Today: October 10, 2024
Today: October 10, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

Lawsuit against fast fashion retailer Shein claims RICO violations

China’s fast fashion retailer Shein is facing a lawsuit that claims the clothing maker’s copyright infringement is so aggressive, it amounts to racketeering. The filing this week claims that Shein is in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, a law originally crafted to prosecute organized crime. “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again, as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering, which shows no sign of abating,” the filing says. In an organized effort to create as many as 6,000 new items per day, Shein uses

Lawsuit against fast fashion retailer Shein claims RICO violations
World

Harrington not ruling out chance to play in another Ryder Cup

Padraig Harrington is not ruling out the idea of playing in another Ryder Cup, even at age 51, depending on how he fares in his two weeks against the world’s best players. That hope was emboldened Friday in the Scottish Open after a 4-under 66 at The Renaissance Club, leaving him two shots off the early pace set by Tyrrell Hatton and Tom Kim. Harrington said European captain Luke Donald called him after he won two weeks ago on the PGA Tour Champions to say he was watching. But the Irishman doesn’t believe his performance on

Harrington not ruling out chance to play in another Ryder Cup
World

Hundreds of thousands face disruption at London's Gatwick Airport this summer after strike vote

Hundreds of thousands of British vacationers face potential disruption to their travel plans at the start of the school summer holidays, after almost 1,000 workers at London’s Gatwick Airport voted to strike in a dispute over pay. The Unite union said Friday that members, including baggage handlers and check-in staff, who are employed by four private contractors will walk out for four days from July 28 and again for a subsequent four-day stretch from Aug. 4. The union said the action will “inevitably” cause disruption to flights at the height of the summer holiday season after the

Hundreds of thousands face disruption at London's Gatwick Airport this summer after strike vote
World

Suspect taken into custody in Long Island serial killings, AP source says

A suspect has been taken into custody on New York’s Long Island in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday. The case has drawn immense public attention since human remains were found along a New York beach highway more than a decade ago. The mystery attracted national headlines for many years and the unsolved killings were the subject of the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.” The suspect was taken into custody in Massapequa late Thursday and investigators were at a

Suspect taken into custody in Long Island serial killings, AP source says
World

Acropolis' midday closure leaves many tourists in the lurch as a heat wave lashes southern Europe

Disgruntled tourists bemoaned the temporary closing of the Acropolis in Athens on Friday as Greek authorities proactively shut the world monument’s gates between midday and early evening amid a heat wave that continues to grip southern Europe. Red Cross staff handed out bottled water to tourists wilting in long lines hoping to beat the closure and scale the steps up to the gleaming Parthenon temple as temperatures were expected to peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the Greek capital. Some visitors were frustrated at being left in the lurch because they were unaware of

Acropolis' midday closure leaves many tourists in the lurch as a heat wave lashes southern Europe
World

German leader confident that a surging far-right party will shrink again before the next election

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed optimism Friday that support for a far-right party which has been surging in the polls lately will shrink to previous levels again by the time of the next national election in 2025. The far-right Alternative for Germany party received 10.3% of the vote in the last national election in 2021 — a slight decline from 2017, when it got 12.6% in the wake of an influx of migrants to Europe. Recent polls have shown support for the party, known by its German acronym AfD, at around 20% and ahead of Scholz’s center-left

German leader confident that a surging far-right party will shrink again before the next election
World

Disney is asking a judge to toss a lawsuit from DeSantis appointees

Disney is asking a Florida judge on Friday to toss out a lawsuit against the company’s efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney World’s governing district by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees. The hearing scheduled for an hour in state court in Orlando involves one of two cases between the Disney and DeSantis or his governing district appointees stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for the company’s public opposition to the so-called Don’t Say Gay legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican state lawmakers. Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a yearlong feud that

Disney is asking a judge to toss a lawsuit from DeSantis appointees
World

Rocket being developed by Japan's space agency explodes during testing but no injuries reported

A rocket being developed by the Japanese space agency exploded during testing on Friday, but there were no reports of injuries, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The cause of the accident at the facility in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, was still being investigated, the agency, JAXA, said. It was unclear and when testing for the Epsilon S rocket could resume. Japanese TV news footage from the site shows the test starting normally, with white smoke shooting out at the side. About a minute later, flames and gray smoke burst upward in an explosion, and the roof

Rocket being developed by Japan's space agency explodes during testing but no injuries reported
World

For some remote Canadian wildfires, best and fastest option is sending in the smokejumpers

When James Bergen steps from a plane and plummets toward fire below, he’s not scared. Instead, he says, he gets a rush from not knowing exactly what he’ll face when he parachutes in as one of the smokejumpers confronting the wildfires that have scorched Canada this spring and summer. One call may mean a drop and a hike to a meadow to put out a single burning tree. “Next day you go to a fire and it’s a giant roaring beast threatening a community,” said Bergen, a solidly built 46-year-old with graying stubble.

For some remote Canadian wildfires, best and fastest option is sending in the smokejumpers
World

Wildlife officials search for a wayward sea otter harassing surfers, kayakers off California coast

Wildlife officials were trying to capture a wayward sea otter Thursday that has been wrestling surfboards away from surfers and aggressively approaching kayakers off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. The 5-year-old female otter has shown aggression toward people for several weeks and poses a public safety risk, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement. Video and photographs shared on social media show the marine mammal getting on top of different surfboards — on at least one occasion biting and tearing chunks off a board — and aggressively approaching surfers. A team of

Wildlife officials search for a wayward sea otter harassing surfers, kayakers off California coast
World

JPMorgan Chase 2Q profits rose 67% with a boost from First Republic takeover

JPMorgan Chase & Co. said second-quarter profits rose by 67% as the nation’s largest bank made more loans to customers and took advantage of higher interest rates and its recent acquisition of First Republic. JPMorgan said Friday that it earned $14.5 billion in the three months ended June 30, compared to a profit of of $8.65 billion in the same period a year earlier. On a per share basis, the bank earned $4.75 a share. Revenue rose to $42.4 billion from $31.6 billion a year ago. The results beat Wall Street forecasts, with analysts surveyed by

JPMorgan Chase 2Q profits rose 67% with a boost from First Republic takeover
World

China criticizes German call for reducing dependency on Chinese products as 'protectionism'

China on Friday criticized a German government call for reducing dependency on Chinese products and decreasing other potentially unstable factors in bilateral relations, calling it a form of protectionism. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that a long-awaited German government strategy for relations with China that pointed to a “systemic rivalry” went “against the trend of the times, and will only aggravate divisions in the world.” Wang said the two countries were “partners rather than rivals,” a typical ruling Chinese Communist Party formulation for dismissing criticism. “We believe that to engage in competition and protectionism in the

China criticizes German call for reducing dependency on Chinese products as 'protectionism'
World

Man drowns in home in Vermont's 1st recorded flooding death

A man who died as a result of a drowning accident in his home is Vermont’s first death related to recent storms and historic flooding, the state’s emergency management agency said. Stephen Davoll, 63, of Barre, died on Wednesday, said Mark Bosma, spokesperson for Vermont Emergency Management. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigated the death, in cooperation with local police, Bosma said in a news release late Thursday afternoon. He said Vermonters are urged to continue to take extra care as they return to their homes and repair damage. “The loss of a Vermonter is always painful, but

Man drowns in home in Vermont's 1st recorded flooding death
World

South Africa deploys army over burning of trucks, braces for unrest over ex-president's court case

South Africa deployed the army in four of its provinces Friday after at least 21 trucks carrying goods were set on fire in various parts of the country over the past week. The move came amid concerns of more unrest over a court decision that could send former president Jacob Zuma back to jail, although authorities have denied they are connected. The deployment of soldiers to support police in some parts of the country came a day after South Africa’s apex Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma’s release on medical parole in 2021 was invalid.

South Africa deploys army over burning of trucks, braces for unrest over ex-president's court case
World

Blinken meets Wang Yi in Indonesia. But the region remains wary of the US-China rivalry

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China’s top diplomat Friday to discuss thorny issues as part of efforts to nurture talks on the sidelines of regional diplomatic meetings in Indonesia, whose president called on rival powers to avoid turning the region into a “competition arena.” Blinken stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and raised concerns by Washington and its allies over China’s actions in his late-Thursday meeting with Wang Yi, who heads the ruling Communist Party’s Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, U.S. officials

Blinken meets Wang Yi in Indonesia. But the region remains wary of the US-China rivalry
World

Putin says Russian mercenary group has no legal basis so 'doesn't exist'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Wagner private military company “simply doesn’t exist” as a legal entity, in comments adding to the series of often bizarre twists that have followed the group’s abortive revolt last month — the most serious threat to Putin’s 23-year rule amid the war in Ukraine. “There is no law on private military organizations. It simply doesn’t exist,” Putin told a Russian newspaper late Thursday, referring to the Wagner group. Putin recounted to Kommersant his own version of a Kremlin event attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on June 29.

Putin says Russian mercenary group has no legal basis so 'doesn't exist'
World

Southeast Asian nations renew alarm over Myanmar violence. But diplomats can't settle on a solution

Southeast Asian foreign ministers renewed their alarm over — and condemnation of — air strikes, artillery shelling, and other acts of deadly violence in Myanmar, but struggled Friday to overcome differences on how to address the prolonged civil strife. The Myanmar crisis was high on the agenda when top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met Tuesday and Wednesday in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The 10-nation bloc includes Myanmar, but its foreign minister was again barred from attending this week’s meetings due to the military government’s failure to comply with a five-point emergency

Southeast Asian nations renew alarm over Myanmar violence. But diplomats can't settle on a solution
World

France celebrates Bastille Day with pomp, a tribute to India and extra police to prevent new unrest

France is celebrating its national holiday Friday with whizzing warplanes and a grand Bastille Day parade in Paris — and with more than 100,000 police deployed around the country to prevent a new outbreak of unrest in underprivileged neighborhoods. This year, the annual events celebrating the start of the French Revolution on July 14, 1789 come in the wake of the nation’s most serious rioting in nearly 20 years, following the fatal police shooting of a teen with North African roots that laid bare anger over entrenched inequality and racial discrimination. India is the guest of honor

France celebrates Bastille Day with pomp, a tribute to India and extra police to prevent new unrest
World

Moves at a small border village hike Israel-Hezbollah tensions at a time of regional jitters

The little village of Ghajar has been a sore point between Israel and Lebanon for years, split in two by the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. But after a long period of calm, the dispute has begun to heat up again. Israel has been building a wall around the half of the village in Lebanese territory, triggering condemnation from the Lebanese militiant force Hezbollah, accusing Israel of moving to annex the site. A recent exchange of fire in the area raised alarm that the dispute could trigger violence. The growing tensions over

Moves at a small border village hike Israel-Hezbollah tensions at a time of regional jitters
World

Stock market today: Asian shares buoyed by Wall Street's winning week as inflation eases

Asian shares mostly surged Friday after Wall Street’s winning streak barreled into a fourth day, buoyed by the latest signal that inflation may be easing. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost earlier gains, ending down 0.1% at 32,391.26. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.9% to 7,308.50. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.3% to 2,623.83. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.4% to 19,433.22, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.1% to 3,240.96. “Positive sentiment within Asian equity markets gathered pace as investors welcomed the easing inflation momentum,” Anderson Alves at ActivTrades said in a commentary. Market watchers are also looking ahead

Stock market today: Asian shares buoyed by Wall Street's winning week as inflation eases
World

For a group of Ukrainian women, painting is a form of therapy to help them cope with loss

In a sunlit art studio in Kyiv filled with easels and canvases, Iryna Farion puts the finishing touches on an oil painting with a predominantly dark color palette in shades of blue and brown. The artwork depicts two intertwined trees held together by their roots, as though in embrace, and a radiant yellow sun shining against a moody blue background. “I feel like it’s me and my husband, who was killed in the war,” Farion says of the trees. “They are like two souls, like two hearts, like one body.” Farion is among thousands of Ukrainian

For a group of Ukrainian women, painting is a form of therapy to help them cope with loss
World

Ex-officers at federal women's prison in California plead guilty to multiple sex abuse counts

Two former officers of a federal women’s prison in California pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple counts of sexual abuse, the latest to be prosecuted following an Associated Press investigation last year resulting in prison sentences for the former warden and chaplain. Andrew Jones, a former cook supervisor at Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, pleaded guilty to six felony charges of sexual abuse of three women he supervised, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday. Nakie Nunley, a guard at the prison call center, pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual abuse and five lesser felonies of abusive

Ex-officers at federal women's prison in California plead guilty to multiple sex abuse counts
World

Death Valley visitors drawn to the hottest spot on Earth during ongoing US heat wave

As uninviting as it sounds, Death Valley National Park beckons. Even as the already extreme temperatures are forecast to climb even higher, potentially topping records amid a major U.S. heat wave, tourists are arriving at this infamous desert landscape on the California-Nevada border. Daniel Jusehus snapped a photo earlier this week of a famed thermometer outside the aptly named Furnace Creek Visitor Center after challenging himself to a run in the sweltering heat. “I was really noticing, you know, I didn’t feel so hot, but my body was working really hard to cool

Death Valley visitors drawn to the hottest spot on Earth during ongoing US heat wave
World

Guatemala's struggle with corruption thrust into international spotlight by election meddling

(asterisk)(asterisk) TO MOVE AT 0400 GMT(asterisk)(asterisk) The Guatemalan government’s clumsy interference with its presidential election has tturned a global spotlight on a country whose struggles with deep corruption had received limited international attention. President Alejandro Giammattei was deeply unpopular at home, but other than occasional statements of reprobation from the United States and Europe, had managed to consolidate his control of the justice system with little consequence. It was a dramatic transformation for a country that until four years ago hosted an aggressive and productive anti-corruption effort supported by the United Nations. But since that mission

Guatemala's struggle with corruption thrust into international spotlight by election meddling
World

North Korea's ambassador blames US for regional tensions in a rare appearance at UN Security Council

North Korea’s U.N. ambassador defended his country’s recent long-range missile launch in a rare appearance at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday where he also accused the United States of driving the situation in northeast Asia “to the brink of nuclear war.” Kim Song told the council that Wednesday’s test-flight of the developmental Hwasong-18 missile was a legitimate exercise of the North’s right to self-defense. He said the United States was raising regional tensions with nuclear threats and deploying a nuclear-powered submarine to South Korea for the first time in 14 years. Kim said the missile

North Korea's ambassador blames US for regional tensions in a rare appearance at UN Security Council

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