Today: September 25, 2024
Today: September 25, 2024

World

World

A heat wave has baked parts of the Southwest for weeks. Forecasters warn it's not cooling soon

Millions of people across the Southwest are living through a historic heat wave, with even the heat-experienced desert city of Phoenix being tested since temperatures have hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) for more than a dozen consecutive days. More than 111 million people across the United States were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings, The National Weather Service reported Wednesday. Huge swaths of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California were experiencing temperatures above 90 degrees F (32 C). “To underscore just how expansive this heat is, based off the current forecast approximately 27

July 12, 2023
A heat wave has baked parts of the Southwest for weeks. Forecasters warn it's not cooling soon
World

Tornado touches down near Chicago's O'Hare airport amid severe weather warnings

The National Weather Service says a tornado has touched down near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport following warnings of severe weather for the city. A confirmed tornado was on the ground around 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Chicago. “This tornado has been touching the ground intermittently so far and is moving east. There are additional circulations along the line south of O’Hare. Seek shelter if in the warned area,” it said. The National Weather Service had issued two tornado warnings for portions of the city Wednesday evening. Tornado sirens sounded at least twice

July 13, 2023
Tornado touches down near Chicago's O'Hare airport amid severe weather warnings
World

Popular Prime drink that exceeds Canada's caffeine limits to be recalled

A caffeinated energy drink being promoted by American social media influencers is set to be recalled in Canada. Health Canada said Wednesday that at 200 milligram of caffeine per can, Prime Energy exceeds the regulator’s acceptable caffeine limit of 180 milligram per serving and should not be sold. On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencers’ legions of young followers. Health Canada said it’s aware that

July 13, 2023
Popular Prime drink that exceeds Canada's caffeine limits to be recalled
World

ESPN's Dick Vitale diagnosed with cancer for a 3rd time

Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale says he has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time. Vitale tweeted Wednesday that he had surgery in Boston this week, and tests revealed that he has vocal cord cancer. He said he will undergo six weeks of radiation treatments. “I plan to fight like hell to be ready to call games when the college hoops season kicks off in the fall,” Vitale tweeted, adding that his doctor “feels that scenario is entirely possible.” The 84-year-old Vitale has previously been treated for melanoma and lymphoma. He celebrated being cancer-free in April of

July 13, 2023
ESPN's Dick Vitale diagnosed with cancer for a 3rd time
World

Top tribunal certifies Guatemala's election result minutes after another court suspends party

Guatemala’s troubled presidential election was thrown into even greater turmoil Wednesday when the country’s top electoral tribunal confirmed the results of the June 25 vote while the Attorney General’s Office announced that the second place party had been suspended. The seemingly contradictory moves fed more than two weeks of rising tensions and suspicions after the first round of voting, which had seemingly sent conservative Sandra Torres and progressive Bernardo Arévalo into a Aug. 20 presidential runoff. There were immediate calls Wednesday for Guatemalans to take to the streets in protest and demonstrators gathered outside the Supreme

July 13, 2023
Top tribunal certifies Guatemala's election result minutes after another court suspends party
World

Thailand's parliament is set to choose a prime minister, but it might not be the election winner

Thai lawmakers are gathering Thursday to select a new prime minister, a process whose outcome is far from certain even though the country’s most progressive party won both the popular vote and the most seats in the House of Representatives in the most recent election. Thailand’s May 14 election was regarded as a major political turning point. The reformist Move Forward Party’s victory appeared to spell an end to nine years of unpopular army-supported rule. Two months later, it is unclear if that mandate for change will be honored. Parliament is due to vote on whether to

July 13, 2023
Thailand's parliament is set to choose a prime minister, but it might not be the election winner
World

Panama upsets US 5-4 on penalty kicks after 1-1 tie to reach CONCACAF Gold Cup final

After winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup with its junior varsity two years ago, the United States failed to repeat. Adalberto Carrasquilla converted the decisive penalty kick after Cristian Roldan was stopped in his attempt, and Panama beat the Americans 5-4 in a shootout following a 1-1 tie on Wednesday night to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Mexico or Jamaica. “There’s a lot of learning lessons that we’re all going to take away as we now continue our preparation to the path of 2026,” U.S. interim coach B.J. Callaghan said, looking ahead to the Americans

July 13, 2023
Panama upsets US 5-4 on penalty kicks after 1-1 tie to reach CONCACAF Gold Cup final
World

High times in Thailand: New weed laws draw tourists from across Asia

A Japanese tourist reaches into a baggie of cannabis he’s just bought in a central Bangkok weed shop, pulling out a gram of buds to chop down in a small black grinder, before rolling them neatly into a joint. Only the slight spillage onto the smoking lounge’s table — and his cough as he lights up and inhales deeply — betray the fact that until two weeks ago, he’d never tried marijuana. Most Asian nations have strict drug laws with harsh penalties, and Thailand’s de facto legalization of marijuana last year has brought a wave of tourists

July 13, 2023
High times in Thailand: New weed laws draw tourists from across Asia
World

Two hospitalized, buildings damaged in Kyiv by Russian drone strike overnight

Russian forces unleashed a barrage of self-exploding Iranian-made Shahed drones early Thursday morning, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Nearly ten drones were identified and shot down, the municipal authorities wrote on Telegram. Explosions were heard in different parts of the city, and debris from intercepted drones fell on five districts of the Ukrainian capital. Some buildings were damaged, and two people hospitalized with shrapnel wounds. Volodymyr Motus, a 22-year-old resident of an east Kyiv building hit by drone debris, carefully picked his way across the floor a destroyed apartment, his footsteps accompanied by the sound

July 13, 2023
Two hospitalized, buildings damaged in Kyiv by Russian drone strike overnight
World

Dangerous heat wave baking US Southwest brings triple digit temperatures, fire risk to California

After a historically wet winter and a cloudy spring, California’s summer was in full swing Thursday as a heat wave that’s been scorching much of the U.S. Southwest brings triple digit temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires. Blistering conditions will build Friday and throughout the weekend in the central and southern parts of California, where many residents should prepare for the hottest weather of the year, the National Weather Service warned. Midday highs were mostly expected to be above 100 degrees (37.7 C), and desert areas could reach 120 (48.8 C), forecasters said. Little relief

July 13, 2023
Dangerous heat wave baking US Southwest brings triple digit temperatures, fire risk to California
World

Black Lives Matter movement to mark 10 years of activism, renews call to defund the police

The Black Lives Matter movement hits a milestone on Thursday, marking 10 years since its 2013 founding in response to the acquittal of the man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Gunned down in a Florida gated community where his father lived in 2012, Martin was one of the earliest symbols of a movement that now wields influence in politics, law enforcement and broader conversations about racial progress in and outside the U.S. BLM activists and organizations plan to mark a decade of the movement with in-person and virtual events. Calls to action include a renewed push to defund police

July 13, 2023
Black Lives Matter movement to mark 10 years of activism, renews call to defund the police
World

Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They're hoping it's Japan's Me Too moment

Kazuya Nakamura says he was 15 when one of the most powerful men in Japanese entertainment history forced him to have sex while he was part of a troupe of backup dancers managed by the legendary talent agent. At least a dozen other men have come forward this year to say they were sexually assaulted as teenagers by boy band impresario Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, beginning with three who spoke anonymously to the BBC for a documentary broadcast in March. The story has all the elements of a major Me Too reckoning, but in Japan,

July 13, 2023
Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They're hoping it's Japan's Me Too moment
World

China exports slumped 12.4% in June from a year earlier as global demand weakened

China’s exports tumbled 12.4% in June from a year earlier as demand weakened after central banks raised interest rates to curb inflation even as Chinese leaders struggled to keep a post-COVID recovery from faltering. Customs data released Thursday showed imports slid 6.8% to $214.7 billion. Exports edged up slightly from the month before, totaling $285.3 billion. The trade surplus was $70.2 billion, rising from $65.8 billion in May. Trade weakness adds to downward pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. Global consumer demand has weakened after the Federal Reserve and central banks in Europe and Asia raised

July 13, 2023
China exports slumped 12.4% in June from a year earlier as global demand weakened
World

Most populous US states and city ask for census corrections over misplaced ship and missed students

A misplaced naval ship in California. Overlooked college students in New York City. Missed inmates in Texas. These are some of the reasons why the two most populous states and the largest city in the U.S. filed last-minute requests for corrections to their 2020 census figures right before the deadline at the end of last month. California, Texas and New York City were joined by a dozen and a half other stragglers, including Illinois and New Orleans, that made down-to-the-deadline appeals over the numbers that help determine political power and the annual distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funding. In

July 13, 2023
Most populous US states and city ask for census corrections over misplaced ship and missed students
World

Influencer arrested over TikTok video satirizing wealthy Emiratis in Dubai shows limits on freedoms

An online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. The comedic sketch, in which he tosses stacks of bills at bewildered employees and offers to buy the most expensive car — a $600,000 Ferrari SF90 — poked fun at the lavish lifestyles on display in the city, known for its gleaming skyscrapers and over-the-top tourism attractions. Dubai is more socially lenient than much of the Middle East, with a relaxed dress code, bars and

July 13, 2023
Influencer arrested over TikTok video satirizing wealthy Emiratis in Dubai shows limits on freedoms
World

Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California and scores victories beyond the field for players

Lisa Wrightsman was a former college soccer player whose life was derailed by drug addiction before she eventually made her way back to the sport through a tournament for players from around the globe who have experienced homelessness. Wrightsman qualified for the Homeless World Cup in Brazil. It was a competition that would forever change her life. When she returned to Sacramento, friends at the sober living facility where Wrightsman lived told her they wanted “to feel the way you look right now.” “I actually started to feel value,” she said. “The whole tournament kind of

July 13, 2023
Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California and scores victories beyond the field for players
World

Tourists are packing European hotspots. And Americans don't mind the higher prices and crowds

Tourists are waiting more than two hours to visit the Acropolis in Athens. Taxi lines at Rome’s main train station are running just as long. And so many visitors are concentrating around St. Mark’s Square in Venice that crowds get backed up crossing bridges — even on weekdays. After three years of pandemic limitations, tourism is expected to exceed 2019 records in some of Europe’s most popular destinations this summer, from Barcelona and Rome, Athens and Venice to the scenic islands of Santorini in Greece, Capri in Italy and Mallorca in Spain. While European tourists edged

July 13, 2023
Tourists are packing European hotspots. And Americans don't mind the higher prices and crowds
World

Stock market today: Asian shares jump on Wall Street's return to its highest level in over a year

Asian shares rose Thursday, boosted by Wall Street’s return to its highest level in more than a year after a report showed U.S. consumer inflation cooled a bit more than expected last month. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 1.5% in afternoon trading to 32,425.69. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2.6% to 19,357.96, while the Shanghai Composite gained 1.3% to 3,236.86, even as China reported a slump in trade in June. Chinese exports tumbled 12.4% in June from a year earlier as demand weakened after central banks raised interest rates to curb inflation even as Chinese leaders struggled

July 13, 2023
Stock market today: Asian shares jump on Wall Street's return to its highest level in over a year
World

UN expert group calls for release of Cambodian-American human rights activist after investigation

A United Nations expert group is calling for the immediate release of a Cambodian-American human rights activist, saying an investigation it conducted has concluded she was being “arbitrarily detained in violation of international law.” The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in a judgment late Wednesday that while attorney Theary Seng had been convicted of conspiracy to commit treason and other charges last year, she was in reality being punished for “making two posts on Facebook critical of Hun Sen,” Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister. The judgment comes a little more than a week

July 13, 2023
UN expert group calls for release of Cambodian-American human rights activist after investigation
World

Egypt, Ethiopian leaders discuss Blue Nile dam ahead of Cairo summit on deadly Sudan conflict

Egypt’s president and Ethiopia’s prime minister have met to discuss bilateral relations, including construction of a giant dam on the Blue Nile, ahead of a summit in Cairo to discuss potential resolutions to the deadly 12-week conflict in Sudan. Their rare meeting at Cairo’s Al-Ittihadiya Palace Wednesday preceded a summit that President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is hosting on Sudan. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is set to attend Thursday’s high-stakes meeting, along with leaders from South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Central African Republic and Libya. “The two leaders discussed on key bilateral & regional issues of interest to

July 13, 2023
Egypt, Ethiopian leaders discuss Blue Nile dam ahead of Cairo summit on deadly Sudan conflict
World

Climate activists block runways at 2 German airports, causing numerous flight cancelations

Climate activists blocked a runway at Hamburg airport early Thursday, causing numerous flights to be canceled on the first day of the school vacation in the north German city. The group Last Generation said several of its members entered the grounds of Hamburg airport around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) and glued themselves to the runway. “It can’t yet be predicted when operations can resume,” the airport operators said. “According to current information about a dozen flights have had to be canceled. Further cancelations and diversions aren’t ruled out.” Members of the group also cut through a security

July 13, 2023
Climate activists block runways at 2 German airports, causing numerous flight cancelations
World

Mass grave with at least 87 bodies found in Sudan's volatile Darfur region, United Nations says

The bodies of dozens of people allegedly killed by Sudanese paramilitary forces and an allied militia have been uncovered in a mass grave in West Darfur, the United Nations said Thursday. According to “credible information” obtained by the U.N. Human Rights Office, at least 87 people — some of them from the ethnic African Masalit tribe — were killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and an affiliated Arab militia. Their bodies were dumped in a one-meter (around three-foot) grave just outside the West Darfur city of Geneina, the agency said. Sudan has been rocked by violence

July 13, 2023
Mass grave with at least 87 bodies found in Sudan's volatile Darfur region, United Nations says
World

China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years

China and Southeast Asian nations agreed Thursday to try and conclude within three years a long-delayed nonaggression pact aimed at preventing the frequent territorial spats in the busy South China Sea from turning into a major armed conflict. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Thursday during a meeting between the 10-nation bloc’s foreign ministers and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to guidelines to complete their code of conduct negotiations before fall 2026, a Southeast Asian diplomat involved in the meetings told The Associated Press. The diplomat spoke

July 13, 2023
China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years
World

Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week

Schools and colleges were closed after record monsoon rains led to massive waterlogging, road caves-in, collapsed homes and gridlocked traffic in large parts of northern India this week, killing more than 100 people, officials said Thursday. At least 88 people died and more than 100 were injured in the worst hit-mountainous Himachal Pradesh state where cars, buses, bridges and houses were swept away by swirling flood waters, a state government statement said. The region is nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of New Delhi. Twelve people have died of rain-related incidents since Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh

July 13, 2023
Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week
World

Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary

Maria Corina Machado has been a longtime foe of Venezuela’s government, and not exactly a unifying figure for its critics. But the government’s move to ban her from public office has helped rally the fractured opposition and focus much-needed attention on their effort to hold an independent presidential primary. The ban was issued just days after she entered the race, and Machado says it shows that the government knows that it could face defeat. “If anyone had doubts about the strategic importance, the value, of the primaries, … the actions of the regime have made this

July 13, 2023
Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary

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