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Pakistan and IMF reach preliminary deal for releasing $700 million from $3B bailout fund

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund reached a much-awaited preliminary agreement Wednesday for the release of $700 million from a $3 billion bailout fund approved by the international lender in July.The standby credit fund is meant to save cash-strapped Pakistan from default.The two sides reached the staff-level agreement during talks in Islamabad, a statement from the IMF said. Pakistan’s government also confirmed the deal and and hailed it. The release of the $700 million still must be approved by the IMF’s management and executive board, though such approvals are generally a formality. The development comes at a time when Pakistan is facing economic crisis with worsening inflation that is driving up food prices. It also comes ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for February.Currently, an interim government headed by Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar is running day-to-day affairs of the government.Hours before the announcement of the agreement, Kakar...

Ohio commission approves fracking in state parks and wildlife areas despite fraud investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some state parks can be fracked in Ohio, a decision made by a government commission Wednesday despite an ongoing investigation into oil and gas companies claiming possible fraudulent support.During a raucous meeting attended by many fracking opponents, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission OK’d several parcels for fracking by outside entities — all of them owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Transportation — that include state parks and designated wildlife areas. Under state law, the identities of those who nominated the land for oil and gas drilling are confidential. The vote took place during a tense public meeting at which anti-fracking protesters held up signs that read “DENY” and “Save Our Parks.” Advocates accused the state board members of lacking transparency, upholding the interests of corporate greed and poisoning future generations. Some threw money in front of the commissioners and shouted the...

Biden and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the APEC conference. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference. Follow live updates.What to knowWhat is APEC anyway?Biden’s goal for Xi meeting is to get U.S.-China communications back to normalSan Francisco hopes to rid its image of a city in decline as it hosts APECA fragile global economy is at stake at Biden and Xi meetWhite House expects major announcements from Xi-Biden meetingAhead of the meeting between Biden and Xi, senior White House officials said Biden would walk away from the talks with major announcements expected on curbing the flow of chemicals used in the production of fentanyl and concrete steps to revive military to military communications.One senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview aspects of the meeting, said Wednesday’s talks will stand out from the last time Biden and Xi spoke a year ago in Bali.The official sai...

Driver arrested after 4 people struck by vehicle in North York

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

Toronto police say the driver is in custody after four people were injured, two critically, when they were struck by a vehicle in a parking lot at an apartment building in North York.Emergency crews responded the scene on Cassandra Boulevard near Victoria Park Avenue at 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday.Paramedics say two women have critical injuries while a male has serious but not life-threatening injuries.A fourth person is being assessed at the scene, but there’s no update on their condition.It is not yet known what led to the collision.More to come. Developing story.

Mistrial declared for Texas officer in fatal shooting of an unarmed man

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A mistrial was declared Wednesday for a Texas police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Austin. The mistrial for Austin Officer Christopher Taylor was announced by Judge Dayna Blazey after jurors were unable to reach a verdict following five days of deliberations.Prosecutors did not immediately return a phone call for comment about whether they will again try Taylor. They had filed a murder charge against him shortly after the April 2020 shooting and he pleaded not guilty.Taylor’s defense attorney also did not immediately return a phone call for comment.Taylor has been on administrative since the shooting that killed Michael Ramos, who is Black and Hispanic. Ramos was shot as he tried to drive away from police who were attempting to arrest him in an apartment complex parking lot.Police were investigating reports of a man with a gun using drugs with other people inside a car in the parking lot.The woman who said she made the call, Meko Scott...

The UK government wants to send migrants to Rwanda. Here’s why judges say it’s unlawful

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Supreme Court dealt the government a defeat on Wednesday, ruling that its flagship policy to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda is unlawful. The government is vowing to make some changes and press on with the controversial plan.Here’s a look at the decision and what could happen next.WHAT IS THE RWANDA PLAN?The Rwanda plan is the British government’s response to the growing number of migrants from around the world — 46,000 in 2022 – who cross the English Channel from France to Britain in small boats. Most people who arrive that way apply for asylum, and in the past many have been granted it. The Conservative government says these migrants should not be treated as genuine refugees because they did not claim asylum in another safe country, such as France, that they reached first.In an attempt to deter people from making the risky journeys, the U.K. struck a deal with Rwanda in April 2022 to send migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in bo...

Vatican plans to gradually replace car fleet with electric vehicles in deal with VW

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

ROME (AP) — The Vatican signed an agreement Wednesday with German carmaker Volkswagen AG to gradually replace its auto fleet with electric vehicles as part of the Vatican’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.The announcement did not give any details on the value of the deal or set a timetable for completing the switch to electric vehicles.The partnership falls under the Vatican’s “Ecological Conversion 2030” plan, which aims to pursue sustainable, carbon-neutral projects and technologies in the 44-hectare (109-acre) city state in the center of Rome. Pope Francis has made caring for the planet a hallmark of his papacy and will become the first pope to address a U.N. climate conference when he attends the upcoming COP28 meeting in Dubai. Last month, in a prelude to what he will likely say in Dubai, the Argentine Jesuit issued an urgent update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment. In it, he challenged world leaders to commit to binding targets to slow climate ch...

City council expected to approve Johnson's budget

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson's $16 billion budget is expected to be approved by the city council Wednesday.The budget does not include any property tax hike, which is a departure from prior mayors, who used their first budget to increase taxes.The budget does include $150 million to support the influx of migrants into the Chicago area.But some critics say that won't be enough because the city is already spending $40 million a month for migrants.

Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer latest 'Friends' stars to post touching tribute to Matthew Perry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry’s “Friends” co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor’s death last month.Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer posted heartfelt notes about Perry, who died Oct. 28, on Instagram. The posts on Tuesday and Wednesday were accompanied by photos from the “Friends” set.“In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again,” Aniston posted Wednesday, sharing a text message where Perry sent her photo of a script reading session where Perry made her laugh.“Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” Aniston’s post read.The stars, including Lisa Kudrow, issued a joint statement a few days after Perry's death, saying they were "all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. ...

Travis Kelce comments on weekend with Taylor Swift, being 'shocked' by changed song lyric

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:37:11 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – It's Wednesday, which means a new episode of the Kelce brothers' "New Heights" podcast has dropped. And — as is so often the case these days — Travis and Jason Kelce discussed the former's relationship with Taylor Swift.This week's episode aired amid an especially big couple of weeks for the Kelce brothers, thanks to an upcoming game between Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs and Jason Kelce's Philadelphia Eagles. And then, of course, there was Travis Kelce's weekend in Argentina with Swift. Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift in viral video from Argentina The brothers talked specifically about Swift changing the lyrics to her song "Karma" during her performance in Buenos Aires.During the song, which is the last on the Eras Tour set list, Swift changed a lyric from "Karma is a guy on the screen coming straight home to me" to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."You can see the moment here: Jason Kelc...