By Reuters and Posted by TOE Armed bandits in northwest Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on Monday, highlighting the region’s worsening security. Police said 39 people were seized on Sunday when they went to a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of northwest Zamfara State. Some local residents and officials said the number could be as high as 50. According to a Zamfara State Police Command statement, the victims were meeting relatives of a bandit leader in an attempt to broker peace and ease restrictions on movement imposed on the community. Zamfara is at the centre of a long-running security crisis in which armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, carry out mass kidnappings, killings and village raids. The violence has disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Security forces have deployed personnel and...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - More than a month has passed since the St. Louis Cardinals abruptly optioned young star Jordan Walker to the minor leagues, and it's unclear when he might rejoin the big-league club.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker takes batting practice during spring training baseball practice Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Walker, who just turned 21 years old last week, earned his MLB call in late-March with an impressive spring training. He made his debut on Opening Day and began his career with a record-tying 12-game hitting streak among 20-year-olds. His first run came with a bit of a learning curve, and he's now trying to regain top form in Triple-A Memphis.
Before his option, Walker spent several days working with Cardinals’ hitting coach Turner Ward, specifically asked to adjust his posture and rotation. The Cardinals hoped to reduce some habits, like ground-ball outs and chasing low pitches, that became a bit more common once Walker’s hitting streak ended.
Walker, speaking to WMAC's Matt Infield and other Memphis sports media members, recently said that's no longer part of the plan. At least the need to force the ball into the air more than on the ground.
"I was told to start hitting the ball in the air, and that kind of got to me a little bit, about trying to force the ball into the air a little too much," said Walker. "That would force myself to do things I don't usually do. It's just about being more relaxed and not thinking about it at the plate."
Walker has been hitting better in recent weeks compared to his first few weeks in Memphis. Through 14 games, he was hitting just .154 with two home runs and 4 RBI. He's made some gradual improvements, hitting .264 with two home runs and 8 RBI over his last 15 games.
Within his recent uptick includes a three-hit game on May 23 in which Walker produced three hits, one home run and two ground ball singles. He also drove in three runs that game.
"There's no point if I try to hit the ball in the air if I'm not hitting the ball at all," said Walker. "I might as well hit the ball hard, and if it's on the ground, it's on the ground. I'm trying to find a hole, maybe drive a run in,"
Walker believes his power, a tool that almost landed him a rare 20-20 season in the minors last year, will return more naturally without forcing balls into the air.
"I feel like as I go through the season, it's going to get more in the air, just like I did last year," said Walker. "So I just got to trust myself and trust how my swing has been the past three years I've been in the organization."
Walker, a 2020 first-round pick of the Cardinals touted among baseball's top prospects, also told WMC he's having fun during his oddly-timed stint in Memphis, though getting back and sticking in the big leagues is his ultimate goal.
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said last month it would be “crazy” to think that Walker wouldn’t be returning to the big league club at somepoint, though did not specify a timetable. Cardinals executive Mike Girsch told Bally Sports Midwest last week that Walker is "moving in the right direction," though his timeline to return to St. Louis is still being determined.
Magic: The Gathering leaks are nothing new. Whether by accident or on purpose, reviewers and gamers with early access to new sets of card packs have, pretty regularly, shown off card pulls before they were allowed to do so. Usually the consequences for leakers are simple and effective: Wizards of the Coast , which… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/ptG6YOr
A5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was part of a series of aftershocks following Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of numerous buildings and significant infrastructure damage. The death toll has risen to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 individuals reported missing; these numbers are expected to increase as rescue operations continue. Foreign rescue teams and supplies arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to help the impoverished country cope with an earthquake that killed over 1,600 and left many near the epicentre scrambling for help without proper equipment. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving 1,644 people dead, 3,408 injured and 139 missing, the military government said. India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief ...
By James Mackenzie Reuters Israeli officials and media reacted with satisfaction on Monday after a long-expected missile attack by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement appeared to have been largely thwarted by pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel seemed content to let Sunday’s attack, in retaliation for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut last month, count as settled for the moment. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hezbollah had suffered a “crushing blow” from the Israeli strikes but that a longer lasting solution was still needed. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he told a briefing, referring to the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Israel, a situation mirrored on the other side of the border in southern Lebanon. “Israel will do its duty and return its population to our sovereign territory.” Hopes that children might return for the start of the ...
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