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LOS ANGELES (AP) — It pays less and less to buy and flip a home these days.From April through June, the typical home flipped by an investor resulted in a 25.1% return on investment, before expenses. That’s the lowest profit margin for such transactions since 2008, according to an analysis by Attom, a real estate data company.Gross profits — the difference between what an investor paid for a property and what it sold for — fell 13.6% in the second quarter from a year earlier to $65,300, the firm said. Attom’s analysis defines a flipped home as a property that…

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government has agreed to return thousands of fossils to Indonesia from a world-renowned collection, after a commission ruled that they were removed in the colonial era “against the will of the people,” the education ministry announced Friday.The historically significant trove known as the Dubois Collection includes a piece of skull uncovered from the Solo River on the island of Java that is regarded as the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus, which is generally considered to be an ancestor of our species, Homo sapiens. The fossils are often referred to as “Java Man.”The…

Japan’s biggest revolving door is spinning again, and odds are it’s about to spit out Shinjiro Koizumi as the nation’s next prime minister. It’s not that a critical mass of Japan’s 125 million people seem enthusiastic about the 44-year-old son of 2001–2006 leader Junichiro Koizumi taking a turn running Asia’s No 2 economy. It’s more that the politically moderate, generally inoffensive scion of a family dynasty looks like the least worst option to replace Shigeru Ishiba. Luckily for Koizumi, he steps into some rather small shoes. One has to get extremely creative to argue that Ishiba achieved much during his…

Sep 26, 2025, 12:02 AM ETBrazil’s Flamengo and Ecuador’s Liga de Quito defeated Estudiantes de La Plata and São Paulo, respectively, on Thursday to qualify for the Copa Libertadores semifinals.Three-time Copa Libertadores champions Flamingo lost the second leg 1-0 for a final 2-2 on aggregate but prevailed on penalty kicks with goalkeeper Agustin Rossi deflecting shots from Gaston Benedetti and Santiago Ascacibar in the shootout.Flamengo, in the semifinals for the first time since 2022, will play another Argentine club in the next round where they are set to play against Racing Club, which advanced to the final four after beating…

China will officially launch its new K-visa scheme on October 1, aiming to attract foreign professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Beijing’s initiative arrives at a moment of intensifying competition for skilled workers worldwide. It offers a stark contrast to Washington’s latest decision to require American employees to pay a one-time fee of US$100,000 for each of their new H-1B visa applications, the primary pathway for skilled foreign workers to enter the US job market. The Chinese government announced on August 14 that it had amended its visa rules by introducing a new K-visa category, bringing the total…

Inter Miami CF midfielder Sergio Busquets announced he will retire at the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.The Spaniard revealed his decision by publishing a video to his Instagram account, detailing his experience after an almost 20-year career with Barcelona, Miami and Spain.”I feel like it’s time to say goodbye to my career as a professional soccer player. It has been almost 20 years of enjoying this incredible story that I always dreamed of. Soccer has gifted me unique experiences in wonderful places, with the best travel companions,” Busquets said on Instagram.”Thank you to FC Barcelona, the club…

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Another tropical storm barreled across Philippine islands Friday, causing at least four deaths and new evacuations of tens of thousands of people from landslide- and flood-prone villages long battered by typhoons.Bualoi, which has weakened since making landfall overnight, was the latest of back-to-back storms from the Pacific to threaten Asia. Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest to hit in years, caused at least 25 deaths in the northern Philippines and Taiwan, mostly from flooding, before making landfall in China and dissipating over Vietnam.Bualoi made landfall in the Philippine town of San Policarpo in Eastern Samar province…

BEIJING (AP) — China has opened an investigation into whether import tariffs being imposed by Mexico are a trade and investment barrier.Mexico plans to impose taxes as high as 50% on more than 1,400 products from Asia to protect factories at home, which are facing stiff tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on exports to the United States. A Chinese Commerce Ministry statement posted Thursday said the tariffs would harm the interests of affected countries.“China believes that, against the backdrop of the current U.S. abuse of tariffs, all countries should jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism and must…

SUMENEP, Indonesia (AP) — Health workers in Sumenep, Indonesia, are delivering measles vaccines to curb an outbreak on Madura Island, which has persisted for nine months. Over 2,600 children have been infected this year, and 20 have died. Efforts face challenges due to concerns about the vaccine’s halal status, because some vaccines contain a pig-derived stabilizer. Some Islamic scholars say it’s permissible under certain conditions, but hesitancy remains. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has reported previous outbreaks of measles, mostly driven by gaps in vaccination coverage. Parents wait for their children during a measles vaccination campaign following an outbreak,…

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian shares fell on Friday after President Donald Trump announced plans for new tariffs including 100% import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs starting Oct. 1.Trump said Thursday on his social media site that foreign makers of furniture and cabinetry were flooding the United States with their products and that tariffs must be applied “for National Security and other reasons.” He said foreign-made heavy trucks and parts are hurting domestic producers. However, most such trucks are either made in America or are U.S. brands made in Canada or Mexico.U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Most Asian indexes…