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China formally protests Biden’s depiction of its leader as an out-of-touch ‘dictator’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

By SYLVIE CORBET and ELLEN KNICKMEYER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — China said Thursday it had registered a formal protest over President Joe Biden’s reference to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “dictator,” while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed the critical importance of the two rival powers maintaining relations despite their disagreements.Biden’s remarks at a 2024 reelection fundraiser Tuesday opened a new rift just after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that was meant as a step toward stabilizing ties and improving communications with China.Biden called the Chinese president a dictator, depicted him as out-of-touch during last winter’s tumult over a Chinese spy balloon, and dismissed China as having “real economic difficulties.”China’s embassy in Washington said it had delivered a formal protest, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State Department officia...

Get an AMBER Alert? ‘Kidnapped’ Springfield-area girl has already been located, Massachusetts State Police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

Within a half hour of phones buzzing throughout Massachusetts, the 4-year-old Springfield girl the State Police issued an Amber Alert for has been located.Cortana Goncalves, who the State Police said was kidnapped by her “non-custodial biological mother” at a family gathering earlier Thursday morning, was located just before noon at a mobile home park on Fifth Avenue in Cheshire.The child was found with the mother, Brandee Arnold, 32, inside a trailer in the park. Arnold was arrested by the State Police troopers and will be transported to the custody of the Springfield Police Department, which has jurisdiction over kidnapping, according to the Massachusetts State Police.The State Police issued the Amber Alert sometime after 11:20 a.m., and it showed up on this reporter’s phone at around 11:45 a.m.State Police say that Arnold took Cortana away from a family gathering Thursday morning against the specifications of her custody agreement.“Arnold has previously ma...

7 hospitalized, 80 to 90 fans injured by hail at Louis Tomlinson concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

A severe solstice hailstorm inflicted bloody cuts and broke concertgoers’ bones amid mayhem at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison on Wednesday night — among other severe-weather impacts along Colorado’s urban Front Range — raising anxieties about future extreme weather and the challenge of providing warnings as early as possible.At least seven people were hospitalized with injuries sustained at the Louis Tomlinson concert. The injuries requiring hospitalization included cuts and broken bones, according to West Metro Fire Rescue postings on Twitter.Between 80 and 90 other people who suffered lacerations and bruises were treated by paramedics and medical personnel at the venue, West Metro Fire officials said.UPDATE: Red Rocks hail storm- 7 people transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. A total of 80 to 90 people treated on scene. Injuries include cuts and broken bones. Sporadic hail still coming down in Morrison area. @StadiumMedical p...

An inside look at 'The Friends Experience'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Fans of a 90s sitcom that's imprinted the hearts of many will soon have an opportunity to relive those nostalgic moments in a new interactive experience.It all starts at the Central Perk cafe, where "Friends" Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller have spent many hours hanging out with mugs of caffeine in hand.But this coffee shop isn't located at on W86th St. between Columbus Ave. and Broadway in New York City. Instead, this gathering place can be found just north of Long Beach at 4661 Silva St. in Lakewood. This rotating house in San Diego is a spinning spectacle Dubbed "The FRIENDS Experience," fans can immerse themselves in the world of that quirky friend group by exploring interactive set recreations. For instance, there will be a chance to plop down on that iconic orange couch inside Central Perk. After that, fans can head on over to Rachel and Monica's apartment to talk life and love in their kitchen. ...

‘Debris field’ found during search for missing Titanic submersible: U.S. Coast Guard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

The search for a submersible carrying five people took a grim turn Thursday as the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a “debris field” was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle near the wreck of the Titanic.The brief coast guard statement said experts were evaluating the find, but no other details were released.The submersible Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with surface vessels on Sunday morning as it was nearing the famous shipwreck during a 3,800-metre dive that usually takes about two hours.Since then, a massive international search effort has been assembling about 700 kilometres southeast of Newfoundland. The search reached a critical stage Thursday as the small vessel’s air supply was believed to be running low, but that looming deadline assumed the submersible was still intact.American authorities have said “banging sounds” were detected in the search area on Tuesday and Wednesday, though the cause was unclear.As the search...

May home sales inch higher with record-few on the market and biggest annual price drop since 2011

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes edged higher in May and the national median sale price posted its biggest annual drop in more than a decade, even as the supply of available properties sank to an all-time low.Existing home sales rose 0.2% last month from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.3 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s slightly above what economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Sales sank 20.4% compared with May last year. That marks 10 consecutive months of annual sales declines of 20% or more. The annual drop was steepest in markets across the West and Northeast, where sales slumped more than 25%. The national median home price fell 3.1% from May last year to $396,100, the NAR said. The year-over-year decline is the biggest since December 2011, when the housing market was still on the mend following the mid-2000s housing bust.The latest housing market figures are more evidence that even with pric...

Nearly half of US honeybee colonies died last year. Struggling beekeepers stabilize population

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s honeybee hives just staggered through the second highest death rate on record, with beekeepers losing nearly half of their managed colonies, an annual bee survey found.But using costly and Herculean measures to create new colonies, beekeepers are somehow keeping afloat. Thursday’s University of Maryland and Auburn University survey found that even though 48% of colonies were lost in the year that ended April 1, the number of United States honeybee colonies “remained relatively stable.”Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating more than 100 of the crops we eat, including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. Scientists said a combination of parasites, pesticides, starvation and climate change keep causing large die-offs.Last year’s 48% annual loss is up from the previous year’s loss of 39% and the 12-year average of 39.6%, but it’s not as high as 2020-2021’s 50.8% mortality rate, the survey found. Beekeepers told the surveying sci...

Fashion, star power and a martial aura fuse at Givenchy’s collection at Paris Fashion Week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

PARIS (AP) — History, fashion, and star power came together at Givenchy’s latest menswear show at Les Invalides in Paris. Steeped in the martial aura of the former military hospital with its cast iron cannons, the show was the first of its kind across the monument’s sprawling balcony. Film star and musician Jared Leto was among the luminaries who applauded the spectacle.Here are some highlights of Thursday’s spring-summer 2024 menswear collections, including an interview with designer Matthew M. Williams:GIVENCHY GETS CONFIDENTIn recent seasons, the creative heat at Givenchy under Williams had seemed somewhat tepid. However, this latest collection, presented against the backdrop of Les Invalides’ pale stone arches, displayed a new-found creative confidence from him. The designer seems to be settling in to successfully steer the age-old LVMH-owned house into solid sartorial ground.The show commenced with an array of finely tailored couture suits in striking black and whit...

San Francisco displays the largest ever pink triangle for Pride month in a stand against pushback

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The giant canvas pink triangle that is one of the LGBTQ+ community’s Pride month symbols in San Francisco is bigger than ever this year. Volunteers said they are taking a stand for their rights amid a national pushback from conservative lawmakers. Hundreds of volunteers installed the triangle made out of cloth and canvas on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks viewpoint, one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, as part of the city’s Pride celebrations. At nearly an acre in size and visible from up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, this year’s triangle is the largest since the annual tradition started in 1995. “We’ve had a lot of progress in the last decade: marriage equality and getting rid of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” said Patrick Carney, co-founder of Friends of the Pink Triangle, the group which organizes the installation each year. “Since we had so many victories, people are coming out of the woodwork to push us back,” he added. The pink triangl...

Greek authorities rescue 145 migrants who were found stranded on a river islet on the Turkish border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:19 GMT

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities said they rescued 145 migrants found stranded Thursday on an islet on the river that runs along the northeastern land border with Turkey.Police said that the 70 men, 45 women and 30 children were all in good health and identified as Syrians or Kurds. Greek authorities launched the rescue after being alerted to the migrants’ presence by a nongovernmental organization.The Evros River — Meric in Turkish — is a key crossing point for migrants coming through Turkey to seek a better life in the European Union. It’s quite common for smuggling gangs to dump migrants on islets mid-river and flee, to avoid arrest by Greek authorities, and confusion over the precise location and ownership of the islets can lead to delays in their evacuation.Thousands of people also try to enter Greece by sea. On June 14, a battered fishing trawler carrying up to 750 people sank far off southwestern Greece, with only 104 survivors.The ship had left Libya...