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Lindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhills
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full a dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Syrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor recalls confusion and chaos during Japanese bombing 83 years ago PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors are planning to return to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. They are each over 100 years old. They will join active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for a remembrance ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.Moreover, her self-assessment of not being suitable for scientific research reflects a deep understanding of her own strengths and weaknesses. Instead of following a traditional academic path, she has chosen to explore various job opportunities to find her true calling.
As the launch date draws nearer, developers across the gaming industry are keeping a watchful eye on the calendar to ensure that their own game releases do not coincide with that of "GTA 6". In an industry where competition for players' time and attention is fierce, a clash with such a highly anticipated title could spell disaster for a less established game.
Henry Siu The best way for Hong Kong to cope with US president-elect Donald Trump's expected technology restrictions against China is to integrate into national development, says Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong. Sun also said Hong Kong - which would be affected by restrictions on China - should enhance its infrastructure and leverage its advantage of being highly internationalized to ensure sustainable IT development. One such infrastructure, Sun added, is the city's section of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, which is projected to be a world-class research, academic and industry platform. Sun made his comments yesterday after the government promulgated a development outline on the Hong Kong park last week. "The Hetao area is less than four square kilometers and is not suitable for large-scale manufacturing. But it can integrate the advantages of Hong Kong and the mainland to create a world-class industry, academic and research [platform] and a cluster for pilot production and transformation," Sun said. "Two different socio-economic and judicial systems integrating in one place. If it is successfully established, it has to be a great practice and a successful example of one country, two systems. "I am confident that the park can be a crucial source of new quality productive forces for the country." Sun recalled his friends from Shanghai did not understand how developing the Northern Metropolis and Hetao zone benefits Hong Kong. "I told them today's Northern Metropolis is like Shanghai's Pudong district in the old days, and that the Hetao zone is similar to Pudong's Oriental Pearl Tower," Sun said. "They immediately understood that Hetao is an essential part of Hong Kong's future development." As for how to facilitate the flow of people, materials, capital and data between the two places, Sun said it depends on the place's arrangement. The current plan is to set up a whitelist system for Hong Kong visitors from Shenzhen, with preregistration to simplify customs clearance. Sun also said the occupancy rate of Science Park is at 95 percent and the government should continue to supply land for innovation purposes. He said the innovation sector in the city has been attracting funds from different places around the world and appealed to the sector to procure products from various markets instead of relying on a single market. Sun said Hong Kong must strive for more funds and understand the interaction between the introduction of funds and industrial development, while the government should also speed up the construction of an IT ecosystem to improve Hong Kong's attractiveness. The government has achieved good results in introducing enterprises to Hong Kong, especially targeting IT enterprises in the past two years. "I hope I will not only participate in the signing ceremony of introducing enterprises but also the groundbreaking ceremony," he said. henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.com