Today: September 24, 2024
Today: September 24, 2024

World

World

The death toll from a South Africa gas leak blamed on illegal gold processing has risen to 17

The death toll from a toxic gas leak that authorities blamed on an illegal gold processing operation in South Africa rose to 17, including three children, as police removed canisters from a community of closely packed shacks and sifted through evidence Thursday. The leak of what authorities said was a toxic nitrate gas happened Wednesday night in the informal Angelo settlement in Boksburg, a city on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg. The three children who died were ages 1, 6 and 15, police said. At least 10 people were hospitalized, including a 2-month-old baby, two

July 06, 2023
The death toll from a South Africa gas leak blamed on illegal gold processing has risen to 17
World

More Americans apply for jobless benefits, but layoffs are not rising significantly

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits rose last week, but remains at healthy levels despite the Federal Reserve’s attempt to cool the labor market by raising interest rates. U.S. applications for jobless claims rose by 12,000 to 248,000 for the week ending July 1, from 236,000 previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 3,500 by 253,250. 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 benefits the

July 06, 2023
More Americans apply for jobless benefits, but layoffs are not rising significantly
World

2 weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 55, including 8 children

The death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains rose to at least 55 on Thursday after 12 people, including eight children, died in weather-related incidents in Pakistan amid fears of flash floods, authorities said. The eastern city of Lahore witnessed a record-breaking downpour the previous day, flooding many streets and disrupting normal life. Since Wednesday, 19 people have died in the city due to collapsing roofs and electrocution, officials said. Pakistan’s weather forecast agency warned of more rain to hit the city. At least eight children died when a massive landslide hit Shangla, a district

July 06, 2023
2 weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 55, including 8 children
World

Wimbledon is finally dry as organizers try to catch up following 3 days of rain

The courts are finally dry at Wimbledon and the sun is even shining through the clouds at times, giving organizers hope of fitting in a full day of tennis on Thursday for the first time at this year’s tournament. The first three days of action at the All England Club were affected by rain. Only eight matches were completed on Tuesday. Those matches were played on either Centre Court or No. 1 Court, the only stadiums on the grounds with roofs. Because of the all the disruption, there were a handful of first-round matches being played

July 06, 2023
Wimbledon is finally dry as organizers try to catch up following 3 days of rain
World

Greece welcomes deescalation in the eastern Mediterranean without directly referring to Turkey

Greece’s newly appointed defense minister on Thursday welcomed a deescalation of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, expressing hope this would lead to a “climate of trust” without directly referring to Turkey. But Nikos Dendias said that trust must be built on the U.N. charter and on respect for the rule of law on land and at sea with the “absolute condemnation for the threat of the use of force.” Dendias, a former foreign minister, made the remarks after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Michalis Georgallas during his first overseas visit following the reelection of Greek Prime

July 06, 2023
Greece welcomes deescalation in the eastern Mediterranean without directly referring to Turkey
World

U.S. job openings dip to 9.8 million but remain high, showing resilience in labor market

U.S. job openings slipped in May but remained at levels high enough to illustrate that the American labor market remains resilient in the face of sharply higher interest rates. Employers posted 9.8 million job vacancies, down from 10.3 million in April, the Labor Department said Thursday. But layoffs fell slightly, and more Americans quit their jobs — a sign they were confident they could find better pay or working conditions elsewhere. Job openings fell in healthcare, insurance and finance. But there were more jobs available in education and government. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover

July 06, 2023
U.S. job openings dip to 9.8 million but remain high, showing resilience in labor market
World

Zelenskyy visits Bulgaria, Czechia and draws support for Kyiv’s NATO membership bid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the capitals of Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on Thursday, discussing military aid and receiving assurances of support for Ukraine’s entry into NATO after i ts war with Russia is over. Czech President Petr Pavel said it is in the interest of his country and Ukraine that soon as the war ends negotiations about NATO membership begin. “I’m convinced that Ukraine will be part of NATO,” Zelenskyy said in Prague, adding that an “ideal” result of next week’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania would be an invitation for Ukraine to join

July 06, 2023
Zelenskyy visits Bulgaria, Czechia and draws support for Kyiv’s NATO membership bid
World

Mass expulsions and mistreatment of migrants reported in Tunisia as tensions spike in port city

Tensions spiked dangerously in a Tunisian port city this week after three migrants were detained in the death of a local man, and there were reports of retaliation against Black foreigners and accounts of mass expulsions and alleged assaults by security forces. The people suspected in the slaying of a 41-year-old Tunisian were under investigation for premeditated murder, according to Faouzi Masmoudi, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in the seaside city of Sfax. Twenty-two migrants from sub-Saharan countries in Africa also were detained for questioning in connection with crimes in the area, Masmoudi said Wednesday. Sfax,

July 06, 2023
Mass expulsions and mistreatment of migrants reported in Tunisia as tensions spike in port city
World

Memphis prosecutors seek death penalty against man charged with kidnapping and killing teacher

Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against a man charged with kidnapping a Memphis, Tennessee, school teacher during an early-morning run and killing her. Cleotha Abston is charged with snatching Eliza Fletcher from a street near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2 and putting her in an SUV. Her body was found days later near an abandoned house. He has pleaded not guilty. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has filed notice with the court that prosecutors will seek the death penalty, Judge Lee Coffee said. No trial date has been set.

July 06, 2023
Memphis prosecutors seek death penalty against man charged with kidnapping and killing teacher
World

Macron says France needs to address causes of unrest prompted by police killing of teen

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for order and calm, and efforts to address the roots of several days of unrest around France that was sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old boy. The police officer accused of the shooting death of teen Nahel Merzouk is in custody on a charge of voluntary homicide, and a judge in Versailles on Thursday rejected his request for release pending further investigation. “We all lived through an important moment in the life of our nation,” Macron said in the southern city of Pau on the edge of the Pyrenees.

July 06, 2023
Macron says France needs to address causes of unrest prompted by police killing of teen
World

Wembymania selling out Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for Summer League debut

There are just some tickets that are hard to get in Las Vegas. Like Adele, for example. Or Garth Brooks. Or U2, which starts a residency there this fall. And now, add Wemby to that list. Victor Wembanyama’s debut at NBA Summer League is Friday night — and it’s sold out. All 17,500 tickets that were available for Day 1 of the 11-day series of games on the campus of UNLV were gone by sometime Wednesday, largely because of the debut of the 7-foot-3 rookie who will be playing his first game in a San Antonio

July 06, 2023
Wembymania selling out Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for Summer League debut
World

Kevin Spacey's accuser denies the defense claim that he made up sex assault, says 'it was horrific'

A man who says Kevin Spacey subjected him to a torrent of verbal abuse and grabbed his crotch denied claims by the Hollywood star’s lawyer on Thursday that he had concocted the assault allegations, saying he’d kept the “horrific” incident bottled up for years. The man is one of four who say the two-time Academy Award winner assaulted them in Britain between 2001 and 2013. For much of that time, Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London. Spacey, 63, is standing trial in a London court on 12 charges, which include sexual assault,

July 06, 2023
Kevin Spacey's accuser denies the defense claim that he made up sex assault, says 'it was horrific'
World

Global heat is just the latest 2023 extreme that shows an Earth in crisis

As a warming Earth simmered into worrisome new territory this week, scientists said the unofficial records being set for average planetary temperature were a clear sign of how pollutants released by humans are warming their environment. But the heat is also just one way the planet is telling us something is gravely wrong, they said. “Heat sets the pace of our climate in so many ways … it’s never just the heat,” said Kim Cobb, a climate scientist at Brown University. Dying coral reefs, more intense Nor’easters and the wildfire smoke that has choked much of North America this summer

July 06, 2023
Global heat is just the latest 2023 extreme that shows an Earth in crisis
World

Pope Francis' trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China

Pope Francis travels to the periphery of Roman Catholicism later this summer when he becomes the first pontiff to visit Mongolia, a Central Asian nation squeezed between Russia and China with just 1,500 Catholics. The visit is steeped in geopolitical significance as it will be closely watched by both Russia, which controlled Mongolia during the Soviet era, and China, which is seeking to exert its influence through the Belt and Road initiative. No pope has visited either of those nations, and the pope is likely to choose to fly over China on his way, rather than

July 06, 2023
Pope Francis' trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China
World

Texas man reported missing as a teen in 2015 returned home the next day, police say

A Texas man who went missing as a teenager in 2015 returned home the next day but he and his mother deceived officers by giving false names over the ensuing eight years, police said Thursday. Houston police detectives said prosecutors have declined to bring false report charges against Janie Santana and her son, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, but that their investigation is continuing. The announcement came a week after police said they found Farias after receiving a call about a person lying on the ground in front of a southeast Houston church. Authorities had not previously said

July 06, 2023
Texas man reported missing as a teen in 2015 returned home the next day, police say
World

Wisconsin governor's 400-year veto angers opponents in state with long history of creative cuts

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that attempts to lock in a school funding increase for 400 years drew outrage and surprise from his political opponents, but it’s just the latest creative cut in a state that’s home to the most powerful partial gubernatorial veto in the country. “Everybody will shout and scream,” said former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, “but he’s got ’em.” Wisconsin governors have the most expansive partial veto power in the country because, unlike in other states, they can strike nearly any part of a budget bill. That includes wiping out numbers, punctuation

July 06, 2023
Wisconsin governor's 400-year veto angers opponents in state with long history of creative cuts
World

Carmaker Stellantis signs deal with firm seeking to mine in Nebraska for rare earths needed in EVs

The company that wants to mine for critical minerals in southeast Nebraska has signed a deal with Stellantis, giving the automaker access to the rare earth elements used to produce high-powered magnets needed for its electric vehicles. NioCorp announced the tentative agreement with the automaker whose brands include Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Maserati on Thursday. The companies didn’t disclose how much Stellantis will pay because those details are still being negotiated, but this deal with such a high-profile buyer will likely provide a boost to NioCorp’s effort to raise $1.1 billion to establish the mine about

July 06, 2023
Carmaker Stellantis signs deal with firm seeking to mine in Nebraska for rare earths needed in EVs
World

OceanGate suspends operations after its Titan submersible imploded on its way to the Titanic

The company that owned a submersible that imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five onboard, said Thursday it has suspended operations. OceanGate announced the action in a brief statement posted atop its website. Contacted for additional information, a spokesperson declined to comment further. Among those killed in the implosion was Stockton Rush, the submersible’s pilot and chief executive officer of the company. Investigators believe the Titan imploded as it made its descent into deep North Atlantic waters on June 18. The Coast Guard said last week that human remains have likely been recovered

July 06, 2023
OceanGate suspends operations after its Titan submersible imploded on its way to the Titanic
World

What is Threads? All your questions about Meta's new Twitter rival, answered

Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some early glitches, 30 million people had signed up before noon on Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads. New arrivals to the platform include celebrities like Oprah, pop star Shakira and chef Gordon Ramsay — as well as corporate accounts from Taco Bell, Netflix, Spotify, the Washington Post and

July 06, 2023
What is Threads? All your questions about Meta's new Twitter rival, answered
World

Nations set to agree on shipping emissions cuts but fall short of aligning with climate goals

Maritime nations have been finalizing a plan Thursday to slash emissions from the shipping industry to net zero by about 2050 but experts warn the deal falls well short of what’s needed to prevent climate catastrophe. Negotiators at the meeting of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in London, seen as key to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, are set to officially agree Friday for shipping emissions to reach net zero “by or around” 2050, rather than setting the date as a hard deadline. The draft plan also calls for shipping emissions

July 06, 2023
Nations set to agree on shipping emissions cuts but fall short of aligning with climate goals
World

Cameraman injured at Yankee Stadium by wild throw has broken eye socket

A cameraman hit in the head by an errant throw Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium has a broken eye socket and is home resting, the YES Network said in a statement Thursday. Positioned right next to the New York Yankees’ dugout on the first-base side, Pete Stendel of YES Network was struck by a hurried throw from Baltimore Orioles rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who fired high to first as he tried to complete a double play in the fifth inning. Stendel was taken to the hospital, and YES said late Wednesday he was conscious and undergoing

July 06, 2023
Cameraman injured at Yankee Stadium by wild throw has broken eye socket
World

Stewart and Collier plan to start a new women's league to play in WNBA offseason

WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are starting a new women’s basketball league to give top players another option to play in the U.S. in the offseason once the league’s prioritization rules go into effect next year. The new league, which is called Unrivaled, will run from January through March and have 30 of the top women’s players playing on six teams. Instead of the traditional 5-on-5 game, the teams will play 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 at a custom-built soundstage in Miami. The league was first reported by ESPN. “We remain committed to the WNBA, however

July 06, 2023
Stewart and Collier plan to start a new women's league to play in WNBA offseason
World

Sofia Kenin on comeback trail at Wimbledon trying 'to prove some people wrong'

Sofia Kenin reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time on Thursday. Or as the 2020 Australian Open champion put it: “Just trying to prove some people wrong.” Kenin beat Wang Xinyu of China 6-4, 6-3 to back up her victory over seventh-seeded Coco Gauff that ended a streak of three straight first-round exits at Grand Slam tournaments. The 24-year-old American came into Wimbledon ranked 128th and had to go through qualifying to reach the main draw — and she’s fine with that. “If I know every time I’m going to get to the

July 06, 2023
Sofia Kenin on comeback trail at Wimbledon trying 'to prove some people wrong'
World

Elevated mortgage rates are leading to sharply higher monthly payments even as home prices ease

Would-be homebuyers are willing to take on sharply higher mortgage payments, even as home prices have begun to pull back this year. The median monthly payment listed on applications for home purchase loans jumped 14.1% in May from a year earlier to an all-time high $2,165, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The May figure also represents a 2.5% increase from April. “Homebuyer affordability eroded further in May as prospective buyers continue to grapple with high interest rates and low housing inventory,” Edward Seiler, the MBA’s associate vice president of housing economics, said in a release

July 06, 2023
Elevated mortgage rates are leading to sharply higher monthly payments even as home prices ease
World

TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app

TikTok Inc. and a group of five content creators who are suing the state of Montana over its first-in-the-nation law to ban the video sharing app are now asking a federal judge to block implementation of the law while the case moves through the courts and before it takes effect in January. The separate requests for preliminary injunctions were filed Wednesday in federal court in Missoula. The cases challenging the law were filed in May and have since been consolidated by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen had the bill drafted over concerns — shared by

July 06, 2023
TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app

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