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UK wages rise sharply in April, set to bolster expectations of another rate hike next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Wages in the U.K. spiked sharply in April, official figures showed Tuesday, a development that is set to cement expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates once again next week. The Office for National Statistics found that people’s regular pay packets, which exclude bonuses, were up 7.2% in the three months to April from the same period the year before, as against the equivalent 6.6% increase recorded in January.The spike, which was largely due to a near-10% increase in the minimum wage at the start of April, was the highest on record other from when the figures were distorted by the coronavirus pandemic.Though wages are still lagging the headline rate of inflation, which at the last count stood at 8.7%, the increase is likely to feature heavily in next week’s deliberations among rate-setters at the Bank of England. Higher wages raise the prospect of more spending in the economy, which can fuel price rises.Hannah Slaughter, senior econo...

Giants visit the Cardinals on 4-game road win streak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

San Francisco Giants (34-32, third in the NL West) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (27-40, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Alex Cobb (5-2, 3.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 71 strikeouts); Cardinals: Jack Flaherty (3-4, 4.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 72 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -113, Giants -106; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants will try to keep a four-game road win streak alive when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals.St. Louis has a 13-19 record in home games and a 27-40 record overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .424 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the NL.San Francisco is 16-15 on the road and 34-32 overall. Giants pitchers have a collective 4.01 ERA, which ranks third in the NL.The matchup Tuesday is the sixth time these teams square off this season. The Giants have a 4-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Paul Goldschmidt leads the Cardinals with a .286 batting average, and h...

Cubs host the Pirates to open 3-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (34-30, first in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (28-37, fourth in the NL Central)Chicago; Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Luis Ortiz (1-2, 4.23 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Cubs: Jameson Taillon (1-4, 6.80 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 40 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -143, Pirates +122; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates to begin a three-game series.Chicago has a 28-37 record overall and a 15-16 record at home. The Cubs have a 15-6 record in games when they scored at least five runs.Pittsburgh has a 34-30 record overall and a 16-14 record in road games. Pirates pitchers have a collective 4.07 ERA, which ranks fifth in the NL.The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Ian Happ has 15 doubles and four home runs for the Cubs. Dansby Swanson is 7-for-37 with a double and a home run over the last 10 games.Andrew McCutchen has seven doubles, eight home runs and 23 RBI for...

Phillies take on the Diamondbacks after Realmuto hit for the cycle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (32-34, third in the NL East) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (41-25, first in the NL West)Phoenix; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Zack Wheeler (4-4, 3.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 87 strikeouts); Diamondbacks: Zach Davies (1-1, 4.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 22 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -138, Diamondbacks +117; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies take on the Arizona Diamondbacks after J.T. Realmuto hit for the cycle against the Diamondbacks on Monday.Arizona has a 21-14 record in home games and a 41-25 record overall. The Diamondbacks have the second-best team batting average in MLB play at .265.Philadelphia has a 13-23 record on the road and a 32-34 record overall. The Phillies rank 10th in the NL with 70 total home runs, averaging 1.1 per game.The teams match up Tuesday for the fifth time this season. The Diamondbacks are ahead 3-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has 17 doubles, two triples...

Japan names 23-player Women’s World Cup team with focus on talent in leagues abroad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda announced a 23-player squad for the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday, a side heavy with players displaying their skills in leagues abroad.Almost half of the players selected play in leagues outside Japan, mainly England, Sweden and the United States.Japan is hoping to rebound after being knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2019. The Japanese were runners-up in 2015 and won the title in 2011.“We will fight for the top spot with great ambition,” Ikeda said, speaking in Japanese. “But the level of (women’s) football in the world is improving very rapidly.” Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City probably heads the list from overseas. Another accomplished midfielder is Fuka Nagano of Liverpool.The youngest player on the squad is 19-year-old Maika Hamano, who plays on loan from Chelsea with Swedish club Hammarby.The best known of the Japanese players based in the United States is forward Jun Endo, who plays with Angel City.The major absence is Mana Iw...

Romania launches government reshuffle, new PM incoming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

A government reshuffle began in Romania on Monday, following the resignation of Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă as part of a planned rotation within the ruling coalition.Social Democrats chief Marcel Ciolacu is expected to become the new prime minister, with a vote in parliament set to take place later this week. Former Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu has been nominated by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to serve as interim prime minister “until the formation of the new government.” Iohannis will hold consultations with the various parliamentary political groups later Tuesday to choose the next head of government.According to Romanian news outlet Digi24, the next foreign minister could be Luminița Odobescu, who served as Romania’s permanent representative to the European Union from 2015 to 2021, directing Bucharest’s first presidency of the the Council of the EU in Brussels. Ciucă, the former prime minister, was nominated last November after his center-right...

Shuttle buses replacing trains after Green Line trolley derails near Packard’s Corner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

Commuters should expect shuttle buses to replace trains on a stretch of the Green Line’s B Branch until about 7 a.m. after a derailment Monday caused major disruptions.The transportation authority said around 2:10 p.m. that what was first reported as a disabled train turned out to be a derailed trolley at Packard’s Corner.As crews respond, officials said service between Blandford Street and Washington Street stations would be replaced with shuttle buses, in the meantime.“Expect delays as Buses are dispatched,” the MBTA said in a tweet.In an update 30 minutes later, officials said the switch to shuttle bus service had been extended to between Kenmore and Washington Street, while noting that Route 57 buses would provide free rides to passengers, in the meantime.Two dozen personnel were on scene as of around 5 p.m. working to get the train back on its tracks.By 6 p.m., the train had been re-railed and pulled away from the scene, revealing visible damage to pavement in...

Five things to watch at Ravens’ mandatory minicamp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

What a difference a few months makes.In March, the state of the Ravens was precarious. Uncertainty and acrimony swirled around franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. There was a serious dearth of talent at wide receiver with a group that finished last in the NFL in yards. There were questions about who would plug holes at edge rusher and cornerback. There was a failing grade for the strength and conditioning program.Now, as Baltimore transitions from the voluntary portion of offseason workouts to the three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Tuesday in Owings Mills, many of those problems have been addressed. As a result, the Ravens have gone from a ship with an uncharted course to one on the precipice of potential Super Bowl contention.Still, there’s a long way between now and next February, and questions still loom. Here are the biggest topics heading into the final “live contact” portion of the offseason before the Ravens take a six-week break ahead of the start of...

Retro: When future Cleveland Browns star Jim Brown rocked Baltimore’s Homewood Field as a lacrosse player

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

Jim Brown, the former Cleveland Browns fullback and civil rights activist, had a night in Baltimore still vividly remembered by lacrosse fans fortunate enough to have witnessed his brilliant performance in 1957.Brown, 87, died last month and was acclaimed as one of the greatest running backs of all time, an NFL legend and a Most Valuable Player.As a Syracuse University student, he also played lacrosse and often confessed his affection for the game.What brought Brown to Baltimore was the North-South All-Star Game, a hybrid contest that was the lacrosse’s season finale showcase. Top college players from the two regions competed against one another.The North was represented by players from the U.S. Military Academy, Colgate University, the University of New Hampshire, Hofstra University, Rutgers University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Syracuse.The South was composed of the University of Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Vi...

India-controlled Kashmir hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake, no damage reported, officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:55 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — An earthquake struck the eastern India-controlled Kashmir region Tuesday, sending tremors throughout New Delhi and parts of northern India. The quake was also felt in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan.The quake had a 5.4 magnitude and its epicenter was in Doda, a small town in India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, according to India’s National Center for Seismology. The quake was at a depth of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).In Pakistan, many people fled their homes and offices in the capital, Islamabad, and the city of Lahore.Officials in both countries said there were no reports of immediate damage.The region has a history of powerful earthquakes.In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 quake in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir left more than 75,000 people dead. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided between India and Pakistan but both claim it in its entirety. Most people in the Indian-held part resent the presence of hundreds of thousands of Indian troops and want independ...