Новости за 14.10.2023

Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie were excited to celebrate a family member's birthday and the Jewish holiday season in Israel. That's according to their rabbi in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. But their family hasn’t heard from them since a week ago, after Hamas launched a surprise attack, and fear they are among roughly 150 people abducted by Hamas militants during sweeping weekend raids on Israeli towns and villages near the heavily fortified border with the Gaza Strip. A relative says Natalie Raanan... Читать дальше...

Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is withdrawing his offer to buy Manchester United, a person with knowledge of the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality restrictions. Sheikh Jassim had been one of the leading contenders to complete a takeover of the storied soccer club after it was put up for sale last year. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is the other bidder to publicly declare his intention to buy out the Glazer family. Читать дальше...

As more children emerge from the pandemic grappling with mental health issues, their parents are seeking ways for them to build emotional resilience. And toy companies are paying close attention. While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH — or mental, emotional and social health — as a designation for toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems. The plan is to certify MESH... Читать дальше...

A request from prosecutors for a gag order aimed at reining in Donald Trump’s rhetoric is putting the judge overseeing his federal election interference case in a tricky position. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan must balance the need to protect the integrity of the legal proceedings against the First Amendment rights of a presidential candidate to defend himself in public. It's her biggest test yet in the case. And it underscores the unprecedented complexities of prosecuting the Republican former... Читать дальше...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for protection of civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Israel as the Israeli military ordered half of the Palestinian territory’s population to evacuate in advance of an expected ground assault. Blinken met his Saudi Arabian counterpart in Riyadh as he began a third day of intense Middle East diplomacy aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a regional conflict and fueling a humanitarian crisis. Both stressed the importance of... Читать дальше...

The United Nations says it will repatriate nine peacekeepers from a South African contingent in eastern Congo who were accused of sexual assault and other abuse. The U.N. said it decided to immediately repatriate the peacekeepers and a senior officer of the South African army “due to the seriousness of the allegations against them." The senior officer allegedly tried to hinder a probe into the allegations and threatened other peacekeepers. Two other indicted senior officers will also be replaced. Читать дальше...

Louisiana’s gubernatorial election is one of three in the country this year. Republicans are hoping to reclaim the governor’s mansion Saturday after an eight-year hiatus, while Democrats are trying to keep the coveted position in a state where Donald Trump garnered a majority of the votes during the last two presidential elections. Six major candidates, including four Republicans, one Democrat and one independent, are vying for the seat that is being vacated by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is unable to run again due to consecutive term limits. Читать дальше...

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has benefited from waiting to reveal where he stood as the swing vote in a chamber closely divided between Democrats and Republicans. He’s taken the same approach when it comes to the next phase of his political career. The moderate Democrat has teased possible retirement, a run for reelection to the Senate or even a presidential campaign in 2024 — possibly as an independent candidate. During a multi-day trip to West Virginia’s state capital this week, the 76-year-old... Читать дальше...

The lives of several hundred thousand Venezuelans living in the U.S. could change now that President Joe Biden’s administration is offering them temporary legal status. The Homeland Security Department announced last month it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans. That makes it easier for them to get work permits. Víctor Macedo says he can now earn a living “as God intended.” He dreams of opening a bakery. He and his wife and two children have been living in Florida... Читать дальше...

A rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun is about to cut across the Americas, from Oregon to Brazil. Unlike during a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border. Saturday's eclipse follows a narrow path from Oregon to Texas and then to parts of Central and South America. Much of the rest of the Western Hemisphere gets a partial eclipse, weather permitting. The halo... Читать дальше...

Ethical concerns are casting a shadow over President Joe Biden as he seeks reelection amid ongoing investigations into his son Hunter Biden and a presidential impeachment inquiry. A new poll shows that 35% of U.S. adults believe the president himself has done something illegal. An additional 33% say they think the president behaved unethically, but not illegally. And 30% say Biden did nothing wrong. The results of the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reflect... Читать дальше...

Unions representing 85,000 health care workers have reached a tentative agreement with industry giant Kaiser Permanente following a strike over wages and staffing levels. The deal was announced early Friday. The three-day strike last week involving workers in multiple states officially ended last Saturday and workers returned to their jobs in Kaiser’s hospitals and clinics that serve nearly 13 million Americans. Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, California, confirmed the deal. The deal includes... Читать дальше...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law to raise the minimum wage for health care workers. The law Newsom signed Friday will raise the minimum wage to $25 per hour over the next decade. This is the second minimum wage increase Newsom has signed this year. He signed a law last month to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour. The health care increase is a carefully crafted compromise between the health care industry and labor unions. It will preempt local governments from... Читать дальше...

For more than a month, Darryl George, a Black high school student in Texas, spent each school day sitting by himself in punishment over his hairstyle. This week, he was sent to a separate disciplinary program where he’s been told he will spend several more weeks away from classmates. In an interview with The Associated Press, George said he has felt discouraged about missing out on his classes and time with the football team. He said: “I feel like I’m missing my full experience of being in the classroom.”

The U.S. House has been without a leader for more than a week, as majority Republicans threw out Speaker Kevin McCarthy and refused to rally around his No. 2, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise. On Friday, Republicans nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, during internal party voting. But the chairman of the Judiciary Committee who is allied with Donald Trump fell short of the support that would be needed in an eventual House floor vote. Jordan worked to shore up backing as the lawmakers prepare to return Monday, but the path forward is still uncertain.

After two years co-piloting the biggest acquisition in video game history past an onslaught of challenges, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer now moves on to his next quest: making Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard worth the hassle. Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming system, closed its $69 billion deal to buy game-maker Activision Blizzard on Friday after fending off global opposition from antitrust regulators and rivals. It marks a career-defining moment for Spencer, who first joined Microsoft as... Читать дальше...