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Asian shares extend losses as US banking worries persist

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

By YURI KAGEYAMA (AP Business Writer)TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares declined Tuesday, as investors around the world continued to be rocked by worries about what’s next to break, following the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history. In Asia, direct exposure to the risks from the U.S. failures seemed slim, at least so far. Hirokazu Matsuno, the Japanese government spokesman, told reporters a major ripple effect to the Japanese financial system was unlikely. Still, the fears persist, sending regional benchmarks lower in morning trading. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.7% to 27,350.58, extending losses from the day before. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 2.1% to 6,961.30. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.9% to 2,389.77. “There is escalating tensity in the global financial world; this is despite non-U.S. banks’ exposure to US regional banks being minimal, with the global systems being well capitalized and flush with liquidity,...

National City teacher pleads not guilty to over a dozen felony charges, including sex abuse charges

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A National City educator made a video appearance before a judge, following an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old former student. She was recently named "Teacher of the Year" and now faces more than a dozen felony charges. Sixth-grade teacher Jacqueline Ma pleaded not guilty to now 15 felony charges including child sex abuse and child pornography charges. During that hearing, media learned new details regarding photos and videos of the victim, including a photo found in her wallet and love letters in her classroom at the time of her arrest. “When she was arrested, she had a photograph of the victim in her wallet, she had jewelry with his initials, love letters were discovered in her classroom. In some of the messages, she expressed frustration at the child for not responding to the situation quicker. She expressed jealousy when the victim was talking to other girls," shared Deputy District Attorney Drew Hart Monday. Hart also called the defen...

Topless fan crashes Junos broadcast, as Weeknd wins 5th award with album of the year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

EDMONTON — A wildly unpredictable Juno Awards unfolded on Monday as a topless protester charged the stage, leading to some feisty words from Avril Lavigne, while an absent the Weeknd emerged the top winner this year.With a few twists and turns, Canada’s biggest celebration of music did away with its typically tame proceedings. The surprises began shortly after the broadcast got underway when Lavigne was interrupted by a topless woman who leapt on the stage wearing pasties and “land back” painted on her arm.The pop-punk princess appeared blindsided by the crasher and proceeded to swear at her, demanding she get off the stage. The person was quickly escorted away by security.Unfazed, Lavigne moved on to introduce a performance by Punjabi-Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon.She returned later to accept this year’s fan choice award, telling the audience, “Nobody try anything this time or the Canadian is going to come out of me and I’ll (mess) a bitc...

Russia invited to participate in Central Asian soccer event

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russia has been invited to participate in the inaugural Central Asian Football Association Championships in June along with seven other national teams.Russian teams have been barred from European and FIFA competitions since the invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. But the Tajikistan Football Association announced Monday that a Russian team could join the new regional tournament along with former Soviet republics Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Afghanistan, Iran and another country, yet to be confirmed, will complete the lineup for the games expected to be hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.According to the Tajikistan Football Association, Russia has already accepted the invitation. But the Russian Football Union told state media: “We are currently in discussions about the possibility and conditions of the Russian national team’s participation in this tournament,” The move will rekindle debate about a possibl...

Juno Award winners from the broadcast: Jessie Reyez, Preston Pablo, Tobi

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

A list of winners from the Juno Awards broadcast:Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year: “Yessie” by Jessie ReyezBreakthrough Artist of the Year: Preston PabloAlbum of the Year: “Dawn FM” by The WeekndRap Album of the Year: “Shall I Continue?” by TobiTikTok Juno Fan Choice: Avril Lavigne This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.The Canadian Press

Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe, writer of poetic fiction, dies

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe, whose darkly poetic novels were built from his childhood memories during Japan’s postwar occupation and from being the parent of a disabled son, has died. He was 88. Oe, who was also an outspoken anti-nuclear and peace activist, died on March 3, his publisher, Kodansha Ltd., said in a statement Monday. The publisher did not give further details about his death and said his funeral was held by his family. Oe in 1994 became the second Japanese author awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.The Swedish Academy cited the author for his works of fiction, in which “poetic force creates an imagined world where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.”His most searing works were influenced by the birth of Oe’s mentally disabled son in 1963. “A Personal Matter,” published a year later, is the story of a father coming to terms through darkness and pain with the birth of a brain-damaged son. Severa...

Québec solidaire victorious in byelection, capturing Montreal Liberal stronghold

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

MONTREAL — Québec solidaire has won a provincial byelection in the Montreal riding of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne, capturing the once Liberal stronghold on Monday night.Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, an immigration lawyer, will represent the southwestern Montreal riding and had a sizeable lead with 45 per cent of the vote with about 80 per cent of boxes counted.The Liberal candidate, Christopher Baenninger, was in second place with just over 28 per cent of the vote in a riding the Liberals had won 10 times in a row since its creation in 1994.Cliche-Rivard had lost to former Liberal leader Dominique Anglade in last October’s provincial election by 2,700 votes.Anglade resigned her seat and stepped down as Liberal leader after winning less than 15 per cent of vote, triggering a byelection to choose a new member of the provincial legislature to replace her.The Parti Québécois was running in third place in the riding while the Coalition Avenir Québec was in fourth.With its victory, Québec so...

1-year-old boy found dead in Grand Crossing Apartment

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

CHICAGO — A 1-year-old boy was found dead inside a Grand Crossing apartment Monday morning, Chicago police say.According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, the 1-year-old boy was pronounced dead around 6:58 a.m. in a second floor unit in the 7600 block of South Drexel Avenue.Area Two detectives are conducting a death investigation. Woman fatally stabbed on CTA platform ID’d attacker before she died: police No other information is available at this time.

Report: Bears agree to 2-year, $14 million deal with DE DeMarcus Walker

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears spending spree continued Monday evening.According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Bears have agreed on a 2-year deal with former Tennessee Titans defensive end DeMarcus Walker that will pay him over $7 million per season.Walker notched a career-high 7.0 sacks last year for the Titans across 17 games played. Before his time in Tennessee, Walker was a rotational piece along the defensive line of the Denver Broncos for 4 years from 2017-2020, notching 4.0 and 4.5 sacks in his last two seasons with the team before spending the 2021 season with the Houston Texans, where he notched 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble in 13 games played. Bears will sign LB Tremaine Edmunds, reports say Walker becomes the fourth player to sign with Chicago during this year's free agency period, joining offensive lineman Nate Davis (3 yrs/$30 million), and linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (4 yrs/$72 million) and T.J. Edwards (3 yrs/$19.5 million).

What's the status of the US death penalty?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:38 GMT

(AP) - The first federal capital case tried under President Joe Biden ended with a split among jurors, which means the life of an Islamic extremist who killed eight people in a New York City will be spared. It came at a rare federal death penalty trial in a state without the death penalty.That Biden's Justice Department continued to pursue the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov, who used a truck to mow down pedestrians and cyclists on a popular bike path, was a surprise to many given Biden's opposition to capital punishment and his 2016 campaign pledge to end it federally.The jury's failure to reach a unanimous decision means Saipov receives an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the October 2017 attack. Zebra bites Ohio man’s arm before deputy puts animal down The initial decision to seek the death penalty came under then-President Donald Trump, who tweeted a day after the attack that Saipov “SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!”But Attorney G...