Month: August 2023

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says its latest missile launches were a simulation of “scorched earth” nuclear strikes on South Korea. The North’s state media said Thursday it’s also conducted a command post drill to rehearse occupying its rival’s territory in a conflict. South Korea and Japan had

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday after Japanese factory activity and Chinese service industry growth weakened. Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul declined. Tokyo gained. Oil prices edged lower. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index rose 0.4% on Wednesday after the U.S. government cut its estimate

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand lawmakers rushed to pass legislation and criticize opponents during a rowdy final day of the nation’s 53rd Parliament. With an election looming in six weeks, lawmakers will now switch their focus to the campaign trail. Opinion polls indicate the opposition conservatives hold a

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press Last year it was Hurricane Ian that drew a bead on Tampa Bay before abruptly shifting east to strike southwest Florida more than 130 miles (210 kilometers) away. This time it was Hurricane Idalia, which caused some serious flooding as it sideswiped the bay area but packed much more punch

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Idalia descended on the Carolinas on its way out to the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction in the Southeast stretching back to Florida, where it first roared ashore as a major hurricane. Rescue and repair efforts continued in

By JOCELYN NOVECK and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Kelly McKernan’s acrylic and watercolor paintings are bold and vibrant, often featuring feminine figures rendered in bright greens, blues, pinks and purples. The style, in the artist’s words, is “surreal, ethereal … dealing with discomfort in the human journey.” The word “human” has

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media report at least 121 passenger trains are suspending service in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon Saola, while people in coastal areas of southern China were being warned to stay away from the coastline. State broadcaster CCTV reported the suspensions on key lines running from north to south and

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the prime vacation season: Labor Day weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Emergency services say at least 38 people died in a fire in a multi-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city. Emergency Management Services said another 43 people were injured in the blaze, which that broke out in the predawn hours Thursday. Spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said a search and recovery operation was

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm Baidu has made its ChatGPT-equivalent language model, Ernie Bot, fully available to the public. The company’s stock price rose by over 3% following the announcement. Beijing has taken steps recently to regulate the AI industry. Baidu’s CEO said Thursday

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s defense ministry is requesting a nearly 12% budget increase that includes two warships with advanced radar and long-range cruise missiles. The record $52.5 billion request for the next fiscal year comes as Japan further fortifies its military in the face of North Korean threats and Chinese

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A fire has killed 15 people in a small apparel factory in a Philippine residential area, where flooding, traffic and a wrong address delayed firefighters. A fire protection official said most of the victims appeared to be workers and carpenters who were sleeping in rooms when the fire broke out Thursday

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — 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

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — 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