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Mystery travel lets you focus on the fun, not the details

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

By Sam Kemmis | NerdWalletTravel planning can be a real chore. Booking flights, deciding on the right hotel and building an itinerary might be fun for some, but others dread it. That’s why some travelers are opting for an unorthodox travel strategy that eliminates the planning stage altogether. It’s called “mystery” or “suprise” travel, and the destination isn’t revealed until the day of departure.This idea isn’t new. Some friend groups plan regular mystery travel vacations, with one person or family planning and booking the itinerary for everyone else.Lanie van der Horst, a travel blogger, asked her husband to plan a trip. He decided to keep the destination — Byron Bay, Australia — a secret.“I literally cried when he told me that he had a trip planned that I didn’t have to think about,” van der Horst says.Let a travel company plan your tripAs these surprise trips have become more popular, travel booking companies have begun offering them. Customers pay a flat fee for the trip...

US, Japan and South Korea open summit to bolster security over objections of Beijing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden opened a historic summit with Japan and South Korea at Camp David on Friday focused on strengthening security and economic ties at a time of increasing concerns about North Korea’s persistent nuclear threats and China’s provocations in the Pacific.“Our countries are stronger and the world will be safer as we stand together. And I know this is a belief that all three share,” Biden declared at the start of the meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the presidential retreat in Maryland. Addressing his fellow leaders at what he called the first standalone summit of the three nations, the American president said, “I want to thank you both for your political courage that brought you here.”Yoon said as the three appeared before reporters that “today will be remembered as a historic day, where we established a firm institutional basis and commitments to the trilateral partnership.”...

Some issues remain as Kentucky school district restarts classes after busing fiasco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s largest school district restarted classes for some students Friday after a bus transportation debacle forced officials to cancel school last week. Jefferson County Schools, a public district with more than 90,000 students, drew up new bus routes and staggered school start times under a new plan that officials hoped would alleviate issues caused by driver shortages.Instead, it led to a shutdown of schools for more than a week. Officials decided to return elementary and middle school students Friday and high school students Monday.District officials apologized to outraged parents after the bus disruptions and pledged to add resources to help with delays. Media reports around the city Friday morning indicated fewer transportation issues than on the first day of school Aug. 9. School officials adjusted some stops and gave bus drivers with complicated routes a ride-along person to help with navigation. Officials also were using an app that shows wh...

Chess chiefs ask why it’s still mostly a man’s game. Culture, but hormones and endurance too?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — A top global chess official on Friday called for more research into whether factors such as hormone levels and physical endurance might have an impact on players’ abilities at the game, which has traditionally been and remains dominated by men.The world chess federation FIDE stirred controversy with its decision, announced this week and set to take effect Monday, to prohibit transgender women from its official events for women until the federation makes an assessment of the issue. Critics have derided what they call an unnecessary and “discriminatory policy” that appears to foster “trans panic,” with one former British women’s champion calling for the world federation to reverse its decision.Dana Reizniece-Ozola, the deputy chair of the federation’s management board, insisted that the goal of the new regulations was “actually to increase the rights of the transgender persons and allow them being registered under their new gender” in its official direc...

Shortage of diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic expected in Canada: manufacturer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

A shortage of diabetes drug Ozempic that is used off-label for weight loss is expected in Canada, the manufacturer says. Novo Nordisk says it is experiencing a temporary supply disruption with the Ozempic 1 mg injection pen. It says the shortage is due to a combination of global supply constraints and increased demand for the drug.Health Canada says intermittent shortages are expected from late August to early October.Both Health Canada and Novo Nordisk say the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses of Ozempic remain available for patients with Type 2 diabetes.  They say pharmacists are encouraged to limit refill prescriptions to a 30-day supply.  This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2023.Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this contentNicole Ireland, The Canadian Press

Home prices post second-biggest monthly jump since 2006: Teranet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

TORONTO — Home prices posted the second-highest increase ever recorded in a single month after the one observed in July 2006, according to the latest Teranet-National Bank composite index.The index for July was up 2.4 per cent from June, after seasonal adjustments, and marked the fourth consecutive monthly rise.After declining from a peak in April 2022 as the higher rate environment sidelined some buyers, recent rises in the home price composite index have erased some of this correction, the report said. “The deep declines that we saw through 2022 are largely being unwound,” said Douglas Porter, the Bank of Montreal’s chief economist. The Teranet-National Bank index tends to lag other housing market measures in part because it’s more detailed, he noted.Other measures are starting to show some softening in the market over the summer, and Porter thinks that softening will begin to show up in this index going forward as well.“I think what we’re going...

Tilray takes full ownership of Truss Beverage from Molson Coors Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

Cannabis company Tilray Brands Inc. is taking on full ownership of the pot drinks company it ran with Molson Coors Canada.The Leamington, Ont.-based pot firm said Friday that it had signed a deal to acquire the remaining 57.5 per cent of Truss, which is behind the XMG, Little Victory, Mollo, Veryvell, House of Terpenes and Bedfellows Liquid Arts brands.The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, but Molson Coors indicated it was willing to relinquish its stake because of the state of the market.“The cannabis beverage market hasn’t grown to the industry’s initial expectations, so we decided to sell our portion of the Truss,” said Adam Collins, the brewer’s chief communications officer, in a statement.However, Blair MacNeil, Tilray’s president, saw Truss as a way for his company to bolster its “stable of high-growth brands” and said the acquisition “further strengthens” its position in the Canadian market.“We are excited to bui...

What to stream this weekend: ‘Monkey King,’ Stand Up to Cancer, ‘No Hard Feelings,’ Madden NFL 24

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

Jennifer Lawrence’s R-rated comedy “No Hard Feelings” and the more family friendly animated movie “The Monkey King” from director Stephen Chow are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near youAmong the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are a Harlan Coben TV adaptation with a young protagonist, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier’s third studio album and sweet Marcie, the introverted member of the “Peanuts” gang gets a special, “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie.”NEW MOVIES TO STREAM— Parents looking for fresh animated offerings should rejoice that Netflix has a new film from Stephen Chow, the actor and producer known for “Kung Fu Hustle” and “Shaolin Soccer,” in “The Monkey King” streaming Friday. Jimmy O. Yang of “Silicon Valley” and “Crazy Rich Asians” voices said Monkey King, born from a stone with magical powers and a big ego and who is on a quest for immortality. A young human girl (Joli...

3 of 5 former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death want separate trials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Friday set a September court hearing to discuss requests by three of five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols to face separate trials.Lawyers for Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith have filed motions asking Judge James Jones Jr. to grant them separate trials on second-degree murder and other charges in the violent beating and death of Nichols in January.The three officers, plus former colleagues Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin, have pleaded not guilty to charges connected with Nichols’ beating, which was captured on police video and intensified discussions about police brutality in Memphis and across the country.If the judge grants all the severance requests, there could be four trials for the officers, who have been fired for violations of Memphis Police Department policies in connection with Nichols’ beating and death.Nichols was stopped by police on Jan. 7 for an alleged traffic v...

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a fierce DeSantis critic, claims he’s qualified for presidential debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:07:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez claimed on Friday that he has qualified for next week’s Republican presidential debate and would become the ninth White House hopeful to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the opening face-off of the 2024 campaign.But senior advisers with the Republican National Committee who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions said later that Suarez had not yet officially met the criteria.Suarez, 45 and the only Hispanic in the field, would be perhaps the least-known Republican on the stage Wednesday in Milwaukee. But with an audience expected of more than 10 million viewers, he said the debate will give him equal footing to contrast his personality against his higher-profile opponents. He argued that he is uniquely positioned to help the Republican Party reach out to Hispanic and younger voters in particular. “Oftentimes, it’s not policy because we agree, by and large about policy, ri...