Sin categoría
NBA star Irving sidelined by Nets for refusing Covid vaccination
AFP
The Brooklyn Nets decided Tuesday to bar star guard Kyrie Irving from practice as well as games in the NBA season that starts next week because he refuses to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said.
“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose.
“Currently, his choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.”
Irving, 29, is part of the Nets’ star trio that also includes Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Because of the ongoing pandemic, New York has implemented new health and safety regulations which do not allow unvaccinated athletes to take part in practices and games.
He could theoretically have played in road games without being vaccinated, but Marks’ statement rules that out.
At a video press conference later Tuesday, Marks agreed with a suggestion that the Nets had been left with “no choice” but to leave Irving on the sidelines.
“Ultimately yes,” Marks said. “He has a choice to make and he made his choice. My job here is to make what we deem is the best decision and the best choices for the organisation as a whole.
“They’re not always ones that are going to be met with open arms and a thumbs-up. These are hard decisions.
“Just like I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Kyrie either to have to make that [decision] to not be around his teammates.”
Marks said he made the decision in consultation with Joe Tsai, the Nets’ billionaire owner.
“We had everything on the board. We looked at everything. When you make a decision like this it’s not one you want to make hastily,” Marks said.
“Again, involve all the parties, think about the variety of different outcomes. They’re never easy decisions but at the end of the day we’re looking at putting a group of people out there that are going to be able to participate fully. That’s what this comes down to.
“And we’re not looking for partners that are going to be part-time. I don’t think it’s fair on the team, the staff, the ownership and the fans, but also it’s not fair on Kyrie either.”
The Nets begin their regular season at the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks next Tuesday.
Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins had also refused to get the vaccine but relented to keep playing.
Wiggins said after getting the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week: “I guess you don’t own your body.”
Sin categoría
Eight Killed in Series of Armed Attacks in Ecuador’s Manabí Province
At least eight people were killed in four separate armed attacks reported Sunday night in the cities of Manta and Montecristi, in Ecuador’s coastal province of Manabí, one of the areas hardest hit by the country’s escalating wave of criminal violence, local media reported on Monday.
The shootings occurred between 7:50 p.m. and 10:50 p.m. local time and affected several neighborhoods, as well as a family gathering, according to press reports. Police are investigating the incidents.
The first attack took place in the Los Artesanos sector of Montecristi, where a couple was shot dead in a public street.
Minutes later, in Manta’s 12 de Octubre neighborhood, a man was killed while sitting down. Police arrested a suspect at the scene and seized a 9mm magazine, authorities said.
A third incident occurred in the Bellavista area of Manta, when an armed assailant entered a home and shot a man during a family celebration. The attacker was captured by neighbors and sustained injuries.
The deadliest attack was reported at 10:50 p.m. in the Leonidas Proaño parish of Montecristi, where gunmen opened fire from two vehicles on a group of people, leaving four dead and five wounded.
According to Jaime Salgado, acting chief of the Manta Police District, officers recovered seven 7.62mm shell casings, consistent with rifle ammunition, and 14 .40-caliber casings at the scene.
With these killings, the Manta police district, a port and tourist area on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, has recorded 51 violent deaths so far in January 2026, according to official figures.
The attacks occurred amid a state of emergency declared by the government in December due to serious internal unrest in Manabí, where military operations have been intensified this month, particularly in high-conflict zones.
Sin categoría
El Salvador Launches Fourth Year of Ocean Mission to Protect Marine Ecosystems
El Salvador’s Ministry of Environment has launched the fourth consecutive year of “Ocean Mission,” a permanent strategy focused on the protection, restoration, and responsible management of marine ecosystems, linking conservation efforts from inland mountain ranges to the coastline.
During an event held at the Los Cóbanos Protected Natural Area, Environment Minister Fernando López highlighted the ecological, social, and economic value of the site, which is recognized as the country’s eighth wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
“We are in one of the most valuable natural treasures of our country, not only because of its beauty, but also due to the enormous ecological, social, and economic importance that Los Cóbanos holds for El Salvador,” López said.
The minister emphasized that this volcanic-origin ecosystem is home to coral reefs and key coastal-marine systems that serve as refuge, breeding, and feeding grounds for emblematic species such as sea turtles, cetaceans, and a wide diversity of fish.
“Protecting Los Cóbanos means protecting biodiversity, community livelihoods, the local economy, and our natural heritage,” López stated.
He also stressed that Ocean Mission goes beyond rhetoric, focusing instead on direct action framed within the National Environmental Education Policy. “We are not here to talk about environmental education; we are here to practice it,” he said, underscoring the guiding principle of moving from paper to action.
Sin categoría
Convicted gang member challenges Guatemala’s anti-gang law, citing Human Rights Violations
A member of a criminal gang currently facing sentencing for the crime of extortion has filed a constitutional appeal before Guatemala’s Constitutional Court against the recently approved and enacted Anti-Gang Law.
The appeal, submitted by Dylan Smaily Archila García, argues that the new legislation violates his fundamental human rights and claims there were procedural irregularities during its approval process, according to local Guatemalan media.
Archila García filed the motion just hours after the law took effect. The new legislation, passed by Guatemala’s Congress, increases penalties for crimes linked to gang activity and authorizes the construction of a mega-prison, modeled after El Salvador’s Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT).
Local outlets reported that in his petition, Archila García contends that the approval of the law did not comply with constitutional requirements and requests that the Court issue a ruling to annul the legislation, effectively halting its enforcement.
The appeal further claims that the Anti-Gang Law infringes on due process rights, as it allegedly fails to guarantee a fair criminal trial in which defendants can prove their innocence, undermining legal certainty and judicial security.
Through this legal action, the petitioner seeks to have the law suspended and ultimately struck down by the Constitutional Court, preventing it from being debated again in Congress.
Costa Rica Goes to the Polls as Voters Choose Continuity or Change
U.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports
Panama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoU.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
-
International5 days agoFootball Fan Killed in Clashes After Colombian League Match
-
Central America5 days agoGuatemala President Says Starlink Terminal Found Inside Prison
-
International5 days agoMissing Spanish Sailor Rescued After 11 Days Adrift in Mediterranean
-
International5 days agoRubio Says U.S. Could Participate in Follow-Up Russia-Ukraine Talks
-
Central America3 days agoPanama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional
-
International4 days agoStorm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
-
Central America3 days agoU.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports
-
International4 days agoMan Arrested After Vehicle Crashes Into Jewish Institution in Brooklyn
-
International4 days agoTrump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
-
Central America15 hours agoCosta Rica Goes to the Polls as Voters Choose Continuity or Change