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Ukraine trains its sights on Russian border region, seeking to stir up discontent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

The Russian military said Wednesday it shot down 12 Ukrainian missiles over Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces seek to embarrass Russian President Vladimir Putin and puncture his argument that life in Russia is going on as normal despite the 22-month war.Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation in the regional capital, also called Belgorod, “remains tense.” The city came under two rounds of shelling Wednesday morning, Gladkov wrote on Telegram.“Air defense systems worked,” he said, promising more details about possible damage after inspecting the area later in the day. Wednesday was a national holiday in Russia.The Russian side of the border with Ukraine has come under frequent attack in recent days. During the war, Russian border villages have sporadically been targeted by Ukrainian artillery fire, rockets, mortar shells and drones launched from thick forests where they are hard to detect.Lately, as missiles and drones have fallen on Uk...

In the news today: Ottawa to accept applications from refugees seeking to leave Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Ottawa to accept 1,000 applications from Canadians’ relatives seeking way out of GazaThe National Council of Canadian Muslims is calling on the federal government to remove a cap on the number of Palestinians who can seek refuge with their Canadian extended family members from the violence in the Gaza Strip.The special extended family program for people in Gaza is set to launch next week, after Palestinian Canadians pleaded for months to get help from the government to rescue their loved ones as the Israel-Hamas war continues.The program would offer visas to a maximum of 1,000 Palestinians, which would allow them to take refuge in Canada for three years if their families are willing to financially support them during that time.Court injunction against law banning public drug use disappointing, say police chiefsA top British Columbia law enforcement offici...

Thousands of doctors in Britain walk off the job in their longest-ever strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of doctors walked off the job in Britain on Wednesday, the start of a six-day strike that was set to be the longest in the history of the state-funded National Health Service.Managers said tens of thousands scheduled appointments and operations will be canceled during the walkout across England and Wales by junior doctors, those in the first years of their careers. The doctors, who form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, plan to stay off the job until 7 a.m. on Tuesday.Senior doctors and other medics have had to be drafted in to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services.Julian Hartley, chief executive of heath care managers’ organization NHS Providers, said the strike came at one of the toughest times of the year for the health service, “immediately after the Christmas and New Year period because of the pressures the demands, and of course we’ve got flu, we’ve got COVID.“So there’s going to be an impact on patients that w...

‘Darkest before dawn’: Another tough year for office REITs but opportunities may lurk

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

TORONTO — It’s poised to be another challenging year for office real estate investment trusts, but some money managers say there could be decent entry points in the sector for long-term investors.“We are in a ‘darkest before dawn’ scenario heading into 2024 for office REITs — there is no denying they are cheap … but there are numerous headwinds that office landlords face,” said Michael McNabb, portfolio manager at Purpose Investments Inc., via email.“I think a lot of investors forget that this was the hottest REIT asset class heading into 2020,” he said, when office vacancy rates were extremely tight and investors flocked to the sector for its monthly payouts.But post-pandemic, McNabb said he’s noticed pedestrian traffic in Toronto’s PATH system — an underground walkway network in the downtown core — is still very low on Mondays and Fridays in particular.“The office isn’t dead, but I do believe it has changed.”The COVID-induced work-from-home shift has ravaged the office...

Stock market today: World markets track Wall Street’s decline, eroding last year’s gains

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

World shares slipped on Wednesday after Wall Street started 2024 with a slump, giving back some big gains from last year. Investors are watching for the release of minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting later in the day, hoping for signs the central bank will move ahead with interest rate cuts in coming months. Germany’s DAX gave up 0.1% to 16,750.83 as the German jobless ranks increased by roughly 5,000 in December, according to a report Wednesday. In Paris, the CAC 40 slipped 0.6% to 7,486.05. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.1% to 7,714.08. The future contract for the S&P 500 edged 0.2% lower and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%.In Asian trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.9% to 16,646.41, dragged lower by a 2% drop in technology shares. The Shanghai Composite index gained 0.2% to 2,967.25.Prices of Chinese gaming companies rose, with Tencent Holdings and Netease both adding more than 1% following local reports that a senior official responsible for o...

Daily horoscope for January 3, 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Libra.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024:You are energetic and persistent, and can overcome incredible odds. You’re not a quitter. You hate to be bored. This is a wonderful year to socialize and enjoy life! Your creativity, zest and desire for life will attract wonderful choices to you. Old friends might reappear.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Perhaps it’s the fever of the new year, but for whatever reason, you’re pumped to deliver! You make a fabulous impression on others now, no question. You’re keen to travel, study and wrap up important papers, manuscripts and screenplays. You’re working hard to earn money. You want it all! Tonight: Be ready to compromise.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★There are two areas of your life that you might have to juggle today: At this time of year, you want a change of scenery, which means you want to travel and “get aw...

Harriette Cole: My boyfriend lied about work to get time to himself. How do I deal with that?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend lied about going to a work thing and instead went to the movies alone. He later said it was b ecause I’m “too clingy.”Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I was shocked to learn what my son does at school Advice | Harriette Cole: Find the right life story to make your new year better Advice | Harriette Cole: I hurt my leg and have to stay home, and I can’t stand it Advice | Harriette Cole: College got weird, and I’m not sure I want to go back Advice | Harriette Cole: How do I get my wife’s friend to stop with the divorce talk? Hearing this felt like a huge blow. I want to give him some space, but how can I talk to him about the lie without making things worse?What should I say to let him know that the big problem is the lie, not that he thinks I’m clingy? I want to keep things calm between us.— At an ImpasseDEAR AT AN IMPASS...

Miss Manners: If party guests arrive early, can I make them wait in the car?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have two friends who always arrive between 20 and 45 minutes early for parties. They send me a text when they arrive, saying that they will wait in their car until the appointed time.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: We saw what was happening and fled the New Year’s party. Was that rude? Advice | Miss Manners: Which fork should I use on rude people? Advice | Miss Manners: I’m hearing more vulgar talk from women. Have the rules changed? Advice | Miss Manners: What can I do when people refuse to hear my needs? Advice | Miss Manners: She’s playing the victim, but it was her rudeness that set me off It seems rude to respond that yes, they may wait in the car, so instead, I invite them to come in while I finish getting things ready. Knowing this always happens, I try to have everything ready an hour early — but then, by the time the other guests start arriving...

From ‘Abbott Elementary’ to ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ when will your favorite TV shows return in 2024?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

A new year typically means that your favorite television shows are about to return with fresh episodes.However, this year is extra exciting because countless shows have been on hiatus since last year’s Hollywood strikes.Below are some highlights of returning series and brand new shows on the horizon in 2024:Jan. 3:“I Can See Your Voice” Season 4 on FOXJan. 4:“The Brothers Sun” Season 1 on NetflixJan. 5:“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 16 on MTVJan. 7:“All Creatures Great and Small” Season 4 on PBSJan. 8:“Antiques Roadshow” Season 28 on PBSJan. 9:“Big Little Brawlers” Season 1 on DiscoveryJan. 10:“Echo” Season 1 on Disney+Jan. 11:“Ted” Season 1 on PeacockJan. 12:“Criminal Record” Season 1 on Apple TV+Jan. 14:“True Detective” Season 4 on HBO“Monsieur Spade” Season 1 on AMCJan. 16:“Death and Other Details” Season 1 on HuluJan. 17:“Chicag...

Osaka’s first tournament as a mom ends in a loss to 3-time winner Pliskova in Brisbane

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:53 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A loss didn’t bother Naomi Osaka at the Brisbane International as much as the missed opportunity for more matches ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.The four-time major winner’s first tournament since becoming a mother ended in a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 second-round loss Wednesday to three-time Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova.Osaka won her first match at the elite level since late 2022 on Monday in straight sets against Tamara Korpatsch. After that win, she said the birth in July of her daughter, Shai, and the changes to her mindset since becoming a mother had given her a better perspective on tennis.A second-round encounter featuring two former No. 1-ranked players was a step up in tempo and a better indication of how Osaka’s preparations are going for the Australian Open starting Jan. 14 in Melbourne.“The week is definitely shorter than I wanted it to be,” Osaka said in a news conference. “I feel like I’m ...