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Showing posts from July, 2023

Fruit fly found in Asia forces partial quarantine of Los Angeles County: CDFA

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A part of Los Angeles County is under quarantine after the discovery of an invasive fruit fly from Asia, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. A part of Los Angeles County is under quarantine following the discovery of an invasive fruit fly from Asia, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). State officials found 20 Tau fruit flies in an unincorporated area of Stevenson Ranch, close to the city of Santa Clarita. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has quarantined 79 square miles of the area, the department said last week in a press release. MORE: Haiti: The Forgotten Crisis The Tau fruit fly is a major pest for agriculture and natural resources, CDFA said, including various fruits and vegetables such as cucurbits, avocado, citrus, tomatoes, peppers, as well as some plants native to the state. This is the first time there's been a Tau fruit fly quarantine in the Western Hemisphere, according to the CDFA. "It’

Moscow blames Kyiv for missile attacks in southern Russia as Kremlin forces pound Ukrainian village

Ukrainian and Russian forces battled for a key village in southeastern Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces pounding it with artillery, amid Kyiv’s grinding counteroffensive KYIV, Ukraine -- Russian forces on Friday pounded a key village that Ukraine claimed to have recaptured in its grinding counteroffensive in the country's southeast, while Moscow accused Kyiv of firing two missile s at southern Russia and wounding 20 people. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, marked Ukraine’s Statehood Day by reaffirming the country’s sovereignty — a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who used his claim that Ukraine didn't exist as a nation to justify his invasion. “Now, like more than a thousand years ago, our civilizational choice is unity with the world," Zelenskyy said in a speech on a square outside St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv. “To be a power in world history. To have the right to its national history -– of its people, its land, its state. And of our children -–

Trump attorneys expected to meet with special counsel's office as potential indictment looms: Sources

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Lawyers for Donald Trump have arrived at special counsel Jack Smith's offices this morning for a meeting as a potential indictment of the former president looms. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have arrived at special counsel Jack Smith's offices this morning for a meeting as a potential indictment of the former president looms , sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. Trump attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche are expected to meet with Smith's team following the receipt of a target letter alerting Trump he is a target of the special counsel 's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. MORE: Special counsel informs Trump he is target in probe of efforts to overturn 2020 election The target letter, sent on July 16, mentions three federal statutes: conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under a civil rights statute, and tampering with a witness, victim or an informant, sources familiar

Vatican prosecutor seeks 7 years in jail for cardinal, confiscation of $460 million from 10 people

The Vatican prosecutor has asked a court to convict 10 people, including a cardinal, of a range of financial crimes, sentence them to three to 13 years in prison and order the confiscation of more than $460 million to pay the Holy See back for large fi... VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican prosecutor asked a court Wednesday to convict 10 people , including a cardinal , of a range of financial crimes, sentence them to three to 13 years in prison and order the confiscation of some 415 million euros ($460 million ) to pay the Holy See back for bad investments and financial losses over the past decade. Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi ended six days of aggressive closing arguments with his requests for a verdict and sentencing. After a summer pause, the defense and civil parties in the Vatican’s “trial of the century” will deliver their closing arguments, with Judge Giuseppe Pignatone’s court expected to deliver a verdict before the end of the year. Diddi justified the substantial requests for pri

TikTok adds text-only posts as social media landscape shifts with Facebook, Twitter

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TikTok has added a text-only posts feature with the change coming just a day after Twitter rebranded itself and less than three weeks after Facebook released Threads. TikTok has added a new feature that allows users to create text-only posts with the change coming just a day after Twitter rebranded itself and less than three weeks after Facebook released Threads as competition between the social media giants continues to escalate. “At TikTok, we're always looking to empower our creators and community with innovative tools that inspire self expression. Today we're thrilled to announce the expansion of text posts on TikTok, a new format for creating text- based content that broadens options for creators to share their ideas and express their creativity,” the Chinese-owned video streaming app said in a statement released late Monday. “With text posts , we're expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, giving the written creativity we've seen in co

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed as investors watch for Fed rate hike

Asian shares have advanced after Wall Street closed out another winning week BANGKOK -- Asian shares were mixed on Monday, with Hong Kong's benchmark sinking 2.2% following reports suggesting China's leaders do not plan major stimulus measures to prop up slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy. U.S. futures edged lower and oil prices also fell. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise its federal funds rate on Wednesday to its highest level since 2001. Investors are hoping that might be the final increase of the tightening cycle because i NFL ation has been cooling since last summer. The federal funds rate started 2022 at virtually zero. A meeting this week of the powerful Politburo of the ruling Communist Party later this week had raised hope for more help for the slowing economy. While reports Monday said that was unlikely, the country's economic planning agency disclosed detailed measures Monday to encourage private investment, the official Xinhua

How Mecca is the lynchpin for Saudi Arabia's hospitality and tourism drive

Saudi Arabia is pumping billions of dollars into the holy city of Mecca to meet its ambitious economic targets, with high-end hotels, apartment blocks, retailers and restaurants planned for areas around the Grand Mosque MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Billboards line the Umm Al Qura highway leading to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, displaying manicured public spaces, glass-fronted stores and sleek towers. It’s part of a $26 billion project to bring more Muslims to the holy city's high-end hotels, residences, retailers and restaurants. As this year’s Hajj wraps up Friday, bringing the annual pilgrimage closer to its pre-pandemic size, Mecca is being rapidly pushed to an even grander scale. An ambitious plan to reshape the economy aims to bring in more than 30 million religious tourists a year by 2030, and for tourism to contribute up to $80 billion, or 10% of GDP, as the kingdom reduces its reliance on oil. The government is homing in on religious tourism because the demand already exists. Sau

Cupkin children's cups sold on Amazon recalled over newly-detected lead levels

More than 345,000 children’s cups are being recalled due to lead levels that exceed the federal content ban, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday NEW YORK -- More than 345,000 children's cups are being recalled due to lead levels that exceed the federal content ban, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. Soojimus is recalling 8-ounce and 12-ounce models of its Cupkin Double-Walled Stainless Steel Children’s Cups — sold in various colors on Amazon and the Cupkin website from 2018 through earlier this year. Consumers in possession of the recall ed Cupkin cups are urged to stop using them immediately and contact Soojimus for a full refund. No illnesses or injuries related to the recall have been reported to date. According to Cupkin, liquid in the now- recall ed cups is “not exposed to lead due to the double walled construction.” The exposure to lead can occur if the cup bottoms are mistreated, the brand said. In a response to the recall on it

Australian castaway recounts comfort he felt adrift at sea, thanks to meditation, swimming and dog

He quit his corporate job and moved to Mexico to pursue his dream of sailing solo across the ocean MANZANILLO, Mexico -- He quit his corporate job and moved to Mexico to pursue his dream of sailing solo across the ocean. Australian Timothy Shaddock, 54, bought his 30-foot catamaran two years ago in the Mexican Pacific resort of Puerto Vallarta. He needed a place to live and he liked the isolation. “Of course, living on a boat and sailing on a boat is two different things and that was more of a challenge,” Shaddock told The Associated Press Wednesday after stepping onto land for the first time in months. As his training ground Shaddock chose the Sea of Cortez, a narrow finger of water between the Baja California Peninsula and the Mexican mainland. “I was aware and the only preparation that you can really do is take the boat out to sea and test the boat at sea,” Shaddock said. He would take short journeys, noting what was working on the boat and what wasn’t, but was conscious that, in la

Judge rejects Trump's request to move Stormy Daniels hush-money case into federal court

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A federal judge in New York has rejected former President Donald Trump's request to move his hush-money criminal case into federal court . A federal judge in New York has rejected former President Donald Trump's request to move his hush-money criminal case into federal court . "Trump has failed to show that the conduct charged by the Indictment is for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under color of the official acts of a President," Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote in his ruling Wednesday. MORE: Trump again argues Manhattan criminal trial should be moved to federal court Trump has pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying Business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election. He had argued the case belonged in federal court because Trump reimbursed his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, who made the payment to Daniels, whil

Man Utd close to selling defender to Saudi club Al Nassr

Manchester United are closing in on the sale of left back Alex Telles, who is set to join Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, 90min understands. The Brazilian, who arrived from Porto in 2020, spent last season out on loan with Sevilla after being told by United manager Erik ten Hag that he did not feature in his long-term plans. United have been looking for a buyer since Telles' loan expired in Spain at the end of last season, with Ten Hag firm in his decision that Telles was free to leave. Al Nassr have progressed with talks in recent hours and it's believed a deal is advanced, with the 30-year-old now set to join up with former United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Telles was interested in a return to Brazil, with Flamengo showing interest at one stage, but Al Nassr appear to have won the race having made a better offer. United were hoping to recoup in the region of €10m for a player not in their plans. READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP feed Al Nassr have

Heat wave bakes southern Europe, sparking warnings to stay inside, drink water and limit exercise

Italian health authorities are intensifying heat warnings as southern Europe enters a brutally hot week ROME -- Italian health officials intensified heat warnings Monday as southern Europe began a brutally hot week with temperatures expected to top 40 Celsius — or 104 Fahrenheit — on a continent already sizzling under the sun and overburdened by tourists. The Health ministry urged regions to beef up house-call services so older people don't have to go out if they need medical care and to set up dedicated heat stations at hospitals to treat emergency cases. The ministry also issued 10 recommendations to protect elderly people, the sick and pets from the heat, urging people to stay indoors during the hottest hours, drink at least 1.5 liters (nearly half a gallon) of water a day and refrain from strenuous exercise at peak daylight times. Local celebrities went on state-run RAI television to read the recommendations aloud, in hopes of spreading the message. The culprit is a high-press