Today: October 09, 2024
Today: October 09, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

UN Security Council to hold first open meeting on North Korea human rights situation since 2017

The U.N. Security Council will hold its first open meeting on North Korea’s dire human rights situation since 2017 next week, the United States announced Thursday. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters that U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk and Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. independent investigator on human rights in the reclusive northeast Asia country, will brief council members at the Aug. 17 meeting. “We know the government’s human rights abuses and violations facilitate the advancement of its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles program,” Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that the Security Council “must address

UN Security Council to hold first open meeting on North Korea human rights situation since 2017
World

Phil Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion, according to book by renowned gambler Billy Walters

Phil Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion over the last three decades and wanted to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while playing for Team USA, according to a much-anticipated book by renowned gambler Billy Walters. The stunning betting estimates Walters provides — from his own detailed record from what he describes as two reliable sources — are detailed in an excerpt of Walters’ book, “Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk.” It is schedule to be available Aug. 22. The FirePit Collective obtained an excerpt of the book. Mickelson’s management group did not immediately respond

Phil Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion, according to book by renowned gambler Billy Walters
World

Average long-term US mortgage rate climbs to 6.96% this week, matching highest level this year

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week to just under 7%, the latest setback for would-be homebuyers already facing affordability challenges due to a housing market limited by a shortage of homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 6.96% from 6.90% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.22%. It’s the third consecutive weekly increase for the average rate, which now matches its high for the year set on July 13. High rates can add hundreds of dollars a

Average long-term US mortgage rate climbs to 6.96% this week, matching highest level this year
World

US cyclist Chloe Dygert returns from career-threatening injury to regain world title

The plan was for Chloe Dygert to win the world championship in the time trial, then carry that momentum toward the Summer Olympics, where the American road cycling star would be the favorite to win the gold medal. That was three years, a career-threatening crash and immeasurable heartache ago. Perhaps Dygert’s plan will come to fruition this time. Despite dealing with an illness that might have kept her off the start line a day earlier, Dygert roared over the 36.2-kilometer course to Stirling Castle in a time of 46 minutes, 59.80 seconds Thursday. That was enough to hold off Australia’s

US cyclist Chloe Dygert returns from career-threatening injury to regain world title
World

Slain Ecuador candidate fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption

The Ecuadorian presidential candidate who was fatally shot at a political rally was unafraid to take on criminal networks and a political elite he accused of corruption at the hands of organized crime. Fernando Villavicencio, who was a journalist before entering politics, waged a yearslong battle against the forces that he saw transforming Ecuador, including crime that had seeped into nearly every aspect of life, from street robbery to cocaine trafficking and corrupt government contracting. Among the 59-year-old’s biggest scoops as a journalist was reporting on a trove of documents that pointed to inflated prices, shoddy

Slain Ecuador candidate fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption
World

Northern Ireland's top police officer apologizes for 'industrial scale' data breach

Northern Ireland’s top police officer apologized Thursday for what he described as an “industrial scale” data breach in which the personal information of more than 10,000 officers and staff was released to the public. The incident is particularly sensitive given the delicate security situation in Northern Ireland, which is still trying to overcome decades of sectarian violence known as “The Troubles.” Twenty-five years after a peace agreement largely ended the violence, many police officers continue to shield their identities because of continuing threats from dissident elements of the republican and unionist communities. Chief Constable Simon Byrne told

Northern Ireland's top police officer apologizes for 'industrial scale' data breach
World

Mississippi Supreme Court won't remove Favre from lawsuit over misspent welfare money

The Mississippi Supreme Court says it will not remove NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre as a defendant in a civil lawsuit that seeks to recover millions of dollars of misspent welfare money meant to help some of the poorest people in the United States. A panel of three justices issued a brief ruling Wednesday, denying an appeal from Favre. His attorneys said in written arguments in May that the Mississippi Department of Human Services is making “utterly meritless” legal arguments in suing the retired quarterback. On April 24, Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson denied

Mississippi Supreme Court won't remove Favre from lawsuit over misspent welfare money
World

Harvest of horseshoe crabs, needed for blue blood, stopped during spawning season in national refuge

The federal government is shutting down the harvest of a species of marine invertebrate in a national wildlife refuge during the spawning season to try to give the animal a chance to reproduce. Fishermen harvest horseshoe crabs so the animals can be used as bait and so their blood can be used to make medical products. Conservationists have long pushed to limit the harvest of the animals, in part because horseshoe crab eggs are vitally important food for migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a ruling on Monday that calls for the end of horseshoe crab harvesting

Harvest of horseshoe crabs, needed for blue blood, stopped during spawning season in national refuge
World

Rising flood risks threaten many water and sewage treatment plants across the US

The crack of a summer thunderstorm once comforted people in Ludlow, Vermont. But that was before a storm dropped eight inches of rain on the village of 2,200 in two days last month. And it was before the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Now a coming rainstorm can stir panic. “We could lose everything again,” said Brendan McNamara, Ludlow’s municipal manager. The rainfall that walloped Vermont last month hit Ludlow so hard that floodwaters carried away cars and wiped out roads. It sent mud and debris into homes and businesses and forced officials to

Rising flood risks threaten many water and sewage treatment plants across the US
World

Philippine president suspends 22 land reclamation projects in Manila Bay after US airs concerns

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an indefinite suspension of 22 major land reclamation projects in Manila Bay to allow a study of their environmental impact and legal compliance, an official said Thursday. Marcos’s order came after the United States expressed public concern over environmental damage from the projects and the involvement of a Chinese company which was blacklisted by Washington for its role in building militarized Chinese island bases in the South China Sea that further stoked tensions in the contested waters. The heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in Manila sits on the edge of

Philippine president suspends 22 land reclamation projects in Manila Bay after US airs concerns
World

Utah's multibillion dollar oil train proposal chugs along amid environment and derailment concerns

On plateaus overlooking the Uinta Basin’s hills of sandstone and sagebrush, pumpjacks bob their heads as they lift viscous black and yellow oil from the earth that will eventually make everything from fuel to polyester fabric. To move fossil fuels from the Uinta Basin’s massive reserve to refineries around the country, officials in Utah and oil and gas companies are chugging along with a plan to invest billions to build an 88-mile (142-kilometer) rail line through national forest and tribal land that could quadruple production. The Uinta Basin Railway would let producers, currently limited to tanker

Utah's multibillion dollar oil train proposal chugs along amid environment and derailment concerns
World

A global law firm separates from its Chinese partner, citing cybersecurity and data rules

One of the world’s biggest law firms said Thursday it is separating from the Chinese firm that was part of its global network for eight years, citing changes in cybersecurity and other rules that have rattled foreign companies. The decision by Dentons follows warnings by business groups that global companies are postponing or shifting investment away from China due to concern about an expanded anti-espionage law, tighter controls on business, a data security crackdown and raids on foreign consulting firms. Dentons said it was separating from Beijing Dacheng Law Offices due to changes in cybersecurity and data

A global law firm separates from its Chinese partner, citing cybersecurity and data rules
World

With 6 weeks until NHL training camps open, some teams may not be done making moves

Kyle Dubas had just completed the biggest trade of the NHL offseason, landing defenseman Erik Karlsson in a three-team deal that furthers the Pittsburgh Penguins’ desire to win now, when he was asked if other moves might be in store. The team’s new general manager and president of hockey operations said he thinks he’s done this summer. Still, he acknowledged: “You can never make any promises. You always want to try and improve the team.” Rival GM Brian MacLellan of the Washington Capitals is still busy working the phones, not giving up on the hope of landing a top-six forward

With 6 weeks until NHL training camps open, some teams may not be done making moves
World

Number of Americans applying for jobless aid rises, but not enough to cause concern

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits jumped last week, but not enough to raise concern about the consistently strong U.S. labor market. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits rose by 21,000 to 248,000 for the week ending August 5, from 227,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the most in five weeks. The four-week moving average of claims, a less volatile reading, ticked up by 2,750 to 228,250. Jobless claim applications are viewed as broadly representative of the number of layoffs in a given week. Overall, 1.68 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that

Number of Americans applying for jobless aid rises, but not enough to cause concern
World

Ethiopia's government recaptures Amhara region towns from militia, government and residents say

Ethiopia’s government and residents say the country’s military recaptured several areas in the embattled Amhara region from local militia fighters as details of dozens of civilian deaths began to emerge from the region amid an internet shutdown. The military reclaimed control of six towns, including the regional capital, Bahir Dar, and Amhara’s second-largest town, Gondar, according to a government statement issued Wednesday night. The statement said a curfew was imposed in those areas but flights were set to resume. The federal government declared a state of emergency in Amhara on Friday after regional authorities lost control

Ethiopia's government recaptures Amhara region towns from militia, government and residents say
World

Wildfire devastates Hawaii's historic Lahaina Town, a former capital of the kingdom

Dissipating smoke and ash revealed the sheer devastation that a wildfire left behind in Lahaina Town, one of Hawaii’s most historic cities and onetime capital of the former kingdom. At least 36 people were killed and hundreds of structures were damaged or destroyed in the blaze that sparked Tuesday and quickly spread throughout the western Maui community of less than 13,000 residents. It’s feared that the fire consumed much of historic Front Street, home to restaurants, bars, stores and what is believed to be the United States’ largest banyan — a fig tree with roots that

Wildfire devastates Hawaii's historic Lahaina Town, a former capital of the kingdom
World

Coach parent Tapestry buying Capri, owner of Michael Kors and Versace, in $8.5 billion deal

Tapestry, parent company of luxury handbag and accessories retailer Coach, is buying the owner of fashion brands including Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, Capri Holdings. The approximately $8.5 billion deal puts Tapestry in a better position to take on its big European fashion rivals. U.S. fashion houses have been attempting to take on powerhouses in Europe like LVMH and Kering. Tapestry Inc., whose brands also include Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, said Thursday that the combined company had global annual sales of more than $12 billion and has a presence in more than 75 countries.

Coach parent Tapestry buying Capri, owner of Michael Kors and Versace, in $8.5 billion deal
World

Safety standards weren't met before fire killed 11 at French home for disabled, prosecutor says

Required safety standards weren’t met at a vacation home for adults with disabilities where a heavy fire left 11 dead in eastern France, a deputy prosecutor said Thursday. A day earlier, the fire killed 10 adults with slight intellectual disabilities and one person accompanying them. Nathalie Kielwasser, the deputy prosecutor of Colmar, said the first phase of the investigation shows that a mandatory safety inspection for such private accommodation facility had not been done. Speaking on French news broadcaster BFM TV, she said the fire started from the upper floor, but its cause has not been determined.

Safety standards weren't met before fire killed 11 at French home for disabled, prosecutor says
World

Scott Dixon didn't expect much as a young New Zealand racer. The Iceman is now IndyCar's Ironman

It’s dreary and raining in “the CBD” of Auckland, 11 a.m. on Tuesday in the thick of New Zealand winter. A video conference connects with Scott Dixon, who has called from his home in Indiana, in the stickiness of a Midwest summer, where it is 6 p.m. on Monday. Dixon grew up in Auckland until his racing dreams took him to Australia at age 16. And then two years later, accidentally, all the way to America. It is in the United States where Dixon has a two-plus decade run as the greatest IndyCar driver of

Scott Dixon didn't expect much as a young New Zealand racer. The Iceman is now IndyCar's Ironman
World

Malaysia makes owning an LGBTQ+ Swatch punishable by up to 3 years in jail

Malaysia’s government said Thursday that all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer elements — including watches, wrappers and boxes — were banned, warning that anyone found with one could be jailed for up to three years. The ban has been published in the Federal Gazette — which makes it official — as part of a printing law that includes distribution and possession, citing concerns that such products were detrimental to the nation’s morality. Malaysia, which is predominantly Muslim, already criminalizes same-sex relationships, with punishments ranging from caning under Islamic laws to

Malaysia makes owning an LGBTQ+ Swatch punishable by up to 3 years in jail
World

Norwegians prepare for more flooding and destruction after days of heavy rain

People in Norway prepared Thursday for more flooding and destruction Thursday as rivers swollen by days of heavy rain carried large amounts of water through the country’s mountainous southeast, where vast areas were either inundated or hit by landslides. Thousands of people living near waterways were evacuated, their houses emptied and cars moved to higher ground. There had been fears that a train bridge over the Lågen River would collapse because of the large volume of water, but railway officials said Thursday that it was now stable. All traffic across the bridge was halted Monday. On

Norwegians prepare for more flooding and destruction after days of heavy rain
World

British man among at least 5 people killed in a week of violent protests in Cape Town

A British man was killed amid violent protests in the South African city of Cape Town after the vehicle he was riding in drove into the midst of some of the unrest. The 40-year-old man was sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle when he was shot in the head, South African police said. Two other passengers and an infant were also in the vehicle. The passengers were taken to a hospital for medical treatment, police said. South African police said they opened a murder case over the shooting, which happened last week

British man among at least 5 people killed in a week of violent protests in Cape Town
World

Egypt's inflation reaches record high of 38.2% in July, government data shows

Egypt’s annual inflation rate reached a record high in July, as price hikes continue unabated in the cash-strapped North African country, official figures said Thursday. Consumer prices rose 38.2% from a year earlier, up from 36.8% in June, according to data released by the state-run Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics. Average food and beverage prices, the main drivers of inflation, increased 68.2% over the past 12 months, the agency’s data showed. Egyptians, particularly working-class households, are struggling to keep up with the rising prices, which have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Egypt is the

Egypt's inflation reaches record high of 38.2% in July, government data shows
World

West African leaders plan to meet on Niger but options are few as a military junta defies mediation

West African heads of state are scheduled to meet Thursday after Niger’s military junta defied their deadline to reinstate the nation’s deposed president, but analysts say the Economic Community of West African States may be running out of options as support fades for a military intervention. As Niger’s junta turns away most efforts at mediation, one analyst asserted that Russian meddling in the country has spiked in the two weeks since mutinous soldiers overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has refused to step down and is under house arrest. The junta announced a new government

West African leaders plan to meet on Niger but options are few as a military junta defies mediation
World

Russia intercepts drones heading for Moscow for the second straight day

Russian air defense systems on Thursday shot down two drones heading toward Moscow for the second straight day, officials said, with the attack disrupting flights at two international airports as Ukraine appeared to step up its assault on Russian soil. One drone was downed in the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow and another near a major Moscow ring road, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and the Russian Defense Ministry, which blamed the attack on Ukraine. No casualties or damage were immediately reported. Domodedovo airport, south of the city, halted flights for more than two hours and

Russia intercepts drones heading for Moscow for the second straight day

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