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How to funnel cash into British politics without anyone knowing who you are

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

LONDON — What connects a Lancashire manor house, several exclusive dining clubs, and a bronze sculpture of David Cameron on a bicycle? The answer is millions of pounds in opaque donations to Britain’s political parties.This is the weird world of “unincorporated associations” — shadowy groups which constitute one of the least-regulated and most-poorly understood aspects of British election finance. Jess Garland, of campaign group the Electoral Reform Society, said they represent a “dangerous loophole in our political financing rules.”In the past five years alone, donations to British political parties from these little-known entities have surpassed £14 million — a sum almost equivalent to the ruling Conservative Party’s entire outlay during its triumphant 2019 election campaign. British political parties are generally required to be open about how and where they raise their cash. Yet unincorporated associations remain an enormous transparency black...

Life along Ukraine’s northern border with Russia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

Iuliia Mendel is a journalist, the author of “The Fight of Our Lives” and a former press secretary for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Nowadays, it’s quite difficult to get to the town of Novhorod-Siverskyi in the north of Ukraine.Located in the Chernihiv region, 55 kilometers from the border with Russia, Novhorod-Siverskyi was under occupation for over a month in 2022, with the bridge across the Seim River — the main road leading into town — blown up by Ukraine on the first day of Russia’s invasion. And though it’s being repaired, the town can now only be reached after a lengthy detour. And the closer you get, the more frequent checkpoints become, and the more thoroughly both vehicles and passengers are searched.In Chernihiv, the war is much more noticeable than in it is in Kyiv. Here, Russia bombards border villages with artillery, missiles or guided bombs almost every day, which has prompted some residents to move. But still standing at about 10,000 residents, the populati...

The West isn’t ready to give Ukraine the security pledges it wants

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

Ukraine is pleading for binding security guarantees to ensure long-term survival. Allies just aren’t ready to do that yet.Despite months of conversations about the subject, the Western alliance is still divided over nearly every element of how to respond to the request, according to five European diplomats. Should NATO, which Ukraine is aspiring to join, be having that conversation? Or should the world’s biggest military powers provide individual pledges? Are any guarantees short of NATO membership worthwhile?And, officials are wondering, what even constitutes a “security guarantee”? All these questions remain open, the diplomats said, even as allies are only five weeks away from gathering in Vilnius for a key NATO summit. Ukraine has set the summit as a sort of deadline, pushing for allies to make explicit commitments at the gathering about letting Ukraine into NATO and providing security guarantees along the way.“Ukraine is the most experienced country in the world in he...

1 dead after car crashes into Subway restaurant in Smithfield, RI

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

One person was killed and several others were injured Wednesday when a car crashed into a Subway location in Smithfield, Rhode Island, officials said. The car slammed entirely into the building before slamming into a back wall, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the Subway while also damaging a Planet Fitness gym. Deputy Fire Chief Steven Quattrini said crews arriving at the scene found two people trapped under the car. Quattrini said six people were taken to area hospitals.In a statement, Smithfield police said they responded to the scene off Putnam Pike shortly before 3 p.m.Dan Silva and his wife belong to the Planet Fitness that was also damaged. “We were just coming back home and my wife asked ‘Is the gym going to be open tomorrow’ and I said ‘Well let’s take a quick ride and find out,’” he said.Silva said he’s seen people speeding in the area around the crash site before.  “It’s a straightaway, people tend to maybe go a little bit too fast,” he sa...

Rosario, Naylor each have 3 hits and RBI, Guardians beat Red Sox 5-2

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Amed Rosario and Josh Naylor each had three hits and an RBI, Josh Bell drove in a run for the sixth consecutive game and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Wednesday night.Rosario singled twice against Kutter Crawford (1-3), then had an RBI double off Justin Garza as the Guardians scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to erase a 2-1 deficit.Bell drove in a pair to give him eight RBIs during the streak that began May 28. Naylor had two singles and a double for Cleveland, which has split the first two games of the series.Rookie Tanner Bibee (2-1) pitched five innings, allowing one earned, for his first victory at Progressive Field. The right-hander struck out two and gave up four hits in his eighth start since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus.Emmanuel Clase worked a hitless ninth for his MLB-best 20th save.Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, second baseman Enmanuel Valdéz and third baseman Rafael Devers committed errors in the ...

Justice Department informs Trump he is target in classified documents probe, CNN sources say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

(CNN) — The Justice Department recently informed Donald Trump’s legal team that he is a target in a federal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, a sign that prosecutors may be moving closer to indicting the former president.The sources have been informed of the target letter and its contents but had not seen it themselves.Prosecutors’ decision to inform Trump he’s a target crystallizes that special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation is focused on Trump’s actions and not just the actions of people around him.Trump’s legal team met with DOJ officials, including Smith, about the investigation on Monday. The meeting focused on the Trump legal team presenting their allegations of misconduct by prosecutors. Smith did not say anything beyond greeting those in the room in the meeting, that source said.Justice Department regulations allow for prosecutors to notify subjects of an investigation that ...

Development company announces new movie studio in the works in Braintree

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

A little bit of Hollywood is set to come to Braintree in the form of a new movie studio, developers recently announced. The project by RISE Development will be called “Banner Park” and will have everything from sound stages, to production bays to office spaces.Developers have said they are excited about the location, which is just 20 minutes from Logan Airport. “I think this is going to create a great boom for the economy here, for the creativity of the economy and also for the state of Massachusetts as well,” said RISE Development Founder Herby Duverne.Developers have said the new studio will bring job opportunities. They also said they hope the new state-of-the-art facilities will attract more film productions to Boston. 

Orioles crushed by Brewers, 10-2, as Corbin Burnes dominates and Joey Wiemer stars again

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

Brewers ace Corbin Burnes has spent most of the season searching for the dominant form that won him the 2021 National League Cy Young Award.He found it Wednesday night against the Orioles.The right-hander twirled eight shutout innings, striking out nine and allowing two hits, to hand the Orioles a 10-2 defeat. He faced just two batters over the minimum.“Got to watch the last few innings inside, and just watch how he pitched on the corners,” said manager Brandon Hyde, noting how he could watch the final four innings on television after getting ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. “I thought he had great stuff tonight, kind of back to Cy Young stuff like he threw a couple years ago. Just had a tough time. He was on the corners all night with really good stuff, we had a tough time squaring him up.”After a scorching hot April, Baltimore’s offense has come back down the earth. The Orioles have scored three or fewer runs in nine of their past 1...

Mets lose 5th straight despite valiant effort from Tommy Pham in place of injured Pete Alonso

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

ATLANTA — Tommy Pham replaced Pete Alonso in the cleanup spot and played the role as cast. However, the rest of the game didn’t go according to the script.The Mets avoided the worst with Alonso but failed to avoid the worst in this series. For the second night in a row, the Mets went up 4-1 on the Atlanta Braves before falling behind, 5-4, and ultimately losing, 7-5.With two out in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Harris II teed off on Adam Ottavino sending a two-run homer over the wall to hand the Mets (30-32) their fifth straight loss and their second straight series loss. For the second night in a row, the Mets went up 4-1 on the Braves (37-24). This time, they went up 2-0 before Max Scherzer gave up a run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth.Alonso was removed from the game with what the team is calling a “left wrist contusion,” after being hit on the left wrist with a 97 MPH fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning. He left the game to underg...

Chris Murphy makes strong debut in otherwise error-filled Red Sox loss

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:17:59 GMT

“We knew Boston had problems with their defense, guys. We didn’t know it was gonna play like this, though.”The Cleveland Guardians broadcasters couldn’t believe their eyes when the Red Sox infield committed a slew of errors in the bottom of the fourth, giving the home team a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.It's called the Hot Corner for a reason.The @CleGuardians capitalize on multiple Boston miscues and take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/il3rfVZwPz— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) June 8, 2023Perhaps they shouldn’t have been throwing stones from their glass house, as the Guardians infield had committed their own pair of errors in the top of that very inning.Nevertheless, the Red Sox have been all errors and no comedy this season and it continues to cost them. They already led the American League with 40 errors before making three in the same inning on Wednesday night.After Amed Rosario ...