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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

France's parliament approves big boost in military spending, spurred by Ukraine war

France’s parliament on Thursday approved a multi-billion-euro boost to military spending through the rest of this decade, spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine and fast-growing global threats. President Emmanuel Macron pushed for the bigger budget, which would spend 413 billion euros ($450 billion), the most significant spending hike in half a century. The money would modernize France’s nuclear arsenal, augment intelligence spending and develop more remote-controlled weapons. He has argued the boost was needed to ensure “our freedom, our security, our prosperity, our place in the world.” The defense minister has compared it to France’s push in

France's parliament approves big boost in military spending, spurred by Ukraine war
World

Russian lawmakers move to further restrict transgender rights in a new legislation

Russian lawmakers on Thursday approved a toughened version of a bill that outlaws gender transitioning procedures, with added clauses that annul marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bar transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The bill received swift, unanimous approval of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, in its key second reading, and lawmakers scheduled the third and final reading for Friday. There is little doubt that the bill, a crippling blow to Russia’s oppressed LGBTQ+ community, will be adopted amid the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views

Russian lawmakers move to further restrict transgender rights in a new legislation
World

Women's tennis tour program provides education, exposure for female coaches

On a hazy, 80-degree afternoon in April, Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette practiced with Julia Grabher about 24 hours before each would win a second-round match on the green clay of the WTA’s Charleston Open. While one of Linette’s two coaches, Iain Hughes, offered her instruction, the other, Mark Gellard, stood in a corner, keeping an eye on the workout while chatting with Lan Yao-Gallop. She is one of 10 members of the women’s professional tennis tour’s Coach Inclusion Program, which is in its first full year of trying to help female coaches break into the

Women's tennis tour program provides education, exposure for female coaches
World

Delta puts up record quarterly numbers as travel surges despite expectations of a spending pullback

Delta Air Lines reported unprecedented quarterly profit and revenue Thursday and raised its expectations for a year after travelers took to the skies in huge numbers, defying some forecasts of a pullback in spending. Revenue soared almost 13% to $15.58 billion, a surprising jump even for a carrier that has outperformed consistently. Shares rose almost 5% before the opening bell, on a trajectory to set a new 52-week high, and pulled major carriers higher with it. “Robust demand is continuing into the September quarter where we expect total revenue to be similar to the June quarter, up 11 percent to

Delta puts up record quarterly numbers as travel surges despite expectations of a spending pullback
World

Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million for Saturday after no winner in latest drawing

The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $875 million after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing. No ticket for Wednesday’s $750 million jackpot matched the white balls 23, 35, 45, 66, 67 and red Powerball 20. The new jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is the third highest in the history of the game. Ticket buyers have a chance at either $875 million paid out in yearly increments or a $441.9 million one-time lump sum before taxes. The game’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw

Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million for Saturday after no winner in latest drawing
World

European court says suspension of Polish judge criticizing government was against EU law

Europe’s top court ruled on Thursday that suspension in Poland of a judge who had criticized the government is against the EU’s law and he should be returned to the bench with full pay. The decision was the latest in a string of European Union decisions ordering Poland’s right-wing government to roll back changes to the judiciary that the EU says are in violation of the rule of law. Judge Igor Tuleya was suspended in 2020 and had his pay reduced by a judicial disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court, a body created and controlled by

European court says suspension of Polish judge criticizing government was against EU law
World

Google rolls out AI chatbot Bard to Europe and Brazil and adds more languages

Google said Thursday that it’s rolling out its AI-powered chatbot Bard across Europe and in Brazil, expanding its availability to hundreds of millions more users. The company also said it’s adding more features to Bard as it scrambles to keep up with rival Microsoft — which uses OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT service in its Bing search engine — in the race to develop pivotal artificial intelligence for commercial use. Google launched Bard in February, but its planned rollout last month in the European Union was delayed as regulators checked whether the service complied with the 27-nation bloc’s strict

Google rolls out AI chatbot Bard to Europe and Brazil and adds more languages
World

Top general's dismissal reveals new crack in Russian military leadership

A Russian general in charge of forces fighting in southern Ukraine has been relieved of his duties after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops in a move that reflected new fissures in the Russian military command following a brief rebellion by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army fighting in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, which is a focal point in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, said in an audio statement to his troops released late Wednesday that he was dismissed after a meeting with the top military brass. Popov

Top general's dismissal reveals new crack in Russian military leadership
World

China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years

China and Southeast Asian nations agreed Thursday to try and conclude within three years a long-delayed nonaggression pact aimed at preventing the frequent territorial spats in the busy South China Sea from turning into a major armed conflict. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Thursday during a meeting between the 10-nation bloc’s foreign ministers and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to guidelines to complete their code of conduct negotiations before fall 2026, a Southeast Asian diplomat involved in the meetings told The Associated Press. The diplomat spoke

China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years
World

Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week

Schools and colleges were closed after record monsoon rains led to massive waterlogging, road caves-in, collapsed homes and gridlocked traffic in large parts of northern India this week, killing more than 100 people, officials said Thursday. At least 88 people died and more than 100 were injured in the worst hit-mountainous Himachal Pradesh state where cars, buses, bridges and houses were swept away by swirling flood waters, a state government statement said. The region is nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of New Delhi. Twelve people have died of rain-related incidents since Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh

Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week
World

Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary

Maria Corina Machado has been a longtime foe of Venezuela’s government, and not exactly a unifying figure for its critics. But the government’s move to ban her from public office has helped rally the fractured opposition and focus much-needed attention on their effort to hold an independent presidential primary. The ban was issued just days after she entered the race, and Machado says it shows that the government knows that it could face defeat. “If anyone had doubts about the strategic importance, the value, of the primaries, … the actions of the regime have made this

Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary
World

Tens of thousands of doctors in England start 'longest' strike in health system's history

Britain’s state-funded health care service is facing what is being described as its longest-ever strike as tens of thousands of doctors in England commenced a five-day walkout over pay on Thursday. So-called junior doctors, those who are at the early stages of their careers in the years after medical school, started their strike at 7 a.m., with many of them making their case for a 35% pay rise in picket lines outside hospitals across England. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has asked for a 35% pay rise to bring junior doctors’ pay back to 2008

Tens of thousands of doctors in England start 'longest' strike in health system's history
World

Kevin Spacey testifies in his own defense in his sexual assault trial at a London court

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday in his sexual assault trial, swearing in a clear and loud voice to tell the “full truth and nothing but the truth” in what could be the most consequential speaking part of his life. Spacey began by discussing how he got involved in the theater, joking that his mother would say he began acting the moment he emerged from the womb. The testimony provided some light history on his life before delving into the serious matter before the court. Four men have accused the two-time Oscar winner of sexually assaulting them between 2001

Kevin Spacey testifies in his own defense in his sexual assault trial at a London court
World

Climate activists block runways at 2 German airports, causing numerous flight cancelations

Climate activists blocked a runway at Hamburg airport early Thursday, causing numerous flights to be canceled on the first day of the school vacation in the north German city. The group Last Generation said several of its members entered the grounds of Hamburg airport around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) and glued themselves to the runway. “It can’t yet be predicted when operations can resume,” the airport operators said. “According to current information about a dozen flights have had to be canceled. Further cancelations and diversions aren’t ruled out.” Members of the group also cut through a security

Climate activists block runways at 2 German airports, causing numerous flight cancelations
World

UN expert group calls for release of Cambodian-American human rights activist after investigation

A United Nations expert group is calling for the immediate release of a Cambodian-American human rights activist, saying an investigation it conducted has concluded she was being “arbitrarily detained in violation of international law.” The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in a judgment late Wednesday that while attorney Theary Seng had been convicted of conspiracy to commit treason and other charges last year, she was in reality being punished for “making two posts on Facebook critical of Hun Sen,” Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister. The judgment comes a little more than a week

UN expert group calls for release of Cambodian-American human rights activist after investigation
World

Egypt, Ethiopian leaders discuss Blue Nile dam ahead of Cairo summit on deadly Sudan conflict

Egypt’s president and Ethiopia’s prime minister have met to discuss bilateral relations, including construction of a giant dam on the Blue Nile, ahead of a summit in Cairo to discuss potential resolutions to the deadly 12-week conflict in Sudan. Their rare meeting at Cairo’s Al-Ittihadiya Palace Wednesday preceded a summit that President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is hosting on Sudan. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is set to attend Thursday’s high-stakes meeting, along with leaders from South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Central African Republic and Libya. “The two leaders discussed on key bilateral & regional issues of interest to

Egypt, Ethiopian leaders discuss Blue Nile dam ahead of Cairo summit on deadly Sudan conflict
World

Stock market today: Asian shares jump on Wall Street's return to its highest level in over a year

Asian shares rose Thursday, boosted by Wall Street’s return to its highest level in more than a year after a report showed U.S. consumer inflation cooled a bit more than expected last month. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 1.5% in afternoon trading to 32,425.69. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2.6% to 19,357.96, while the Shanghai Composite gained 1.3% to 3,236.86, even as China reported a slump in trade in June. Chinese exports tumbled 12.4% in June from a year earlier as demand weakened after central banks raised interest rates to curb inflation even as Chinese leaders struggled

Stock market today: Asian shares jump on Wall Street's return to its highest level in over a year
World

Tourists are packing European hotspots. And Americans don't mind the higher prices and crowds

Tourists are waiting more than two hours to visit the Acropolis in Athens. Taxi lines at Rome’s main train station are running just as long. And so many visitors are concentrating around St. Mark’s Square in Venice that crowds get backed up crossing bridges — even on weekdays. After three years of pandemic limitations, tourism is expected to exceed 2019 records in some of Europe’s most popular destinations this summer, from Barcelona and Rome, Athens and Venice to the scenic islands of Santorini in Greece, Capri in Italy and Mallorca in Spain. While European tourists edged

Tourists are packing European hotspots. And Americans don't mind the higher prices and crowds
World

China exports slumped 12.4% in June from a year earlier as global demand weakened

China’s exports tumbled 12.4% in June from a year earlier as demand weakened after central banks raised interest rates to curb inflation even as Chinese leaders struggled to keep a post-COVID recovery from faltering. Customs data released Thursday showed imports slid 6.8% to $214.7 billion. Exports edged up slightly from the month before, totaling $285.3 billion. The trade surplus was $70.2 billion, rising from $65.8 billion in May. Trade weakness adds to downward pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. Global consumer demand has weakened after the Federal Reserve and central banks in Europe and Asia raised

China exports slumped 12.4% in June from a year earlier as global demand weakened
World

Most populous US states and city ask for census corrections over misplaced ship and missed students

A misplaced naval ship in California. Overlooked college students in New York City. Missed inmates in Texas. These are some of the reasons why the two most populous states and the largest city in the U.S. filed last-minute requests for corrections to their 2020 census figures right before the deadline at the end of last month. California, Texas and New York City were joined by a dozen and a half other stragglers, including Illinois and New Orleans, that made down-to-the-deadline appeals over the numbers that help determine political power and the annual distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funding. In

Most populous US states and city ask for census corrections over misplaced ship and missed students
World

Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California and scores victories beyond the field for players

Lisa Wrightsman was a former college soccer player whose life was derailed by drug addiction before she eventually made her way back to the sport through a tournament for players from around the globe who have experienced homelessness. Wrightsman qualified for the Homeless World Cup in Brazil. It was a competition that would forever change her life. When she returned to Sacramento, friends at the sober living facility where Wrightsman lived told her they wanted “to feel the way you look right now.” “I actually started to feel value,” she said. “The whole tournament kind of

Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California and scores victories beyond the field for players
World

Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They're hoping it's Japan's Me Too moment

Kazuya Nakamura says he was 15 when one of the most powerful men in Japanese entertainment history forced him to have sex while he was part of a troupe of backup dancers managed by the legendary talent agent. At least a dozen other men have come forward this year to say they were sexually assaulted as teenagers by boy band impresario Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, beginning with three who spoke anonymously to the BBC for a documentary broadcast in March. The story has all the elements of a major Me Too reckoning, but in Japan,

Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They're hoping it's Japan's Me Too moment
World

Influencer arrested over TikTok video satirizing wealthy Emiratis in Dubai shows limits on freedoms

An online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. The comedic sketch, in which he tosses stacks of bills at bewildered employees and offers to buy the most expensive car — a $600,000 Ferrari SF90 — poked fun at the lavish lifestyles on display in the city, known for its gleaming skyscrapers and over-the-top tourism attractions. Dubai is more socially lenient than much of the Middle East, with a relaxed dress code, bars and

Influencer arrested over TikTok video satirizing wealthy Emiratis in Dubai shows limits on freedoms
World

Dangerous heat wave baking US Southwest brings triple digit temperatures, fire risk to California

After a historically wet winter and a cloudy spring, California’s summer was in full swing Thursday as a heat wave that’s been scorching much of the U.S. Southwest brings triple digit temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires. Blistering conditions will build Friday and throughout the weekend in the central and southern parts of California, where many residents should prepare for the hottest weather of the year, the National Weather Service warned. Midday highs were mostly expected to be above 100 degrees (37.7 C), and desert areas could reach 120 (48.8 C), forecasters said. Little relief

Dangerous heat wave baking US Southwest brings triple digit temperatures, fire risk to California
World

Black Lives Matter movement to mark 10 years of activism, renews call to defund the police

The Black Lives Matter movement hits a milestone on Thursday, marking 10 years since its 2013 founding in response to the acquittal of the man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Gunned down in a Florida gated community where his father lived in 2012, Martin was one of the earliest symbols of a movement that now wields influence in politics, law enforcement and broader conversations about racial progress in and outside the U.S. BLM activists and organizations plan to mark a decade of the movement with in-person and virtual events. Calls to action include a renewed push to defund police

Black Lives Matter movement to mark 10 years of activism, renews call to defund the police

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