Author:

By MARK LEWIS STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Wars, a refugee crisis, famine and artificial intelligence could all be recognized when Nobel Prize announcements begin next week under a shroud of violence. The prize week coincides with the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which began a year of bloodshed and war across the Middle East. The literature and science prizes could be immune. But the peace prize, which recognizes efforts to end conflict, will be awarded in an atmosphere of ratcheting international violence — if awarded at all. “I look at the world and see so much conflict, hostility and confrontation, I wonder if this is the year the Nobel Peace Prize should be withheld,” said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. As well as events roiling the Middle East, Smith cites the war in Sudan and risk of famine there, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and his institute’s research showing that global military spending is increasing at its fastest pace since World War II. “It could go to some groups which are making heroic efforts but are

By LEO CORREA and MELANIE LIDMAN Lilach Almog walks past the remains of a police station seized by Hamas militants and buildings pockmarked by bullets in her southern Israeli town multiple times a day. “Every corner has become a memorial,” she said. “Even if you want to forget for a bit, you can’t. You look outside at the wall and it reminds you of everything all over again.” Almog joined the roughly 120,000 Israelis displaced by the Israel-Hamas war but has returned home to constant reminders of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. A year later, survivors reflect on that day that changed everything. They hid in bedrooms, bomb shelters, safe rooms and beneath trees as Hamas militants poured across the border. In the aftermath, they’ve mourned loved ones, struggled with anxiety, suffered survivor’s guilt and questioned whether they will ever return home to places that still bear the scars of their ordeal. Bullet holes and shrapnel pockmark the wall of a roadside bomb shelter near Sderot, where the police station was stormed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel, on

By STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After a tumultuous and unproductive session of Congress, nearly 50 House members decided either to not seek reelection or to run for a higher office this year, leaving Democratic vacancies in several tight races that could tilt control of the House to either party. Both Republicans and Democrats have had their fair share of turnover — with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, the most prominent — but Democrats are also losing prodigious fundraisers who have successfully held off GOP challengers in recent years. With fierce competition raging over just a couple dozen seats, that’s left Democrats relying on fresh faces to hold their ground, while Republicans sense openings in four races in Virginia, Michigan and California. The GOP is sending resources and trying to neutralize the issue of abortion access in those districts, hoping to go on offense to hold onto a slim majority. The party is running with candidates who have previously come up short in bids to unseat Democrats, but are now optimistic they can build on campaign experience and fare better when they don’t

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Over 800 Hotel Del Coronado workers are set to hold a strike authorization vote Friday. This includes concierge, greeters, housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, stewards, dishwashers, servers, bussers, bartenders, bellmen, engineers, phone operators, doormen and valet workers.  Unite Here Local 30, San Diego’s hospitality workers union, announced the upcoming vote and explained that the employees are asking for raises and better workloads. They say Hilton, which manages the Coronado hotel, has not responded to their requests to set negotiation dates. If the there’s a ‘yes’ vote for a strike, it does not mean a strike will occur immediately. It means the union’s negotiating committee would then be authorized to call a strike at any time after the contract expires on Oct. 31. If the union votes to move forward with a strike, it would join over 700 other Hilton workers from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, who have been on strike since Sept. 1.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Now that October has arrived, it’s safe to say we have entered spooky season. For those looking for a thrill or perhaps a chance to see something supernatural, there’s a roadway in San Diego County that’s considered among the “most haunted” in the country, according to an analysis conducted by car rental company SIXT. To narrow down the eeriest drives around the U.S. after dark, researchers with SIXT measured search trends on Google and TikTok to rank the most haunted roads. They used road names and the roads accompanied by “ghost” or “haunted.” These San Diego restaurants are the ‘most loved by locals,’ according to Nextdoor Additionally, the researchers also analyzed the Ghosts of America website to find the states with the most roadside ghost sightings. Can you guess which San Diego area made the list? SIXT ranked Highway 94, which stretches from Rancho San Diego to Campo, as the thirteenth most haunted roadway in the country. But why? “Haven Bakery, located off Highway 94 in San Diego, California, is infamous for its tragic history. According to locals, both the bakery and