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Today: January 23, 2025
Today: January 23, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Shohei Ohtani takes note of Seattle crowd asking for him to call Northwest home

Shohei Ohtani had an entire stadium asking him in unison to come to Seattle in free agency. “Never experienced anything like that, but I definitely heard it,” the two-position star said through his interpreter. “But I was trying to focus on my at-bat.” Ohtani was the biggest star of the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, even if his appearance was rather uneventful. Ohtani struck out and walked in his two at-bats as the American League saw its nine-game win streak come to an end with a 3-2 loss to the National League. But it was what happened

Shohei Ohtani takes note of Seattle crowd asking for him to call Northwest home
World

Vermont slowly turns to recovery after being hit by flood from slow-moving storm

Floodwaters receded in Vermont cities and towns pummeled by a storm that delivered two months of rain in two days, allowing officials to focus on recovering from a disaster that trapped residents in homes, closed roadways and choked streets and businesses with mud and debris. In the capital city of Montpelier, where streets were flooded Tuesday by the swollen Winooski River, officials said that water levels at a dam just upstream appeared to be stable. “It looks like it won’t breach. That is good. That is one less thing we have to have on our front

Vermont slowly turns to recovery after being hit by flood from slow-moving storm
World

Chip maker Foxconn exits a semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining company Vedanta

Electronics giant Foxconn backed out of a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd. due to “external issues unrelated to the project.” Hon Hai Technology, known internationally as Foxconn, and Vedanta Limited announced their joint venture to manufacture chips and display panels in India in February 2022. On Monday, Foxconn announced it mutually agreed to part ways with Vedanta Limited. “This is not a negative. There was recognition from both sides that the project was not moving fast enough, there were challenging gaps we were not able to smoothly overcome, as well

Chip maker Foxconn exits a semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining company Vedanta
World

The Manson 'family': A look at key players and victims in the cult leader's killings

In 1969, Charles Manson dispatched a group of disaffected young followers on a two-night killing rampage that terrorized Los Angeles. The killings remain etched in the American consciousness. On Tuesday, Leslie Van Houten was released after spending more than 50 years in prison for two of those murders. She’s the only one of Manson’s followers who participated in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders to go free. Members of the Manson “family” arrived at the Hollywood Hills home of Sharon Tate on Aug. 8, 1969, where they stabbed, beat and shot to death the young actress and her

The Manson 'family': A look at key players and victims in the cult leader's killings
World

Rockies' Elias Díaz becomes unlikely All-Star MVP, 3 1/2 years after cut loose by Pirates

Elias Díaz may be the most unlikely All-Star MVP. Just 3 1/2 years after Pittsburgh failed to offer a contract and allowed him to become a free agent, Diaz hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning to lift the National League over the American 3-2 on Tuesday night. A first-time All-Star at age 32, the Colorado catcher put his name on an award won by Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, Frank and Brooks Robinson, both Ken Griffeys and Mike Trout. “I honestly can’t believe that my name is going to be next to

Rockies' Elias Díaz becomes unlikely All-Star MVP, 3 1/2 years after cut loose by Pirates
World

After half a century, Israel moves to evict squatter from his cave home on the beach

Over half a century, Nissim Kahlon has transformed a tiny cave on a Mediterranean beach into an elaborate underground labyrinth filled with chiseled tunnels, detailed mosaic floors and a network of staircases and chambers. He lives in the one-of-a-kind artistic creation, which is a popular destination for local curiosity seekers, and Kahlon, 77, is quick to welcome visitors into his subterranean home. Now, Israel’s government wants him out. Fifty years after Kahlon moved into the home, Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry has served him an eviction notice, saying the structure is illegal and threatens Israel’s coastline. “Instead

After half a century, Israel moves to evict squatter from his cave home on the beach
Science

Kerry to visit Beijing for climate talks amid efforts to revive relations between US and China

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to Beijing next week to discuss strategies for limiting global warming, amid a push by the world’s two largest economies to reengage on multiple issues following a sharp decline in contacts. Kerry’s office said he will arrive Sunday and depart July 19. He is due to meet with his counterpart Xie Zhenhua, with whom he has established a strong working relationship. “During meetings with PRC officials, Secretary Kerry aims to engage with the PRC on addressing the climate crisis, including with respect to increasing implementation and ambition

Kerry to visit Beijing for climate talks amid efforts to revive relations between US and China
World

Thailand's Election Commission says top candidate for prime minister may have broken election law

Thailand’s state Election Commission said Wednesday it concluded there is evidence that the top candidate to become the country’s next prime minister, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, violated election law and referred his case to the Constitutional Court for a ruling. The commission’s decision, announced in a press release, means the court could order Pita to be suspended from his duties as a Member of Parliament until the ruling is issued. In theory it does not rule out him being nominated to become prime minister by Parliament on Thursday, because the post does not have to

Thailand's Election Commission says top candidate for prime minister may have broken election law
World

Iran's president begins a rare visit to Africa 'to promote economic diplomacy'

Iran’s president has begun a rare visit to Africa as his country, which is under heavy U.S. economic sanctions, seeks to deepen partnerships around the world. President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Kenya on Wednesday is the first to the African continent by an Iranian leader in more than a decade. He is also expected to visit Uganda and Zimbabwe and meet with the presidents there. Africa is a “continent of opportunities” and a great platform for Iranian products, Raisi told journalists in a briefing. He didn’t take questions. “None of us is satisfied with the current

Iran's president begins a rare visit to Africa 'to promote economic diplomacy'
World

Russia's threat to pull out of Ukraine grain deal raises fears about global food security

Concerns are growing that Russia will not extend a United Nations-brokered deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to parts of the world struggling with hunger, with ships no longer heading to the war-torn country’s Black Sea ports and food exports dwindling. Turkey and the U.N. negotiated the breakthrough accord last summer to ease a global food crisis, along with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertilizer. Moscow insists it’s still facing hurdles, though data shows it has been exporting record amounts of wheat. Russian officials repeatedly say there are

Russia's threat to pull out of Ukraine grain deal raises fears about global food security
World

Thai diplomat meets with Suu Kyi in detention in Myanmar and says she wants to join talks on crisis

Thailand’s top diplomat said Wednesday that he met ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in detention over the weekend and she conveyed her openness to engage in talks to resolve the crisis in her strife-torn nation. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai is the only government official outside of Myanmar to have met Suu Kyi since she was detained with other officials when the army seized power from her elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. He told his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who are meeting in Indonesia’s capital, that Suu Kyi was

Thai diplomat meets with Suu Kyi in detention in Myanmar and says she wants to join talks on crisis
World

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed ahead of an update on US consumer prices

Asian shares were mixed Wednesday after stocks advanced on Wall Street ahead of an update on U.S. inflation that investors hope will show a smaller increase in pain for everyone. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 0.9% to 18,827.66 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia added 0.4% to 7,135.70. In Seoul, the Kospi rose 0.5% to 2,574.72. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.8% to 31,943.93 after North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Wednesday, two days after the North threatened “shocking” consequences to protest what it called provocative U.S. reconnaissance activity near its territory.

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed ahead of an update on US consumer prices
World

Bank of England says UK banks are resilient enough to offer struggling households support

The Bank of England warned Wednesday that households across the U.K. are facing increasing problems from the sharp increase in interest rates but found that the country’s biggest banks are resilient enough to offer more help than they were able to before the global financial crisis 15 years ago.. In its regular health check of the economy, the central bank said British households are facing higher debt burdens as a result of rising interest rates, particularly those whose fixed-rate mortgage deals have come to an end or soon will be. However, it said there are several factors

Bank of England says UK banks are resilient enough to offer struggling households support
World

China-based hackers breached Western European government email accounts, Microsoft says

A China-based hacking group has breached email accounts linked to government agencies in Western Europe, Microsoft Corp. says. In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft said the group, which it identified as Storm-0558, focuses on acts such as espionage and data theft. The group gained access to email accounts affecting about 25 organizations including government agencies and to accounts of individuals linked to these organizations, and had gone undetected for about a month until customers complained to Microsoft about abnormal mail activity. “We assess this adversary is focused on espionage, such as gaining access to email

China-based hackers breached Western European government email accounts, Microsoft says
World

Traces of explosives were found in a yacht in the Nord Stream sabotage investigation, diplomats say

Investigators found traces of subsea explosives in samples taken from a yacht that has been one aspect of a probe into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea last year, European diplomats have told the United Nations Security Council. They say that the investigation hasn’t yet established who the perpetrators were and whether a state was involved. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been investigating the Sept. 26 attack, and the Danish Foreign Ministry tweeted a letter Tuesday from the three countries’ U.N. ambassadors to the president of the Security Council with information

Traces of explosives were found in a yacht in the Nord Stream sabotage investigation, diplomats say
World

France's anti-immigration far right gets boost from riots over police killing of teen

Widespread riots in France sparked by the police killing of a teenager with North African roots have revealed the depth of discontent roiling poor neighborhoods — and given a new platform to the increasingly emboldened far right. The far right’s anti-immigration mantra is seeping through a once ironclad political divide between it and mainstream politics. More voices are now embracing a hard line against immigration and blaming immigrants not only for the car burnings and other violence that followed the June 27 killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, but for France’s social problems as well. “We know the

France's anti-immigration far right gets boost from riots over police killing of teen
World

US forward Christian Pulisic arrives in Italy for expected transfer to AC Milan

United States forward Christian Pulisic arrived in Italy on Wednesday for a medical with AC Milan before an expected transfer from Chelsea. The 24-year-old Pulisic, who has one year left on his contract at Chelsea, is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Rossoneri and become the third American to play for the club after Oguchi Onyewu and Sergiño Dest. “I’m very happy to be here. I’m excited. I’m excited to start with this historic club,” Pulisic told reporters waiting for him at Milan’s Malpensa airport. “It’s legendary and I’m really excited to come here and

US forward Christian Pulisic arrives in Italy for expected transfer to AC Milan
Political

Pence would ban abortions when pregnancies aren't viable. His GOP rivals won't say if they agree

In a Republican presidential field full of opponents to abortion rights, Mike Pence stands out in his embrace of the cause. The former vice president, who is seeking the White House in 2024, is the only major candidate who supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant. He has advocated pulling from the market a widely used abortion pill that has a better safety record than penicillin and Viagra. And he’s implored his Republican rivals to back a 15-week federal ban as a minimum national standard, which several have

Pence would ban abortions when pregnancies aren't viable. His GOP rivals won't say if they agree
World

Milan Kundera, Czech writer and former dissident, dies in Paris aged 94

Milan Kundera, whose dissident writings in communist Czechoslovakia transformed him into an exiled satirist of totalitarianism, has died in Paris at the age of 94, Czech media said Wednesday. Kundera’s renowned novel, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,’’ opens wrenchingly with Soviet tanks rolling through Prague, the Czech capital that was the author’s home until he moved to France in 1975. Weaving together themes of love and exile, politics and the deeply personal, Kundera’s novel won critical acclaim, earning him a wide readership among Westerners who embraced both his anti-Soviet subversion and the eroticism threaded through many of

Milan Kundera, Czech writer and former dissident, dies in Paris aged 94
World

Ripples of Fukushima: Hong Kong to ban more Japanese products if radioactive water is released

Hong Kong would immediately ban the import of aquatic products from Fukushima and other Japanese prefectures if Tokyo discharges treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, a top official in the city said Wednesday. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said although the wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant would be treated before discharging into the Pacific Ocean, any errors in the process would significantly affect ecology and food safety. The concern stems from Japan’s U.N.-endorsed, but controversial, plan to gradually release the treated water. “Our assessment shows prefectures near Fukushima have higher risks, so

Ripples of Fukushima: Hong Kong to ban more Japanese products if radioactive water is released
Health

EU fines US firm Illumina $475 million for jumping gun on buying cancer-screening company Grail

The European Union on Wednesday slapped a $475 million fine on U.S. biotech giant Illumina for buying cancer-screening company Grail without regulators’ approval, the latest setback for the deal. Illumina announced an $7.1 billion acquisition of Grail in 2020, but the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, said the company broke EU merger rules by completing the deal without its consent. The 27-nation bloc announced last year that it was blocking the acquisition, saying it would hurt competitors. “If companies merge before our clearance, they breach our rules. Illumina and Grail knowingly and

EU fines US firm Illumina $475 million for jumping gun on buying cancer-screening company Grail
World

Live Updates | Russia warns of 'potentially very dangerous' G7 security guarantees for Ukraine

Follow along for updates on the summit of the NATO military alliance in Lithuania’s capital: What to know: — NATO backs Ukraine’s fight vs. Russia but doesn’t invite Kyiv to join — Sweden’s rocky road from neutrality toward NATO membership — What is NATO doing to help Ukraine in the war with Russia? —— The Kremlin considers plans by G7 nations to offer Ukraine security guarantees “extremely ill-judged and potentially very dangerous,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday. Britain issued a statement a day earlier on plans by the G7 — made up of Britain,

Live Updates | Russia warns of 'potentially very dangerous' G7 security guarantees for Ukraine
World

Palestinian president visits Jenin refugee camp after devastating Israeli military raid

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp Wednesday in the wake of a devastating Israeli offensive last week, marking his first visit to the camp since 2005. The visit came at a time of seething discontentment among Palestinians in the West Bank for Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, the autonomous government which administers parts of the West Bank but whose forces have largely lost control over several militant strongholds in the region — including Jenin. The 87-year-old president is widely seen as out of touch with the public and rarely ventures outside

Palestinian president visits Jenin refugee camp after devastating Israeli military raid
World

Raging conflict in Sudan displaces over 3.1 million people, UN says

A raging conflict in Sudan has driven more than 3.1 million people from their homes, including over 700,000 who fled to neighboring countries, the United Nations said Wednesday, amid growing concerns that the country is sliding into a “full-scale civil war.” Sudan has plunged into chaos since mid-April when monthslong tensions between the military and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere across the northeastern African nation. The conflict derailed Sudanese hopes of restoring the country’s fragile transition to democracy, which had begun after a popular uprising

Raging conflict in Sudan displaces over 3.1 million people, UN says
World

Bulgari apologizes to China for listing Taiwan as a country after online backlash

Bulgari has become the latest international brand to apologize to China after listing Taiwan as a country on its website. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, and both the government and Chinese internet users have a history of scolding or boycotting international brands that have referred to Taiwan as a separate country. Late Tuesday, Bulgari posted an apology on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, saying it “steadfastly and always” respected China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Our brand has immediately corrected the mistakenly marked store addresses and map indications on the overseas official website, which resulted

Bulgari apologizes to China for listing Taiwan as a country after online backlash

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