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Georgia withdraws foreign agent bill after days of protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s ruling party said Thursday it is withdrawing a draft law from the parliament criticized as potentially stifling media freedom and civil society, after several days of massive protests against it in the capital. The Georgian Dream party and and its allies said they were withdrawing the proposed law, citing “controversy in society” it triggered. The bill would have required media and nongovernmental organizations that receive over 20% of their funding from foreign sources to register as “agents of foreign influence.” The move comes after several days of mass protests in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. The demonstrations culminated on Wednesday night, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the city center. Police brutally dispersed the rally, using water cannons and tear gas, and 133 protesters have been arrested, according to the country’s Interior Ministry. Lawmakers said in a statement on Thursday morning that “consultat...

Report: Malaysian ex-PM Muhyiddin facing graft charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was grilled Thursday by anti-graft agency officials for a second time in a matter of weeks and reportedly will be charged over alleged corruption connected with awarding of government contracts while he was in office. The agency chief, Azam Baki, told the national Bernama news agency that Muhyiddin, 75, will be charged in court Friday. He did not give details. The agency said it will issue a statement later in the day.A large crowd of supporters gathered outside the agency building Thursday, chanting “Fight! Fight!” and “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” as they accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government of political persecution. Muhyiddin, 75, got out of his car and prayed with his supporters before he went into the building. In a Facebook statement hours earlier, he denied rumors that he had been arrested Wednesday while playing golf. He said he was summoned to the anti-graft agency but didn’t say ...

Chicago Daily Almanac

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

Thursday-Friday snowfall potential differs from north to south across northern Illinois. Thursday begins a chilly mid-March period for Chicago.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

Israel/Palestine: Statement of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the latest developments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

The European Union and its member states are deeply concerned by the increasing violence and extremism in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, which are leading to appalling numbers of Israeli and Palestinian victims, including children. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is a great cause for concern.We call on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to de-escalate the situation and to refrain from actions that will increase the already high level of tension. Settlements are illegal under international law. Israel must stop settlement expansion, prevent settler violence, and ensure the perpetrators are held accountable. Military operations must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law. There must be an immediate end to terror attacks, which should be condemned by everyone, and to practices that support them. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip requires further easing of restrictions. The status quo of the Holy Sites ...

Video captures motorcyclist struck by hit-and-run driver in Newport Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

Video captures the moment a motorcyclist is violently struck by a hit-and-run driver in Newport Beach. The victim, Mike Landry, suffered nearly a dozen broken bones and is still recovering on Wednesday night.Landry tells KTLA he just wants justice after surviving the life-altering crash.“Well, I still can’t walk and it’s been seven months,” said Landry. “I thought I would be walking by now, but it’s not going to happen.”The collision happened July 31, 2022 around 7:45 p.m. and was captured on a dash camera.Landry was riding home from a memorial service on West Balboa Boulevard near 26th Street when the suspect’s Jeep SUV is seen merging behind Landry. Moments later, the SUV violently slams into Landry, running him over before crashing into several parked cars.The suspect then fled on foot after the crash, leaving Landry lying on the road. Dashcam captured the moment Mike Landry was violently run over by an SUV in Newport Beach. (Mike Landry)Mike Landry hospitalized after he was viol...

Australia, Netherlands get wins in World Baseball Classic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Robbie Perkins hit one of Australia’s three homers to beat South Korea 8-7 on Thursday in Group B at the Tokyo Dome.Australia, leading 5-4 in the top of the eighth, put the game away with a three-run shot by Perkins. The blast came off Hyeon-Jong Yang, who had entered in relief in the inning and made only seven pitches and got no one out.Australia went ahead 2-0 in the fifth, but South Korea rallied with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. That came on Euiji Yang’s three-run, line-drive home run to left field.South Korea added another run in the sixth. But Australia scored three in the seventh to take the lead.The seventh inning also featured a three-run homer from Robbie Glendinning, with Australia living off its power game.South Korea scored three runs in its eighth — on five walks and a hit batter — to cut the lead to 8-7 but could not break through in the ninth.NETHERLANDS 3, PANAMA 1TAICHUNG, Taiwan (AP) — The Netherlands, after beating Cuba in...

Battle, Montana St. beat NAU, win 2nd straight Big Sky title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — RaeQuan Battle scored 25 points and Montana State beat Northern Arizona 85-78 Wednesday night to clinch its second consecutive Big Sky Conference title and an automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Darius Brown II added 11 of his 15 points in the second half and Jubrile Belo scored 14 points for No. 2 seed Montana State (25-9), which has won eight consecutive games and 13 of its last 14. Caleb Fuller made 4 of 6 from the field and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. The Bobcats, who lost 97-62 to Texas Tech in the first round last year, are 0-4 all time in the NCAA Tournament. Jalen Cone converted a three-point play to cap a 12-6 spurt and pull the Lumberjacks within five points — as close as they had been since late in the first half — 70-65 with 4:50 to play but Battle was fouled as he hit a 3-pointer from the right corner 24 seconds later, made the and-1 free throw and Northern Arizona got no closer. Northern Arizona (12-23) went into the game havi...

World Baseball Classic Glance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

All Times ESTGROUP AWLPct.GBNetherlands201.000_Panama11.500_Italy00.000_Taiwan01.000_Cuba01.000_GROUP BWLPct.GBAustralia101.000_China00.000_Czech Republic00.000_Japan00.000_South Korea01.000_GROUP CWLPct.GBCanada00.000_Colombia00.000_Great Britain00.000_Mexico00.000_United States00.000_GROUP DWLPct.GBDominican Republic00.000_Israel00.000_Nicaragua00.000_Puerto Rico00.000_Venezuela00.000____Tuesday, Mar. 7Netherlands 4, Cuba 2Wednesday, Mar. 8Panama 12, Taiwan 5Australia 8, South Korea 7Netherlands 3, Panama 1Thursday, Mar. 9China at Japan, 5 a.m.Italy at Cuba, 6 a.m.Czech Republic at China, 10 p.m.Cuba at Panama, 11:30 p.m.Friday, Mar. 10South Korea at Japan, 5 a.m.Italy at Taiwan, 6 a.m.China at Australia, 10 p.m.Panama at Italy, 11 p.m.Saturday, Mar. 11Czech Republic at Japan, 5 a.m.Netherlands at Taiwan, 6 a.m.Nicaragua at Puerto Rico, 12 p.m.Colombia at Mexico, 2:30 p.m.Dominican Republic at Venezuela, 7 p.m.Great Britain at United States, 9 p.m.Czech Republic at South Korea, 10...

Labour tees up election fight over childcare

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:58 GMT

LONDON — The U.K.’s opposition Labour Party will make a major play for the votes of younger parents with a speech Thursday at a center-right think tank. In a speech at Onward, the Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will promise to make reforming the childcare system her “first priority in government.”Phillipson will argue that mounting childcare costs and an insufficient number of free childcare hours is depriving parents of opportunities elsewhere.“The childcare model the Conservatives have built fails everyone, denying parents the ability to work the jobs they’d like, to give their children the opportunities they’d like, and is not of the quality that staff want to provide,” she will say.The party will promise 30 hours of free childcare a week if they enter government.Childcare is likely to be a key battleground ahead of the next election, with the government also mulling its own reform proposals as families feel the pinch of inflation.Rese...