Relax and recharge in Redondo Beach: Four Hours
A sign outside a store in Riviera Village reads: “To live in Manhattan Beach, you have to be rich. “To live in Hermosa Beach, you have to be young. “To live in Redondo Beach, you have to be lucky.” Who can argue on a day like this, sunny and 69 degrees in November? This beachside…
Israel says it has completed Gaza airstrikes
GAZA CITY — Israel said early Friday it has completed a series of airstrikes on targets linked to the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza after overnight rocket fire rattled a day-old truce. The Palestinian territory’s Hamas rulers, who kept to the sidelines of this week’s fighting, canceled the weekly protests they organize along the perimeter…
Hong Kong protesters issue demands, begin leaving university
TOKYO — Many of the protesters who had barricaded themselves in a Hong Kong university this week began to leave Friday after temporarily clearing a road they had blocked and demanding that the government commit to going ahead with local elections on Nov. 24. It wasn’t immediately clear why the protesters at the Chinese University of…
Trump releases summary transcript of April call with Ukraine's president
President Trump on Friday released the summary transcript of an April congratulatory call to Ukraine’s then-President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky. It is the latest salvo in the White House struggle to blunt Democrats’ contention that Trump abused the power of the presidency. The focus of the Democratic-led House impeachment inquiry has been on another call between Trump…
Thousands Mobilize in France Against 'Headlong Rush into Authoritarianism'
Thousands of people in Paris and other French cities hit the streets on Saturday to protest the controversial state of emergency that one organization says is an indication of a “headlong rush into authoritarianism.” The measure, imposed following the November attacks in Paris, is set to expire February 26. Debate in the bicameral parliament is…
Raikkonen admits season isn’t unfolding ‘according to plan’
A candid Kimi Raikkonen admits that Alfa Romeo’s season has so far fallen short of expectations, with the Swiss outfit sitting just ahead of Williams in the constructors’ standings. Raikkonen delivered points to Alfa in the first four races of 2019, but the Finn was nowhere near scoring a top-ten finish in Barcelona and Monaco.…
A Cemetery of Life Vests But Not Lives
Unlike islands elsewhere, Lesbos discards thousands of life vests every day. They litter its eastern and northern shores, coloring the beaches or floating aimlessly on the azure waters. For months now, they have been routinely collected by municipal workers and volunteers and unceremoniously discarded in a municipal dumpsite near the town of Molyvos. Each life…
'Morally Horrible' Law Lets Denmark Take Refugees' Valuables in Exchange for Asylum
The Danish Parliament on Tuesday approved a controversial law which allows authorities to seize money and valuables from refugees, as well as delay family reunification—treatment which critics decry as “morally horrible” against those fleeing war and other violence. “The bill presented by the center-right minority government of prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen was approved by…
David Bowie, Media Critic
It’s hard to think of an artist who has used the media as part of their art more than David Bowie did. To me the classic example is 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars: As an obscure singer/songwriter, Bowie wrote and recorded an album about an obscure singer/songwriter…
Daniel Radcliffe Says He’s Willing to Return as Harry Potter (One Day)!
Daniel Radcliffe learned to say all manner of magical phrases during his time as Harry Potter, but he’s now picked up an even more important one: never say never. Speaking in an interview with the Radio Times, Radcliffe, 26, said if the conditions were right he could one day return to Hogwarts and the role…