Author: admin

What’s the deal with the Chelsea Chop? Are you gardeners familiar with it?After hearing about it recently, I did a bit of research. The earliest reference I could find dates back to the early 2000s, so it might appear I’m late to the party, but I’m not — and you might not be, either.After all, the pruning method, named for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, which is held every May in the U.K., is one I’ve been practicing and advocating for all along, without the garden show tie-in. But things with catchy names tend to take on a…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University, a senior administration official said Tuesday.The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies. Cuts to contracts could take away millions more from Harvard’s budget. A draft letter from the General Services Administration directs agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternate vendors. The administration is planning to send a version of the letter Tuesday, the official…

It’s the last day to book a flight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with a fee to check bags after the airline abandoned a decades-long luggage policy that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals.The airline announced the change in March, saying at the time that the the new policy would start with flights booked on Wednesday.Southwest said Tuesday that it will be charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second checked bag. Weight and size limits will apply for bags. Southwest had built years of advertising…

Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forth by the United States for Gaza, according to Al Jazeera’s sources, but an American official rejected the claim and said the deal being discussed was “unacceptable” and “disappointing”. Israeli officials also denied that the proposal was from the US, saying on Monday that no Israeli government could accept it, according to the Reuters news agency. The conflicting reports came as Israeli forces kept up their relentless bombardment of starving Palestinians in Gaza, and continued to severely restrict the entry of aid into the besieged enclave. Medical sources say at least 81…

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De. The names of the cubs, affectionately known as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother,” were announced Tuesday in a ceremony at Ocean Park, the theme park housing them, their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year. The names were the winning suggestions from residents in a naming contest that drew more than 35,700 entries. The Chinese character “Jia,” from the female cub’s name “Jia Jia,” carries a message of support and features…

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the US president ‘wants peace’ but will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.Washington, DC – United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says she delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two countries should be aligned on how to approach Iran. Noem, who concluded a visit to Israel on Monday, told Fox News that her talks with Netanyahu were “candid and direct”. Her comments come days after US and Iranian officials held their fifth round of nuclear talks in Rome. “President Trump specifically…

The British monarch is expected to voice support for Canada’s sovereignty against Trump’s 51st state comments.King Charles III, the British monarch, has arrived in Canada for a two-day visit that officials say aims to assert support for the country’s sovereignty amid Donald Trump’s calls for annexing the United States’ northern neighbour. The monarch’s trip, which started on Monday, comes at the invite of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won general elections last month amid Trump’s threats. Charles is the ceremonial head of state in Canada, which remained a commonwealth realm after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1867. The…

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — If you have been to Rio de Janeiro’ beaches, this probably sounds familiar: samba music drifting from a nearby kiosk, caipirinha cocktails sold by hawkers, chairs sprawled across the sand.Now that may become harder to find, unless the vendors have the right permits. Mayor Eduardo Paes issued a decree in mid-May establishing new rules for the city’s waterfront saying he wants to preserve urban order, public safety and the environment, as well as promote peaceful relations between tourists and residents. The new measures are due to come into force on June 1, and they outlaw…

WEST MONROE, La. (AP) — Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughter-in-law didn’t mention how he died.“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to…

US president continues to fuel global economic uncertainty with erratic trade policy.United States President Donald Trump has backed away from launching a trade war with the European Union, two days after threatening to impose punishing tariffs. Trump said on Sunday that he has agreed to extend trade negotiations with the EU to July 9 following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As part of that agreement, the US will also hold back from imposing a 50 percent tariff on imports from the bloc, which Trump announced on Friday would be imposed on June 1. The announcement…