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Koi emerges as new source of souring relations between Japan and China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — What’s koi got to do with it? Souring relations between Asian rivals Japan and China now seem to be snagged on calm-inducing beauty in spas, museums and gardens. The slippery dispute between Asia’s two biggest economies adds to their spat over Japan’s release into the sea of treated but radioactive water from the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant. And it has prompted more questions than answers.Here’s what you need to know about the fish and their role in the dispute:WHAT ARE KOI?Koi are beautifully hued and expensive carp formally called nishikigoi in Japan. The fish, appreciated as “swimming jewels,” represent good luck in life and business. They’re often fixtures of garden ponds for wealthy and influential families in Japan. In recent years, koi have become hugely popular in Asia, with Japan’s koi exports doubling over the past decade to 6.3 billion yen ($43 million) — one-fifth of them shipped to China, the top Japanese koi importer, ...

Poland’s opposition party leaders sign a coalition deal after collectively winning election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leaders of Polish opposition parties signed a coalition agreement on Friday that lays out a roadmap for governing the nation over the next four years.The parties collectively won a majority of votes in last month’s national election. Their candidate to be the next prime minister is Donald Tusk, a former prime minister who leads the largest of the opposition parties, the centrist Civic Platform.Tusk said the parties worked to seal their agreement before the Independence Day holiday on Saturday, adding that, “We wanted to show that we are ready to take responsibility for our homeland.”Speaking ahead of the signing ceremony in the Polish parliament, Tusk said the agreement would offer a set of “signposts and recommendations” for the government he hopes to lead.The conservative party that has governed Poland for the past eight years, Law and Justice, won more votes than any single party but does not have a majority and has no potential c...

Spain’s acting prime minister signs deal that secures him the parliamentary support to be reelected

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed an agreement Friday with a small Basque party that ensures him enough parliamentary support to be reelected, possibly next week.The deal between Sánchez´s Socialist party and the Basque Nationalist Party means that Sánchez should be able to count on the support of 178 legislators, two more than the majority he needs in the 350-seat Parliament to be chosen as the next prime minister. Sánchez has been in office since 2018.On Thursday, the Socialists clinched the support in Parliament of a fringe Catalan separatist party led by fugitive former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont in exchange for an amnesty for potentially thousands of people involved in the region’s failed secession bid.Details of an amnesty bill have yet to be released but it stands to benefit Puigdemont and scores of others, from minor government officials to ordinary citizens, who ran into legal trouble for their roles in Catalonia’s illegal secession a...

Hungary’s Orbán says negotiations on Ukraine’s future EU membership should not move forward

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s prime minister said Friday he does not support moving forward on negotiations on Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union, signaling again that his country could pose a major roadblock to Kyiv’s ambitions to join the bloc. EU leaders are to decide in mid-December whether Ukraine should be formally invited to begin talks to join the 27-member union, with Hungary seen as a potential obstacle. Unanimity among all member states is required to admit a new country into the bloc, giving Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a powerful veto. The EU’s executive branch on Wednesday recommended that Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks once it has addressed some shortfalls. But in an interview with state radio on Friday, Orbán said the embattled country is nowhere near gaining membership in the world’s largest trading bloc.“Ukraine is in no way ready to negotiate on its ambitions to join the European Union,” ...

'We were in disbelief': Man wins $1M on lottery ticket the day after his wedding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — From wedding bells to dollar signs, one couple is still feeling the wedding bliss after a Michigan man won $1 million from a lottery one day after his wedding. The 57-year-old player bought the Diamonds & Pearls lottery ticket from an E-Z Mart in Prudenville, Michigan. (The Michigan Lottery)“I bought the ticket the day after my wedding and gave it to my wife to scratch,” the man said. “When she revealed the ‘$1 MIL’ prize amount, we were in disbelief. We kept reading the instructions over and over again to make sure we really won. It was an exciting couple of days for us!"He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $693,000. Have a $2 bill? It could be worth thousands The man told the Michigan Lottery that he plans to invest his winnings.

Volcano creates a new island off Japan, but it may not last

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — An undersea volcano erupted off Japan three weeks ago, providing a rare view of the birth of a tiny new island, but experts say it may not last very long.The unnamed undersea volcano, located about 1 kilometer (half a mile) off the southern coast of Iwo Jima, which Japan calls Ioto, started its latest series of eruptions on Oct. 21.Within 10 days, volcanic ash and rocks piled up on the shallow seabed, its tip rising above the sea surface. By early November, it became a new island about 100 meters (328 feet) in diameter and as high as 20 meters (66 feet) above the sea, according to Yuji Usui, an analyst in the Japan Meteorological Agency's volcanic division.This aerial photo shows steam billowing from the waters off Iwoto Island, Ogasawara town in the Pacific Ocean, southern Tokyo, on Oct. 30, 2023. A new island, 100 meters in diameter, formed by erupted rock, is seen near the steam, according to Kyodo News. (Kyodo News via AP)In this photo provided by the Japan Maritime...

Federal regulators take a bite out of meat monopolies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

(The Hill) -- Big meatpackers must warn chicken growers about the risks of the deals they're entering into, according to a new federal rule enacted Wednesday.The rule is part of a package of reforms the Biden administration has framed as steps to bring transparency and competition back to the meat industry, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday.The reforms, he said, take "critical steps in USDA's competition and farmer fairness agenda."Other pieces in the package would direct the federal government to buy meat produced in the U.S. and create a new office to fight monopolies in agriculture.A final part of the rule directs seed companies to display common varietal names alongside brand names — a reform akin to the way buyers of pain relievers know that they can get the chemical "acetaminophen" in the form of Tylenol or cheaper generic alternatives. But for decades, independent farmers have complained about the effects of the rapid consolidatio...

Texas School for the Deaf to cut back workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas School for the Deaf said Wednesday it will cut back workers at its location on South Congress Avenue.TSD said in a statement it was going to outsource interpreters at the school. New leader at Texas School for the Deaf announced TSD did not say when the outsourcing would take place or which provider it would use.  In the statement, the school thanked the in-house interpreters “for the dedication and hard work … in ensuring that language barriers are overcome and effective communication is maintained.”TSD said outsourcing the service would save money on interpreting “ultimately enhancing the efficient allocation of resources to other vital areas of our school.”The school said it would choose “a reputable language service provider that shares our school's values and commitment to quality. We will collaborate closely with the selected provider to ensure a seamless and transparent transfer of responsibilities.”

Kyle announces Dec. 9 runoff for council seat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Kyle said Thursday voters in one council district will decide their next council member in a runoff election next month.According to unofficial returns from the Nov. 7 election, Claudia Zapata and Lauralee Harris will compete in the District 4 City Council runoff election on Dec. 9. The city said no candidate got more than 50% of the vote for the seat. November 2023 election results Unofficial returns show Zapata with 30.26% and Harris with 27.13%, the city said.Here is the voting schedule according to the city:    Early Voting Days/Times: Monday, Nov. 27 - Friday, Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4 through Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Election Day Voting Times: Saturday, Dec. 9 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  The city said unofficial returns show Travis Mitchell won a third term as Kyle’s Mayor w...

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig spars with Postal Service in bid to improve performance. Would a consolidation help?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:43 GMT

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has been pushing United States Postal Service officials to improve lackluster performance in the south metro area, but it seems her messages keep getting returned to sender.Craig, along with the mayors of Farmington and Lakeville, recently asked USPS officials to consolidate their two aging post office locations, and open a larger facility near the border of the two cities. USPS officials have rejected the consolidation proposal, contending that the locations are still meeting “present and future operational needs.”Craig said she plans to keep pressuring USPS officials to review the need for additional sites, examine hiring procedures to help with staffing levels and be more transparent about the current priorities in delivering packages versus first-class mail.“I am waving the flag in Minnesota that our service levels are not adequate,” said Craig, a Democrat who represents the 2nd Congressional District, a wide swath south of the Twin Cities inclu...