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How Macron ousted a top American economist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

The appointment of EU bureaucrats is usually a tame affair. Then Brussels tried to make an American one of its most powerful economists. In a matter of mere days, the selection of U.S. antitrust expert Fiona Scott Morton as the EU’s top competition economist has snowballed into a major geopolitical faux-pas that saw France launch a rearguard action against the EU and challenged the stature of one of Brussels’ highest-profile figures, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.   On Wednesday, France won. After a week of campaigning, including a blistering public rebuke from President Emmanuel Macron, Scott Morton preemptively resigned. The climbdown marks a victory for Paris — and a steely reminder of the formidable power France wields within the EU. It also represents a potentially damaging setback for Vestager. Her ill-fated move to install Scott Morton comes as she is trying to win political support to become head of the European Investment Bank, th...

Yellen visits Vietnam to build US ties and push supply chain diversity to offset tensions with China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

HANOI (AP) — The U.S. considers building strong economic and security ties with Vietnam a priority, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday as she met with Vietnamese officials in a visit aimed at fortifying America’s relations across Asia. Yellen arrived in Vietnam after visits to Beijing and to India, where she attended financial meetings of the Group of 20 major industrial economies. “The United States considers Vietnam a key partner in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Yellen told Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to remarks provided by the U.S. Treasury Department.A “free and open Indo-Pacific” refers to the latest iteration of broad U.S. diplomacy aimed at cultivating stronger ties with other countries in the region to in effect counter China’s growing sway among its neighbors. “Vietnam is also a close economic partner, with our two-way trade reaching record highs last year and the United States serving as Vietnam’s largest expo...

As another cheetah dies in India, authorities try to get ambitious conservation project on track

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

BENGALURU, India (AP) — An eighth cheetah death in India’s Kuno National Park last Friday has raised new questions about a project that reintroduced the big cats to the country 10 months ago and has been mired in controversy since its inception. The latest death was caused by an infestation under a cheetah’s radio collar due to humid and wet weather conditions in central India, according to veterinarians from South Africa who are closely involved with the project.The Indian government said the cheetah deaths being caused by an infection under their radio collar is “speculation and hearsay.”Maggot wounds, dehydration, infighting and kidney disease have been some of the causes of death of five adults and three of the four cubs born to a female cheetah earlier this year.Earlier last week, another adult cheetah was found dead, likely also due to an infestation. Since then, local forest authorities are trying to tranquilize the remaining cheetahs to check for any diseases. Local me...

India’s Modi breaks silence over Manipur ethnic violence after viral video shows mob molesting women

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke more than two months of public silence over deadly ethnic clashes in India’s northeast, saying Thursday that the assaults of two women as they were being paraded naked by a mob in Manipur state were unforgivable.A video showing the assaults triggered massive outrage and went viral late Wednesday despite the internet being largely blocked and journalists being locked out in the remote state. It shows two naked women being surrounded by scores of young men who grope their genitals and drag them to a field.“The guilty will not be spared. What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” Modi told reporters ahead of a parliamentary session in his first public comments related to the Manipur conflict.He urged heads of state governments to ensure the safety of women and said the incident is “shameful for any civilized nation.”“My heart is filled with pain and anger,” he said.The violence depicted in the video wa...

Fans of martial arts legend Bruce Lee fondly remember his life philosophy 50 years after his death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Fans of late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who broke negative stereotypes around Asian men in films, gathered in Hong Kong this week to commemorate their idol’s death half a century ago, remembering his legacy and his life philosophy on persistence.Lee, who was born in San Francisco but raised in the Asian financial hub, was famous for his martial arts talent and his fight against racist portrayals of Asians on big and small screens in the 1960s and 70s. He died at the height of his fame due to an allergic reaction to painkillers when he was 32.The 50th anniversary of Lee’s death on Thursday drew fans to exhibitions in Hong Kong on his life and career. They also laid flowers at his statue at the Avenue of Stars, a tourist attraction modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the Kowloon shore of Victoria Harbor.A government-run museum organized a camp for students to learn about Lee’s legacy by introducing them to Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style that...

Multiple homes threatened by growing St. Mary’s River fire in southeastern B.C.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

An evacuation order has been expanded and an evacuation alert has been issued for multiple homes in southeastern B.C., as the St. Mary’s River wildfire continues to rage out of control.Late Wednesday, the Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation order for 15 properties north of the Aq’am First Nation in the Woods Corner East area near Cranbrook, including some that had been on alert since early Tuesday morning. The new evacuation alert covers nine properties in the Woods Corner West Area.The district says gusting late-day winds, increased fire behaviour and growth prompted the alerts and orders. Earlier Wednesday, the First Nation confirmed several homes had been lost, but details on how many people or homes were affected have not been released.The Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation order on Monday for 52 homes, with another 43 properties on evacuation alert.The BC Wildfire Service says the St. Mary’s River fire was human-caused,...

Spain election: Campaigners seek shelter from July heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Spanish political parties in the final days of campaigning ahead of a 23 July snap general election have adapted to the blistering heat through measures such as changing the venues and timing of their rallies and building an online presence.As parts of the country have faced temperatures of over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday (17 July) campaigned in the city of Huesca near the Pyrenees mountains, which recorded an average temperature of 27.8C.Later on Tuesday (18 July), he was set to appear in the northern coastal city of San Sebastian, where the maximum temperature forecast is 25C, according to weather agency AEMET.Apart from choosing the coolest locations, parties have limited the amount of outdoor campaigning."We designed the campaign as something more audiovisual, with a lot of television, radio, podcasts, and also interviews in the press," a spokesperson for Sanchez's Socialist party said, adding this was "partly due to the logic of ...

Innovation in the Filmmaking Industry: A Foreign Perspective from Miguel del Campo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

The dynamic sphere of Hollywood filmmaking constantly thrives on fresh perspectives and innovative outlooks. Such unique insights are brought to the forefront by Miguel del Campo, an accomplished project coordinator at Pixelogic and Lionsgate. A creative whose Mexican heritage brings a unique dimension to his approach in Hollywood.Born in Puebla, Mexico, Miguel carries the zeal for storytelling that was cultivated from his early years. His journey, initially sparked by the film Toy Story 2, propelled him into the world of filmmaking. From building his foundational skills in Mexico to enhancing them in the United States, Miguel’s trajectory in the industry has been marked by his unwavering persistence, tenacity, and an all-encompassing passion for his craft.Upon completing his studies at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, Miguel’s journey took a challenging turn as he aimed to secure a full-time job. He found sporadic employment as a Production Assistant on short f...

Powerball: $1B jackpot winning ticket sold in LA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

SANTA CLARA – No one in the Bay Area won Wednesday night’s $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot, but three tickets worth a cool $1 million each were sold in the region.A single ticket that matched white balls 7, 10, 11, 13, 24 and red Powerball 24 was sold at Las Palmitas Mini Market at 1205 Wall Street in Los Angeles, lottery officials said.In the Bay Area, three tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million each. They were purchased at the 7-Eleven at 1590 Franklin St. in Santa Clara, Steve’s Liquors at 583 West Tennyson Road in Hayward and the Safeway at 4950 Mission Street in San Francisco.Lottery officials said final ticket sales pushed the jackpot past its earlier estimate of $1 billion to $1.08 billion. That made it the third largest Powerball jackpot and the sixth largest U.S. jackpot ever won.Other jackpots won this year include $754.6 million in Washington on Jan. 5 and $252.6 million in Ohio.The jackpot winner will have the choice of receiving a lump sum payment of $5...

Single-family house sells in San Jose for $1.6 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

5735 Goldfield Drive – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 5700 block of Goldfield Drive in San Jose was sold on June 30, 2023. The $1,600,000 purchase price works out to $722 per square foot. The house, built in 1968, has an interior space of 2,217 square feet. This two-story home presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house features a two-car garage. The lot of the property is substantial, measuring 7,490 square feet, and boasts a pool for relaxation and recreation.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:In November 2022, a 1,926-square-foot home on Colville Drive in San Jose sold for $1,549,000, a price per square foot of $804. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 2,924-square-foot home on the 300 block of Colville Drive in San Jose sold in March 2023, for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $564. The home has 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Chandler...