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Germany, China hold high-level meeting amid tensions over trade, Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Trade, climate change and the war in Ukraine are on the agenda Tuesday as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is on his first foreign trip since taking office.The meeting in Berlin is the seventh time Germany and China have held high-level government consultations and comes a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, indicating an effort by Beijing to reach out to the West and improve frosty relations.Li, a former Communist Party secretary for Shanghai who took office in March as China’s No. 2 official, met Monday with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and had dinner with Scholz at the Chancellery before the start of formal talks.Germany is keen to maintain good ties with China, its biggest trading partner, despite wariness over Beijing’s growing assertiveness and refusal to criticize the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Germany’s recently published national security strategy des...

Rescuers race against time to find missing submersible in Atlantic bound for Titanic wreckage site

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time early Tuesday to find a missing submersible carrying five people on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic, the iconic ocean liner that sank more than a century ago.The submersible named the Titan, part of a mission by OceanGate Expeditions, carried a pilot, a renowned British adventurer, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and another passenger. Authorities reported the vessel overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center. Every passing minute, however, puts the Titan’s crew at greater risk. The submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it put to sea at roughly 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate. “It is a remote area — and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area,” said Rear Adm. John Mauger, a commander for the U.S. Coast Guard,...

New study says high housing costs, low income push Californians into homelessness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Homeless people in California are already a vulnerable group, often struggling with poor health, trauma and deep poverty before they lose their housing, according to a new study on adult homelessness.The study released Tuesday by the University of California, San Francisco attempts to capture a comprehensive picture of how people become homeless in California, and what impeded their efforts at finding permanent housing. The representative survey of nearly 3,200 homeless people found that when they lost housing, their median household income was $960 a month, and for renters on leases it was $1,400 a month, of which on average half went to rent. Homelessness is a national crisis, and all too pervasive in California, where an estimated 171,000 people — or 30% of all homeless people in the U.S. — are homeless. Political leaders are divided over how to address the crisis, with some, including Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, favoring tent encampment sweeps and a tough-...

Amber Alert discontinued after girl found

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities discontinued an Amber Alert Tuesday morning for a 7-year-old girl last seen in San Antonio. Authorities said the girl has been found.The Texas Department of Public Safety sent an alert to cell phones Monday night saying law enforcement was looking for Amarianna Benavidez. A tweet from Texas Alerts posted at 2:27 a.m. Tuesday said the alert was discontinued and the girl was found.

Russian attack cannot be ruled out, says Swedish parliamentary defence committee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

A Swedish parliament defence committee report said a Russian military attack against Sweden cannot be ruled out, Swedish public service broadcaster SVT said on Sunday (18 June), citing sources.Sweden has been scrambling to bolster its defences and applied to join NATO last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden was invited to apply but Turkey and Hungary are yet to ratify the application.The parliamentary report, due to be published on Monday, said that although Russian ground forces were tied up in Ukraine other types of military attacks against Sweden could not be ruled out, SVT said citing sources who worked on the report."Russia has also further lowered its threshold for the use of military force and exhibits a high political and military risk appetite. Russia's ability to carry out operations with air forces, naval forces, long-range weapons or nuclear weapons against Sweden remains intact," SVT said, citing the report.The chairman of the parliament defence committ...

From ALDO to WowWee: Jessica Kalichman’s Masterstroke in Kid-Centric Marketing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

In the world of business and marketing, where trends are fluid and consumers are fickle, leaders are marked by their ability to adapt, innovate, and leave a lasting impact. One such leader is Jessica Kalichman. Kalichman has masterfully transitioned from an intern at ALDO, a renowned fashion footwear company, to an influential figure in the kid-centric marketing landscape at WowWee. Her journey offers valuable insights into the realm of contemporary marketing strategy and consumer engagement.As an intern at ALDO, Kalichman’s duties initially revolved around maintaining the company’s intranet site and drafting internal memos. Soon, she expanded her skillset into copywriting and social media management, taking on a vital role in developing Call It Spring’s brand voice and online persona. It was her talent for content production, public relations, and branding that eventually paved her path toward a new horizon—the world of toys at WowWee.Over the last five years, Kal...

Dear Abby: Must I consent to her odd hygiene requirements?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I invited a friend to spend the weekend with me on my parents’ boat. She insisted that she must shower twice a day, as that is her usual routine.She said she can’t wake up without a shower, and needs to shower to be clean at the end of the day.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: Our friendship ended badly. Should I discard his things that I still have? Advice | Dear Abby: I’ve reached my limit with this woman’s unprovoked attacks Advice | Dear Abby: His mother turns my husband into a bratty child Advice | Dear Abby: I try to help my boyfriend meet people, but he’s resistant Advice | Dear Abby: My husband’s only response is screaming or a death stare I believe showering twice a day is excessive. Even showering once a day isn’t necessary unless someone has been working or exposed to dirt.I suggested she could wash up with facecloths and wipes, and shower...

After FIFA anti-racism pledge, New Zealand and Ireland teams abandon games over opponents comments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The message was clear from FIFA president Gianni Infantino last week: “There is no football if there is racism! So let’s stop the games.”That is what happened twice in international friendly games on Monday.New Zealand and the Ireland Under-21 team both refused to continue playing after alleging players heard racially offensive comments from opponents Qatar and Kuwait.New Zealand abandoned its game against Qatar at halftime in Austria after accusing a Qatari player of making a racist comment to defender Michael Boxall, who is of Samoan heritage.In a statement issued on Tuesday, Football New Zealand said the team refused to play the second half when the referee declined to take action. New Zealand was leading 1-0 in Ritzing.The Irish soccer federation said its Under-21 team’s game against the Kuwait Olympic team was stopped “after a racist remark was made by a Kuwaiti player towards one of our substitutes.” “The (federation) does not tolerate any ...

Cunningham leads Phoenix against Las Vegas after 27-point game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

Las Vegas Aces (10-1, 6-0 Western Conference) at Phoenix Mercury (2-8, 1-5 Western Conference)Phoenix; Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Phoenix takes on the Las Vegas Aces after Sophie Cunningham scored 27 points in the Phoenix Mercury’s 89-71 loss to the New York Liberty.Phoenix went 11-7 at home and 7-11 in Western Conference play during the 2022-23 season. The Mercury averaged 81.1 points per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 32.9% from behind the arc last season.Las Vegas finished 26-10 overall and 15-3 in Western Conference games during the 2022-23 season. The Aces gave up 84.1 points per game while committing 15.8 fouls last season.INJURIES: Mercury: Brittney Griner: out (hip), Diana Taurasi: out (hamstring), Skylar Diggins-Smith: out (personal).Aces: None listed.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Un pasajero surcoreano intenta abrir la puerta de un avión en pleno vuelo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:02 GMT

(CNN) — Un pasajero surcoreano de 19 años intentó abrir la puerta de un avión en pleno vuelo de Cebú, Filipinas, al aeropuerto de Incheon, en Corea del Sur, según funcionarios de la aerolínea JejuAir y la policía del aeropuerto de Incheon.El vuelo salió de Cebú el lunes a la 1:49 a.m. hora local desde Filipinas y el hombre empezó a actuar de forma extraña al cabo de una hora de vuelo. El hombre estaba sentado en la decimosexta fila y se quejó al personal de la aerolínea de que sentía presión en el pecho, y habló de forma inapropiada al personal, dijo el funcionario de JejuAir.Los auxiliares de vuelo de JejuAir lo trasladaron entonces a la primera fila del avión, cerca de la puerta de salida, donde podían vigilarlo. En ese momento, el hombre corrió hacia la puerta e intentó abrirla, pero fue “inmediatamente reducido por la tripulación, que utilizó un lazo y vendas para mantenerlo controlado durante el resto del vuelo”, explicó el responsable de Jeju Airlines.Un homb...