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Qatargate: Lead suspect Panzeri to be released from jail with electronic tag

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

BRUSSELS — Pier Antonio Panzeri, the lead suspect in the so-called Qatargate corruption probe, is moving from jail to house arrest with an electronic monitor pending trial, his lawyer confirmed to POLITICO.The move comes after Panzeri struck a plea deal with Belgian investigators in January, admitting guilt and agreeing to share information about whom he bribed, in exchange for a reduced sentence. He was among the first to be arrested in the sprawling probe and is suspected of being the ringleader in a scheme where foreign countries, including Qatar, allegedly worked to influence the European Parliament through cash payments and perks.Panzeri’s lawyer, Laurent Kennes, told POLITICO that the former Italian MEP will be now detained at home, confirming a prior report by Belgian newspaper Le Soir. It’s not clear when exactly Panzeri will leave jail, but it would probably take place in the next couple of days, Kennes added. “It is normal for a person who ...

Dutch far-right MP fined for posting image with Nazi flag on Twitter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

A Dutch far-right lawmaker has been fined for publishing an edited photo of two government ministers next to a Nazi flag, the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service said in a statement Thursday.Pepijn van Houwelingen, of the populist Forum for Democracy Party (FVD), will have to pay a €450 fine.“After studying the file, the Public Prosecution Service concludes that this constitutes an insult from a legal point of view,” the statement read, adding that the picture was “unnecessarily offensive.”Last September, van Houwelingen posted a picture showing the Dutch health minister, Ernst Kuipers, lifting a flag showcasing UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as an edited version of the same image in which a Nazi flag had been added. The social affairs and employment minister, Karien van Gennip, can be seen looking up and smiling at the flag in the background.Van Houwelingen later deleted the tweet, but the two ministers filed a lawsuit, with the health m...

Worker in stable condition after being extricated from trench in Newton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

A DPW worker is in stable condition after being extricated from a trench on Bonita Street in Newton Thursday morning. Crews responding to the scene just after 9 a.m. found the worker buried up to his hip in a muddy ditch. “All of a sudden I saw one of the guys from the City of Newton screaming on the phone, ‘Hurry up, get here, get here, he’s fallen in the hole!'” neighbor Susan Delicata told 7NEWS. “I just came out and the two guys were trying to help to get him out of the hole,” she added. “I just saw the top of his head and it was all mud.”Newton Fire Chief Greg Gentile said the worker’s legs were buried and crews wasted no time rescuing him. “We found the victim conscious and breathing,” Gentile said. “There are probably minor injuries at this time.”Neighbors say the worker was in the trench fixing a leaking sewer line when the walls came caving in. “There will be an investigation and we’ll...

Maryland sheriff and firearms dealer indicted in illegal machine gun acquisition scheme, DOJ says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

(CNN) — A sheriff and a local firearms dealer in Frederick County, Maryland, have been indicted on federal charges for their roles in a scheme to illegally acquire machine guns so they could be rented out for profit, federal prosecutors announced.A federal grand jury indicted Frederick County Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins, 66, and Robert Justin Krop, 36, on charges of conspiracy and false statements to acquire machine guns, the US Department of Justice said in a Wednesday news release.Krop, who owns firearms-related businesses in the county, is also charged with illegal possession of seven machine guns, the agency said.Krop and his businesses are licensed to possess and deal machine guns under special circumstances, which include using the guns as demonstration samples for potential law enforcement buyers, according to the indictment.The indictment alleges that from August 2015 to May 2022 Jenkins and Krop conspired to unlawfully purchase machine guns by falsifying ...

Pope washes feet in Holy Thursday rite at Rome youth prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — In a Holy Thursday ritual symbolizing humility, Pope Francis washed and dried the feet of a dozen residents of a Rome juvenile prison, assuring them of their dignity and telling them “any of us” can fall into sin.The Casal del Marmo facility on the outskirts of Rome is the same juvenile prison where Francis performed the first feet-washing ritual of his papacy, demonstrating his belief that the Catholic Church should give attention to people living on society’s margins.On Thursday, Francis repeated the ritual on 10 male and two female residents who are serving time at the facility. He leaned over and poured water on one foot of each, then used a white towel to gently pat the foot dry before kissing it.When Francis looked up at them in turn to smile, they shook his hand and kissed it. Many of the young people whispered into the pope’s ear, and he chatted with them briefly in return.The ritual recalls the foot-washing Jesus performed on his 12 apostles ...

Small-business tax changes and tips to know in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

Tax season brings rule changes for business owners, and this year is no different. For instance, you can deduct 100% of what your business spent at restaurants in 2022 on your taxes this year. But in 2023, that figure will return to 50%.What never changes, experts say, is the need to keep accurate records and work with a tax professional you trust.“Business owners are oftentimes viewing their financial record-keeping as the last thing to do on the list. And they do it themselves, and they do it at night over a cup of coffee while they’re watching TV,” says David Levi, a certified public accountant and managing director at CBIZ, a tax, accounting, insurance and HR firm with offices across the United States.“[But] you don’t know what you don’t know. And the one thing that’s certain in the tax world is change,” Levi says.Here are some key rule changes and deadlines to note as you file your 2022 taxes and plan for 2023.Find out whether you can still claim the Employee Retention Tax Cred...

Chicago Bears storylines: Bijan Robinson’s unexpected appeal, a big need at defensive tackle and the true cost of the Chase Claypool trade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

The NFL draft is three weeks away, leaving the Chicago Bears in the homestretch of their evaluation process.The Bears currently hold 10 selections in the April 27-29 draft, and general manager Ryan Poles is eager to attack that weekend with purpose, understanding how many holes he has to fill on his roster.As Poles and the Bears cross the bridge from free agency to the draft, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.The sure thingApproach the evaluation with an open mind and you’ll see why many NFL talent evaluators can’t stop fixating on Texas running back Bijan Robinson.Scan through Robinson’s junior season stats — 258 carries, 1,580 yards, 18 touchdowns — and it’s easy to acknowledge the elite production.Check out his combine measurables too. The 37-inch vertical leap, the 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump, the 4.46-second time in the 40-yard dash. Yep, those pass muster as well.Then turn on the game video where week after week, serie...

As Jets wait on Aaron Rodgers, rest of AFC East making key additions this offseason

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

Remember the years when the New England Patriots ruled the AFC East by winning 17 out of 19 division titles, including 11 in a row (2009-2019)?Those days are long gone, as the Buffalo Bills have recently dominated the AFC East winning the division for the last three years.But in 2023, the AFC East could be a gauntlet as the Jets, Dolphins and Patriots have all made strides this offseason. The Dolphins made the playoffs as a wild card team in 2022 after finishing 9-8, while the Patriots (8-9) and Jets (7-10) remained in playoff contention late into December.At some point, Aaron Rodgers is expected to be traded to the Jets after the veteran superstar quarterback announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he “intends” to play for the club last month.Gang Green recently signed former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard to a four-year deal and ex-Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman to a one-year contract to team up with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson....

Supreme Court of Canada won’t hear appeal involving private health care

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear a challenge of a British Columbia law intended to preserve public health care through measures against extra-billing and certain private insurance.Two Vancouver private health facilities and four patients argued that provisions of the Medicare Protection Act violate their constitutional rights due to long waits for care in B.C.’s publicly funded system.They said it amounted to a breach of the patients’ life, liberty and security of the person under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.The Supreme Court of B.C. dismissed the constitutional challenge three years ago and the provincial Court of Appeal upheld the ruling last year. Justice John Steeves said in the original court ruling that while long waits for care might increase the risk to some patients, the provisions were justified by the overall objective of supporting a system where access to health care is based on need, not the ability to pay.B.C. Health Minister Adria...

Ex-head of Michigan marijuana board admits he took bribes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:16 GMT

The former head of a Michigan medical marijuana licensing board has agreed to plead guilty to accepting $110,000 in bribes when he led the panel over a two-year period, authorities said Thursday.Rick Johnson acknowledged in a signed court filing that he acted “corruptly” when he accepted cash and other benefits to help businesses get licenses. Charges against Johnson and three other men were announced by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten at a press conference near the Capitol in Lansing.Johnson, 70, was chairman of the marijuana board for two years until spring 2019. The Republican years earlier also was a powerful lawmaker, serving as House speaker from 2001 through 2004.“Public corruption is a poison to any democracy. … That poison is especially toxic here,” Totten said. “The marijuana industry has been likened to a modern-day gold rush, a new frontier where participants can stake their claim and just maybe return big rewards.”The marijuana board reviewed and appro...