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Global stocks up after US inflation moderates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Global stocks were mostly higher Thursday after U.S. inflation eased and Federal Reserve officials said they expect fewer interest rate hikes this year to slow economic activity.Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris rose while Shanghai declined. London and Frankfurt opened little-changed. Oil prices edged lower.Wall Street futures were higher after government data showed U.S. inflation declined to 5% in March from the previous month’s 6%. That encouraged traders who hope signs of weaker economic growth might prompt the Fed and other central banks to postpone or scale down plans for more rate hikes.Also Wednesday, notes from the Fed’s March 21-22 meeting showed officials agreed the next increase in its benchmark lending rate would be one-quarter percentage point instead of half a point. The notes showed Fed economists expect a “mild recession” but said that might be avoided.“If inflation is indeed moderating, and growth is no longer ‘too strong,’ the Fed can pause wit...

Police: Inmate who escaped by faking death back in S. Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A man serving a life sentence for murder and rape who escaped from a top-security prison with help from guards by faking his own burning death was brought back to South Africa early Thursday after going on the run with his girlfriend.The couple were arrested in Tanzania last weekend.State broadcaster SABC showed video of Thabo Bester being driven from Johannesburg’s Lanseria Airport in a police vehicle with bars across the windows. Heavily-armed police put the girlfriend, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, into a separate white van at the airport. Magudumana was expected to be charged with murder as part of the elaborate jailbreak plot, which involved getting a dead body into the prison where Bester was incarcerated to help him stage his own death in a fire and escape.A prison guard and Magudumana’s father already were charged with murder in connection with the body of a man found burned beyond recognition in Bester’s cell. The uni...

Thailand hopes for major splash in tourism during Songkran

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Hordes of revelers toted colorful water guns Thursday as Thailand kicked off its exuberant three-day Songkran festival at full blast for the first time since 2019, hoping for a significant boost in tourism after the industry was devastated by coronavirus travel restrictions. The New Year celebration’s signature water fighting — a major draw for tourists — had been banned or discouraged since 2020 to curb the spread of the virus, and its full-scale return was widely promoted. In Bangkok alone, there are 40 designated spots this year for public water splashing, including the touristy Khao San Road where vendors hawked food, clothes and water-fighting gear in the scorching heat. The festival, which is also celebrated in neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, falls at the hottest time of the year when temperatures can creep above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).While many tourists and locals congregate in the capital, millions of workers head home to rural prov...

Haven’t filed taxes yet? Don’t panic. Here’s what to know

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The deadline to file your taxes is Tuesday, which is just around the corner. Filing U.S. tax returns — especially for the first time — can seem like a daunting task, but there are steps you can take to make it less stressful. Whether you do your taxes yourself, go to a tax clinic or hire a professional, navigating the tax system can be complicated and stressful. Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate for Credit Karma, recommends you go easy on yourself.“Take a breath. Take some time, set out an hour, or go through it over the weekend. You’ll hopefully see that it’s a lot simpler than you think,” Alev said.If you find the process too confusing, there are plenty of free resources to help you get through it. If you are worried that you might not have enough time to file your taxes before the deadline, you can file for an extension, though it’s not ideal (more on that below.)Here’s what you need to know:WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO FILE TAXES?Taxpayers have ...

Germany appeals for reducing tensions over Taiwan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Germany’s government appealed for efforts to reduce tensions over Taiwan as the German foreign minister arrived in China on Thursday for official talks following Chinese military exercises near the self-governed island democracy that Beijing claims is part of its territory.Annalena Baerbock arrived in the northeastern port city of Tianjin for meetings and was due to hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, on Friday in Beijing and with senior diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday. Her ministry said she would discuss Taiwan, Ukraine, human rights and other issues with Chinese officials.China’s ruling Communist Party sent warships and fighter planes near Taiwan last weekend in retaliation for a meeting between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen.“Threatening military gestures” increase “the risk of unintentional military confrontations,” a spokesperson for Baerbock’s ministry, Andrea Sasse, said in Berlin. “We th...

Biden administration points to investments with new bridges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is closing out a three-week push to highlight the benefits of infrastructure investments in local communities by awarding nearly $300 million to help repair or replace more than a dozen bridges across the country.Events in four states on Thursday will mark the end of the beginning phase of a more expansive White House push heading into President Joe Biden’s expected 2024 reelection race to remind voters of his accomplishments.During the administration’s “Investing in America” tour, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other officials held more than 50 events across 25 states at projects benefiting from the landmark infrastructure, climate and high-tech manufacturing laws passed during the Democratic president’s first two years in office.There will be much more talk about Biden’s record to come.“This is the focus of the next year-plus,” White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, who got the job in February with a mand...

N. Korea fires missile that may have been new type of weapon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month, possibly testing a new more mobile, harder-to-detect missile for the first time, its neighbors said, as it extends its provocative run of weapons tests.Japan briefly urged residents on a northern island to take shelter in an indication of its vigilance over North Korea’s evolving missile threats.The missile was launched on a high angle from near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan following a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) flight, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staffs said in a statement.It described its range as medium or longer. The U.S. National Security Council called it a long-range missile and Japan’s government said it likely had an intercontinental range.South Korea’s military believes North Korea launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly using solid fuel, a defense official said ...

Schwarzenegger accidentally fills in LA service trench, city says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

(The Hill) – Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) accidentally filled in a service trench he mistook for a pothole in his Los Angeles neighborhood, the city told NBC Los Angeles on Wednesday.The "Terminator" actor on Tuesday posted a video to Twitter of himself filling in a hole in the road, saying, "I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go."But Schwarzenegger unintentionally filled a trench purposely created by SoCal Gas, the City of Los Angeles said in a statement to NBC Los Angeles."This location is not a pothole," a city spokesperson told the outlet. "It’s a service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCal Gas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May." Fed up by LA pothole, Arnold Schwarzenegger fills it himself In his Twitter video, Schwarzenegger said the hole in question had been there for weeks."Today, after the whole neighborhood has been upset about this g...

Laraway, Baumann guide Colonie softball to redemption win over Ballston Spa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- For teams that compete in the ultra-competitive Suburban Council Division, it's not about how you win; it's that you win. And despite recording just one hit Wednesday afternoon, the Colonie High School softball team managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Ballston Spa, backed by a brilliant performance in the circle from freshman Adrianna Laraway. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Colonie and Ballston Spa met in last year's quarterfinal round of the Sec. II, Class AA tournament; the Scotties dominated 12-0, but the Garnet Raiders would have their revenge at home Wednesday.The first five-and-a-half innings was a pitching masterclass. Laraway went toe-to-toe with Ballston Spa's Hadley Donnelly, who took a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth inning. But that's when Colonie would strike.With the score still tied at zero, the Raiders managed to get two runners aboard via walks. Then, with two outs, Gabby ...

Jared Billups discusses entering the transfer portal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:25 GMT

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Jared Billups entered the transfer portal last week, joining his now former backcourt running mate Javian McCollum. Billups spoke with NEWS10 ABC on Wednesday about why he made that decision, and what he's looking for. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Billups says he has taken one visit to George Mason this past Friday. He added he's also received interest from Davidson, Richmond, JMU, Murray State, and VCU. In his sophomore season, Billups averaged 8.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Saints. The dynamic defender has not yet ruled out a return to Siena, but says exploring his options was in his best interest. "I had been thinking about it for a while," said Billups. "There's just a lot of things that were going on in my life personally and I think it was best for me if I entered the portal and decide whether this would be the best fit for me. I think it's just been providing clarity fo...