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The average wedding just hit $29,000

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

New York (CNN) — Weddings are back, in full force. That’s the good news. But engaged couples will pay a tad more to get hitched in 2023.The average cost of a wedding, nationally, this year is $29,000, up $1,000 from 2022, according to online wedding planning site Zola. And in some big US cities, the cost is $35,000 and above.The price tag for a happily-ever-after day is higher year-over-year for two reasons, said Zola – inflation and demand exceeding supply of wedding related goods and services. “Wedding industry vendors have had to raise their rates because they’re also paying more for goods and services like food, flowers and labor,” Emily Forrest, Zola’s director of communications, told CNN.Weddings started roaring back from a pandemic-triggered halt to all kinds of celebrations in 2022, and, ever since, the industry has seen a surge in demands for venues, photographers, wedding planners, florists and wedding cakes. Add to that a Gen-Z era desire for very customized wedding...

US envoy’s tongue-lashing of South Africa over alleged Russian weapons shipments infuriates Biden administration

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

The Biden administration is furious with its ambassador to South Africa and scrambling to salvage relations with the country after the envoy alleged that Pretoria sent a ship filled with weapons to Russia as it wages war on Ukraine.The ambassador, Reuben Brigety, made the claim three weeks ago in a press briefing, saying he’d “bet my life” on it. He added that South Africa was engaging in “outrageous” anti-Americanism and questioned its claim to be neutral among the world powers.It was a shocking assertion by an American official against a country that the United States has been trying to court in the global effort to isolate Russia.Brigety’s actions thrilled some observers who say the U.S. needs to be more honest about a South African drift toward Moscow; his defenders include top U.S. senators. But multiple U.S. officials told POLITICO that Brigety’s accusations were overstated and he may have damaged American interests in the long run.Publicly, the administration has tried to wal...

Restaurant review: Léopold Café Presse

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

Rue de la Loi, 17What’s good? Brilliant lunchtime quinoa bowls and bagels are Léopold’s top attraction. My go-to selection is the chicken avocado bowl, which comes on a bed of quinoa and salad with tangy dressing, and includes crunchy pomegranate seeds, chicken topped with melted cheese and delicious mashed avocado. It’s both filling and healthy. Occasionally the chicken can be a little tough, but that’s a minor quibble.Léopold has a great selection of tasty wraps and salads, taking in a globe-spanning variety of cuisines. The cookies, cakes and drinks are all high quality too — particularly the velvet-rich hot chocolate. What’s not? An occasional overpowering smell of truffle oil, which seems to have become inescapable in 2023; and erotic-themed Tintin parody graphic novels, once not so subtly placed directly above the food counter. No one needs to see Bianca Castafiore in a state of undress alongside their lunch order. Vibe: Colorful Belgian comic...

Fancy a Boris beer? Ukrainian brewery sells Johnson-themed stout

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

LONDON — Notes of toffee, dates and raisins. An aroma of caramel and cappuccino. It’s the unmistakable taste of … Boris Johnson?Pravda Beer Theatre — a Ukrainian brewery based in Lviv — is selling a “JohnsonUK” stout, themed around the former British prime minister who made a big impression on Ukraine during his time in office.The beer — spotted by eagle-eyed Telegraph journalist Joe Barnes — is sold for 66 Ukrainian hryvnias per bottle, equivalent to £1.43.First there was the Ukrainian street, and then the Ukrainian croissant, and now Boris Johnson has a Ukrainian beer named after him.He might not be flavour of the month at home, but they still love him here in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/3hEA4uYiRA— Joe Barnes (@Barnes_Joe) June 1, 2023The drink’s label features Johnson wearing a Ukrainian flag tie, flanked by the British fictional wizard Harry Potter — and a figure that appears to be Defense Secretary Ben Wallace emerging from a London telephone b...

Clarke Schmidt shows ‘growth’ in best start yet: ‘He’s definitely maturing in his starting role’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

SEATTLE — Clarke Schmidt continued to show signs of improvement Wednesday, as the Yankees’ starter threw his best game of the season against the Mariners.The right-hander surrendered no runs for the first time this year while logging 5.2 innings of work. While Schmidt received a no-decision in the Yankees’ 1-0, 10-inning loss — Geoge Kirby threw a gem for Seattle — he held the M’s to three hits while striking out seven and walking just one over 84 pitches.“He was really good tonight,” Aaron Boone said after the game, “and that was another big step for him.”Overall, Schmidt’s first extended run as a major league starter has not impressed this season. But, as Boone alluded to, the pitcher’s Wednesday outing followed two respectable starts.Schmidt gave up two runs over five innings to the Reds on May 19, a needed rebound against a bad team after the Rays tagged him for seven earned runs on May 14. Schmidt then limi...

Silverado ZR2 is in a league of its own

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

Chevrolet enters Grasso’s Garage this week with its 1500 Silverado, but not just your typical half-ton work truck, the Silverado ZR2.The almost $70K base price ZR2, boasts a ton of standard features for off-road needs from the American manufacturer. General Motors, Chevrolet’s parent company, had no choice but to build a monster similar to competing manufacturers with Ford’s Raptor and RAMs TRX. The ZR2 provides a 6.2L ECOTEC3 V8 engine producing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The creation of the ZR2 was meant to focus specifically on the off-road market similar to its competition. But in Grasso’s Garage, we disagree. The specifications and stats for the ZR2 tell a different story.  Although I feel the ZR2 is more well-rounded than the competition, it’s underpowered, and undersized. The ZR2 would be more apt for those tight fit trails and slimmer paths, while the TRX and Raptor are much wider causing it to not have as much usage.The interior of the ZR2 is all new and ...

Gun reported at the King School in Dorchester

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

Boston Police are at the the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Grove Hall, Dorchester, following a call reporting a person with a gun.BPD spokesman Officer Michael Torigian said the call came in at 8:47 a.m. and that no injuries or arrests were reported.Boston Public Schools spokesman Max Baker said from the scene at around 9:40 a.m. that the object was determined to be a BB gun, and not a real gun.Best known as the King school, the kindergarten through eighth grade school is located at 77 Lawrence Ave.This is a developing story.

Danny Masterson convicted of 2 counts of rape; ‘That ’70s Show’ actor faces 30 years to life

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was led out in handcuffs from a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday and could get 30 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on two of three counts of rape at his second trial, in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.Masterson’s wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, gasped when the verdict was read and wept as he was taken into custody, while a group of family and friends who sat stone-faced behind him throughout both trials.The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction.Masterson, 47, will be held without bail until he is sentenced. No sentencing date was set.“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions — relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness — knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will...

Jordan’s royal wedding to get underway in ceremony packed with stars and deep symbolism

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The wedding of Jordan’s crown prince to the scion of a prominent Saudi family was set to begin on Thursday in a palace celebration that drew massive crowds and a mood of excitement around the kingdom, while presenting the young Hashemite royal as a new player on the global stage.The marriage of Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, drew a star-studded VIP list headlined by Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, who arrived at the palace and were welcomed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania.The celebrations hold deep significance for the region, emphasizing continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability and refreshing the monarchy’s image after a palace feud. It even could help resource-poor Jordan forge a strategic bond with its oil-rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia.Crowds were gathering at huge screens set to livestream the wedding across the country, with many attendees waving flags a...

Fifth day of fighting major wildfires in Nova Scotia could prove pivotal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:06 GMT

HALIFAX — The fight against wildfires that have forced at least 21,000 people from their homes in Nova Scotia is expected to reach a pivotal point today.Fire officials are worried about a resurgence in two major fires because of a phenomenon known as “crossover.”Wildfires can become extreme events when the temperature rises above 30 C, humidity dips below 30 per cent and wind speeds top 30 kilometres per hour — and that’s exactly what is expected to happen today.The two major fires that remain out of control — one in suburban Halifax, the other in the southwestern corner of the province — have already destroyed at least 200 homes and cottages.Still, fire officials announced this morning that 50 per cent fire near Halifax had been contained and it had not grown since Wednesday.Despite that good news, officials say firefighters are now dealing with parched conditions, rising temperatures and mounting wind speeds, which will make for an unstable environment for wildfires.“W...