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US's Blinken says Russia turmoil shows 'cracks' in Putin's power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

The unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) by Wagner fighters has exposed fresh "cracks" in the strength of his leadership that may take weeks or months to play out, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday (25 June).Blinken and members of the US Congress said in a series of television interviews that the turmoil in Russia has weakened Putin in ways that could aid Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces within its territory while benefiting Russia's neighbors, including Poland and the Baltic states."I don't think we've seen the final act," Blinken said on ABC's "This Week" program after an aborted mutiny by forces led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.Blinken said tensions that sparked the action had been growing for months and added that the threat of internal turmoil could affect Moscow's military capabilities in Ukraine."We've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade. It is too soon to tell exactly where they go, and when they get ther...

Single family residence sells in Oakland for $2.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

563 Walavista Avenue – Google Street ViewA spacious historic house located in the 500 block of Walavista Avenue in Oakland has a new owner. The 2,729-square-foot property, built in 1924, was sold on May 17, 2023, for $2,235,000, or $819 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It sits on a 6,600-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:On Warfield Avenue, Oakland, in November 2022, a 2,511-square-foot home was sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $677. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,791-square-foot home on Rosal Avenue in Oakland sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $921. The home has 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom.A 2,295-square-foot home on the 1000 block of Winsor Avenue in Piedmont sold in November 2022, for $2,100,000, a price per square foot of $915. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

Word Game: June 27, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — QUERULOUS (QUERULOUS: KWER-uh-lus: Complaining; peevish.)Average mark 19 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 24 or more words in QUERULOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — MUSICAL mail maul mica music sail scam scum slam slim slum sumac calm claim clam alms alum laicTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Bridge: June 27, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

If you think top experts are sound and solid bidders, you must have recently returned from an extended stay on a desert island. If you watched any of the Vanderbilt Teams at the Spring NABC (as shown on Bridge Base Online), you may never have seen so much uninhibited bidding.A player held QJ10742,753,J,1082. His partner opened one diamond, he responded one spade, partner raised to two spades and he … bid four spades. As you might expect, he went down.In today’s deal from the Vanderbilt final, WOLFSON vs. BERNAL, West opened one diamond. North for BERNAL cue-bid two diamonds, presumably showing length in both majors. When East doubled, South jumped to three hearts with no points visible to the naked eye. That induced North to bid four hearts, which East was happy to double.FOUR TRICKSWest led the king of diamonds, and the defenders operated to best advantage and beat the contract four tricks for plus 800. At the other table, WOLFSON’s East-West pair overreached to six diamonds and we...

Horoscopes June 27, 2023: Tobey Maguire, don’t fear being different

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ed Westwick, 36; Drake Bell, 37; Tobey Maguire, 48; J.J. Abrams, 57.Happy Birthday: Being observant will enrich your life by helping you make better decisions. Don’t be a follower; do what you enjoy most. Take pride in what you do, and don’t fear being different. Learning as you go will help you build a strong base for your future. Minimize your goals to fit your budget, and ensure you put your effort where it brings the highest return. Your numbers are 5, 18, 22, 27, 30, 38, 41.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make decisions based on facts, not impulse. Gather information, listen, learn and prepare diligently to ensure your success. Finishing what you start is vital if you intend to leave a lasting impression that leads to connections that offer more significant opportunities. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keeping your eye on your goal is good if you don’t neglect the small but essential details. A change of plans will disrupt your sched...

Arlington Co. Schools employee arrested for alleged May sexual assault

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

A man who works with Arlington County Public Schools was arrested in connection with a sexual assault that allegedly took place last month, according to the Arlington County Police Department.Julio Basurto, 42, of Arlington, has been charged with abduction and forcible sodomy. He was arrested on June 22 without incident after detectives reviewed evidence and interviewed witnesses, police said in a news release.Around 6:40 a.m. on May 21, police met with a woman who reported a sexual assault inside an unknown black vehicle. According to a police investigation, the victim was in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard after leaving a bar, when the suspect approached in the vehicle.The victim entered the vehicle, and alleged that the suspect — later identified as Basurto — sexually assaulted her before she was able to exit.Basurto was not working as a rideshare driver or in any for-hire capacity, police said.Basurto is listed as a staff member with Arlington County Public Sch...

Fast bowler Tongue replaces spinner Ali in England side for 2nd Ashes test

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Worcestershire fast bowler Josh Tongue was surprisingly recalled by England for the second Ashes test against Australia at Lord’s after Moeen Ali injured his spinning finger.The only change by England after losing the first test at Edgbaston by two wickets has set up an all-seam attack in the second match starting on Wednesday.Tongue made his test debut this month against Ireland on a slow pitch at Lord’s and took 5-66 in the second innings of a 10-wicket win.He’s been chosen ahead of Mark Wood, England’s fastest bowler who hasn’t played a test since December, Chris Foakes and Matthew Potts.Ali badly blistered his right index finger at Edgbaston because of a heavy workload after coming out of test retirement. Coach Brendon McCullum said he would play if fully fit and Ali appeared to prove it on Monday at training.But England will use Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks beside a seam attack of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson ...

US ambassador dismisses claims of interference in Thailand’s elections that were won by reformists

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Thailand dismissed claims of American interference in recent elections as a “disservice” to the Thai people, saying Tuesday that Washington does not support any individual candidate or political party. Claims of the U.S. meddling in the May 14 vote have swirled since the opposition Move Forward Party emerged as the top vote getter and another opposition party came in second, raising the possibility of a new coalition government that could take power from Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.The Move Forward Party is seen as nominally more pro-American than Prayuth, a former general who initially came to power in a military coup nine years ago, and the claims of American interference in the election are widely seen as originating from supporters of the current status quo. A small group of protesters even demonstrated in front of the U.S. Embassy in April, accusing Washington of interfering in Thailand political affairs. At a roundtable with doz...

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails military and law enforcement for ‘stopping a civil war’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin hails military and law enforcement for ‘stopping a civil war.’Source

Un curioso cetáceo sigue un kayak mientras Australia se deleita con un excelente conteo anual de ballenas jorobadas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:20 GMT

(CNN) — Casi 5.000 ballenas jorobadas han sido avistadas en aguas australianas durante un censo de migración anual récord, dijo un grupo conservacionista, mientras un cetáceo curioso fue visto siguiendo a un kayakista cerca de la famosa playa Bondi de Sydney.Cada año, expertos y miembros del público se dirigen a la costa de Nueva Gales del Sur para realizar un conteo anual. El censo de este domingo resultó en 4.792 ballenas, la cifra más alta jamás registrada, lo que se suma a un raro avistamiento de “megápodos” en 2021 que cautivó anteriormente a los observadores de ballenas.Muchas de las ballenas fueron vistas a pocos metros de la costa, según Steve Trikoulis, vicepresidente de la Organización para el Rescate y la Investigación de Cetáceos (ORRCA).“Estaban viajando a Queensland y Hervey Bay para hacer bebés”, le dijo a CNN. “Fue emocionante para la gente (en la costa) verlas… saltando”.Mejor clima y agua más limpia fueron solo algunos de los fac...