Thursday, March 28
West Bank Residents Praise Hamas for Palestinian Prisoners’ Release
World

West Bank Residents Praise Hamas for Palestinian Prisoners’ Release

Follow live news updates on the Israel-Hamas war.The two cousins spotted each other on the bus leaving the prison, as shocked to see the other as they were by their sudden freedom. “Pinch me,” Anwar Atta, 18, told his younger cousin. “I need to know if this is a dream.”Then, early Sunday morning, the bus pulled out of Ofer Prison in the West Bank and into a throng of cheering Palestinians. Before the cousins’ feet could touch the ground, they were hoisted into the air and carried through the streets of Ramallah, surrounded by people waving Palestinian and Hamas flags, revving their motorcycle engines and whistling in excitement.“This is thanks to the resistance in Gaza,” Anwar said hours later from his family’s home on the outskirts of the city.Anwar and his cousin, Mourad Atta, 17, are am...
Fed Officials Hint That Rate Increases Are Over, and Investors Celebrate
World

Fed Officials Hint That Rate Increases Are Over, and Investors Celebrate

Federal Reserve officials appear to be dialing back the chances of future interest rate increases, after months in which they have carefully kept the possibility of further policy changes alive for fear that inflation would prove stubborn.Several Fed officials — including two who often push for higher interest rates — hinted on Tuesday that the central bank is making progress on inflation and may be done or close to done raising borrowing costs. Economic growth is cooling, reducing the urgency for additional moves.Christopher Waller, a Fed governor and one of the central bank’s more inflation-focused members, gave a speech on Tuesday titled “Something Appears to Be Giving,” an update on a previous speech that he had titled “Something’s Got to Give.”“I am encouraged by what we have learned ...
Kamala Harris Defends Biden Policies, but Says ‘More Work’ Needed to Reach Voters
World

Kamala Harris Defends Biden Policies, but Says ‘More Work’ Needed to Reach Voters

1 00:00:00,000 —> 00:00:05,030 “Former President Trump, not only on a national level, 2 00:00:05,030 —> 00:00:09,710 appears to be beating the Biden-Harris ticket, 3 00:00:09,710 —> 00:00:14,780 but uniquely in those five of the six key swing states, 4 00:00:14,780 —> 00:00:16,450 that seems to be the case. 5 00:00:16,450 —> 00:00:18,980 What do you think when you see the polls?” 6 00:00:18,980 —> 00:00:20,493 “Listen, if I listened to polls 7 00:00:20,493 —> 00:00:22,160 I would have never run for my first office 8 00:00:22,160 —> 00:00:23,040 or my second one. 9 00:00:23,040 —> 00:00:24,570 And here I am as vice president. 10 00:00:24,570 —> 00:00:27,260 There are fundamental freedoms that are at stake 11 00:00:27,260 —> 00:00:29,730 right now, and the Am...
Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China
World

Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China

Britain’s only two pandas will soon be returned to China, officials said, in a send-off that has dispirited fans of the playful, waddling bears and signals what appears to be the end, at least for now, of panda diplomacy.“Bamboo bon voyage,” the Edinburgh Zoo of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said on its website, noting that there would be “a giant farewell” on Thursday for the bears, whose names are Yang Guang and Tian Tian.The pair of giant pandas will be prepared to return to China in the first week of December, the zoo said, though it did not specify a date because of “security and safety reasons.”China has long used its pandas as symbols of diplomacy, delivering pairs as if they were ambassadors to several countries around the world.On Wednesday, crowds gathered to say goodb...
Even Most Biden Voters Don’t See a Thriving Economy
World

Even Most Biden Voters Don’t See a Thriving Economy

Presidents seeking a second term have often found the public’s perception of the economy a pivotal issue. It was a boon to Ronald Reagan; it helped usher Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush out of the White House.Now, as President Biden looks toward a re-election campaign, there are warning signals on that front: With overall consumer sentiment at a low ebb despite solid economic data, even Democrats who supported Mr. Biden in 2020 say they’re not impressed with the economy.In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll of voters in six battleground states, 62 percent of those voters think the economy is only “fair” or “poor” (compared with 97 percent for those who voted for Donald J. Trump).The demographics of Mr. Biden’s 2020 supporters may explain part of his challenge now: They were on ba...
Citi Executive Sues the Bank Over Sexual Harassment
World

Citi Executive Sues the Bank Over Sexual Harassment

The bank asked Ms. Lindsey about their ties in 2019 during an investigation into some of Mr. Singh’s personal financial transactions, including one involving her. Citi did not report any financial wrongdoing by either one to regulators. Ms. Lindsey said at the time that the two were just friends, according to Mr. Costiglio, the Citi spokesman.In her lawsuit, Ms. Lindsey alleged that Mr. Singh had extended control over her life at work. Mr. Singh berated Ms. Lindsey for speaking to her mentor, who also happened to be his boss, according to the suit; when a Citi investigator looked into the sexual harassment concerns raised by Ms. Moran, the managing director, Mr. Singh instructed Ms. Lindsey not to cooperate, Ms. Lindsey told The Times.On Nov. 6, 2022, after Ms. Lindsey told Mr. Singh that ...
Gaza Mediators Seek Cease-Fire Extension
World

Gaza Mediators Seek Cease-Fire Extension

Top officials from Qatar, Egypt and the United States pushed on Wednesday to lock in another temporary extension of the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, seeing it as the best way to ease the embattled territory’s humanitarian crisis, secure the release of more Israeli hostages and slow the war’s escalating death toll for at least a little longer.But some officials briefed on the talks said they also hoped that the succession of short-term pauses would pave the way toward a larger goal: negotiations over a longer-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to bring the war to a close.Amid international pressure to prolong the pause in fighting, Israeli leaders rejected out of hand the notion of a long-term truce, reiterating their vow to fight until Hamas and its leaders have been eliminated.“In ...
U.S. Debates How Much to Sever Electric Car Industry’s Ties to China
World

U.S. Debates How Much to Sever Electric Car Industry’s Ties to China

The Biden administration has been trying to jump-start the domestic supply chain for electric vehicles so cleaner cars can be made in the United States. But the experience of one Texas company, whose plans to help make an all-American electric vehicle were upended by China, highlights the stakes involved as the administration finalizes rules governing the industry.Huntsman Corporation started construction two years ago on a $50 million plant in Texas to make ethylene carbonate, a chemical that is used in electric vehicle batteries. It would have been the only site in North America making the product, with the goal of feeding battery factories that would crop up to serve the electric vehicle market.But as new facilities in China came online and flooded the market, the price of the chemical ...
Paris Metro Rides During 2024 Olympics Could Cost Almost Double
World

Paris Metro Rides During 2024 Olympics Could Cost Almost Double

With nearly 10 million people expected to throng the streets of Paris during the Olympics this summer, visitors already knew getting around the city would be a challenge. But now it will probably be a lot more expensive, too.The price of a single ride on the Metro between July 20 and Sept. 8, roughly the dates of the Olympics and Paralympics, is set to jump to 4 euros, or about $4.40, from its current price of €2.10. A pack of 10 tickets will climb to €32 from €16.90.In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, Valérie Pécresse, the president of the administrative region that includes Paris and its suburbs, announced the temporary fare increases for public transportation.“For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 100 percent of spectators will be able t...
Israel-Hamas War Live: 16 More Hostages Released as Truce Extension Deadline Looms
World

Israel-Hamas War Live: 16 More Hostages Released as Truce Extension Deadline Looms

International pressure built on Tuesday for Israel and Hamas to extend a temporary cease-fire into an enduring halt to the war in Gaza, as China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, warned the U.N. Security Council that a resumption of the fighting would “most likely, turn into a calamity that devours the whole region.”Mr. Wang’s comments came during a Security Council session focused on the war, in which a fragile cease-fire has held since Friday. China holds the Council’s rotating presidency this month.Many other foreign ministers, from Arab countries in the Middle East and the 15-member Council, also attended the meeting. A majority of them, joined by senior U.N. officials, called for the temporary truce to become permanent to prevent the war from spreading and to alleviate suffering in Gaza.Th...
U.A.W. Announces Drive to Organize Nonunion Plants
World

U.A.W. Announces Drive to Organize Nonunion Plants

The United Automobile Workers union announced Wednesday that it was undertaking an ambitious drive to organize plants owned by more than a dozen nonunion automakers, including Tesla and several foreign companies — a goal that has long eluded it.The move comes weeks after the U.A.W. won new contracts from General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis that included wage increases of 25 percent or more over four and a half years for its 146,000 members employed there.In addition to Tesla, the targets of the drive are two other electric vehicle start-ups, Lucid and Rivian, and 10 foreign-owned automakers: Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda and Volvo.The U.S. plants owned by those companies employ nearly 150,000 workers in 13 states, the union said.If the ...
Elon Musk Speaks at the DealBook Summit: Live Updates
World

Elon Musk Speaks at the DealBook Summit: Live Updates

This year’s DealBook Summit will include conversations with global leaders and powerful figures from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Each has been at the heart of the news this year and will be at the center of some of the biggest events in the months ahead.Kamala Harris was elected vice president of the United States in 2020, after serving as a senator, the attorney general of California and the district attorney of San Francisco. Ms. Harris is expected to play a vital role in the 2024 presidential race. She will be tasked with helping to win over voters worried about President Biden’s age, squeezed by inflation and disconcerted by administration policies, including strong support for Israel in its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Tsai Ing-wen has been president of Taiwan since 2...
What Comes Next for the Housing Market?
Business, Economy

What Comes Next for the Housing Market?

Federal Reserve officials are planning to cut interest rates this year, real estate agents are likely to slash their commissions after a major settlement and President Biden has begun to look for ways his administration can alleviate high housing costs.A lot of change is happening in the housing market, in short. While sales have slowed markedly amid higher interest rates, both home prices and rents remain sharply higher than before the pandemic. The question now is whether the recent developments will cool costs down.Economists who study the housing market said they expected cost increases to be relatively moderate over the next year. But they don’t expect prices to actually come down in most markets, especially for home purchases. Demographic trends are still fueling solid demand, and ch...
Venezuelan Opposition Blocked from Election, Dimming Democratic Hopes
Recent news

Venezuelan Opposition Blocked from Election, Dimming Democratic Hopes

First, it was María Corina Machado, a popular former legislator. Then, it was supposed to be Corina Yoris, a little-known philosophy professor. Now, an opposition coalition has put forward a former diplomat, Edmundo González, as their third candidate to run against President Nicolás Maduro in elections scheduled in July.That is, at least for now.The coalition of opposing political parties, the Democratic Unity Roundtable, has been hoping for months to unite behind a single candidate who could make a viable challenger to Mr. Maduro.But as the rapidly shifting lineup of potential candidates makes clear, the Maduro government has been putting up a series of obstacles to prevent that goal.On Monday, a national electoral commission controlled by allies of Mr. Maduro used a technical maneuver to...
To Live Past 100, Mangia a Lot Less: Italian Expert’s Ideas on Aging
Health

To Live Past 100, Mangia a Lot Less: Italian Expert’s Ideas on Aging

Most members of the band subscribed to a live-fast-die-young lifestyle. But as they partook in the drinking and drugging endemic to the 1990s grunge scene after shows at the Whisky a Go Go, Roxy and other West Coast clubs, the band’s guitarist, Valter Longo, a nutrition-obsessed Italian Ph.D. student, wrestled with a lifelong addiction to longevity.Now, decades after Dr. Longo dropped his grunge-era band, DOT, for a career in biochemistry, the Italian professor stands with his floppy rocker hair and lab coat at the nexus of Italy’s eating and aging obsessions.“For studying aging, Italy is just incredible,” said Dr. Longo, a youthful 56, at the lab he runs at a cancer institute in Milan, where he will speak at an aging conference later this month. Italy has one of the world’s oldest populat...
Stanford overcomes Iowa State in dramatic OT win, advances to women’s Sweet 16
Sports

Stanford overcomes Iowa State in dramatic OT win, advances to women’s Sweet 16

For the second-straight NCAA Tournament, the Stanford Cardinal faced a fourth-quarter deficit on their home court in the second round, staring down the possibility of a stunning upset.As the Pac-12 player of the year Cameron Brink spent most of the night in foul trouble against No. 7 Iowa State, the No. 2 Cardinal turned to their other twin tower to carry them home. After being limited to five scoreless minutes off the bench in the 2023 loss to Ole Miss, Kiki Iriafen scored 41 points, tied for ninth all-time in a single NCAA Tournament game, and added 16 rebounds and four assists, leading Stanford to an 87-81 victory in overtime. The Cardinal advanced to the Sweet 16 to face the winner of No. 3 NC State vs. No. 6 Tennessee. SWEET SIXTEEN BOUND#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/xw0AyZQYor — Stanfo...
TikTok Bill Would Complicate ByteDance Investments if Passed
Technology

TikTok Bill Would Complicate ByteDance Investments if Passed

For years, the U.S. investors who backed ByteDance, the Chinese internet company that owns TikTok, have wrestled with the complexities of owning a piece of a geopolitically fraught social media app.Now it’s gotten even more complicated.A bill to force ByteDance to sell TikTok is winding its way through the Senate after sailing through the House this month. Questions about whether TikTok’s Chinese ties make it a national security threat are mounting. And U.S. investors including General Atlantic, Susquehanna International Group and Sequoia Capital — which collectively poured billions into ByteDance — are facing increased pressure from state and federal lawmakers to answer for their investments in Chinese companies.Last year, a House committee began examining U.S. investments in Chinese comp...
Has China Lost Its Taste for the iPhone?
Business, Economy

Has China Lost Its Taste for the iPhone?

For years, Apple dominated the market for high-end smartphones in China. No other company made a device that could compete with the iPhone’s performance — or its position as a status object in the eyes of wealthy, cosmopolitan shoppers.But evidence is mounting that, for many in China, the iPhone no longer holds the appeal it used to. During the first six weeks of the year, historically a peak season for Chinese shoppers to spring for a new phone, iPhone sales fell 24 percent from a year earlier, according to Counterpoint Research, which analyzes the smartphone market.Meanwhile, sales for one of Apple’s longstanding Chinese rivals, Huawei, surged 64 percent.It’s a challenging time for Apple. Analysts say its latest product, a $3,500 virtual reality headset released in February, is still yea...