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Chinese-Australian journalist jailed in China on spying charges describes harsh conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese-Australian journalist who worked for China’s state broadcaster and was convicted on murky espionage charges has spoken out about the harsh conditions of her detention. Cheng Lei has been held for three years, and although found guilty on national security charges at a closed-door trial last year, has yet to be sentenced. She is allowed to stand in the sunlight for only 10 hours a year, hasn’t seen a tree since she was detained, and deeply misses her daughter and son, now entering high school, Cheng said in a statement conveyed to an Australian diplomat and released to local media. “I relive every bushwalk, river, lake, beach with swims and picnics and psychedelic sunsets, sky that is lit up with stars, and the silent and secret symphony of the bush,” Cheng said in the statement read by her partner Nick Coyle on the Australian Broadcasting Corp.“I secretly mouth the names of places I’ve visited and driven through,” Cheng said. “It is the Chinese in me t...

Sentence is cut for trans youth’s father who discussed treatment against court order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Court of Appeal has struck down a six-month prison sentence for a trans youth’s father who was convicted of contempt for publicly discussing his child’s private medical details in breach of a court order.Instead, the appeal court sentenced the man to time served, effectively amounting to 45 days, according to the ruling released on Wednesday.The youth had taken his father to court to stop him from giving media interviews in which he identified his child and discussed their medical treatment for gender dysphoria, as well as the father’s objections to the process.The father pleaded guilty to contempt, but his lawyer advised him to reject an offer to make a deal with the Crown for 45 days of imprisonment, and he was instead sentenced to six months.The three-judge appeal panel found the man’s lawyer provided ineffective assistance by not recognizing the prosecutors’ deal would have seen his client released upon his guilty pl...

Toronto police investigating homicide after man, 67, found dead in apartment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

Toronto police are investigating a homicide after a man was found dead inside his York apartment.Investigators were notified of a deceased person inside a unit located in the Bellevue Crescent and Weston Road area around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.Police located a deceased male.The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Ahmed Hassan of Toronto.The Homicide and Missing Persons Unit has taken over the investigation.No other information was provided.

Great run for Elmhurst Youth Baseball comes to an end

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

WHITESTOWN, Ind. — A great run for a Chicago area little league baseball team came to an end on Thursday afternoon just short of a berth in the Little League World Series. Elmhurst Youth Baseball lost to New Albany, Ohio 4-0 in the regional championship in Whitestown, Indiana in a game to decide the representative for the Great Lakes at the world baseball tournament in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania later this month. After picking up an 8-4 victory over the Ohio team on Monday, the group from New Albany rallied to beat Kentucky in an elimination game and then knock off Elmhurst with a strong pitching performance. The team from the west suburbs managed just two hits as their great season came to an end. It was still a great run for the Elmhurst 12U team that advanced out of Illinois' little league tournament with a strong run in July. They advanced out of the district, sectional, and state rounds, defeating Hinsdale 6-1 to capture the Illinois title on July 25. After arriving in Wh...

$100K reward offered for information on USPS mail carrier shooting suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

CHICAGO -- The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects involved in two armed robberies and one shooting of mail carriers last week.The armed robbery and shooting took place on the 3200 block of North Kildare Avenue in Chicago's Kilbourn neighborhood around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1. PREVIOUS: USPS offering $50K reward for information after mail carrier shot Another armed robbery of a USPS mail carrier took place just before 3:45 p.m. on the 1800 block of North Sawyer Avenue in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood.Postal inspectors are seeking to identify a person of interest who may be involved in the letter carrier robberies and shooting.Anyone with information regarding this incident are asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. When connected, say "law enforcement" and reference case number 4088796.

Scoreboard omission is the latest topic in an eventful White Sox week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

CHICAGO — For a team that won't be a factor in Major League Baseball's postseason picture in 2023, they are certainly finding themselves in the middle of a lot of controversy.From a fight to accusations of bad culture to even a reported locker room spat, the White Sox are providing storylines that no one wants at the moment. Another one happened on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, when observers at the game, including Twitter user @SouthsideIvan, noticed that Yankees reliever Keynan Middleton's name wasn't on the main center field scoreboard or those located above home plate when he took the mound.The former White Sox pitcher caused a stir late in the week when he told Jesse Rogers from ESPN about issues with the culture within the team's locker room, describing it as one having "no rules." When asked about Middleton's name not being on the scoreboard, the White Sox had this statement. “The omission was not intentional but resulted because of duplicate players listed under ...

Here's which back-to-school prices are up (and down)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

(NewsNation) — After 12 straight months of declines, inflation in the U.S. rose in July, and data suggests many back-to-school prices have risen faster than others.Last month, consumer prices jumped 3.2% compared to the year prior, according to new data released Thursday. But over the same period, prices for stationery supplies like notebooks, binders, pens and pencils rose 9.3%. The Children’s Place recalls jeans for choking hazard Americans are expected to spend a record amount on back-to-school items this year.Families with children in elementary through high school are projected to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school shopping in 2023, up $25 from last year's all-time high, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). In total, consumers are projected to spend a record $41 billion on back-to-school this year. Meanwhile, the NRF expects back-to-college spending to be more than double that amount, reaching $94 billion at $1,367 per household. Here's what costs more,...

37-acre Cedar Park brush fire fully contained; apartment building destroyed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

Editor's note: The City of Cedar Park has updated the location of Red Cross shelter operations to the Hill Country Bible Church CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Crews were able to fully contain a wildfire Thursday evening in Cedar Park, officials said.Cedar Park police said crews responded around 6:16 p.m. Tuesday to the four-alarm fire near 12820 West Parmer Ln., which is close to East Whitestone Boulevard. Residents at the Bexley at Silverado apartment complex and nearby businesses were evacuated. The 37-acre fire was 100% contained shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.The fire, called the Parmer Lane Fire, destroyed a building containing 24 apartments and damaged two other apartment buildings, Cedar Park said. In total, 38 apartment units were damaged by the fire. VIDEO: Drone footage shows scope of Cedar Park brush fire damage According to the city, approximately 300 apartment units, 95 townhomes and multiple bu...

Naked Missouri man with chainsaw charged with burglary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

LEBANON, Mo. — A Lebanon man was arrested and charged with 1st and 2nd-degree burglary.According to a press release from the Laclede County Sheriff's Office, Lloyd E. Tabor III, 49, was arrested after he made forced entry into a garage located in the 26000 block of Lake Shore Drive. Christian County couple caught in Michigan with 2 abducted children At 8:30 a.m. on August 9, Tabor allegedly stole a bicycle, clothes, and personal items inside the garage. The victim interrupted the burglary and called 911. He fled the scene on the bike.Just before noon, police managed to locate Tabor near Grand Lake Circle.The press release stated a citizen near the Grand Lake residence saw Tabor come out of the woods, dressed in what the witness called, a brown blanket. The witness said Tabor was walking between houses and saw him take a chainsaw. Tabor was inside a shed.Tabor was naked at the time of the arrest. The blanket was actually a drop cloth stolen from the Lake Shore Drive burglary. The c...

Mercy staff reunite with patient months after life-saving measures

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:50 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Adam Johnson remembers feeling helpless seven months ago when his daily walk turned into an ambulance ride. “I was out in the backyard walking [my dog] Eggs on a break from work and I could start feeling it, you know, around my chest. I could start feeling some pain,” Johnson said.  When Johnson’s pain got worse, he was rushed to Mercy Springfield, where his heart stopped in the Emergency Room before it was restarted.  What happened this week in Springfield 100 years ago? August 6-12 “I've seen the pictures of my heart already where it just looks like someone just quenched it and just closed it up tightly,” Johnson said.  Dealing with cardiac arrest and more, the Mercy team responded. “We got his heart started back up. We did CPR, [got him] intubated,” Dr. Andrea Spangler said.  “He coded, lost his pulse in the emergency room,” Dr. Adnan Alexander Kassier said. “Had this have happened outside the emergency room, the chance of surviv...