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Blinken to meet Xi, State Department says, in bid to ease US-China tensions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 4:30 p.m. Monday, the State Department said, as America’s top diplomat wrapped up a two-day visit to Beijing aimed at easing soaring tensions.A Blinken-Xi meeting had been expected, but neither side had confirmed it would happen until just an hour before the talks, which are seen as key to the success of the trip. A snub by the Chinese leader would have been a major setback to the effort restore and maintain communications at senior levels.Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. His visit is expected to usher in a new round of visits by senior U.S. and Chinese officials, possibly including a meeting between Xi and Biden in the coming months.The encounter with Xi comes on the second and second and final day of Blinken’s critical meetings with senior Chinese o...

Suspect in custody after 4 people fatally shot at residence in Idaho, reports say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

KELLOGG, Idaho (AP) — Police in Idaho arrested a suspect in a shooting that killed four people on Sunday, according to a news report.The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it responded with the Kellogg Police Department to a residence in Kellogg around 7:30 p.m. Police found four people who died of gunshot wounds, news reports said.The shooting occurred at multi-dwelling units behind the Mountain View Congregational Church in the city about 36 miles (58 kilometers) east of Coeur d’Alene, the Shoshone News-Press reported on the newspaper’s Facebook page.The Idaho State Police said a 31-year-old man was detained, KXLY-TV reported. A neighbor at the scene told the TV station that there was an ongoing dispute between neighbors at the location.The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office said the Kellogg Police Department and the state police were leading the investigation.The Kellogg Police Department did not immediately respond to an email from The Associ...

Migrants rescued from sailboat in distress off eastern Greek island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s coast guard says 68 people have been rescued in the eastern Aegean Sea after the sailboat they were on sent a distress signal while off the coast of island of Leros.The sailboat, which is believed to have set sail from Turkey carrying migrants hoping to reach Greece, issued a distress call early Monday, and the passengers were initially picked up by a passing merchant ship before being transferred to a coast guard vessel, the coast guard said. All were safely transported to Leros, and there were no reports of any injuries or people missing. The nationalities of those on board were not immediately available.The sailboat rescue comes days after a massively overcrowded fishing trawler transporting people from Libya to Italy sank off of western Greece last week, with hundreds of migrants feared drowned. The trawler is believed to have been carrying around 700 or 750 people when it capsized and sank last Wednesday in international waters west of Greec...

Voters in Neuschwanstein area back world heritage status bid for Bavarian palaces

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Voters in the municipality where Neuschwanstein Castle is located have voted to approve a bid for UNESCO World Heritage status for the 19th century palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, some of which are among Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.In a referendum on Sunday, some 56% of voters who turned out in the Schwangau municipality gave their approval to the bid, German news agency dpa reported. Officials plan to submit the bid officially to UNESCO early next year, with the U.N. body’s World Heritage Committee expected to make a decision in mid-2025.German officials hope to win World Heritage status for four of Ludwig’s creations dotted across southern Bavaria. They are Linderhof Palace; Herrenchiemsee Palace, modeled on France’s Versailles and located on an island in a lake; Neuschwanstein Castle, a monument to medieval culture with inspiration from Richard Wagner; and the King’s House on Schachen, by far the least-known o...

China's Xinjiang, five Central Asian countries establish alliance of tourism exchanges, cooperation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

An alliance of tourism exchanges and cooperation between northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and five Central Asian countries was established at a conference on the development of Xinjiang's tourism industry held on 13 June, People's Daily Online.The association of travel agencies in Xinjiang and tourism industry associations and inter-enterprise consultation and cooperation organizations of five Central Asian countries signed an agreement to establish the alliance at the conference, which also served to promote the tourism industry of Xinjiang.According to the conference, the alliance is a non-governmental, non-profit, and informal interregional cooperation organization aimed at promoting tourism exchanges and cooperation among its members, enhancing international exchanges between relevant parties, and advancing coordinated economic and social development of relevant economies.Central Asia is the fastest growing and most promising region for China's inbound tourism,...

Amy Lareau: Charting an Unconventional Path to Global Business Development Success

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

Amy Lareau’s journey from law and business school to her remarkable achievements at Cirque du Soleil is nothing short of inspiring. Her unique and unconventional career path has led her to become a top business development professional with unique abilities, paving the way for international projects, groundbreaking show formats, and themed destinations. This feature delves into Amy’s extraordinary story, emphasizing the importance of following one’s passions and staying true to oneself.Growing up in Quebec City, Canada, Amy initially pursued law and went to business school, but fate had other plans. Instead of opting for traditional roles at large firms like her peers, she followed her gut, taking an unexpected detour into the world of show business. This decision ultimately led her to spend a decade at Cirque du Soleil, working on a diverse range of projects and becoming an instrumental force behind the company’s branding and revenue diversification efforts....

Single-family home sells in Danville for $1.8 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

334 Conway Drive – Google Street ViewA 1,969-square-foot house built in 1968 has changed hands. The property located in the 300 block of Conway Drive in Danville was sold on May 24, 2023. The $1,765,000 purchase price works out to $896 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, an attached garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on a 10,624-square-foot lot, which also has a pool.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In May 2023, a 1,969-square-foot home on Conway Court in Danville sold for $1,770,000, a price per square foot of $899. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,663-square-foot home on the 3400 block of Canfield Drive in Danville sold in May 2023, for $1,935,000, a price per square foot of $727. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Burgess Court, Danville, in March 2023, a 3,135-square-foot home was sold for $1,925,000, a price per square foot of $614. The home has 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. 

¿Qué es el Día de la Emancipación (Juneteenth) y por qué se celebra el 19 de junio?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

(CNN) — El feriado del 19 de junio, el Día de la Emancipación o Juneteenth, conmemora el fin de la esclavitud en Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, el país todavía enfrenta problemas sistémicos de racismo e injusticia.Esas dificultades recobraron visibilidad el debate nacional de 2020 y durante las protestas masivas de Black Lives Matter que fueron provocadas por el homicidio de George Floyd a manos de agentes de policía de Minneapolis en 2020.Sin embargo, el 16 de junio de 2021, la Cámara de Representantes aprobó una legislación que establecería el 19 de junio como el Día de Independencia Nacional Juneteenth, —una combinación de las palabras June (junio) y nineteenth (diecinueve)— un feriado federal que conmemora el fin de la esclavitud en Estados Unidos.¿Qué es y qué no es la teoría crítica de la raza?Un día después, Biden firmó proyecto de ley que convirtió a Juneteenth en feriado nacional. Biden dijo que hacer del 19 de junio un feriado federal sería recordado como “uno de...

Blinken will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at 4:30 p.m., State Department official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Blinken will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at 4:30 p.m., State Department official says.Source

This Week: FedEx earns, existing US home sales, CarMax earns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:58 GMT

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week:TIME TO DELIVERFedEx delivers its latest quarterly snapshot Tuesday.Wall Street predicts the package delivery company will report lower earnings and revenue for its fiscal fourth-quarter than in the same period last year. FedEx’s operating expenses have been cutting into its profits. In April, the company announced it would restructure its operations in a $4 billion cost-cutting plan.HOUSING MARKET BAROMETERThe National Association of Realtors releases its latest monthly tally of existing U.S. home sales Thursday.Economists project that sales slowed in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.17 million. That would mark the third straight decline. Despite home prices easing back this year, many would-be homebuyers remain frustrated by a low supply of homes for sale and elevated borrowing costs.Existing home sales, in millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate:Dec. 4.03Jan. 4.00Feb. 4.55March 4.4...