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Opinion: Why is Biden silent on Modi and India’s slide toward autocracy?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

India’s democracy is in danger. There is no sound moral, political or economic case for President Joe Biden and other democratic leaders to pretend this isn’t happening.Yet the red carpets keep being rolled out. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be welcomed for a lavish state dinner at the White House on Thursday aimed at fostering a “free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific” region.On India’s current trajectory toward repression, this will be impossible to achieve, in the Indo-Pacific or in India itself. The country now ranks 161st on the World Press Freedom Index. Freedom House and the Economist Intelligence Unit say it is no longer a fully free democracy.This matters to us all. India is in effect the world’s biggest swing state in the struggle between democracies and autocracies. It is both the world’s largest democracy and a vital ally of the West in its rivalry with China.The challenge for Biden and other world leaders is how to get a genuine win for democrac...

Correction: Lebanon-UNRWA story

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — In a story published June 20, 2023, about the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians, The Associated Press erroneously reported that donors at a pledging conference earlier this month provided only $107 million in new funds. The donors actually pledged $115.2 million, of which only $13.2 million were new funds.Source

Swiss central bank urges review of ‘too big to fail’ bank safeguards after Credit Suisse debacle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Switzerland’s central bank said the government and regulators should carry out an in-depth review of rules aimed at preventing disastrous bank collapses, saying key guardrails failed to prevent Credit Suisse from needing to be rescued by Swiss competitor UBS.The Swiss National Bank scrutinized several of the safeguards imposed in the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis that were aimed at preventing a repeat. The central bank concluded that several “too big to fail” rules designed to avoid the collapse of a major global bank were inadequate and may even have delayed action to ward off disaster.“Looking forward, the experience with Credit Suisse shows the need for a review of the TBTF framework in order to facilitate early intervention,” the central bank said in its annual financial stability report published Thursday. “It is now up to the authorities to carry out an in-depth review and draw lessons, also in view of the higher systemic importa...

IOC banishes boxing governing body from Olympics, but the sport will still be at the Paris Games

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Boxing Association was banished from the Olympic family on Thursday, ending a years-long dispute fueled by defying advice and instructions from the IOC. Boxing, however, will keep its status as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games.The International Olympic Committee voted to derecognize the IBA at a specially called meeting — an outcome that was inevitable after being recommended two weeks ago by the executive board, a body chaired by IOC president Thomas Bach.The vote was 69-1, with 10 members abstaining.Boxing was never really in danger of being kicked out of the Olympics over the four years since the IOC suspended the sport’s governing body in an effort to force changes.“We highly value the sport of boxing. We have an extremely serious problem with IBA because of their governance,” Bach told IOC members during their online meeting.The dispute centered on the IBA’s management under presidents from Uzbekistan and Russia who t...

Una mujer acusada de matar a sus dos hijos recién nacidos, los mantuvo en el congelador durante años

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

Corea del Sur (CNN) — La Policía de Corea del Sur dice que solicitó una orden de arresto para una mujer acusada de matar a dos de sus hijos recién nacidos y mantener sus cuerpos en su congelador durante años.Un agente de la Policía Provincial de Gyeonggi Nambu le dijo a CNN que la mujer, de unos 30 años, admitió haber matado a los bebés y dijo que lo hizo porque enfrentaba dificultades económicas para cuidar a sus otros tres hijos, de 12, 10 y 8 años.Los recién nacidos tenían solo un día cuando murieron, agregó el funcionario.Su primera presunta víctima fue su cuarto hijo, nacido en un hospital en noviembre de 2018. La Policía alega que estranguló a la niña al día siguiente de dar a luz y puso el cuerpo en el congelador de su casa. Está acusada de hacer lo mismo con su quinto hijo, un niño nacido en noviembre de 2019.Indultan a Kathleen Folbigg, una mujer de Australia que cumplió 20 años en prisión por matar a sus cuatro bebésSu esposo dijo que le habían dicho que los dos niño...

NHLPA launches a new program to help players prepare for retirement, life after hockey

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

Early in his time in the NHL, Darnell Nurse says he did not notice a lot of players talking about what to do after hockey. Going into his ninth season, the chatter is now normal.“People are curious as to what there is outside the game and what you can do to prepare yourself,” Nurse said.Plenty of players have taken it upon themselves to prepare for the future, like Zdeno Chara getting his real estate license and others finishing college degrees or exploring business opportunities. The NHL Players’ Association on Thursday launched a program that gives its members the chance to do a personality analysis and delve into real estate, business or other avenues while still in the league.The hope is to ease what the transition to life after playing.“It’s something that’s been missing a little bit,” veteran center Lars Eller told The Associated Press. “It’s kind of well known that one of the struggles for a professional athlete is the transition on to the next thing once he...

Trump recibe el primer lote de pruebas en su contra en el caso de documentos clasificados, incluidas cintas de audio

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

(CNN) — El fiscal especial Jack Smith comenzó a presentar pruebas en el caso de los documentos de Mar-a-Lago a Donald Trump, según un expediente judicial publicado este miércoles que insinúa que los investigadores recopilaron para el caso múltiples grabaciones del expresidente, no solo el audio de una entrevista que Trump dio en Bedminster para las próximas memorias de Mark Meadows.En la presentación, los fiscales utilizaron el plural “entrevistas” para describir las grabaciones de Trump, realizadas con su consentimiento, obtenidas por el fiscal especial que fueron entregadas a su equipo de defensa. No está claro de qué pueden ser las grabaciones adicionales o cuán relevantes serán para el caso del Departamento de Justicia contra el expresidente, aunque las grabaciones incluyen la cinta de Bedminster donde Trump habla sobre un documento militar secreto a un escritor y otros, dijeron los fiscales en la presentación.La actualización de los fiscales a la corte este miércoles por ...

Se espera que la tormenta tropical Bret golpee las islas del este del Caribe con fuertes lluvias y vientos

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

(CNN) — Se espera que la tormenta tropical Bret azote las islas del este del Caribe este jueves, y que azote la región con fuertes vientos y lluvias que podrían causar inundaciones y olas peligrosas.La tormenta tropical Bret está “preparada para traer fuertes vientos y fuertes lluvias a partes de las Islas de Sotavento más tarde hoy y esta noche”, dijo el Centro Nacional de Huracanes en su actualización de las 5 a.m. hora del este de EE.UU.Bret tiene vientos de 112 km/h, y está ubicado a unos 320 kilómetros al este de Barbados y se mueve hacia el oeste a 24 km/h. Los vientos con fuerza de tormenta tropical se extienden hacia afuera hasta 185 km desde el centro. Se pronostican pocos cambios en la fuerza hoy, mientras que Bret se acerca a las Antillas Menores más tarde este jueves.La tormenta tropical Bret, que tiene aproximadamente la misma fuerza de un huracán, se moverá este jueves por la noche a través de partes del grupo de islas de las Antillas Menores del Caribe oriental,...

Denver Weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for another round of severe storms on Thursday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Strong to severe thunderstorms return in the Denver weather forecast Thursday ahead of a sunny weekend. Thursday is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for more rain and possible hail.Pinpoint Weather Alert Day on June 22 Red Rocks hail storm: Nearly 100 concertgoers hurt The main concerns with Thursday's thunderstorms will be heavy rainfall, hail, damaging wind gusts and abundant lightning strikes returning in the afternoon Weather today: Afternoon thunderstormsAnother round of thunderstorms will move in on Thursday. There is a slight risk of those storms becoming strong to severe, especially in the afternoon. The biggest concern with stronger storms will be large hail, damaging winds and even isolated tornadoes.Pinpoint Weather: Severe storm outlook on June 22. Temperatures won't be as warm as Wednesday. They will climb into the 70s. Pinpoint Weather: Daily highs on June 22. Weather tonight: Clearing, mild Rain and thunderstorms will clear Thursday night as low tem...

Explorer shares insight after trip to wreckage of Titanic

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The search continues for a submersible vessel, known as the Titanic, that disappeared Sunday. It was carrying five people on the way to the Titanic ruins.Explorer Nik Halik, currently in Colorado, is one of about 50 people to ever see the Titanic ruins. “It’s almost like a right of passage for an explorer to go down there and document the wreck and archive it because it’s an immortal,” Halik said.  Missing sub search ‘a huge challenge,’ retired Navy officer explains Halik said he went twice in 2005 as part of an expedition while he was living in Russia at the time. Nik Halik said he's made the trip down to the wreckage of the Titanic twice. (Courtesy: Nik Halik)“I became the very first person since the sinking to have lunch on the Titanic,” Halik said. “One thing I will never forget is the surreal sight of the amount of suitcases scattered around the wreck of the Titanic.” For his trip, Halik said it took about four hours to descend.  This is the sub Hali...