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Hong Kong bishop visits Beijing on historic trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic bishop arrived in Beijing on Monday, marking the first visit to the Chinese capital by the city’s bishop in nearly three decades, despite signs of Sino-Vatican strains. The five-day trip by Bishop Stephen Chow began about two weeks after Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See, reported that China had unilaterally appointed a new bishop to Shanghai. Chow, who was named by Pope Francis as the city’s bishop in 2021, earlier said that the visit underscores the mission of the Hong Kong Diocese to be a bridge church and promote exchanges between the two sides. He was invited to visit the Chinese capital by his counterpart there. China’s ruling Communist Party closely controls organized religion, which it sees as a potential threat to its monopoly on power. People are allowed to worship in institutions that abide by party rules. Some Christians have set up underground churches, which are considered illegal and harassed by...

Algonquin Power & Utilities terminates deal to buy Kentucky Power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

OAKVILLE, Ont. — Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. says it has agreed with American Electric Power to terminate its deal to buy Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Co. Inc.AQN chief executive Arun Banskota says the company’s board of directors and management team decided that continuing with the transaction is not in the best interest of the company. He says they made the decision to cancel the deal, which was first announced in October 2021, “in light of the evolving macro environment.”The company says it is not required to pay a termination fee.AQN says it continues to estimate that its adjusted net earnings per common share for the 2023 financial year will be in a range of 55 cents to 61 cents.AQN expects to release its first quarter financial results on May 11, before market open.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:AQN)The Canadian Press

Macron speaks: French leader aims to calm pension storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is aiming to calm public anger that threatens the ambitions of his remaining four years in power with a first televised address to the nation on Monday since he enacted protest-igniting pension reforms.The evening address kicks off a likely arduous battle for the second-term president to repair the damage done to his public image and legislative plans by forcing through an increase in France’s retirement age from 62 to 64. Opponents of the unpopular reform called for people to bang pots and pans outside government offices during the address, with the rallying cry: “Macron won’t listen to us? We won’t listen to him!” Weakened in parliament, where his camp lost its absolute majority in legislative elections last year, Macron’s government needs to reconstruct alliances of lawmakers to push ahead with his legislative program. That’s likely to be an uphill task in the uproarious climate of protest sparked by his retire...

Explosive targeting Japan PM renews worry of homemade arms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

Japanese police have confiscated metal tubes, tools and possible gunpowder from the home of a suspect who threw what was believed to be a homemade pipe bomb at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a campaign event, rekindling worries about the growing threat of easy-to-make weapons in Japan.Witnesses say they saw an object that looked like a thin metal thermos flying overhead and landing near the prime minister. Kishida was safely evacuated before the device exploded, the crowd fleeing in panic as white smoke surrounded them. So far, police have confirmed only one injury to a police officer. Experts say a pipe bomb likely caused the explosion, and the impact and amount of smoke suggest it probably wasn’t that powerful. The 24-year-old suspect Ryuji Kimura was wrestled to the ground at the fishing port of Saikazaki in the western Japanese city of Wakayama on Saturday, just before Kishida was to make a campaign speech for a local governing party candidate.On Monday, police sent Kimur...

Weather reality check: Record-breaking heat gives way to wind chill, wet flurries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

GTA residents are waking up to a weather reality check on Monday after a summer-like weekend and three days of record-setting warmth last week.The suddenly cooler temperatures this week will feature some single-digit daytime highs, showers, and even the chance of flurries and wet snow.“We know that April can be quite a transitional month with winter still battling it out with spring,” says CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor.“We can take a couple of steps forward and then a couple of steps back. That’s what is happening this week.”It will be mainly cloudy for Toronto and most of the GTA on Monday with gusty wind and showers at times. The high of 12 C was reached in the early morning and it will remain around 9 C for most of the day, feeling closer to 3 C with the wind chill.Things will remain cloudy and windy overnight and a chance of showers with temperatures dropping to near 2 C, which means wet snow is a possibility. Tuesday will be cloudy with a flew...

Freak storm in Thailand capsizes fishing boats, killing 3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A freak storm in southern Thailand capsized a dozen fishing boats and killed at least three people, but more than 100 others who were also at sea have been accounted for, officials said Monday.Seven people were injured after the sudden storm off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Sunday morning caused the fishing boats to capsize and damaged dozens of others in the Gulf of Thailand. There were no missing reported among the 149 people on 61 boats, the provincial Public Relations Department reported. One of the survivors, Somkid Maneewong, said his boat encountered a wave about 4 meters (13 feet) high about an hour after leaving shore. He told TV Channel 3 that he and his 31-year-old son tried to swim to safety but strong currents eventually tired his son out and he died. He said he was surprised by the winds and currents so strong he “could not control the boat.”The provincial disaster prevention agency published an announcement warning small fishing boats ag...

2-year-old girl in serious condition after car crash on South Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

CHICAGO — Multiple people were injured, including a 2-year-old girl, in a car crash on the South Side Sunday night.According to police, two vehicles collided at the intersection of the 51st and Champlain Avenue when a sedan travelling eastbound on 51st street attempted to turn on Champlain but failed to yield and struck another vehicle. The sedan was occupied by a 56-year-old driver and a 25-year-old passenger. Both individuals were not injured and refused EMS, police said. 2 teens shot in the Loop during large disturbance The vehicle that was struck was had a 20-year-old female driver who sustained minor injuries and an 18-year-old female passenger who sustained injuries to the face. Both were transported to a hospital in fair condition. A 2-year-old girl who was also a passenger in the car sustained trauma to the body and was transported to Comers Hospital in serious condition. Citations are pending and police are still investigating the incident.

Most elite runners gather to start 127th Boston Marathon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

HOPKINTON, Mass. (AP) — The fastest and most-decorated elite field ever to assemble in Hopkinton is getting ready to cross the start line for the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday.The group includes world record holders, Olympic and Paralympic medalists, winners of major marathons from 27 countries and a dozen Boston Marathon champions, according to the Boston Athletic Association, which administers the prestigious race. World record-holder Eliud Kipchoge is making his Boston Marathon debut.On Saturday, the city marked the 10-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. The 2013 race was interrupted when two backpack bombs exploded on Boylston Street, steps from the finish line.About 30,000 athletes will run 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) to Copley Square in Boston. A light drizzle has made for wet roads at the start and runners could be facing a headwind. The temperature is expected to be in the low 50s.This year the race includes a new divis...

Round Rock repaving several roads in downtown area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Round Rock city council approved a project to repave several streets in the downtown area, many of which have not been resurfaced in over a decade. The project, valued at $3,543,440, will be completed by Bennett Paving, and the city is estimating it will take about 45 days to complete. Gary Hudder, the city's transportation department director, said the city tries to complete a street resurfacing project once a year, and it felt now was the right time to do a large-scale project in the downtown area. Where is the project happening? The city provided a map detailing the several roads where construction will take place. That map is below:This map shows which streets will be resurfaced in the new streets project (Photo Credit: City of Round Rock). Hudder said many of the streets in the neighborhoods can get eroded by heavy rainfall."It's frankly one of the challenges in this area. A lot of water and drainage that takes some time to dissipate when we get heav...

Which parts of Texas are growing fastest, and how could that impact election results?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 30 million people now call Texas home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.County population estimates as of July 2022 were released late last month. The statewide population grew by about 3% since the 2020 Census, but that growth isn't being seen evenly across the state.In fact, 102 of Texas' 254 counties saw a population decline in that two-year span.So which parts of the state are seeing the most growth, and how could that impact future election results in Texas?We've divided the state up into five categories:Major Metros (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant and Travis counties)Smaller Cities (places like Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock and Tyler)Suburban Counties (such as Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Hays and Williamson counties)the Border Region (including Brownsville, El Paso and Laredo)and all of the Other Counties in TexasOf these categories, major metros are by far the most populated. The five counties in this category have more than 12.9 million reside...