Today: October 13, 2024
Today: October 13, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

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Out-of-control wildfire scorches Spain’s Tenerife island, affecting thousands

An out-of-control wildfire on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife has burned thousands of acres and affected some 7,600 people who are either evacuated or confined, Regional President Fernando Clavijo said Thursday. He said some 250 firefighters and members of the Spanish army are tackling the blaze, located in the north of the island. Clavijo said the fire had a nearly 30-kilometer-long (19-mile) perimeter. “This is probably the most complicated blaze we have had on the Canary Islands, if not ever, at least in the last 40 years,” Clavijo told reporters. Extreme temperatures in the island,

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Ohio voters kept it easy to pass a constitutional amendment protecting abortion − but also for the majority to someday limit other rights

People gather at the Marion County Republican Party headquarters after discussing Issue 1 on July 13, 2023, in Marion, Ohio. Maddie McGarvey/For The Washington Post via Getty Images Issue 1 on the Ohio ballot, which aimed to raise the threshold to change the state constitution from a simple majority – 50% of voters plus one – to 60%, got enormous national attention for a state ballot measure in an off-year special election. No doubt this was because it was linked to the current state battles over abortion rights following the demise of Roe v. Wade. Both advocates and opponents saw

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Mobile robots get a leg up from a more-is-better communications principle

Getting a leg up from mobile robots comes down to getting a bunch of legs. Georgia Institute of Technology Adding legs to robots that have minimal awareness of the environment around them can help the robots operate more effectively in difficult terrain, my colleagues and I found. We were inspired by mathematician and engineer Claude Shannon’s communication theory about how to transmit signals over distance. Instead of spending a huge amount of money to build the perfect wire, Shannon illustrated that it is good enough to use redundancy to reliably convey information over noisy communication channels. We wondered if we

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What Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s canceled cage match says about masculine anxiety

Would a fight help them prove to themselves that they are ‘real men,’ despite their soft − probably manicured − hands? Photo illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images While the cage fight between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to be on hold, if these men do ever end up sparring, it’ll give a whole new meaning to the term “tech bro.” The two billionaires’ business interests have butted heads in the past: Musk’s 2016 test launch of a SpaceX rocket destroyed Zuckerberg’s US$200 million satellite. In 2022, Musk said Zuckerberg shouldn’t dominate social media

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3 reasons we use graphic novels to teach math and physics

Graphic novels can help make math and physics more accessible for students, parents or teachers in training. Metamorworks/iStock via Getty Images Post-pandemic, some educators are trying to reengage students with technology – like videos, computer gaming or artificial intelligence, just to name a few. But integrating these approaches in the classroom can be an uphill battle. Teachers using these tools often struggle to retain students’ attention, competing with the latest social media phenomenon, and can feel limited by using short video clips to get concepts across. Graphic novels – offering visual information married with text – provide a means to

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Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye

A cup of coffee might provide you some pep, but it won’t fully make up for lost sleep. nopponpat/iStock via Getty Images Plus There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep? Put another way, how can you get less sleep and still perform at your peak? As a psychologist who studies the ways in which sleep benefits memory, I’m also interested in how

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U.S. jobless claims applications fall as labor market continues to show resiliency

The U.S. labor market continues to flex its muscle as applications for jobless claims fell again last week and remain at healthy levels in the face of high interest rates and inflation. Applications for unemployment benefits dropped by 11,000 to 239,000 for the week ending August 12, down from 250,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 2,750 to 234,250. Jobless claim applications are seen as a proxy for the number of layoffs in a given week. Overall, 1.72 million people were collecting unemployment

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Renowned British talk show host Michael Parkinson dies at age 88

Michael Parkinson, a renowned broadcaster widely considered Britain’s talk show king has died at age 88. His family said in a statement to the BBC on Thursday that Parkinson died “peacefully at home last night” after a brief illness. Parkinson’s career included interviews with celebrities such as Muhammed Ali, David Bowie and John Lennon. His talk show, which was called “Parkinson,” first aired on the BBC in June 1971 and enjoyed a successful run until 1982. In 1998, the show was revived on the BBC and proved an instant hit. It then switched to commercial rival ITV

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Iran’s foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia on first such trip in years as tensions ease

Iran’s foreign minister traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking the first trip to the kingdom by Tehran’s top diplomat in years after the two nations reached a détente with Chinese mediation. The visit by Hossein Amirabdollahian comes as both Saudi Arabia and Iran try to ease tensions between their nations, which long have viewed each other as archrivals for influence across the wider Middle East. Challenges remain, however, particularly over Iran’s advancing nuclear program, the Saudi-led war in Yemen and security across region’s waterways. Amirabdollahian’s trip to Riyadh comes as the two nations

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China says it would welcome a visit by US commerce secretary after imposition of investment controls

China says it would welcome a visit by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo following the imposition of foreign investment controls by her agency that have stung numerous Chinese companies. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting did not offer a date, but said the countries are in “close communication on arrangements,” according to reports Thursday. Media have speculated that a visit could come as early as later this month. Raimondo last met her Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, in Washington in May to discuss trade. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Aug. 9 to block and regulate

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Tim Scott will share the spotlight at massive South Carolina campaign event headlined by DeSantis

Just a few days after the first GOP presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, two of the contenders will be hitting the same stage in front of the largest annual gathering of Republicans in early-voting South Carolina. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had already been set as the headliner at the Faith & Freedom BBQ, hosted by Rep. Jeff Duncan on Aug. 28. On Thursday, Duncan told The Associated Press that Sen. Tim Scott — invited in his capacity as a South Carolina senator, not presidential hopeful — had also accepted an opportunity to speak, as he

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World chess federation bars transgender women from competing in women’s events

The world’s top chess federation has ruled that transgender women cannot compete in its official events for females until an assessment of gender change is made by its officials. The decision by Lausanne, Switzerland-based federation FIDE was published on Monday and has drawn criticism from advocacy groups and supporters of transgender rights. FIDE said it and its member federations increasingly have received recognition requests from players who identify as transgender, and that the participation of transgender women would depend on an analysis of individual cases that could take up to two years. “Change of gender is a

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More than a ton of endangered pangolin scales seized in Thailand

Thai authorities said Thursday they have seized more than a ton of pangolin scales worth over 50 million baht ($1.4 million) that are believed to have been headed out of the country through a land border. The scales that cover a type of anteater were found Wednesday night in the northeastern province of Kalasin, and apparently were meant to be transported out through Mukdahan province, which shares a border with Laos, Thai police said at a news conference in Bangkok on Thursday. Two male suspects, who were on a truck with the scales, were arrested and charged

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Walmart shines in Q2 and bumps up expectations for the year

Walmart reported strong second-quarter sales results as the retailer’s low-price model continues to attract budget conscious consumers in a tough economic environment. The nation’s largest retailer boosted its annual outlook again, sending shares up 2% before the opening bell Thursday. Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, earned $7.89 billion, or $2.92 per share, for the three-month period ended July 31. Adjusted results were $1.84 per share, or 13 cents better than Wall Street had expected, according to a survey of industry analysts by FactSet. It was also up from last year’s quarterly profit of $5.15 billion. Sale

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Niger’s neighbors running out of options as defense chiefs meet to discuss potential military force

Regional countries are facing a crisis of legitimacy as they run out of options and time to restore democratic rule in Niger after soldiers ousted the president last month, say analysts. Defense chiefs from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, are meeting in Ghana Thursday to discuss Niger’s crisis after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face military intervention. Bazoum was overthrown in July and remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. This is the first meeting since ECOWAS ordered the deployment

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Spanish parliament holds crucial vote that could pave way for another leftist government

Spain’s newly elected Parliament meets Thursday to choose the chamber’s speaker and presiding council, a normally routine vote but which this time will be read as a bellwether of a future government. Inconclusive national elections on July 23 left no party with an easy path to cobble together the support needed to lead a government. Parties on the left and right of the spectrum are delicately poised in the fight for power. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez appears to have a slight edge over his conservative and rightwing rivals, but nothing is guaranteed and a new election

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South Korea’s spy agency says North Korea is preparing ICBM tests, spy satellite launch

North Korea is preparing its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit as well as tests of long-range missiles to mark a key national anniversary and protest efforts by the United States to strengthen its regional alliances, South Korea’s intelligence service told lawmakers Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been expected to conduct weapons tests in response to major U.S.-South Korean military drills that begin next week and a trilateral U.S.-South Korea-Japan summit at Camp David in the United States this Friday. The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in a closed-door

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Iranian filmmaker and his producer face prison for showing film at Cannes without state permission

An Iranian filmmaker and his producer reportedly face prison time and being barred from filmmaking after they showcased a movie at the Cannes Film Festival without government approval, drawing immediate criticism internationally from leading American director Martin Scorsese and others. Director Saeed Roustayi and producer Javad Norouzbeigi traveled to Cannes last year to show “Leila’s Brothers,” competing for the festival’s grand Palme d’Or prize. The film focuses on a family struggling to make ends meet as Iran faces international sanctions and includes sequences showing protests in the Islamic Republic as a series of nationwide

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More than 60 Senegalese migrants are dead or missing after monthlong voyage for Spain

More than 60 migrants are feared dead after a Spanish fishing vessel off the Atlantic island of Cape Verde rescued a boat that started with more than 100 aboard, authorities and migrant advocates said Thursday. Seven dead bodies were found on the boat, while an estimated 56 people are missing at sea and presumed dead, said International Organization for Migration spokesperson Safa Msehli. According to Senegal’s foreign affairs ministry, 38 survivors were rescued earlier in the week near Cape Verde, about 620 kilometers (385 miles) off the coast of West Africa. The Spanish migration advocacy group

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Renowned British talk show host Michael Parkinson dies at age 88

Michael Parkinson, a renowned broadcaster widely considered Britain’s talk show king has died at age 88. His family said in a statement to the BBC on Thursday that Parkinson died “peacefully at home last night” after a brief illness. Parkinson’s career included interviews with celebrities such as Muhammed Ali, David Bowie and John Lennon. His talk show, which was called “Parkinson,” first aired on the BBC in June 1971 and enjoyed a successful run until 1982. In 1998, the show was revived on the BBC and proved an instant hit. It then switched to commercial rival ITV

Uncategorized

Iran’s foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia on first such trip in years as tensions ease

Iran’s foreign minister traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking the first trip to the kingdom by Tehran’s top diplomat in years after the two nations reached a détente with Chinese mediation. The visit by Hossein Amirabdollahian comes as both Saudi Arabia and Iran try to ease tensions between their nations, which long have viewed each other as archrivals for influence across the wider Middle East. Challenges remain, however, particularly over Iran’s advancing nuclear program, the Saudi-led war in Yemen and security across region’s waterways. Amirabdollahian’s trip to Riyadh comes as the two nations

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Tim Scott will share the spotlight at massive South Carolina campaign event headlined by DeSantis

Just a few days after the first GOP presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, two of the contenders will be hitting the same stage in front of the largest annual gathering of Republicans in early-voting South Carolina. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had already been set as the headliner at the Faith & Freedom BBQ, hosted by Rep. Jeff Duncan on Aug. 28. On Thursday, Duncan told The Associated Press that Sen. Tim Scott — invited in his capacity as a South Carolina senator, not presidential hopeful — had also accepted an opportunity to speak, as he

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Pakistan arrests 129 Muslims after mob attacks churches and homes of minority Christians

Police arrested more than 100 Muslims in overnight raids from an area in eastern Pakistan where a Muslim mob angered over the alleged desecration of the Quran by a Christian man attacked churches and homes of minority Christians, prompting authorities to summon troops to restore order, officials said Thursday. There were no casualties as Christians living in a residential area in the city of Jaranwala in the Faisalabad district quickly moved to safer places along with their families following one of the country’s most deadly attacks against Christians. Christians slowly returned to their homes Thursday, only

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Heavy rain in Germany causes flooding and leads to flight cancelations in Frankfurt

Heavy rain in parts of Germany caused flooding and led to dozens of flight cancelations at Frankfurt Airport, the country’s busiest and a major European hub, authorities said Thursday. The airport said large quantities of water accumulated on the tarmac Wednesday evening and ground handling was suspended for more than two hours, German news agency dpa reported. The airport website showed about 70 flights were canceled by 11 p.m., when flying is ordinarily halted for the night, while 23 flights headed for Frankfurt were diverted to other airports. Downpours in parts of southwestern and central Germany led

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Niger’s neighbors running out of options as defense chiefs meet to discuss potential military force

Regional countries are facing a crisis of legitimacy as they run out of options and time to restore democratic rule in Niger after soldiers ousted the president last month, say analysts. Defense chiefs from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, are meeting in Ghana Thursday to discuss Niger’s crisis after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face military intervention. Bazoum was overthrown in July and remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. This is the first meeting since ECOWAS ordered the deployment

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