep kids safe."My kids are young so yeah it is difficult to manage that," she said. Joseph says her best advice to keep your c...

Davis has 27 points and 14 rebounds, Lakers keep Rockets winless on road with 107-97 victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston 107-97 on Saturday night, keeping the Rockets winless on the road.Austin Reaves added 18 points off the bench and LeBron James had 16 points and seven assists.Fred VanVleet scored 22 points and Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who dropped their third in a row overall while falling to 0-8 away from home. Houston coach Ime Udoka was ejected with 8:35 remaining in the game after picking up his second technical for jawing with James, who also got a tech.“We had some conversation and they didn’t like what they heard,” Udoka said, referring to the referees.The Lakers dominated the paint, 54-34, and their bench outscored Houston’s reserves 33-24. Sengun scored 12 points in the third, when the Rockets outscored the Lakers 28-20 and trailed 86-72 going into the fourth.After allowing Houston to shoot 60% from the floor in the first quarter, when Davi...

Cuatro muertos en una explosión en el servicio masivo de este domingo en el gimnasio de una universidad filipina

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

(CNN) — Al menos cuatro personas murieron y diez resultaron heridas a causa de una explosión en una misa dominical celebrada en un gimnasio universitario de Filipinas.La explosión tuvo lugar en Marawi, en la isla sureña de Mindanao, este domingo por la mañana, según CNN Filipinas, afiliada de CNN.Las fotografías de la escena mostraban a soldados y trabajadores de emergencia parados entre los escombros en el gimnasio. Una sección de la zona de asientos explotó y las sillas quedaron esparcidas por el suelo.El gobernador de la provincia de Lanao del Sur, Mamintal Adiong Jr., afirmó que se había producido un “violento bombardeo” contra un gimnasio de la Universidad Estatal de Mindanao durante una misa dominical.En un tuit de este domingo, el presidente filipino Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condenó el ataque y lo describió como “sin sentido y muy atroz, perpetrado por terroristas extranjeros”. No nombró ningún grupo específico ni dio más detalles.I condemn in the strongest possible terms t...

LAFC will play for back-to-back MLS Cup titles after beating Houston 2-0 in Western Conference final

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After the longest season in Major League Soccer history, Los Angeles FC still has one more week of work to do.If the club completes its final assignment as well as it handled Saturday night, the reward will be historic.Ryan Hollingshead scored late in the first half and defending champion LAFC advanced to its second straight MLS Cup Final with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.Houston’s Franco Escobar scored an own goal in the 80th minute to seal the Western Conference Final for LAFC, which will travel to Columbus next weekend to play for the title. The Crew beat FC Cincinnati 3-2 in a thriller earlier Saturday.LAFC, an expansion club in its sixth year of competition, has the chance to become MLS’ first back-to-back champions since the LA Galaxy (2011-12). LAFC never faded or wilted in its 52nd match of 2023 — an MLS record for games in a calendar year, thanks to the club’s competition in several non-league tournaments.“Very proud of what we’...

Por qué los activistas por la paz de Israel están reevaluando su posición sobre la guerra

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

(CNN) —  Cuando la activista de derechos humanos Ziv Stahl se despertó con el estallido de los disparos de cohetes el 7 de octubre, mientras se encontraba en la casa de su hermana en el kibutz Kfar Aza, no anticipó ni por un momento la escala del ataque terrorista que se estaba desarrollando a su alrededor. Tampoco se imaginó el horror que sentiría cuando más tarde llamó a la policía, quienes “básicamente me dijeron que no vendría nadie”.Ese día, su cuñada murió en manos de militantes de Hamas y a varios destacados activistas por la paz que vivían en el kibutz, una de las comunidades que sufrió la peor parte del ataque a Israel.Stahl, directora ejecutiva de la organización de derechos humanos Yesh Din, dice que no pide venganza por lo ocurrido ese día ni adopta una posición pacifista sobre la consiguiente guerra de Israel en Gaza contra Hamas. “No estoy diciendo un alto el fuego a cualquier precio”, afirmó. “Israel tiene derecho a defenderse y proteger a los ...

Carcone and Kerfoot help Arizona Coyotes beat St. Louis Blues 4-1 for 4th straight win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Michael Carcone scored for the fourth time in three games, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists for Arizona, which had a 3-0 lead after one period. Nick Schmaltz and Matias Maccelli also scored, and Connor Ingram made 31 saves for his fourth straight win.The Coyotes’ season-best winning streak has come against the last four Stanley Cup champions — Colorado (2022), Tampa Bay (2020-21), Vegas (2023) and St. Louis (2019).Kerfoot got an empty-netter with 1:15 remaining. He has five assists in the last three games.Brandon Saad scored in the third period for the Blues, who had won four of six. Joel Hofer made 18 stops.DUCKS 4, AVALANCHE 3, SOANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anaheim rookie Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist and added the shootout winner as the Ducks snapped an eight-game losing streak.Alex Killorn and Adam Henrique also scored for Anaheim. John Gibson, w...

Kings overcome Jokic’s 8th triple-double of the season, beat Nuggets 123-117

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox had 26 points and a career-high 16 assists, Malik Monk made a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and the Sacramento Kings beat the Denver Nuggets 123-117 on Saturday night to spoil Nikola Jokic’s NBA-leading eighth triple-double.The Kings led comfortably most of the might before Denver made its best run of the night to get to 112-110 with four minutes left on Jokic’s only 3-pointer of the game.Fox then made a contested jumper in the key, before Monk’s corner 3-pointer with 1:11 helped seal it as chants of “Light the beam! Light the beam” broke out inside Golden 1 Center.“Fantastic, fantastic night from our best player when we needed it the most,” Kings coach Mike Brown said about Fox. “He has to step up in games like this for us to win.”Jokic finished with 36 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, the 114th career triple-double for Denver’s big man. The rest of the NBA had eight triple-doubles combined going into the night.“You’re never g...

Chavez kicks 29-yard FG in OT to help Idaho beat S. Illinois 20-17, advance to FCS quarters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Jermaine Jackson returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, Ricardo Chavez kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime and No. 4 seed Idaho beat Southern Illinois 20-17 Saturday night in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Idaho (9-3) advances to play No. 5 seed Albany in the quarterfinals.Idaho’s Marcus Harris tackled Ro Elliott for 3-yard loss on the first play of overtime, Nic Baker was pressured into an incomplete pass on the second and then Harris picked off a pass from Baker to end SIU’s drive. Anthony Woods ran for a 16-yard gain on the next play from scrimmage but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Turon Ivy Jr. after the play backed up the Vandals to the 24. Woods then had consecutive carries for 6, 5, 0 and 4 yards to set up the winning field goal by Chavez. The Vandals played their first FCS postseason game at the Kibbie Dome since they beat Boston University 21-14 in a second-round matchup on Dec. 4, 1993. Elliott took the hand off, worked...

Iowa defense slows down No. 2 Michigan, but stagnant offense costly for No. 18 Hawkeyes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:44 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — No. 18 Iowa won the Big Ten West by mucking things up for everyone else.The Hawkeyes’ strategy failed them Saturday.While the defense did its part by holding one of the nation’s best offenses to two touchdowns and four field goals, their offensive struggles resurfaced in a 26-0 loss to No. 2 Michigan — their second conference title-game loss to the Wolverines in three years. Tonight is a low point,” coach Kirk Ferentz said following the second shutout in the Big Ten’s 13-game history. “These guys laid it out there. This guy (linebacker Jay Higgins), plus a bunch of other guys, laid it out there. Everybody laid it out there. Didn’t go our way, but they’ll get back on their feet because that’s the kind of people they are. For Iowa (10-3, No. 16 CFP), it was all too familiar.The Hawkeyes entered championship week with the FBS’ No. 4 scoring defense and it didn’t disappoint. Iowa sacked Big Ten quarterback of the year J.J. McCarthy...