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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

US women's water polo swimming through choppy water in pursuit of a fourth straight Olympic gold

With the Paris Olympics coming up next year, U.S. women’s water polo coach Adam Krikorian is feeling the pressure of time. As in not enough of it. There is history at stake, too. No water polo team — men or women — has won four straight gold medals at the Games. The U.S. women, led by Maggie Steffens, have won three in a row, but there are signs that the American grip on the sport is weakening. “To be quite frank, this team isn’t as good. They hate it when I tell them that, but it’s the truth,” Krikorian said

US women's water polo swimming through choppy water in pursuit of a fourth straight Olympic gold
World

Poland's ruling party seeks referendum on privatization as it steps up attacks on opposition leader

Poland’s ruling party leader said Friday that Polish voters will be asked to decide whether they support the sell-off of state-owned enterprises in a referendum, saying it would be about “whether the wealth of generations will remain in Polish hands.” The move came as the conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, stepped up its attacks on the main opposition leader, Donald Tusk, ahead of parliamentary elections in the fall, which the president scheduled this week for Oct. 15. Law and Justice has for some time expressed a wish to hold a referendum on the topic of

Poland's ruling party seeks referendum on privatization as it steps up attacks on opposition leader
World

UN says 5 staff members kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago walk free

The United Nations said Friday that five staff members who were kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago have walked free. In a brief statement, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said all “available information suggests that all five colleagues are in good health.” Haq named the freed men as Akm Sufiul Anam; Mazen Bawazir; Bakeel al-Mahdi; Mohammed al-Mulaiki; and Khaled Mokhtar Sheikh. All worked for the U.N. Department of Security and Safety, he said. “The secretary-general reiterates that kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustifiable crime, and calls for the perpetrators to be

UN says 5 staff members kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago walk free
World

Belgium is celebrating flowers and surrealism. And nothing is what it seems

If elephants are really known for their sense of direction, what are nine of them doing in the heart of Brussels, seemingly lost between the gothic and baroque houses lining the UNESCO-protected Grand Place? As of Friday, nothing is quite what it seems as the Belgian capital celebrates the nation’s love of surrealism. The nine life-sized wooden elephants were brought in from the Verbeke art center about an hour’s drive north of Brussels to be the prime attraction of Flowertime, a biennial festival highlighting the nation’s fling with flowers. Only this time, surrealism adds a twist. And

Belgium is celebrating flowers and surrealism. And nothing is what it seems
World

Man in Bosnia kills his ex-wife, posting it on Instagram, and 2 more people before taking his life

A man in Bosnia killed his ex-wife, whose murder he posted live on Instagram, and two other people while on the run before taking his own life on Friday, according to police and media reports. A police statement in the northeastern Bosnian town of Tuzla said that apart from the three killed, three other people were wounded before the killer “committed suicide after being located and before being apprehended.” Police did not immediately offer any more details. The man, identified by Bosnian media as Nermin Sulejmanovic from the northeastern Bosnian town of Gradacac, first posted an

Man in Bosnia kills his ex-wife, posting it on Instagram, and 2 more people before taking his life
World

Ally Ewing stretches lead to 5 shots at Women's British Open midway through second round

American golfer Ally Ewing stretched her lead to five strokes midway through the second round of the Women’s British Open after shooting a 6-under 66, the low score among the early starters at Walton Heath on Friday. The 39th-ranked Ewing, who is seeking her first major title, led by one shot after a first-round 68 and pulled further clear by making five birdies in her front nine — including four straight from No. 6. She rolled in more birdies at Nos. 11 and 16, only to make her first bogey of the day at the last

Ally Ewing stretches lead to 5 shots at Women's British Open midway through second round
World

Investigation for manslaughter opens after fire at French home for disabled adults killed 11

A Paris prosecutor opened a preliminary judicial investigation on Friday for unvoluntary manslaughter aggravated by breach of safety rules, after a fire left 11 dead at a vacation home housing adults with disabilities in eastern France. Wednesday’s fire killed 10 adults with slight intellectual disabilities and one person accompanying them. The judicial investigation will seek to determine the cause of the blaze, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office. It comes after the discovery that required safety standards weren’t met at the private vacation house in the Alsacian town of Wintzenheim. “The first investigations led to

Investigation for manslaughter opens after fire at French home for disabled adults killed 11
World

Britain's barge for asylum seekers faces new setback as legionella bacteria found in water system

Britain is removing 39 asylum seekers from a barge moored in southern England after environmental samples showed legionella bacteria in the water system. The move came just days after the men were moved to the floating hostel amid government efforts to reduce the cost of sheltering the growing number of people seeking asylum in Britain. The government expects the Bibby Stockholm to house up to 500 adult males. “As a precautionary measure, all 39 asylum seekers who arrived on the vessel this week are being disembarked while further assessments are undertaken,’’ the Home Office, which deals with

Britain's barge for asylum seekers faces new setback as legionella bacteria found in water system
World

Russia and Ukraine trade aerial attacks as Zelenskyy makes another move against corruption

Russia fired missiles at western Ukraine that killed an 8-year-old boy, local officials said, and drones that Russian officials blamed on the Ukrainian military targeted Moscow for a third straight day but reportedly didn’t cause significant damage. Also Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the firing of all the heads of regional military draft boards, part of his crackdown on corruption since the outbreak of Russia’s war in Ukraine more than 17 months ago. The missile that killed the boy struck a house In western Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Polish

Russia and Ukraine trade aerial attacks as Zelenskyy makes another move against corruption
World

Florida education commissioner skips forum on criticized Black history standards

Leaders of a forum on Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history encouraged parents to let their discontent be heard by showing up at local school board meetings, sending feedback to the state’s Department of Education and voting. Hundreds of lawmakers, teachers and parents crowded into Antioch Baptist Church in Miami Gardens on Thursday night to discuss the new policy, which has drawn harsh criticism for requiring teachers to instruct middle-school students that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” But Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, the

Florida education commissioner skips forum on criticized Black history standards
World

PSG coach Enrique hopes Mbappé will stay but won't comment on Neymar's future

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique still hopes Kylian Mbappé will stay at the club despite an ongoing transfer standoff, but wouldn’t comment on Neymar’s future as the Brazil forward moves closer to a possible departure. Neither Mbappé nor Neymar took part in PSG’s training session on Friday, parts of which were open to the media. The club said Neymar trained alone indoors away from his teammates because of a viral infection. Mbappé has trained apart from PSG’s first-team regulars all week after making it clear he wants to play out the final season of his contract and

PSG coach Enrique hopes Mbappé will stay but won't comment on Neymar's future
World

Severe floods in China's northern province killed 29 and caused tens of billions of economic losses

Severe floods in China’s northern province of Hebei brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri this month killed at least 29 people and caused billions of dollars in economic losses, its provincial government said Friday. Official news agency Xinhua reported that rescue crews were still searching for 16 missing people as of Thursday and the province’s reconstruction is expected to take two years to complete. Initial estimates showed the province’s direct economic losses amounted to 95.8 billion yuan ($13.2 billion), state media China News Service said. Last week, Hebei was hit by serious flooding as the remnants of

Severe floods in China's northern province killed 29 and caused tens of billions of economic losses
World

Wholesale inflation in US edged up in July from low levels

Wholesale price increases in the United States picked up slightly in July yet still suggested that inflationary pressures have eased this year since reaching alarming heights in 2022. The Labor Department reported Friday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers— rose 0.8% last month from July 2022. The latest figure followed a 0.2% year-over-year increase in June, which had been the smallest annual rise since August 2020. On a month-to-month basis, producer prices rose 0.3% from June to July, up from no change from May to June. The producer price figures

Wholesale inflation in US edged up in July from low levels
World

Giannis Antetokounmpo says he's not physically ready to play in the World Cup

Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play for Greece at the Basketball World Cup that starts later this month, with the Milwaukee Bucks star saying Friday he and his medical advisers decided that he’s simply not ready to compete. Antetokounmpo had surgery on his left knee earlier this summer. Greece will play the U.S., Jordan and New Zealand in group-stage games at Manila in the tournament, which starts Aug. 25 in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. “Everyone knows my passion and love for my national team has and never will change,” Antetokounmpo wrote in a statement Friday. “Since the conclusion of my

Giannis Antetokounmpo says he's not physically ready to play in the World Cup
World

Georgia's new offensive coordinator is hardly a stranger. Welcome back, Mike Bobo

Georgia’s new offensive coordinator is hardly a stranger. Mike Bobo played quarterback for the Bulldogs back in the 1990s. He worked on Mark Richt’s coaching staff for more than a decade, including a lengthy stint calling the plays. Despite all that familiarity, Bobo might be under more scrutiny than anyone associated with the two-time defending national champs. His task is straightforward yet daunting: Keep Georgia’s offense rolling toward an unprecedented third straight title. “We know this job has pressure,” Bobo said after practice Thursday. “I’ve sat in this chair and felt those pressures, but I’m older

Georgia's new offensive coordinator is hardly a stranger. Welcome back, Mike Bobo
World

India to replace British colonial-era sedition law with its own version

India’s government on Friday introduced a bill in Parliament that seeks to replace a British colonial-era sedition law with its own version. The provision dealing with sedition — actions aimed at encourage people to be or act against a government— was imposed by the British in 1860 to repress India’s freedom fighters. India won independence from the British colonialists in 1947, but continued to use the sedition law. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s critics accused his government of using the sedition charge to label dissenting citizens as disloyal toward the country. If convicted, a person could be

India to replace British colonial-era sedition law with its own version
World

China detains a military group worker suspected of spying for the CIA

China has detained a worker from a military industrial group on suspicion of spying for the CIA, national security authorities said Friday, adding to the list of public accusations of espionage between Beijing and Washington. The Ministry of State Security, the country’s civilian spy agency, said in a statement that a military industrial worker surnamed Zeng had been providing military secrets to the CIA in exchange for large sums of money. The 52-year-old suspect had been sent to Italy to study by his employer. There, he met “an official with the U.S. embassy,” who later turned

China detains a military group worker suspected of spying for the CIA
World

Family of US publishing exec killed in Italy boat incident urges full investigation, accountability

The family of a U.S. publishing executive killed in a boating incident in southern Italy is urging Italian authorities to fully investigate the death and hold accountable anyone responsible. “We are cooperating with the Italian authorities in their investigations, and will continue to do so until they conclude,” said the statement late Thursday to The Associated Press by Mike White, husband of Adrienne Vaughan, on behalf of their family. Vaughan, the 45-year-old president of Bloomsbury Publishing’s U.S. branch, was killed Aug. 3 when the rented motorboat her family had hired slammed into a chartered sailboat off the

Family of US publishing exec killed in Italy boat incident urges full investigation, accountability
World

Makkabi Berlin, founded by Holocaust survivors, to be 1st Jewish team in German Cup

Makkabi Berlin’s first game ever ended in a 15-1 loss in the city’s humblest soccer league. The result of that 1971 match was secondary, though, as merely playing was an achievement for the team founded by Holocaust survivors. “We wanted to show that we’re still here — that we’re accepted, that we weren’t ended in 1933,” co-founder Marian Wajselfisz told The Associated Press. He still laughs about the result. On Sunday, Makkabi will be the first Jewish club to play in the German Cup, a season-long tournament for 64 of the country’s best professional and amateur sides.

Makkabi Berlin, founded by Holocaust survivors, to be 1st Jewish team in German Cup
World

Australia pulling for Matildas to advance in Women's World Cup. Only 1 host has ever won title.

Australia will try to avoid the host team curse by avoiding elimination in the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup. The Matildas have co-hosted this tournament with New Zealand, but the Football Ferns failed to advance out of group play. Australia is still playing and faces France on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia, for a spot in the semifinals. But tournament hosts have always struggled to make it past the quarterfinals, starting with China in the inaugural 1991 tournament, then Sweden in 1995, Germany in 2011, Canada in 2015 and finally France in 2019. France was

Australia pulling for Matildas to advance in Women's World Cup. Only 1 host has ever won title.
World

Sweden stakes claim as Women's World Cup favorite by stopping Japan 2-1 in quarterfinals

Sweden first knocked off the United States and then bounced Japan to snag a spot in the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup. The Swedes, the World Cup runners-up in 2003 and three-time third-place finishers, eliminated previously unbeaten Japan 2-1 in Friday’s quarterfinal. With Japan out of the lineup, this year’s World Cup will crown a first-time winner. The sold-out crowd at Eden Park, where Sweden will play in the semifinals on Tuesday against Spain, danced to songs by Swedish rock band Abba as it was played throughout the stadium after the win. Amanda Ilestedt

Sweden stakes claim as Women's World Cup favorite by stopping Japan 2-1 in quarterfinals
World

Former South African President Zuma taken back to prison and released again within 2 hours

Former South African President Jacob Zuma was taken back to prison on Friday after his parole was ruled invalid, only to be released again within two hours under a new program to reduce overcrowding in jails. The move raised more questions over whether the 81-year-old is receiving preferential treatment to avoid serving out a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. The remissions program was authorized by President Cyril Ramaphosa and made public for the first time Friday. While it aims to release more than 9,400 inmates from jail and put them under correctional supervision at home, Zuma

Former South African President Zuma taken back to prison and released again within 2 hours
World

UBS ends rescue packages from Swiss gov't that paved way for Credit Suisse takeover

UBS said Friday it has shut down rescue packages agreed with Swiss authorities that made available up to 200 billion Swiss francs (about $230 billion) to help shepherd through its takeover of ailing rival Credit Suisse and avert an international banking crisis. The Zurich-based banking giant, which completed the takeover on June 12, said it had moved to “voluntarily terminate” rescue programs that aimed to help mop up billions of losses and provide liquidity to the banks as they moved forward on the complex deal. UBS said it had repaid 50 billion francs in loans from the

UBS ends rescue packages from Swiss gov't that paved way for Credit Suisse takeover
World

Chinese tech giant Huawei reports sales, profit up despite US sanctions

Chinese tech giant Huawei on Friday reported its revenue rose 3% over a year earlier in the first half of 2023 and its profit margin widened despite sanctions that block access to U.S. processor chips and other technology. China’s first global tech brand has responded to U.S. curbs that devastated its smartphone brand by increasing emphasis on selling network gear to hospitals, ports, electric car brands and other industrial customers it believes will be less vulnerable to sanctions. Revenue in the six months ending in June rose 3.1% to 310.9 billion yuan ($43.1 billion), Huawei Technologies Ltd.

Chinese tech giant Huawei reports sales, profit up despite US sanctions
World

Tensions rise as West African nations prepare to send troops to restore democracy in Niger

Tensions are escalating between Niger’s new military regime and the West African regional bloc that has ordered the deployment of troops to restore Niger’s flailing democracy. The ECOWAS bloc said on Thursday it had directed a “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger after its Sunday deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum expired. Hours earlier, two Western officials told The Associated Press that Niger’s junta had told a top U.S. diplomat they would kill Bazoum if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule. It’s unclear when or where the force will

Tensions rise as West African nations prepare to send troops to restore democracy in Niger

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