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MPs accused of violent and sexual offenses face UK parliament ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

LONDON — MPs accused of serious criminal offenses could be banned from parliament under proposals due to be put before the House of Commons next month.The plan would see both MPs and members of the House of Lords who are accused of a criminal offense face formal risk assessments to consider whether they pose a threat to other people working on the parliamentary estate.These would be conducted by HR and other professionals, who would then make a recommendation to an “adjudication panel” of senior parliamentarians such as the deputy speakers of each house. The panel would rule on whether to accept or reject that risk assessment — and, if a finding that an MP or peer posed a risk was accepted, they would be barred from Westminster until the case against them was concluded.The risk assessment would be triggered once a member of parliament was reported by police to the authorities of either house of parliament. The proposals come amid mounting concern over errant MPs, following a number ...

Harassment claims hit Belgian MEP Kanko

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

The European Parliament has opened an investigation into allegations of harassment against the Belgian EU lawmaker Assita Kanko, according to documents seen by POLITICO. Kanko, 42, is one of the six vice-chairs of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and her policy specialisms include the EU’s migration policy. At stake is not just the reputation of one MEP or the well-being of her staff and former colleagues. Any potential sanctions against Kanko would put the spotlight once again on the European Parliament. There have already been two confirmed cases of harassment by European lawmakers so far this year. The reputation of the EU’s democratic decision-making body has also taken a battering in the past six months from the Qatargate corruption scandal. The investigation follows a complaint lodged in November 2022, according to the documents. Under Parliament rules, the opening of an investigation means the case has already gone thro...

They got Brexit done. So why are UK Tories still angry about immigration?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

LONDON — There’s a terrible habit the U.K. Conservatives can’t kick. It keeps coming back to bite them — and this week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak might become the latest victim.David Cameron began the trend with his fateful vow at the 2010 election to cut net migration to below 100,000 people a year. Every subsequent Conservative prime minister has made their own version of his failed pledge. None has come close to achieving what they promised.Brexit was meant to resolve the issue, ending the free movement of people from Europe and handing back control of U.K. borders to the government. Yet more than three years after Britain left the EU, the numbers are only going higher.Net migration to the U.K. reached a record 504,000 people in the year to June 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics, way above the giddy heights under Cameron that first triggered clamor for an EU referendum. And new stats released Thursday will show it soared higher still through the second ha...

Embattled Macron struggles to reconnect with France

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

DUNKIRK, France — Emmanuel Macron couldn’t have hoped for a more engaging crowd. A group of women — workers with hard helmets and protective gear — were asking for a photo. “You’re being mobbed by the women of Aluminium Dunkerque!” they laughed. Standing amid the crowd of factory workers in the port city of Dunkirk, the French president was in his element: shaking hands, fielding questions and taking selfies. “Any more questions?” he asked.But he did not address the elephant in the room. And none of the blue-collar workers shouted about Macron’s unpopular, controversial pensions reform. It wasn’t that nobody dared ruin the unveiling of an electric battery giga-factory project; Rather these workers had been hand-picked by their employer.In the past weeks, Macron has been hitting the road across France visiting towns big and small, in what he has called a bid to “engage” with the people after the bruising debates over his controversial pensions reform.France has been rocked by w...

Europe’s critical struggle with its economic paradigm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

Simone Tagliapietra is a senior fellow at Bruegel, Brussels. Jeromin Zettelmeyer is the director of Bruegel. Ahead of European elections, economic policy debates tend to follow a familiar pattern. Among eurocrats, Brussels think tanks and European Union-friendly national elites, there’s a fair amount of consensus on the policies needed to get to the desired destination, which is typically a variant of an “ever-closer union.” This means a deeper single market, banking union, capital markets union and effective common action on issues of concern through regulation and, more controversially, joint fiscal instruments. The main issue is how to balance ambition and pragmatism, which requires reconciling diverging national interests while not losing direction. This upcoming election cycle, however, is different. The main theme isn’t an ever-closer union — although this may yet resurface. Rather, it is how to respond to existential threats, including the possible escalat...

Several injured in Stoughton crash, one victim with gunshot wound 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

Several people were injured, including one person found with a gunshot wound after a crash in Stoughton Wednesday night, police said.Stoughton police said the crash happened at the intersection of Plain Street and West Street,Police said the person with the gunshot wound was taken to a hospital. Several other people were also taken to hospitals with unknown injuries, according to police.The intersection was closed to all traffic as of around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. On scene, three cars appeared to have been involved in the crash. Police said the incident remained under investigation, adding that the intersection will remain closed until further notice.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Surveillance video appears to show person firing gun in Dorchester intersection

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

Recently obtained surveillance video shows what appears to be a person firing a gun in a busy intersection in Dorchester at the same time of a report of shots fired in the area Tuesday afternoon.The video was captured by a security camera at a local business at the intersection of Gallivan Boulevard and Dorchester Avenue.The business owner said he has shared the video with police. In the video, a person dressed in gray can be seen walking across the street. The person appears to take several shots at nearby cars before running off. A home across the street was grazed by a bullet. No injuries were reported in the shots fired incident.Boston Police told 7NEWS they were still actively looking for the shooter as of Wednesday. . Community leaders have raised concerns about rising crime, saying it’s likely to keep increasing during the summer months. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Police Commissioner Michael Cox are scheduled to host a press conference discussing community s...

Francisco Alvarez hits 6th homer of the season, Kodai Senga throws career-high 106 pitches in 4-2 loss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

CHICAGO — Francisco Alvarez did all he could to will his club to a victory Wednesday night at Wrigley Field going 2-for-3 with a two-run homer off former Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman. But the Mets’ bats were as cold as the nearly 20 MPH winds blowing in from Lake Michigan and the offense produced little else in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.The Mets, who came into the Windy City riding a five-game winning streak, dropped the series with their second straight loss.Alvarez’s home run came in the top of the third. The biting winds that blew in from right field made life difficult for right-handed hitters, but Alvarez drove the ball right through the thick, icy air sending it back 390 feet for his sixth home run of the season. Alvarez put the Mets up but the lead wouldn’t last long.The Cubs (22-26) took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the frame.Kodai Senga (4-3) masterfully got out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings to rebound from that rough, three-run thi...

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams opens new San Diego shop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is celebrating the grand opening of its North Park spot with free scoops on June 5.The Ohio-based company is offering its reward members free ice cream at all Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams locations nationwide from 7 p.m. to close.The North Park shop (2871 University Avenue) will be open on June 5 until 11 p.m., while its Carlsbad location (7740 El Camino Real), which arrived to North County in April 2022, closes at 10 p.m. Here’s the scoop: Salt & Straw opening new store in San Diego The first 25-50 people will receive free swag bags, the company said.Sign up to become a Jeni's Splendid Rewards member to take advantage of the deal.."Plus, partygoers will get sneak peeks of upcoming drops. It’s our way of saying thank you for being a Rewards member," the company said on its website. Santa Barbara-based ice cream chain expanding to San Diego area Jeni Britton, the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, says the flavors used with their ice ...

South Korea, US troops to hold massive live-fire drills near border with North Korea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:11 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries were set to begin massive live-fire drills near the border with North Korea on Thursday, despite the North’s warning that it won’t tolerate what it calls such a hostile invasion rehearsal on its doorstep.Thursday’s drills, the first of the allies’ five rounds of firing exercises until mid-June, mark 70 years since the establishment of the military alliance between Seoul and Washington. North Korea has typically reacted to such major South Korean-U.S. exercises with missile and other weapons tests.Since the start of 2022, North Korea has test-launched more than 100 missiles but none since it fired a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile in mid-April. North Korea has argued its torrid pace of tests was meant to respond to the expanded military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, but observers say the North aims to advance its weapons development then wrest greater concessions from its rivals in eventual diplom...