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Japan edges rival China to win men’s world gymnastics title while US claims first medal since 2014

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Japan is back on top in men’s gymnastics.The five-man group led by reigning world and Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto edged rival China in the team finals at the 2023 world championships on Tuesday to earn Japan’s first major international gold medal since 2015.The Japanese posted a team total of 255.594 points, nearly two points clear of China at 253.794. China, which finished eighth during a sloppy performance in qualifications to barely make the final, bounced back with a medal on the line but couldn’t quite catch Japan.The U.S. men’s program took a significant step forward by earning its first bronze at a world championships or Olympics since 2014. The five-man team of Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Khoi Young, Yul Moldauer and Fred Richard finished at 252.428.The Americans avoided major mistakes early and then showed considerable growth late. Needing to put together a solid set on high bar in the final event, Young, Juda and Richard came...

Miami’s The Berry Farms hosts ‘Nightmare in the Redland’ Halloween special event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Oh, just chillin’ like a villain over here at The Berry Farm, where they are taking the idea of Halloween villains and packing them into a haunted house.So get those vocal chords right because it’ll be scream-tastic night.It’s nightmare galore inside “Nightmare in the Redland” — the newest attraction of Miami’s The Berry Farm.Karl Wiegandt: “A lot of people just do a haunted house or they just do a hayride. We do all that plus the haunted house, plus the hayride, just because we’re gluttons for punishment I guess.”If punishment is what you want, a punishment is what you’ll get.At this Halloween experience, they are not clowning around.Karl Wiegandt: “We’re trying to move into different compartments of scary. You’ve got Friday the 13th, the scary part, then you got people that are scared of clowns. We’re incorporating all of them. Each room has their own identity. Each room has their own little world....

Pope Francis suggests for first time some people in same-sex unions could be blessed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis has suggested for the first time that people in same-sex unions could be blessed by Catholic priests on a “case-by-case” basis, a seeming reversal of previous statements.The Pope made the suggestion in a letter to his harshest critics within the Catholic ranks, written in response to a letter from five conservative cardinals with formal questions – called a “dubia” (Latin for “doubt”) – which is an official request for a yes or no answer from a sitting pontiff regarding his running of the Church.The cardinals, Walter Brandmuller, Raymond Leo Burke, Juan Sandoval Iniguez, Robert Sarah and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, first sent the letter to Pope Francis on July 10. It focused on an upcoming October meeting of bishops, asking what impact it could have on Church’s teaching, and included questions about the Pope’s intention to bless same-sex unions, and whether he intends to open the door to women priests through ordination.Unsatisfied with the Pope’s initial response,...

Multiple explosions reported, firefighter injured as fire rips through building in Wayland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

A Wayland business complex became an inferno Tuesday afternoon after a large fire broke out, spreading to a car parked outside and setting off multiple explosions. The fire sent a cloud of oppressive, chemical-filled smoke over the area before sunset on Tuesday. Hours later, firefighters were still on scene around 9 p.m., hosing down hotspots and assessing damage. Everyone inside the complex was able to get to safety on their own, according to Wayland fire officials. One firefighter suffered a leg injury after tripping over a fire hose.Wayland’s fire chief said the fire started shortly before 4 p.m. in an auto body shop bordered by a restaurant and a dry cleaning facility. SKY7-HD flying over the scene soon captured video of the fire as firefighters sprayed water from multiple angles shortly after 4 p.m.Within 45 minutes, much of the auto body shop had collapsed. Fire Chief Neil McPherson said crews arrived on scene less than a minute after the fire was reported....

4 takeaways from Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer’s season-ending remarks: ‘We’re stuck thinking about what could have been’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had hoped his annual end-of-season news conference would have come later in October than the previous two years.Instead, Hoyer spent nearly an hour Tuesday morning reflecting on the Cubs finishing one game out of a playoff spot and how the organization moves forward.“Externally, we were not expected to be a playoff team, but the internal expectations were that we’re going to make the playoffs and going back to spring training that was the clear goal,” Hoyer said. “When we were 10 games under .500 in the middle of June, these guys still believed and it was a pretty amazing thing from my seat to listen to them talk about how good they thought the team was.“Right now we’re stuck thinking about what could have been and thinking about the painful last 2 1/2, 3 weeks. You can’t call something that falls short of your goal a success, so ultimately we have to live with that.”Hoyer...

Third arrest made in deadly trolley stop stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A third suspect was arrested in connection to a deadly August trolley stop stabbing in the Logan Heights neighborhood, authorities said.Angel Salcedo, 18, was identified as an additional suspect in the case and arrested Monday afternoon at 3600 Main Street in Barrio Logan, Lt. Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said in a news release Tuesday. The San Diego resident was booked into San Diego County Jail on suspicion of murder and elder abuse, according to police.On the evening of Aug. 24, 70-year-old Michael Goodin got involved in an argument with a small group of males and a female when a fight ensued, per SDPD. Goodin was then stabbed at least one time in the chest and beaten. I-805 north connector to SR-15 reopens after fatal crash When officers arrived on scene, they found Goodin with at least one stab wound to his chest, Sharki said. First responders took him to a hospital, where he later died.The suspect group left the area, but two of the su...

New Democrats off to early lead in historic Manitoba election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

WINNIPEG — The New Democrats were off to an early lead in several constituencies Tuesday as a handful of polls began reporting results in a historic Manitoba election. The NDP were leading in parts of Winnipeg, including key ridings that had been held by members of the Progressive Conservative cabinet. The provincial capital, where 32 of the 57 legislature seats are, is an important battleground for both parties.  Opinion polls suggested the New Democrats would have a lead in the important urban areas. Tory support dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals struggled to deal with rising case numbers and dozens of intensive-care patients were flown to other provinces.If Heather Stefanson leads the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to a third consecutive majority, she would become the first woman to be elected premier in a Manitoba general election. Stefanson took over the top spot midterm in a party leadership race after former premier Brian Pallister retired in 2021.If the...

CP NewsAlert: Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew re-elected in Fort Rouge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

WINNIPEG — Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew has been re-elected as the legislature member for Fort Rouge.The Canadian Press

North Korea vows strong response to Pentagon report that calls it a ‘persistent’ threat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea slammed the United States over a recent Pentagon report that labeled it a “persistent” threat because of weapons of mass destruction, saying Wednesday that it will counter any U.S. aggression or provocations with “the most overwhelming and sustained response strategy.”Last week, the Pentagon released the unclassified version of its “2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction” describing WMD challenges and methods to address them. The report stated that while China and Russia present “the principal WMD challenges,” North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organizations remain “persistent regional threats” that must also be addressed.Such U.S. descriptions of North Korea and the North’s angry response aren’t unusual. But the latest exchange comes as concerns grow that North Korea is pushing for a weapons transfer deal with Russia in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. “The U.S. has just revealed its dangerous intention for...

Mike Pence says he is ‘deeply disappointed’ in vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence, the former vice president, chastised a group of hard-right Republicans who ousted Kevin McCarthy from his role as House speaker Tuesday, saying that “chaos is never America’s friend.”Pence was onstage at a national security and foreign policy event at Washington’s Georgetown University co-hosted by The Associated Press when the news broke. When told of the historic vote, Pence waited several seconds before he responded. He then described it as a distraction from the issues that matter to Americans.“Well let me say that chaos is never America’s friend. And it’s never a friend of American families that are struggling,” he said. “And I’m deeply disappointed that a handful of Republicans would partner with all the Democrats in the House of Representatives to out the Speaker of the House.”There was no clear path forward Tuesday night after the vote to dislodge McCarthy, a first in American history. Pence said that he expected addit...