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Stock market today: Asian shares rise, buoyed by Wall Street rally from bonds and oil prices

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares advanced Thursday after a plunge in oil prices aided a recovery on Wall Street. Benchmarks rose in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Hong Kong. Chinese markets were closed for a holiday. Market sentiment was helped by a $5 decline in oil prices on Wednesday. Lower energy costs would relieve inflationary pressures that have led central banks to keep interest rates high. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 1.5% to 30,969.71. Sydney’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5% to 6,925.50, while South Korea’s Kospi added 0.8% to 2,424.90. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong gained 0.7% to 17,321.16. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 53 cents to $84.75 a barrel. It fell $5.01 to settle at $84.22 per barrel Wednesday in its biggest drop in just over a year. It was hovering near $70 a barrel and has been been pulling back since topping $93 last week.Brent crude, the international standard, gained 61 cents to $86.42. Oil prices fell after the Energy Information...

Highlights from AP-NORC poll about the religiously unaffiliated in the US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

Thirty percent of Americans don’t identify with a religious group — but not all of them are atheists or agnostics.In fact, 43% of the group known as the “nones” say they believe in God, even if they largely dislike organized religion.Those are among the findings of a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.The poll of 1,680 adults was conducted May 11-15 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.RELIGIOUS OR NOTThirty percent of adults identified with no religion. That group, commonly called nones, includes those identifying as atheist (7%), agnostic (7%) and nothing in particular (16%).Sixty-four percent in the poll identified with a Christian tradition, including Protestant (25%), Catholic (19%), “just Christian” (18%) ,Mormon (1%) and Orthodox (less than 1%). Other g...

Q&A: Jose Mujica on Uruguay’s secular history, religion, atheism and the global rise of the ‘nones’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — In Uruguay, a nation of some 3.3 million people, more than half identify as “nones” — atheist, agnostic or other religiously unaffiliated — the highest portion in Latin America.Uruguay has a long history of secularization. In the early 20th century, new laws banned any mention of God in oaths of office, and removed symbols, including crucifixes, from public hospitals. Holidays were secularized: Holy Week is known as Tourism Week. Christmas is Family Day.Uruguay’s best-known “none” is former President Jose Mujica. Now 88, Mujica gained respect globally for his simple ways. He donated most of his salary to charity and declined to live in the presidential mansion. His social agenda included laws approving same-sex marriage and creating the world’s first national marketplace for legal marijuana.In an interview with The Associated Press at his flower farm near Montevideo, Mujica reflected on his beliefs, Uruguay’s secularism and the global rise of the religious...

The collapse of a building in Havana has left 3 people dead and at least 2 others injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

HAVANA (AP) — A building in the historic center of Havana that housed 13 families partially collapsed, leaving three people dead and at least two injured, Cuban authorities said Wednesday.Authorities in Havana said that among the three fatalities were one resident and two firefighters who got trapped in the building when they were helping evacuate people.A part of the three-story building collapsed Tuesday’s night, and other sections crumbled early Wednesday. While the reason for the collapse was not immediately known, the area has several aging buildings that lack maintenance and deteriorate in tropical rains, like those currently hitting the island.Alexis Acosta Silva, mayor of Old Havana, told local media there were 54 people in the building at the time of the collapse. Families were evacuated to a nearby school, and no damage was reported to surrounding buildings.Poor maintenance of existing residential buildings and the slow rate of building new ones have been top complai...

Toronto Islands has a cormorant problem. What’s being done to address it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

It’s become an increasingly common sight along the Toronto Islands: green trees and, suddenly, a patch of what looks like silver to the untrained eye.But it’s not silver at all; it’s bird poop and a lot of it courtesy of double-crested cormorants, a species of bird that the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) said is native to the islands and was even close to extinction at one point.“With cormorants, they have specific feces, and so all of their excrements, as it accumulates in their nesting areas, it ultimately starts killing the trees,” said Andrea Chreston of the TRCA.“While the feces don’t directly harm people, they have a pretty pungent odour. Cormorants also have a primarily fish-based diet and often regurgitate their food within the nesting colonies.”Chreston said it becomes increasingly problematic when the feces and regurgitated fish are blended into the humid conditions of Toronto’s hot and humid weather.&...

Numbers drawn for $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot that keeps growing after 11 weeks without a winner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The numbers were drawn Wednesday night for an estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot.The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.The game is in the midst of an 11-week stretch without a big winner, but no matter how large the prize grows the odds stay the same — and they’re terrible.It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s seventh-largest lottery prize. The last time someone won the top prize was July 19.GAME DETAILSIn most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee. Once the numbers are ...

Powerball numbers drawn for $1.2B jackpot: Did you win?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Grab your tickets: the winning numbers for the estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot have been drawn. The winning numbers drawn on Wednesday, Oct. 4, were: 63, 9, 35, 64, 54 and red Powerball is 1. The Power Play is 2X.The jackpot propelled to an estimated $1.2 billion, with a cash value of $551.7 million, after no ticket matched all winning numbers drawn Monday, though several players took home second-tier prizes. Win the Powerball jackpot? Think twice before taking the cash At that size, it stands as the third-largest jackpot in Powerball history, coming in behind a $2.04 billion jackpot hit last November in California and a $1.586 billion jackpot split by three tickets (California, Florida, and Tennessee) in 2016.If the jackpot is won in this drawing, it would be the seventh-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, edging out a $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot won by a ticket sold in California in July — which has yet to be claimed. The largest lottery ...

Two firefighters suffer minor injuries in Parkcrest Drive fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, two firefighters suffered minor injuries extinguishing a structure fire in west Austin, the Austin Fire Department said on social media.Officials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Andy way/KXAN NewsOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Courtesy Austin Fire DepartmentOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Courtesy Austin Fire DepartmentOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Courtesy Austin Fire DepartmentOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Andy way/KXAN NewsOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Andy way/KXAN NewsOfficials responded to a structure fire on Parkcrest Drive near MoPac Expressway Wednesday | Courtesy Austin Fire DepartmentS...

Liberty Hill man arrested on murder charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

BELL COUNTY, Texas (FOX44) -- A 38-year-old Liberty Hill man wanted in a September 21 homicide was arrested in Williamson County after initially getting away, according to a release from Bell County.Ryan Adam Madden is one of three suspects accused of murder after 42-year-old Cody Kinslow and another victim were found shot in a Bell County home. Kinslow died after the shooting, police said.Officers tried to arrest Madden on Thursday, Sept. 28, but he got away. Authorities believed Madden may have been in Williamson, Burnet or Travis County.On Wednesday, a Williamson County Sheriff's Department deputy stopped a vehicle just off County Road 282, west of Liberty Hill. Madden was a passenger in the vehicle and ran away into a wooded area. Authorities used drones and a K-9 to search the area and take Madden into custody, the release said.Sandy Gayle Carrese of Liberty Hill is already in the Bell County Jail, facing a murder charge. Her bond is set at $1,000,000. 47-year-old Howard Lee Ba...

'Big Border Rivalry' pregame show gets you ready for Texas, Oklahoma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:47 GMT

Watch Horns Pre-Game: Big Border Rivalry in the video player above.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The pageantry of college football will be on full display at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday for the 119th Red River Rivalry, and KXAN Sports wants to get you ready for it. By the numbers: Stats to know about the Texas Longhorns’ 2023 season The "Big Border Rivalry" pregame show takes you inside the matchup between bitter rivals playing in one of college football's most storied matchups. Unlike a lot of other Big 12 Conference rivalries that will die next season, both schools are moving to the Southeastern Conference and will continue to play this game that means everything to the fan bases, players and programs.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersKXAN Sports Director Roger Wallace sits down with Longhorns play-by-play announcer Craig Way and sideline reporter Will Matthews to get an insightfu...