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An orangutan, chirping birds and a waterfall at Indonesian venue contrast to the pollution outside

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo will welcome fellow Asian and world leaders with a captivating jungle scene of a two-story waterfall, wild orchids and even an orangutan perched up a tree.The make-believe wilderness set up in elaborate detail in the huge lobby of the Jakarta Convention Center in the capital includes a widescreen video of a yellow beak hornbill gliding across an azure sky, swaying leaves and piped-in bird chirps.It’s a pleasant icebreaker for Widodo and his guests in Jakarta for a week of Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit talks starting Tuesday.“Indonesia wants to give the best hospitality,” Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told The Associated Press about the unique reception for ASEAN leaders and VIPs such as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.The convention center’s lobby was off-limits to the public and a sign barred videos and pictures until the jung...

Officials use soccer to highlight climate worries in India’s ecologically fragile Ladakh region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The players dribble and run like in any other soccer game. But within a minute or two, some stop in huff and puff, before pushing themselves on in an unusual challenge high in India’s remote and mountainous desert region of Ladakh.It’s the first of its kind “climate-friendly” football tournament in this ecologically fragile territory where oxygen is thin and breathing is hard. And when the wind picks up, usually in the afternoons, it brings sand and dust that cover the high-altitude stadium’s synthetic turf.The organizers say the ongoing “climate cup” in the town of Leh is the first in Asia to be held at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) and with a minimum carbon footprint. Four teams are participating in the Sept. 1-7 matches, held on alternate days.Before the matches began, the players took at least two days to acclimatize to the altitude. Still, they can’t play with the same intensity as on lower altitudes, organizers said. In ...

A half-century after Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s coup, some in Chile remember the dictatorship fondly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The world remembers Gen. Augusto Pinochet as the dictator whose regime tortured, killed and disappeared 3,065 people in the name of fighting communism.But as Chile marks the 50th anniversary next Monday of the coup that brought Pinochet to power for almost 17 years, many in the country don’t see it as a dark day. Amid a weak economy and a surge in violent crime, recent polls show that many Chileans don’t think human rights are as much of a priority.They are grappling with what they see as Pinochet’s complicated legacy at a time when a large number have told pollsters they are losing faith in democracy.“Before, there wasn’t as much wickedness as there is now,” said Ana María Román Vera, 62, who sells lottery tickets. “You didn’t see as many robberies.”A July poll by the Center for Public Studies, a Chile-based foundation, found that 66% of respondents agreed with the statement that rather than worry about the rights of individuals, the country needs...

Media Advisory: Hearing of Commissioner-designate Iliana Ivanova on 5 September 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

This advisory provides practical information on the hearing of Iliana Ivanova (Bulgaria) (pictured) taking place today (5 September) from 9.30 to 12.30.Ms Ivanova, Commissioner-designate for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, will be questioned by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Culture and Education Committee to assess her competences and suitability to become Commissioner, replacing Mariya Gabriel, who resigned on 15 May to become Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria.The hearing will take place in meeting room ANTALL 2Q2.You can watch the hearing live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS+.A press point by the committee chairs – still to be confirmed- is set to take place after the hearing, next to the meeting room.For further general information on the hearing and official documents, please see here.Written questions and answersMs Ivanova’s answers to the written questions from the relevant committees can be found here.Stru...

Power outage prompts closure of Santa Monica High School campus on Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

Officials with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced on Monday evening that Santa Monica High School will be closed for classes on Tuesday, Sept. 5 due to a power outage caused by a major blown fuse.  "District personnel and a high voltage electrical contractor have worked since Saturday morning to repair the wiring and replace the fuse,” district officials said in a news release. “The power will not be restored until late morning on Tuesday. We are asking that all Samohi students stay home for the day.”  Students attending other SMMUSD schools will have regularly scheduled classes on Tuesday. However, Samohi, which operates as the district kitchen for all Santa Monica schools, will require clean up and restocking of food supplies as a result of the outage.  Officials said that breakfast at other Santa Monica schools will be served as usual, and that lunch will be pizza, salads and fruit. “No special diet items will be available Tuesday,” the release no...

STAT WATCH: Shedeur Sanders’ passing numbers best for FBS first-timer, and he’s just getting started

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

Shedeur Sanders’ statistical superlatives. Say that three times fast. Those four words might start rolling off the tongue easily if he keeps putting up numbers like he did against TCU.His school-record 510 passing yards were the most by a player in his first Football Bowl Subdivision game since at least 1996, eclipsing the previous high of 450 by California’s Jared Goff against Northwestern in 2013.His 38 completions, on 47 attempts, are tied for the national season high through Week 1.His four touchdown passes were more than Colorado threw for as a team on the road in six games in 2022 (three).Travis Hunter was as impressive as his teammate, maybe moreso, in his FBS debut. The two-way player was on the field for more than 120 plays from scrimmage and was the first player in at least 20 years to intercept a pass and have 100 yards in receptions in the same game.Dylan Edwards, the first CU true freshman running back to start an opener since 1991, became the fourth true freshman...

Fan ejected from US Open match after German player said the man used language from Hitler’s regime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A fan was ejected from a U.S. Open tennis match early Tuesday morning after German player Alexander Zverev complained the man used language from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.Zverev, the No. 12 seed, was in the fourth set of his match against No. 6 Jannik Sinner when he suddenly went to chair umpire James Keothavong and pointed toward the fan, who was sitting in a section behind the umpire.Keothavong at first asked fans to be respectful to both players. However, during a changeover shortly after, the fan was identified by spectators seated near him, and he was removed by security.“A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev,” U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said, “The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.” Zverev went on to beat Sinner in five sets and will play defending U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.___AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisSource

Pruebas científicas en EE.UU. encuentran que el sistema inmunológico se defiende bien de la nueva variante del virus que causa el covid-19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

(CNN) — Dos equipos de científicos estadounidenses completaron experimentos de laboratorio que prueban los anticuerpos de estadounidenses vacunados e infectados para ver qué tan bien podrían defenderse de las variantes actualmente circulantes del virus que causa el covid-19, incluido el BA.2.86 altamente mutado.Sus resultados coinciden casi exactamente y las noticias, al menos en lo que respecta al BA.2.86, también denominado Pirola, son muy buenas. Nuestro sistema inmunológico puede reconocer y combatir esta variante tan bien como, y quizás incluso un poco mejor, que las variantes de la variante XBB que circulan actualmente.Es más, las personas que tuvieron las respuestas más sólidas contra BA.2.86 fueron aquellas que estuvieron dentro de los seis meses posteriores a una infección con la subvariante XBB. Esto sugiere que las vacunas covid-19 actualizadas este otoño, que están diseñadas para combatir XBB.1.5, brindarán protección adicional contra una variedad de linajes de cov...

Cuatro muertos en enfrentamiento con marinos en el norte de México

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — Cuatro hombres murieron el lunes en un enfrentamiento con efectivos de la Armada en la ciudad mexicana de Matamoros, donde en los últimos meses ha recrudecido la violencia debido a la presencia de grupos criminales.El choque armado ocurrió en una vía de Matamoros —fronteriza con Brownsville, Texas, y en el estado de Tamaulipas— donde presuntos integrantes de un grupo delictivo se enfrentaron a un convoy de la Secretaría de Marina, dijo a The Associated Press un agente estatal que habló en condición de anonimato porque no estaba autorizado a hacer declaraciones sobre el hecho.En el enfrentamiento también fueron incautados armas y equipos tácticos, indicó el funcionario estatal. Ningún integrante de la Secretaría resultó herido.La oficina de prensa de la Secretaría de Marina confirmó a AP que personal naval participó en el evento, pero no ofreció más detalles.La Vocería de Seguridad del estado de Tamaulipas dijo en su cuenta de la red social X que el enfrentamiento ...

The Joint Procurement Agreement: driving EU health solidarity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:34 GMT