The Falcons and Arthur Smith finally opted to go in a new direction this week at the Quarterback position naming Taylor Heinicke the starter for week 9. The Fal

May 12-18, 2023

Ukrainian soldiers fought off fierce Russian attacks on the battlefield on Wednesday as the invading troops continued to recapture lost territory in eastern Ukraine, military officials said. Some progress was also seen in southern Ukraine – another pocket of heavy territorial battle in Russia’s 20-month-old invasion. "We continue to repel intense enemy attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka. The enemy is still storming these positions with the hope of recapturing lost positions, but without success," Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s eastern group of forces, told national television. The two villages – Klishchiivka and Andriivka – near Bakhmut were retaken from Russian control in mid-September in a span of three days, marking a significant territorial feat in the Ukrainian counteroffensive. There had been 544 Russian shelling incidents in the past 24 hours in the area, seven combat clashes and four air attacks, the military spokesperson said. Officials, including president Volodymyr Zelensky, also confirmed advances in the fighting. “True Ukrainian fury against the occupiers in our Donetsk region! The Bakhmut direction, including fierce battles for Klishchiivka,” he said and mentioned “our advance in the Donetsk sector” in the east but did not share more details. Air strikes were also reported on four localities in the area by Ukraine’s General Staff who said 15 towns and villages had come under artillery and mortar attack in the past day. The heavy fighting in the region was also corroborated by Russia’s defence ministry who mentioned heavy fighting and said its forces had beaten back 10 attacks by Ukrainian troops near Klishchiivka and further south, near the village of Nevelske. In its next target on the battlefield, Ukrainian forces are eyeing several other villages as they progress through Zaporizhzhia region towards the major town of Tokmak. Military analyst Roman Svitan said there have been “three or four days of painstaking hard work by our assault group and commanders in the area which have led to very serious problems for the Russians”. "I would not speak of a breakthrough until we reach Tokmak." Tokmak, a Ukrainian city in south-central point in Zaporizhzhia oblast and just 12 miles from the frontline, is considered to be a critical mark in territorial fight which will give Kyiv’s forces a leverage to advance further and repel more Russian attacks. Ukraine fired its counteroffensive salvo in June to recoup ground in the east. Its forces are also trying to advance southward to the Sea of Azov to sever a land bridge established by Russia between the annexed Crimean Peninsula and positions it holds in the east. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Fresh offensive by Putin’s troops ‘unlikely’ as frontline ‘over-stretched’ Russia airs ‘new interview’ of Black Sea admiral who Ukraine claimed was killed in strike New video of ‘dead’ Russian Black Sea fleet commander raises doubts over Ukraine’s claim Ukrainian forces ‘enjoy success’ near Bakhmut as Putin deploys reserves

West Ham opted to retain David Moyes as manager despite holding talks with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier.

Zach Remillard singled in Elvis Andrus with the go-ahead run on a play that was overturned by video review, and the Chicago White Sox rallied with three runs in the eighth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 7-6

Hilary is expected to become a tropical storm - the first in 80 years to make landfall in California.

A slate of gun control measures is headed to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk

Olivia Dunne recently returned to California and was dressed to kill for yet another occasion in a sizzling black bikini

President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House for a delayed Pride Month celebration aiming to demonstrate his administration’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Advocates have recently been warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses. The event, which the administration described as the largest Pride event hosted at the White House, was initially scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed because of poor air quality from hazardous air flowing in from Canadian wildfires. But the haze that blanketed a huge swath of the East Coast this past week had lifted over the nation's capital, allowing the president and first lady Jill Biden to hold their South Lawn party. “So today, I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You belong,” Biden said. Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and enacted 78 bills that whittle away at LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights. That tally includes a recent flurry of bills that affect transgender people, including legislation recently passed by Republican governors vying for the 2024 presidential nomination. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill into that bans gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youths. Earlier in the week, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a law that DeSantis signed shortly before announcing that he was running for president. In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum last month signed a bill that prohibits public schools and government entities from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Burgum, who like DeSantis has made culture issues a central part of his tenure as governor, joined the White House primary field. Josh Helfgott, an LGBTQ+ activist and social media influencer from New York City, said marking Pride Month at the White House felt like one of the most important moments of his life. But he said the tide of legislation added another layer to this year’s celebrations. “Pride this year is so important because we cannot be silent when faced with hate and bigotry,” Helfgott said “The other side is so loud, incredibly loud. ” Anjali Rimi of San Francisco attended the White House event with her mother, who recently immigrated from India. Rimi came to the United States more than 20 years ago because, she said, she was shunned by family and society as a transgender person. Times were tough in the United States, too, she said. She was pushed out of a job after she came out, was homeless for a time, and took asylum in Canada for about a decade before returning to the United States. “It’s a moment that we are going to cherish for a lifetime,” said Rimi, an activist in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. "This is a joyful moment, but it’s also one that reminds us that we have so much work to do.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide AP News Digest 5:40 a.m. Trump pledges to endorse Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor US confirms China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

Flyweight world champion Hasanboy Dusmatov will be one of the favourites for gold when boxing gets under way at the Asian Games on Sunday, with qualification for the...

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have welcomed a son via surrogate, just five months after Teigen gave birth to their daughter Esti.

HongKong Hong Kong shares of Alibaba Group were set to open up 5.5% on Monday after China fined