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Hong Kongers hold first protest in years under strict rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Dozens of people on Sunday joined Hong Kong’s first authorized demonstration against the government since the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions under unprecedentedly strict rules, including wearing a numbered badge around their necks.The rules set out by the police, who cited security reasons, came as the financial hub was promoting its return to normalcy after years of anti-virus controls and political turmoil.During the pandemic, protests were rare due to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, many activists have been silenced or jailed after Beijing imposed a national security law following massive protests in 2019. Critics say the city’s freedom of assembly has been eroded. Sunday’s demonstration against the proposed reclamation and construction of rubbish-processing facilities was the first police-approved march of its kind after the city scrapped its mask mandate and social distancing limits. But organizers had to comply with police requirements ...

These are the three things you should expect in the federal Liberals’ upcoming budget

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government is expected to release its budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year on Tuesday. Here’s a look at three big things to expect:Investments in the clean economyOttawa is expected to make big investments in clean energy and technology in the upcoming budget as it tries to keep competitive in the transition toward a greener economy.Canada’s main competitor is the United States, which decided last summer to invest nearly US$400 billion over ten years in the Inflation Reduction Act. The law targets that investment in key areas tied to the clean economy: critical minerals, battery manufacturing, electric vehicles and renewable energy, including hydrogen. As part of Canada’s efforts to keep up, the government is expected to introduce new tax credits in the budget that would encourage the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.Promises on affordabilityThe Liberals have sought to signal that more help is on the wa...

Millennials dominate insolvencies as credit card, student loan, CERB tax debts add up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

Insolvency trustee Doug Hoyes encounters a lot of Canadians with money troubles, but he’s become particularly sympathetic to the plight of young people who find themselves financially underwater. For more than a decade, his Ontario-based firm Hoyes Michalos has been crunching bankruptcy and insolvency numbers for its annual “Joe Debtor” analysis, with its latest results released last month ahead of tax season. He’s concluded that millennial Canadians have been dealt a generational losing hand as they face student loans layered with bad debts from credit cards, high-interest loans, and post-pandemic tax debt from collecting CERB.“I think there’s a whole bunch of whammies that have hit millennials.” Hoyes said. “The CERB was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.”The 2022 Joe Debtor study examined 2,700 personal insolvencies filed in Ontario. Hoyes Michalos says 49 per cent were filed by millennials aged 26 to 41, even ...

Devastating Severe Weather in Southern U.S.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

A devastating round of severe weather that started yesterday evening and continued into the overnight hours flattened homes, decimated towns, left more than two dozen people dead and injured dozens more from Mississippi to Alabama.Preliminary information from the National Weather Service office in Jackson, MS says one tornado started about 20 miles southwest of Rolling Fork, MS.  After hitting Rolling Fork the tornado continued its path of destruction northeast toward the rural communities of Midnight and Silver City. Tchula, Black Hawk and Winona would eventually find themselves in the storm's path.  The NWS says storm reports and radar data suggest the tornado was on the ground for more than an hour and traveled at least 170 miles. National Weather Service-JacksonMS UPDATE: The Rolling Fork/Silver City tornado has received a preliminary EF-4 rating. Some additional preliminary stats from the Rolling Fork/Silver City tornado -Path length: Approximately 59 miles beginning in norther...

Daily horoscope for March 26, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Sunday, March 26, 2023:You appear to be easygoing and casual; however, you are actually intense and determined. You are honest, courageous and love to explore new situations. This year is the last year of a nine-year cycle for you, which means it’s time to let go of what is no longer relevant in your life. Lighten up!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Today you feel restless and want to meet new faces, see new places and explore new ideas. Can you take a short trip? Expect to deal with changing dynamics at home. Tonight: Conversations. This Week: It’s a dynamic, productive week! Enjoy shopping.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★It’s a good day to buy wardrobe treasures for yourself, especially because in the next six weeks, you will be more direct in all your communications! Tonight: Care for your possessions. This Week: You look attractive to others, and you w...

The committee serves to promote competition and protect consumer rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

A large-scale work aimed at creating a compact and professional public administration system is ongoing in Uzbekistan. In this process, special attention is paid to ensuring the timely and effective implementation of administrative reforms, organizing the activities of the republic’s executive authorities based on updated requirements and principles, writes Farrukh Karaboev.The Presidential Decree “On measures to implement administrative reforms of the new Uzbekistan” from December 21, 2022, became the logical continuation of work in this direction. In accordance with the Decree, as part of the first phase of reforms, a proposal was adopted for the formation of a unified system of executive bodies of the republic from January 1, 2023.According to the established principle, state bodies in the form of a committee were divided into two categories, i.e. those that coordinate and regulate the activities of the sector within the relevant field and organize the collegial management work i...

Dear Abby: I worry that the TV weather report will harm emotionally vulnerable people

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My local TV meteorologists and reporters have a terrible habit of calling rainy weather “miserable,” cloudy weather “gloomy,” and any other non-sunny day “dreary.” With so many horrible events in the news on a daily basis, reporting the weather this way seems irresponsible and reckless.For some emotionally vulnerable members of our community, these negative words could be dangerous.Weather is weather. When we were kids, my friends and I would play outside in the rain and none of us ever thought of it as gloomy, dreary or miserable. Using such a powerful medium as television in this way could have a negative impact on people who are already in a dark place.IT’S RAINING BUT NOT DREARY IN DELAWAREDEAR IT’S RAINING: Thank you for speaking up, but you are addressing your comments to the wrong person — they should be directed to the manager of your local television station.While some weather forecasters may speak off the cuf...

San Diego State Aztecs face the Creighton Bluejays in Elite 8

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

Creighton Bluejays (24-12, 14-6 Big East) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (30-6, 15-3 MWC)Louisville, Kentucky; Sunday, 2:20 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: San Diego State -2; over/under is 134.5BOTTOM LINE: The No. 18 San Diego State Aztecs take on the Creighton Bluejays in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.The Aztecs’ record in MWC games is 15-3, and their record is 15-3 in non-conference play. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 28.6 points per game in the paint led by Keshad Johnson averaging 4.9.The Bluejays are 14-6 against Big East opponents. Creighton is the Big East leader with 27.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Baylor Scheierman averaging 7.3.TOP PERFORMERS: Adam Seiko averages 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, scoring 6.2 points while shooting 46.1% from beyond the arc. Matt Bradley is shooting 39.3% and averaging 12.1 points over the last 10 games for San Diego State.Scheierman is averaging 12.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists for...

Texas Longhorns square off against the Miami Hurricanes in Elite 8

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

Miami Hurricanes (28-7, 15-5 ACC) vs. Texas Longhorns (29-8, 12-6 Big 12)Kansas City, Missouri; Sunday, 5:05 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Texas -4; over/under is 149.5BOTTOM LINE: The No. 5 Texas Longhorns face the No. 16 Miami Hurricanes in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.The Longhorns are 12-6 against Big 12 opponents and 17-2 in non-conference play. Texas has a 24-8 record against teams above .500.The Hurricanes are 15-5 in ACC play. Miami (FL) has a 5-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus Carr is averaging 15.8 points, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals for the Longhorns. Jabari Rice is averaging 15.5 points over the last 10 games for Texas.Isaiah Wong is averaging 16.3 points and 3.3 assists for the Hurricanes. Jordan Miller is averaging 16.1 points over the last 10 games for Miami (FL).LAST 10 GAMES: Longhorns: 8-2, averaging 72.9 points, 32.1 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the fiel...

IMF’s Georgieva: ‘Risks to financial stability have increased’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:58 GMT

The outlook for the global economy is likely to remain weak in the medium term amid heightened risks to financial stability, according to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.“We expect 2023 to be another challenging year, with global growth slowing to below 3 percent as scarring from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and monetary tightening weigh on economic activity,” Georgieva said on Sunday at a conference in China. “Even with a better outlook for 2024, global growth will remain well below its historic average of 3.8 percent,” she said. “It is also clear that risks to financial stability have increased,” Georgieva said. “At a time of higher debt levels, the rapid transition from a prolonged period of low-interest rates to much higher rates — necessary to fight inflation — inevitably generates stresses and vulnerabilities, as evidenced by recent developments in the banking sector in some advanced economies.&#...