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Georgian lawmakers withdraw criticized draft law on foreign agents after days of protests against it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgian lawmakers withdraw criticized draft law on foreign agents after days of protests against it.Source

3 Los Angeles K-9 officers wounded; suspect dead in standoff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three Los Angeles police officers were shot and wounded Wednesday evening in a confrontation with a wanted parolee who was found dead hours later after a standoff, police said.The three officers, all senior officers and members of an Los Angeles Police Department’s K-9 dog-handling unit, were hospitalized in stable condition after the shooting that occurred in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood near downtown.The three were alert and Mayor Karen Bass said she had a conversation with two of them at the hospital and they asked her about colleagues who were looking for the suspect.“They weren’t concerned about themselves,” she said at a news conference.“Our hearts go out to them for their speedy recovery and also for the trauma that their families are facing right now,” Bass said.Officers were looking for a parolee at large at around 4 p.m. but when they found him he was barricaded in a shed and refused to obey commands to surrender, the departme...

DePaul edges Seton Hall in wild finish 66-65

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Umoja Gibson made three free throws with 3.9 seconds left and Nick Ongenda blocked a layup at the buzzer to give DePaul a 66-65 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday in the first round of the Big East Tournament.The 10th-seeded Blue Demons will face second-seeded Xavier in Thursday’s semifinals.After Gibson gave DePaul the lead, Seton Hall’s Femi Odukale drove the length of the floor but had his layup at the buzzer blocked from behind by Ongenda. Initially, the block was ruled to be goaltending. But after a review, the officials reversed their decision and DePaul had the win, snapping a 12-game losing streak.Javan Johnson made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points to lead the Blue Demons (10-22). Ongenda scored 15 points and blocked four shots. Jalen Terry made all four of his 3-point tries and had 14 points and Gibson finished with 10. Tyrese Samuel scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds for the seven-seed Pirates (18-15). KC Ndefo added 14 points, Al-Amir Dawes...

NSO’s ‘In Your Neighborhood’ series brings free public concerts to Ward 5 in D.C. this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews NSO 'In Your Neighborhood' (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); The National Symphony Orchestra is best known for its ticketed events at the Kennedy Center or Wolf Trap, but it’s also become an orchestra of the people in recent years.The NSO’s “In Your Neighborhood” series brings free concerts this week to Ward 5 in D.C.“This is the 13th year ...

Ukrainian officials report at least 5 people killed, several wounded in massive Russian missile barrage around country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials report at least 5 people killed, several wounded in massive Russian missile barrage around country.Source

Georgia’s government abandons Putin-style bill that triggered huge protests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

Georgia’s government has “decided to unconditionally withdraw” a controversial bill that sparked massive protests, according to a statement published Thursday. The government’s U-turn came after thousands of Georgians took to the streets of the country’s capital Tbilisi for two days of protests, waving EU flags and facing down riot police armed with water cannons and tear gas. The contentious legislation would have required all organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.The Georgian law was widely viewed as inspired by Vladimir Putin’s regime in Moscow: In 2012, the Russian president signed off on legislation tightening controls on civil rights groups funded from abroad, which was seen as an attempt to crack down on dissent; last June, the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, approved another bill imposing draconian restrictions on individuals and organizations “under foreign influ...

‘Stop the boats’ now second-biggest concern of UK Tory voters — poll

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

LONDON — “Stopping the boats” — Rishi Sunak’s bid to sharply reduce irregular migration routes — is now the second-biggest concern among 2019 Conservative voters, according to a new poll.It ranks above cutting NHS surgery waiting lists and accident and emergency response times, the study carried out by Public First for Universities U.K. shows.The findings, shared with POLITICO’s London Playbook, demonstrate why Sunak has made reducing the numbers of people making the dangerous crossing of the English Channel a priority.They come in the week his government unveiled a new Illegal Migration Bill aiming to make it easier to detain and deport people arriving in the country through irregular means.The plan has drawn sharp drawn criticism from both the United Nations refugee agency and the European Union who have warned it risks violating international law. But Sunak argued Wednesday that “stopping the boats is not just my priority, it’s the people’s priority.”The polling ...

Debate heats up over North County school district's curriculum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- The Carlsbad Unified School District voted 5-0 to approve an ethnic film studies class for freshmen in the face of public criticism. The class will allow 30-35 students to opt in for an intro film studies class focused on Hollywood stereotypes, cultural appropriations and early Hollywood contributions made to the film industry by people of color. During the board meeting, protesters complained the class was an extension of critical race theory.   National School District pressed to address teacher’s arrest “Teaching children, one is inherently oppressing while the other is inherently oppressed, what does that achieve?” questioned one woman during the public comment section. The gymnasium was far more crowded than a normal education meeting, and those in favor of the ethnic film class outnumbered those against in public comments. “Carlsbad values culture, we celebrate that which makes us unique,” said one supporter. The class will be offered to freshme...

Indonesia unveils construction site of new capital city

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

PENAJAM PASER UTARA, Indonesia (AP) — Orange-red ground has been broken in the jungle of East Borneo, where the Indonesian government has begun construction of its new capital city. Officials promise a “sustainable forest city” that puts the environment at the heart of development and aims to be carbon-neutral by 2045. But the project has been plagued by criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous communities, who say it degrades the environment, further shrinks the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans and displaces Indigenous people that rely on the land for their livelihoods.Indonesia began construction of the new capital in mid 2022, after President Joko Widodo announced that Jakarta — the congested, polluted current capital that is prone to earthquakes and rapidly sinking into the Java Sea — would be retired from capital status. Plans for the new capital — about twice the size of New York City — are grandeur. Officials tout the creation of a futuristic green city...

Why is Indonesia moving its capital from Jakarta to Borneo?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:25 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Jakarta is congested, polluted, prone to earthquakes and rapidly sinking into the Java Sea. Now the government is in the process of leaving, moving Indonesia’s capital to the island of Borneo.Indonesian officials say the new metropolis will be a “sustainable forest city” that puts the environment at the heart of the development and aims to be carbon-neutral by 2045. But environmentalists warn that the capital will cause massive deforestation, threaten the habitat of endangered species such as orangutans and imperil the homes of Indigenous communities.While access to the new capital’s site is usually limited, The Associated Press was allowed to tour parts of the site to view construction progress in early March. Here’s a look at why the capital is moving, the government’s plans and why activists are worried about how it will impact the environment, endangered species and Indigenous communities located near the project site. WHY IS IND...