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London Series: Ian Happ’s 2 HRs fuel the Chicago Cubs’ 9-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

A few hours before the Chicago Cubs took the field at London Stadium on Saturday night, Ian Happ acknowledged the attention around the makeshift ballpark’s dimension changes after the inaugural series’ offensive onslaught in 2019.Between the walls in center field and the power alleys getting pushed back and a change with the baseball used in this event four years ago, Happ surmised their matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals wouldn’t feature the same hitter-friendly setting.”I don’t think it’s going to be like a home run derby out there,” Happ predicted.Happ, though, put on a show, slugging two home runs in the Cubs’ 9-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. He hit a homer in each of his first two at-bats, both off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright. The Cubs (37-38) bookended their scoring on the international stage with Dansby Swanson going deep for a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth.Happ donated the Chicago flag-inspired batting ...

Russian troops withdraw from Moscow after mercenary revolt ends but trouble remains for Putin

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

Russian troops deployed to protect the capital withdrew Sunday after a mercenary forces beat a retreat. But the short-lived revolt could have long-term consequences for President Vladimir Putin’s two-decade hold on power and his war in Ukraine.Putin’s image as a tough leader had already been badly bruised by the Ukraine war, which has dragged on for 16 months and claimed huge numbers of Russian troops. Saturday’s march toward Moscow by forces under the command of his onetime protege, Yevgeny Prigozhin, exposed further weaknesses, many analysts said.It also meant some of the best forces fighting for Russia in Ukraine were pulled from that battlefield: Prigozhin’s own Wagner troops and Chechen ones sent to stop them.After calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister, Prigozhin and his fighters appeared to seize control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don that oversee fighting in Ukraine. They then advanced towards Moscow large...

Egypt’s president gives highest honor to visiting Indian prime minister amid improving ties

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday bestowed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Egypt’s highest honor as the two countries tightened their partnership.El-Sissi welcomed Modi at the presidential palace in Cairo with the Order of the Nile, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. The leaders signed a declaration elevating Egyptian-Indo ties to a “strategic partnership,” under which the two nations agreed to intensify their cooperation and hold periodic talks, the statement said.Egypt and India share deep ties that date back to the 1950s, when the two nations played key roles in founding the Non-Aligned Movement, which had sought an alternative path to siding with either with communism or capitalism at the height of the Cold War.Modi, who arrived in Cairo Saturday, is the first Indian prime minister to pay a state visit to Egypt in more than two decades. His two-day stop came six months after el-Sissi was in New Delhi as an official guest at India’...

Greek conservative party is favored to win majority in second general election in 5 weeks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greeks headed to the polls for the second time in less than two months on Sunday, with the conservative party in power a strong favorite to win with a wide majority after a campaign focused on economic growth and security.The vote is overshadowed by a major shipwreck just over a week ago that left hundreds of migrants dead or missing off the coast of western Greece. But the disaster is unlikely to significantly affect the overall outcome as Greeks are expected to focus on domestic economic issues.Conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, is eyeing a second term as prime minister after his New Democracy party won by a huge margin in May elections — but fell short of gaining enough parliamentary seats to form a government. With a new electoral law now favoring the winning party with bonus seats, he is hoping to form a strong majority in the 300-member parliament.His main rival is Alexis Tsipras, 48, who leads the left-wing Syriza party and served as prime mini...

One in hospital with serious injury after stabbing in Parkdale

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

One person is in hospital after a robbery and stabbing in the Queen Street West and Wilson Park Road area, near Roncesvalles Avenue, on Sunday morning.STABBING:Queen St West + Wilson Park Rd1:18 a.m.– A man was robbed and stabbed – He was taken to hospital with a serious injurySuspect #1: Male, black, 20s, baggy white t-shirt, red shortsSuspect #2: Male, white, 20s, black t-shirt, black shorts#GO1462330^lb— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) June 25, 2023At approximately 1:18 a.m. a man was robbed and stabbed. He was taken to hospital with a serious injuryTwo suspects are sought in the incident. The first suspect is a male, Black, in his 20’s, wearing a baggy white t-shirt and red shorts. The second suspect is a male, white, in his 20’s, wearing a black t-shirt and black shorts.

Russian diplomat flies to Beijing for talks a day after mutiny in Russia ends

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A top Russian diplomat flew to Beijing for talks with the Chinese government on Sunday, just a day after a rebellion by a Russian mercenary commander fizzled out. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to discuss “international and regional issues of common concern,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a one-line statement on its website.Russia and China, while not formal allies, have maintained close ties throughout Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.Rudenko’s visit comes after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march on Moscow in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power. Prigozhin later on Saturday reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.China has not officially commented on the crisis in Russia. The United States and other Western powers have urge...

Houston police say 1 killed and 3 wounded after groups exchange gunfire

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — A shooting in southwest Houston early Sunday morning left one teenager dead and three other young people wounded, police said.Houston Assistant Police Chief Wyatt Martin said an altercation outside a business led to the shooting after 1 a.m. on West Fuqua Street.“We do not have a lot of details yet as to the exact motive of the shooting. Apparently two groups of individuals were shooting at each other,” Martin said at a news conference at the scene.The deceased victim was a 17-year-old girl who was close to turning 18, Martin said.Three other victims with non-life-threatening injuries included an 18-year-old woman and two men, ages 18 and 20. The woman was transported to an area hospital by firefighters and the men went to a hospital in private vehicles, Martin said.There were at least two shooters, based on multiple shell casings found at the scene, Martin said. “It was a very chaotic scene,” Martin said, urging witnesses to come forward. “We are hoping that someone ...

Trump is returning to Michigan with hopes of repeating the battleground success he found in 2016

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Donald Trump is set to appear in Michigan on Sunday as he looks to reclaim territory that helped propel him to the White House but slipped from his grasp four years later.Campaigning for a return to the presidency while facing a federal indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents, Trump will speak in suburban Detroit, where he lost ground between 2016 and 2020 and would need to win it back if he becomes the 2024 Republican nominee. He would have to reverse the recent trend in Michigan that has seen Democrats make some of their biggest gains nationally since Trump’s reelection loss.Trump is scheduled to speak at Oakland County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner, where he is being honored by the party as its “Man of the Decade.” It will be his first campaign appearance in Michigan, one of three states, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, that flipped in 2016 to put Trump in the White House and went for Democrat Joe Biden four years later.Trump’...

Overnight storms cause destruction in Cook County near West suburbs

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

CHICAGO -- Overnight storms swept through the Chicagoland area overnight leaving uprooted trees and flooding. A tree and utility pole landed on top of a car in Cicero during a thunderstorm warning overnight. The owner of the car reportedly slept through the storm and did not hear a crash. It was only when he stepped outside did he see the car's condition. The storm came through Cicero around about 2:00 a.m. where large trees crashed onto cars and homes. Cicero firefighters climbed onto ladders to help some residents remove debris from their homes. What you need to know about the 2023 Chicago Pride Parade Utility poles have been toppled over and tree branches have been scattered across streets. Heavy rain also caused flooding in some places. A ramp off of I-55 flooded where a vehicle got stuck in the water. The worst of the damage was reported to be in south of Ogden Avenue. ComEd reported no power outages in Cicero but a few in Berwyn. There has been no injuries reported in the s...

Trying to sell your home? These paint colors can impact offers, survey suggests

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:02 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — While the housing market continues to be hot in many parts of the country, it has certainly slowed since the pandemic peaks of recent years. Regardless, something as small as the colors you choose to paint your rooms could have a big impact on how much your home sells for, according to a new study. After reviewing a series of studies of more than 4,700 recent and prospective home buyers nationwide, real estate website Zillow said it found paint color can bolster — or hinder — a home’s sale price by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So what colors should you opt for? It’s all about the mood, according to Zillow’s analysis. It’s no secret color can impact our mood. A bright color like yellow may make you cheery, a blue may calm you down. When it comes to current and possible homebuyers, one mood appears to be reigning supreme: charcoal gray. “Gray is the color of retreat,” Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Alb...