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UN urges Afghanistan’s Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday it has documented more than 1,600 cases of human rights violations committed by authorities in Afghanistan during arrests and detentions of people, and urged the Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees.Nearly 50% of the violations consisted of “torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said.The report by the mission’s Human Rights Service covered 19 months — from January 2022 until the end of July 2023 — with cases documented across 29 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. It said 11% of the cases involved women.It said the torture aimed at extracting confessions and other information included beatings, suffocation, suspension from the ceiling and electric shocks. Cases that were not considered sufficiently credible and reliable were not included in the report, it said.The Taliban have promised a more moderate rule than during their previous pe...

Human rights breaches in Guatemala, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

Last week, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situations in Guatemala, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh, Plenary session, AFET, DROI.Guatemala: the situation after the elections, the rule of law, and judicial independenceMEPs call on all Guatemalan political parties, branches of government and institutions to respect the integrity of the electoral process and the electoral outcome clearly expressed by Guatemalan citizens in 2023 elections.Congratulating Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera from Movimiento Semilla on their election as President and Vice President, MEPs call on all state institutions and sectors of society to support an orderly transition and transfer of power.The resolution points to continuous attempts to suspend the Movimiento Semilla and condemns any action, especially from the Ministerio Publico, to overturn the outcome of the elections. It deplores continued efforts to criminalise independent judicial operators, and the instrumentalisat...

Dear Abby: Everyone heard him call his co-worker baby, and I was humiliated

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I went to his co-worker “Tina’s” house on a Friday night to socialize and play trivia games. We had been at her place before, for a Christmas party.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: He never wants to see me again, but we may be thrown together Advice | Dear Abby: How can I break my wife of her rude obsession? Advice | Dear Abby: I take all these tests, and I still don’t know what I’m good at Advice | Dear Abby: She was offended that I called her son’s behavior creepy Advice | Dear Abby: My boss doesn’t see what the new co-worker is doing This time, Tina wore a short skirt, and when she sat down you could see all the way up to her black lace panties. During our “heads-up” game she sat right across from my fiance. While people were laughing and having fun drinking and playing games, all I could notice were her panties and Tina...

Family reunion: Brusdar Graterol’s mom sees her son pitch for first time in the majors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brusdar Graterol never gave up hope that his mother would be able to see him pitch in person in the major leagues.On Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, it finally happened.Graterol’s mother, Ysmalia, was in a suite and saw her son pitch a scoreless eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.“It was so incredible. I’ve always wanted to pitch in front of my mom. Being so successful as I’ve been pitching lately, it was so emotional and nice to have her here,” Graterol said through an interpreter after the game. “We never really gave up on any situation and luckily we found a way to get her to the United States.”Graterol saw his mom for the first time in seven years on Sunday night when she arrived from Venezuela. The 25-year old right-hander said he was paralyzed with emotion the first time they saw each other.“All I heard my mom say was that I was very big and very beautiful,” he said. “And the only thing tha...

A look at Canada and India and their relationship, by the numbers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

Tensions between Canada and India have escalated over the assassination of a Sikh independence advocate in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was investigating credible allegations that Indian government agents were connected to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but India has rejected the allegations as absurd.India has long demanded that Canada take action against the Sikh independence movement, which is banned in India but has support among the sizable Sikh diaspora populations overseas, including in Canada and the U.K.Here is a look at the relationship between the countries, by the numbers:POPULATIONCanada is home to nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, about 3.7% of the country’s total population, according to the 2021 census. More than 770,000 people reported their religion as Sikhism, about 2% of Canada’s population, and in 2019, the government designated April as Sikh Heritage Month.India is the world&#...

Azerbaijan claims big advance in Nagorno-Karabakh as civilians shelter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia — Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan’s military offensive against the breakaway region stretches into a second day.Locals living in the ethnic-Armenian controlled region, surrounded on all sides by Azerbaijani troops, sought refuge in basements Tuesday night amid a massive artillery barrage. Siranush Sargsyan, a local journalist, wrote online that she had spent the night in a bomb shelter. “I don’t know if we will wake up,” she said.In a briefing Wednesday morning, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense spokesman, Anar Eyvazov, insisted that Azerbaijan is not targeting civilians, but the South Caucasus country accuses Armenian commanders of stationing troops in residential areas.“The Azerbaijani army is reported to have suppressed by now the resistance of Armenian military units and to have broken the line of contact in several directions,” Vaqif Sadiqov, Azerbaijan’s EU ambassador, wrot...

Tory row erupts as Rishi Sunak eyes rollback of key green plans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

LONDON — Splits in Britain’s governing Conservative Party burst into the open Wednesday morning after a report that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to loosen a host of key environmental policies.The BBC reported late Tuesday that seven green policies now face a rethink. It prompted a hurried response from No. 10 Downing Street and a statement from Sunak confirming he’ll be making a speech this week — but insisting he remains committed to the U.K.’s headline goal of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.“No leak will stop me beginning the process of telling the country how and why we need to change,” Sunak said.“As a first step, I’ll be giving a speech this week to set out an important long-term decision we need to make so our country becomes the place I know we all want it to be for our children.”Changes reportedly under consideration include shifting a 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales to 2035; phasing out 80 p...

BB&N back MacCormack ‘obviously special’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

WATERTOWN — Maybe it is fitting that, when Buckingham, Browne & Nichols football coach Mike Willey was asked to pick a moment he knew Bo MacCormack would be special, it was not even an offensive play.That’s because MacCormack, the game-changing running back for the Knights, does so much more than just run the ball well. His versatility is undeniable.The play in question actually came on special teams two years ago, when the Westford native was a freshman.“Bo’s obviously special. He’s been special since he got here,” Willey said. “I think one of the things that really set a memory in my mind is we’re playing Governor’s, always a well-coached team. He was starting running back that game and played outstanding on offense. But he was also on the kickoff (return) team, and he recovered a surprise onside kick, where it took a lot of courage to go in there and get it. I was like, ‘Wow, this kid is carrying the football for us. He...

Israel’s Netanyahu will meet Biden in New York. The location is seen as a sign of US displeasure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to have his long-coveted meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday — bringing together the two leaders for the first time since the Israeli leader took office at the helm of his country’s far-right government late last year.Netanyahu has been a frequent visitor to the White House over the years, and Israeli leaders are typically invited within weeks of taking office. The lengthy delay in setting up the meeting with Biden, and the White House decision to hold the meeting in New York rather than Washington, have been widely interpreted in Israel as signs of U.S. displeasure with Netanyahu’s new government.“Meeting at the White House symbolizes close relations and friendship and honor, and the denial of that shows exactly the opposite,” said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. “This is not going to be a pleasant meeting,” Gilboa said. “It is going to be a sour meeting.”The White ...

UK leader Rishi Sunak signals plan to backtrack on some climate goals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to water down some of Britain’s climate commitments, saying the country must fight climate change without penalizing workers and consumers. Sunak issued a late-night statement Tuesday in response to a BBC report saying the prime minister is considering extending deadlines for bans on new gasoline and diesel cars – currently due in 2030 —- and on new natural-gas home heating. Sunak said that in a speech this week he will set out a “proportionate” approach to the environment. He did not set a date for the speech, which could come as early as Wednesday.“For too many years politicians in governments of all stripes have not been honest about costs and trade offs,” Sunak said in a statement. “Instead they have taken the easy way out, saying we can have it all.”Sunak did not confirm details of his announcements. He said he would keep a promise to reduce the U.K.’s emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases to net ze...