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Zimbabwean women are reduced to cheerleaders in the upcoming election, activists say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — In a large hall at the headquarters of Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party, women responded with roaring cheers when President Emmerson Mnangagwa described them as the party’s “backbone” whose votes are vital to victory in elections scheduled for August.At a recent opposition rally, women with the face of their male party leader emblazoned on dresses and skirts sang, danced and promised to vote for change — never mind that the election again represents a status quo where women are largely limited to cheerleading.It appears worse this year because the number of women candidates has plummeted, despite women constituting the majority of the population and, traditionally, the biggest number of voters.“We have some of the best laws and policies on gender equality and women representation, but that’s just on paper. The reality on the ground is that the role of women in politics is restricted to being fervent supporters and dependable voters,” said Marufu Mandevere, a h...

Voting begins in Spain in an election that could see another EU country swing to the right

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Polling began Sunday in Spain in a general election that could make the country the latest European Union member to swing to the political right.Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers Party and its far-left partner, Unidas Podemos, took a severe beating in local and regional elections in May. Sánchez has been premier since 2018.Most opinion polls for Sunday’s voting have put the right-wing Popular Party, which won the May vote, ahead of the Socialists but likely needing the support of the extreme right Vox party if they want to form a government.Such a coalition would return a far-right force to the Spanish government for the first time since the country transitioned to democracy in the late 1970s following the nearly 40-year rule of dictator Francisco Franco. A PP-Vox government would mean another EU member has moved firmly to the right, a trend seen recently in Sweden, Finland and Italy. Countries such as Germany an...

Russia’s Zvonareva banned from entering Poland for WTA 250 tournament

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva has been banned from entering Poland for a WTA 250 tournament in Warsaw, Poland’s Ministry of the Interior says. A communique on the ministry website says the Border Guard on Friday prevented entry by the former world No.2, who flew in from Belgrade, on a French visa. She remained in the transit zone of the Warsaw airport and on Saturday flew to Podgorica, Montenegro. Zvonareva, currently ranked 60th, was to take part in the PNB Paribas Warsaw Open tournament that begins Monday. The 38-year-old player was still on the event’s participants’ list on Sunday. WTA said in a statement it was evaluating the situation. Poland, which supports Ukraine in its war against Russia’s aggression, said that Zvonareva was on a banned list and has not been allowed into the country for reasons of state and public security.The communique stressed that Poland is consistent in opposing the “regime of (Russian and Belarusian Presidents Vladim...

The 1975 cancels its shows in Jakarta and Taipei after band’s same-sex kiss controversy in Malaysia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — British pop rock band The 1975 announced on Sunday it was canceling its shows in Jakarta and Taipei after the Malaysian government cut short a music festival in the wake of the band’s lead singer slamming the country’s anti-gay laws and kissing a male bandmate during their performance.The 1975 was scheduled to have a performance at We The Fest, Indonesia’s annual summer music festival, in Jakarta on Sunday night, part of their 2023 Asia tour.“The 1975 regret to announce that their forthcoming shows in Jakarta and Taipei will no longer be going ahead as planned,” the group said in a statement posted on We The Fest’s social media platforms on Sunday. They added that the decision was not made lightly “but unfortunately due to the current circumstances, it is impossible to proceed with the current shows.”Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, does not prohibit LGBTQ rights except in the conservative Aceh province. Matt Healey, the lead ...

Israel’s Netanyahu recovers from heart procedure while judicial overhaul plan moves forward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering in hospital on Sunday after an emergency heart procedure while opposition to his government’s contentious judicial overhaul plan reached a fever pitch and unrest gripped the country. Netanyahu’s doctors said on Sunday the heart pacemaker implantation went smoothly and that Netanyahu, 73, felt fine. According to his office, he was expected to be discharged later in the day. But tensions were surging as lawmakers began a marathon debate over the first major piece of the overhaul, ahead of a vote in parliament enshrining it into law on Monday.Mass protests were set to continue. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Israel on Saturday night, while thousands marched into Jerusalem and camped out near the Knesset, or parliament, ahead of Monday’s vote.Netanyahu’s sudden hospitalization added another dizzying twist to an already dramatic series of events that are ce...

The latest Russian strike on Ukraine’s Odesa leaves 1 dead, many hurt and a cathedral badly damaged

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

ODESA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia struck the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa again on Sunday, local officials said, keeping up a barrage of attacks that has damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine in the past week. At least one person was killed and 22 others wounded in the attack in the early hours. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that four children were among those wounded in the blasts, which severely damaged the historic Transfiguration Cathedral, a landmark Orthodox cathedral in the city.Russia has been launching persistent attacks on Odesa, a key hub for exporting grain, since Moscow canceled a landmark grain deal on Monday amid Kyiv’s grinding efforts to retake its occupied territories.Kiper noted that six residential buildings, including apartment buildings, were destroyed by the strikes. In one such case in downtown Odesa, some people became trapped in their apartments as a result of the damage caused by the attack, which left rubble strewn in the street and...

Amanda Ilestedt’s late goal gives Sweden 2-1 win over South Africa at Women’s World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Amanda Ilestedt scored in the 89th minute to give Sweden a 2-1 win over South Africa in its Group G opener at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday and deny South Africa the first major upset of the tournament. South Africa shocked Sweden when Hildah Magaia scored in the 48th minute. But Sweden got on the board in the 64th minute with Fridolina Rolfo’s equalizer. Ilestedt then produced a perfect header from a corner with a minute left to help Sweden escape at the end of an unimpressive opening game effort.Sweden was expected to comfortably win the group and it’s first match against 54th-ranked South Africa looked to be it’s easiest. But after a scoreless first half, Sweden came out of the locker room flat and South Africa capitalized with the first goal of the match three minutes after the restart.Thembi Kgatlana dropped behind the defense and struck a high shot that keeper Zecira Musovic could only parry. Magaia hurled herself forwar...

Elon Musk dice que el logotipo de Twitter cambiará, los pájaros se abandonarán gradualmente

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

(CNN) — Elon Musk tuiteó en su cuenta oficial este domingo que Twitter cambiaría su logotipo a una “X” y que todos los pájaros desaparecerían de la plataforma.En una serie de tuits, Musk dijo: “Y pronto nos despediremos de la marca de Twitter y, gradualmente, de todos los pájaros”.En la misma serie de tuits, Musk publicó “píntalo de negro”, antes de lanzar una encuesta de usuarios para “cambiar el color predeterminado de la plataforma a negro”.Elon Musk dice que los ingresos publicitarios de Twitter han bajado un 50% y el flujo de caja es negativo“Si se publica un logotipo X lo suficientemente bueno esta noche, lo haremos funcionar en todo el mundo mañana”, continúa.“Así pero X”, agregó arriba de una ilustración de la icónica silueta del pájaro pero contra un fondo negro.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

Sweden 2, South Africa 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

South Africa01—1Sweden02—2First Half_None.Second Half_1, South Africa, Magaia, 48th minute; 2, Sweden, Rolfo, (Kaneryd), 65th; 3, Sweden, Ilestedt, (Asllani), 90th.Goalies_South Africa, Kaylin Swart, Andile Dlamini, Kebotseng Moletsane; Sweden, Zecira Musovic, Jennifer Falk, Tove Enblom.Yellow Cards_Biyana, South Africa, 74th; Jane, South Africa, 89th.Referee_Ekaterina Koroleva. Assistant Referees_Kathryn Nesbitt, Felisha Mariscal, Carol Anne Chenard. 4th Official_Kim Yujeong.___Source

Colocan marcapasos a Benjamin Netanyahu tras someterse a una cirugía en Israel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:34:08 GMT

(CNN) — El primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, recibió un marcapasos este domingo por la mañana temprano, una cirugía realizada justo antes de que la Knesset vote sobre un controvertido proyecto de ley de reforma judicial, según un comunicado de su oficina.El procedimiento ocurrió en el Hospital Tel Hashomer, dice el comunicado. El primer ministro fue sedado durante la cirugía.“Durante el procedimiento, el ministro de Justicia y el viceprimer ministro Yariv Levin ocupará su lugar”, agrega el comunicado.Netanyahu, de 73 años, anunció anteriormente en Twitter que se le colocaría el dispositivo, que envía pulsos eléctricos al corazón.La operación de Netanyahu fue realizada por una advertencia de un monitor cardíaco de que tenía un “bloqueo cardíaco transitorio”, dijo este domingo Eyal Nof, jefe del Servicio de Electrofisiología Invasiva en el Centro Médico Sheba.“Fue admitido de urgencia en el Centro Médico Sheba”, donde se llevó a cabo la operación, dijo e...