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Sri Lanka says it struck a deal with creditors on debt restructuring to clear way for IMF funds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement in principle with a group of creditors including India and Japan on debt restructuring, a crucial move toward unlocking a second installment of a $2.9 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund.The agreement with the Official Credit Committee covers approximately $5.9 billion of outstanding public debt and consists of a mix of long-term maturity extension and reduction in interest rates, a statement from the country’s Finance Ministry said.It also said the agreement will facilitate a swift approval by the IMF Executive Board of the review of Sri Lanka’s IMF-supported program, allowing for the next tranche of IMF financing of about $334 million to be disbursed. The IMF said in September Sri Lanka’s economy was recovering, but it needed to improve its tax administration, eliminate exemptions and crack down on tax evasion.Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than...

Gay couple in Nepal becomes the 1st to officially register same-sex marriage in the country

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A gay couple in Nepal on Wednesday became the first in the nation to receive official same-sex marriage status. The Himalayan nation is one of the first in Asia to allow it.“After 23 years of struggle we got this historic achievement, and finally Maya and Surendra got their marriage registered at the local administration office,” said Sunil Babu Pant, an openly gay former parliamentarian and leading LGBTQ+ rights activist.Pant was present with Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung when they registered their marriage at the Dorje village council office, located in the mountains west of the capital, Kathmandu.Earlier this year, Nepal’s supreme court issued an interim order enabling the registration of same-sex marriages for the first time.Officials had initially refused to register the marriage. The couple and Pant filed cases with the Kathmandu District Court and High Court, but their pleas were rejected.According to Pant, the Home Ministry this week made chan...

Why are magic mushroom retail stores popping up across the country?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, it feels like a trip back to 2017, when cannabis was on the cusp of becoming legal and most cities in Canada were inundated with ‘dispensaries’ — unlicensed retail storefronts selling pot as if it were already just fine. Mostly, crackdowns on those failed, pot became legal and everyone stopped caring. Until this year, when the cycle began again with a much different drug … magic mushrooms. Now, stores with names like “Fun Guyz” and “Shroomyz” have opened across the country, and the enforcement, or lack thereof, seems similar to 2017.Daniel Eisenkraft Klein is a PhD Candidate at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a Fellow at the Canadian Centre for Health Economics. “I could point someone to at least 30 retail stores in Canada, and maybe a dozen websites that tomorrow you could access in Canada, where they’re selling psilocybin and often a number of other psychedelics,” said Eisenkraft Klein.H...

Mali’s government will probe Tuareg rebel leaders as crucial 2015 peace deal appears to crumble

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s military government has announced an investigation into the Tuareg rebel leaders who signed a peace agreement in 2015 and now accuse the government of failing to comply with it, as experts worry that the deal crucial to establishing a measure of stability in the country’s north is collapsing.The public prosecutor at the Bamako Court of Appeal on Tuesday ordered the probe into the rebel leaders who at times have sought to create the independent state of Azawad and have attacked Mali’s security forces in recent months.The government of the West African nation has referred to the rebels as a “terrorist group.”The developments could mean more violence in a region already under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida and where both U.N. peacekeepers and French forces have withdrawn in recent months.The Tuareg rebellion in Mali’s north has been a source of conflict for decades. More than a decade of instability has followed their rebellion in 2...

In the US, Black survivors are nearly invisible in the Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — As Charles Richardson gradually lost his eyesight to complications from diabetes, certain childhood memories haunted him even more. The Catholic priest appeared vividly in his mind’s eye — the one who promised him a spot on a travel basketball team, took him out for burgers and helped him with homework. The one, Richardson alleges, who sexually assaulted him for more than a year.“I’ve been seeing him a lot lately,” Richardson said.As a Black middle schooler from Baltimore, Richardson started spending time with the Rev. Henry Zerhusen, a charismatic white cleric. It was the 1970s and Zerhusen’s parish was a fixture in a neighborhood experiencing white flight and rapidly becoming majority-Black. Zerhusen welcomed his church’s racial integration and implemented programs for struggling families, including Richardson’s. Black survivors like Richardson have been nearly invisible in the Catholic Church sexual abuse crisis — even in Baltimore, home to a historic Black Catho...

Colorado to ban 'fatphobia' discrimination in workplace, housing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

(NewsNation) — Lawmakers in Colorado, America's healthiest state, are expected to pass legislation that bans bias based on "fatphobia" to prevent employers and landlords from discriminating against those who are overweight. Fatphobia is defined as the aversion to fatness or fat people. The law aims to prevent landlords from denying rentals based on weight limits and to implement workplace accommodations for overweight Americans. Fat acceptance is a growing trend in the U.S., with major cities enacting legislation to protect those who are overweight. New York enacted a similar fatphobia law last week, as U.S. obesity rates continue to increase. Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey are also considering similar laws. The Rocky Mountain state is the skinniest in the country, boasting the lowest obesity percentage at 25%, according to data from Trust for America's Health. In contrast, West Virginia, the unhealthiest state, has a 71% obesity rate. Agency renews call for speed limit so...

Hit by stolen car, victim waits months for state assistance. He's not alone.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – Steven Heller, 35, waited almost a year to return to the spot of his New Year’s Day crash. Looking across the busy intersection, he recalled the fleeting moments before impact.“Just lots of images of what happened that day,” Heller said. “Being hit by this car hurling towards me and then being thrown into the air.”Heller had planned to start the year with a 40-mile bike ride to Hutto. He never made it past Pflugerville.Halfway through the intersection at Gattis School Road and FM 685, Heller heard sirens nearing. He paused and swiveled his head just in time to see a sedan barreling toward him. It ran into Heller, tossing him and cracking his helmet. Heller later learned the car was stolen, fleeing police and driven by a convicted felon, which court records confirm. EXPLORE: Held Up: Crime victims waiting for state money “I remember feeling the car going up into the air, seeing my bike flying away from me the other direction that I was going and then ju...

Traffic Alert: Traffic light malfunction due to crash near William Cannon Drive, US-290

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A crash near the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and William Cannon Drive caused traffic issues Wednesday morning. The traffic signal at the intersection began flashing red in all directions due to the crash, according to a social media post from the Oak Hill Parkway community. All drivers should treat the intersection as a four-way stop. Plan accordingly if you drive in from Dripping Springs, or through the Oak Hill Parkway construction near the Y at Oak Hill.It's not clear if there were any injuries due to the crash. This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

Community, connections and chords: How Austin maintains its live music reputation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- All of the big-name cities have their own unique nicknames, New York City: "The City that Never Sleeps." Paris: "The City of Lights." Philadelphia: "The City of Brotherly Love." What is Austin? Only the "Live Music Capital of the World." Austin has grown since coining the term in 1991, according to city council minutes. With large festivals such as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits music festival, musicians flock to the city to perform and hopefully get noticed enough to book a gig or two. But that isn’t the only way musicians can get noticed. How Austin became the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ If you search 'live music in Austin tonight' any given night of the week, you will more than likely find at least 10 options available. With over 200 music venues in Austin, there are options on practically every street. It’s everywhere in the city: small coffee shops to outdoor restaurants, and even larger venues like the Moody Center on the University...

Artist adds holiday cheer to Manor cafe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

MANOR, Texas (KXAN) – A Central Texas artist is spreading the holiday spirit through his work. It will be easy to see his work when driving on Highway 290 in Manor. Gary Locklier painted holiday scenes Tuesday on the windows of Cafe 290. Gary Locklier paints the windows in front of Cafe 290 in Manor. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)Gary Locklier paints the windows in front of Cafe 290 in Manor. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)Gary Locklier paints the windows in front of Cafe 290 in Manor. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)Gary Locklier paints the windows in front of Cafe 290 in Manor. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)Gary Locklier paints the windows in the front of Cafe 290 in Manor. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)He told KXAN he has returned to holiday painting after taking a three-year break. "Like I was put on the Earth to do this. It's the only time I feel good is when I'm doing art. Well, I feel good other times too but yeah." Gary Locklier, artistCafe 290 is located at 11011 US-290 which is just east of Murray Ave in Manor.