Hong Kong welcomes new giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for tourism boost
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong has welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor Ying Ying gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record. Along with the twins’ father, Hong Kong now houses six pandas. Pandas are widely considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.
A zoo in Finland is returning giant pandas to China because they’re too expensive to keep
HELSINKI (AP) — A zoo in Finland has agreed to return two loaned giant pandas to China eight years early because they are too expensive for the facility to maintain. The private Ähtäri Zoo said the female Lumi and male Pyry will return to China later this year. The pandas were a gift from China in 2017, and they were supposed to be on loan until 2033. But since then the zoo has seen a decline in visitors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The zoo built a special facility for the pandas and their upkeep costs the zoo some 1.5 million euros annually.
South Korea sets a compensation plan for dog meat farmers before the 2027 ban
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea announced plans Thursday to compensate famers and others in the country’s dwindling dog meat industry before a formal ban goes effect in 2027, a move that is drawing opposition from both farmers and some animal rights activists. South Korea’s parliament passed a landmark bill in January that will ban slaughtering, breeding or selling dog meat for human consumption after a three-year grace period. It will be punishable by 2-3 years in prison. The Agriculture Ministry said that farmers would receive compensation starting from 225,000 won, and rising up to 600,000 won per dog if they agree to shut down their business early.
Ohtani’s 50-50 home run ball goes up for auction with starting bid of $500,000
RUNNEMEDE, N.J. (AP) — The baseball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run, which gave him 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season, is going up for auction on Friday. Ohtani became the first player in Major League history in the 50-50 club. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar accomplished the feat last week in Miami. The opening bid for the ball is $500,000. There is black scuffing and abrasions on the white leather ball, which was authenticated by Major League Baseball. The fan who caught it is working with Goldin, a New Jersey-based auction house.
LeBron and Bronny James are already scrimmaging with Lakers ahead of historic father-and-son season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James and son Bronny James are already scrimmaging with the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers during voluntary offseason workouts. JJ Redick and his new coaching staff are already planning and discussing the moment early in the new season when a father and son will share an NBA court for the first time. The specifics of that historic day aren’t set yet, but Redick shares the basketball world’s anticipation of the chance to watch the top scorer in NBA history playing alongside the Lakers’ new second-round draft pick. Redick sees only positive aspects in pairing the duo on the court.
Get your Narcan! Old newspaper boxes are being used to distribute overdose reversal drug
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Old newspaper boxes are being repurposed into containers that distribute Narcan, an emergency treatment to reverse drug overdoses. The boxes have proliferated nationwide since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of naloxone without a prescription. They are appearing in neighborhoods, in front of hospitals, health departments and convenience stores. They are one way those supporting people with substance use disorder have sought to make Narcan, which can cost around $50 over the counter, accessible to those who need it most. Sixty Narcan boxes were distributed across 35 states in honor of Thursday’s “Save a Life Day.” The Narcan distribution and education event was started by a West Virginia nonprofit in 2020.
Aging and ailing, ‘Message Tree’ at Woodstock concert site is reluctantly cut down
A tree at the fabled 1969 Woodstock festival used by concertgoers as a sort of message board has been cut down. The so-called Message Tree was cut down Wednesday due to its poor health and safety concerns. The owners of the renowned concert site that drew 400,000 people were reluctant to lose a living symbol of the community forged on the farm in Bethel, New York in August 1969. In an era predating cellphones, many had scrawled messages on paper scraps and attached them to the old tree’s trunk. But operators of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts feared the more than 100-year-old red maple was in danger of falling down.
10th death reported in Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak
A 10th person has died in an ongoing outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to a now-closed Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia. At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst. Boar’s Head officials shut down the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, earlier this month and stopped making liverwurst. Inspection reports revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. The company earlier recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat products sold across the U.S.
C’mon get happy, Joker is back (this time with Lady Gaga)
VENICE, Italy (AP) — “Joker” is a hard act to follow. Todd Phillips’ dark, Scorsese-inspired character study about the Batman villain made over a billion dollars at the box office, won Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar, dominated the cultural discourse for months and created a new movie landmark. Knowing that it was a fool’s errand to try to do it again, Phillips and Phoenix pivoted to “Joker: Folie Ă Deux,” a dark and fantastical musical journey that goes deeper into the mind of Arthur Fleck as he awaits trial for murder and falls in love with a fellow Arkham inmate, Lee, played by Lady Gaga. It hits theaters Oct. 4.
Meta unveils cheaper VR headset, AI updates and shows off prototype for holographic AR glasses
MENLO PARK, California (AP) — Meta has unveiled updates to the company’s virtual reality headset and Ray Ban smart glasses along as it tries to demonstrate its artificial intelligence prowess and the next generation of computing platforms beyond smartphones and computers. CEO Mark Zuckerberg also showed off Orion, a prototype for holographic augmented reality glasses he called the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
