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Jill Biden marks US reentry into UNESCO with a flag-raising ceremony in Paris

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

PARIS (AP) — U.S. first lady Jill Biden attended a flag-raising ceremony at UNESCO in Paris on Tuesday, marking Washington’s official reentry into the U.N. agency after a controversial five-year hiatus.The Stars and Stripes was hoisted up outside UNESCO’s headquarters with the Eiffel Tower on the skyline to rousing applause, to a rendition of the national anthem. Biden made remarks about the importance of American leadership in preserving cultural heritage and empowering education and science across the globe.“I was honored to join you today as we raise the flag of the Unites States, the symbol of our commitment to global collaboration and peace,” Biden said. She said that this move was an example of President Biden’s pledge about “restoring our leadership on the world stage.”“We are so proud to rejoin UNESCO,” Biden proclaimed at the UN’s education agency, acknowledging that “as a teacher I’m a little biased.”The U.S. had announced its intention to rejoin UN...

A firefighting plane crashes as new evacuations are ordered in Greece

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

RHODES, Greece (AP) — A firefighting plane has crashed in southern Greece as authorities battled fires across the country amid a return of heat wave temperatures.The crash occurred on the island of Evia, and was aired in a state television broadcast that showed the low-flying aircraft disappearing into a canyon before a fireball was seen moments later.A third successive heat wave in Greece has pushed temperatures back above 40 C (104 F) across parts of the country Tuesday following more nighttime evacuations from fires that have raged out of control for days.The latest evacuations orders were issued on the islands of Corfu and Evia, while a blaze on the island of Rhodes continued to move inland, torching mountainous forest areas, including part of a nature reserveTHIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.RHODES, Greece (AP) — A week-old wildfire on the Greek resort island of Rhodes tore past defenses Monday, forcing more evacuations as strong winds and success...

Poetic gift: Poetry academy announces more than $1 million in grants for U.S. laureates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A digital poetry archive in Utah, slam poetry workshops in South Carolina and creative writing programs in New Mexico are among the initiatives being supported by more than $1 million in grants from the Academy of American Poets. On Tuesday, the academy announced its 2023 Fellowships, contributions of $50,000 each to 23 state and local poets laureate around the country, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Redmond, Washington.The Poet Laureate Fellowship program, launched in 2019, are funded in part by the Mellon Foundation.“Collectively the voice and vision of these 23 poets laureate will bring together community members through the craft and creativity of poetry and illuminate place through words,” poet Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, said in a statement.Fellows include Utah laureate Lisa Bickmore and Lauren Camp of New Mexico, along with such local laureates as Diannely Antigua of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Laura Da’ of Redmond, Washing...

Venice Film Festival unveils A-list lineup with ‘Priscilla,’ ‘Ferrari,’ ‘Maestro’ amid strikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein drama “Maestro,” Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley movie, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” David Fincher’s “The Killer” and Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” will make their world debuts at the Venice International Film Festival this fall. Organizers announced the lineup Tuesday for the 80th edition of the festival, which — despite the flashy names behind the films — could have a little less Hollywood glamour than usual gracing its picturesque docks and red carpet come September if the Hollywood actors and writers strikes stretch on. As part of the strike, actors cannot promote projects from the studios and streamers with whom the union is negotiating.The prestigious film festival already lost one high-profile premiere to the labor disputes in the U.S. in Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama “Challengers, ” starring Zendaya, which had been set to play in the opening night slot but has now been pushed to 2024. But Alberto Barbera, the director of the Venice Film Fes...

Transgender swimmers to be included in the trial of an open category at competitions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Swimming will set up an “open category” that will include transgender competitors, the governing body of the sport said Tuesday.World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam said the event would take place in the future among other races but gave no details. Reports suggest it could be this year.“This is a very complex topic,” Al-Musallam said at the World Aquatics Congress in the southwestern Japanese city of Fukuoka. “But I am delighted to tell you today that we are now making plans for the first trial of an open category, and we hope to be able to confirm all the details soon.“Our sport must be open to everybody,” he said.World Aquatics had previously banned transgender competitors from major events like the Olympics and world championships.The topic has been divisive and many governing bodies in major sports have avoided it. And there will be many questions to answer as the first trial event unfolds under the eyes of lawyers and scientists.“It was very import...

A Russian fighter jet fired flares at a US drone over Syria and damaged it, the US military says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian fighter jet flew within a few meters of a U.S. drone over Syria and fired flares at it, striking the American aircraft and damaging it, the U.S. military said Tuesday.A senior Air Force commander said the move on Sunday was an attempt by the Russians to knock the MQ-9 Reaper drone out of the sky and came just a week after a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft carrying a crew in the region, jeopardizing the lives of the four American crew members.“One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller,” Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central, said in a statement describing the latest close call. “We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior.”Grynkewich said one of the crew members operating the drone remotely kept it in the air and flew it back to its home base.The Sunday incident is the ...

Why is Canada updating its emergency nuclear protocols?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, last week, we learned Canada’s emergency protocols in response to a nuclear threat have been updated. At least part of the reason for the update is due to Russia gaining control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.The emergency plans cover everything from trying to protect Canadians overseas who may be impacted by an accident, to more classified documents working out emergency preparations in the event of nuclear missiles being fired.Ed Waller is a Professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science at OntarioTechU. He says the government is continuously updating the plan based on threats around the world — but not all threats carry the same weight.“The difference that we have here … is that we now have a situation in Ukraine where the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been taken over by an armed military. That’s never happened in the history of the world,” said Waller.How likely is either the former or latter? What do...

Mexico’s native ethnic groups promote their heritage during Oaxaca’s biggest cultural festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

OAXACA, México (AP) — Leticia Santiago carries her ancestral heritage wherever she goes. Every time she addresses the crowds during the Guelaguetza, the biggest cultural event in southwestern Mexico, her words, her garments and her skin reveal a clue about the town where she was proudly born.The 35-year-old Mexican was elected as Centéotl goddess in late June, which means she’ll represent the Aztec deity of maize for a year and lead all festivities during the Guelaguetza, which will run in the state of Oaxaca through July 28. During the government-sponsored event, 16 Indigenous ethnic groups and the Afro-Mexican community promote their traditions through public dances, parades and craft sales. Santiago can’t help but smile when she talks about the history of her ethnic group, known as “Chatinas.” Her hometown, Santiago Yaitepec, is located five hours away from Oaxaca City, between the mountains and the coast.“It is said that we come from the sea and our ancestors were fish,” Santiag...

Here are the changes coming this week to the Kennedy contruction zone

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

CHICAGO — Drivers can expect changes to the construction zone on the Inbound Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) starting this week.  The work zone will move from the left side to the right side between the Edens (I-94) and Webster. Since March, inbound traffic has been using the two right lanes between the Edens and Ohio and the two express lanes with the work zone in the left lanes. Starting Tuesday night, the work zone will begin to shift to the right. The shift will take three overnights to complete. Here’s what drivers can expect:  By 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 26: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from Diversey to Webster By 5 a.m. Thursday, July 27: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from Pulaski to Diversey By 5 a.m. Friday, July 28: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from The Edens to Pulaski Kennedy Express Lanes exit near Diversey reopens IB Edens traffic shifts between Foster and Montrose Ramp from Wilson to the IB Kennedy closes for 8 weeks By 6 a...

For the first time in a bit, the White Sox will be trade deadline sellers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:33 GMT

CHICAGO — Two years ago, it looked like the White Sox were entering a long window of competition, and even completed a trade with their north side rivals to improve their team for the playoffs.Now as they prepare to face the Cubs this week at Guaranteed Rate Field, they White Sox are doing so as sellers at a time when many expected them to be in the thick of competing for a World Series championship.That's not going to happen as an inconsistent 2022 season has been followed by a difficult 2023 campaign where the White Sox have simply never gotten things going. Any hope for a second half turnaround was essentially dashed in a nine-game road trip to start the second half. A three-game sweep at the hands of the Twins puts Pedro Grifol's team 19 games under. 500 and 12 1/2 back of Minnesota for the lead in the AL Central. Translation: The White Sox will be selling at the deadline, taking on that mindset for the first time since 2019. That's a frustrating prospect for a team that had spe...