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China Evergrande reports its debt rose to $340 billion in 2022. It plans meetings with creditors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China Evergrande, the property developer whose woes helped bring about a slump in the country’s vitally important real estate market, has reported its debts rose further to about $340 billion by the end of last year. In a notice to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Evergrande said it had losses totaling about $81 billion in 2021-2022 and that its revenues plunged by about half in 2021. Chinese leaders are trying to revive economic growth that fell to 3% last year, its second-lowest level since the 1970s. Regulators stepped in to supervise Evergrande’s debt restructuring, but apparently rejected a bailout to avoid sending the wrong message to companies about the need to reduce their debtsThe continuing troubles for Evergrande, said to be the global real estate industry’s most-heavily-indebted developer, augur poorly for a revival in the property sector, a major driver of business activity whose lost momentum has weighed on China’s faltering recovery after anti-COVID-...

Inside a mother’s struggle to clear her name after a wrongful arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, 27-year old Breeanna Bascombe was trying to rock her infant daughter to sleep when police descended on her parents’ Brampton, Ont., home to arrest her, and charge her as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The charge was related to a crime allegedly committed by her ex-boyfriend that she had nothing to do with. Breeanna thinks her very public arrest was an attempt to coax him out of hiding. Eternity Martis is a journalist and author based in Toronto who wrote about Breeanna’s case for Chatelaine. She says women can often be caught up in investigations when a crime is committed by a man in their life“It’s not uncommon … for girlfriends, mothers, to be arrested in the hopes of getting a confession from them about their partners crimes, even when they’re not related, they haven’t done anything,” says Martis. Eventually, Breeanna’s charges were stayed, but she was left with what’s called a ‘non-conviction,’ wh...

Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials in a new US push to stabilize rocky relations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China’s top diplomat on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies, as the countries seek to restart high-level contacts.On his second day of talks in Beijing, Kerry met with the ruling Communist Party’s head of foreign relations Wang Yi, telling him Biden hoped the two countries could “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.”Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights and China’s threats against self-governing Taiwan.In his opening remarks, Wang said the sides had suffered from a lack of communication, but that China believes through renewed dialogue “we can find a proper solution to any problems.”“Sometimes, small problems can become big problems,” Wang said, adding that dialogue must be conducted on an “equal basis.”That was a...

COVID-19 outbreak declared at Etobicoke General Hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

A unit at a west end Toronto hospital has been forced to limit new patients after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared on Monday.In a notice posted online, the William Osler Health System says an outbreak has been declared in the 7 East Cardiology unit at Etobicoke General Hospital. The hospital has not confirmed how many patients have the virus.An outbreak is declared when two or more individuals test positive “with any common link” within a 48 hour period, according to provincial guidelines.The notice says the unit is now closed to new admissions with the exception of those who require telemetry. The hospital says the following other measures are being taken:Notifying patients and using the appropriate precautions to prevent transmission of the virus.Testing and monitoring staff, physicians and patients, as appropriate.Limiting staff members who normally work on multiple units to work on one unit only.Enhancing cleaning of patient care equipment and the hospital units.&nbs...

Kenya doomsday cult deaths top 400 as detectives exhume 12 more bodies, with the pastor in custody

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The number of people who died in connection with Kenya’s doomsday cult has crossed the 400 mark as detectives exhumed 12 more bodies on Monday believed to be followers of a pastor who ordered them to fast to death in order to meet Jesus.Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who is linked to the cult based in a forested area in Malindi, coastal Kenya, is in police custody, along with 36 other suspects. All have yet to be charged. Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha on Monday said the number of those who died has risen to 403, with 95 people rescued.Last month, some suspects and people rescued started a hunger strike in prison and at the rescue center, prompting the prosecutor to take them to court for attempting to kill themselves. Most of them agreed to resume eating, but one suspect died in custody.Some 613 people have so far been reported missing to Kenya Red Cross officers stationed in Malindi town. Detectives are still finding mass graves.Onyancha said 253 of the 4...

Police in Florida fatally shoot man suspected of stabbing the mother of his 3 children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Police in Florida shot and killed a 33-year-old man who they said stabbed the mother of his three young children and then opened fire on law enforcement officers during a brief pursuit, police said.Officers responded to a home in Tampa on Monday afternoon after receiving reports that a woman had been stabbed.“He had stabbed her in front of the children, who are between the ages of 2 and 6,” Tampa police Chief Lee Bercaw said during a news conference.The father then loaded the children into his vehicle and took them to his brother’s home, where he stole an AK-47, police said.Around 5:40 p.m., police officers spotted his vehicle and began following him. When they attempted a traffic stop, the man pointed the rifle out the vehicle’s window, and continued driving. Officers used spike strips to try to stop the vehicle, but he was able to avoid them, police said.Just after 6 p.m., the man crashed into a vehicle and began shooting at officers who were pursuin...

Illinois Supreme Court to rule on SAFE-T Act, ending cash bail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the controversial state law that could make Illinois the first to eliminate cash bail.The SAFE-T Act passed back in 2021. Since then, the law's future has been on the fence with the supreme court making a final ruling Tuesday.The issue at hand is getting rid of cash bail for Illinois. Multiple state's attorneys, including Kankakee County, have found issues with eliminating the cash bail system, saying the lawmakers needed to propose a constitutional amendment because the state constitution guarantees bail by sufficient sureties — which means sufficient enough that someone will come back to court. Illinois’ SAFE-T Act explained Lawmakers are saying the constitution says nothing about those sureties being cash. So under the SAFE-T Act, people would only be detained based on the offense they are accused of committing and their prior record, instead of posting bail.The supreme court will release their deci...

End of AIDS could happen by 2030, UN says  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

(The Hill) - The United Nations agency focused on ending the AIDS epidemic released a new report that claims there is a clear path to end the epidemic by 2030. The report titled “The Path that Ends AIDS,” states the ending of the epidemic is a political and financial choice. “The data and real-world examples in the report make it very clear what that path is. It is not a mystery. It is a choice. Some leaders are already following the path – and succeeding,” UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima wrote in the report’s executive summary released last week. According to Byanyima, the report breaks down how countries “that put people and communities first in their policies and programs are already leading the world on the journey to end AIDs by 2030.” Byanyima pointed to Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, who have already reached the “95-95-95,” targets and at least 16 other countries who are close to reaching the benchmark. The “...

Phoenix set to break heat record 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

(The Hill) -- Phoenix is slated to break its heat record as the city approaches its 19th consecutive day of hitting 110 degrees or hotter in the area.  Phoenix tied the record for the most consecutive days with a high temperature of 110 degrees or more on Monday at 18 days, which ties it with the record previously set in 1974, the Phoenix National Weather Service (NWS) said.“As of 12:15 PM MST today, we hit our 18th consecutive day of high temperatures at or above 110F in Phoenix," the weather service tweeted Monday. "This ties the previous record set back in 1974. We are very likely to break the record tomorrow."Phoenix also broke its record for the highest overnight low temperature ever on Monday with a low of 95 degrees, which surpassed the 2009 record of 93 degrees. It was the eighth consecutive day of overnight lows being above 90 degrees, which was another record for the area. Dangerous heat wave expected to move eastward The NWS issued an extreme heat advisory for the re...

Peacock to raise prices starting in August

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:49:28 GMT

(WXIN) - Peacock subscribers are set for a price increase.Effective Aug. 17, the streaming service will go up by $1 for Premium subscribers (from $4.99 to $5.99) and $2 for Premium Plus subscribers (from $9.99 to $11.99). The Premium subscription includes advertisements, while the Premium Plus subscription gets rid of most ads and allows viewers to download content for offline viewing. Premium Plus also grants access to livestreaming of local NBC affiliates. Paramount+ to raise subscription prices This marks the first price increase for Peacock, which dropped its free plan for new subscribers earlier this year. The service from NBCUniversal launched in July 2020.The annual Premium plan will increase from $49.99 to $59.99, while a Premium Plus annual subscription will go from $99.99 to $119.99.Current customers will see the new rates during the next billing cycle starting "on or after" Aug. 17, while new customers will pay the new rates when they sign up. The revised pricing struct...