Today: October 07, 2024
Today: October 07, 2024

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World

US sanctions Lebanon-South America network accused of financing Hezbollah

The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday slapped terrorism sanctions on a family network of seven individuals and businesses in Lebanon and South America accused of financing the militant group Hezbollah, including a Lebanese man who officials say was involved in two deadly attacks in Argentina in the 1990s. Amer Mohamed Akil Rada was described as “one of the operational members” who carried out the attack on the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires in 1994, which killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. A 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina killed 29 people. “Today’s action underscores the

US sanctions Lebanon-South America network accused of financing Hezbollah
World

Dry states taking Mississippi River water isn't a new idea. But some mayors want to kill it

Community leaders along the Mississippi River worried that dry southwestern states will someday try to take the river’s water may soon take their first step toward blocking such a diversion. Mayors from cities along the river are expected to vote on whether to support a new compact among the river’s 10 states at this week’s annual meeting of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, according to its executive director Colin Wellenkamp. Supporters of a compact hope it will strengthen the region’s collective power around shared goals like stopping water from leaving the corridor. “It is

Dry states taking Mississippi River water isn't a new idea. But some mayors want to kill it
World

Congo communities forcibly uprooted to make way for mines critical to EVs, Amnesty report says

The mining of minerals critical to electric vehicle batteries and other green technologies in Congo has led to human rights abuses, including forced evictions and physical assault, according to a new report from Amnesty International and another rights group. Congo is by far the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other products, and it is also Africa’s top producer of copper, which is used in EVs, renewable energy systems and more. Rights groups and U.S. officials have long criticized the trade of Congo’s cobalt, copper and

Congo communities forcibly uprooted to make way for mines critical to EVs, Amnesty report says
World

Iran identifies 5 prisoners it wants from US in swap for Iranian-Americans and billions in assets

Iran on Tuesday identified the five prisoners it hopes to see freed in the United States in exchange for five Iranian-Americans now held in Tehran and billions in assets once held by South Korea. The acknowledgment by the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York comes as the Biden administration has issued a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. The moves by both Tehran and Washington appear to signal the prisoner swap is progressing as

Iran identifies 5 prisoners it wants from US in swap for Iranian-Americans and billions in assets
World

Alabama asks US Supreme Court again to intervene in redistricting case

Alabama on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let it keep Republican-drawn congressional lines in place as the state continues to fight a court order to create a second district where Black voters constitute a majority or close to it. Despite losing at the Supreme Court earlier this year in the long-running redistricting case, Alabama is pursuing another appeal, hoping for a different result with the most recent GOP version of the map. Alabama asked the justices to stay a ruling issued last week by a three-judge panel that that blocked the use of the

Alabama asks US Supreme Court again to intervene in redistricting case
World

Ahead of High Holidays, US Jewish leaders stress need for security vigilance as antisemitism surges

Ahead of the High Holidays that begin this week, a network of Jewish security experts and religious leaders hosted several webinars to help prepare for the season. Among the topics: How to respond to an “active threat” targeting the Jewish community, and how to stop severe bleeding. The holidays, encompassing Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, are meant to be a period of joy and reflection. Over recent years — in the face of increased antisemitic threats and violence — the season also is a time of heightened vigilance. “The High Holidays are about renewal — about trying to build a

Ahead of High Holidays, US Jewish leaders stress need for security vigilance as antisemitism surges
World

Sweeping study finds 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church since mid-20th century

A sweeping, year-long study of sex abuse by Catholic priests and others in Switzerland published Tuesday has turned up more than 1,000 cases since the mid-20th century, as the Swiss church becomes the latest in Europe to reckon with the abuse scandal. With few exceptions, those accused of wrongdoing were all male. Nearly three-fourths of the documents examined showed the sexual abuse involved minors. The report, commissioned by the Swiss Conference of Bishops and led by two University of Zurich historians, offers a deep look at sexual abuse and harassment that has confounded the Catholic Church across

Sweeping study finds 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church since mid-20th century
World

Police warn that escapee Danelo Cavalcante is armed. He has avoided searchers for nearly two weeks

Authorities warned that an escaped murderer who has evaded capture in southeastern Pennsylvania for nearly two weeks was armed and urged residents Tuesday in the area where he was being pursued to lock up, secure vehicles and remain indoors. Pennsylvania State Police posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the department was pursuing Danelo Souza Cavalcante in South Coventry Township. Police also asked that the public call 911 if Cavalcante is seen and not to approach him. At least one nearby school district announced early Tuesday that it would close all schools and offices for the day

Police warn that escapee Danelo Cavalcante is armed. He has avoided searchers for nearly two weeks
World

American researcher doing well after rescue from a deep Turkish cave, calling it a 'crazy adventure'

An American researcher was “doing well” at a Turkish hospital, officials said Tuesday, after rescuers pulled him out of a cave where he fell seriously ill and became trapped 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet) below its entrance for over a week. Rescuers from Turkey and across Europe cheered and clapped as Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old experienced caver, emerged from Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains strapped to a stretcher at 12:37 a.m. local time Tuesday. He was whisked to the hospital in the nearby city of Mersin in a helicopter. Dickey fell ill on Sept.

American researcher doing well after rescue from a deep Turkish cave, calling it a 'crazy adventure'
World

Apple expected to unveil next generation of iPhones as company tries to reverse a recent sales slump

Apple is expected to take the wraps off its next iPhone on Tuesday during what has become an annual late summer rite aimed at giving more people more reasons to buy the technology trendsetter’s marquee product. The showcase at Apple’s Cupertino California, headquarters comes as the company is mired in a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters — with management signaling another downturn is likely during the current quarter that will be capped with the release of its iPhone 15 lineup. The malaise is a key reason Apple’s stock price has

Apple expected to unveil next generation of iPhones as company tries to reverse a recent sales slump
World

A timeline of the complicated relations between Russia and North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia to see President Vladimir Putin. It will be the two isolated leaders’ second meeting. Their governments have not confirmed an agenda, but U.S. officials say Putin may ask for artillery and other ammunition for his war in Ukraine. Such a request would mark a reversal of roles from the 1950-53 Korean War, when the Soviet Union provided ammunition, warplanes and pilots to support communist North Korea’s invasion of the South, and the decades of Soviet sponsorship of the North that followed. Despite their often aligning

A timeline of the complicated relations between Russia and North Korea
World

Stock market today: Asian shares trade mixed after Big Tech rally on Wall Street

Asian shares were trading mixed Tuesday following a Big Tech rally on Wall Street, as investors awaited an update on U.S. consumer prices set for later in the week. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 1.0% to 32,776.37. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2% to 7,206.90. South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.8% to 2,536.80. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.2% to 18,056.17, while the Shanghai Composite fell nearly 0.2% to 3,137.73. The Federal Reserve is weighing whether to keep raising interest rates steady in its effort to get inflation back to 2%. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will offer the

Stock market today: Asian shares trade mixed after Big Tech rally on Wall Street
World

Rescue teams retrieve hundreds of bodies in Derna, one of the Libyan cities devastated by floods

Rescue teams in eastern Libya have retrieved hundreds of bodies from the rubble in a coastal city that has been inundated by devastating floods, a humanitarian agency said Tuesday. Authorities estimated that as many as 2,000 people are believed dead in the city of Derna. Mediterranean storm Daniel caused devastating floods in many towns in eastern Libya. But the worst destruction was in Derna, where heavy rainfall and floods broke dams and washed away entire neighborhoods, authorities said. Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the east Libya government, said that several thousands of people were missing in the

Rescue teams retrieve hundreds of bodies in Derna, one of the Libyan cities devastated by floods
World

Japanese companies drop stars of scandal-tainted Johnny's entertainment company

Several major Japanese companies have decided to stop using stars who are represented by Johnny & Associates, an entertainment company at the center of a sexual assault scandal. Beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings — known for its Super Dry beer — will no longer air its ads featuring Junichi Okada, Toma Ikuta and Sho Sakurai, the company said Tuesday, and there are no plans to sign singers, dancers or actors affiliated with Johnny’s. Other companies, including Japan’s flagship carrier Japan Airlines and major insurer Nippon Life Insurance Co., are following suit in distancing themselves from the scandal.

Japanese companies drop stars of scandal-tainted Johnny's entertainment company
World

Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul

Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday opened the first case to look at the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul — deepening a showdown with the far-right government that has bitterly divided the nation and put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis. In a sign of the case’s significance, all 15 of Israel’s Supreme Court justices are hearing appeals to the law together for the first time in Israel’s history. A regular panel is made up of three justices, though they sometimes sit on expanded panels. The proceedings were also being livestreamed.

Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul
World

How an extramarital affair factors into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial

How much does an extramarital affair matter to whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton keeps his job? An answer may arrive soon. The question hangs over the Republican’s impeachment trial that resumes Tuesday and is approaching the final stretch of testimony before a jury of state senators decides whether Paxton should be removed from office on charges of corruption and bribery. Most of the senators are Republicans and one is his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, although she will not have a vote in the verdict. But she has attended the entire trial so far, including

How an extramarital affair factors into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial
World

Cash bail disproportionately impacts communities of color. Illinois is the first state to abolish it

It took four and a half months for Shannon Ross’ life to unravel. Ross, who describes himself as Indigenous and a person of color, was arrested in Chicago in October 2019 on weapons charges and ultimately found not guilty. But that came only after he spent months in jail awaiting trial, lost his home, car, job and countless moments with his children. Ross couldn’t afford the $75,000 bond set during a hearing that he recalls lasted only a few minutes. “I had to lose everything to prove that I wasn’t guilty,” he told The Associated Press. “It

Cash bail disproportionately impacts communities of color. Illinois is the first state to abolish it
World

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin

Joined by his top military officials handling his nuclear-capable weapons and munitions factories, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday before an expected meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has sparked concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim boarded his personal train Sunday afternoon accompanied by unspecified members of the country’s ruling party, government and military. South Korea’s military assessed the train crossed into Russia sometime early Tuesday, Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin
World

California fast food and health care workers poised to win major salary increases

Nearly 1 million California workers are poised to win major salary increases after labor unions flexed their collective muscle in the state’s Democratic-led Legislature on Monday following a summer of high-profile strikes in the entertainment and hospitality industries. Most of the state’s 500,000 fast food workers would be paid at least $20 per hour next year under a new bill aimed at ending a standoff between the industry and labor unions over wages and working conditions. About 455,000 health care workers — not doctors and nurses, but the people who do everything else at hospitals, dialysis

California fast food and health care workers poised to win major salary increases
World

New Zealand economy to remain sluggish for 2 years, although doing better than feared, figures show

New Zealand’s economy is expected to remain sluggish for another two years, although the overall picture is rosier than many observers had feared, new figures released Tuesday indicate. The nation’s Treasury released the projections ahead of an election next month. They showed a slight deterioration from earlier predictions, with tax takes lower than expected and high inflation causing ongoing headaches. Unemployment is expected to jump from a current rate of 3.6% to 5.4% in 2025 before falling again, while economic growth is expected to fall from 3.1% this year to 1.3% next year, before bouncing

New Zealand economy to remain sluggish for 2 years, although doing better than feared, figures show
World

California lawmakers approve the nation’s most sweeping emissions disclosure rules for big business

Major corporations from oil and gas companies to retail giants would have to disclose their direct greenhouse gas emissions as well as those that come from activities like employee business travel under legislation passed Monday by California lawmakers, the most sweeping mandate of its kind in the nation. The legislation would require thousands of public and private businesses that operate in California and make more than $1 billion annually report their direct and indirect emissions. The goal is to increase transparency and nudge companies to evaluate how they can cut their emissions. “We are out of

California lawmakers approve the nation’s most sweeping emissions disclosure rules for big business
World

California lawmakers vote to end travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws

California may soon lift a ban on state-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws and instead focus on an advertising campaign to bring anti-discrimination messages to red states. California started banning official travel to states with laws it deemed discriminatory against LGBTQ+ people in 2017, starting with Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. Since then, the list has grown to include a total of 26 states, most of them Republican-led, following a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation these past few years. The prohibition has prevented elected officials, state workers and university scholars from traveling to more than

California lawmakers vote to end travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws
World

US moves to advance prisoner swap deal with Iran and release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds

The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the sanctions waivers late last week, a month after U.S. and Iranian officials said an agreement in principle was in place. Congress was not informed

US moves to advance prisoner swap deal with Iran and release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds
World

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go

The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalia’s watery storm surge helped push the United States to a record for the number of weather disasters that cost $1 billion or more. And there’s still four months to go on what’s looking more like a calendar of calamities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far this year’s disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go
World

Sheriff in New Mexico's most populous county rejects governor's gun ban, calling it unconstitutional

The sheriff in New Mexico’s largest metro area vowed Monday not to enforce an emergency order by the governor to temporarily suspend the right to carry firearms in public in and around the city of Albuquerque. “It’s unconstitutional, so there’s no way we can enforce that order,” Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said during a news conference. “This ban does nothing to curb gun violence.” Reaction has been swift after Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the order Friday, telling reporters that she expected legal challenges and that state police would handle enforcement. “I welcome the

Sheriff in New Mexico's most populous county rejects governor's gun ban, calling it unconstitutional

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