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EU transparency watchdog urges Parliament to deliver on post-Qatargate reforms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

BRUSSELS — EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly called upon the European Parliament president to deliver on transparency reforms she promised after the so-called Qatargate corruption scandal broke late last year.The ombudsman urged Parliament President Roberta Metsola to resist pressure from lawmakers and implement the 14 reform proposals that were floated in the wake of the alleged cash-for-influence scandal, in which European lawmakers were accused of taking bribes from foreign countries including Qatar and Morocco.Parliamentary political groups backed these proposals in February and they are in the process of being adopted by the EU’s assembly, Metsola wrote in a letter to O’Reilly dated March 20. “I’m sure President Metsola is getting pushback from MEPs and groups … It’s a very challenging position for her [Metsola] because I believe in her bona fide,” O’Reilly told reporters in a press conference Tuesday following the publication of the ombudsman’s annual report.O’Reilly warned th...

Sudan conflict: UK starts evacuating British nationals amid shaky cease-fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak ordered the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan amid a shaky cease-fire between warring sides in the northeast African nation.“We have started contacting nationals directly and providing routes for departure out of the country,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted early Tuesday.The U.K. government has faced some criticism for the speed of its help to British nationals, but has insisted it cannot safely escort people out of the country without a pause in hostilities.A power struggle between Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemeti,” has plunged Sudan into fierce fighting. Around 500 people have died so far, with fighting across the African nation.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced overnight that the two groups had agreed to a 72-hour nationwide cease-fire, beginning at midnight. On Tuesday the RSF claimed that the S...

Foreign powers rescue nationals while Sudanese must fend for themselves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

(CNN) — Foreign powers have rescued embassy staff, diplomats and nationals caught in Sudan’s deadly fighting, even as on the ground many Sudanese are stuck in deteriorating and deadly conditions.At least 50 people were injured and an unknown number killed in shelling that rocked the capital Khartoum on Monday, the Preliminary Committee of Sudan Doctors’ Union said in a statement.Meanwhile foreign governments led rescue efforts to evacuate civilians from the intense conflict. US special forces helped bring almost 100 people — mostly US embassy staff, as well as a small number of diplomatic professionals from other countries — to safety over the weekend, US officials said.Many other nations are scrambling to do the same, with more than 1,000 European Union nationals evacuated so far.The United Nations has temporarily relocated its Khartoum-based staff to Port of Sudan, it said in a statement.Around 700 UN, international NGO and embassy staff and...

Fake Craigslist ad costs New Hampshire man right to vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man who posted a fake Craigslist ad for a free trailer with a legislative candidate’s number on the day of the election — saying it was a joke — has lost his right to vote in the state.Michael Drouin, 30, of Merrimack pleaded guilty Monday to creating a false document after a flood of unwanted calls and texts jammed up the candidate’s cellphone.That’s just a misdemeanor, but it still disenfranchises Drouin. Anyone convicted of a willful violation of the state’s election laws loses their right to vote in New Hampshire. His plea agreement also called for a 90-day suspended jail sentence, a $250 fine and 250 hours of community service.The special election was held in April 2021 to replace Republican New Hampshire House Speaker Dick Hinch, who died of COVID-19 in December 2020.The candidate, Bill Boyd, a Republican who went on to win, turned off his phone after receiving more than 37 phone calls or text messages in 45 minutes on the mornin...

Why don’t the Dolphins have a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

Amid an abundance of excitement surrounding the Miami Dolphins’ offseason, the 2023 NFL draft is a painful reminder that the team was stripped of its first-round pick due to tampering violations.That’s why Thursday night’s first round will only consist of 31 picks, instead of the usual 32 — one for every NFL franchise. The league found Miami had “impermissible communication” with quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton while they were employed by other teams.The NFL, in August, docked the Dolphins their 2023 first-round draft selection and 2024 third-round pick. Owner Steve Ross was fined $1.5 million and suspended for the first six weeks of the 2022 regular season for the tampering findings.The Dolphins once held two first-round selections in the 2023 draft. They had another one from a previous trade with the San Francisco 49ers, but that one was later sent to the Denver Broncos at last season’s trade deadline for Pro Bowl outside lineb...

‘A beauty in the grind’ as Heat move on to Milwaukee with stunning 3-1 series lead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

To fully appreciate this moment, the magnitude of this moment, this 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks is to appreciate the road, the recent rocky road, that led the Miami Heat to this moment.On March 29, it was walking off the court at Madison Square Garden after a 101-92 loss to the New York Knicks, any shot of a top-five playoff seed all but gone as the losing streak reached three.On April 7, it was a road loss with a shorthanded roster against the Washington Wizards that eliminated the possibility of a top-six finish, dropping Erik Spoelstra’s team into the harrowing play-in round for the first time.On April 11, it was a humbling 116-105 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in opener that reduced the season to one final winner-take-all game in order to make the playoffs.And on April 14, it was a fourth-quarter deficit to the visiting Chicago Bulls in that winner-take-all game before ra...

Trump accuser in court for rape lawsuit trial jury selection

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, former President Donald Trump has seemed to shake off allegations, investigations and even impeachments. Now his “Teflon Don” reputation is about to face a new test: a jury of average citizens in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a trial over former advice columnist’s E. Jean Carroll’s claim that Trump raped her nearly three decades ago in a department store dressing room. He denies it.The trial is in a federal civil court, meaning that no matter the outcome, Trump isn’t in danger of going to jail. He isn’t required to be in court, either, and his lawyers have indicated he most likely won’t testify.But the trial, which comes as Trump is again running for president, still has the potential to be politically damaging for the Republican. The jury is poised to hear a reprisal of stories of sexual misconduct tha...

135 cats saved by Toronto non-profit from ‘hoarding situation’ inside home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

A non-profit animal rescue team in Toronto says 135 cats “in need of immediate medical attention” were saved from a hoarding situation inside a home.Toronto Cat Rescue says the cats were discovered living in overcrowded conditions, with many suffering from respiratory infections.A group of 80 cats are being transferred to the rescue team in Toronto, including 11 mothers nursing 41 kittens and five advanced pregnant females, set to arrive on Tuesday.The remaining 55 cats will be transferred to Toronto within the next couple of weeks. The non-profit says the cats will be placed in temporary foster homes until they are ready for adoption.“We are grateful to have been able to rescue these cats from such a challenging situation,” said Cassandra Koenen, Communications Director at Toronto Cat Rescue.“Our team of volunteers will work tirelessly to ensure every cat receives the care and attention they need. We’re thankful to be able to give these cats a se...

A play about the making of ‘Jaws’ swims toward Broadway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A stage play about the making of the blockbuster movie “Jaws” will soon take a huge bite out of Broadway.“The Shark is Broken” — co-written and starring the son of one of the film’s stars, the late Robert Shaw — will land on The Great White Way this summer, fitting for a play about a Great White Shark.“It is a comedy mostly. We dip into the serious elements, but our intention is to entertain,” said Ian Shaw, who will play his father and whose theater credits include “War Horse” and “Common” at the National Theatre and “Much Ado About Nothing” in the West End. The play is a behind-the-scenes look at the three main actors in the Steven Spielberg movie — Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint, Roy Scheider as the police chief and Richard Dreyfuss as an oceanographer. The three actors had a tense time, with many frustrating delays due to the mechanical shark malfunctioning.“It was a grueling, difficult shoot,” said Shaw. “And there was a clash of personalities, particul...

US consumer confidence falls for 3rd time in 4 months

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

Consumer confidence dipped again in April as anxiety over a slowing economy and possible recession weighed on American households.The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 101.3 in April from 104 in March. It’s the third time in four months that overall U.S. consumer confidence has declined.Optimism about current economic conditions ticked up again, although consumers are less positive about the short-term future. The index remains below 2022’s average level of 104.5.The business research group’s present situation index — which measures consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — inched up to 151.1 from 148.9 last month.The board’s expectations index — a measure of consumers’ six-month outlook for income, business and labor conditions — fell to 68.1 this month from 74 in March. A reading under 80 often signals a recession in the coming year. The Conference Board noted that reading has come in below 80 every mon...