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Bill Browder calls on EU to act on Georgia as Saakashvili’s health declines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Billionaire businessman and Kremlin critic Bill Browder is turning his focus to a new target — Georgia — and is urging the EU to sanction those responsible for the condition of detained former President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose health is deteriorating rapidly.  In an interview with POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast, Browder said it was time for the EU to expand the reach of its human rights sanctions to cover people in Georgia. Saakashvili is a personal enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his case is rapidly becoming a barometer of whether the governing Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi is willing to engage with the EU and the U.S. Georgian Dream’s critics complain that it is deliberately sabotaging the country’s EU aspirations to avoid rocking the boat with Moscow.Saakashvili is serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, and there is increasing concern for his wellbeing. Medical reports seen by POLITICO late last year revealed traces of “mercur...

7 myths standing in the way of Ukraine’s victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Gabrielius Landsbergis is the minister of foreign affairs of Lithuania.Despite all the cruelty and hatred unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, Ukraine continues to resist its aggressor — and it is ready to fight until victory.A year ago, many doubted Ukraine. They suggested that in days — at most weeks — Russia would seize Kyiv. And some of those voices who proved to be so manifestly wrong then are now brandishing “peace plans,” nudging Ukraine to accept concessions on its sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for Russia’s agreement to end the war.But these “peace plans” are based on prevailing myths that we must confront before they become a reality.First myth — Ukraine is unable to reclaim its territories.Ukraine has already busted that claim by retaking territory from Russia’s control — from the outskirts of Kyiv to Kharkiv and Kherson. Ukrainians have the will to fight and an effective strategy to reclaim all of what belongs to them. Instead, it is...

Preparations underway for South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Preparations are underway for the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade and this will be the first year since the pandemic that the parade will continue along its full traditional route. Officials are warning the thousands of people who are expected to attend the parade to plan ahead and leave extra time for their commute amid ongoing restrictions on several MBTA lines. The commuter rail will be running extra trains in anticipation of the crowds.The parade is set to kick off at 1 p.m.

Bitty & Beau’s coffee shop closes Melrose location

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Bitty & Beau’s a coffee chain that employs people with a disabilities has closed the doors on its location in Melrose.The chain says it is currently looking for a new location in Boston. In a statement, the company said it is “actively pursuing a new Bitty & Beau’s Coffee franchise location in Boston proper. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication the employees in Melrose have demonstrated over the past year and a half and hope that our mission has inspired other businesses to consider hiring individuals with disabilities.”

‘My whole life was in that apartment’: Multi-family home in Somerville goes up in flames

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze that raced through a multi-family home in Somerville on Saturday.As he watched his home on Walker Street go up in flames, one of the tenants told 7NEWS, “I’m freaked out, my whole life is in that apartment … I’m glad everybody got out.”Emergency crews could be seen giving oxygen to a cat that was pulled from the building. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Brandon Nimmo week-to-week with ankle and knee sprains

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Opening Day is in jeopardy for Brandon Nimmo.The Mets have avoided the worst with the centerfielder, who left a Grapefruit League game with an ankle injury Friday night. Imaging showed taken Saturday morning showed a low-grade sprain to his right knee and ankle and he’s considered week-to-week.General manager Billy Eppler says the club is relieved to see no structural damages to Nimmo’s ankle or knee. A week-to-week timeline doesn’t sound promising and it does mean he probably won’t be ready to start the season but Eppler seemed to have some optimism with a little under two weeks left in spring training.Nimmo was injured sliding into second base Friday night against the Miami Marlins at Clover Park. He appeared to jam his knee awkwardly and manager Buck Showalter said Nimmo caught a spike on his ankle but overall was feeling good.Without Nimmo, the Mets have a void to fill defensively in center field and at the top of the order. His on-base abilities and spee...

Jalen Brunson returns from foot injury to lead Knicks past Nikola Jokic, Nuggets 116-110

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

Jalen Brunson returned to lead a victory and give an important assist to Mitchell Robinson.The Knicks point guard scored 24 points in his first game back since suffering a foot injury, lifting the home squad to a 116-110 victory Saturday afternoon over Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.The big play was an alley-oop pass to Robinson, who jammed it with 24 seconds remaining for the game’s final bucket.After struggling the last three games, Robinson vented on social media earlier this week about his limited offensive role. The momentous dunk was only his fourth shot attempt of Saturday’s game, but Robinson was important in other ways: he guarded the two-time reigning MVP, Jokic, down the stretch and picked up a pivotal steal with three minutes remaining.The Knicks (42-31) have already eclipsed their highest season win total in a decade. They’ve won three straight. The Nuggets (47-23) lost for the fifth time in their last six games.Jokic finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds...

Foxboro defeats Dracut for Division 2 girls basketball state crown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

LOWELL – Saturday night’s Division 2 state championship basketball game featured two of the top players in the state in Dracut’s Ashlee Talbot and Foxboro’s Camryn Collins.Neither player disappointed on the big stage, but it was the strong core of other Warriors’ players who were the difference in No. 5 seed Foxboro coming away with a 73-53 victory over the No. 6 seed Middies.While Talbot had a game-high 28 points and Collins finished with 15, it was Collins’ teammates Kailey Sullivan and Addie Ruter who were deadly with their outside and inside games all night, giving the Warriors their third state championship in program history, following 1995 (Division 3) and 2018 (Division 2) crowns.Foxboro’s Erin Foley, left, hits the floor to battle for a loose ball with Dracut’s Brodie Gannon. Foxboro won the Division 2 girls basketball state title, 73-53. (Julia Malakie/Lowell Sun)“We just have so many kids who can score, whether it be threes with Kailey Sullivan or inside...

One of drivers injured in East San Diego crash dead after days in hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- One of the two people injured in a head-on collision earlier this month has died, according to the San Diego medical examiner's office.The March 2 crash occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. near the 4200 block of Camino Del Rio N in Grantville, when a Toyota pickup truck in the westbound left lane of the road veered across the diving line and struck a Honda SUV traveling eastbound head-on.The driver of the Toyota, identified as 95-year-old Robert Sherman George, sustained life-threatening injuries, according to San Diego police. George was taken to a hospital where he passed 11 days later on March 13. Bluff collapses in North County Complications of blunt force injuries was named as the cause of death by medical examiner's office officials.The driver of the Honda, a 77-year-old woman, had complaints of pain to the chest following the crash, according to authorities. There is no update on the condition of the woman or what led to the collision.The San Diego Police Traffi...

Anti-war protesters gather in Chicago, across U.S.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:23 GMT

CHICAGO — Anti-war demonstrations were held across the country on Saturday to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.Along Chicago's chilly riverfront and in the shadow of the Wrigley Building, a couple of dozen protesters made their views on capitalism, racism and imperialism known. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThey also made it known how much they disagree with politicians, the Pentagon, and military spending. Watch this full story in the player above.