Togo votes in parliamentary elections ahead of proposed controversial reforms (2024)

Thailand’s foreign minister has abruptly resigned in dissatisfaction over a Cabinet reshuffle that removed him as one of the country’s deputy prime ministers. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Monday confirmed the report of the resignation of Parnpree Bahiddha-Nugara, saying that he respected the decision, and that he has already started looking for Parnpree's successor. In an interview with Thai media, Parnpree argued that his work as foreign minister would be more difficult if he did not also hold the title of deputy prime minister. Srettha said it was normal that some people would be upset by the reshuffle, adding that he already sent a message to Parnpree, apologizing and thanking him for his work.

The Phoenix Suns thought they had built a formidable superteam during the offseason by adding three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to form a star-studded trio with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. It looked great on paper. It added up to exactly zero playoff wins. The Suns were knocked out of the playoffs Sunday night after a 122-116 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite a 49-point effort from Booker and 33 points from Durant. The four-game sweep was a gut punch for a team that entered the season with championship aspirations. Now the Suns have to decide whether to blow up the roster or run it back.

NEW YORK — “The Great Gatsby: A New Musical” still is what many people think of when they ponder a big Broadway night out: A familiar yet glamorous title from the Jazz Age; a star tenor like Jeremy Jordan; lush, string-heavy orchestrations; songs of passion, obsession and resolve, and a mass…

ATLANTA — The darkly atmospheric, often comedic Netflix series “Dead Boy Detectives” is, in Atlanta native and co-showrunner Steve Yockey’s words, a bit like “‘The Hardy Boys’ on acid.”

The New York Liberty know how tough it is to put together a talented roster, have players jell in their first year together and win a title. They fell just short last year, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals. As training camp opened Sunday, New York's starting five from last season was healthy and practicing. That didn’t happen in camp last year. Chemistry is one of the keys to winning a title. The Aces have won two straight titles with their core of A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. The team enjoys spending time together on and off the court and have camaraderie.

NEW YORK — Sufjan Stevens’ hipper-than-thou music defies easy categorization. It goes by chamber pop, folk pop, electronica and numerous other descriptions inadequate for its lushly orchestrated romanticism, as topped by lyrics at once esoteric and emotionally intense.

PHILADELPHIA — Eric Slick has spent 15 years drumming for Philadelphia-bred band Dr. Dog and toured with Waxahatchee and Kevin Morby.

CHICAGO — There’ll be more than one story to write about Sundance Institute x Chicago 2024, coming to town June 28-30.A sort of pop-up import, sponsored by the Chicago Film Office and city tourism bureau Choose Chicago, Sundance Institute x Chicago is the power of branding incarnate. The ev…

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The summer movie season is upon us.

Within three or four years, thousands of self-driving tractor-trailers are expected to travel on America’s public freeways. The goal is for the trucks, which can run nearly around the clock without any breaks, to speed the flow of goods, accelerating delivery times and perhaps lowering costs. The companies say the autonomous trucks will save on fuel, too: They don’t have to stop and will drive at more consistent speeds. But the vehicles have drawn skepticism from safety advocates, who warn that with almost no federal regulation, it will be mainly up to the companies themselves to decide when the semis are safe enough to operate without humans on board.

Togolese voters headed to the polls on Monday to vote in the country’s parliamentary elections, which will test support for a proposed new constitution that would scrap future presidential elections and give lawmakers the power to choose the president instead. The opposition and the clergy say the legislation is an effort by President Faure Gnassingbe to prolong his rule. It was passed by lawmakers in late March and is close to being enacted. Authorities have cracked down on civic and media freedoms ahead of the vote.

NÜRTINGEN, Deutschland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 29, 2024--

Late this year, Aurora Innovation Inc. plans to start hauling freight on Interstate 45 between the Dallas and Houston areas with 20 driverless trucks. Within three or four years, Aurora and its competitors expect to put thousands such self-driving trucks on America’s public freeways. The goal is for the trucks, which can run nearly around the clock without any breaks, to speed the flow of goods, accelerating delivery times and perhaps lowering costs. But the vehicles have drawn skepticism from safety advocates, who warn that with almost no federal regulation, it will be mainly up to the companies themselves to determine when the semis are safe enough to operate without humans on board.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Their first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns served notice they might be ready to go even deeper in the bracket. Anthony Edwards scored 40 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 and the Timberwolves pulled away late to beat the Suns 122-116 on Sunday night and sweep the first-round series. The win came after coach Chris Finch left late in the fourth after an inadvertent collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team said he had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.

Mike Trout has been healthy this year and is leading the major leagues in home runs. So far, that hasn’t been enough to help the Los Angeles Angels withstand Shohei Ohtani’s departure. Trout finally looks like his old self again. He hasn't missed a game this season and leads the majors with 10 home runs. His power and availability are good signs, but with Ohtani now playing for the Dodgers, even a healthy Trout might not be enough to keep the Angels relevant. They are eight games under .500.

The New York Rangers outmatched the Washington Capitals in nearly every possible way to move on to the second round of the NHL playoffs in dominant fashion. The Rangers swept the Capitals thanks to advantages in talent from the net out, superior special teams and a blend of depth and balance that makes them look every bit like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Ten players scored and 14 registered points for New York in its first four games. The Carolina Hurricanes leading their series against the New York Islanders 3-1 look like a formidable challenge in the second round.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo have celebrated the countries’ continued cooperation at their seventh and final Leaders’ Retreat in Jakarta, an annual meeting between the two leaders that was also attended this year by their successors. All four top officials met Monday at the colonial-style Presidential Palace in Bogor outside Jakarta as the retreat became a passing of the guard for both countries. The leaders oversaw the signing of several agreements, including an update on defense cooperation which Lee said reflects the two countries’ robust defense ties. It will significantly boost Singapore’s ability to carry out naval and land exercises amid regional tensions over China’s growing military strength.

French media are reporting that police have summoned actor Gérard Depardieu for questioning about allegations made by two women that he sexually assaulted them on movie sets. Broadcaster BFMTV and the daily Le Parisien both reported that the 75-year-old actor was called in for police questioning in Paris on Monday. The Paris police, the Paris prosecutor’s office, Depardieu’s lawyers and a lawyer for one of the alleged victims did not immediately respond to Associated Press emails seeking comment. BFMTV and Le Parisien reported that the police summons relates to accusations of sexual assault filed by two women who accuse him of groping during filming — one in 2014, the other in 2021. Depardieu denies wrongdoing.

Just call him Xabi Houdini. Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has seen his team pull off several scarcely believable escapes from defeat this season as it remains unbeaten across all competitions. Bundesliga champion Leverkusen is on a 46-game run without a loss. It's a record across Europe’s “big five” leagues and has been achieved in extraordinary fashion. Robert Andrich scored with the last kick of the game for a 2-2 draw with high-flying Stuttgart on Saturday. Josip Stanišić scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time for a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund in its previous match, and Amine Adli scored in the 90th minute for a 1-1 draw at West Ham in the Europa League before that.

A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a vessel in the Red Sea, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route. The attack Monday happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen. That's according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. It didn't offer any other immediate details and urged vessels to exercise caution in the area. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge any attack there, though it typically takes the rebels several hours before claiming their assaults.

Top British gymnast Ondine Achampong says she feels “devastated” after suffering an ACL tear that should rule her out of competing at the Paris Olympics. The 20-year-old Achampong, who was part of the British women’s team that took silver at the world championships in 2022, posted on message on social media Monday saying she sustained the injury during a competition ahead of the European championships. Recovery from a torn ACL can take up to a year. Artistic gymnastics at the Paris Olympics start on July 27. Achampong recently won four gold medals at the British championships.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says he will continue in office “with even more strength” after days of reflection.

“Revenge travel” has been a big theme the past couple of years as Americans have been raring to go here, there and everywhere after hunkering down during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Transportation Security Administration screened a record-high 858.5 million passengers in 2023.

Police in Kenya say at least 40 people have died after a dam collapsed in the country’s west. The floodwaters swept through houses and cut off a major road. The Monday morning incident happened after the Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, collapsed and water spilled downstream. Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has killed nearly 100 people and caused the opening of schools to be postponed.

Israeli officials appear to be increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders, as international pressure mounts over its ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight and into Monday meanwhile killed at least 22 people, including six women and five children. The ICC launched a probe three years ago into possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian militants going back to the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, but it has given no indication such warrants are imminent. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said late Sunday that it had informed Israeli missions of “rumors” that warrants might be issued.

The ranking of the busiest airports in the world based on 2023 traffic is out, and there are some winners and losers. Here are the top 5 airports based on passenger traffic, according to Airports Council International World.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The rain and the cold couldn’t dampen the demeanor of Deion Sanders. The cowboy hat-wearing coach of the Colorado Buffaloes was in a feel-good after the spring game Saturday at Folsom Field. Before the game, he awarded a scholarship to a hard-working running back. Befor…

Officials say 40 people have died after a dam collapsed in western Kenya.

Pakistani police say a judge who was kidnapped after gunmen ambushed his vehicle has been freed in a late-night operation. Around 15 men on motorbikes intercepted Judge Shakirullah Marwat’s vehicle as he was traveling toward Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A police official said Monday that Marwat was recovered in an operation carried out by security personnel and law enforcement agencies. There was no claim of responsibility for the kidnap, but a video distributed by counterterrorism officials on Sunday showed the judge saying that the militant Pakistani Taliban group, or TTP, would not release him until their demands were met.

BALTIMORE -- One of Rebecca Rienzi’s favorite stories to tell about Pathfinders for Autism – the Baltimore County nonprofit where she has been executive director since 2010 – happened at the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.

A senior with memory loss and no family members to help gave control of her finances to a younger woman. In short order, the younger woman sold the elderly woman’s home and depleted her life savings while neglecting her medical care.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Trevor Hoffman once learned a different type of changeup grip from San Diego Padres teammate Donnie Elliot in 1994.

HAIFA, Israel— Carmel Neta was on the phone with his mother, Adrienne, when Hamas militants stormed her kibbutz on the morning of Oct. 7. He could hear panic in her voice and screams in the distance.

Judie Messier wanted to talk to people with different political views.

KALISPELL, Mont. — On a cold February morning at the Flathead Warming Center, Tashya Evans waited for help with her Medicaid application as others at the shelter got ready for the day in this northwestern Montana city.

Russian officials say a group of militants has attacked a police checkpoint in Russia’s North Caucasus region, killing two officers. Russia’s Interior Ministry says four other officers were wounded and all five attackers were killed in the shootout in the Karachay-Cherkessia region late Sunday. Authorities say the same gunmen had raided another police checkpoint in the region a week before, killing two police and injuring another. They didn’t describe the attackers’ affiliation or motive. While Chechnya has stabilized under the rule of Moscow-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov after two separatist wars, violence linked to Islamist groups has occasionally erupted in other parts of Russia’s volatile North Caucasus.

Authorities on the Greek island of Samos say a migrant died and 25 others were rescued from a sinking dinghy that had left the nearby coast of Turkey. A search and rescue operation was launched, assisted by the European border protection agency, Frontex, for others possibly missing. The coast guard said it responded to a distress call on Sunday. Twenty-three people were rescued from the sinking vessel while two others were pulled from the water. A third man found unresponsive was later pronounced dead. Despite intense patrolling in the eastern Aegean Sea, Turkey-based smugglers frequently target nearby Greek islands as an entry point into the European Union.

This month, when the Environmental Protection Agency announced the first-ever federal rules on how much of a half-dozen deadly PFAS chemicals to allow in your tap water, 40 public wells in Orange County, California, instantly became unsafe for human consumption, at least on paper.