Israel vows complete siege on Gaza as it strikes the Palestinian territory after incursion by Hamas
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has vowed to lay total siege to the Gaza Strip, as its pounds the impoverished, Hamas-ruled territory in the wake of an unprecedented weekend incursion. More than two days after Hamas launched its surprise attack from Gaza, the military said Monday that the fighting within Israel had largely died down for now. Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus was caught completely off guard, bringing heavy battles to its streets for the first time in decades. Israel formally declared war on Sunday, portending greater fighting and a possible ground assault into Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy the militants’ “military and governing capabilities.”
Senior Taliban officials visit villages struck by earthquake that killed at least 2,000 people
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A senior Taliban delegation is visiting western Afghanistan’s Herat province in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that killed at least 2,000 people and flattened entire villages. Saturday’s magnitude 6.3 quake hit a densely populated area in Herat and was followed by strong aftershocks. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades. A statement from Kabul said the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs and his team will visit the quake-affected region on Monday to deliver “immediate relief assistance” and ensure “equitable and accurate distribution of aid.” The quake also trapped hundreds and people have been digging with their bare hands and shovels to pull victims from under the rubble.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’ll run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid. Kennedy announced his move Monday in Philadelphia. The decision by Kennedy adds a wrinkle to a 2024 race that’s heading toward a likely rematch between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican ex-President Donald Trump. Kennedy is a longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist and a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics. Kennedy was running a long-shot bid and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. A Democratic National Committee spokesman who was asked for comment on Friday responded with an eye roll emoji.
Some in Congress want to cut Ukraine aid and boost Taiwan’s. But Taiwan sees its fate tied to Kyiv’s
WASHINGTON (AP) — For some Republicans in Congress, Taiwan and Ukraine are effectively rivals for a limited pool of U.S. military assistance. And seeing China as a bigger threat to the United States than Russia, they argue for doing more to arm Taiwan and stopping the flow of money to Ukraine. But that’s not necessarily how Taiwan and many of its supporters see it. They say China is watching closely to see if the United States has the political stamina to support an ally in a prolonged, costly war. The U.S. aid to Ukraine also has led to weapons manufacturers stepping up production — something that could benefit Taiwan in a clash with China.
Nobel economics prize goes to Harvard’s Claudia Goldin for research on the workplace gender gap
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Claudia Goldin, a Harvard University professor, was awarded the Nobel economics prize for research that helps explain why women around the world are less likely than men to work and to earn less money when they do. Fittingly, the announcement marked a small step toward closing a gender gap among Nobel laureates in economics: Out of 93 economics winners, Goldin is just the third woman to be awarded the prize and the first woman to be the sole winner in any year. Her award follows Nobel honors this year in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace that were announced last week.
Some GOP candidates want to use force against Mexico to stop fentanyl. Experts say that won’t work
MIAMI (AP) — Many of the Republican candidates running for president say they’d use military force against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. More than 75,000 people in the United States died last year from overdoses of synthetic opioids, an annual figure more than 20 times higher than a decade ago. That rhetoric from the GOP candidates is welcomed by some families who’ve lost loved ones to fentanyl and have long argued Washington hasn’t done enough to address the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. But analysts and nonpartisan experts warn talk of military force won’t end the crisis and instead fuels the racism and xenophobia undermining efforts to stop drug trafficking.
Indian rescuers are flying into the region where a flood washed out bridges and killed at least 74
GANGTOK, India (AP) — Air force helicopters have rescued scores of stranded tourists in India’s Himalayan northeast after a 6-year-old hydroelectric dam cracked open last week in intense rain, flooding a valley and killing at least 74 people. Officials told the Press Trust of India news agency that they recovered 34 bodies in Sikkim state since the flood on Wednesday. Authorities in neighboring West Bengal state have retrieved 40 bodies so far from the Teesta River as the flood waters carried them downstream. It wasn’t clear what triggered the flood, but intense rain had caused the glacial lake to overflow and a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck neighboring Nepal several hours before the dam cracked open.
Workers at Mack Trucks reject contract and join the thousands of UAW picketers already on strike
DETROIT (AP) — Union workers at Mack Trucks are on strike after voting down a tentative five-year contract agreement that negotiators had reached with the company. The United Auto Workers said 4,000 unionized workers walked out at 7 a.m. Monday, adding to labor turmoil in the industry that has ensnared all three big Detroit automakers. Union President Shawn Fain said in a letter to Mack parent company Volvo Trucks that 73% of workers voted against the deal in results counted on Sunday. The UAW represents Mack workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. Union leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the deal on Oct. 1.
IMF and World Bank pledge Africa focus at first meetings on the continent in 50 years
MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are holding their annual meetings in Morocco, one month after an earthquake killed nearly 3,000 people in the North African country. Officials gathering in Marrakech on Monday said they would focus on Africa as they work to stabilize and grow the global economy. Throughout the week, they are expected to discuss how to confront climate change and promote resiliency as inflation and debt challenge both rich and poor countries. But definitive details had yet to be discussed. Morocco has estimated it will cost roughly $11.7 billion to repair earthquake damage, and the IMF approved a $1.3 billion loan last month.
Schools’ pandemic spending boosted tech companies. Did it help US students?
WASHINGTON (AP) — An infusion of federal pandemic relief to America’s schools sparked a boom in the education technology sector, an industry where research and evidence are scarce. An Associated Press analysis of public records finds districts including Nevada’s Clark County spent tens of millions of dollars on apps, games and tutoring websites. Schools often have little or no evidence the programs helped students, and some were rarely used. Some Clark County parents say software shouldn’t be a priority in a district with issues including aging buildings and more than 1,100 teacher vacancies. The district declined an interview request. Some critics have called for greater federal oversight of the industry.
