Новости за 04.03.2016

MAALOULA, Syria (AP) — Its historic churches pillaged by jihadis and buildings riddled with shrapnel, this ancient Christian town north of Damascus still bears the scars of the fierce fighting that devastated it two years ago. The government recaptured it from militants in early 2014 in an important propaganda victory for President Bashar Assad's government in its quest to be seen as protector of religious minorities. At St. Takla Convent, a Greek Orthodox monastery that dates back to the early centuries of Christianity... Читать дальше...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — More than a dozen people reclined on cots inside the clinic in the Haitian capital, a few so sick they were receiving intravenous infusions to rehydrate their bodies and spare them an agonizing death. The persistence of the preventable disease has alarmed public health experts who fear that attention and resources have been diverted by newer challenges, including the regional spread of the Zika virus and the political crisis that recently halted Haiti’s elections. While... Читать дальше...

(AP) — Makayla Epps and Janee Thompson scored 17 points apiece and No. 13 Kentucky held off LSU 79-71 on Thursday to advance in the women's SEC tournament. Thompson had six assists, while Evelyn Akhator added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats.

Obama says he'll stick around Washington for a couple of years after leaving office so daughter Sasha can finish high school. The president had lunch there with a few people who wrote to tell him how they had benefited from the Affordable Care Act health care law.

(AP) — The California Assembly voted Thursday to raise the smoking age to 21, regulate electronic cigarettes and take a variety of other steps aiming to restrict access to tobacco. Ending months of stalling on legislation approved last year in the Senate, Assembly Democrats said the measure will prevent young people from taking up smoking. Proponents say it would make it much harder for teens to get access to tobacco because 18-year-old high school students would not be able to buy it for their underage friends.

Best-Selling Books Week Ended Feb. 14th. "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss (Random House) "Oh, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss (Random House) "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss (Random House) "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi (Random House) "A Mother's Reckoning" by Sue Klebold (Crown Publishing) "Strengths Finder" by Tom Rath (Gallup Press) "The Name of God is Mercy" by Pope Francis (Random House) "A Mother's Reckoning" by Sue Klebold (Crown Publishing) "When Breath Becomes... Читать дальше...

USA TODAY BEST-SELLERS "Runaway Vampire" by Lynsay Sands (Avon) "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi (Random House) "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo (Ten Speed) "Turning the Tables" by Teresa Giudice and K.C. Baker (Gallery Books) "Wedding Cake Murder" by Joanne Fluke (Kensington) "The Wedding Dress" by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) "The Friends We Keep" by Susan Mallery (Harlequin MIRA) Amazon.com, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble.com, Barnes & Noble Inc.... Читать дальше...

(AP) — A former Alabama jailer is accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl before fleeing to Europe years later and boasting to a bed and breakfast owner that he wanted to join Syrian rebels as a sniper to fight the Islamic State group. Sheriff's investigators said Thursday that penchant for bragging was his undoing: A Croatian bed and breakfast owner slipped a note in his passport to authorities at a border crossing last month, telling them Pirritano was wanted overseas. DNA testing showed that David Alan Pirritano... Читать дальше...

To stretch its finances, the predominantly black Chicago State has already issued notices of potential layoffs to its 900 employees and shortened the spring semester.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS Copyright 5/8/2016 Publishers Weekly. Week ending 2/28/2016, powered by Nielsen Bookscan 5/8/2016 The Nielsen Company. HARDCOVER FICTION "Brotherhood in Death" by J.D. Robb (Berkley) "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee (Harper) "Wedding Cake Murder" by Joanne Fluke (Kensington) "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi (Random House) "A Mother's Reckoning" by Sue Klebold (Crown) "The Name of God Is Mercy" by Pope Francis (Random House) "Killing Reagan" by... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says that an American student detained in North Korea and presented to the media there this week has now received a consular visit. When Warmbier appeared Monday before journalists in Pyongyang, he tearfully apologized for attempting to steal a political banner from a hotel where he had been staying.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — From security experts worried about hacking to independent app-makers who fear more burdens on their business, a slew of tech industry groups and civil liberties advocates are filing court documents backing Apple in its fight with the FBI. [...] a group of cryptographers and security experts warned in their brief that forcing Apple to write software that overrides iPhone security features would produce a dangerous new tool that itself would be vulnerable to theft or hacking. Читать дальше...

BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — Deputies shot and killed a man after he fired at them, threatened to "shoot it out" and made a hand motion indicating he was still armed, the Harford County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. "After extensive attempts at negotiation, and repeated attempts to convince the suspect to peacefully surrender, he exited the residence in the direction of the deputies," according to a statement late Wednesday from the sheriff's office. Deputies were called about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a suicidal person... Читать дальше...

The Democratic-led Illinois House passed legislation to allocate nearly $3.7 billion dollars for colleges and various human service programs amid criticism from Republicans who called it a pre-primary sham because the state has no money. Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget office sent a letter to House lawmakers before the vote saying he opposes the Democrats proposal. Rep. Rob Martwick— a Chicago Democrat and sponsor of the plan — said it gives parents, teachers and students more say in how schools facing financial crisis are governed. Читать дальше...

Caceres, a Lenca Indian activist, had previously complained of receiving death threats from police, soldiers and local landowners because of her work. The killing appeared to be targeted: A Mexican rights activist at the house was only slightly wounded in the attack, but Caceres’ body had four gunshot wounds. Alcerro said Caceres was supposed to be receiving special protection because of the death threats, but did not explain why there were no police protecting her when she was killed. The website... Читать дальше...

In a report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month, the New Orleans-based company said the automatic reactor shutdown was apparently from bird excrement that caused an electric arc between wires on a feeder line at a transmission tower. Plant managers told the NRC they were revising preventive maintenance for additional inspection and cleaning and installing bird guards on transmission towers. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Eliot Brenner said it's not uncommon for wildlife to... Читать дальше...

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma will slash spending across the board by 7 percent for the remaining four months of the fiscal year to cope with a sharp drop in oil and natural gas prices that has hurt state revenue, and a top education official said the cuts will force many rural school districts to reduce classes to four days a week. State Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger ordered the cuts — on top of previous reductions of 3 percent that began in January — and warned lawmakers that Oklahoma... Читать дальше...

Target trial date set in nursing student's disappearance (AP) — A Tennessee judge set a target trial date in early 2017 for at least one of three men charged with murder in the 2011 disappearance of a Tennessee nursing student. Brothers Zach and John Dylan Adams and Jason Autry are charged with premeditated murder as well as murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape.

The projected fourth or fifth starter faced 14 Brewers and allowed nine hits and six runs before he ended on a positive note. Peavy planned to work on his fastball and changeup, leaving the slider in his holster. [...] he did, until he got to 3-2 on Carter in the second inning. Carter had homered on a first-pitch fastball in the first inning. More important, Peavy said his body feels much stronger and refreshed than this time last year, when his offseason was a month shorter after the World Series... Читать дальше...

PAYETTE, Idaho (AP) — Four Idaho teenagers suspected of setting fire to their high school principal's house in retaliation for being suspended have been taken into custody. Investigators believe three high-schoolers and one middle-schooler started the Feb. 22 blaze that destroyed the home of Payette High School principal Mark Heleker and three cars parked in the driveway.

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government has made its first direct response to Donald Trump’s pledge to build a wall along the two countries’ border — and make Mexico pay for it. Mexican Treasury Secretary Luis Videgaray says “emphatically and categorically” that it isn’t going to foot the bill for the project proposed by the Republican presidential hopeful. Last week, former Mexican President Vicente Fox blasted Trump, using profanity to respond to the New York businessman’s insistence that Mexico pay for the border wall... Читать дальше...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Police in Utah say an officer who pulled over soul singer Gladys Knight was treated to an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday." Officer Paul Rogerson was checking the driver's license when the woman said she was with Gladys Knight on the way to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choir performance.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Barack Obama trumpeted the nation's declining uninsured rate Thursday and said 20 million people have gained insurance as a result of his signature health care law as he commemorated the approaching sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Congratulating local leaders in Wisconsin for winning a national health insurance enrollment contest, Obama acknowledged that millions more are eligible to enroll but have yet to do so. Obama also faulted Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker... Читать дальше...

(AP) — A federal appeals court has blasted the government for its handling of a sex trafficking case involving Somali gang members, saying one of the investigators was repeatedly caught lying and the so-called victims in the case had serious issues with credibility. The federal appeals court said the claims of sex trafficking are likely "fictitious."

(AP) — U.S. wildlife officials are proposing to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. Grizzly bears across the Lower 48 states are protected under the Endangered Species Act after widespread extermination; Yellowstone population is estimated at 136 bears. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adopts grizzly bear recovery plan. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy orders bears back onto the protected list, citing potential threats to their food supplies due in part to climate change. Читать дальше...