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Russia plans elections in occupied Ukraine, even as counteroffensive builds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

KYIV — As Ukraine’s counteroffensive ramps up, Russia announced plans to conduct local elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine, where active fighting is taking place.Elections in “the new subjects of the Russian Federation will be held on a single voting day on September 10, 2023,” the Russian Central Election Commission said in a statement Thursday.Russia calls territories it occupies in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson “the new subjects of the Russian Federation.” In last year’s sham referenda in the regions, according to Russia, the majority of Ukrainians voted in favor of joining Russia.  The U.N. and a majority of countries around the world condemned the referenda as illegitimate and undemocratic as they were conducted during the armed conflict and under occupation. Since then, the Kherson region has been liberated by the Ukrainian army.  The U.N. and a majority of countries around the world condemned the refere...

Unhappy birthday, Boris: How MPs will vote to punish Johnson as he turns 59

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

LONDON — Worst birthday ever?Three-and-a-half years ago Boris Johnson led Conservative MPs to a thumping election victory. On Monday, they’ll vote on whether or not to ban him from parliament. In a cruel twist of fate for the former British prime minister, Monday’s action coincides with him turning 59.A long-awaited probe released Thursday concluded that Johnson repeatedly misled the House of Commons over his knowledge of lockdown-busting gatherings that took place on government property during the coronavirus pandemic. The cross-party privileges committee came down even harder than expected on Johnson, who protests his innocence and has slammed the inquiry. Among its sanctions, the committee recommended Johnson — who quit as an MP before the findings were published — not be given a former member’s pass granting access to the parliamentary estate, a de facto ban and an unprecedented punishment for such a senior figure.Now MPs will have to decide if they back the in...

RT France now powered from Moscow, says former boss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

PARIS — RT France’s website is still fed from Moscow with content in French, the Kremlin-backed outlet’s former editor in chief said Thursday. “I’m frequently asked whether RT France continues to operate in the form of accounts reappearing and claiming to be RT France. The answer is: RT France is in court-ordered liquidation — all journalists have been laid off by the liquidator — there is no longer any activity,” Xenia Fedorova tweeted. “On the other hand, the RT group continues to produce French-language content with a Moscow-based team under the official RT in French brand. This is still, however, banned from distribution in France due to European sanctions,” she added. RT France’s website features the latest news from Paris and beyond, but has been rebranded as “RT in French.” The website is not available in the EU without using a VPN, but is still accessible outside the bloc.In March last year, the EU banned ...

Chicago White Sox lose Mike Clevinger with right bicep soreness, but rally for 8-4 ‘gutsy win’ on the road

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

Mike Clevinger had just thrown the fourth pitch of a fifth-inning battle with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez, which was fouled off.The Chicago White Sox starter walked behind the mound in obvious pain.The training staff checked on the right-hander, who exited the game with right biceps soreness. He will be evaluated Thursday.The Sox lost Clevinger, but rallied with three runs in the eighth and beat the Dodgers 8-4 for one of their best wins of the season in front of 44,442 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.“That was a gutsy win,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “This is a much-needed win in a tough place to play. It’s a really big win.”The game had several momentum turns. Jake Burger and Luis Robert Jr. homered to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers took the lead with four runs in a sloppy sixth inning for the Sox.Burger tied the game in the eighth with a two-run homer, his second long ball of the game. Clint Frazier gave the Sox the l...

Mission Beach stabbing leaves 2 hurt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect two people were stabbed in this incident. SAN DIEGO -- Two people were stabbed Wednesday night in Mission Beach, and officers were still searching for the assailant, police said.Police were called about the stabbing shortly before 9 p.m., according to SDPD. The victims were described by authorities as a man and a woman who were both 19-years-old. Man suspected of shooting SDPD officer arrested Police were investigating in the 3300 block of Ocean Front Walk.Check back for updates on this developing story.

MLB teams welcome LGBTQ+ fans with Pride Nights but not one has seen an active player come out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to baseball and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Billy Bean often flashes back to his playing days.Ending his career without telling his parents about his life as a closeted gay ballplayer. Shielding his secret from teammates like Brad Ausmus and Torey Lovullo. The regret of not sharing his “full self,” he says.It’s a message Bean has delivered in clubhouses, and it resonates with today’s ballplayers — hyper-focused on staying in the majors, and being a good teammate. It’s also the lens through which Bean views baseball’s ongoing LGBTQ+ issues.“There’s some parts of my job where I feel like some days I just, you know, I’m floating,” said Bean, a senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion with Major League Baseball. “Then there’s other days when I see some pushback, I’m reminded that we have 8,000 human beings connected to the sport as an athlete in one way or another, and you’re not going to always have 100% of those people agre...

European Central Bank hikes rates again to battle inflation after US Fed hits pause

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank pressed ahead with another interest rate hike Thursday, aiming to crush inflation that is driving up the cost of groceries, utility bills and summer vacations even after the U.S. Federal Reserve took a break from its own string of increases.The boost of a quarter-percentage point, to 3.5%, is the eighth straight increase since July 2022 for the 20 countries that use the euro currency. That is an unprecedentedly swift campaign to tighten the flow of credit to the economy as the bank seeks to return inflation to its target of 2% from 6.1%. The ECB says higher rates are being “transmitted forcefully” and “are gradually having an impact across the economy.” Its own projections acknowledge that controlling inflation will take months longer even as the rate has fallen from a double-digit peak late last year.“Inflation has been coming down but is projected to remain too high for too long,” the bank said in a statement.The decision was wid...

Trudeau’s staff also knew about Paul Bernardo prison transfer for months

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

More details are being revealed about what federal officials knew about serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo’s controversial prison transfer.A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office has revealed that Justin Trudeau was only told the convicted felon would be moved to a medium-security prison on the day it happened — despite his staff being notified months in advance.There are now calls from the opposition for the public safety minister to resign, after news broke earlier this week that his office was also told three months ago about the transfer of Bernardo. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre believes Marco Mendicino should be held responsible and doesn’t believe his claims the he did not know of the transfer ahead of time.“Will he do the only honourable thing that is left for him to do, and resign,” asked Poilievre during Question Period.Prime Minister’s Office says PM a was informed of Bernardo transfer the day it happened, but a staff ...

Number of Americans filing for jobless claims is elevated for second straight week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week, a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes over the past year may taking hold in what’s proved to be a resilient job market.U.S. applications for jobless claims were 262,000 for the week ending June 10, the Labor Department reported Thursday, more than analysts were expecting. This week’s number mirrors last week’s, which was revised up by 1,000. The claims numbers for the past two weeks are the highest since October of 2021.The four-week moving average of claims, which flattens some of the week-to-week fluctuations, rose by by more than 9,000 to 246,750. That’s the highest level since November of 2021.U.S. employers have added jobs at a furious rate since more than 20 million jobs disappeared during the pandemic purge in the spring of 2020. Americans have enjoyed unusual job security, despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive campaign to cool the ...

CMHC reports annual rate of housing starts in Canada fell in May

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:54 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in May dropped 23 per cent compared with April as starts of apartments, condos and other types of multi-unit housing projects in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal fell.The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 202,494 units in May, down from 261,357 units in April.The drop came as the annual rate of urban starts dropped 24 per cent to 182,842 for the month as the annual rate of multi-unit urban starts fell 30 per cent to 139,890 units, offset in part by a six per cent increase in single-detached urban starts to 42,952 units.CMHC says housing starts in Vancouver fell 45 per cent in May, while Toronto dropped 28 per cent and Montreal declined 35 per cent as all three cities saw increases in single-detached starts offset by large decreases in multi-unit starts.The annual rate of rural starts for the month was estimated at 19,652 units.CMHC says the six-month ...