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AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong’s ‘villain-hitting’ ritual draws crowds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — For people holding a grudge in Hong Kong, one way to release their anger is to take part in the “villain-hitting” ritual.Those seeking to ease their anxieties and improve their mood visit an area beneath the Canal Road Flyover in Causeway Bay, one of the city’s shopping districts. Under the highway, they watch ritual practitioners —mostly older women — use a shoe to bash an image of the person who is the target of their anger.The target could be anyone — rival lovers, unfriendly colleagues, horrible bosses or unlikeable public figures.The ritual is especially popular in March because some believe the best day to perform it falls on “ging zat,” as pronounced in Cantonese, a day on the Chinese lunar calendar that literally means “awakening of insects.”This year, “ging zat” fell on March 6. The tradition attracted crowds for the first time after the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions, including a mask mandate.“I’m hoping to cut out all the gossip around me an...

Polish activist convicted for helping obtain abortion pills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Warsaw court on Tuesday convicted an activist for helping a pregnant woman access abortion pills in Poland, sentencing her to eight months of community service.The case of Justyna Wydrzyńska has been closely watched by human rights activists, who believe it would set a precedent in a country with some of Europe’s most restrictive abortion legislation.Prosecutors had charged Wydrzyńska with “helping with an abortion,” a crime punishable up by to three years in prison. Source

Andrey Kurkov, Maryse Condé on International Booker list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov and acclaimed Guadeloupe-born writer Maryse Condé are among 13 contenders announced Tuesday for the International Booker Prize for translated fiction.Kurkov, 61, who has written widely for Western publications on Russia’s invasion of his country, is nominated for “Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv,” a darkly comic portrait of life in the western Ukraine city.Condé, often mentioned as a possible Nobel Literature Prize candidate, is nominated for “The Gospel According to the New World.” The writer, who is 86 and has lost her sight, dictated the novel to her husband and translator, Richard Philcox.The International Booker Prize is awarded every year to a translated work of fiction published in the U.K. or Ireland. It is run alongside the Booker Prize for English-language fiction.The longlist of books from 12 countries and 11 languages also includes “Whale” by Korean author Cheon Myeong-kwan, “Ninth Building” by China’s Zou Jingzhi, “Standing Heavy...

Sports betting apps give millions in free bets in Maryland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

Sports betting apps promote free bets to lure new gamblers. It is legitimate, and it adds up to millions of dollars each month.Maryland Lottery and Gaming reports the eight mobile sports betting apps approved to operate in the state handled $325.1 million in wagers in February — $15.8 million of that was free promotional wagers.More Maryland NewsMore Business NewsMore Sports NewsPromotional play provided to customers by sportsbooks is deducted from the taxable win owed to the state.Maryland’s 10 retail and eight state-approved mobile sportsbooks generated a combined $339.4 million in wagers in February. Sportsbooks contribute 15% of taxable win to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs.Mobile wagering accounted for $2.7 million in contributions to the state in February. Retail sportsbooks, including betting parlors at Maryland casinos, contributed $98,114 in February.Maryland’s sportsbooks do not have a limit on promotion...

Montgomery Co. restaurants will offer healthy alternatives for kids’ meals, beginning Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

Some new kids items will be on the menu at restaurants in Montgomery County, Maryland, beginning Wednesday.Drink options that are considered to be healthy alternatives will be added to kids’ menus at eateries across the Maryland county this week. The required-alternatives only apply to restaurants that bundle food and drink into a meal for kids.More Food & Restaurant NewsMore Health and Fitness NewsMore Montgomery County NewsAmong the less-sugary options is 6 ounces or less of 100% fruit juice. Milk with the kids’ meal must be nonfat or 1% and could not exceed 8 ounces. And chocolate or other flavored milks don’t count.Montgomery County Council member Craig Rice, the lead sponsor of the bill that requires this change, has previously said that it will help combat the rising incidence of childhood obesity.The second phase of the “Healthy Meals for Children” bill will require restaurants to offer healthy meals, like at least two fruits or vegetables th...

Iowa’s Lee chases history in going for his fourth NCAA title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — History is the light at the end of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee’s tunnel vision.The 125-pounder has a chance to win his fourth national title this weekend at the NCAA championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and join an exclusive club with names he can recite in just a few seconds.Lee’s six-year career with the Hawkeyes will end with this tournament, a career that has been built with a singular focus on the next match.The two-time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most dominant wrestler knows what he can accomplish in this final tournament.“Yeah, of course, I’ve definitely thought about it,” Lee said. “It would mean a lot to me. The thing is, I haven’t done it yet.”Lee would become the first Iowa wrestler to win four national championships. Cornell 149-pounder Yianni Diakomihalis also is pursuing his fourth. If both accomplish the feat, there would be six four-time Division I champions in NCAA history.Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith (1990...

Driver, passenger shot while turning onto Colfax Avenue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police are looking for any information regarding a shooting that injured a driver and passenger between Kalamath Street and West Colfax Avenue.According to the Denver Police Department, the shooting took place on Jan. 29 at 10:40 p.m. when the victim was driving south on Kalamath Street from Speer Boulevard. The area is between the Auraria and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. $50K reward for information on robbery of USPS letter carrier truck DPD said the victim and their passenger were shot when they made a right-hand turn onto West Colfax Avenue from Kalamath. The victim was driving a silver Lexus SUV.No other information like the motive or identity of the suspects was immediately known. Now, police are asking for any information regarding this shooting. If you know anything, you are asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Here's why you might be seeing smoke near DIA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — Starting at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, if you are near the Denver International Airport you might see smoke in the air but it isn't a cause for alarm.According to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, crews will begin a prescribed burn at 10 a.m. causing some smoke to filter into the air. Since the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is near DIA, many people may be alarmed by the sight of smoke in the area, but there is no need to alert 911 of the smoke. Driver, passenger shot while turning onto Colfax Avenue Rocky Mountain Arsenal said the burning will occur in the southern portion of the refuge with winds predicted between 7-10 mph pushing smoke to the northeast. Map of the prescribed burn in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal on March 14. (Credit: Rocky Mountain Arsenal)Those who live near the refuge and are affected by the smoke exposure should close windows and doors and stay inside while the prescribed burn is in progress.

Eggs are finally getting cheaper in the grocery store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

(CNN) — Grocery prices rose slightly last month, but eggs are finally getting cheaper in the supermarket.In February, egg prices fell 6.7% compared to January, according to seasonally adjusted data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Groceries rose .3% in that time, while menu items got .6% more expensive, for overall food inflation of .4% in February.It’s a welcome reversal: Egg prices have been astronomically high, fueled by short supply caused by the deadly avian flu, high input costs and egg producers’ increasing their own profits. Some of those constraints have eased, sending wholesale prices down earlier this year. In February, retail prices finally followed.Still, eggs remain far more expensive than they were a year ago. In the 12 months through February, egg prices rose 55.4%.And food prices still outpaced inflation overall on a year-over-year basis. Food prices rose 9.5%, compared with 6% for all items, for the year. The difference was even...

Masatoshi Ito, Japanese billionaire behind the rise of 7-Eleven, dies at 98

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:20 GMT

(CNN) — Masatoshi Ito, the Japanese billionaire who turned 7-Eleven convenience stores into a global empire, has died aged 98, closing the chapter on one of Asia’s most storied retail entrepreneurs.Seven & I Holdings, operator of 7-Eleven, confirmed the death in a statement on Monday, adding that Ito died from old age on March 10.“We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and friendship during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing,” the company said.Ito transformed everyday retail in Japan, turning a US-born company into an international brand, particularly in Asia where 7-Eleven shops are rarely more than a few minutes’ walk away in many cities.Seven & I Holdings now operates over 83,000 stores around the world, including 7-Eleven shops in 19 regions and countries as well as the Speedway convenience store chain in the United States.Chief competitors include the Japanese-owned Lawson and Family Mart convenien...