Hoda Kotb is leaving NBC's 'Today' show early next year
NEW YORK (AP) -- Hoda Kotb, a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the "Today" show early next year, telling staffers "it's time." In a memo to her team, Kotb says her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure, saying "now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie." Kotb has co-anchored "Today" with Savannah Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer left amid sexual harassment allegations. She first joined NBC News as a correspondent for "Dateline" in 1998, and later joined "Today" in 2007.
Naomi Campbell barred from being charity trustee in England and Wales
LONDON (AP) -- British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from being a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years after the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago was found to have been "poorly governed" with "inadequate financial management." There was a three-year investigation into the financial activities of "Fashion for Relief." The Charity Commission said Thursday that it had found "multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement" and that only 8.5% of the charity's overall expenditure went on charitable grants in a six-year period from 2016. It found for example that thousands of pounds worth of charity funds were used to pay for a luxury hotel stay in Cannes for Campbell as well as spa treatments, room service and even cigarettes.
Greek singer Marinella is in stable but critical condition after collapsing during a concert
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Popular Greek singer Marinella is in stable but critical condition in an Athens hospital, a day after collapsing on stage during a concert in the ancient Herod Atticus theater. Marinella, 86, was being treated in the intensive care unit after suffering a stroke, the hospital said Thursday. The singer was on her third song during Wednesday night's concert when she appeared to lose her balance and then staggered and collapsed. The rest of the concert, which was also to have featured Greek singer Antonis Remos, was canceled. Born Kyriaki Papadopoulou in 1938, Marinella became a household name for generations of Greeks and has continued to have a commanding stage presence well into her 80s in a career that has spanned more than six decades.
Derrick Rose, a No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and the 2011 NBA MVP, announces retirement
Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and the league's MVP in 2011, announced his retirement on Thursday. Rose was the league's rookie of the year in 2008-09 for the Bulls, was the league's MVP two seasons later and was an All-Star selection in three of his first four seasons. A major knee injury during the 2012 playoffs forced him to miss almost two full seasons and he contemplated stepping away from the game several times, but always returning. He would go on to play for five other franchises other than the Bulls -- at New York, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland and Memphis.
Aging and ailing, 'Message Tree' at Woodstock concert site is reluctantly cut down
A tree at the fabled 1969 Woodstock festival used by concertgoers as a sort of message board has been cut down. The so-called Message Tree was cut down Wednesday due to its poor health and safety concerns. The owners of the renowned concert site that drew 400,000 people were reluctant to lose a living symbol of the community forged on the farm in Bethel, New York in August 1969. In an era predating cellphones, many had scrawled messages on paper scraps and attached them to the old tree's trunk. But operators of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts feared the more than 100-year-old red maple was in danger of falling down.
Hong Kong welcomes new giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for tourism boost
HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong has welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing, raising hopes for a boost to the city's tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor Ying Ying gave birth to twins last month and became the world's oldest first-time panda mother on record. Along with the twins' father, Hong Kong now houses six pandas. Pandas are widely considered China's unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing's soft-power diplomacy.
A zoo in Finland is returning giant pandas to China because they're too expensive to keep
HELSINKI (AP) -- A zoo in Finland has agreed to return two loaned giant pandas to China eight years early because they are too expensive for the facility to maintain. The private Ähtäri Zoo said the female Lumi and male Pyry will return to China later this year. The pandas were a gift from China in 2017, and they were supposed to be on loan until 2033. But since then the zoo has seen a decline in visitors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The zoo built a special facility for the pandas and their upkeep costs the zoo some 1.5 million euros annually.
South Korea sets a compensation plan for dog meat farmers before the 2027 ban
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea announced plans Thursday to compensate famers and others in the country's dwindling dog meat industry before a formal ban goes effect in 2027, a move that is drawing opposition from both farmers and some animal rights activists. South Korea's parliament passed a landmark bill in January that will ban slaughtering, breeding or selling dog meat for human consumption after a three-year grace period. It will be punishable by 2-3 years in prison. The Agriculture Ministry said that farmers would receive compensation starting from 225,000 won, and rising up to 600,000 won per dog if they agree to shut down their business early.
Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball goes up for auction with starting bid of $500,000
RUNNEMEDE, N.J. (AP) -- The baseball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run, which gave him 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season, is going up for auction on Friday. Ohtani became the first player in Major League history in the 50-50 club. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar accomplished the feat last week in Miami. The opening bid for the ball is $500,000. There is black scuffing and abrasions on the white leather ball, which was authenticated by Major League Baseball. The fan who caught it is working with Goldin, a New Jersey-based auction house.
LeBron and Bronny James are already scrimmaging with Lakers ahead of historic father-and-son season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- LeBron James and son Bronny James are already scrimmaging with the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers during voluntary offseason workouts. JJ Redick and his new coaching staff are already planning and discussing the moment early in the new season when a father and son will share an NBA court for the first time. The specifics of that historic day aren't set yet, but Redick shares the basketball world's anticipation of the chance to watch the top scorer in NBA history playing alongside the Lakers' new second-round draft pick. Redick sees only positive aspects in pairing the duo on the court.