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What’s actually in the EU’s migration deal?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

LUXEMBOURG — EU countries have finally achieved the (near) impossible: Striking a migration deal. Late on Thursday, 21 EU countries pushed through what they hailed as a “historic” agreement to reshape — for the first time in years — how the continent processes and relocates asylum seekers. If the pact can get through final negotiations with the European Parliament, it may change the face of European migration. Fights and changes are inevitable, and no one is sure how the policy itself would play out.For now, the agreement strikes a balance between two broad camps: Border countries that want more help handling asylum seekers and those inland arguing that too many migrants are arriving and moving without permission within the EU.Under the deal, frontline states would be required to institute a stricter asylum procedure at the border for those deemed unlikely to be accepted. They would also be given greater leeway to send back rejected applicants.Elsewhere, EU count...

Behind enemy lines: Inside the operation to rescue Ukraine’s abducted children 

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

More than 19,000 kids have been deported to Russia. Their parents are trying to bring them back, one child at a time.By VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA in KyivIllustrations by Jasu Hu for POLITICOIn the yard of a local church in Kyiv, a gray minivan arrives, brandishing the sign “Evacuation. Children.” The doors are flung open and out jumps a fiery-haired woman in her 40s: Oksana Galkina. “I got her! I finally brought my Liza back,” she screams happily as she spots the volunteers of Save Ukraine, the NGO that assisted her in carrying out the most formidable mission she’s ever embarked upon: rescuing her 16-year-old daughter, Liza, from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. In the company of a dozen other parents and legal guardians of kidnapped children, Galkina journeyed through the European Union, to Russia, and then into the Russian-occupied southern territories of Ukraine, finally returning back home. Their goal? Reclaiming...

The race to detect AI can be won

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

Jan Nicola Beyer is the research coordinator of the Digital Democracy unit at Democracy Reporting International.The debate over the risks of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is currently in full swing.On the one hand, advocates of the model for generative AI tools praise their potential to drive productivity gains not witnessed since the Industrial Revolution. On the other, there’s a growing chorus raising concerns regarding the potential dangers that these tools pose.While there have been ample calls for regulating, or even stalling, new AI technology development, however, there’s a whole other dimension that appears to be missing from the debate — detection.When compared with regulation, investing in technologies that discern between human and machine-generated content — such as DetectGPT and GPTZero for text, and AI Image Detector for visuals — may be seen by some as a substandard solution. As regulation will face insurmountable challenges, however, detection can offer a p...

Boston police officer shot in Roxbury, taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

A Boston police officer has been shot and taken to a hospital, police confirmed. The incident happened in Roxbury Friday night. Police said the officer was shot twice and taken to Boston Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.There was a large police presence seen in the area with activity centering specifically around the area of Cedric Street in Roxbury. The scene remained active with many officers and cruisers visible as of around 10:45 p.m. Several streets in the area were taped off.The officer was being treated at Boston Medical Center as of 10:45 p.m. Officials including Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox and Superintendent-In-Chief Gregory Long and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden were also at the hospital with the officer, with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said to be on her way.In addition to the scene around Cedric Street, law enforcement personnel from several different agencies were seen around Boston Medical Center. Officials are expecte...

Boston police officer shot in Roxbury, taken to BMC

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

A city police officer has been shot and is at Boston Medical Center undergoing treatment. There is no word on his condition.This shooting remains under investigation but reportedly started in Roxbury on Cedric Street near Magazine Street.BMC is a Level 1 trauma center, the highest a hospital can attain as a go-to ER for critical cases.A press conference appears imminent.

Tylor Megill roughed up as Mets losing streak hits 7 with 14-7 loss to the Pirates

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

PITTSBURGH — Against one of the most beautiful backdrops in baseball, the Mets played one of the ugliest games of the season.One night after dropping a devastating extra-inning contest to the Atlanta Braves, the Mets were battered by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The losing streak extended to seven games in a 14-7 loss at PNC Park in the series opener. There were bad fundamentals, misplays, miscues and everything in between.The Mets rallied to score five in the ninth off Rob Zastryzny and closer David Bednar. The fight was there, but the execution wasn’t.Tylor Megill was shelled for the third time in four starts, but the defense behind him didn’t exactly help the situation. After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, the Mets (30-34) went down 2-0 when a ground-rule double by light-hitting catcher Austin Hedges scored two. Hedges flared one down the right field line and Starling Marte misjudged how close to the wall the ball was. The catch probability was 50...

Rafael Devers’ Ruthian night propels Red Sox to victory over Yankees

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

The rivalry may not be what it once was, but when a close game comes down to the wire, it still feels different than any other matchup.Facing off for the first time this season, the Red Sox and Yankees went toe-to-toe in the Bronx on Friday night.What began with three scoreless innings ended in a 3-2 nail-biter victory for Boston. They’re still at the bottom of the division, but back to .500.Without the injured Aaron Judge, who leads the league with 19 home runs, the Yankees went quietly into the night. They collected nine hits, but went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.The Boston bats barely fared better. They compiled 10 hits, but went 1-for-4 RISP, also stranding seven.A pair of home runs made all the difference. While Garrett Whitlock held down the fort against the team that opted not to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, two of Boston’s youngest and brightest stars put the hurt on the Yankees starter.Triston Casas began his night 2...

Guatemala says US-funded transit centers to receive applications from Central American migrants

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Migrant transit centers fiananced by the United States will be set up in Guatemala to receive applications from Central American citizens seeking to apply for work visas, family reunifications or refugee status, an official said Friday.Both governments have said they will launch a web page Monday on which people will be able to request appointments to apply for entrance to the U.S.The centers are part of a larger migratory strategy aimed at reducing the heavy flow of migrants from Latin American and the Caribbean to the United States. Applicants with scheduled appointments will be received at offices to be opened in eight places across Guatemala, the official said, who agreed to discuss the plan only if not quoted by name. The centers will be directed by United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration during a six-month trial period, the official added.The plan was revealed after a phone conversation between U.S. Vice President Ka...

UN peacekeeper killed, 8 seriously injured in northern Mali attack

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Attackers killed one U.N. peacekeeper and seriously injured eight others Friday in Mali’s northern Timbuktu region, an area where extremists continue to operate, the United Nations said.The peacekeepers, all from Burkina Faso, were part of a security patrol that was targeted first by an improvised explosive device and then by direct small arms fire seven kilometers (four miles) from their base in the town of Ber, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.The United Nations joins the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, El-Ghassim Wane, in strongly condemning the attack, Dujarric said.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Mali’s transitional authorities to identify the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice swiftly, noting that “attacks targeting U.N. peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law,” Dujarric said. Mali has been ruled by a military junta since a 2020 coup against an elected president, Ibrahim ...

Man seriously injured in Scarborough park stabbing; 1 man arrested

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:38:12 GMT

One man is in custody after another man was seriously injured following a stabbing in a Scarborough park. Police say they were called to the park on Neilson Road just south of Finch Avenue for reports someone had been stabbed just after 9 p.m. Friday. When they arrived they found a man suffering from stab wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital. Police say one man is in custody at this time