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Suspending Hungary’s EU presidency isn’t a sanction — it’s a precaution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law at HEC Paris and founder of The Good Lobby, a nonprofit committed to equalize access to power.Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the longest-serving current leader of any European Union member country, has turned Hungary into an “electoral autocracy” that can no longer be considered a “functioning democracy.” And yet, Hungary is due to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in late 2024.As this may lead the bloc into unknown territory, the mere prospect of Hungary’s impending presidency raises a legitimate yet uncomfortable question: How can an EU member country — like Hungary or Poland — which has been found in breach of fundamental EU values multiple times and had its funds suspended, credibly chair one of the main EU institutions?The presidency gives its holder the power to set the Council of the EU’s agenda by chairing virtually all meetings taking place among the EU’s 27 ministers, and representin...

Westminster’s Unwanted: All the UK MPs suspended by their parties since 2019

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

LONDON — Meet Britain’s fastest-growing political group: the suspended MPs.Booted out of their political tribes — at least temporarily — over a variety of headline-grabbing controversies, these British lawmakers are now sitting in the House of Commons as independent MPs.Incredibly, the nomadic bloc now totals 15 members of parliament — and actually outnumbers Britain’s fourth-largest party, the Liberal Democrats, who have 14. Only the Tories, Labour and SNP constitute larger groups in Westminster.Britain has had independent MPs before, of course — some who chose to run as independents; others who, as during the 2019 Brexit battles, were either forced out or chose to quit their parties over policy differences.But to have so many MPs suspended over allegations of misconduct is a new phenomenon.“I certainly can’t recall a parliament when there are so many MPs at Westminster who’ve been chucked out of their parties, whether temporarily or permanently,”...

Macron’s new headache: A successful Giorgia Meloni

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

PARIS — Giorgia Meloni seems to be giving Emmanuel Macron a new reason to worry: The legitimacy and success of the far-right Italian leader poses a threat to the French president’s party in the upcoming European elections. Tensions between the two have surfaced repeatedly since Meloni took power last year, with migration a flashpoint. Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella, who has frequently smoothed over diplomatic spats with Paris, is set to meet Macron in the French capital for lunch on Wednesday, on a trip for the inauguration of an Italian exhibition at the Louvre.But aside from the immigration disputes, Paris’ concern is the rise of Meloni on the European stage. The prospect of the far-right Italian prime minister becoming the respectable face of the right in Europe presents a serious problem for Macron’s party ahead of the European elections in 2024.As that campaign approaches, Macron’s ministers have attacked Meloni’s government in a bid to diminish their far-right oppon...

Has Ukraine’s counteroffensive finally begun?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

The last two days have seen growing signs Ukraine is redoubling its efforts to drive out Vladimir Putin’s forces. Russia’s defense ministry said it repelled a major assault in the Donetsk region, claiming in the process to having killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers, destroyed 28 tanks and more than a hundred armored vehicles. “Having suffered heavy losses the day before, the Kyiv regime reorganised the remnants of the 23rd and 31st mechanised brigades into separate consolidated units, which continued offensive operations,” it said on its Telegram channel. Ukraine dismissed Russia’s claims. But hours after his officials said some offensive operations were being mounted, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly television address on Monday welcomed advances he says Ukrainian troops have been making, including around the Eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where fighting has been intense for months. “I am grateful to each soldier, to all our defenders, men and women, ...

Webster family cleaning up after lightning strike sparks fire that damages home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

A lightning strike sparked a fire that tore through the roof of a home in Webster on Thursday, leaving a family picking up the pieces.The attic of the home on Colonial Road was struck as a row of powerful thunderstorms rolled across Worcester County.“I was just in my garage and I heard this loud bang,” a neighbor said of the terrifying moment the lightning struck. “She called me up and said, ‘Can you go to my house, I think it’s on fire,’ and I did and it was, so I started videotaping.”Fire crews that arrived to extinguish the flames managed to keep the fire from spreading but left the home with significant water damage.There were no reported injuries.

Refsnyder has go-ahead RBI single in 4-run 8th, Red Sox beat Guardians 5-4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rob Refsnyder had the go-ahead RBI single in a four-run eighth inning and James Paxton tied his season high with nine strikeouts, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.Kiké Hernández drove in two runs and Masataka Yoshida had three hits for the Red Sox, who put their first six batters on base in the eighth against relievers Enyel De Los Santos (2-1) and Nick Sandlin.Paxton (2-1) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, matching his longest outing since Sept. 3, 2019, with the Yankees. The left-hander gave up both Guardians runs in the first, then scattered three hits over the next six frames.Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 16 opportunities. Boston snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 10-16 since May 7.Cleveland carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth before De Los Santos loaded the bases and walked Hernández to plate Justin Turner with the tying run. Refsnyder and Pablo Reyes fo...

Red Sox ride four-run eighth, dominant Paxton performance to 5-4 win over Guardians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

James Paxton gave the Red Sox exactly the kind of dominant starting pitching performance they’ve so badly needed, and yet for most of the outing it looked like it might be wasted by another punchless offensive performance.It took a while, but eventually the bats did finally come through.The Red Sox rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth to come from behind and beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-4, snapping the club’s three-game losing streak and pushing Boston back over .500 at 31-30. Rob Refsnyder delivered the go-ahead RBI single and Paxton earned the win.“It’s been awhile, right?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of the team’s big inning. “It was quality at bat after quality at bat, Pablo (Reyes) going the other way and everyone contributed. It was a good one.”Early on it didn’t seem like it was going to be Paxton’s night, as the big lefty labored through a tough first inning in which he threw 28 pitches and allowed tw...

Aaron Judge headed to IL with contusion and sprained ligament in right big toe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

Slugger Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list with a contusion and sprained ligament in his right big toe, manager Aaron Boone announced after Tuesday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox.The news comes after Judge was scheduled to meet with Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Judge sustained the injury while while making a gate-breaking catch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.Boone told reporters after Tuesday’s loss that Judge doesn’t have a fracture in his toe.Ahmad also met with pitchers Nestor Cortes and Ryan Weber on Tuesday. Cortes has a shoulder strain and won’t throw for about two weeks, per Boone.Weber was diagnosed with a UCL strain after landing on the IL while in Los Angeles.Check back for more details. ()

Lucas Giolito is lifted after 6 no-hit innings — and Liam Hendriks gets his 1st save — in the Chicago White Sox’s 3-2 win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

Lucas Giolito was nearly part of another historic night.Giolito pitched six no-hit innings for the Chicago White Sox in a 3-2 victory against the New York Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.Giolito struck out seven and walked three, exiting after throwing 100 pitches.Joe Kelly entered in the seventh and struck out the first two batters before walking Willie Calhoun. Isiah Kiner-Falefa broke up the combined no-hit bid when his fly to left-center fell between Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. for an RBI double. There appeared to be miscommunication between the outfielders.Giolito and three relievers combined for a three-hitter to win the opener of the three-game series.The Sox were vying for the 21st no-hitter in franchise history. Giolito threw the 19th on Aug. 25, 2020, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field.That one was played with no fans in the stands because of the pandemic. Tuesday’s game was in front of 38,049 in one of the biggest settings in the ...

Florida official says migrants flown to California went willingly, disputes claims of coercion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:49:20 GMT

By TRÂN NGUYỄN and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ (Associated Press)SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said Tuesday that three dozen migrants whom the state flew from the U.S. southern border to California on private planes all went willingly, disputing allegations by California officials that the individuals were coerced to travel under false pretenses.The admission of responsibility — five days after the first flight touched down in California’s capital — only served to heighten tensions between DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, his frequent political sparring partner.Two planes arrived in Sacramento, on Friday and Monday, each carrying asylum-seekers mostly from Colombia and Venezuela. The individuals had been picked up in El Paso, Texas, taken to New Mexico and then put on charter flights to California’s capital of Sacramento, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He is investigating whether any vi...