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Zimbabwe’s opposition leader tells AP intimidation is forcing voters to choose ruling party or death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of violating the law and tearing apart independent institutions to cling to power. In an interview with The Associated Press, Nelson Chamisa also warned that any evidence of tampering by Mnangagwa’s ruling party in this month’s elections could lead to “total disaster” for a beleaguered nation that is in economic ruin and already under United States and European Union sanctions for its human rights record.Chamisa, who will challenge Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party’s 43-year hold on power in an Aug. 23 vote, claimed widespread intimidation against his opposition party ahead of the elections.Chamisa said Mnangagwa has utilized institutions like the police and the courts to crack down on critical figures, ban opposition rallies and prevent candidates from standing. He laid out a series of concerns that indicate the country, with its history of violent and dispute...

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agree to synchronise their electricity grids with the European Continental grid in early 2025

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

The Commission warmly welcomes the agreement by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to accelerate the integration of their electricity grids with the Continental Europe network (CEN) and their disconnection from Russia and Belarus.Under a joint declaration signed this morning by the three Prime Ministers, the deadline for synchronisation is brought forward from the end of 2025 (as initially established by political declarations in 2018 and 2019) to February 2025. Today's political declaration follows an agreement between the respective Transmission System Operators (TSOs) earlier this week on the steps for accomplishing the fully-fledged synchronisation in February 2025.The relevant grids reinforcements are a Project of Common Interest (PCI) on the Union's fifth PCI list under the TEN-E Regulation and have received record financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy of more than € 1.2 billion. The full integration of the Baltic States into the internal energy market wi...

Video captures terrifying moment driver runs man over in Torrance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was violently slammed into by a driver in broad daylight.The victim, Ken Teshima, a 66-year-old grandfather, is releasing the video in hopes the suspect will be located and arrested.Video of the incident was captured on July 30 around noontime at an office complex parking lot in Torrance.The suspect is seen speeding up a gray sedan straight into Teshima and knocking him over onto the sidewalk.“I went flying and I fell here,” Teshima recalled. “He was out to kill me. He hit me so hard, as fast as his car could go. Fortunately, when I hit the sign here, his car hit the post and it stopped his car. But I kept going and fell over there.”The sudden impact knocked Teshsima over and he hit his head on the concrete below.Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was hospitalized after being slammed into by a driver on July 30, 2023. (Ken Teshima)Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was hospitalized after being slam...

Authorities pursue erratic, high-speed stolen vehicle in L.A. County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

Authorities pursued a stolen vehicle in Los Angeles County on Thursday night.The pursuit began in Lakewood as the suspect driver was seen leading Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies on a high-speed chase.The driver was seen erratically crossing freeway lanes while hitting speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. At times, the suspect drove without headlights while narrowly missing other vehicles.Later on, officers from California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit as it continued into the night. Eventually, the suspect crashed and was taken into custody.

Rock throwing vandal causing thousands of dollars in damage to buildings in Pomona 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

Police in Pomona are working to identify and locate a woman who has caused thousands of dollars in damage to several buildings – including a church – over the last several months. One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. “It is very disappointing and discouraging,” said Pastor Patrick Horn. “It’s close to a thousand dollars per month or so repairing windows and doors and locks, and it’s adding up...we are probably close to $20,000 over the last few years in just repairs.” One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. (KTLA)The house of worship isn’t the only place being targeted by the unknown vandal; a Chinese restaurant located down the street from the church has been hit by the same suspect six times in the last two weeks, leaving the ...

Crews combat San Jose hills grass fire burning near structures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

SAN JOSE – Local and state fire crews on Thursday night were continuing to battle a tier-three grass fire burning in the hills east of San Jose.The blaze, dubbed the Clayton Fire, ignited around 2:30 p.m. at Clayton Road and Via De La Vista, according to Cal Fire.At 4:40 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department reported forward progress of the fire had been stopped.Charred grasslands that were burned due to the Clayton Fire in the east San Jose hills near the corner of Clayton Road and Via De La Vista. (San Jose Fire Department)The blaze covered 66 acres and was 30% contained as of 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire.“Units will remain at the scene through the night,” Cal Fire said in a social media post.Cal Fire helicopter siphons water from Lake Cunningham in San Jose to help with airdrops against the Clayton Fire in the San Jose hills. (San Jose Fire Department Twitter)The fire briefly threatened multiple structures in the area.A Cal Fire helicopter at one point siphoned water from...

Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith says team won’t let her use practice facility

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Mercury star Skylar Diggins-Smith said Thursday in a social media post that she’s been barred from the team’s practice facility while she is on maternity leave from the team.The six-time All-Star hasn’t played for the Mercury this season after the birth of her second child.Diggins-Smith made the allegations when responding to a post on X about the Mercury not celebrating her birthday on social media. She wrote: “They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys. We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources.”Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue was asked about Diggins-Smith before Thursday night’s game against Atlanta, but she didn’t say much about the situation.“Skylar is on maternity leave right now and as we do with players on maternity leave, we give them their space,” Blue said.___WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-...

Pac-12 being pushed to brink as Big Ten joins Big 12 in honing in on West Coast schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

The Big Ten has joined the Big 12 in pushing the Pac-12 to the brink.Arizona is in serious talks to join the Big 12, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Big Ten is discussing membership with Oregon and Washington, two people with direct knowledge of those talks told the AP.All spoke on condition of anonymity because nothing has been made official by the schools or conferences involved.None of the news bodes well for the Pac-12’s survival.The boards of regents for Arizona’s two biggest universities, along with the University of Washington, had special meetings Thursday night, ramping up speculation that more Pac-12 schools could leave the flailing conference.The person with direct knowledge of the Arizona situation also said that Arizona State was mulling jumping to the Big 12, too, but was not as far along in the process. That could slow down Arizona’s final decision because the Tucson-based school would...

Danish PM: Banning Quran burning would not reduce freedom of expression

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke out for the first time on the burning of the Quran in her country, saying that a potential ban on setting fire to the religious text would not limit freedom of expression. “I don’t consider it a restriction on freedom of expression that you can’t burn other people’s books,” Frederiksen said in an interview published Thursday. “It is not a slippery slope,” she added, referring to a debate triggered after the Danish government announced a potential ban on Quran burnings on Sunday.Last week, far-right protesters organized anti-Islam demonstrations and burned copies of the Quran in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned these acts and said the small number of people responsible did not represent Danish society or values.“There is a concrete security risk. And then there is a risk that we will become isolated on the i...

South Korea detains suspect in high school teacher’s stabbing a day after separate attack wounded 14

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police detained a man suspected of stabbing a high school teacher with a knife Friday in the city of Daejeon. The stabbing follows a separate, apparently random attack on Thursday in which 14 people were wounded near a busy subway station in Seongnam.Officials at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency didn’t immediately release the personal details of the suspect in the Friday morning attack on the teacher at Songchon High School, describing him only as a man in his late 20s.According to police, the suspect waited for the teacher to step out of a classroom before stabbing him and fleeing the scene, which, according to officials, suggests they were acquaintances. Police and fire department authorities did not specify the teacher’s health condition.The attack in Daejeon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Seongnam, came hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol called for “ultra-strong” law enforcement measures to restore faith in public safety a...