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Media watchdog asks Pakistan not to deport 200 Afghan journalists in undocumented migrant crackdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An international media watchdog is urging Pakistan not to deport more than 200 Afghan journalists who fled their homeland after the Taliban regained control in August 2021 as U.S and NATO forces withdrew following more than two decades of war.The plea by Reporters Without Borders comes a week after Pakistan launched a crackdown on undocumented foreigners, mostly an estimated 1.7 million Afghans.The crackdown began Nov. 1 after the expiration of a monthlong grace period for unregistered foreigners to leave voluntarily. Nearly 270,000 Afghans have returned home to avoid arrest and forced expulsion. They included some people who had lived in Pakistan for up to four decades. Some said they never registered with the U.N. refugee agency because Pakistani authorities were hospitable, and they didn’t imagine that they would be told to leave at short notice.The Afghans who are still in Pakistan include about 200 journalists as well as about 25,000 Afghans waiting for r...

Russia finalizes pullout from Cold War-era treaty and blames US and its allies for treaty’s collapse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Tuesday finalized its pullout from a key Cold War-era security deal, more than eight years after announcing the intention to do so, the Foreign Ministry said. The development came after both houses of the Russian parliament approved a bill proposed by President Vladimir Putin denouncing the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Putin signed it into force in May this year. The treaty — aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders — was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later. It was one of several major Cold War-era treaties involving Russia and the United States that ceased to be in force in recent years. Russia suspended its participation in 2007, and in 2015 announced its intention to completely withdraw from the agreement. In February 2022, Moscow sent hundreds of thousands of Russian troops into the neighboring Ukraine, which also shares a border with NATO members Poland, Slovakia...

Masks are back, construction banned and schools shut as toxic air engulfs New Delhi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — A toxic blanket of grey smog hangs over New Delhi’s monuments and high-rises. Schools have been ordered shut and construction banned. People are back to wearing masks.In the Indian capital, it is that time of the year again. Authorities are struggling to rein in severe air pollution levels, an annual and chronic health crisis that disrupts the lives of over 20 million in the city every year.On Tuesday, the air quality index veered close to the 400 mark for tiny particulate matter, a level considered hazardous and more than 10 times the global safety threshold, according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental monitoring agency. It’s the fifth consecutive day of bad air in the region.“There’s too much smog. I’m watching the air quality index and I’m scared about this climate,” said Srinivas Rao, a visitor from Andhra Pradesh state who donned a mask as he took a morning walk near the city’s India Gate monument. Authorities have deployed water sprinklers and anti-sm...

TEA releases financial health report for Texas districts and charter schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Education Agency said Monday its report ranking the financial health of public school districts and charter schools in the state gave most systems a top grade. The TEA said school systems are assigned a letter grade and a matching financial management rating.They are A for Superior Achievement, B for Above Standard Achievement, C for Meets Standard Achievement and F for Substandard Achievement. According to the TEA, 88% of the 1,192 school systems rated A, 7% rated B, 5% rated C and 1% rated F.  All districts in the Austin area were rated A. Georgetown ISD gets high marks from state Here is a list of school district FIRST ratings. And here is a list of charter FIRST ratings. According to the TEA website, the agency released preliminary 2022-23 FIRST ratings on Aug. 7.The TEA said the 77th Texas Legislature established FIRST in 2001.

Daily horoscope for November 7, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Virgo.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023:You have an adventurous, pioneering spirit. You love to learn new things and expand your skills. You are forever curious. This is a year of learning and teaching for you. Take time for reflection and renewal through meditation or prayer. Explore philosophies that have meaning for you.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★★★This is a fantastic, feel-good day! Enjoy warm relations with customers and co-workers today. Whatever you do will expand your world. In particular, you will be more productive and successful by working with groups. This is also an ideal day for work-related travel. Tonight: Work.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★★★Accept invitations to party and socialize, because this is a wonderful day to schmooze! Enjoy romantic outings and dates. Meanwhile, sports events and playful activities with children will be positive and upbeat. Relations with part...

EU food prices: Olive oil up 75% since January 2021

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

After substantial increases in 2022, food prices in the EU continued to rise also in 2023. Data for the second and third quarters of this year show that the prices of some items registered a slower increase. In September 2023, prices of eggs, butter and potatoes in the EU are higher than in January 2021 and 2022 but are not as high as some months prior, while the prices of olive oil have been consistently increasing. In September 2023, the price of olive oil was 75% higher than in January 2021. In January 2022, prices were already 11% higher than the same month of the year before, and between September 2022 and September 2023, prices registered a sharp increase. Potato prices were also on a staggering rise. Since January 2021, prices for potatoes increased by 53% in September 2023, following a peak in June 2023 (+60%). As for the prices of eggs, in September 2023, they were 37% higher than in January 2021. Egg prices stabilized in the first 2 quarters of 2023 and showed so...

Are European officials working at the direction of a criminal fugitive?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

Human rights is the noblest concept and a core pillar of our modern societies, including within the European Union (EU). Chipping away at its legitimacy and sanctity shakes the very foundation of democracy. Sadly, criminals and corrupt officials have learned that they can gain political leverage over governments by misrepresenting domestic legal due processes as human rights violations. Making matters worse, the EU’s recent Qatargate scandal has revealed the role of NGOs, even those seemingly promoting human rights, in facilitating collusion between controversial outside actors and European officials, including MEPs, writes Lukasz Michalski (Poland), international ​relations expert.A persistent example of this situation in the EU is the case of Mukhtar Ablyazov and his criminal network. It was discovered in 2009 that Ablyazov and his cohorts stole over $5 billion from Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank. They have since argued that the charges brought against him by Kazakhstani authorities a...

Miss Manners: The host seemed put out by their sober dress. Were these guests rude?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was invited to a Halloween costume party, so I put together a costume and attended.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Should I have done something about this shopper’s bad behavior? Advice | Miss Manners: How do I keep my wife’s art off our walls without a blowup? Advice | Miss Manners: Three years after disappearing, she sent me a rude email Advice | Miss Manners: Must I tell these nosy people about the tragedy of my fiance? Advice | Miss Manners: They’re demanding we vacation every year in the back of beyond When I arrived at the hosts’ home, they were both dressed in costumes, and it was clear they had spent a lot of time and money decorating and providing quite a spread of music, food and cocktails for their guests.It was a large group, about 60 guests, and I was very surprised to see that the majority of them, probably about 40, didn’t dress in ...

Georgetown Men’s Basketball Preview: Hoyas begin the road to respectability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

Georgetown NCAA college basketball head coach Ed Cooley, left, yells while players run through drills during team practice, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)(AP/Stephanie Scarbrough) Georgetown NCAA college basketball head coach Ed Cooley, left, yells while players run through drills during team practice, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)(AP/Stephanie Scarbrough) Things have been percolating since March, and on Tuesday evening a new era will officially start its first season for Georgetown Men’s Basketball.Coach Ed Cooley’s Hoyas welcome Le Moyne for the opener, with many wondering what sort of play they’ll see on the flo...

Iowa hosts North Dakota to begin season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:40 GMT

North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks at Iowa HawkeyesIowa City, Iowa; Tuesday, 8 p.m. ESTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawkeyes -19; over/under is 154BOTTOM LINE: The Iowa Hawkeyes host the North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks in the season opener.Iowa finished 19-14 overall with a 14-3 record at home during the 2022-23 season. The Hawkeyes shot 45.3% from the field and 34.0% from 3-point range last season.North Dakota finished 13-20 overall with a 4-11 record on the road a season ago. The Fightin’ Hawks averaged 72.1 points per game last season, 10.9 on free throws and 27.6 from deep.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source