National Children’s Day

London: Princess of Wales Kate Middleton is likely to address speculations over her health at an event after she returns to public engagements, according to a report by The Sunday Times. Kate was absent from public duties as she reportedly underwent abdominal surgery at the London Clinic on January 16, but details of her exact conditions have been kept under wraps. While Kate was hospitalised, speculations swelled over her health conditions. Some reports cited Kate has not even been seen in public ever since she was admitted — prompting social media platforms to use “mysterious” and “vanished” words to feed their endless theories regarding Middleton’s whereabouts. Her husband Prince William had also cut short her duties following her hospitalisation. Sources…

PNN Nashik (Maharashtra) [India], March 23: Leading market research organisation, Reseal.in, presented the prestigious “Business Excellence Awards 2024” to prominent entrepreneurs, acknowledging their outstanding contributions to their various domains. The awards were presented at a grand ceremony organised in the holy city of Nashik on March 18. Reseal.in received more than 13,000 nominations from all across Maharashtra for the awards. Noted Marathi film actress and entrepreneur Sonali Kulkarni was the chief guest at the award ceremony and presented the awards. in her address, Ms Kulkarni said, “It is my honour to present these awards to all the deserving winners. This awards ceremony is a great platform to recognise the efforts of various individuals who are making immense contribution to the…

Suwannee Spring Reunion: All day Friday-Sunday, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, 3076 95th Drive, Live Oak. Tickets: Prices vary. See website for information. (suwanneespringreunion.com) This year’s celebrated artists include Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale, Donna the Buffalo, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, Hatti and Joe Craven Trio, The Grass is Dead, Habanero Honeys and more. Live and Local Concert Series: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave. Free. (tinyurl.com/livelocal24) Live performances by Half Gone, Earworms and Boat Stuff. Playlist at the Pointe: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Celebration Pointe, Celebration Pointe Avenue. Free. (celebrationpointe.com) Jamie Davis will perform. Food will be available from area restaurants. Saxsquatch with DJ Em of Future Joy, and Knob Ross: 7:30-11 p.m. Friday,…

GRETNA ITALIAN-IRISH PARADE: The parade will begin at noon March 10 at Burmaster and Franklin streets and end at 4th Street and Huey P. Long Avenue. An after-party will take place 5-8 p.m. at Gretna Market Place, Huey P. Long Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets, with music by Rockin’ Doopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters. www.gretnala.com. DANNY BARKER BANJO & GUITAR FESTIVAL: The fest will take place March 6-10 at various New Orleans locations, with a free banjo and guitar summit and a patron party March 6; and the 10th anniversary celebration March 7. Tickets start at $25. Live performances will be held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on…

Mar. 10 — TRAVERSE CITY — Two Michigan brothers who federal prosecutors allege ran a Cedar-based forgery ring, using co-schemers and straw sellers to swindle more than $1 million from art and sports memorabilia collectors, are scheduled for trial. Donald “D.B.” Henkel, 63, formerly of Cedar, and Mark Brian Henkel, 67, formerly of Ann Arbor, face multiple felony charges in U.S. District Court in Illinois, after a grand jury in 2021 found probable cause in the fraud case against them. The Henkels have pleaded not guilty. Donald Henkel is a prolific northern Michigan artist, responsible for National Cherry Festival posters, several local art exhibitions, children’s book illustrations and a statue placed at the Grand Traverse Commons. A large painting by…

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Time to pull out your calendar, because Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has released its full list of 2024 programming and events to fill your schedule through the end of the year. From the beloved annual butterflies exhibit to kids’ summer camps, the garden and sculpture park has a wide variety of activities and events for all ages scheduled this year, all centered around exploring art and nature, Meijer Gardens officials said in a news release. Spanning 158 acres, the venue boasts having the state’s largest tropical conservatory and one of the country’s largest interactive children’s gardens. The internationally acclaimed exhibits, horticulture shows, concerts and events at Meijer Gardens, located at 1000 East Beltline Ave.…

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. – Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son received Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nong Rong, who is also Secretary General of the China – Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, in Hanoi on February 5. The host expressed his delight at the sound development and historic achievements of the two countries’ relations since the visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in late October 2022 and the trip to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023. Read full story – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu…

BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) — The Chinese dragon, also known as the “loong,” is prominent in Chinese mythology as a legendary and auspicious creature. Unlike their European counterparts, Chinese dragons don’t exhale fire. Instead, they are often linked with water, symbolizing traits associated with business prosperity, abundant harvests and good health. As the totem of the Chinese nation, the dragon is deemed strong, fearless and benevolent, said Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese. This year’s Chinese Spring Festival coincides with the Year of the Dragon, adding extra excitement to global celebrations. It also allows people to satisfy their curiosity about Chinese culture and get acquainted with China’s customs and history. VIBRANT WORLDWIDE CELEBRATIONS People…

MEAUX, France (AP) — Four children between nine months and 10 years old and their mother were killed in their apartment east of Paris, in what local authorities called an exceptionally violent crime. The children’s father was arrested Tuesday and is the primary suspect. Neighbors spotted a pool of blood outside the family’s door on Christmas Day and alerted police, who discovered the five bodies, Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier told reporters in the city of Meaux. The mother and two daughters, ages 7 and 10, were stabbed several times overnight from Sunday to Monday, he said. The couple’s two sons, ages 9 months and 4-years-old, were suffocated or drowned. The prosecutor described a small, blood-stained apartment in extreme disarray. Flowers, a…

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) — A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday the European Parliament’s attacks and smears against boarding schools in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region are actually a kind of violation of the children’s right to education, which is damage to the human rights conditions in the region. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing, in response to the query that the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing the Chinese government’s forced assimilation of Tibetan children through boarding schools in Xizang, and called on the European Union and its member states to take actions. “What’s said in the relevant resolution of the European Parliament is disinformation,” Wang said. “It smears China’s image and interferes…

OTTAWA — Vladyslav Rudenko, 17, just wants to be a professional soccer player. But for the week the Ukrainian boy says he spent in what he called a “punishment cell” in a Russian camp without any communication to the outside world, he wasn’t sure he’d ever make it out to try. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in Switch accounts “When you’re in Russia in the occupied territory, you have no rights. You can’t do what you want. You can’t do the right thing. You cannot admit you’re Ukrainian. You cannot say you love Ukraine,” Rudenko said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Thousands of Ukrainian children have reportedly been forcibly transferred to Russia, Belarus and occupied…

Syracuse, N.Y. — In September, it seemed like Christmas might not come to St. Lucy’s. Thieves broke into the warehouse where the church was storing piles of gifts parishioners bought throughout the year to prepare for their annual Christmas giveaway. Hundreds of families in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods have depended on the church to help them put presents under their trees for 18 years. In one night, it was all gone. The thieves took everything but the hangers the clothes were on and the bins they were stored in, said Kay Scharoun, who helps run the event. “We were left with nothing,” she said. The haul was about $18,000 worth of presents. Scharoun could not fathom how they…

CHICAGO (WLS) — Tuesday is the beginning of Kwanzaa, and Chicago’s Malcolm X College has been hosting celebrations of the holiday for more than a decade. The rhythmic beats of African drums at Malcolm X College had people up on their feet. “Kwanzaa in Chicago is one of my favorite times of the year. It feels like a giant family reunion,” Sona Smith said. The West Side college kicked off Kwanzaa celebrations with lively cultural dances, a marketplace featuring handmade African goods and a program of impassioned speakers, sharing the message of the week-long holiday. “It got to remind us that you got to stand strong in the midst of toil and trouble,” Malcolm X College President David Sanders said.…

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is set to recognize the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with several celebrations. The civil rights leader’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are among the most revered orations and writings in the English language, according to The King Center. If you have an event you’d like us to add, please send an email with details to [email protected]. [SIGN UP! Get the Central Florida Happenings newsletter here | Check out more Central Florida Happenings] DAYTONA BEACH MLK Prayer Breakfast – Jan. 15 at 8 a.m. at the Cherry Cultural & Education Center, located at 925 George W. Engram Blvd. in Daytona Beach Join us for…

MEXICO CITY – Ana Ofelia Murguia, one of Mexico’s most acclaimed actresses, whose voice acting as Mama Coco in the animated movie Coco (2017) brought her international recognition, died on Dec 31. She was 90. Her death was confirmed by Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts and National Theatre Company, which did not specify the cause of death. The National Theatre Company described Murguia on social media as “one of Mexico’s greatest actresses”. In a statement, Ms Lucina Jimenez Lopez, director of the National Institute of Fine Arts, described Murguia’s career as one that “marked an entire era”. In the film Coco, made by Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios, Murguia plays the key role of Mama Coco, the great-grandmother of a…

ACOLMAN, Mexico — María de Lourdes Ortiz Zacarías swiftly cuts hundreds of strips of newsprint and colored crepe paper needed to make a piñata, soothed by Norteño music on the radio while measuring pieces by feel. “The measurement is already in my fingers,” Ortiz Zacarías says with a laugh. She has been doing this since she was a child, in the family-run business alongside her late mother, who learned the craft from her father. Piñatas haven’t been displaced by more modern customs, and her family has been making a living off them into its fourth generation. Ortiz Zacarías calls it “my legacy, handed down by my parents and grandparents.” Business is steady all year, mainly with birthday parties, but it…

Florida Lions Eye Clinic (FLLEC) recently announced a festive collaboration with the Bonita Springs Lions Club for a heartwarming Children’s Holiday Party from noon until 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Bonita Springs Lions Club, 10370 Pennsylvania Avenue, Bonita Springs. The Children’s Holiday Party will be an afternoon of “joy, light snacks, and a special visit from Santa Claus.” Children attending the event will have the opportunity to enjoy holiday treats, share their holiday wishes with Santa, and receive a special gift from Santa’s toy bag (limited quantities available). The Southwest Florida Symphony presents its annual Holiday Pops. This year’s theme, “Santa’s Serenade,” will feature the return of guest artist Maestro Andrew Lipke with his guitar, piano skills, conductor’s…

GENESEE COUNTY, MI – With Christmas less than 30 days away, there’s no shortage of holiday activities happening in Genesee County. From The Nutcracker to craft shows and a Santa Run, here are things to do in Flint and Genesee County from Friday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 2. Christmas on Main The Davison DDA’s Christmas on Main is set to bring some holiday cheer to the community. This year’s version takes place from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, kicking off with the Christmas Parade of Lights at the beginning of the event. The parade runs down Mill Street, to Main Street, ending at the intersection of Fourth Street and Davison Street. Other activities are set to include pictures with…

PARIS – Four children between nine months and 10 years old and their mother were killed in their apartment east of Paris, in what local authorities called an exceptionally violent crime. The children’s father was arrested Tuesday and is the primary suspect. Neighbors spotted a pool of blood outside the family’s door on Christmas Day and alerted police, who discovered the five bodies, Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier told reporters in the city of Meaux. The mother and two daughters, ages 7 and 10, were stabbed several times overnight from Sunday to Monday, he said. The couple’s two sons, ages 9 months and 4 years old, were suffocated or drowned. The prosecutor described a small, blood-stained apartment in extreme disarray. Flowers, a…

Pinellas Park Christmas Parade: The 50th annual, one-sided holiday parade takes on a 1970s theme. All floats will be decorated to represent something from that era. The parade starts at the railroad tracks and travels east on Park Boulevard to U.S. 19, disbanding at the overpass near Shoppes at Park Place. Eastbound lanes will be closed and the westbound lanes will travel both directions during the parade. Free. 6 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 9). McDonald’s, 5170 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park. Nate Bargatze: The 2021 Grammy-nominated comedian and podcaster who recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” performs. $36-$76. 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 9). Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. 813-301-6500. On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan: This…