US and Philippines Launch Their ‘Biggest Ever’ Balikatan Drills With Large Japanese Contingent for First Time

Apple To Close First Unionized Store, Along With Two Others, Citing "Declining Conditions" Apple is permanently closing three mall-based stores in the coming months: Apple North County in California, Apple Trumbull in Connecticut, and Apple Towson Town Center in Maryland, which is the company's first unionized store. "Following the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center, we've made the difficult decision to close our stores at these locations," Apple told computer blog AppleInsider in a statement.  Most workers will...

The Complicated Reality Behind High Gas Prices Authored by Petr Svab via The Epoch Times, Average gas prices in the United States have gone up by almost 40 percent since March 1. The reason appears straightforward: Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S. military operation that decapitated its regime and degraded its military. Hundreds of tankers trapped behind the strait cannot deliver their oil, depriving the world of 7 percent to 10 percent of its supply. Although that explains drastic price increases and even shortages in Europe...