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‘Like Duke giving up basketball’: This Bay Area district has dominated the high school Japan Bowl for years. Now, its vaunted program may be getting the ax

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

Until the moment she stepped on the stage, Maya Swaminathan felt nauseous.The 17-year-old had been preparing for months to represent San Jose’s Lynbrook High School in April at The Japan Bowl, a high-pressure national competition where hundreds of gifted students spar over Japanese language, culture and history.She and her classmates coached each other on the flight from the Bay Area to D.C., then crammed into a hotel room to drill each other past midnight on all things Japanese. What is the name of the traditional square cloth used for wrapping gifts? (Furoshiki) Which city hosted the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Japan? (Sapporo) What Japanese products are these regions — Shizuoka, Hokkaido and Niigata — known for producing? (Rice, tea and dairy)Reproductions of historical Japanese art pieces are on display in the class of Lynbrook High School Japanese language teacher Jeremy Kitchen on in San Jose. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Even though it was Maya’s t...

Women’s World Cup Guide: How to watch, schedule and betting favorites

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at this year’s Women’s World Cup. It won’t be easy for the No. 1 team in the world.Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the quadrennial tournament for international soccer’s most coveted trophy kicks off July 20 and features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24. There are 64 matches during the tournament.That means more competition for the two-time defending World Cup champion U.S., which won the 2015 event in Canada and the 2019 tournament in France. The Americans have won four titles overall, most of any nation.WHAT’S THE WORLD CUP SCHEDULE AND WHERE IS IT LOCATED?The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams each. Each team plays a three-game, round-robin group stage, running from July 20 to Aug. 3.The top finishers advance to the round of 16 from Aug. 5-8. The quarterfinals are set for Aug. 11-12 and the two semifinal matches will be played Aug. 15-16. A third-place game ...

Carnival: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — MIAMI (AP) — Carnival Corp. (CCL) on Monday reported a loss of $407 million in its fiscal second quarter.The Miami-based company said it had a loss of 32 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 31 cents per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 33 cents per share.The cruise operator posted revenue of $4.91 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $4.81 billion.For the current quarter ending in August, Carnival expects its per-share earnings to range from 70 cents to 77 cents.The company expects full-year results to range from a loss of 20 cents per share to a loss of 8 cents per share.Carnival shares have climbed 96% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P’s 500 index has increased 13%. The stock has climbed 46% in the last 12 months._____This story was generated by ...

Australia dismisses England before lunch to take lead in women’s Ashes series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — England’s five remaining wickets fell on the final morning of the one-off women’s Ashes test and Australia seized the advantage in the multi-format series with an 89-run victory on Monday.England resumed its second innings on 116-5 in pursuit of a winning target of 268 on the last day at Trent Bridge. England collapsed to 178 all out despite 54 from Danni Wyatt.Off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner’s 8-66 in 20 overs saw her walk away with a 12-wicket haul as Australia collected four points ahead of the one-day internationals and Twenty20 games.England will have to win five of the six white-ball contests against the ODI and T20 world champions to retrieve the urn for the first time since 2015.Australia scored 473 in its first innings with Annabel Sutherland 137 not out. Tammy Beaumont (208) hit England women’s first double test century in reply.England had looked in control after dismissing Australia’s second innings for 257 and reaching 55-...

NATO chief makes last-ditch bid to bring Sweden into the fold before next month’s summit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that he will call an urgent meeting in the coming days to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden joining the military organization. It’s a last-ditch effort to have the Nordic country standing alongside the allies at a major summit next month.NATO requires the unanimous approval of all members to expand. Turkey accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt.Stoltenberg said he has held fresh talks on Sweden’s candidacy with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as senior officials from Sweden and neighboring Finland, which became the 31st member of the world’s biggest security organization in April.“We agreed to convene a high-level meeting in Brussels before the summit” in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius beginning July 11, Stoltenberg told reporters. “The aim is to make...

Israeli media say Israeli officials approved plans to build over 5,000 new homes in West Bank settlements

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli media say Israeli officials approved plans to build over 5,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.Source

Craig Brown, Scotland’s longest serving national team coach, dies at 82

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

ABERDEEN, Scotland (AP) — Craig Brown, Scotland’s longest serving national team coach, has died. He was 82.Brown’s death was announced Monday by Aberdeen, where he was a former manager, director and club ambassador.“A dear friend to us all, Craig will be sorely missed and our love and condolences are with his family at this terribly sad time,” the club said.Brown was the last coach to lead Scotland to a World Cup in 1998. He was in charge of the team from 1993-2001. He also led Scotland to the European Championship in 1996.He went on to manage Preston, Motherwell and Aberdeen, where he ended his career in 2013. He was then invited to join the board.“Craig was a friend to all of us at the club, and a mentor and confidante to many,” Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack said. “He was one of those rare individuals who was not only effective at what he did but universally loved by all who got to know him.”As a player, Brown won the Scottish league title with Dundee in 1...

¿Qué es la “nieve de sandía”? El fenómeno que tiñe de rosa y rojo las montañas de Utah

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

(CNN) — Los habitantes de Utah han estado viendo nieve en el suelo teñida de rojo y rosa.Es muy bonito a la vista, pero ¿qué hay detrás de este fenómeno natural apodado “nieve de sandía”?Los expertos afirman que se trata de un fenómeno normal que aparece en zonas montañosas de todo el mundo.Aunque no lo sospeches por los colores de la nieve, es el resultado de la floración de algas verdes que prosperan en ambientes fríos y nevados, según Scott Hotaling, profesor adjunto del Departamento de Ciencias de las Cuencas Hidrográficas de la Universidad Estatal de Utah.La especie de alga causante de la colorida nieve de Utah se llama Chlamydomonas nivalis.Hotaling dijo que, aunque la nieve en Utah ha aparecido roja —el color más común del fenómeno—, hay tipos de algas que viven en el hielo y la nieve que pueden convertir la precipitación helada, normalmente blanca, en todo tipo de colores, incluidos el púrpura, el verde y el naranja.“Normalmente, (las algas) se encuen...

Closing arguments set in trial of Florida deputy accused of failing to stop Parkland school shooter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in the trial of a former Florida sheriff’s deputy accused of failing to confront the shooter who murdered 14 students and three staff members at a Parkland high school five years ago.Prosecutors and the attorney for Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson spent his trial contesting what he heard, saw and knew during the six-minute attack inside a three-story classroom building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.https://www.youtube.com/live/DrE-7zYL8mA?feature=sharePeterson, 60, is charged with felony child neglect and other charges for his alleged failure to confront former student Nikolas Cruz before the gunman reached the 1200 building’s third floor, where six of the victims died. Peterson is not charged in connection with the deaths of 11 people killed on the first floor before he reached the building. It is the first time a U.S. law enforcement officer h...

Deadline Approaching for Broward County Residents to Apply for Federal Assistance Following Severe Storms and Flooding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

Broward County residents who were affected by severe storms and flooding in April are reminded to act quickly as the deadline to apply for federal assistance is June 27.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stands ready to offer aid in the form of rental assistance or covering other disaster-related expenses. Homeowners who were affected may also receive support from FEMA for essential home repairs that are not covered by insurance.To seek assistance, Broward County homeowners and renters have several options. They can call 800-621-3362, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, access the FEMA website, or utilize the FEMA App.A Disaster Recovery Center is currently in operation at Hortt Park in Fort Lauderdale, available until Thursday, June 29. The center’s hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday.Furthermore, individuals seeking aid are reminded that the deadline to submit a disaster loan application to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) ...