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K.C. Hwang, AP correspondent in Seoul for 30 years, dies at age 99

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — K.C. Hwang, whose six-decade-long journalism career included 30 years chronicling South Korea’s for The Associated Press, latterly as Seoul bureau chief, has died at age 99.Hwang died Thursday of chronic ailments after undergoing kidney dialysis for two years, his son, Yoon Chul Hwang, said.From joining the AP in 1957, Hwang witnessed and reported on some of South Korea’s most dramatic and turbulent moments in its postwar history, from a public uprising that toppled the country’s first president, military coups and a presidential assassination to pro-democracy movements.“It was rare luck for a journalist to cover all these historical events in a single country,” Hwang wrote in a 2006 book titled “Korea Witness,” a collection of essays and articles by Korea correspondents.Hwang chose the 1960 uprising — where massive student protests over the government’s election fraud and corruption allegations triggered bloody police crackdowns before President Syng...

Thailand’s king approves a new Cabinet more than 3 months after elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s king has formally endorsed members of a new Cabinet, paving the way for a government headed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to take office more than three months after the general election.Srettha, representing the Pheu Thai party, was named prime minister by Parliament on Aug. 22. A prominent real estate developer until officially entering politics last year, he will also hold the finance minister’s post.King Maha Vajiralongkorn issued his royal approval on Friday. The delay in forming a new government was caused by Parliament’s failure to endorse a coalition formed by the party that won the most seats in the May polls, the Move Forward party. It could not win a majority in a combined vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate because its progressive platform alienated members of the conservative Senate, who singled out its support for minor reforms to the monarchy as the reason for rejecting it.The Pheu Thai Party, which placed second in the e...

Horoscopes Sept. 2, 2023: Salma Hayek, press forward with optimism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Zedd, 34; Salma Hayek, 57; Keanu Reeves, 59; Mark Harmon, 72.Happy Birthday: Don’t sit idle this year. Choose your path and get started. Focus on modifying what’s outdated or standing between you and what you want. Explore the possibilities, gather information and set a course that excites you. By following your heart’s desire, you’ll find the discipline and the means to reach your goal and add stability and peace of mind to your life. Press forward with optimism. Your numbers are 9, 17, 25, 34, 37, 41, 46.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Pampering or spending time with someone you love will mellow your mind. An activity or lifestyle change conducive to putting a smile on your face will give you the energy and spirit you need to achieve the happiness you deserve. Be good to yourself. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Look for opportunities in any situation. If you let your intuition guide you, you won’t be disappointed. A unique o...

Word Game: Sept. 2, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — RECOUPS (RECOUPS: rih-KOOPS: Regains; makes good for something lost.)Average mark 40 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 51 or more words in RECOUPS? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — AROMATIC actor amir amtrac aorta aria aroma atom atomic ratio riata riot roam roti omit orca macro mart mica moat taco tarmac taro tiara tram trim trio iota ciao carat carom cart coat coati coir coma corm cramTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creat...

Ask Amy: I have strong opinions about the bride’s demands

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

Dear Amy: We have close friends whose daughter is getting married in Italy.We will be traveling to the wedding, but my husband and I thought about it for a while before responding because, first of all, it’s not the easiest part of Italy to get to.We have to make a stopover, change flights, book the hotel, and rent a car to drive down to the wedding because there is no transportation from the airport.I believe this girl is being a bit selfish, just to be able to say that she got married in Italy. Many from her mother’s side of the family can’t make the trip.Why have a wedding if your family can’t be there?I read that if the couple decides to have a destination wedding, your gift is your presence because of the added expense imposed on you.Do you agree?– Disgruntled GuestDear Disgruntled: Why have a wedding in Italy if your family can’t be there? Well, not having family there is precisely why some couples choose to have destination weddings.Marrying couples are using the expense and ...

Harriette Cole: Why shouldn’t I live with my friend’s ex?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been looking for a roommate for some time now, but it’s been challenging to find someone who fits my criteria.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: Was I rude to this woman I passed in the restaurant? Advice | Harriette Cole: I hoped I was wrong about my son’s girlfriend. I wasn’t. Advice | Harriette Cole: My son needs discipline, and I’m thinking about the military Advice | Harriette Cole: Our marriage is just one long fight. How do I fix this? Advice | Harriette Cole: I let my college-age daughter fly by herself. Was I a bad mom? Recently, a girl who used to date a friend of mine saw my ad on social media and reached out to me. She is also looking for a roommate, and I thought this could be a perfect opportunity. However, when I mentioned it to my friend, he said he’s not comfortable with it.I understand his concern, but he’s not providi...

U.S. Spy Agency Dreams of Surveillance Underwear It’s Calling “SMART ePANTS”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

The future of wearable technology, beyond now-standard accessories like smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, is ePANTS, according to the intelligence community. The federal government has shelled out at least $22 million in an effort to develop “smart” clothing that spies on the wearer and its surroundings. Similar to previous moonshot projects funded by military and intelligence agencies, the inspiration may have come from science fiction and superpowers, but the basic applications are on brand for the government: surveillance and data collection.Billed as the “largest single investment to develop Active Smart Textiles,” the SMART ePANTS — Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems — program aims to develop clothing capable of recording audio, video, and geolocation data, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced in an August 22 press release. Garments slated for production include shirts, pants, socks, and underwear, all of which are inte...

Muere Jimmy Buffett, legendario cantante de “Margaritaville”, a sus 76 años

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

El legendario cantante y compositor estadounidense Jimmy Buffett, quien compuso la canción “Margaritaville” y se convirtió en un pionero en la música tropical americana, falleció este viernes a los 76 años.Mediante un comunicado compartido en el sitio oficial de Buffett, se informó que él músico falleció “tranquilo, junto a su familia, perro y su música la noche del 1ro de septiembre”. “Jimmy Buffett vivió su vida como si fuera una canción hasta el último suspiro, y su presencia será profundamente extrañada por muchos”, destacó el comunicado. El comunicado no reveló dónde murió Buffett y su causa de muerte. En mayo, se había informado que una supuesta complicación médica hospitalizó a Buffett y provocó la cancelación de varios conciertos.Nacido en 1946 en Mississippi, Buffett llegó a la fama en 1977 tras lanzar su canción “Margaritaville” el 14 de febrero, lo cual causó que su estilo de vida “tranquilo” y sin preocupaciones se volviera...

Pakistani traders strike countrywide against high inflation and utility bills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani traders on Saturday went on strike against the soaring cost of living, including higher fuel and utility bills and record depreciation of the rupee against the dollar, which has led to widespread discontent among the public.The traders pulled their shutters down across the country, while protesters burned tires on roads to express their ange.The strike was called by ex-senator Sirajul Haq, who heads the religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami, and it was largely endorsed by trade and business bodies, market associations, lawyers associations and transporters. The country’s commercial and economic hub, Karachi, was almost completely closed and vehicle traffic was thin on roads, with all markets and shopping centers closed.“We have shut our shops in protest so that our message reaches the ruling class. If they don’t consider our problems, we will devise further strategies, said Fahad Ahmed, a trader in Karachi, adding “If you pay Rs100,000 (330 dollars) in...

18 people have been killed in Iraq after a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims to Karbala overturned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:14 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — A bus carrying pilgrims to the Iraqi city of Karbala overturned north of Baghdad on Saturday, killing 18 people, medical officials said.Millions of believers converge on the city each year for the Shiite pilgrimage of Arbaeen, regarded as the largest annual public gathering in the world. Pilgrims come from various parts of Iraq as well as from Iran and the Gulf countries, with many making their way to Karbala on foot.Two Iraqi medical officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media said that the bus overturned near the town of Balad, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of Baghdad.The victims were 15 men and three women. Among them were 10 Iranians, two Iraqis — the bus driver and his son — and six people of unknown nationality, the officials said.Arbaeen marks the anniversary of the 40th day of mourning following the seventh-century death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein at the hands of the Muslim Um...