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Surprise fall in UK inflation eases pressure on BoE

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

Consumer inflation in the U.K. fell surprisingly in August, easing the pressure on the Bank of England to deliver a 15th straight rise in interest rates when its decision-makers meet Thursday.The consumer price index rose only 0.3 percent from July, rather than the 0.7 rise expected. That brought the headline rate of inflation down to 6.3 percent from 6.4 percent the previous month. The Office for National Statistics said the decline was due largely to food and to hotel prices. Food prices, in particular, have been a huge political headache for both the BoE and the government over the past couple of years.The news casts real doubt over the outcome of Thursday’s meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee. Financial markets had overwhelmingly expected the MPC to raise the Bank Rate by another quarter point to 5.5 percent. However, both BoE Governor Andrew Bailey and Chief Economist Huw Pill have in recent weeks signaled reluctance to raise rates any further, given past hikes have ...

Azerbaijan and Armenia struggle for 2nd day over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Explosions rocked parts of Nagorno-Karabakh early Wednesday, a day after Azerbaijani forces used heavy artillery fire on Armenian positions in the separatist region that local officials said killed or wounded scores of people.Azerbaijan has called the artillery fire an “anti-terrorist operation” and said it will continue until the separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh dismantles itself and “illegal Armenian military formations” surrender.It said it is only targeting military sites, but significant damage was visible on the streets of the regional capital, Stepanakert, with shop windows blown out and vehicles punctured apparently by shrapnel.The blasts reverberated around Stepanakert every few minutes on Wednesday morning, with some explosions in the distance and others closer to the city.The artillery fire raised concerns that a full-scale war in the region could resume between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which for more than three decades have been locked in ...

France is rolling out the red carpet for King Charles III’s state visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

PARIS (AP) — King Charles III of the United Kingdom starts a three-day state visit to France on Wednesday meant to highlight with great pomp both nations’ friendship, after the trip was postponed in March amid widespread demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension changes.Charles and Queen Camilla will be greeted by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at Paris-Orly airport, before heading to the city center for a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in the presence of Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The visit shows “the deep historical ties that unite our two countries. It is also an opportunity to showcase France’s cultural, artistic and gastronomic excellence,” the French presidency said. At the Arc de Triomphe, both nations’ hymns will be played before a review of French troops and a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to “mark the shared sacrifices of the past and an enduring legacy of cooperation,” according to Buckingham Palace.The jet fighters of the Pa...

Rescue operation underway off southwestern Greece for around 90 migrants on board yacht

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A rescue operation was underway Wednesday morning for dozens of migrants on board a yacht reported to be in difficulty off the southwestern coast of Greece, authorities said.The coast guard said the yacht, believed to be carrying around 90 people, was spotted about 40 nautical miles (46 miles, 74 kilometers) west of the small town of Pylos. Six of the people on board were picked up by another yacht sailing in the area and transported to Pylos, where one woman was transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Kalamata.Another 25 people were picked up by a passing tanker ship and were being transported to Kalamata, while the remaining passengers were being transferred to another passing cargo ship, the coast guard said. A coast guard lifeboat was on the scene, and another coast guard vessel was on the way. There were no reports of any missing passengers. The area is near where a deadly migrant shipwreck in June left hundreds of people dead and missing and led...

Most of Spain’s female players end boycott of national soccer team after government intervenes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Most of Spain’s World Cup-winning players ended their boycott of the women’s national team early Wednesday after the government intervened to help shape an agreement that was expected to lead to immediate structural changes at the country’s soccer federation.Only two players, who had not been immediately named, opted to leave the team’s training camp after receiving guarantees from the government that they would not be sanctioned, with the rest staying after being told that some of their demands for reform would be met.Players had reported to camp on Tuesday after being picked by new coach Montse Tomé against their will on Monday in the latest twist in the crisis that engulfed Spanish soccer after former federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony following Spain’s Women’s World Cup title in Australia last month.Specific details of the changes agreed upon were not revealed fol...

UN urges Afghanistan’s Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday it has documented more than 1,600 cases of human rights violations committed by authorities in Afghanistan during arrests and detentions of people, and urged the Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees.Nearly 50% of the violations consisted of “torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said.The report by the mission’s Human Rights Service covered 19 months — from January 2022 until the end of July 2023 — with cases documented across 29 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. It said 11% of the cases involved women.It said the torture aimed at extracting confessions and other information included beatings, suffocation, suspension from the ceiling and electric shocks. Cases that were not considered sufficiently credible and reliable were not included in the report, it said.The Taliban have promised a more moderate rule than during their previous pe...

Human rights breaches in Guatemala, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

Last week, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situations in Guatemala, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh, Plenary session, AFET, DROI.Guatemala: the situation after the elections, the rule of law, and judicial independenceMEPs call on all Guatemalan political parties, branches of government and institutions to respect the integrity of the electoral process and the electoral outcome clearly expressed by Guatemalan citizens in 2023 elections.Congratulating Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera from Movimiento Semilla on their election as President and Vice President, MEPs call on all state institutions and sectors of society to support an orderly transition and transfer of power.The resolution points to continuous attempts to suspend the Movimiento Semilla and condemns any action, especially from the Ministerio Publico, to overturn the outcome of the elections. It deplores continued efforts to criminalise independent judicial operators, and the instrumentalisat...

Dear Abby: Everyone heard him call his co-worker baby, and I was humiliated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I went to his co-worker “Tina’s” house on a Friday night to socialize and play trivia games. We had been at her place before, for a Christmas party.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: He never wants to see me again, but we may be thrown together Advice | Dear Abby: How can I break my wife of her rude obsession? Advice | Dear Abby: I take all these tests, and I still don’t know what I’m good at Advice | Dear Abby: She was offended that I called her son’s behavior creepy Advice | Dear Abby: My boss doesn’t see what the new co-worker is doing This time, Tina wore a short skirt, and when she sat down you could see all the way up to her black lace panties. During our “heads-up” game she sat right across from my fiance. While people were laughing and having fun drinking and playing games, all I could notice were her panties and Tina...

Family reunion: Brusdar Graterol’s mom sees her son pitch for first time in the majors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brusdar Graterol never gave up hope that his mother would be able to see him pitch in person in the major leagues.On Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, it finally happened.Graterol’s mother, Ysmalia, was in a suite and saw her son pitch a scoreless eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.“It was so incredible. I’ve always wanted to pitch in front of my mom. Being so successful as I’ve been pitching lately, it was so emotional and nice to have her here,” Graterol said through an interpreter after the game. “We never really gave up on any situation and luckily we found a way to get her to the United States.”Graterol saw his mom for the first time in seven years on Sunday night when she arrived from Venezuela. The 25-year old right-hander said he was paralyzed with emotion the first time they saw each other.“All I heard my mom say was that I was very big and very beautiful,” he said. “And the only thing tha...

A look at Canada and India and their relationship, by the numbers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:34 GMT

Tensions between Canada and India have escalated over the assassination of a Sikh independence advocate in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was investigating credible allegations that Indian government agents were connected to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but India has rejected the allegations as absurd.India has long demanded that Canada take action against the Sikh independence movement, which is banned in India but has support among the sizable Sikh diaspora populations overseas, including in Canada and the U.K.Here is a look at the relationship between the countries, by the numbers:POPULATIONCanada is home to nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, about 3.7% of the country’s total population, according to the 2021 census. More than 770,000 people reported their religion as Sikhism, about 2% of Canada’s population, and in 2019, the government designated April as Sikh Heritage Month.India is the world&#...