Latest news with #Liu
New York Post
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Fitness influencer set Guinness World Record with this insane deadlift skill
Liu Weiqiang has broken a Guinness World record, and all he had to do was, quite literally, lift a finger. The Chinese fitness influencer deadlifted a jaw-dropping 144 kilograms with just his middle finger, breaking the previous record set by Egmond Molina, who achieved a one-finger deadlift of 138.5 kilograms in March 2024. To put 144 kilograms into perspective, that's roughly the weight of a washer and dryer combo, a bathtub full of water, a small motorbike, or even two full kegs of beer. Yep. So, very impressive. To achieve this whopping accomplishment, Liu built a weighted device he could lift with just one finger. He clipped a carabiner to a sturdy fitness pole and loaded it with four 25-kilogram plates and two 20-kilogram plates. 5 Liu Weiqiang has broken a Guinness World record, and all he had to do was, quite literally, lift a finger. Guinness World Records Then, while in a deadlift position – legs apart and a neutral spine – he looped his right middle finger around the carabiner and pulled the weight up, his face the picture of pain as he grimaced through the movement. The entire lift took almost an entire 10 seconds. Impressive as the feat is, Liu is no stranger to breaking world records. In 2023, he set eight Guinness World Records, including the heaviest weighted pull-up (109.20 kg), most pull-ups in one minute with a 36-kilogram pack (25 pull-ups), and the most ring dips in one minute carrying a 45-kilogram pack (20 dips). 5 The entire lift took almost an entire 10 seconds, according to reports. Guinness World Records Contrary to his impressive rep sheet, the strongman did not set out with the intention of setting such records. 'Due to the pressures of work and the natural ageing process, I found myself with less energy for fitness than before,' Weiqiang previously told Guinness World Records. 'I believed that my training performances were already approaching record levels, so I decided to put myself to the test. 5 To achieve this whopping accomplishment, Liu built a weighted device he could lift with just one finger. Guinness World Records 5 He clipped a carabiner to a sturdy fitness pole and loaded it with four 25-kilogram plates and two 20-kilogram plates. Guinness World Records 'I chose several challenges with a higher chance of success and scheduled them at the beginning of this year's vacation. 'Since starting my job, I've had less time for fitness, and I've felt a bit slack. However, after proving myself through these records, I find fitness to be relaxing and enjoyable.' Aussies have also gotten a piece of the world record pie. In 2023, Brisbane accountant Lucas Helmke went down in history after beating the world record for the most push-ups in one hour as he performed 3,206 push-ups in 60 minutes. 5 'Due to the pressures of work and the natural ageing process, I found myself with less energy for fitness than before,' Weiqiang previously told Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records For those having trouble wrapping their head around that figure, that's an average of 53 per minute. The previous record of 3182 was set by another Aussie, Adelaide mechanic Daniel Scali, in April 2022. Mr Helmke attempted this record to 'provide inspiration' for his one-year-old son in a bid to 'show him nothing is impossible'. The Queensland man trained for three years to break the record, with the official attempt taking place at the powerlifting gym Iron Underground, Brisbane.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hudson's Bay headed back to court to get permission to sell six leases
TORONTO – Hudson's Bay is headed back to court with hopes of getting approval to sell more of its leases and to extend its reprieve from creditors. The collapsed retailer is expected to use the appearance Thursday morning to ask the Ontario Superior Court to allow it to sell five leases to clothing company YM Inc. and one to Ivanhoe Realties Inc. YM Inc. owns a slew of mall brands including Bluenotes, Urban Planet, Suzy Shier and West 49. It wants to pay $5.03 million to take over properties the Bay and its sister Saks business held at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ont., Tanger Outlet in Kanata, Ont., Outlet Collection in Winnipeg, CrossIron Mills in Rocky View, Alta., and Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, Ont. YM has not said which of its brands will move into each site but the Bay said in court filings made last week that the landlords of all five properties have given their blessing to the prospective new tenant. However, YM had bigger ambitions when it inked a deal with the Bay on May 28. It originally wanted to buy the leases at Pickering Town Center in Pickering, Ont., Skyview Power Centre in Edmonton, and Midtown Plaza in Saskatoon for $1 million, but landlord waivers weren't secured for those properties. In addition to the YM transaction, the Bay will also ask the court Thursday to allow it to move forward with another deal it struck to sell its lease at Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C., to Ivanhoe Realties Inc. for $20,000. Ivanhoe Cambridge, the parent company of Ivanhoe Realties, owns the mall and thus, the transaction is not facing opposition. The two deals were the result of a process, which saw the Bay put its leases up for sale. One dozen bids for a collective 39 properties came in. Ivanhoe's bid was not initially accepted because of its low price, the Bay has said in court documents. However, negotiations eventually helped the parties come to an agreement. The retailer is expected to use the remainder of the hearing to push for its creditor protection to be extended to Oct. 31. The company, which closed all of its stores earlier this year, says the extension will give it more time to prepare its art and artifacts for auction and get approval to sell 25 more leases to B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu. Liu already bought three leases at B.C. malls she owns but wants about two dozen more. She has said she will use the sites to open a new department store named after herself. It will have three tiers — flagship, premium and standard. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Liu is budgeting $375 million for the endeavour and says $120 million will be spent on 'overdue' repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, washrooms, elevators and escalators. She also says $135 million will be spent on initial inventory. She projects her plan will create at least 1,800 new jobs and by 2027, generate more than $420 million in annual sales. Landlords are vehemently opposed to her moving in and have criticized her for not providing enough information about the business she intends to open in their properties. One of the Bay's leading lenders, Restore Capital, and its parent company Hilco Global, have also fought Liu's 25-lease deal, saying each month that the transaction goes unapproved, their costs rise and their chances of recovering lost money erode. A judge has given all parties in the Bay case a series of August deadlines to produce documents and file motions, allowing the court to hear arguments around whether Liu should get the leases at the end of next month. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Hudson's Bay seeks court order to force lease transfer to B.C. billionaire
Hudson's Bay is applying to the court for the assignment of up to 25 of its leases to B.C. billionaire Weihong Liu's company, Central Walk , despite having no landlord consent and even weighing scrapping the deal altogether just weeks ago. The defunct retailer filed a motion record Tuesday evening seeking the Superior Court of Ontario's approval of Liu's $69.1-million bid for leases across Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, which it claims would result in significant recovery for its creditors, restore about 1,800 jobs, and boost local economies. 'I am of the view that … Central Walk has the necessary marketing tools that will be instrumental in generating excitement amongst consumers, making Central Walk's vision of generating increased foot traffic at its stores achievable,' said Franco Perugini, Hudson's Bay's senior vice-president of real estate and legal, in the court document. Liu, who owns three shopping malls in B.C., pledged to launch a 'modern department store' brand — named after her English name, Ruby Liu — that will serve different generations and deliver immersive shopping experiences at the former Hudson's Bay locations. To date, not a single landlord has agreed to her plan. Most have submitted letters to Liu in June, citing insufficient evidence of her retail experience and the lack of a credible business plan as reasons for opposing the lease reassignment. Court documents on Tuesday showed Hudson's Bay had considered terminating the agreement with Central Walk earlier this month but opted to proceed with a motion to compel landlords to accept Central Walk as a tenant — a matter pending the judge's final ruling — after consulting stakeholders, including its largest lender, Pathlight Capital. Liu told the court that Central Walk would comply with existing use provisions and obligations under the leases and begin rent payment immediately after the assignment. The company has pledged a $375-million initial equity investment, including $120 million for store renovations, and plans to open the locations on a rolling basis within six to 12 months. Several former senior Hudson's Bay employees — including Perugini, Lou Ampas, former divisional vice-president of construction, and Mithun Sinharoy, former senior vice-president of supply chain, fulfilment and logistics — and 11 former managers are either in discussions to join or have already agreed to join Central Walk. Central Walk also plans to engage J2 Retail Management, which has submitted a proposal to support inventory stocking and supply chain logistics. Liu, an immigrant and entrepreneur from China , stated in the court filing that her company has 'a proven track record of identifying the fixable shortcomings of retail spaces and remedying them.' She pointed to her Tsawwassen Mills mall, south of Vancouver, where she claims to have increased annual foot traffic by two million and boosted rental revenue by 15 per cent since 2022. 'I am confident that if the leases are assigned, (my company) will not only perform all obligations under the leases, but it will exceed all expectations and emerge as a leader in Canadian retail. Otherwise, these spaces will be vacant for much longer, benefitting neither the landlords nor their communities,' Liu said. Central Walk's business plan is expected to face challenges from opposing landlords when the court hears Hudson's Bay's lease assignment motion, along with a motion from the retailer's senior lender, Restore, to terminate the transaction with Central Walk, on Aug. 28. Liu successfully bought out Hudson's Bay's leases on three shopping centres she owns for $6 million last month. Just hours before Hudson's Bay filed its motion, a set of surprising court documents was shared with the lawyers of stakeholders, revealing that the deal had repeatedly come close to collapsing — prompting Liu to write to Justice Peter J. Osborne in an effort to win his support in early July. Correspondence between Hudson's Bay and Liu's lawyer, disclosed in court documents, shows that the retailer previously warned Liu that her company was in breach of the purchase agreement for failing to take 'the most basic and necessary steps to advance its bid' and for ignoring repeated reminders to prepare substantive information to persuade landlords. Hudson's Bay issued an ultimatum to Liu in a letter on July 5, setting out a series of deadlines requiring her company to provide more information about its business plan and offering to knock $3 million off the price of the leases in exchange for Liu using some of her deposit to retain Hudson's Bay's former chief executive officer, Liz Rodbell, as a consultant, and KPMG LLP as a financial adviser. On July 9 and 10, Liu wrote two emails to the judge, against the retailer's advice, recounting her rags-to-riches story in China and filed complaints against her former lawyers, Hudson's Bay and the landlords, who she said had 'allied together to bypass court procedures' and 'schemed to regain the leases for nothing.' 'HBC has repeatedly threatened to terminate our agreement and forfeit our deposit. I sincerely thank you for your time and hope you can uphold justice in accordance with the law,' she added. The Office of the Chief Justice responded to Liu, warning her that it is inappropriate to contact the judge directly under any circumstances, and any further correspondence would be considered as harassment.
2 days ago
- Business
Hudson's Bay takes landlords to court over billionaire's lease takeover
Hudson's Bay has solidified its faith in a controversial deal to sell leases to a B.C. billionaire by asking a court to force landlords critical of her to let her move in. A motion filed by the collapsed department store late Tuesday asked the Ontario Superior Court to reassign 25 of its leases to Ruby Liu. Fifteen of the leases cover properties in Ontario, including Fairview Mall, Sherway Garden, Bayshore Shopping Centre and Bramalea City Centre. The remaining 10 are split evenly between Alberta and B.C. and include West Edmonton Mall, CF Market Mall and Guildford Town Centre. The group of leases will cost Liu about $69 million, minus a litany of fees she has to pay as a condition of taking them on, the latest documents show. The Bay thinks Liu should get the leases because the deal will help it repay creditors, offer jobs to former Bay employees and fill vacant properties so landlords avoid the visual and economic blight of a 'dark' or empty store for a significantly prolonged period. If landlords aren't forced to accept Liu, the company warns significant benefits and value creation will be lost and it will have to turn its former stores back over to landlords. The filing sets up the Bay for a fight that will pit it against some of the country's most prominent landlords, including Cadillac Fairview, Oxford Properties and Primaris. If it wins, Liu estimates the retailer will make a $50 million dent in the roughly $1.1 billion in debt it had when it filed for creditor protection in March. That process led the Bay to close all of its stores and start soliciting buyers for its leases. One dozen bidders made offers for 39 properties. Liu was designated the winner of the bulk of them. The Vancouver-based entrepreneur made her fortune in Chinese real estate and owns three B.C. malls, including the Woodgrove Centre and Mayfair Shopping Centre, which she is willing to sell to advance her push for the Bay leases. Liu inked two deals to buy a collective 28 leases that belonged to the Bay and its sister Saks stores in May. The first deal — for three leases at malls Liu owns — sailed through court with no opposition. Ruby Liu has drafted a plan for a new self-named department store. Liu owns three B.C. malls, including the Woodgrove Centre and Mayfair Shopping Centre, which she is willing to sell to advance her push for the Bay leases. Photo: (Ben Nelms/CBC) The second became fraught shortly after it was announced, when landlords began meeting with Liu and found she had little information to share about her bid to open a new department store named after herself and replete with retail, dining, entertainment and recreational spaces. A package Liu sent landlords in early June, which was obtained by The Canadian Press, showed she thought she was capable of opening up to 20 stores within just 180 days of signing leases. It offered a vague financial budget and mentioned hiring efforts and meetings with prospective suppliers but did not name the potential vendors. Court records filed on Tuesday showed the initial package and meetings with Liu left Cadillac Fairview with the strong impression that Ms. Liu is making this up as she goes. Primaris REIT felt her plans were predicated upon hope, optimism and not on experience. New plans filed alongside the Bay's motion show Liu has taken another stab at a business roadmap. Promise of new flagship stores This time around she's budgeting $375 million for her venture and is looking at opening three tiers — flagship, platinum and standard — of a new, self-named department store. Though she has spoken repeatedly about putting dining, entertainment and recreational spaces into her stores, she promises to take on the leases as is. Much has been made of my public comments around the retail concepts that I believe may appeal to modern shoppers, Liu writes. However, this should not be taken as any intention to ignore the terms of the lease. Liu says $120 million will be invested on overdue repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, washrooms, elevators and escalators and $135 million on initial inventory. She projects her plan will create at least 1,800 new jobs and by 2027, generate more than $420 million in annual sales. Despite the landlords' opposition to the assignment of the leases to Liu, she says she is confident that my growing team (which will include former HBC executives) will be able to build fruitful and lasting relationships with them and their communities. Liu's filing was made after 50 pages she sent to judge Peter Osborne — against the Bay's advice — were entered into the court record. They included two notes to Osborne sent a day apart that were appended with letters the Bay's lawyers and landlord lawyers sent to her and her counsel. The records show the Bay's lawyers heeded early criticism from landlords and started pressing Liu to prepare a more in-depth plan. They urged Liu to hire the retailer's former CEO Liz Rodbell as a consultant and KPMG as a financial adviser and bring back Miller Thomson as legal representation and offered to shave $3 million off the price of the leases, if she did so. The new business plan Liu filed Tuesday makes no mention of Rodbell or Miller Thomson but lists KPMG as a potential tax adviser and auditor.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Man jailed for stealing debit cards, cash aboard Scoot flight to Singapore
Liu Xitang was sentenced to 10 months' jail after pleading guilty to one charge of theft. - Photo: Asiaone SINGAPORE: In yet another case of in-flight theft, a man has been jailed for stealing a passenger's debit cards and cash onboard a Scoot flight to Singapore. Both the prosecution and judge noted the increasing prevalence of such offences as Liu Xitang's case was heard in court on Wednesday (July 30). The Chinese national, 35, was sentenced to 10 months' jail after pleading guilty to one charge of theft. Handing down the sentence, District Judge Eddy Tham said: 'A strong message needs to be sent out to deter any like-minded persons from carrying out such offences.' The court heard that Liu committed the crime on June 2 while onboard Scoot flight TR469 from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. His co-accused was fellow Chinese national Wang Wei, 41, who has also been charged. Wang's case is still before the courts. Chinese national Wang Wei (left) has been charged after he was arrested at Changi Airport. - Photo: Asiaone Wang was aware that Liu would commit theft on flights. In particular, Liu would get the details of other passengers' credits cards and use the stolen information to make transactions. In their conversations, they used the codeword 'biscuit' to refer to credit cards. The duo entered Malaysia from China on May 31. They planned to leave Malaysia on June 2 via the flight to Singapore, then transit to Hong Kong and part ways. After boarding the plane, the victim, a 39-year-old Malaysian, placed her bag containing her valuables in the overhead compartment above her seat. Before take-off, Liu reached into that overhead compartment and stole two debit cards and $169 in cash from the victim's bag. He then placed the items into a drawstring bag, which he got as a ScootPlus passenger, and passed the bag to Wang. Liu also messaged an unknown person on WeChat that he had found a 'biscuit' and coordinated with this person about when to use the cards. Two other passengers witnessed Liu's actions. A flight stewardess also noticed Liu passing the drawstring bag to Wang before take-off and instructed him to return to his seat. When the flight landed, the two passengers saw the victim retrieve her bag from the overhead compartment and they realised it belonged to her and not Liu. They decided to find and inform the victim to check her belongings. After the woman checked inside her bag and saw that cards and cash were missing, she filed a police report. The police subsequently traced and arrested Liu and Wang at Changi Airport. Wang returned the cash, and the victim's debit cards were found in a dustbin near the immigration checkpoint. Liu admitted he had thrown them away. Deputy Public Prosecutor Gladys Lim said there was evidence to suggest the pair were working with a larger group of criminals, such as the unknown third party Liu spoke to on WeChat. In mitigation, Liu said through an interpreter that he knew what he did was 'a very bad thing'. 'I should not have done it, Your Honour, and I've realised my mistake,' said Liu, adding that he hoped to return home soon to settle his father's funeral matters. Liu's case comes amid a spike in cabin theft cases in Asia, which has been blamed on members of organised crime groups who catch short-transit flights to steal small items from passengers. Between January and May, three people were charged in Singapore for theft onboard an aircraft. Only one person was charged in the same period in 2024. Assistant Commissioner M. Malathi, commander of the Airport Police Division, told The Straits Times in June that passengers should always keep their valuables on them, remain vigilant and make timely reports for their officers to quickly trace the suspects. - The Straits Times/ANN
