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For Cuban asylum seekers, options dwindle after Serbia slaps restrictions on visas to curb migration

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Fernando Almeyda Rodriguez and Remy Hernandez are two friends from Cuba, bound by a joint struggle for democracy in their country. But that comes at a price.The two men — Rodriguez is 31 and Hernandez 27 — were forced to flee Cuba in the aftermath of mass protests in 2021 to avoid persecution for their activism. An unlikely migration route brought them to Serbia — on the Balkan peninsula, at Europe’s southeastern edge — where they sought political asylum. Rodriguez and Hernandez chose Serbia because it was among the few countries in the world that did not require entry visas for Cubans. But Belgrade has since revoked the open travel regime, closing down a passage into Europe used by fleeing Cubans for decades.Serbia made the decision under pressure from the European Union, which it wants to join. Belgrade was also forced to impose visas for the citizens of countries such as Burundi, India or Tunisia which have become a source of migration into the 27-na...

Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They’re hoping it’s Japan’s #MeToo moment

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Kazuya Nakamura says he was 15 when one of the most powerful men in Japanese entertainment history forced him to have sex while he was part of a troupe of backup dancers managed by the legendary talent agent.At least a dozen other men have come forward this year to say they were sexually assaulted as teenagers by boy band impresario Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, beginning with three who spoke anonymously to the BBC for a documentary broadcast in March. The story has all the elements of a major #MeToo reckoning, but in Japan, response has been muted.While opposition politicians set up a committee in parliament to investigate, and the talent agency Kitagawa founded promised to do the same and offered a brief apology, the news still rarely makes the front pages or lead television news broadcasts.Kitagawa shrugged off similar allegations for decades. National media almost completely ignored the story, and Kitagawa’s business continued to thrive, even when a Tokyo appea...

Tourists are packing European hotspots. And Americans don’t mind the higher prices and crowds

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Tourists are waiting more than two hours to visit the Acropolis in Athens. Taxi lines at Rome’s main train station are running just as long. And so many visitors are concentrating around St. Mark’s Square in Venice that crowds get backed up crossing bridges — even on weekdays.After three years of pandemic limitations, tourism is expected to exceed 2019 records in some of Europe’s most popular destinations this summer, from Barcelona and Rome, Athens and Venice to the scenic islands of Santorini in Greece, Capri in Italy and Mallorca in Spain.While European tourists edged the industry toward recovery last year, the upswing this summer is led largely by Americans, boosted by a strong dollar and in some cases pandemic savings. Many arrive motivated by “revenge tourism” — so eager to explore again that they’re undaunted by higher airfares and hotel costs.Lauren Gonzalez, 25, landed in Rome this week with four high school and college friends for a 16-day romp t...

Qiankun in an alley: Weaving East and West in Hutong's cultural tapestry

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

This photo taken on 25 June 2023 shows the collection of ancient Chinese calligraphy displayed at Qiankun Space. (People's Daily Online/ Wu Chaolan)Nestled in the vibrant heart of downtown Beijing, a hidden shop waits to be discovered within narrow alleyways. Within its walls, a harmonious fusion of China's rich traditions and international creativity unfolds, inviting visitors to embark on a unique and boundary-transcending experience, writes Wu Chaolan, People's Daily Online.This captivating art boutique is aptly named Qiankun Space, derived from the Chinese phrase that depicts the concept of encompassing everything within its scope. True to its name, this hidden gem intricately weaves together vibrant threads of culture and creativity, capturing the very essence of cultural heritage while nurturing a lively international artistic dialogue.Threads of timesAs you step into Qiankun Space, you will be greeted by a tapestry of Chinese craftsmanship. From exquisite porcelain pieces to ...

Los Angeles face transplant recipient recovering after drunk driver crashes into him

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

A Los Angeles man who underwent a historic face transplant after suffering extensive burns in a 2013 crash is recovering well and happy for a second chance at life.Robert Chelsea, 68, was driving home from church in 2013 when his car overheated, so he pulled over on the side of the freeway. While waiting for roadside assistance, a drunk driver crashed into his car, causing it to explode on impact. Chelsea suffered third-degree burns on over 50% of his body as a result.He underwent an extensive 16-hour surgery in July 2019, which he said at the time, made him the oldest person and the first African American to get a face transplant.Robert Chelsea, a Los Angeles man who underwent a historic face transplant after suffering extensive burns in a 2013 crash is recovering thanks to the surgeries providing him with a second chance at life. (KTLA)Robert Chelsea in a personal photo.Robert Chelsea pictured before the crash in a family photo.Robert Chelsea, a Los Angeles man who underwent a his...

Reportan daños en viviendas tras paso de al menos cinco tornados por Illinois este miércoles

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

(CNN) — Hubo al menos cinco informes de posibles tornados en Illinois este miércoles según el Centro Nacional de Predicción de Tormentas Meteorológicas.Los informes estaban en los condados de Cook, DuPage, Kane y McHenry. El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional describe los tipos de daños informados a su oficina como árboles caídos, daños en el techo y el informe de daños en el almacén en el lado oeste del aeropuerto O’Hare en Chicago.En Elgin, Illinois, al menos 19 casas resultaron dañadas este miércoles por la noche, luego de que se reportó un tornado en el área, dijo la policía en una publicación de Facebook.Las intensas tormentas dejan inundadas las calles del noreste, obligan evacuaciones y cierran el centro de la capital de Vermont“Las sirenas de tornado se activaron esta noche a las 6:20 p.m. hora local. Poco después, el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia de la Ciudad recibió informes de un tornado en la subdivisión de Edgewater (Del Webb) en Bowes y Randall Roa...

La superestrella de Los Ángeles Lakers, LeBron James, anuncia su regreso para la temporada 21 de la NBA

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

(CNN) — Luego de la derrota en las finales de la Conferencia Oeste de Los Ángeles Lakers ante los Denver Nuggets en mayo, LeBron James insinuó un posible retiro después de decirle a los periodistas que tenía “mucho en qué pensar”.Este miércoles, durante la entrega de los premios ESPYS 2023, el máximo anotador de todos los tiempos de la NBA anunció que regresaría a los Lakers para su temporada número 21 en la Asociación Nacional de Baloncesto (NBA).“No me importa cuántos puntos más anote o lo que pueda o no pueda hacer en la cancha. La verdadera pregunta para mí es: ¿puedo jugar sin hacer trampa en este juego? El día que no pueda dar el juego todo en el piso es el día en que terminaré. Por suerte para ustedes, el día no es hoy “, dijo James.LeBron James se plantea el retiro de las canchas tras la derrota de los Lakers de Los Ángeles frente a los Nuggets de Denver: “Tengo mucho que pensar”La multitud en el Dolby Theatre de Los Ángeles estalló ...

Google rolls out AI chatbot Bard in EU

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

Google is rolling out its artificial intelligence chatbot Bard in European Union Thursday, it announced, after resolving concerns raised by the bloc’s key privacy regulator, the Irish Data Protection Commission.The U.S. technology giant in June delayed the release of its competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT after the Irish regulator said the company had given insufficient information about how its tool respected the EU’s privacy rules, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Irish watchdog is Google’s main data regulator in the EU because the U.S. firm has its European headquarters there.“Google have made a number of changes in advance of [the] launch, in particular increased transparency and changes to controls for users,” the Irish regulator’s deputy commissioner and spokesperson Graham Doyle told POLITICO in a statement ahead of the announcement.Google’s Senior Product Director Jack Krawczyk told reporters ahead of the launch th...

Ukraine repels large Russian missile and drone attack that injures civilians in Kyiv

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine air defenses shot down 20 Iranian-made drones fired by Russia mostly at the Kyiv region Thursday night, but wreckage fell on four districts of the capital, wounding two people and destroying several homes, officials said.The latest barrage by the Kremlin’s forces began shortly after midnight, and explosions shook different parts of the city. Two people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, authorities said.In the capital, rescuers extinguished a fire in a 16-story building, as well as in a non-residential building, the Interior Ministry said. Debris also damaged the frontage of a 25-story apartment building, it said.Russian strikes have become a grim part of everyday life in Ukraine over the almost 17 months of the war. Volodymyr Motus, a 22-year-old resident of the 25-story building, carefully picked his way across the floor a destroyed apartment, his footsteps accompanied by the sound of shattered glass. The mangled furniture was coated in a th...

Climate activists protest at 2 German airports, causing numerous flight cancelations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:48:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Climate activists protested at two German airports early Thursday, causing numerous flights to be canceled during the peak holiday travel period.The group Last Generation said several of its members entered the grounds of Hamburg airport around 6 a.m. and glued themselves to the runway. Thursday is the first day of school vacation in the northern state.“It can’t yet be predicted when operations can resume,” the airport operators said. “According to current information about a dozen flights have had to be canceled. Further cancelations and diversions aren’t ruled out.”Members of the group also cut through a security fence at Duesseldorf airport, in the west of the country, and blocked an access route to the runway.Last Generation is known for its disruptive protests, blocking roads and airports to demand tougher government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. German prosecutors raided the homes of several of the group’s members in May on su...