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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed Greek-Turkish relations, the New Democracy party, and the electoral law for 2027, speaking on the second day of the “50 Years of Greek Foreign Policy” conference hosted by the Greek newspaper To Vima. Mitsotakis described Turkey’s stance as “revisionist” and noted efforts to address core disputes over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf. However, he emphasized that he sees “no prospect” for meaningful dialogue at this time. Citing past tensions, such as the Turkey-Libya memorandum of understanding and the 2020 crisis in the Aegean, he highlighted Greece’s steadfastness and the need for measured diplomacy. “We can agree to disagree in a civilized manner, avoiding unnecessary tensions,” he said during a conversation with journalist Giannis Pretenteris. Mitsotakis reflected on Greece’s progress in recent years, stating that “today, Greece is economically and geopolitically stronger, has strengthened its alliances and is shaping the future agenda.” He defended Greece’s support for Ukraine against Russia, despite its initial unpopularity domestically and urged Europe to take its defense more seriously. Mitsotakis underlined Greece’s role in Middle East developments, particularly in Syria, citing geographic proximity, cultural ties and the country’s frontline position in migration challenges. He confirmed the same electoral system would apply in 2027 and expressed optimism about securing 180 parliamentary votes for constitutional revisions, stressing the need for political consensus. Mitsotakis highlighted New Democracy’s evolution under his leadership, staying true to its founding principles while adapting to modern challenges. Despite wear and tear, he noted the party’s strong parliamentary majority and lead in opinion polls. Regarding the presidential election, Mitsotakis maintained that decisions would be announced as per constitutional timelines in early 2024.For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityDick Vitale shares big news about his health
Lebawit Lily Girma | (TNS) Bloomberg News When winter rolls around, travelers predictably turn their attention to beaches. And this year, it’s the destination that comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” that’s experiencing outsize demand from Americans planning a warm island vacation. Talk about trashing stereotypes. Puerto Rico has recovered overseas visitors (excluding those from Canada and Mexico) faster than any U.S. state or territory — a staggering 85% increase over its 2019 overseas inbound visitor levels as of 2023, according to an October study from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office. There are now more daily flights from the U.S. West Coast, and hotel bookings are 6% higher so far in this last quarter of 2024 year-over-year. It’s a trifecta of tourism growth: more visitors, but also longer stays and a higher spend that reached a record $9.8 billion in 2023, boosting small businesses as well as major brands. “We don’t have a slow season in Puerto Rico anymore,” says Brad Dean, chief executive officer at Discover Puerto Rico. Even if they’re not booking, people are dreaming about “La Isla.” By tracking flight searches for trips between November 2024 and February 2025, a measure of “inspirational” demand, tourism intelligence company Mabrian Technologies reports Puerto Rico is up 9% compared with the same period last year and leads Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas in the Caribbean proper. Only Costa Rica ranked higher in the wider region. Dean attributes Puerto Rico’s ongoing tourism growth to a strategic effort to reposition the island’s brand as more than a sun-and-sea destination, starting back in 2018. That led to the Live Boricua campaign, which began in 2022 and leaned heavily on culture, history and cuisine and was, Dean says, “a pretty bold departure” in the way Puerto Rico was showcased to travelers. He adds that at least $2 billion in tourism spend is linked to this campaign. “We (also) haven’t shied away from actively embracing the LGBTQ+ community, and that has opened up Puerto Rico to audiences that may not have considered the Caribbean before,” Dean says. Hotels are preparing to meet this growing demand: A number of established boutique properties are undergoing upgrades valued between $4 million and more than $50 million, including Hotel El Convento; La Concha, which will join the Marriott Autograph Collection; Condado Vanderbilt Hotel; and the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. That’s in addition to ultra-chic options that are coming online in 2025, including the adults-only Alma San Juan, with rooms overlooking Plaza Colón in the heart of Old San Juan, and the five-star Veranó boutique hotel in San Juan’s trendy Santurce neighborhood. The beachfront Ritz-Carlton San Juan in Isla Verde will also be reopening seven years after Hurricane Maria decimated the island. The travel industry’s success is helping boost employment on the island, to the tune of 101,000 leisure and hospitality jobs as of September 2024, a 26% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to promote Puerto Rico’s provinces beyond the San Juan metro area — such as surfing hub Rincón on the west coast, historical Ponce on the south coast and Orocovis for nature and coffee haciendas in the central mountains —have spread the demand to small businesses previously ignored by the travel industry. Take Sheila Osorio, who leads workshops on Afro-Puerto Rican bomba music and dance at Taller Nzambi, in the town of Loíza, 15 miles east of San Juan; or Wanda Otero, founder of cheese-producing company Vaca Negra in Hatillo, an hour’s drive west of Old San Juan, where you can join a cheese-making workshop and indulge in artisanal cheese tastings. “The list of businesses involved in tourism has gone from 650 in 2018 to 6,100, many of which are artists and artisans,” Dean says. While New Yorkers and Miami residents have always been the largest visitor demographic, Dean says more mainland Americans now realize that going to Puerto Rico means passport-free travel to enjoy beaches, as well as opportunities to dine in Michelin-rated restaurants, hike the only rainforest in the U.S. and kayak in a bioluminescent bay. Visitors from Chicago and Dallas, for example, have increased by approximately 40% from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2022-2023, and more travelers are expected from Denver now that United Airlines Holdings Inc. has kicked off its first nonstop service to San Juan, beginning on Oct. 29. Previously, beach destinations that were easy to reach on direct flights from Denver included Mexico, Belize and California, but now Puerto Rico joins that list with a 5.5-hour nonstop route that cuts more than two hours from the next-best option. Given United Airlines’ hub in San Francisco, it could mean more travelers from the Golden State in the near future, too. In December, U.S. airlines will have 3,000 more seats per day to the territory compared with the same period last year, for a total of 84,731 — surpassing even Mexico and the Dominican Republic in air capacity, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the island’s primary gateway, is projecting a record volume of 13 million passengers by year’s end — far surpassing the 9.4 million it saw in 2019. As for Hinchcliffe’s “floating island of garbage” line, Dean says it was “a terribly insensitive attempt at humor” that transformed outrage into a marketing silver lining, with an outpouring of positive public sentiment and content on Puerto Rico all over social media. Success, as that old chestnut goes, may be the best revenge. “It was probably the most efficient influencer campaign we’ve ever had,” Dean says, “a groundswell of visitors who posted their photos and videos and said, ‘This is the Puerto Rico that I know.’” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Supermarket giant Morrisons is already selling Easter eggs - and it is not even New Year's Eve yet. One shopper has this week snapped Easter eggs on the shelves of Leek Morrisons. It comes as Easter falls even later in 2025. It is not Easter Sunday until April 20, 2025. Now Morrisons shoppers have expressed their dismay at the latest addition to the supermarket shelves. One Morrisons shopper said: "Morrisons very much nailing the spirit of Christmas by launching their Easter eggs on Boxing Day. As one customer muttered on the way past, 'their brains aren't wired properly'." Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it’s FREE
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Emboldened by his victory in the U.S. presidential polls, Donald Trump has drummed up his rhetoric of belligerence by announcing plans to annex Canada and Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal. While the U.S. has not historically shied away from coveting the two northern territories, threatening to renege on a deal that ceded Washington’s control of the canal to Panama has been strictly the brainchild of the President-elect. Panama Canal is an 82-km-long strategic waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It helps ships do away with the need to go around the South American tip of Cape Horn, saving 13,000 km and days of journey. Consequently, the canal facilitates the passage of over 14,000 ships a year. The 78-year-old Republican first spelt out his plans for the canal during a speech at a Conservative event in Arizona and subsequently on his social media platform Truth Social. “We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else,” he said, referring to the increased shipping rates, while speaking at AmericaFest on Sunday (December 22). “It was given to Panama and the people of Panama, but it has provisions. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question.” Mr. Trump also warned of said while of warning about the growing “Chinese influence” in the region. Later, Mr. Trump posted a photo on Truth Social of the U.S. flag flying over the narrow waterway in the Isthmus of Panama. The caption read “Welcome to the United States Canal”. In its response, the Central American nation said, “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging (to Panama).” The country’s President Jose Raul Mulino decried Chinese presence and stated that shipping rates were not set on a whim. Mr. Trump’s remarks also angered the Panamanians who took to the U.S. embassy calling out “Trump, animal, leave the canal alone” and burning his image. Mr. Trump’s grief in the matter is understandable for the U.S., whose ships constitute 74% of the traffic in the canal, is its biggest benefactor, followed by China at 21%. If not for the canal, ships traversing the east and west coasts of the U.S. would have to undertake an additional 22 days of voyage. In historical context, The canal also came to the aid of the Allies during the Second World War. What began as a French project in 1880 under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had built the Suez Canal, soon fell apart due to unforeseen difficulties. Americans stepped in to complete the canal but Colombia, which ruled over Panama, did not favour the idea. By orchestrating independence from Colombia, then U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt secured a deal whereby Panama gave his country control over a 16-km wide strip of land to build the canal in exchange for monetary compensation. Lock technology The canal entered into operation in 1914. By using a technology comprising a series of locks, it revolutionised shipping. However, a dispute over the ownership and administration soon broke out between the U.S. and Panama, which eventually led to a direct clash in 1964 costing the lives of 28 people. In 1977, then President Jimmy Carter (despite opposition from the Senate) and Panama’s military leader Omar Torrijos signed two treaties — the Permanent Neutrality Treaty and the Panama Canal treaty that saw the U.S. hand over the control of the canal to Panama in 1999. The former agreement grants the U.S. the authority to ensure the canal remains free and open without giving it the power to interfere in Panama. The latter ensured that Washington transferred the canal to Panama by December 31, 1999. Since 2000, Panama has overseen the administration of the canal. However, the region, one of the wettest until recently, experienced a rainfall deficit in 2022. Gatun Lake, which provides the 200 million litres of water needed for each ship to transit the canal, experienced a drop in water levels, prompting authorities to increase shipping charges starting in 2025. Mr. Trump has objected to this. His allegation of Chinese influence pertains to the Hong Kong-based company C.K. Hutchison Holdings, which manages two of the five ports in the region — one on each side of the canal. Bolstering his claim further was Panama’s 2017 decision to cut ties with Taiwan. Growing tensions between the U.S. and Panama might not align with Mr. Trump’s top policy priorities such as stopping illegal migration from South America, warn experts. Published - December 29, 2024 01:42 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit USA / The Hindu Explains / The Hindu Profiles
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A recent LendingTree study uncovered some bad news for people behind the wheel in Massachusetts. The state was found to have the worst drivers in America, the site reported on December 2: From Nov. 5, 2023, through Nov. 4, 2024, Massachusetts drivers had 61.1 incidents (accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations) per 1,000 drivers. The next worst drivers are in Rhode Island (60.6) and California (55.0). ... Massachusetts also has the highest accident rate. Massachusetts — 44.4 accidents per 1,000 drivers — is the only state above 40.0. Rhode Island and California tie for second at 39.7 each. In January, CBS Boston reported Massachusetts was among one of the worst places to drive in America, citing a Wallethub survey that ranked states based on the cost for car maintenance, traffic, and infrastructure. Massachusetts ranked 45 out of 50, a reporter for the outlet said: CBS Boston did an in-depth report in 2019 about how the state’s driving test is apparently one of the toughest in the nation. “Massachusetts’ road test is one of the most difficult ones. They’re very, very strict,” the co-owner of a local driving school said: In May 2016, Breitbart News reported that a survey of more than 65,000 Instagram posts found that the number one road rage city in America is Los Angeles, California: Researchers found a whopping 5,183 Instagram users in the Los Angeles area who had used the hashtag #RoadRage. New York City came in second place, just ahead of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. According to Auto Insurance Center’s data, social media users experience #RoadRage the most during the month of August. The summer months typically see more cars on the road, as family vacations and road trips are at peak levels. July is the second-most ferocious month for American drivers, followed by October and March, which tied for third place. It is important to highlight that the recent LendingTree study said, “One good thing for Massachusetts is its speeding-related incident rate. At a rate of just 1.3, it ties with New Jersey for the fifth-lowest speeding-related incident rate.”2 Stocks Down 40% and 72% to Buy Right Now
Madera Child Hit By Car in School Zone Gifted Bicycle by CHP, Local SupporterDELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A high-speed passenger train collided with a fire truck at a crossing Saturday morning in Florida, injuring three firefighters and at least a dozen train passengers, authorities said. The crash happened at 10:45 a.m. in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, . The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 — giving the railroad the worst death rate in the nation. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths. has been a concern since a Norfolk Southern in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals that caught fire. Regulators urged the industry to improve safety and members of Congress proposed a package of reforms, but railroads have not made many major changes to their operations and the bill has stalled. Earlier this month the two operators of a Union Pacific train were killed after with a semitrailer truck that was blocking a crossing in the small West Texas town of Pecos. Three other people were injured, and the local Chamber of Commerce building was damaged. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Julie Walker in New York contributed. The Associated Press
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