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Today: April 16, 2025
Today: April 16, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

African leaders visit Russia to discuss their peace plan with Putin, after Ukraine trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who traveled to Russia on a self-styled “peace mission” after their trip to Ukraine. Seven African leaders — presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda — visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war. The African leaders traveled to St. Petersburg Saturday to meet with Putin who attended a business forum in Russia’s second-largest city. The mission to Ukraine,

African leaders visit Russia to discuss their peace plan with Putin, after Ukraine trip
Political

Watered-down LGBTQ 'understanding' bill shows how far Japan's parliament is out of step with its society – and history

Rainbow ears, but is Japan’s parliament listening? Lucas Calloch/@dreiimos/Unsplash, FAL Japan has passed legislation aimed at “promoting the understanding” of members of the LGBTQ community – a watered-down bill that will do little to put the Asian country in line with fellow liberal democracies on the issue. As many reports of the bill’s passage on June 16, 2023, have noted, Japan lags far behind other G7 countries when it comes to the legal protection of sexual minorities. There has been less discussion of how the limits of the new law – and the prolonged battle to get it passed –

Watered-down LGBTQ 'understanding' bill shows how far Japan's parliament is out of step with its society – and history
Political

Blinken set for high-stakes China visit with tensions rising and breakthrough prospects low

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic trip to China to try to cool down escalating tensions between the two powers that have set many around the world on edge. Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. Yet prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies are slim, as already ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years. Animosity and recriminations have

Blinken set for high-stakes China visit with tensions rising and breakthrough prospects low
World

German police arrest truck driver accused in crash that killed Italian cyclist Rebellin

Police in Germany have arrested a truck driver accused in the crash in Italy last year that killed professional cyclist Davide Rebellin, Italian prosecutors said Saturday. Wolfgang Rieke is accused of road homicide and leaving the scene of a crash. Vicenza prosecutor Lino Giorgio Bruno said he was arrested Thursday in Muenster on a European arrest warrant. German authorities said he had surrendered. Rebellin, one of cycling’s longest-serving professionals, was killed Nov. 30 during a training run near the northern Italian town of Montebello Vicentino. At the time, Italian media reported the truck that struck him didn’t

German police arrest truck driver accused in crash that killed Italian cyclist Rebellin
Political

Some Democrats are already warning of a government shutdown as budget battle with GOP takes shape

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running. Republicans teed up votes this past week on guns and on censuring one of former President Donald Trump’s most prominent critics, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Those votes helped get the House moving again, though the latter effort failed, with Schiff helped by some 20 Republicans. The most consequential move of the week, however, was

Some Democrats are already warning of a government shutdown as budget battle with GOP takes shape
World

Sudan officials say airstrike kills 17, including 5 children, in capital Khartoum

An airstrike in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Saturday killed at least 17 people, including five children, health officials said, as fighting continued between rival generals seeking to control the country. The attack was one of the deadliest of the clashes in urban areas of Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan between the military and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. It was not clear whether the attack was by aircraft or a drone. The military’s aircraft have repeatedly targeted RSF troops and the RSF has reportedly used drones and anti-aircraft weapons against the military.

Sudan officials say airstrike kills 17, including 5 children, in capital Khartoum
Political

Participants at Trump's Jan. 6 rally push false election claims in Virginia legislative campaigns

Most Republican candidates running for the Virginia legislature this year are centering their pitches to voters on issues such as education, the cost of living and gun rights. But for a small segment of contenders, former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a rigged 2020 election have remained an important campaign selling point heading into Tuesday’s primary. “There’s still an underlying distrust of the election process by Republicans,” said state Sen. Amanda Chase, who is in a three-way primary for a GOP-leaning seat in suburban Richmond. Chase has persistently repeated Trump’s lie that the 2020 election

Participants at Trump's Jan. 6 rally push false election claims in Virginia legislative campaigns
World

Bling-friendly Dolce & Gabbana presents quiet luxury during Milan Fashion Week menswear shows

Menswear is looking for post-pandemic footing during Milan Fashion Week, landing somewhere between resort, adventurer and tailoring. Dolce & Gabbana offered quiet luxury as only the designing duo can, reinventing masculine silhouettes with feminine detailing. MSGM, for its part, offered adventure with an off-road collection inspired by African travels. On the tailoring side, Ralph Lauren showed its high-end Purple line in its patrician Milan villa, focusing on made-in-Italy detailing for everyday luxury, including burnished footwear, unconstructed cotton-linen blend jackets, and chunky Fair Isle knitwear. Margherita Maccapani Missoni chose the menswear shows to unveil her new brand, using

Bling-friendly Dolce & Gabbana presents quiet luxury during Milan Fashion Week menswear shows
World

US ambassador marches in Warsaw Pride parade, sending message to NATO ally

The United States ambassador held a U.S. flag high as he marched in the yearly Pride parade in Warsaw on Saturday, a clear message of Washington’s opposition to discrimination in a country where LGBTQ+ people are facing an uphill struggle. “America embraces equality,” Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said, as he marched with more than 30 other members of the U.S. Embassy and alongsides representatives from Canada, Austria and other Western countries in the Equality Parade. In recent years Western governments have been alarmed by a conservative government in Warsaw that depicts gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people

US ambassador marches in Warsaw Pride parade, sending message to NATO ally
World

Greek leader blasts critics of rescue effort for sunken migrant vessel

Authorities continued to search Saturday for victims and survivors of a trawler that sank off the coast of Greece with as many as 750 migrants on board, as conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis blasted critics of the rescue operation. Naysayers, Mitsotakis said at a campaign stop in the town of Sparta, should turn their ire against traffickers he called “human scum.” The vessel sank on Wednesday. The Greek coast guard announced Saturday that one Greek Navy frigate and four other vessels were operating 47 nautical miles (54 miles; 87 kilometers) southwest of the town of Pylos in

Greek leader blasts critics of rescue effort for sunken migrant vessel
World

What to know as King Charles takes part in his first Trooping the Color birthday parade as monarch

King Charles III rode on horseback Saturday to take part in his first Trooping the Color ceremony as U.K. monarch, inspecting hundreds of soldiers and horses in a spectacular annual military display at central London’s Horse Guards Parade. Charles, 74, the colonel in chief, received the royal salute and watched as the most prestigious regiments in the U.K. army paraded to mark his official birthday. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a U.K. monarch has taken part in the pomp-filled ceremony on horseback. Earlier, Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, and the king’s

What to know as King Charles takes part in his first Trooping the Color birthday parade as monarch
World

Michael Jordan's decision to sell Hornets leaves some team decisions in flux

The timing of Michael Jordan’s decision to sell his majority ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets has left the organization in flux, with several looming key personnel decisions. The Hornets have the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night. They also have some difficult decisions to make in free agency in early July, including whether to re-sign embattled restricted free-agent Miles Bridges. With the NBA’s Board of Governors unlikely to approve the team’s sale to an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall until at least another month or two, the

Michael Jordan's decision to sell Hornets leaves some team decisions in flux
Political

Biden seeing collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 from the air over Philadelphia

President Joe Biden was taking an aerial tour Saturday of the collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia and planned to meet with first responders and workers involved in rebuilding the critical stretch of highway along the East Coast. Joining Biden on the presidential Marine One helicopter were Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Rep. Brendan Boyle and Mayor Jim Kenney, all Democrats. Afterward, the president was to receive a briefing on the situation and then attend a political event with union workers at the city’s convention center. The White House said Biden’s

Biden seeing collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 from the air over Philadelphia
World

Supporter defends expelled Jesuit priest against 'lynching', says abuse claims unproven

The head of a religious art and culture center founded by a disgraced Jesuit priest came to his defense Saturday after he was expelled from the Jesuit religious order following allegations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse against adult women. Maria Campatelli, director of the Rome-based Aletti Center, said the claims against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik were “defamatory and unproven” and amounted to a form of mediatic “lynching” against the Slovene priest and his art center. The Jesuits announced this week that Rupnik had been ordered expelled from the order June 9 because of “stubborn refusal

Supporter defends expelled Jesuit priest against 'lynching', says abuse claims unproven
World

Supporter defends expelled Jesuit priest against 'lynching', says abuse claims unproven

The head of a religious art and culture center founded by a disgraced Jesuit priest came to his defense Saturday after he was expelled from the Jesuit religious order following allegations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse against adult women. Maria Campatelli, director of the Rome-based Aletti Center, said the claims against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik were “defamatory and unproven” and amounted to a form of mediatic “lynching” against the Slovene priest and his art center. The Jesuits announced this week that Rupnik had been ordered expelled from the order June 9 because of “stubborn refusal

Supporter defends expelled Jesuit priest against 'lynching', says abuse claims unproven
World

Under court deal, Binance can continue U.S. operations as it battles SEC fraud charges

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Binance have reached an agreement in court that lets the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange continue to operate in the United States as it battles SEC fraud charges. Under a consent order filed Saturday, the defendants in the June 5 lawsuit agreed to repatriate all assets held for the benefit of Binance’s U.S. trading customers. The SEC alleges Binance broke U.S. law by operating as an unregistered securities exchange. It filed similar charges against the world’s other top cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, nearly simultaneously. But Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, face additional charges of

Under court deal, Binance can continue U.S. operations as it battles SEC fraud charges
World

West Virginia's Bob Huggins arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Pittsburgh

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview. Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report. It was Huggins’ second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.

West Virginia's Bob Huggins arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Pittsburgh
World

WNBA working with Brittney Griner and Mercury on travel options including charter flights

The WNBA is working with Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury on travel options including charter flights going forward. Griner’s travel was back in the spotlight last week when the team took a flight to Texas and then Indiana, requiring Griner and her Mercury teammates to go through commercial airports. While going through a Dallas airport last Saturday, the All-Star center who had been detained in Russia for nearly 10 months was harassed by what the WNBA called a “provocateur.” The league doesn’t allow teams to use charter flights except for when they have back-to-back games.

WNBA working with Brittney Griner and Mercury on travel options including charter flights
Political

Nikki Haley's husband begins Africa deployment as she campaigns for 2024 GOP nomination

Nikki Haley’s husband deployed Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. “He’s always been my rock,” she said after a deployment ceremony for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. “We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. …

Nikki Haley's husband begins Africa deployment as she campaigns for 2024 GOP nomination
Political

Nikki Haley's husband begins Africa deployment as she campaigns for 2024 GOP nomination

Nikki Haley’s husband deployed Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. “He’s always been my rock,” she said after a deployment ceremony for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. “We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. …

Nikki Haley's husband begins Africa deployment as she campaigns for 2024 GOP nomination
World

Heat wave has US South sweltering, from tornado-ravaged West Texas town to Florida beaches

Communities from Houston to New Orleans opened cooling centers to bring relief as steamy hot temperatures settled across a broad swath of the U.S. South on Saturday, and beachgoers fled a water spout that swept ashore on a Florida beach. Gov. Greg Abbott meanwhile visited Perryton in the Texas Panhandle, where officials said more than 1,000 customers remained without electricity after a tornado killed three people late Thursday. The Perryton Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce said it would open a cooling center in the town of 8,000 people, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Amarillo, to counteract the effects of

Heat wave has US South sweltering, from tornado-ravaged West Texas town to Florida beaches
World

Spain's Socialists have won the Barcelona mayor's office after getting help from conservative rivals

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists received an unexpected boost from its main rival in next month’s national election on Saturday when his party won the mayor’s office of Barcelona following a tight vote at city hall. Sánchez’s Socialists, or PSOE, took a beating in local and regional elections in May when the conservative Popular Party routed leftist mayors and regional chiefs in votes across the country. The situation in Barcelona, however, was different. A party in favor of the Catalonia region seceding from the rest of Spain won the most votes by a slim margin

Spain's Socialists have won the Barcelona mayor's office after getting help from conservative rivals
World

Thousands have protested against Serbia's president and pledged to 'radicalize' gatherings

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters on Saturday staged marches in Belgrade and other Serbian cities against President Aleksandar Vucic, pledging to “radicalize” weeks of peaceful gatherings that have already shaken his populist rule. The demonstrators in Belgrade blocked the main highway that leads through the capital and chanted slogans for Vucic to resign, something that he has repeatedly rejected over the past seven weeks of protests. The protest initially erupted in response to two back-to-back mass shootings in early May that left 18 people dead and 20 others wounded, many of them pupils from a

Thousands have protested against Serbia's president and pledged to 'radicalize' gatherings
World

Herta wins pole as repaved track produces eventful qualifying day at Road America

The venue that bills itself as “America’s National Park of Speed” is delivering faster times after its first repaving in nearly three decades. It’s also producing a bit more frustration. Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport earned the pole position for Sunday’s IndyCar Series race at Road America by posting a fastest lap of 1 minute, 40.1945 seconds on this 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course. That’s over 4 1/2 seconds faster than the time Alexander Rossi ran to earn the pole for last year’s event. Pato O’Ward qualified second and was followed in order by points leader

Herta wins pole as repaved track produces eventful qualifying day at Road America
World

Official says Yemeni pilgrims depart Sanaa on first direct flight to Saudi Arabia since 2016

A commercial flight carrying more than 270 Yemeni Muslim pilgrims left the rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Saturday to Saudi Arabia, an official said, the first such flight in about seven years. The flight by Yemen’s national carrier Yemenia — also known as Yemen Airways — took off from Sanaa’s international airport at 8 p.m. local time, heading to the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, Khalid al-Shayyef, head of the Yemeni airport, said. He told The Associated Press the flight was the first of five that would transfer this year’s Muslim pilgrims from Sanaa to Saudi

Official says Yemeni pilgrims depart Sanaa on first direct flight to Saudi Arabia since 2016

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