The Los Angeles Post
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Today: April 04, 2025
Today: April 04, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials amid US push to stabilize rocky relations

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China’s top diplomat on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies. On his second day of talks in Beijing, Kerry met with the ruling Communist Party’s head of foreign relations Wang Yi, telling him Biden hoped the two countries could “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.” Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights and China’s threats against self-governing Taiwan. In his opening remarks,

Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials amid US push to stabilize rocky relations
World

Ohtani ties score with 35th homer, Angels beat Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings

Even with constant questions about his future, Shohei Ohtani continues to produce at an amazing clip for the Los Angeles Angels. The two-way star tied the score in the seventh inning with his major league-leading 35th home run. That set the stage for pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic’s game-ending single in the 10th that gave the Angels a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Monday night. Los Angeles trailed 3-1 when Ohtani hit a two-run drive off Michael King, then made a demonstrative flip of his bat. Ohtani has homered in three straight games for the

Ohtani ties score with 35th homer, Angels beat Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings
World

Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected

Shares were mostly lower Tuesday in Asia as optimism over a Wall Street rally was countered by worries about the Chinese economy. Shares rose in Tokyo but fell in most other regional markets. Hong Kong’s benchmark lost nearly 2% as it reopened after a weather related closure on Monday. On Monday, China reported weaker economic growth for the spring than most economists had expected. Its recovery following the removal of anti-COVID restrictions has fallen short of forecasts. That has helped to limit inflation globally but it also is hindering a main engine of growth for the world

Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected
World

As UK housing costs soar, anxiety grips homeowners and renters: 'I'm in meltdown'

For Sadie James, the cost-of-living crisis in Britain just never seems to ease. First, it was skyrocketing energy and food costs stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, the 61-year-old worries whether she can keep a roof over her head. James, who lives in south London, has struggled for years to stay on top of her finances. Just as she was starting to clear her debts, she’s back to square one: Her rent keeps rising, and on top of higher food and energy bills, her welfare payments just can’t keep up. “I’m actually in a meltdown each

As UK housing costs soar, anxiety grips homeowners and renters: 'I'm in meltdown'
World

Bill that would allow French police to locate suspects by tapping their devices is up for a vote

French lawmakers plan to vote Tuesday on a sweeping justice reform bill that includes a provision for allowing law enforcement agents to remotely tap into the cameras, microphones and location services of phones and other internet-connected devices used by some criminal suspects. The proposed law plainly stipulates that the procedure can be executed “without the knowledge or consent of its owner or possessor” but is limited to suspects involved in terrorism, organized crime and other illegal activities punishable by five or more years in prison. The language authorizing eavesdropping is contained in a broader reform bill aimed

Bill that would allow French police to locate suspects by tapping their devices is up for a vote
World

Spain's early election could put the far right in power for the first time since Franco

Spain’s general election on Sunday could make the country the latest European Union member swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and its small far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (“United We Can”), took a beating in local and regional elections. The center-right Popular Party emerged from the May 28 elections with the most votes. Polls for the general election have consistently put the PP in first place — but likely

Spain's early election could put the far right in power for the first time since Franco
World

Dingoes attack a woman jogging on Australian island beach and leave her hospitalised

A pack of dingoes drove a woman who was jogging into the surf and attacked her in the latest clash between native dogs and humans on a popular Australian island, sparking new warnings Tuesday to visitors venturing out. The 24-year-old woman was attacked by three or four dingoes on Monday while she was jogging on a beach at Queensland state’s K’gari, the world’s largest sand island formerly known as Fraser Island, officials said. The World Heritage-listed national park is home to some of Australia’s purest dingoes, which are also known by their Indigenous name wongari, because

Dingoes attack a woman jogging on Australian island beach and leave her hospitalised
World

Israeli protesters block highways in 'day of disruption' against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan

Israeli protesters blocked highways and gathered outside Tel Aviv’s stock exchange and military headquarters on Tuesday in the latest countrywide demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul. The latest “day of disruption” came as longtime allies of the prime minister pushed a contentious piece of legislation through a parliamentary committee ahead of a vote expected next week. Additional protests are planned throughout the day. Demonstrators, many of them military reservists, created human chains and blocked one of the entrances to the Kirya, Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. Outside the Tel Aviv stock exchange,

Israeli protesters block highways in 'day of disruption' against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan
World

Mystery object that washed up on the Australian coast could be space junk, officials say

Authorities were investigating on Tuesday whether a cylindrical object about the size of a small car that washed up on a remote Australian beach is space junk from a foreign rocket. Police had cordoned off the object after it was discovered at Green Head about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the city of Perth late Sunday. The Australian Space Agency said it was liaising with other space agencies to identify the object, which appears to be partly made of a woven material. “The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are

Mystery object that washed up on the Australian coast could be space junk, officials say
World

South Korea searches for missing people as death toll from downpours reach 41

Rescuers searched Tuesday for about 10 people still missing in landslides and other incidents caused by more than a week of torrential rains in South Korea, as the country’s military dispatched more than 10,000 troops to support rescue works. The downpours pounding South Korea since July 9 have left 41 people dead, nine missing and 35 others injured. The rainfall has also forced about 12,780 people to evacuate and left about 28,600 households without power. During a Cabinet Council meeting Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered officials to mobilize all available resources to rescue any

South Korea searches for missing people as death toll from downpours reach 41
World

High anxiety over Ukraine war sets in at EU-LatAm summit that was supposed to be a love-in

High anxiety set in on the closing day of a summit between European Union and Latin American leaders that was supposed to be a love-in but turned into a diplomatic fracas over the war in Ukraine. Ambassadors worked through much of the night and into Tuesday morning to find even the blandest text to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, with talks hung up over the reservations of some Central and South American nations like Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, an EU official said. “We still need to pinpoint it as close as possible to Ukraine,” said

High anxiety over Ukraine war sets in at EU-LatAm summit that was supposed to be a love-in
World

Russia targets key Ukraine Black Sea port of Odesa, a day after halting grain export deal

Ukrainian forces shot down scores of exploding drones and six cruise missiles from a pre-dawn Russian attack on the port of Odesa on Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities said, a day after Moscow broke off a deal that had allowed Kyiv to ship vital grain supplies from the Black Sea city during the war. The Russians first sought to wear down Ukraine’s air defenses with the drones and then targeted Odesa with six Kalibr cruise missiles, the Ukrainian military’s Southern Command said. All six missiles and 25 drones were shot down by air defenses in the Odesa region

Russia targets key Ukraine Black Sea port of Odesa, a day after halting grain export deal
Political

The Biden administration announces a cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices

The Biden administration and major consumer technology players on Tuesday launched an effort to put a nationwide cybersecurity certification and labeling program in place to help consumers choose smart devices that are less vulnerable to hacking. Officials likened the new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark initiative — to be overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, with industry participation voluntary — to the Energy Star program, which rates appliances’ energy efficiency. “It will allow Americans to confidently identify which internet- and Bluetooth-connected devices are cybersecure,” deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters in a pre-announcement briefing. Amazon, Best

The Biden administration announces a cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices
World

American national crosses inter-Korean border into North Korea

An American has crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea, the American-led U.N. Command overseeing the area said Tuesday. The U.N. Command tweeted that the U.S. citizen was on a tour to the Korean border village of Panmunjom and crossed the border into the North without authorization. It said he is currently in North Korean custody and that the U.N. Command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident. It gave no further details on who the person is or why he crossed the border. Cases of Americans

American national crosses inter-Korean border into North Korea
World

Bank of America 2Q net income jumps 19%, extending the rally for big banks

Bank of America said its profits grew 19% in its most recent quarter, the latest of the big banks to see its bottom line boosted by higher interest rates. The nation’s second-largest bank by assets said Tuesday that it posted a profit of $7.4 billion in the three months ended June 30, up from $6.2 billion in the same period a year earlier. On a per-share basis, BofA earned 88 cents, compared with 73 cents one year ago. Analysts were expecting profit of 84 cents per share, according to a poll by FactSet. Revenue of $25.2 billion came in just

Bank of America 2Q net income jumps 19%, extending the rally for big banks
World

Second heat wave in as many weeks grips Mediterranean while fires hit Spain, Switzerland and Greece

Officials warned residents and tourists packing Mediterranean destinations on Tuesday to stay indoors as a second heat wave in as many weeks hit the region and Greece, Spain and Switzerland battled wildfires. In Italy, Red Cross teams checked on the elderly by phone while in Portugal they took to social media to warn people not to leave pets or children in parked cars. In Greece, volunteers handed out drinking water, while in Spain they reminded people to protect themselves from breathing in smoke from fires. Several countries in southern Europe are sweating through a new heat wave,

Second heat wave in as many weeks grips Mediterranean while fires hit Spain, Switzerland and Greece
World

Romanian court rules to keep Andrew Tate under house arrest as human trafficking case continues

A court in Romania’s capital on Tuesday ruled to extend by another 30 days the house arrest of Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer who is charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The decision at the Bucharest Tribunal comes a month after prosecutors formally indicted the 36-year-old social media star along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women in the same case. All four defendants — who were arrested in late December near Bucharest and have denied the allegations against them — will remain under house

Romanian court rules to keep Andrew Tate under house arrest as human trafficking case continues
World

Barge to house asylum-seekers arrives in UK as Parliament passes controversial migration bill

A barge that will house up to 500 asylum-seekers arrived Tuesday in England after Parliament passed its long-debated bill to curb migration. The Bibby Stockholm was pulled by a tug into Portland after the government’s controversial legislation won passage after overcoming resistance in the House of Lords. The boat and the bill are both parts of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s strategy to stop migrants from making risky English Channel crossings in small boats. The legislation will become law after receiving the assent of King Charles III. The Conservative government has pledged to “stop the boats” — overcrowded

Barge to house asylum-seekers arrives in UK as Parliament passes controversial migration bill
World

Bankruptcy slams the brakes on Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof

Dutch bicycle maker VanMoof has been declared bankrupt, slamming the brakes on a company that won design awards for its stylish, minimalist electric bikes but struggled to meet soaring demand and fix glitches with the app powering its service. The Amsterdam-based company, started in 2009 by brothers Taco and Ties Carlier, posted a statement on its website informing clients that an Amsterdam court declared VanMoof bankrupt on Monday. The company headquarters in Amsterdam was closed Tuesday. One man parked his VanMoof outside the building to take a picture of the bike with the company logo in the

Bankruptcy slams the brakes on Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof
World

Kenya doomsday cult deaths top 400 as detectives exhume 12 more bodies, with the pastor in custody

The number of people who died in connection with Kenya’s doomsday cult has crossed the 400 mark as detectives exhumed 12 more bodies on Monday believed to be followers of a pastor who ordered them to fast to death in order to meet Jesus. Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who is linked to the cult based in a forested area in Malindi, coastal Kenya, is in police custody, along with 36 other suspects. All have yet to be charged. Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha on Monday said the number of those who died has risen to 403, with

Kenya doomsday cult deaths top 400 as detectives exhume 12 more bodies, with the pastor in custody
Political

DeSantis becomes first major party candidate to enter South Carolina's 2024 presidential primary

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis filed paperwork on Tuesday for South Carolina’s Republican primary, becoming the first major party presidential candidate officially on the ballot for the first-in-the-South contest. DeSantis signed his filing documents during a stop at the South Carolina Republican Party headquarters in Columbia, flanked by supporters including state legislators who have endorsed his bid. The filing comes at a consequential moment for DeSantis and his campaign as the governor makes his third swing through South Carolina as a White House hopeful. He entered the race in May with expectations that he would become the

DeSantis becomes first major party candidate to enter South Carolina's 2024 presidential primary
Political

FTC probe of OpenAI: Consumer protection is the opening salvo of US AI regulation

The FTC probe of ChatGPT maker OpenAI aligns with concerns that members of Congress have expressed. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer The Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation of ChatGPT maker OpenAI for potential violations of consumer protection laws. The FTC sent the company a 20-page demand for information in the week of July 10, 2023. The move comes as European regulators have begun to take action, and Congress is working on legislation to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The FTC has asked OpenAI to provide details of all complaints the company has received from users regarding “false, misleading, disparaging, or

FTC probe of OpenAI: Consumer protection is the opening salvo of US AI regulation
Environment

'Zombie fires' in the Arctic: Canada's extreme wildfire season offers a glimpse of new risks in a warmer, drier future

Thick smoke rises from a peat bog fire in June 2023. Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Images The blanket of wildfire smoke that spread across large parts of the U.S. and Canada in 2023 was a wake-up call, showing what climate change could feel like in the near future for millions of people. Apocalyptic orange skies and air pollution levels that force people indoors only tell part of the story, though. As global temperatures rise, fires are also spreading farther north and into the Arctic. These fires aren’t just burning in trees and grasses. New research on the exceptional Arctic

'Zombie fires' in the Arctic: Canada's extreme wildfire season offers a glimpse of new risks in a warmer, drier future
Political

China needs immigrants

Too few children means China needs to look outside the country for new blood. Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images China is entering a severe demographic crisis. For several centuries, the Asian nation has been the most populous country in the world. But it is now shrinking. In 2022, the country registered more deaths than births, and it will soon be surpassed by India in total population size – indeed, many demographers believe this has already occurred. As a scholar who has studied China’s demography for almost 40 years, I know the likelihood is this falling population will lead to an

China needs immigrants
Political

Registering refugees using personal information has become the norm – but cybersecurity breaches pose risks to people giving sensitive biometric data

A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo registers his fingerprints on a biometric machine in Uganda in 2022. Badru Katumba/AFP via Getty Images The number of refugees worldwide reached record high levels in 2022. More than 108.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of violence or persecution. Meanwhile, governments and aid agencies are increasingly using a controversial method of effectively identifying and tracking many refugees. This method, known as biometrics, involves collecting someone’s physical or behavioral characteristics, ranging from fingerprints to voice. Organizations that collect the personal physical data can store it to instantly recognize

Registering refugees using personal information has become the norm – but cybersecurity breaches pose risks to people giving sensitive biometric data

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