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Ukraine’s top general: War with Russia has reached stalemate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

Russia’s war with Ukraine has become totally bogged down in the trenches, according to Ukraine’s top general. And the prospect of a long war gives Vladimir Putin and Russia an advantage, Ukraine’s Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny said in a sobering interview with the Economist published Wednesday night. In the five months since Ukraine launched an eagerly awaited counteroffensive, its troops have advanced only 17 kilometers through heavily fortified and mined Russian defense lines.The counteroffensive has already disappointed many Ukrainian partners, some of whom are now demanding an end to military aid with the war deadlocked. However, the West’s cautious provision of weapons to Ukraine has allowed the Russians to mobilize thousands and fortify positions in occupied Ukraine, according to Zaluzhny. “There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough,” the commander said.Western arms supplies have been sufficient to sustain Ukraine in the war,...

18-year-old arrested in deadly shooting of Salem State University student

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of a Salem State University student early Wednesday morning, officials announced. The Essex District Attorney’s Office said Carl Hens Beliard, also 18, was found inside a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds around 1:30 a.m. after officers were called to a scene on Forest Avenue for a report of a shooting. Officials said Beliard was pronounced dead after he was taken to Salem Hospital.Speaking shortly after 9 p.m., authorities announced investigators had taken Missael Pena Canela of Salem into custody. Pena Canela is expected to be arraigned in Salem District Court on one charge of murder on Thursday.—WATCH: Officials announce arrest in connection with shooting of Salem State University student—“He just graduated high school this year and he’s at Salem State University, so this morning, police came here and they told me that he got shot and he was dead – I couldn’t belie...

Battenfeld: Democrats’ opposition to Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists could impact Biden in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

Democratic opposition to Israel’s war against Hamas could erode the party’s huge advantage among U.S. Jewish voters despite President Biden’s strong stance for Israel.Biden’s repeated statements in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from the terrorist attacks could also alienate him from liberal and Muslim voters who support the Palestinian cause.“We know for a fact that our community will make a difference in the battleground states,” National Muslim Democratic Council chair Basim Elkarra told VOA, noting that more than a million Muslims cast votes in 2020.A poll by the Arab American Institute found that support for Biden has plummeted to just 17%.The three-pronged worry over Muslims, liberals and Jewish voters comes as polls show Biden’s favorability down and the president locked in a tight race with former President Donald Trump.Democrats have long had a huge advantage among Jewish voters. A June 2023 survey by the non-partisan Jewish Electorate Institute found that Jewis...

How Craig Breslow can avoid fate of short-lived Red Sox predecessors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

Since Theo Epstein left the Red Sox after the 2011 season, the average Red Sox baseball boss has enjoyed roughly the same lifespan as a well-cared-for hamster. Each of Boston’s last three top decision-makers were out after nearly four years on the job, and among the challenges new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow faces is figuring out how to buck that trend.Will winning be enough? It wasn’t for Ben Cherington or Dave Dombrowski, who both won World Series championships during their brief tenures. How about building a sustainable farm system? You could argue Chaim Bloom did exactly the job he was hired to do, and yet he was still canned after consecutive last place finishes.Obviously Breslow will have to thread a particular needle, but there are a few things he can do to ensure his time in the big chair lasts a little longer.Swing big, don’t missThe one thing all three of Boston’s recent baseball bosses struggled with was nailing the big moves. There have b...

Double shooting inside Scarborough bar leaves 2 men injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

Two young men are in hospital after gunfire erupted inside a bar in Scarborough overnight.Officers were called to Oxford Pub and Restaurant on Eglinton Avenue East near Brimley Road around 1 a.m. Thursday after getting reports of a shooting inside.Police tell CityNews two men were shot inside the pub and a third person was grazed by a bullet. Paramedics say the two men were rushed to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The third person who was grazed was not transported to hospital.No suspect information has been made available.With files from CityNews reporter Carl Hanstke

Greater Toronto home sales drop 5.8 per cent in October amid high borrowing costs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

TORONTO — Greater Toronto home sales fell 5.8 per cent last month compared with October 2022, with sales of townhouses recording the biggest decline.On a monthly basis, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says last month’s 4,646 home sales were relatively flat over the 4,631 sales in September.The board attributes the year-over-year slide to a lack of affordability and uncertainty associated with high borrowing costs, which has sidelined many would-be homebuyers.The average home price reached $1,125,928, a 3.5 per cent increase from last October.New listings surged 38 per cent to 14,397 in October compared with 10,433 in October 2022, which had marked a 12-year low.TRREB president Paul Baron says record population growth and a relatively resilient economy have kept the overall demand for housing strong and that home sales should pick up quickly once mortgage rates start trending lower.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.The Canadian Press<!...

Stock market today: Global shares surge on hopes the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are done

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were mostly higher Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve indicated it may not need to pump the brakes any harder on Wall Street and the economy. France’s CAC 40 rose 1.2% to 7,018.50. Germany’s DAX gained 1.1% to 15,084.21. Britain’s FTSE 100 climbed 1.0% to 7,417.45. The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3% and that for the S&P 500 gained 0.5%. In Asian trading, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.1% to finish at 31,949.89. In Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced an economic stimulus package worth about $113 billion that is meant to cushion the blow to household budgets from rising inflation and timed to counter weakening public support for his government. The package includes tax breaks for individuals and companies and subsidies to reduce rising energy costs. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.9% to 6,899.70. South Korea’s Kospi surged 1.8% to 2,343.12.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ...

Texas Rangers win first World Series title with 5-0 victory over Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Corey Seager took a mighty swing and barely connected, sending a squibber through an open area on the left side of the infield for his team's first hit in the seventh inning.The Texas Rangers shortstop and World Series MVP provided plenty of power throughout a stellar October run. But it was a little good fortune that finally sparked the offense Wednesday night and sent the Rangers to their first title. Considering the heartache this club endured 12 years ago in one of the all-time Fall Classic gut punches, Texas was certainly due.Nathan Eovaldi pitched six gritty innings, Mitch Garver broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh and the Rangers won the first World Series championship in their 63-season franchise history by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5.“It’s just awesome. This is the vision, right?” Seager said. “It's a really special moment.” Marcus Semien homered in a four-run ninth and the Rangers, held hitless for six innings by Zac Ga...

Fort Ann girls soccer surges ahead to state semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

MECHANICVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Just four teams remain in the 2023 NYSPHSAA girls soccer championships for Class D...and Fort Ann is one of those teams. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Following a stellar run through the Section II playoff tournament as a two-seed - a run that culminated in a 3-2 overtime victory in the championship game over top-seeded Northville - the Cardinals continued that momentum into Wednesday with a 4-0 victory over Section IX's Livingston Manor in the regional round of the state tournament played out at Mechanicville High School.Four different Cardinals found the back of the net. Freshman midfielder Olivia Winchell converted on a penalty kick not even two minutes into the match to open up the scoring. Junior forward Cherokie Steves provided some halftime cushion with a chip-shot goal in the 37th minute, extending the margin to two at intermission.Just over 24 minutes expired in the second half before...

Waterford-Halfmoon girls soccer reclaims its spot atop Class C

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:47 GMT

MECHANICVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- There's a dynasty brewing in Waterford. For the second straight season, the Waterford-Halfmoon girls soccer team are champions of Class C. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Fordians have reached the playoff final for three consecutive seasons, and have now won back-to-back section titles following Wednesday night's 2-1 win over second-seeded Stillwater at Mechanicville High School.Top-seeded Waterford, the second-ranked team in the state for Class C, has now lost just three games in that three-year span, and only one has come against a fellow Section II team."Their hard work that they always put in day after day - they are a very motivated group," said head coach Meghan Reynolds. "They prove that every time they step foot on the field."While Payton and Addyson Galuski's 67 combined goals have drawn the majority of the attention of both Waterford fans and its opposition, the Fordians possess a n...