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Today: January 19, 2025
Today: January 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

As death toll rises to 81, new accounts clash with official version of migrant disaster off Greece

The number of confirmed victims from one of the worst migrant shipwrecks in the Mediterranean rose to 81 Monday after three more bodies were found off southern Greece, as more survivors claimed that the battered trawler had been under tow by another vessel just before it sank with hundreds of people aboard. The new accounts raised further questions about the Greek coast guard’s response from the moment it located the ship until it went down. Officials in Athens have insisted that the metal fishing boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy was at no point under

As death toll rises to 81, new accounts clash with official version of migrant disaster off Greece
World

UN complains Russia won't let aid workers into areas hit by dam collapse in southern Ukraine

The United Nations has rebuked Moscow for allegedly denying its aid workers access to Russian-occupied areas affected by the recent Kakhova dam collapse in southern Ukraine, which stranded residents, threatened power supplies and caused an environmental calamity as the war approaches 16 months. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, said in a statement late Sunday that the organization has engaged with Moscow and Kyiv, each of which occupies parts of the southern Kherson region where the dam and reservoir are located, to address the “devastating destruction” caused by the breach. The Russian government “has

UN complains Russia won't let aid workers into areas hit by dam collapse in southern Ukraine
World

New Chinese premier starts 1st trip abroad to Germany and France

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has started a visit to Germany and France that comes as Europe seeks to balance concerns over economic dependence on China and about its stance toward Ukraine and Taiwan with a desire to engage Beijing on issues such as climate change. Li, on his first trip abroad since taking office, was received by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday. Li and a large delegation of Chinese ministers meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and their German counterparts on Tuesday, the seventh such gathering. Top officials from both sides also will meet business representatives. Li,

New Chinese premier starts 1st trip abroad to Germany and France
Science

Death toll rises amid sweltering heat wave in 2 of India's most populous states

Nearly 170 people have died in two of India’s most populous states in recent days amid a sweltering heat wave, officials said Monday, as hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and routine power outages add to the challenges. In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 119 people have died from heat-related illnesses over the last several days while in neighboring Bihar state 47 people have died, according to local news reports and health officials. The largest hospital in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh is unable to accommodate more patients, officials said, and its morgue was overwhelmed after

Death toll rises amid sweltering heat wave in 2 of India's most populous states
World

Russian court starts trial of opposition leader Navalny that could keep him locked up for decades

A Russian court on Monday opened a new trial of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny that could keep him behind bars for decades. The trial is taking place at a maximum security prison in Melekhovo, 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow, where Navalny — the Kremlin’s arch foe — is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court. Navalny, 47, who exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests, was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

Russian court starts trial of opposition leader Navalny that could keep him locked up for decades
World

Chinese online shoppers are enticed by deep discounts, payment plans as zest for spending lags

Chinese shoppers were treated to deep discounts, new products and payment plans as online merchants sought to revive their sluggish appetite for spending during China’s first major online shopping festival after the end of zero-COVID policies. For the first time, e-commerce retailer JD.com did not release the results of its 618 shopping festival, which ended Sunday, making it hard to know just how much was spent. A bigger shopping festival, Single’s Day, held on Nov. 11 each year rakes in billions of dollars. Analysts said most consumers have become more price-conscious and reluctant to spend given

Chinese online shoppers are enticed by deep discounts, payment plans as zest for spending lags
World

Europe defense ministers are holding talks in Paris on how to better defend the continent's airspace

Defense ministers and other representatives of about 20 European countries will hold a conference in Paris on Monday on how to better defend Europe’s airspace, a long-divisive issue that takes on new urgency because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The talks will include anti-drone combat and ballistic missile defense, French organizers said, noting that Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shown the importance and effectiveness of such equipment. Nuclear weapons deterrence will also be on the agenda. The list of countries taking part in the conference, including the exact number, hasn’t been made public by the French

Europe defense ministers are holding talks in Paris on how to better defend the continent's airspace
Arts

Author Salman Rushdie awarded prestigious German prize for his literary work and resolve

Writer Salman Rushdie has been awarded a prestigious German prize for his literary work and for his resolve and positive attitude in the face of constant danger, the prize organizers said Monday. The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade said the British-American author would receive the award in Frankfurt on Oct. 22. Rushdie’s writing “combines narrative vision with constant literary innovation, humor and wisdom,” the jury said. “He describes the force with which violent regimes destroy whole societies, but also the indestructibility of the individual’s spirit of resistance.” Last August, Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly while on stage at a

Author Salman Rushdie awarded prestigious German prize for his literary work and resolve
World

UK lawmakers likely to back a scathing report that slammed Boris Johnson over 'partygate'

Britain’s House of Commons is likely Monday to endorse a report that found Boris Johnson lied to lawmakers about lockdown-flouting parties in his office, a humiliating censure that would strip the former prime minister of his lifetime access to Parliament. Lawmakers will debate a report by the Privileges Committee that found Johnson in contempt of Parliament, and are expected to approve its findings. It’s unclear whether there will be a formal vote or whether the report will be approved by acclamation. Johnson responded with fury to the report, branding its conclusions “deranged” and accusing its members of

UK lawmakers likely to back a scathing report that slammed Boris Johnson over 'partygate'
Arts

High art becomes body art as visitors to Amsterdam's Rembrandt House Museum get inked

Henk Schiffmaker’s needle whirrs as he tattoos the familiar lines of an elephant on Lilian Rachmaran’s back. “Highbrow to lowbrow” is how the famous Dutch tattoo artist describes his latest project — inking sketches by Rembrandt van Rijn onto the skin of visitors to the building the Golden Age master once called home. Or call it high art to body art. The Rembrandt House Museum has transformed one of its rooms into a tattoo parlor for a residency it calls “A Poor Man’s Rembrandt,” featuring Schiffmaker and other top Amsterdam tattoo artists for a week starting Monday.

High art becomes body art as visitors to Amsterdam's Rembrandt House Museum get inked
Political

'It was hell': Hostage freed after years in Africa recounts ordeal and frustrations with US response

The Islamic extremists drove up to the American missionary’s home in Niger under the cover of evening, gunning down two guards who stood watch. Jeff Woodke recalls seeing the muzzle blasts and hearing the screams before being thrown into a pickup truck that then sped away. So began more than six years of captivity, a period in which he says he was beaten, locked in chains for hours a day and pressured repeatedly to convert to Islam and endured self-imposed hunger strikes. “It was hell,” said Woodke, 62, who was released in March. “I think the hardest

'It was hell': Hostage freed after years in Africa recounts ordeal and frustrations with US response
Political

Who gets a break? Clashing ideas on tax relief are teed up for the 2024 campaign

Just six days after the bipartisan deal on the debt limit became law, House Republicans proposed a slew of tax cuts, leading to charges of hypocrisy by Democrats in a squabble that shows two clashing visions for the U.S. economy. GOP lawmakers are pushing deep tax cuts for companies and the affluent as the primary driver for sustaining economic growth, while President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats seek more targeted tax cuts to achieve social goals such as reducing child poverty and shifting to renewable energy that can help the economy in the long run. The Republican

Who gets a break? Clashing ideas on tax relief are teed up for the 2024 campaign
Political

Who gets a break? Clashing ideas on tax relief are teed up for the 2024 campaign

Just six days after the bipartisan deal on the debt limit became law, House Republicans proposed a slew of tax cuts, leading to charges of hypocrisy by Democrats in a squabble that shows two clashing visions for the U.S. economy. GOP lawmakers are pushing deep tax cuts for companies and the affluent as the primary driver for sustaining economic growth, while President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats seek more targeted tax cuts to achieve social goals such as reducing child poverty and shifting to renewable energy that can help the economy in the long run. The Republican

Who gets a break? Clashing ideas on tax relief are teed up for the 2024 campaign
Environment

How do spices get their flavor?

Without spices, our meals would have less color and flavor. Helaine Weide/Moment via Getty Images Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. How do spices get their flavor? – Liam, age 6, San Francisco I love savory and spicy foods. Lasagna laden with basil and oregano. Beautifully golden curries infused with turmeric, or rice flavored with saffron. I can’t pass up a cinnamon-dusted snickerdoodle cookie. And some of my favorite childhood memories center on my mom’s nutmeg-infused sweet potato pie. These ingredients

How do spices get their flavor?
World

Insider Q&A: Lithium batteries have a 4-hour limit. Mateo Jaramillo hopes to solve that

Wind and solar power are sometimes dinged for not producing electricity 24 hours a day, but one of the most abundant minerals on the planet, iron, could be key to changing that. Form Energy, founded in 2017, recently broke ground in West Virginia on its first commercial-scale factory to make iron-air batteries — totally different from lithium ion. The company’s goal is to one day help supply the electrical grid across the United States with renewable energy 24 hours a day and slash the need for burning coal and natural gas, polluting energy sources we currently rely on. CEO Mateo

Insider Q&A: Lithium batteries have a 4-hour limit. Mateo Jaramillo hopes to solve that
Economy

Big money bought the PGA Tour, but can it make golf a popular sport in Saudi Arabia?

The kingdom hopes to have 135,000 kids playing golf in school by 2025 and plans to build 23 new courses by 2030. JulyVelchev/iStock via Getty Images The recent merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf – now being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns – stunned the golf community. A year ago, the idea that Saudi Arabia – an absolute monarchy with few golf courses, scant public interest in the sport and a notorious human rights record – could suddenly leap to the top of the global golf hierarchy seemed impossible.

Big money bought the PGA Tour, but can it make golf a popular sport in Saudi Arabia?
Political

Fascism lurks behind the dangerous conflation of the terms 'partisan' and 'political'

Supporters, including one wearing a t-shirt bearing former President Donald Trump’s photo that says “Political prisoner,” watch as Trump departs the federal courthouse after arraignment, June 13, 2023, in Miami. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert “The personal is political!” is a well-known rallying cry, originally used by left-leaning activists, including feminists, to emphasize the role of government in personal lives and systemic oppression. It seems that now, it could be equally popular among right-wing politicians and their followers to communicate the idea that “everything is political.” Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of former President Donald Trump’s recent indictment

Fascism lurks behind the dangerous conflation of the terms 'partisan' and 'political'
World

Buttigieg says US 'green corridors' initiative key to cutting shipping industry emissions

An American push to establish “green shipping corridors” is key to reducing carbon emissions from the shipping industry, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday while touring the port of Yokohama near Tokyo. Buttigieg was in Japan to attend a meeting over the weekend of transport ministers of the Group of Seven advanced economies, who reaffirmed a commitment to reducing emissions from the transport industry and to keeping navigation free and open in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. is seeking to develop and strengthen partnerships with “like-minded countries” to improve maritime security and keep shipping and

Buttigieg says US 'green corridors' initiative key to cutting shipping industry emissions
World

Buttigieg says US 'green corridors' initiative key to cutting shipping industry emissions

An American push to establish “green shipping corridors” is key to reducing carbon emissions from the shipping industry, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday while touring the port of Yokohama near Tokyo. Buttigieg was in Japan to attend a meeting over the weekend of transport ministers of the Group of Seven advanced economies, who reaffirmed a commitment to reducing emissions from the transport industry and to keeping navigation free and open in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. is seeking to develop and strengthen partnerships with “like-minded countries” to improve maritime security and keep shipping and

Buttigieg says US 'green corridors' initiative key to cutting shipping industry emissions
Political

Mr. Modi comes to Washington – The Indian prime minister's visit could strengthen ties with the US, but also raises some delicate issues

President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 at the Oval Office. Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to attend his first state visit at the White House on June 22, 2023, marking a historic moment that could potentially influence relations between India and the United States for years. Modi, 72, was first elected prime minister in 2014 and then reelected in 2019. Since then, Modi has earned an international reputation as an unyielding Hindu nationalist and a strongman who leads with tight control. We are political scientists who have written extensively on

Mr. Modi comes to Washington – The Indian prime minister's visit could strengthen ties with the US, but also raises some delicate issues
Political

Mr. Modi comes to Washington – The Indian prime minister's visit could strengthen ties with the US, but also raises some delicate issues

President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 at the Oval Office. Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to attend his first state visit at the White House on June 22, 2023, marking a historic moment that could potentially influence relations between India and the United States for years. Modi, 72, was first elected prime minister in 2014 and then reelected in 2019. Since then, Modi has earned an international reputation as an unyielding Hindu nationalist and a strongman who leads with tight control. We are political scientists who have written extensively on

Mr. Modi comes to Washington – The Indian prime minister's visit could strengthen ties with the US, but also raises some delicate issues
World

Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIV

Eight-time major champion Tom Watson wants answers on the PGA Tour’s new business partnership with Saudi backers of LIV Golf, asking in a letter Monday to Commissioner Jay Monahan if the deal was the only way to solve the tour’s financial hardship. That was one of several questions posed by Watson in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press and was sent to Monahan, the PGA Tour board and “my fellow players.” He said the questions were “compounded by the hypocrisy in disregarding the moral issue.” On the day after Wyndham Clark became the

Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIV
World

UN calls on Middle East and European nations to raise money for the humanitarian crisis in Sudan

The United Nations called on countries in the Middle East and Europe on Monday to ramp up aid efforts in Sudan to address the deepening humanitarian crisis. Sudan has been rocked by fighting for more than two months as the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces battle for control of the country. Sudan’s Health Ministry said Saturday that more than 3,000 have been killed in the conflict, which has decimated the country’s fragile infrastructure and sparked ethnic violence in the western Darfur region. “The scale and speed of Sudan’s descent into death and destruction is unprecedented,”

UN calls on Middle East and European nations to raise money for the humanitarian crisis in Sudan
Health

Ex-PM Cameron says the UK focused too much on flu rather than other potential pandemics before COVID

Britain made a mistake in focusing too much on preparations for a flu pandemic rather than considering other types of pandemic in the years before the COVID-19 outbreak, former Prime Minister David Cameron told a public inquiry Monday. Cameron, who led Britain’s Conservative government from 2010 to 2016, was the first politician to be questioned by the wide-ranging inquiry into the U.K.’s preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic, how the government responded and what lessons can be learned for the future. The U.K. had one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in Europe, with the virus recorded as

Ex-PM Cameron says the UK focused too much on flu rather than other potential pandemics before COVID
World

Airbus wins mammoth order for 500 jets from India's IndiGo at Paris Air Show

India’s IndiGo airline is buying 500 passenger jets from European planemaker Airbus, the two companies said Monday, in a record-setting order that underscores surging demand for air travel fueled by the country’s economic growth. IndiGo, India’s dominant carrier, is buying the A320 aircraft in what the companies said was the single biggest purchase agreement in commercial aviation history. Executives from both companies announced the deal on the opening day of the Paris Air Show, the world’s largest event focusing on aviation and space industry. They didn’t disclose how much the order was worth, but it would likely

Airbus wins mammoth order for 500 jets from India's IndiGo at Paris Air Show

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