Today: October 08, 2024
Today: October 08, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

A building fire has killed at least 58 people, many homeless, in Johannesburg, authorities say

At least 58 people died when a fire ripped through a multi-story building in Johannesburg that had been overtaken by homeless people, emergency services said Thursday. Spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said another 43 people were injured in the blaze that broke out in the predawn hours. He said the death toll was likely to still increase in what he described as effectively “an informal settlement.” “Over 20 years in the service, I’ve never come across something like this,” Mulaudzi said. A search and recovery operation was underway and firefighters were moving through the building, Mulaudzi said. The team

A building fire has killed at least 58 people, many homeless, in Johannesburg, authorities say
World

College students are still struggling with basic math. Professors blame the pandemic

Diego Fonseca looked at the computer and took a breath. It was his final attempt at the math placement test for his first year of college. His first three tries put him in pre-calculus, a blow for a student who aced honors physics and computer science in high school. Functions and trigonometry came easily, but the basics gave him trouble. He struggled to understand algebra, a subject he studied only during a year of remote learning in high school. “I didn’t have a hands-on, in-person class, and the information wasn’t really there,” said Fonseca, 19, of

College students are still struggling with basic math. Professors blame the pandemic
World

China's Baidu makes AI chatbot Ernie Bot publicly available

Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm Baidu made its ChatGPT-equivalent language model fully available to the public Thursday, raising the company’s stock price by over 3% following the announcement. Beijing sees artificial intelligence as a key industry to rival the United States and aims to become a global leader by 2030. Chinese technology firms have also raced to unveil their generative AI models — in which algorithms allow the technology to produce and create new content — after U.S. firm OpenAI launched the widely popular ChatGPT. Baidu said Thursday that Ernie Bot would be fully

China's Baidu makes AI chatbot Ernie Bot publicly available
World

Guatemala's Congress refuses to recognize president-elect's party

Guatemala’s Congress, which is controlled by the currently governing party, on Wednesday refused to recognize the seven lawmakers from the Seed Movement party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, following the suspension of his party earlier this week. Lawmakers declared their Seed Movement colleagues independents in the latest move against the party since Arévalo’s landslide win Aug. 20. Prosecutors have accused the Seed Movement of wrongdoing in gathering signatures for the party’s registration years earlier. The case was announced in July after Arévalo won a surprise place in the presidential runoff against former first lady Sandra Torres. Anti-corruption

Guatemala's Congress refuses to recognize president-elect's party
World

After Jacksonville shootings, historically Black colleges address security concerns, remain vigilant

Before the fatal shootings of three Black residents in Jacksonville, Florida, over the weekend, the gunman, a young white man with swastikas painted on his rifle, pulled into a parking lot at Edward Waters University and began putting on tactical gear. Students reported him, a campus police officer approached and he sped off in his vehicle having never identified himself. The shootings dredged up memories of another infamous racist attack in the city nearly 60 years ago known as Ax Handle Saturday. In that incident, a mob of Ku Klux Klan members armed with ax handles chased and beat 17-year-old

After Jacksonville shootings, historically Black colleges address security concerns, remain vigilant
World

North Korea says it simulated nuclear attacks on South Korea and rehearsed occupation of its rivals

North Korea said Thursday its latest missile launches simulated “scorched earth” nuclear strikes on South Korea and that it’s also been rehearsing an occupation of its rivals’ territory in the event of conflict. Pyongyang has previously tested nuclear-capable missiles and described how it would use them in potential wars with South Korea and the U.S. But the North’s disclosure of detailed war plans reaffirmed its aggressive nuclear doctrine to intimidate its opponents, as it escalates its protest of the ongoing South Korean-U.S. military exercises that it views as a major security threat, observers say. North

North Korea says it simulated nuclear attacks on South Korea and rehearsed occupation of its rivals
World

Forecasters warn of increased fire risk in Hawaii amid gusty winds, low humidity

The National Weather Service on Wednesday warned gusty winds and low humidity have increased the risk that fires could spread rapidly in the western parts of each Hawaiian island, three weeks after a deadly blaze tore through a coastal Maui town during a similar alert. But the agency said winds would not be as powerful compared to Aug. 8 when flames burned down much of Lahaina, killing at least 115 people and destroying more than 2,000 structures. The fire was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. Lahaina’s flames were fanned by wind gusts

Forecasters warn of increased fire risk in Hawaii amid gusty winds, low humidity
World

This trans woman was begging on India’s streets. A donated electric rickshaw changed her life

When Preethi moved to Bengaluru in southern India 10 years ago after being kicked out of her family home for being transgender, she hoped for a better future. But 38-year-old Preethi, who only uses her first name, couldn’t get consistent work. For most of the decade, her main way of making money was begging on the city’s streets, making her susceptible to abuse and violent crime. “I just didn’t want that kind of life anymore,” she recalls. Then in March last year, she got a chance to turn things around. She got the keys to her

This trans woman was begging on India’s streets. A donated electric rickshaw changed her life
World

Government incentives and cost-conscious customers lead to electric vehicle boom in India

Groceries stashed in the back of an electric delivery scooter are an increasingly familiar sight in the Indian city of Bengaluru. In crowded markets, electric rickshaws drop off and pick up passengers. And the number of tech startups focused on electric transport has shot up as the city — and country — embrace electric vehicles. India is one of the fastest-growing electric vehicle markets in the world and now has millions of EV owners. More than 90% of its 2.3 million electric vehicles are the cheaper and more popular two- or three-wheelers — that’s motorbikes, scooters

Government incentives and cost-conscious customers lead to electric vehicle boom in India
World

Alex Murdaugh loses prison phone privileges after lawyer records phone call for documentary

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has lost his phone privileges and his prison tablet computer after his lawyer recorded him reading his journal entries on a call for a documentary about his case, South Carolina Corrections Department officials said Wednesday. Prison policy prohibits inmates from talking to the media without permission because the agency “believes that victims of crime should not have to see or hear the person who victimized them or their family member on the news,” state prisons spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said in a statement. The media interview violation, along with another violation for using

Alex Murdaugh loses prison phone privileges after lawyer records phone call for documentary
World

University of North Carolina students rally for gun safety after fatal shooting of faculty member

A shooting that left a faculty member dead and frightened students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has galvanized gun safety advocates and local Democrats, who rallied the grieving campus community Wednesday to fight for stricter state gun laws. About 600 students held protest signs on a large lawn in the heart of campus and bowed their heads during a moment of silence as the iconic campus Bell Tower rang in honor of the deceased associate professor, Zijie Yan. Yan, who led a research group in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences,

University of North Carolina students rally for gun safety after fatal shooting of faculty member
World

3 arrested in Dominican Republic as part of investigation into explosion that killed 34

Three people were arrested Wednesday in the Dominican Republic as part of an ongoing investigation into a powerful explosion at a plastics company that killed at least 34 people earlier this month. Those arrested include the owner of the company and his wife, a government official who was not authorized to speak to the media told The Associated Press. The explosion was caused by an accumulation of highly flammable gases that could have been generated by the plastics and organic peroxide material stored at the company, according to a preliminary report by the firefighting

3 arrested in Dominican Republic as part of investigation into explosion that killed 34
World

Georgia Power customers could see monthly bills rise another $9 to pay for the Vogtle nuclear plant

Residential customers of Georgia’s largest electrical utility could see their bills rise another $9 a month to pay for a new nuclear power plant under a deal announced Wednesday. Georgia Power Co. said customers would pay $7.56 billion more for Plant Vogtle construction costs under the agreement with utility regulatory staff. The Georgia Public Service Commission’s five elected commissioners must approve any deal, but such agreements are typically persuasive. With the commission’s Public Interest Advocacy staff and three leading ratepayer groups signing on, the agreement is likely to avert contentious hearings over how much blame the company

Georgia Power customers could see monthly bills rise another $9 to pay for the Vogtle nuclear plant
World

Ex-Catholic cardinal McCarrick, age 93, is not fit to stand trial on teen sex abuse charges

The once-powerful Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will not stand trial on charges he sexually assaulted a teenage boy decades ago, as a Massachusetts judge dismissed the case against the 93-year-old on Wednesday because both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree he suffers from dementia. McCarrick, the ex-archbishop of Washington, D.C., was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after an internal Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children. The McCarrick scandal created a crisis of credibility for the church, primarily because there was evidence Vatican and U.S. church leaders knew he slept with

Ex-Catholic cardinal McCarrick, age 93, is not fit to stand trial on teen sex abuse charges
World

Longest alligator in Mississippi history captured by hunters

A group of hunters have captured the longest alligator ever to be recorded in Mississippi, according to the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Four state residents — Donald Woods, Will Thomas, Joey Clark and Tanner White — harvested a male alligator Saturday in west Mississippi’s Sunflower River. It weighed 802.5 pounds (364 kilograms) and measured 14 feet, 3 inches (4.3 meters) long, breaking the previous record by over 2 inches, the department said. After capturing the animal, the hunters hoisted it with a forklift and posed for a picture at Red Antler Processing

Longest alligator in Mississippi history captured by hunters
World

Former official under Belarus President Lukashenko to face Swiss trial over enforced disappearances

A former member of Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko’s special security forces is to face trial in Switzerland next month for the forced disappearances of political opponents in the late 1990s, rights groups said Wednesday. Activists called it a “watershed moment” in international justice that could trigger prosecutions abroad of other Belarus officials — including Lukashenko, whose regime has come under renewed criticism over a crackdown against opposition leaders that began in August 2020 and support for Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine last year, among other things. The case against Yuri Harauski, a former member of a military

Former official under Belarus President Lukashenko to face Swiss trial over enforced disappearances
World

Gary Woodland to have surgery to remove a lesion on his brain

Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland said Wednesday he will have surgery to remove a lesion found on his brain. Woodland, a four-time PGA Tour winner, announced on social media he was diagnosed with the lesion a few months ago and has been trying to treat the symptoms with medication. “After consulting with multiple specialists and discussing with my family, we’ve made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion is the best course of action,” Woodland wrote. “I’m in good spirits with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone.”

Gary Woodland to have surgery to remove a lesion on his brain
World

Teen arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old during Oklahoma high school football game

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old at an Oklahoma high school football game, the authorities said Wednesday. Deputies working with other law enforcement agencies took the boy into custody without incident early Wednesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Spencer, Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said. The boy’s name was not released because he is a juvenile, Johnson said. Johnson referred other questions to Choctaw police, who are leading the investigation into the shooting. The sheriff’s office is investigating a shot fired during the gunfire by an off-duty

Teen arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old during Oklahoma high school football game
World

Spain has condemned inappropriate World Cup kiss. Can it now reckon with sexism in soccer?

When Patricia Otero watched the president of Spain’s soccer federation tarnish the greatest victory in the history of women’s sports in Spain by forcibly kissing a player on the lips during the Women’s World Cup medal ceremony, she was saddened — but not surprised. For this amateur soccer player, the kiss that Luis Rubiales pressed on Spain forward Jenni Hermoso was simply the most public and notorious example of the treatment she and her teammates received as girls and young women. “We have seen that all our lives,” the 30-year-old told The Associated Press from the southern

Spain has condemned inappropriate World Cup kiss. Can it now reckon with sexism in soccer?
World

Court says Netanyahu's son must pay damages to woman he implied had affair with his father's rival

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son must compensate a woman who sued him after he implied she was having an affair with his father’s chief political opponent, a court ruled Wednesday. The court ordered Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, to pay over $34,000 in compensation and $6,000 in legal costs to Dana Cassidy. Cassidy sued him for defamation in 2020 after he insinuated on social media that she was romantically involved with Benny Gantz, who was running against his father for prime minister at the time. Over the course of the election, which ultimately returned Benjamin Netanyahu

Court says Netanyahu's son must pay damages to woman he implied had affair with his father's rival
World

North Korea launches a missile toward the sea after US flies bomber during drills with South Korea

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, hours after the U.S. flew at least one long-range bomber to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against the North. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew. Earlier Wednesday, the United States flew a B-1B bomber to the Korean Peninsula as part of field exercises with South Korea. The field training has been held on the sidelines

North Korea launches a missile toward the sea after US flies bomber during drills with South Korea
World

Nebraska volleyball stadium event could draw 90,000-plus and set women's world attendance record

An attendance record of global proportions could be set Wednesday night when the University of Nebraska hosts a celebration of volleyball at Memorial Stadium. The event will feature an exhibition between in-state Division II powers Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State and a regular-season match between Omaha and the fourth-ranked Cornhuskers. Country artist Scotty McCreery will perform afterward. Nebraska athletic department officials have taken aim at the women’s sporting event attendance record of 91,648, set during a Champions League soccer match as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 at the Camp Nou Stadium in 2022. “If any place can

Nebraska volleyball stadium event could draw 90,000-plus and set women's world attendance record
World

Saudi man receives death penalty for posts online, latest case in wide-ranging crackdown on dissent

A Saudi court has sentenced a man to death over his posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and his activity on YouTube, the latest in a widening crackdown on dissent in the kingdom that has drawn international criticism. The judgement against Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, seen Wednesday by The Associated Press, comes against the backdrop of doctoral student Salma al-Shehab and others facing decadeslong prison sentences over their comments online. The sentences appear part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s wider effort to stamp out any defiance in the kingdom as he pursues

Saudi man receives death penalty for posts online, latest case in wide-ranging crackdown on dissent
World

Japanese ministers eat Fukushima fish to show it's safe after nuclear plant wastewater is discharged

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and three Cabinet ministers ate Fukushima fish sashimi at a lunch meeting Wednesday, in an apparent effort to show that fish is safe following the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that began last week. Kishida and the three ministers had sashimi of flounder, octopus and sea bass, caught off the Fukushima coast after the water release, along with vegetables, fruits and a bowl of rice that were harvested in the prefecture, Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who was at the meeting, told reporters. The

Japanese ministers eat Fukushima fish to show it's safe after nuclear plant wastewater is discharged
World

Gabon's wealthy, dynastic leader thought he could resist Africa's trend of coups. He might be wrong

The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, knew well the threat of military coups in his part of the world. But he swore one wouldn’t happen to him. “While our continent has been shaken in recent weeks by violent crises, rest assured that I will never allow you and our country Gabon to be hostages to attempts at destabilization. Never,” Bongo declared this month as the central African nation marked 60 years of independence from France, almost all of that time with his family in power. Now, according to a group of mutinous Gabonese security forces

Gabon's wealthy, dynastic leader thought he could resist Africa's trend of coups. He might be wrong

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