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Ukraine says heavy battles going on after first counteroffensive gains

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

Ukraine's top military command said on Monday (12 June) its forces were engaged in heavy battles in frontline hot spots, a day after Kyiv said it had made the first modest gains in reclaiming territory from Russia as part of its counteroffensive.Some 25 battles had taken place over the past day near the eastern town of Bakhmut, and further south near Avdiivka and Maryinka, all in the Donetsk region, but also near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, Ukraine's armed forces general staff said.Ukraine said on Sunday (11 June) its troops had made advances on three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka.The claims could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment from Russian officials.Some prominent Russian military bloggers indicated that while Ukrainian forces took Blahodatne and Neskuchne, fighting for Makarivka was going on.Both sides have said their forces had inflicted heavy personnel and equipment losses on their opponents over the past week w...

Miss Manners: The way this man sits bothers me no end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I visit a person in his home regularly. He always has the footrest to his recliner up, no matter who his guests are and no matter how long the visit.Knowing this person extremely well, there is no physical reason he needs to elevate his legs.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Is it just a verbal tic or is she insulting me? Advice | Miss Manners: I’m insulted when they imply my profession makes me a monster Advice | Miss Manners: Would this combo party be too peculiar? And what about gifts? Advice | Miss Manners: They ram my shopping cart and then just stare at me Advice | Miss Manners: Whose fault is this distressing situation with my pants? This bothers me no end. First, it puts his feet in our faces, and second, it says to me, “I want to be comfortable and to hell with you.”Is what he is doing rude? Shouldn’t he be sitting in his chair in the same manner a...

Dear Abby: My wife is secretive about her meals out, and it makes me suspicious

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My wife goes to lunch with male co-workers at least a couple times a week.When she has lunch with them, she uses a credit card so I won’t know; when she eats by herself, she uses our bank account.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: This shoplifting incident may be the last straw for my marriage Advice | Dear Abby: How do I tell her I’ve been secretly cleaning her house? Advice | Dear Abby: Our poker wives’ group has been hijacked by a pious new member Advice | Dear Abby: My mausoleum plan has alienated my children Advice | Dear Abby: The bride is afraid her cringey grandma will be an embarrassment I have heard her make breakfast dates by saying, “You know where,” or “The place by work,” rather than saying where.Is this common?— SUSPICIOUS IN CALIFORNIADEAR SUSPICIOUS: You seem to be a very suspicious spouse.It’s not unusual for male and fem...

UK wages rise sharply in April, set to bolster expectations of another rate hike next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Wages in the U.K. spiked sharply in April, official figures showed Tuesday, a development that is set to cement expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates once again next week. The Office for National Statistics found that people’s regular pay packets, which exclude bonuses, were up 7.2% in the three months to April from the same period the year before, as against the equivalent 6.6% increase recorded in January.The spike, which was largely due to a near-10% increase in the minimum wage at the start of April, was the highest on record other from when the figures were distorted by the coronavirus pandemic.Though wages are still lagging the headline rate of inflation, which at the last count stood at 8.7%, the increase is likely to feature heavily in next week’s deliberations among rate-setters at the Bank of England. Higher wages raise the prospect of more spending in the economy, which can fuel price rises.Hannah Slaughter, senior econo...

Giants visit the Cardinals on 4-game road win streak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

San Francisco Giants (34-32, third in the NL West) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (27-40, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Alex Cobb (5-2, 3.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 71 strikeouts); Cardinals: Jack Flaherty (3-4, 4.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 72 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -113, Giants -106; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants will try to keep a four-game road win streak alive when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals.St. Louis has a 13-19 record in home games and a 27-40 record overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .424 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the NL.San Francisco is 16-15 on the road and 34-32 overall. Giants pitchers have a collective 4.01 ERA, which ranks third in the NL.The matchup Tuesday is the sixth time these teams square off this season. The Giants have a 4-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Paul Goldschmidt leads the Cardinals with a .286 batting average, and h...

Cubs host the Pirates to open 3-game series

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (34-30, first in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (28-37, fourth in the NL Central)Chicago; Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Luis Ortiz (1-2, 4.23 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Cubs: Jameson Taillon (1-4, 6.80 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 40 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -143, Pirates +122; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates to begin a three-game series.Chicago has a 28-37 record overall and a 15-16 record at home. The Cubs have a 15-6 record in games when they scored at least five runs.Pittsburgh has a 34-30 record overall and a 16-14 record in road games. Pirates pitchers have a collective 4.07 ERA, which ranks fifth in the NL.The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Ian Happ has 15 doubles and four home runs for the Cubs. Dansby Swanson is 7-for-37 with a double and a home run over the last 10 games.Andrew McCutchen has seven doubles, eight home runs and 23 RBI for...

Phillies take on the Diamondbacks after Realmuto hit for the cycle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (32-34, third in the NL East) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (41-25, first in the NL West)Phoenix; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Zack Wheeler (4-4, 3.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 87 strikeouts); Diamondbacks: Zach Davies (1-1, 4.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 22 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -138, Diamondbacks +117; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies take on the Arizona Diamondbacks after J.T. Realmuto hit for the cycle against the Diamondbacks on Monday.Arizona has a 21-14 record in home games and a 41-25 record overall. The Diamondbacks have the second-best team batting average in MLB play at .265.Philadelphia has a 13-23 record on the road and a 32-34 record overall. The Phillies rank 10th in the NL with 70 total home runs, averaging 1.1 per game.The teams match up Tuesday for the fifth time this season. The Diamondbacks are ahead 3-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has 17 doubles, two triples...

Japan names 23-player Women’s World Cup team with focus on talent in leagues abroad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda announced a 23-player squad for the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday, a side heavy with players displaying their skills in leagues abroad.Almost half of the players selected play in leagues outside Japan, mainly England, Sweden and the United States.Japan is hoping to rebound after being knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2019. The Japanese were runners-up in 2015 and won the title in 2011.“We will fight for the top spot with great ambition,” Ikeda said, speaking in Japanese. “But the level of (women’s) football in the world is improving very rapidly.” Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City probably heads the list from overseas. Another accomplished midfielder is Fuka Nagano of Liverpool.The youngest player on the squad is 19-year-old Maika Hamano, who plays on loan from Chelsea with Swedish club Hammarby.The best known of the Japanese players based in the United States is forward Jun Endo, who plays with Angel City.The major absence is Mana Iw...

Romania launches government reshuffle, new PM incoming

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

A government reshuffle began in Romania on Monday, following the resignation of Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă as part of a planned rotation within the ruling coalition.Social Democrats chief Marcel Ciolacu is expected to become the new prime minister, with a vote in parliament set to take place later this week. Former Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu has been nominated by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to serve as interim prime minister “until the formation of the new government.” Iohannis will hold consultations with the various parliamentary political groups later Tuesday to choose the next head of government.According to Romanian news outlet Digi24, the next foreign minister could be Luminița Odobescu, who served as Romania’s permanent representative to the European Union from 2015 to 2021, directing Bucharest’s first presidency of the the Council of the EU in Brussels. Ciucă, the former prime minister, was nominated last November after his center-right...

Shuttle buses replacing trains after Green Line trolley derails near Packard’s Corner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:23 GMT

Commuters should expect shuttle buses to replace trains on a stretch of the Green Line’s B Branch until about 7 a.m. after a derailment Monday caused major disruptions.The transportation authority said around 2:10 p.m. that what was first reported as a disabled train turned out to be a derailed trolley at Packard’s Corner.As crews respond, officials said service between Blandford Street and Washington Street stations would be replaced with shuttle buses, in the meantime.“Expect delays as Buses are dispatched,” the MBTA said in a tweet.In an update 30 minutes later, officials said the switch to shuttle bus service had been extended to between Kenmore and Washington Street, while noting that Route 57 buses would provide free rides to passengers, in the meantime.Two dozen personnel were on scene as of around 5 p.m. working to get the train back on its tracks.By 6 p.m., the train had been re-railed and pulled away from the scene, revealing visible damage to pavement in...