WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. declaration of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism (all times local): 2 p.m. The United States has issued new sanctions on four Chinese trading companies and a Chinese national said to have conducted hundreds of millions of dollars in business with North Korea. The … Continue reading
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Famously pro-cannabis San Francisco, where the 4/20 marijuana holiday is celebrated with a group smoke-out on Hippie Hill, is having a surprisingly difficult time establishing regulations for the broad legal pot market coming to California in January. Writing local rules in the weed-friendly city has taken a contentious turn as critics, … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “King Kong” made his cinematic debut there in 1933.There was a yellow “brick” carpet when the “Wizard of Oz” premiered in 1939. George Lucas brought R2-D2 and C-3PO along for the premiere of “Star Wars” in 1977, and the two droids left their marks in the cement out front. A glamorous … Continue reading
by Troy White A violent passenger incident on a United Airlines flight happened just a month after the new CEO Oscar Munoz was named U.S. Communicator of the Year. Later, after the incident, Oscar Munoz apologized to the public for having to readjust customers, instead of telling the man who was dragged from his seat … Continue reading
SYDNEY (AP) — The commander of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said Monday that he is wary of the situation in the South China Sea being painted as a battle between the United States and China, but added the presence of a Chinese missile system on a disputed island will not stop the U.S. military … Continue reading
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Welcomed by a military band and a guard of honor, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to South Africa on Wednesday, part of China’s effort to strengthen economic ties with Africa. The Chinese government became Africa’s largest international trading partner in 2009, according to the South African Institute … Continue reading
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Some immigration signs at Zimbabwe’s main international airport are in Chinese, a sign of China’s deep economic inroads in Africa, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit this week. Xi arrives Tuesday in Zimbabwe before heading on Wednesday to South Africa. There, he will attend a forum on cooperation between Africa … Continue reading
MILAN (AP) — Wealthy Chinese remain the No. 1 buyers of luxury products worldwide, appearing inured to economic turmoil at home as they zigzag the globe in search of deals on everything from handbags to jewelry, according to a new study by Bain consultancy. The study released Thursday by the Altagamma association of Italian luxury … Continue reading
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Tens of thousands of North Koreans are being sent to work abroad in conditions that amount to forced labor to circumvent U.N. sanctions and earn foreign currency for the country, amounting to between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion annually by one estimate, a U.N. investigator said Wednesday. Marzuki Darusman, the special … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — Hollywood studio Warner Bros. and a Chinese investment company said Sunday that they will jointly produce Chinese-language movies for the international market, as entertainment companies in the world’s two biggest movie markets increasingly collaborate. Warner Bros. and China Media Capital announced their Hong Kong-based joint venture two days before the start of … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 