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AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong’s colorful Bun Festival returns after COVID-19 cancellations

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s colorful Bun Festival is back after three years of COVID-19 restrictions.Visitors packed the tiny island of Cheung Chau to watch children parade in costumes and to eat buns stamped with the Chinese characters for “peace” and “safety.”The festival’s highlight is a midnight “bun-scrambling” competition in which climbers race up a tower covered with plastic buns, trying to grab as many as possible. It was suspended for decades after an accident in 1978 when a collapse injured many, and only restarted in 2005.After COVID-19, the bun scramble has returned, but for this year, it’s limited to one smaller tower.The festival’s comeback is a sign that normal life is returning to Hong Kong after its tight pandemic restrictions. During the parade, children dressed as legendary deities or historic characters are carried on stands above the heads of the crowd through the island’s narrow lanes.This year, some wore firefighter costumes to pay tri...

Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (24-27, fourth in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (31-20, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Zack Wheeler (3-4, 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 64 strikeouts); Braves: Charlie Morton (5-4, 3.61 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 54 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -138, Phillies +117; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.Atlanta has a 31-20 record overall and a 14-13 record at home. The Braves have gone 25-2 in games when they scored at least five runs.Philadelphia is 10-17 on the road and 24-27 overall. The Phillies have a 16-3 record in games when they scored at least five runs.The matchup Saturday is the third meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Ronald Acuna Jr. has 15 doubles and 11 home runs for the Braves. Marcell Ozuna is 15-for-36 with two doubles and four home runs over the last 10 games.Alec Bohm has nine doubles and six home runs for the Phil...

Bailey leads Giants against the Brewers after 4-hit outing

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

San Francisco Giants (26-25, third in the NL West) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (27-24, first in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Logan Webb (3-5, 3.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 65 strikeouts); Brewers: Corbin Burnes (4-4, 3.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 51 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -117, Giants -102; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants play the Milwaukee Brewers after Patrick Bailey’s four-hit game on Friday.Milwaukee is 27-24 overall and 15-11 at home. The Brewers have an 11-3 record in games when they did not allow a home run.San Francisco is 26-25 overall and 11-14 on the road. The Giants rank sixth in MLB play with 71 total home runs, averaging 1.4 per game.The matchup Saturday is the sixth meeting between these teams this season. The Giants have a 4-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Yelich has seven home runs, 19 walks and 24 RBI while hitting .257 for the Brewers. Owen Miller is 13-...

Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs play in game 2 of series

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Cincinnati Reds (22-29, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (22-28, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Brandon Williamson (0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, nine strikeouts); Cubs: Jameson Taillon (0-3, 7.76 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 27 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -169, Reds +144; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds play the Chicago Cubs leading the series 1-0.Chicago is 22-28 overall and 13-13 in home games. The Cubs have the 10th-best team slugging percentage in MLB play at .420.Cincinnati has a 22-29 record overall and an 8-15 record in road games. The Reds are 18-5 in games when they scored at least five runs.Saturday’s game is the fourth meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hoerner has eight doubles, a triple and three home runs for the Cubs. Seiya Suzuki is 13-for-36 with two doubles and five home runs over the past 10 games.Spencer Steer leads Cincinnati with six home runs w...

Mets meet the Rockies with 1-0 series lead

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

New York Mets (27-25, second in the NL East) vs. Colorado Rockies (22-30, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Saturday, 9:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Mets: Justin Verlander (2-2, 3.60 ERA, .92 WHIP, 20 strikeouts); Rockies: Chase Anderson (0-0, 1.15 ERA, .96 WHIP, six strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -145, Rockies +125; over/under is 11 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets face the Colorado Rockies leading the series 1-0.Colorado is 13-14 at home and 22-30 overall. The Rockies have gone 7-29 in games when they have given up at least one home run.New York has gone 15-16 in road games and 27-25 overall. The Mets are 10-1 in games when they did not allow a home run.Saturday’s game is the fifth meeting between these teams this season. The season series is tied 2-2.TOP PERFORMERS: Elias Diaz is fourth on the Rockies with 16 extra base hits (10 doubles and six home runs). Brenton Doyle is 10-for-34 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and nine RBI over the last 10 g...

EU’s Breton says Twitter ‘can’t hide’ after platform ditches disinformation code

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Twitter has abandoned the EU’s code of practice on disinformation, Thierry Breton said late Friday, but Europe’s internal markets commissioner insisted that “obligations remain” for the social networking giant.“You can run but you can’t hide,” Breton said in a tweet, after confirming that the platform owned by Elon Musk had left the bloc’s disinformation code, which other major social media platforms have pledged to support. “Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be a legal obligation under DSA as of August 25,” Breton said, referring to the Digital Services Act — new social media rules that include fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s annual revenue.“Our teams will be ready for enforcement,” the commissioner said. The code of practice on disinformation is a voluntary rulebook that includes obligations for platforms to track political advertising, stop the monetization of disinformation, and pr...

OBF: Celtics can make Game 6 extremely special

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

The Boston Celtics continue their remake of “Four Days In October” on Saturday with Game 6against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals at Crypto-Crash Arena in South Beach.Boston trails 3-2 after its Game 5 wire-to-wire blowout of the Heat at TD Garden. It marked thefirst time Charles Barkley ever cashed a winning bet.Game 6 often lacks the pop, punch, and power of Game 7.Game 6 is Miley Cyrus.Game 7 is Taylor Swift.Game 6 is Jan.Game 7 is Marcia.Game 6 is Twitter Spaces.Game 7 is Instagram Live.Game 6 wears trifocals.Game 7 has 20/10 vision.Game 6 has Derrick White’s hairline.Game 7 carries the coif of Marcus Smart.Game 6 has a Dad Bod.Game 7 is 2018 Gronk.Game 6 Is Narragansett.Game 7 is Sam Adams.Game 6 is “Guardians of the Galaxy.”Game 7 is “Star Wars.”What can we expect tonight? Once in a great while, Game 6 leaves an undeniable impression. Itbecomes the one we remember.Let’s give it some respect.Game 6 gave us Carlton Fisk.Nearly 50 years later, Fisk’s foul-pole sho...

Mike Elias expects the Orioles to be ‘buyers’ at the trade deadline. How much is the question. | ANALYSIS

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Last summer, Mike Elias didn’t allow the Orioles overachieving to alter his plans at the trade deadline.About two months into the 2023 season, Baltimore is far outpacing projections once again, and the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager said he expects the club to be “buyers” at the trade deadline for the first time in his tenure. But how far Elias is willing to go to bolster the 2023 roster — including moves that could impact the organization’s long-term future — will be the burning question.About 10 months ago, he made the unpopular decision to sell at the deadline despite the Orioles being in a wild-card race. It appeared last summer as if Baltimore’s rebuild was over, but the decisions to trade away team leader Trey Mancini and All-Star closer Jorge López were quintessential rebuild moves.Elias entered 2023 with much higher expectations, saying several times this offseason that his goal for the club was to m...

Former first-round pick Nick Yorke back on track after nightmare year

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Nick Yorke came into last season riding high. The former first-round pick had enjoyed a spectacular first year of professional baseball and was now set to take the next step upon earning a promotion to High-A Greenville.Then, it seemed like everything that could have possibly gone wrong did.“I ended up jamming my wrist when I was diving so I couldn’t swing for a couple of weeks, I had a back spasm so I was out for a couple weeks with that, I had turf toe so I couldn’t walk on my foot for a week,” Yorke said prior to a recent game. “So it was something constant, little things here and there.”Yorke’s production cratered amid the seemingly never-ending run of injuries, and so did his standing within the wider prospect community. But now back to full health, the 21-year-old second baseman has put his 2022 struggles behind him and is once again looking like one of Boston’s most promising young players.Since earning a promotion to Double-A P...

With master qeej players, Hmong arts and culture festival set to return to Landmark Center on June 4

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:00:50 GMT

The second annual Qeej and Hmong Arts Festival, which organizers say is the country’s only event of its kind dedicated to the traditional pipe instrument, is coming to downtown St. Paul next month.The festival, which is organized by the Hmong Cultural Center, is free and will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 4, at Landmark Center.In addition to highlighting master qeej performers, the festival will also include championship dance crews, other musicians and a fashion show with both traditional and contemporary garments. A Hmong shaman will also perform poetry, said festival organizer Kang Vang, a citizenship educator at the Hmong Cultural Center.Plus, local crafters will have wares for sale, and Hmong and other Southeast Asian food will also be available.The qeej, which is pronounced somewhat like the English word “king” but with a more guttural first consonant, is an important element in many Hmong life cycle events, particularly funerals. The instrument, which can ...