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China to ease visa requirements for U.S. travelers in latest bid to boost tourism

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

China will ease visa restrictions for people visiting from the United States, the country’s latest effort to attract foreign travelers since reopening its borders earlier this year.Starting Jan. 1, American tourists will no longer need to submit round-trip air tickets, proof of hotel reservations, itineraries or invitations to China, according to a notice posted online Friday by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.The simplified application process is intended to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States,” the notice said.The move comes as China has struggled to rejuvenate its tourism sector after three years of strict pandemic measures, which included mandatory quarantines for all arrivals. While those restrictions were lifted earlier this year, international travelers have been slow to return.In the first half of this year, China recorded 8.4 million entries and exits by foreigners, down from 977 million for all of 2019, the last year b...

Canada to benefit from open banking, feds could do more to spur competition: economist

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

A big change on the horizon for Canadian banking is being applauded by a Canadian economist.In the most recent economic statement, the federal government promised to introduce open banking, or “consumer-driven banking,” in 2024, a piece of legislation initially promised by the liberals on the campaign trail in 2021.Moshe Lander, a Concordia University economics professor, says it will breed competition in the world of Canadian banking.The premise of open banking focuses on expediting the process of sharing financial data between services, allowing customers to pool all of their bank accounts, even those at different banks, into a single interface.“The idea of open banking is that, let’s say somebody comes along and says ‘All you have to do is tell me what the various account and transit numbers are and I can put all of that information into one platform,’ so it’s easier to have everything right at your fingertips,” he told CityNews....

Man wielding 2 knives shot and wounded by Baltimore police, officials say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore police officers shot a man in the leg Saturday morning after he charged at them with a machete-like weapon and another knife, officials said.The man was listed in stable condition at a local hospital hours later, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said during a news conference at the scene.Worley said officers were conducting routine patrols in a southwest Baltimore neighborhood when they encountered a naked man walking down the street. The man, whose name has not been released, ran inside a nearby business and barricaded himself in a back room, Worley said.He said the man threw an unidentified liquid at police when they first tried to enter the building and then charged at them during their second attempt. Police fired at least one shot after an officer was cut in the face, Worley said. The officer’s injuries were minor.Worley said authorities were still processing “handmade devices” they found in an apartment above the business where the man ap...

Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny, low 40s

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

Saturday: Mostly sunny start with foggy areas, increasing PM clouds & wind. WSW 10-20 mphHigh: 42Saturday Night: Overcast skies develop with flurries & colder. WSW 5-15 mph. Low: 26Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Sunday: Cloudy, breezy & bursts of light snow. 0-1" of accumulation in the city, a bit more in NW Indiana. WNW 10-20 mph. High: 35Extended outlook calls for an extended period of seasonal / cold temps. Partly sunny skies on Monday with highs in the mid 30s. More clouds on Tuesday with highs near 40. High temps in the mid 30s on Wednesday with mostly cloudy skies and a chance of light afternoon/evening snow. 

Attorney Natasha Robinson from Legaleaze Please on new year Illinois laws

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

More than 300 state laws take effect Jan. 1, affecting gun owners, minimum wage workers and even public libraries Attorney Natasha Robinson from 'Legaleaze Please' joined WGN Weekend Morning News to share more.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Man charged after $36K stolen from St. Louis-area veterans fund

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

EUREKA, Mo. - A man is behind bars after he allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars in funds intended to support a St. Louis-area veterans group. St. Louis County prosecutors have charged Brett Leary, 42, with one felony count of stealing ($750 or more) in connection with the investigation. Leary is accused of stealing more than $36,000 from the Gateway Warrior Foundation while he served as vice president. Investigators say his father found the organization back in 2014, and it aims to provide service dogs and other resources to wounded veterans. Police: St. Louis woman Marquisha Williams found deceased in Illinois According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Leary became vice president of the organization earlier this year "due to restructuring of the foundation's leadership." The foundation kept funds in a bank account at a Commerce Bank branch in Eureka, but shortly after the leadership change, that account closed.Court documents indicate that Leary opened a new bank a...

Denver man saved 2-year-old daughter from oncoming car, died days after crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

A Denver man who pushed his 2-year-old daughter’s stroller out of the way of an oncoming car in Montbello in early December, taking most of the impact himself and breaking multiple bones, died at home days after the crash.Jorge “Alonso” Garcia, 35, was walking with his daughter Dec. 7 when he was struck by a car while crossing the street near 51st Avenue and Scranton Street in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood, according to his sister, Karla Alanis.Garcia saw the car coming and pushed his daughter’s stroller out of the way before he was hit, Alanis said.His ankle, elbow and ribs were broken and his ACL was torn in the crash.The Denver Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a crash involving a driver and pedestrian around 5:25 p.m. Dec. 7 near 51st Avenue and Scranton Street and that the driver was cited for careless driving resulting in injury and driving without proof of insurance.Garcia was released from the hospital Dec. 8 and was still in significant pain, Al...

High surf prompts evacuation warnings in Ventura 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

An evacuation warning has been issued for a part of Ventura due to high surf impacting structures in the area. According to Ventura County officials, the warning was issued shortly after 10 a.m. for residences bordering Pacific Coast Highway in between Seacliff Avenue south to Emma Wood Group Camp. Rogue wave slams into Southern California beachgoers; 9 hospitalized “The Ventura County Fire Department is encouraging individuals to avoid the coastal areas during the storm and high surf warning,” officials said on X, formerly Twitter. “All City, State and County beaches and parks along the coastline are closed.” High surf lashes the shore in Southern California on Dec. 29, 2023. (KTLA)Hermosa beach pier is seen as rough surf breaks along the beach in Manhattan beach, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The National Weather Service has issued high surf warnings for much of the West Coast and parts of Hawaii, describing the waves and rip currents expected to hit certain coast...

Tom Wilkinson of ‘The Full Monty,’ ‘Michael Clayton’ dies at 75 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

Tom Wilkinson, known for his roles in “The Full Monty” and “Michael Clayton” among others has died at the age of 75, his family told the Associated Press. A statement shared to AP by his agent said that Wilkinson died “suddenly” at his home on Saturday but did not provide further details.  Paula Abdul sues ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe alleging sexual assault Wilkinson earned Academy Award nominations for his work in “In the Bedroom” and “Michael Clayton,” the former of which put him in the running for Best Actor at the 2001 Academy Awards. TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 11: Andrew Scott, Caren Pistorius, Deborah Lipstadt, Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spal attends the 'Denial' Red Carpet Premiere for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival Premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre on September 10, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Walter McBride/FilmMagic)He is remembered by many across the United Kingdom for his role in the 1997 comedy “The Full M...

Tom Wilkinson, star of ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton,’ has died

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:14 GMT

(CNN) — Tom Wilkinson, two-time Oscar-nominated actor from films including “Shakespeare in Love,” “The Full Monty” and “Michael Clayton,” has died.He was reportedly 75.The news was confirmed by Wilkinson’s publicist Nancy Seltzer, who shared a statement with CNN.“It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on December 30. His wife and family were with him,” the statement read. “The family asks for privacy at this time.”No cause of death was immediately available.The English-born actor had some 130 screen credits to his name, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. The first came in 2002 for his leading role in “In the Bedroom” opposite Sissy Spacek. Wilkinson’s second Oscar nod was for the 2007 film “Michael Clayton,” for his supporting role.Related ArticlesObituaries | Herb Kohl dies at 88; ex-owner of Milwaukee Bucks once served as U.S. senator from Wisconsin Obituaries | Gaston Glock dies at 94; Aus...