Another room that stood out from the pack for its sonic excellence belonged to Canadian speaker manufacturer Acora Acoustics, which was showcasing its floorstanding SRC-2 model ($62,000/pair) on Quartz stands ($11,000). Upstream components included a two-chassis VAC Master preamp with phono stage ($65,000) and a Master 300 iQ Musicbloc stereo amplifier ($62,000). Source duties alternated … Continue reading "Acora, VAC, Oracle, Innuos, MSB"

The United States is up against the Netherlands in Qatar on Saturday as the knockout stage of the World Cup kicks off.  This is the first time the Americans take on the Netherlands at a World Cup – and they’re facing them as underdogs. The Americans have not advanced past the Round of 16 since … Continue reading "U.S. takes on Netherlands as knockout stage of World Cup begins: “We’re going to have to give it our all”"

A pregnant Mexican woman died after she was cut open by two assailants who stole her unborn baby, authorities said Monday. The alleged perpetrators were arrested with a newborn in their possession, the attorney general’s office in the eastern state of Veracruz said in a statement. The baby “was rescued safe and sound and is … Continue reading "Pregnant woman killed by man and woman who stole her unborn baby in Mexico, authorities say"

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)… WWE has hired Lee Fitting, a veteran of ESPN, to fill the role of Head of Media & Production just days after Kevin Dunn’s departure. It appears Fitting is essentially replacing Dunn, although the scope of his responsibilities might not be a complete match to … Continue reading "WWE hires new Head of Media & Production just days after longtime head of production for WWE, Kevin Dunn, departed"

Facebook parent Meta’s quasi-independent oversight board said Tuesday that an internal system that exempted high-profile users, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, from some or all of its content moderation rules needs a major overhaul. The report by the Oversight Board, which was more than a year in the making, said the system “is flawed … Continue reading "Meta oversight board urges changes to VIP moderation system"

London — The last surviving crew member of a British Royal Air Force squadron that targeted Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland in World War II has died aged 101, media said Thursday. George “Johnny” Johnson died peacefully at a care home near Bristol, western England, on Wednesday evening, surrounded by his family. Johnson was a bomb aimer … Continue reading "Last WWII British “Dambuster,” from air raids that hit Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland, dies aged 101"

The farewell salute went on for months: Locals and visitors aiming their cameras across a busy freeway for a last shot of Tokyo’s Nakagin Tower. “My hotel just happens to be around the corner, so I thought I’d make a pilgrimage before it totally disappears,” said Nick Lockley, who was in the neighborhood on a … Continue reading "Tokyo says goodbye to an ultra-modern architectural marvel"

Kampala — Ugandan authorities have charged two U.S. foster parents with committing “aggravated torture” against their 10-year-old son, police said Tuesday. They were charged Friday and remanded to Luzira Prison, a maximum security facility on the outskirts of the capital of Kampala, police said in a statement. The charges allege that the couple, both 32, … Continue reading "Uganda charges U.S. couple with torturing a foster son"

Four chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure in a Swedish zoo and roamed freely before being captured and euthanized on Wednesday, according to Swedish media. Annika Troselius, press spokeswoman for the group that operates the Furuvik zoo, told the Expressen daily that the animals had to be euthanized because there was not enough tranquilizer for all … Continue reading "4 chimpanzees euthanized after escaping from zoo enclosure and roaming freely in Sweden"

Germany returned 22 Benin Bronzes — looted plaques and sculptures from Benin — to Nigeria on Tuesday. The initial step was part of a larger agreement made earlier this year to return all 1,130 artifacts to Nigeria, according to the Associated Press.  The artifacts were taken from the Kingdom of Benin — in what is … Continue reading "Germany begins returning looted bronze artifacts to Nigeria"