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Japan’s prime minister announces $113 billion in stimulus spending

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Thursday a stimulus package of more than 17 trillion yen ($113 billion) that includes tax breaks and benefits for low-income households, a plan criticized by some observers as populist spending that would worsen Japan’s national debt. Kishida said his priorities are to overcome deflation and to put the economy on a growth track. Tax revenues will increase only when the economy grows and lead to fiscal health, he told a news conference, explaining the package endorsed by his Cabinet earlier in the day.The government will fund the spending by compiling a supplementary budget of 13.1 trillion yen ($87 billion) for the current fiscal year.“Japan’s economy is now on the brink of exiting from deflation. It would be more difficult to do so if we miss out this chance, ” he said. “I’m determined to boost the disposable income, to lead to expanded growth and to create a virtuous cycle.”Pay hikes have yet to outpace inflation, Kishid...

Albania’s opposition tries to disrupt a parliament session in protest against ruling Socialists

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian opposition lawmakers on Thursday caused commotion in Parliament, trying to disrupt a session in protest against what they say is increasingly authoritarian rule by the governing Socialists. Democratic lawmakers blocked left-wing Socialists of Prime Minister Edi Rama from taking their seats and stacked chairs on top of each other in the central hall. The Democrats threw smoke firecrackers and even pushed and shoved some of the Socialists.However, the session in the 140-member chamber later went ahead and 73 Socialist lawmakers voted in favor of 21 draft laws. Sali Berisha, leader of one group in the heavily divided center-right Democratic Party, described the melee in parliament as a “temporary strike” and said the Democrats would continue with such actions as long as “the shameful parliament” keeps ploughing ahead.“They did not respect our strike,” he said of the Socialists.The parliament disturbances first started two weeks ago, two days before prose...

As more Palestinians with foreign citizenship leave Gaza, some families are left in the lurch

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Dozens of Palestinians with foreign passports crossed through the war-torn Gaza Strip’s only exit for the second straight day Thursday, escaping Israel’s suffocating siege into the empty Egyptian desert. But the evacuation rush left families divided by citizenship status in painful limbo.Nizar, a 41-year-old aid worker from Gaza City, gently shook his children awake at dawn and drove to Gaza’s southern Rafah crossing with his wife, 8-month-old son and 6-year-old daughter, Zainab — a dangerous road trip even from where they’d sought refuge in central Gaza. The bombardment didn’t stop and they didn’t know what awaited them at the border. All they knew was that the quirk of history that led to Zainab’s birth in San Francisco gave her American citizenship and the family its only ticket out of a war that has ravaged Gaza, killed thousands of Palestinians and given his once bubbly daughter panic attacks and nightmares.Nizar, who...

At-risk Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can now get details on partner’s history

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A law is now in force in Newfoundland and Labrador allowing those at risk of domestic violence to get information from police about their partner’s history.Justice Minister John Hogan told reporters today that Newfoundland and Labrador is the third province to enact such a law, after Alberta and Saskatchewan.Known as Clare’s Law, the new rules allow people to seek the information from police, and they allow police to proactively disclose those details to anyone judged to be at risk.Those who feel they could be harmed can fill out a detailed online application that police will assess for risk factors.Police will then ask the person to meet with them, ideally in person, to discuss their risk level and, if warranted, to disclose information about their partner.Malin Enstrom, executive director of the Iris Kirby House women’s shelter, in St. John’s, says she knows of several cases that may have been helped by the new law, had it been in p...

See the Bulls City Edition uniforms for 2023-2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

CHICAGO — It's become a tradition for NBA teams over the past few years, and it's all about what they wear on the court. That's the City Edition jerseys, and this year the Bulls are drawing inspiration from their past as they continue to build toward a better future on the floor.Courtesy: Chicago BullsCourtesy: Chicago BullsCourtesy: Chicago BullsCourtesy: Chicago BullsCourtesy: Chicago BullsCourtesy: Chicago BullsThe team's uniforms, which were officially unveiled on Thursday morning, are a tribute to Chicago Stadium, which the Bulls called home from 1967 through 1994. They'll wear them for the first time for their opening in-season tournament game against the Nets on Friday at the United Center. It was in that building that Michael Jordan's rise to superstardom occurred as the team won three championships in the 1990s before it closed. The "Madhouse on Madison" was remembered for its deafening noise that made it difficult for opposing teams to face the Bulls, especially in the Jor...

Bears give a contract extension to a defensive player Thursday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears have signed one of their defensive players to a contract extension on Thursday.But it's not cornerback Jaylon Johnson, as so many people are hoping will happen, but instead, a lineman who is in the midst of his first season with the Bears. The Bears have made official their signing of defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a two-year contract extension through 2025..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/CABFA5hpFL— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) November 2, 2023The Bears have signed defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2025 season. He signed a one-year deal before the 2023 season and has been steady in the middle of the defensive line in the first eight games of the season. “We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Andrew in Chicago,” said general manager Ryan Poles in a statement from the team. “The professionalism, dependability, and toughness he brings to our defense exhibit the type of pla...

Uber, Lyft agree to back pay $328M to New York drivers following probe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

(The Hill) -- Ride-haling companies Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay back $328 million to over 100,000 New York drivers following a multi-year investigation, officials announced Thursday.New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) confirmed two "landmark" settlements on Thursday, where Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million for "stealing earnings from drivers." James said the two settlements mark the largest wage settlement ever to be won by her office. She explained that the probe found Uber, between 2014 to 2017, deducted sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from drivers' payments instead of charging the passengers. The ride-share company "misrepresented the deductions" in the company's terms of service and said the company would only deduct its commission from the drivers' fare, James said. Uber also told drivers they were “entitled to charge [the passenger] for any tolls, taxes or fees incurred." The Uber Driver app, however, did not have a method for them to do...

'Now and Then': The Beatles' final 'new' song featuring John, Paul, George and Ringo is released

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The final Beatles recording is here.Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. There's a countdown, then acoustic guitar strumming and piano bleed into the unmistakable vocal tone of John Lennon in the song's introduction: “I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you.”More than four decades since Lennon's murder and two since George Harrison's death, the very last Beatles song has been released as a double A-side single with “Love Me Do,” the band's 1962 debut single. Blink 182 announces US concert dates “Now and Then” comes from the same batch of unreleased demos written by Lennon in the 1970s, which were given to his former bandmates by Yoko Ono. They used the tape to construct the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s. But there were technical limitations to f...

WATCH: Naked man fights Las Vegas police officer, steals patrol vehicle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A naked man who got into a fight with a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer before stealing the officer's patrol vehicle and causing a serious crash is facing four charges, according to court documents.The incident unfolded Tuesday around 11:00 p.m. when police received a call regarding a naked man on the road near Blue Diamond Road and Buffalo Drive.According to police, Clyde Cabulisan, 29, got into a fight with a responding police officer that involved hitting and punching. The fight was captured on video by Kyle Even, a nearby driver. Even said he saw flashing lights, and initially thought he was pulling up on an accident. Instead, he witnessed a naked man in the road “casually” walking."You got a cop and a naked dude. I thought he was going to be handcuffed and thrown to the ground," Even said during a phone interview Wednesday morning. “The cop kind of seemed he was, like, protecting him from somebody coming through and hitting him.” ‘Home Improvemen...

Kaitlin Armstrong Day 2: Testimony surrounds gathering evidence at murder scene

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:56:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Prosecutors will call more witnesses Thursday in the murder trial for Kaitlin Armstrong, who's accused of shooting and killing pro cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson in May 2022.Both sides delivered opening statements Wednesday morning. The state outlined a timeline of evidence gathered from phone and GPS records of Armstrong and Wilson's actions leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors also discussed the relationship between Armstrong, Wilson and Armstrong's then-boyfriend Colin Strickland. Day one of the Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial wraps up The defense's primary argument appears to be the notion that even though there is surveillance of gunshots and her Jeep, there is no camera footage of Armstrong actually shooting Wilson."I want to talk to you about what you didn’t hear about," defense attorney Geoffrey Puryear said. "Not one witness saw Kaitlin Armstrong allegedly commit this murder because there isn’t one."Wilson's brother Matt was the first to testify. The s...