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Macron says France will end military presence in Niger

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

By Angela Charlton and Dalatou Mamane | Associated PressPARIS — President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed the democratically elected president.Niger’s junta said in response that the announcement signals a “new step towards the sovereignty” of the country.“Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway,” it said in a statement.The announcement was a significant, if expected, blow to France’s policy in Africa, with French troops having had to pull out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight Islamic extremist groups.France has maintained some 1,500 troops in ...

Looking to 2024, SF Giants have a (real, five-man) rotation taking shape

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Five different guys, taking the ball every fifth day, going as deep into a game as they can. It’s the platonic ideal for most baseball teams, and the San Francisco Giants are no exception, despite what you have witnessed this season.They have the major-league leader in innings pitched, Logan Webb, but their starters have thrown the fewest innings in the majors. A rookie reliever has started the fourth-most games on staff, more than either of the free agents they brought in to start games.It doesn’t have to be this way.“Every team wants to be able to run four starters out there every time through,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler, the skipper who has made more treks to the pitcher’s mound prior to the third inning than any other this season. “Give them the ball and see if they can get into the sixth or the seventh inning and then give it to your guys who are short sprinters. I don’t think that ambition will ever go away for us.̶...

Bay Area daycare employee sentenced to 25 years for molesting 4-to-6-year-olds and filming it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — A former Bay Area daycare worker has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting young children, secretly filming their private parts and distributing the footage to other pedophiles online, federal prosecutors announced Monday.Jace Wong, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Donato. Wong pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple federal offenses, including production, distribution and possession of child pornography.Federal prosecutors say the range of videos taken and distributed by Wong included “hands-on” molestation, as well as secret recordings of kids using the restroom. Many of the victims were between the ages of 4 and 6 and attended two daycare centers where Wong worked — Mission Neighborhood Centers in San Francisco and Cape Inc. in Livermore, prosecutors said.After taking the videos, Wong distributed them on chat group messenger apps like Kik, authorities said.In a lengthy sentencing memo, Wong’s attorney q...

Blast rocks Nagorno-Karabakh as 1,000s flee to Armenia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

By Avet Demourian | Associated PressYEREVAN, Armenia — A powerful blast rocked the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region Monday evening as ethnic Armenians streamed out of the breakaway territory after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of it in a lighting offensive last week.The explosion at fuel storage facility near the regional capital of Stepanakert wounded more than 200 people, Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was not immediately clear what caused the blast, which happened as residents were lining up to get fuel for their cars in order to leave the region.The majority of the victims were in “severe or extremely severe” condition, Stepanyan said, adding that the victims would need to be airlifted out of the region for medical treatment to save their lives. It was not immediately clear if there were any deaths.The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forci...

Warriors GM Dunleavy addresses Kerr, Klay extension talks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Training camp begins in less than a week and the Warriors have only a handful of loose ends to tie. Two of those biggest loose ends are possible extensions for head coach Steve Kerr and All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson.Thompson is entering the final year of his five-year, $189.9 million deal and is extension eligible. Kerr is on the final year of his contract and extension eligible, too. At a pre-training camp press conference on Monday, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the team wants both men back long term and that the feeling seems mutual, adding that there is “no timeline” for either deal to get done but they are “optimistic” both parties can agree on an extension.“I think there’s a desire to extend or be back or you know make sure those guys are in the fold with the Golden State Warriors moving forward,” he said. “I think both sides feel that way. I think when you’re working off that idea, yo...

San Jose: Driver hits, kills pedestrian in Willow Glen

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

SAN JOSE – A driver hit and killed a pedestrian Monday morning in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, police said.The collision happened around 6:20 a.m. at the intersection of Meridian Avenue and Willow Street, San Jose Police Department spokesperson Stacie Shih said in a statement.A man was walking westbound across Meridian Avenue in a marked crosswalk when he was hit by a woman driving a 2016 Honda sedan southbound on Willow Street, Shih said. The driver had the green light and the man had a red light, Shih added.The man was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office will release his identity once it is confirmed and his next of kin is notified.The death marked the 38th traffic fatality of the year on city streets. Of that number, 22 involved pedestrians. Police had investigated 50 roadway deaths at this time last year.Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Keith Aldinger at 408-277-46...

SFPD looking for hit-and-run suspect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The San Francisco Police Department is searching for a car that allegedly struck a motorcycle, causing both people on the motorcycle to be seriously injured. The crash happened on Sept. 8 just after 10 p.m. at Richardson Avenue and Lyon Street, near the Palace of Fine Arts. The male driver of the motorcycle and the female passenger were hospitalized for life-threatening injuries. They are still recovering. The driver of the car involved fled the scene and has still not been found. SFPD released images (below) of their car. SFPD is seeking the public's help with finding the suspect involved. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with "SFPD."

Chargers’ Brandon Staley relies on analytics for 4th-down calls, but play-calling must improve

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

Brandon Staley has his legion of critics when it comes to fourth-down calls, especially late in games.The third-year Los Angeles Chargers coach is at least consistent in his beliefs and trusts the math when he makes those decisions.“It’s your job as a head coach to make sure your team knows you have belief in them. I think we came here to win,” Staley said after Sunday’s 28-24 win at Minnesota. “It was a tough road game against a team that made the playoffs, so we were trying to go win the game, and I make no apologies for that.”It marked the second straight season in which the Chargers escaped with a road win after Staley’s decision to go for it on fourth down late in his own territory came up short.Joshua Kelley was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the LA 24-yard line with 1:47 remaining, giving Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense a short field to attempt a game-winning drive despite having no timeouts.The Chargers held on when Kenneth Murray Jr. intercepted a...

Ejército de Guatemala aumenta despliegue en la frontera con México por presencia de hombres armados en Chiapas

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

(CNN Español) — El Ejército de Guatemala envió este lunes a 400 soldados a la frontera con México, debido a la posibilidad de que miembros de cárteles de droga mexicanos intenten ingresar a su territorio, informó a CNN Rubén Téllez, portavoz de la institución militar.El grupo de 400 soldados se suma a otros 1.600 que ya estaban desplegados en el municipio de Asunción Tacaná, del departamento de San Marcos, fronterizo con México, explicaron las autoridades.Videos muestran caravana de hombres armados no identificados en ChiapasEl portavoz del Ejército dijo que recibieron denuncias de ciudadanos y solicitudes de gobiernos locales para incrementar la presencia militar en la zona.Videos que circulan en redes sociales y medios de comunicación en México mostraron este sábado una caravana de camionetas desfilando con hombres armados no identificados a bordo, cerca de la frontera con Guatemala.“Son cinco comunidades las que expresaron sentirse amenazadas, ya que posiblemente integrante...

Comisión de primarias opositoras en Venezuela no descarta asistencia técnica del poder electoral y conforma comisión mixta con el Consejo Nacional Electoral

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:26 GMT

(CNN Español) — El presidente del Consejo Nacional Electoral de Venezuela (CNE), Elvis Amoroso, anunció este lunes la formación de un grupo de trabajo con la Comisión Nacional de Primarias (CNP) de la oposición para evaluar la posibilidad de brindar asistencia técnica en las elecciones internas de la oposición programadas para el 22 de octubre.Aunque la Comisión Nacional de Primarias no ha dicho si acepta o no la propuesta del Poder Electoral, su presidente, Jesús María Casal, ratificó que en esa comisión se discutirán “todos los aspectos técnicos” de los comicios, e insistió en todo momento que se trata de discutir el apoyo que podría brindar el CNE.A un mes de las primarias opositoras de Venezuela, el Consejo Nacional Electoral anuncia que brindará asistencia técnicaA mediados de junio, la CNP anunció que celebraría una elección enteramente autogestionada después de que la Asamblea Nacional, de mayoría chavista, convocó a un proceso para sustituir a los rectores del Consejo ...