68 m. ago Irish leaders pay tribute to Pope as ‘exceptional’ and ‘remarkable’ figure

Irish premier Micheal Martin said the Pope held a ‘special place in the hearts of Irish people’.

Politics

3 h. ago Irish leaders pay tribute to Pope Francis as ‘remarkable figure’

Irish premier Micheal Martin said the Pope held a ‘special place in the hearts of Irish people’.

Politics

2 w. ago Leading the charge: how a drive for electric vehicles is cleaning up Nepal

With air pollution causing a fifth of deaths in Nepal, growing EV use could add nearly three years to Kathmandu residents’ livesIn a rundown hangar in the heart of Kathmandu, the remains of a dozen electric trolley buses stand abandoned and corroding. Caked in dust and bird-droppings and lined with rubbish, they are a reminder of a bold experiment, launched 50 years ago, to electrify the city’s public transport system. Down the side of one is written, “Keep me alive”.Today, that plea is being heard. More than 70% of four-wheeled passenger vehicles – largely cars and minibuses – imported into Nepal last year were electric, one of the highest rates in the world. The figure reflects a remarkable growth in the use of electric vehicles (EVs), which saw the country import more than 13,000 between July 2023 and 2024, up from about 250 in 2020-21. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Alysa Liu left figure skating behind. She came back better than ever

After a two-year retirement prompted by burnout and fatigue, the American skater found her way back to the ice – and became the world champion no one saw comingAlysa Liu hadn’t even checked her phone. She didn’t know who had called, who had texted or who had screamed at their television when her gold-medal score flashed onto the screen. But she knew exactly who she wanted to call first.“My siblings,” she said, laughing. “They have no idea that this is happening.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘What the hell?’ Alysa Liu wins USA’s first women’s figure skating world title in 19 years

Liu completes stunning comeback with world titleJapan’s Sakamoto finishes second and Chiba thirdAlysa Liu completed her stunning comeback to competitive figure skating with a world championship title on Friday night in Boston, becoming the first American woman to win the sport’s biggest competition outside the Olympics in nearly two decades.The 19-year-old from Clovis, California, who vanished from the sport nearly three years ago uncertain if she’d ever return, delivered a spellbinding free skate inside a sold-out TD Garden to dethrone three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. Skating in a shimmering gold dress to the pulsing sounds of Boston-born Donna Summer, Liu landed all of her jumps cleanly and drew a standing ovation before finishing with 222.97 points overall – enough to secure gold in front of a rollicking home crowd. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Alysa Liu vaults to shock lead at figure skating worlds with statement program

American leads after short at worlds as favorites falterJapan’s Chiba second, USA’s Levito third entering freeInterview: Liu on her remarkable comeback to skatingAlysa Liu became the youngest ever US figure skating champion at 13 years old before vanishing from the sport at 16, uncertain if she’d ever return. Now, at 19, she’s back – and suddenly within touching distance of a world title that no American woman has claimed in nearly two decades.On the opening afternoon of the world figure skating championships, the teenager from Clovis, California, delivered a career-best short program that not only captivated the home crowd at TD Garden, but vaulted her into the lead with 74.58 points – her highest international score to date. Her emotional performance to the song Promise by Laufey and Dan Wilson enamored the crowd and left Liu blinking back tears as she exited the ice. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago ‘If there was no one on Earth, I would still skate’: Alysa Liu on her remarkable figure skating comeback

She was the youngest ever US figure skating champion at 13 before leaving it all behind. Now Alysa Liu is back at this week’s world championships with a renewed purposeAlysa Liu looks back on the ice as rotates on her left foot, picking up speed before she completes her triple flip-triple toe combination. A group of high schoolers on a field trip sitting in the stands erupts into applause. She gives a smile and small bow as she skates away. It’s a recovery day for her, starting with dynamic stretching and cardio before moving onto the ice with her jumps, spins, and footwork. She drives herself to the rink for a two-hour skating session. Later this afternoon, she plans to attend her brother’s basketball game.If you had asked Liu a year and a half ago if she would be preparing for another figure skating world championships, she would have told you that you were crazy. Continue reading...

Politics