Protests continue in Georgia over “foreign agent” bill

Critics say the legislation pushes the country closer to Moscow. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Thousands protests over Georgia's "foreign agent" bill [Protesters gather with Georgian, Ukrainian national and EU flags outside the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 8, 2023.] Credit: Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP Georgia Hundreds of protesters [marched toward parliament]( on Wednesday against a controversial “foreign agents” draft law. People took to the streets for a second consecutive day, after riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a large-scale rally in the capital Tbilisi a day before when at least 66 people were arrested. Critics say the legislation pushes the country closer to Moscow. The law officially targets the disclosure of money flows from abroad, but some fear it’s a means to [clamp down on opposition]( voices. United States The Biden administration is considering [reinstating a Trump-era policy]( of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally — a practice the president ended when he came into office. It comes as officials prepare for the end of Title 42, the public health order allowing border agents to turn away migrants at the border. Under the current policy, families at the US-Mexico border are released and told to appear in immigration court at a later date. Immigration advocates have pointed to studies that show how [detrimental detention can be for children]( and families. Women’s Day Wednesday is International Women’s Day. Millions of people around the world are [marking the day]( with demonstrations, conferences and artistic events. The United Nations recognized the holiday in 1977, but its roots began with the labor movements of the early 20th century. In 1909, the then-active Socialist Party of America celebrated the day to commemorate the 15,000 women who [protested in New York]( against harsh working conditions and lesser wages for women. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Migrant farmworkers in Spain living in makeshift encampments have little hope for formal work]( [Wide view of Almería in southern Spain.]( Credit: Gerry Hadden/The World Many migrant farmworkers in Spain say they can't afford housing, so they live in makeshift plastic housing near the farms where they work. Local governments have tried to [remove these informal settlements]( and relocate people to shelters far from the farms — but they keep building back. [Three years into the pandemic, mask usage varies from country to country]( [Norberto Fabian Lopez, 16, in Tule, in southern Mexico, is still wearing a mask to stave off COVID-19.]( Credit: Michael Fox/The World Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, and masks became a primary tool to combat the disease's spread, their usage has dropped off dramatically around the world. But many Mexicans are holding on to their facial coverings, and [cultural differences]( are impacting mask use around the globe. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket is the world's first 3D-printed launcher. The 110-foot-tall rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, and the orbital test flight — called "Good Luck, Have Fun," or GLHF for short — can be [watched live](. 🚀 [Screenshot from Space.com]( Credit: Space.com In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.