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Local businesses in northern Nigeria feel the sting of regional sanctions against neighboring Niger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A decision by a bloc of West African nations to shut down their borders with Niger as a way of sanctioning its coup plotters is harming local businesses in northern Nigeria, where a cross-border economy has boomed for years.The bloc known as ECOWAS restricted financial transactions and shut the borders between Niger and its member nations as part of measures to force the coup plotters to reinstate Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum who was overthrown last month by soldiers in his Presidential Guard.But the sting of the sanctions against the junta is being felt on the other side of the 1,600 kilometers (995 miles) -long border, in Nigeria.Niger accounts for 75% of the total value of exports from Nigeria’s cross-border informal trade, according to a study by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The bank’s latest report in 2016 valued goods traded across the border with Niger at 828 billion naira ($934 million) a year.In Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state, the bord...

Last defendant sentenced to 37 years in mass shooting at St. Paul bar that left one dead, 14 injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A St. Paul man was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 37 years for his role in a mass shooting at a bar that left one person dead and 14 others injured.Jurors found Terry Lorenzo Brown Jr., 35, guilty in June of second-degree intentional murder, four counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Ramsey County Judge Carolina Lamas sentenced him to 36 years and nine months on the murder conviction, with lesser sentences on the other counts. The sentences will run concurrently.The Star Tribune reported that Lamas handed down the sentence in a courtroom packed with family and friends of Marquisha “Kiki” Wiley, the 27-year-old veterinary technician killed by a bullet fired from Brown’s gun during the melee inside a crowded bar called the Seventh Street Truck Park in 2021.Brown is the second person sentenced in the gunbattle. Devondre Trevon Phillips, 31, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to 29 years in June for firing the first shots. Phillips and...

Bill Clinton’s presidential center expanding, will add Hillary Clinton’s personal archives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Bill Clinton’s presidential center is planning a major expansion that will include a new Hillary Rodham Clinton Institute holding personal archives from the former Democratic presidential nominee and first lady, the Clinton Foundation announced Tuesday. The Clinton Foundation did not release information on the size or cost of the planned expansion of the center, saying it expected to unveil more details next year. The center, which opened in 2004, features the former president’s library and museum and is located in a 29-acre park in downtown Little Rock. The foundation said that the expansion would enhance the the center’s ability to host exhibitions, convene global leaders and provide educational opportunities.The Clinton Foundation said it planned to work with Studio Gang, a Chicago-based architecture and urban design practice, to design the project. Studio Gang will work with Little Rock-based architecture firm Polk Stanley Wilcox. “For ...

Stock market today: Wall Street dips as markets fall worldwide on worries about banks, economy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street slipped Tuesday as worries about the banking system and the global economy forced more caution into financial markets worldwide.The S&P 500 fell 19.06, or 0.4%, to 4,499.38 and at one point was down nearly triple that. It was the fifth loss in the last six days for the index after it rocketed through the year’s first seven months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 158.64, or 0.4%, to 35,314.49 after paring an earlier loss of 465 points. The Nasdaq composite lost 110.07, or 0.8%, to 13,884.32.In the U.S., bank stocks fell after Moody’s cut the credit ratings for 10 smaller and midsized ones. It cited a list of concerns about their financial strength, from the effects of higher interest rates to the work-from-home trend that’s leaving office buildings vacant.Across the Pacific, stocks sank after a report showed exports for China’s troubled economy shrank by the most since the start of the pandemic in 2020. And in Europe, bank stocks drop...

S&P/TSX composite index dips alongside U.S. markets in Tuesday trading

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock market nudged southward in trading on Tuesday, in line with a bigger dip in U.S. markets.Stocks tumbled as worries about the banking system and the global economy injected more caution into financial markets worldwide. Bank stocks helped lead the market lower after Moody’s cut the credit ratings for 10 smaller and mid-sized financial institutions. “It seemed like a lot of the issues that were raised during the March banking crisis were ignited — higher yields, potential regulation, and then, of course, some risks around exposure to commercial real estate,” said Mona Mahajan, senior investment strategist with Edward Jones.“I think that group has been under pressure today, in both the U.S. and it looks like in Canada, financials are somewhat lower across the board.”The S&P/TSX composite index fell 30.06 points to 20,205.98, dragged down by metals and financials stocks.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 158.64 points to 35,314....

Jose Bautista reflects on path to level of excellence with Blue Jays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

Jose Bautista feels the 2015 and 2016 Toronto Blue Jays seasons provided the most joy in his highlight-filled career. However, eight years later, the way the 2015 American League Championship Series ended against the Kansas City Royals still stings.In advance of Bautista being added to the Blue Jays’ level of excellence this weekend, the retired slugger reflected on his 10-year path in Toronto during a media conference call on Tuesday.“When I look back, 2015 is the one that kind of slipped away,” admitted Bautista, who is now 42 and resides in his Tampa Bay-area home, dedicating his time to being a devoted full-time father to his four daughters.“Because of all the additions we made at that deadline, we caught fire in the second half after hovering around .500. We won a ridiculous amount of games in the second half.“In 2016, we had a lot of guys banged up. In having conversations with guys in the past, we had a better chance [in 2015]. So that’s th...

Alberta minister says federal strings on electricity climate funding a ‘threat’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz says Ottawa is threatening the province by suggesting it will withhold federal funding from electricity projects that don’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the comment in Vancouver.He says billions of dollars in tax credits and grants will be tied to progress toward Ottawa’s target for a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.  But Schulz calls that statement a threat and says it’s no way to start a conversation. She says meeting the goal is completely unrealistic for Alberta. She says Alberta’s United Conservative Party government is talking with Ottawa about flexibility for the province but couldn’t say what concessions the province is seeking. Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is expected to soon release regulations for moving Canada toward a net-zero grid. This report by The Canadian Press was firs...

Riverfront brawl brings unwelcome attention to historic civil rights city in Alabama

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Police in Alabama’s capital city said three people are expected to be in custody Tuesday on charges of misdemeanor assault in connection with a riverfront brawl that drew nationwide attention.Videos of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, have proven crucial in investigating what happened, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said. One person has turned himself in and the other two have agreed to turn themselves in by the end of the day Tuesday. “The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely,” Albert said. The fight was largely split along racial lines and began when a moored pontoon boat blocked the Harriet II riverboat from docking in its designated space along the city’s riverfront, Albert said. The Harriet II had 227 passengers aboard for a tour.The viral video of white boaters assaulting a Black riverboat captain and the resulting fight brought unwelcome attention to the historic city — which is known across the country for ...

Suburban man allegedly seen walking with sword accused of deadly DUI hit-and-run

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

WHEATON, Ill — A suspected drunken Woodridge man accused in a deadly hit-and-run was allegedly seen walking around his home with a sword minutes before the crash.Prosecutors allege Salil Chander, 33, was nearly three times over the legal drinking limit when he struck and killed 64-year-old Michael Norton of Naperville on Sunday, Aug. 6. As a result, Chander is charged with one count of leaving the scene of an accident causing death and one count of aggravated DUI resulting in the death of another person. Both charges are felonies. Docs: 9-year-old Portage Park girl intentionally shot in head after buying ice cream; father tackles gunman Just after 5 p.m. Sunday, Woodridge police officers responded to a 911 call of an alleged drunken man walking around his house with a sword. Minutes later, the man, later identified as Chander, was allegedly seen driving away from the home in a silver Kia. Prosecutors said that Chander struck a light pole within a minute of leaving the residence an...

Wild brawl caught on camera at Montgomery dock results in several arrest warrants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:29:00 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) – The Montgomery Police Department has issued several arrest warrants after a fight broke out on the city's riverfront over the weekend.Police were called to the scene of the brawl on Saturday, after a pontoon boat was reported to be blocking a riverboat from docking. Footage of the incident shows a fight breaking out after a Black man, later identified to be the co-captain of a historic Montgomery riverboat, attempted to instruct a group of private boaters to move the pontoon.Several men then appeared to start arguing with the co-captain, until one ran forward and hit him in the face. More bystanders then joined the brawl, with some attempting to punch or kick the guard, and others attempting to help.Police eventually arrived and begin breaking up the melee, videos show.The security guard, in white, is seen being jumped by a man on the dock. Several people soon began attacking the guard, leading bystanders to come to his aid. (Joe Davenport via Storyful)On T...