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Polish government whips up hate against director over migrant film

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

WARSAW — Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has launched a vitriolic campaign against acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland for making a harrowing film that centers on how Poland handles — and maltreats — migrants trying to cross its border with Belarus.In a febrile pre-election atmosphere, Holland has faced such an onslaught of invective from PiS leader (and Poland’s de-facto ruler) Jarosław Kaczyński, the president, the prime minister, justice minister and other top officials that she’s paying a security company to protect her. In one of the more caustic attacks, President Andrzej Duda described her film as “anti-Polish.” He then went on to quote a protesting border guard union that used a World War II resistance slogan leveled against Poles who went to see Nazi propaganda films: “Only pigs sit in theaters.”“I’m not afraid but I’m not stupid, either,” Holland told POLITICO, referring to her need for protection. “They’re fueling hate and ...

Human trafficking survivor shares experience during town hall meeting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego is ranked among the 13 worst human trafficking hotspots in the United States by the FBI. Supervisor Jim Desmond held a virtual town hall meeting on human trafficking Monday night to discuss what every parent should know about when it comes to human trafficking.Up to 8,000 children fall victim to trafficking in San Diego County every single year, with the average age being 16 years old.“A lot of trafficking happens between 12 and 16 years old,” said survivor Keelin Washington, who also joined the town hall meeting to share her insight along with District Attorney Summer Stephan and Geanie Franco, Commander of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force.“Knowledge is power,” Stephan said. “Predators thrive on ignorance. Knowledge saves lives.” 17 Hells Angels members indicted after violent attack in Ocean Beach Officials say young boys are often targeted in game rooms and social media is where many perpetrators find their victims.“Don’t share private informatio...

German police raid premises across the country in connection with migrant smuggling

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — More than 350 German federal police searched premises across the country early Tuesday in connection with smuggling of migrants early on Tuesday.The focus of the raids was on cities and towns in northern and western Germany but also in Bavaria in the south, German news agency dpa reported.Police executed five arrest warrants, three in the northern town of Stade and two in the western town of Gladbeck. Inside the searched apartments and other buildings, police discovered many migrants without residence permits, dpa reported.The raids were ordered by federal police at Frankfurt airport on suspicion of gang and commercial smuggling of foreigners, German news agency dpa reported.The Associated Press

South Korea vows to retaliate against any North Korean provocations in Armed Forces Day ceremony

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president vowed to retaliate immediately against any potential provocations by North Korea in his Armed Forces Day speech Tuesday, as thousands of troops prepared to march through the capital in the country’s first such military parade in 10 years.The show of force comes as concerns grow that North Korea is seeking Russian help in expanding its nuclear arsenal in return for supplying Moscow with conventional arms exhausted by its war with Ukraine.“Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a ceremony after reviewing soldiers and advanced conventional weapons systems at a military airport near Seoul.“If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response” from the South Korean-U.S. alliance, he said.Yoon said he would strive to build “a stron...

Stock market today: Asian shares dip with eyes on the Chinese economy and a possible US shutdown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly sank Tuesday over worries about a possible U.S. government shutdown and the troubled Chinese economy.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 1.0% in afternoon trading to 32,357.25. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.5% to 7,044.90. South Korea’s Kospi dropped nearly 1.3% to 2,463.63. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.9% to 17,576.83, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 3,109.69. Investors are watching for Chinese economic indicators being released later in the week. “The Chinese property woes are far from over, as the notorious developer Evergrande defaulted on its 4 billion yuan onshore bond repayment and delayed the restructuring meetings,” said Tina Teng, market analyst at CMC Markets APAC & Canada. Wall Street clawed back some of its steep losses from last week. The S&P 500 rose 17.38, or 0.4%, to 4,337.44, coming off its worst week in six months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 43.04, or 0.1%, to 3...

After US approval, Japan OKs Leqembi, its first Alzheimer’s drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s health ministry has approved Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer’s disease that was jointly developed by Japanese and U.S. pharmaceutical companies. It’s the first drug for treatment of the disease in a country with a rapidly aging population.Developed by Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co. and U.S. biotechnology firm Biogen Inc., the drug’s approval in Japan comes two months after it was endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Leqembi is for patients with mild dementia and other symptoms in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and the first medicine that can modestly slow their cognitive decline.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced Japan’s approval of Leqembi on Monday, called it “a breakthrough” and said that the “treatment of dementia has now entered a new era.”Kishida has pledged to step up support for the growing number of dementia patients and their families and is due to launch a panel this week to discuss measures f...

Prominent Thai human rights lawyer accused of insulting the king receives a 4-year prison term

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A prominent Thai human rights lawyer was convicted on Tuesday of insulting the monarchy and sentenced to four years in prison, the first conviction under a controversial law guarding the royal institution since a civilian government took office after years of military-backed rule.Arnon Nampa was found guilty of defaming King Maha Vajiralongkorn during a student-led rally on Oct. 14, 2020, that commemorated a popular uprising in 1973 that led to the fall of a decade-long military dictatorship. He was also fined 20,000 baht ($550) for violating an emergency decree banning large public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Arnon, 39, still faces 13 more cases under the lese majeste law, which makes insulting the monarch, his immediate family and the regent punishable by up to 15 years in prison.The court said in its ruling Tuesday that Arnon had declared at the rally that if it were dispersed, it would be at the order of King Maha Vajiralongkon. It said that stateme...

NextGenerationEU: Commission endorses Portugal's €22.2 billion modified recovery and resilience plan, including a REPowerEU chapter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

The European Commission has given a positive assessment of Portugal's modified recovery and resilience plan, which includes a REPowerEU chapter. The plan is now worth €22.2 billion in grants and loans and covers 44 reforms and 117 investments.Portugal's REPowerEU chapter consists of 6 reforms and 16 investments to deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objectives to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. These measures focus on energy efficiency in buildings, support to green industry, renewables and renewable gases, sustainable transport and the electricity grid.In addition to this, Portugal has also proposed 34 new or scaled up investments to its original plan and five new reforms. The proposed reforms aim to enhance the efficiency of both the social protection system and the tax system, promote circular economy and waste management, and further boost the digital transition of the public administration. No investment or reform has been removed from the initia...

SF Giants ace dismisses Cy Young talk, wants wins and ‘big changes’ instead

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb believes Blake Snell should win the National League Cy Young Award this year.Why is that, Webb was asked.“Because he has a 2.30 (ERA), a 2.20, whatever it is,” Webb said of the San Diego Padres’ left-hander. “That’s pretty good.”Snell now has an MLB-leading 2.25 ERA after his exceptional performance Monday against the Giants, as he struck out seven over six scoreless innings. He’s also fourth with 234 strikeouts and has a solid 14-9 record for a Padres team that’s been well out of the playoff picture almost all season.But Webb outshined Snell in a terrific pitcher’s duel at Oracle Park and a rare highlight for the Giants this month. In the second complete game of his career, with both coming this season, Webb allowed nine hits but struck out seven as he gave the Giants a chance to come back and earn a 2-1 win, keeping their faint playoff hopes alive for at least another day.“It’s kind of hard trying to go pitch f...

Olympic doping case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva opens Tuesday in Swiss sports court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:37 GMT

The doping case of teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva that shocked the 2022 Beijing Olympics returns to the highest court in sports on Tuesday.The Court of Arbitration for Sport begins a hearing set for at least three days with Valieva, now aged 17, expected to testify by video link from Russia in a case that was slow-walked in her home country and could now deliver a verdict by the end of the year.Awaiting the outcome are nine American skaters who could become Olympic champions in the team event after finishing second in Beijing behind the Russians and their star performer Valieva. The center of Valieva’s defense has been that her positive test for a heart medication banned in sports was caused by accidental contamination – maybe from a glass or plate – by tablets her grandfather claimed he took.Valieva and her legal team “intend to conduct further investigation and present the results” at future hearings in the case, the first Russian anti-doping tribunal to judge the ca...