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With dreams, and caffeine, former Afghan pilot strives to bring family to US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Gripping a wrench and pulling back with all his might, Tashmorad Qara loosened the heavy cap on a fire hydrant. When the water spouted, he took a sample, closed the hydrant at a Roanoke apartment complex, then he and his partner headed off for the next one.Qara likes his job as a water quality technician at the Western Virginia Water Authority, but it’s just not the same as his old job: flying missions for the Afghan Air Force against the Taliban. His real name is not being used for fear of reprisals from the Taliban.Almost 10 years into his career as a military pilot, Qara, 37, became completely grounded after his evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, when the United States military left the country and the Taliban regained power. Qara lost his career, his family and his ability to fly.Two years ago, Qara flew the skies of northern Afghanistan in a PC-12 airplane, helping U.S. special operations forces by scouting for Taliban positions in the rugged mountains.“I’...

Asesinatos en serie en Gilgo Beach, Long Island: cómo se localizó al sospechoso

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

(CNN) — Un arquitecto de Nueva York fue acusado de asesinato en relación con el asesinato de tres de las mujeres conocidas como las “Cuatro de Gilgo”, según el fiscal de distrito del condado de Suffolk, en un caso que desconcertó a las autoridades durante más de una década en los suburbios de Long Island.Rex Heuermann, quien le dijo a su abogado que él no es el asesino, fue detenido por algunos de los asesinatos de Gilgo Beach, un caso sin resolver vinculado a al menos 10 conjuntos de restos humanos descubiertos desde 2010, dijeron las autoridades.El caso se abrió gracias a los datos del teléfono celular, las facturas de las tarjetas de crédito y las pruebas de ADN, lo que finalmente los llevó a arrestar a Heuermann, de 59 años, dijeron las autoridades.Heuermann fue acusado de seis cargos de asesinato en relación con la muerte de tres de las cuatro mujeres: Melissa Barthelemy en 2009 y Megan Waterman y Amber Costello en 2010, según la acusación. Un gran jurado form...

1 Fargo police officer killed, 2 injured in shooting that also left suspect dead in North Dakota

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — One police officer was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting that also left the suspect dead on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, police said. A civilian also was seriously wounded in the shooting that happened just before 3 p.m. Friday, police said in a late-night statement that provided no details on how the shooting unfolded or on a possible motive. Many witnesses said they saw a man open fire on officers before other officers shot him.One woman said she was driving when she saw the officers fall.“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.” The Fargo Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and authorities withheld the identities of the officers and the suspect pending notification of their families. Fargo police plan to provide more details at a press conference at 3:30 p.m. on...

Denver weather: Scattered storms Saturday, heating up Sunday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — In Denver weather there will be a warm start to the weekend with a few storms around Saturday afternoon and evening. Then, dry weather and sunshine heats things up on Sunday.Weather today: Scattered stormsSaturday will start off with abundant sunshine followed by increasing clouds during the afternoon.It will be a little breezy with northeast winds up to 20 mph. Temperatures will reach the mid-80s across metro Denver, which is about 5 degrees below the average of 90 degrees at this time of year.Temperatures will reach the mid-80s across metro Denver on July 15, which is about 5 degrees below the average of 90 degrees at this time of year.By the afternoon and into the evening another round of scattered thunderstorms will develop along the Front Range. The storms on July 15 are mostly in the southeast corner of the state.Severe threat looks to be to the south of the metro but if you have outdoor plans be prepared to head inside if a storm approaches. There is a margina...

Man arrested for allegedly beating man to death outside Walmart in Somersworth, NH

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

A man was arrested in connection with a murder outside of a Walmart in Somersworth, N.H. on Friday, officials said.52-year-old Brian Roberge of Somersworth, N.H. was charged with one count of second-degree murder for allegedly beating 79-year-old Jan VanTassel of Center Ossipee, N.H.Police responded to the Walmart on Waltons Way around 11:20 p.m. Friday to reports of an assault and found VanTassel unresponsive with head and facial injuries. He was announced dead at the scene.Roberge will appear in court Monday in the Strafford County Superior Court.

Enduring heat wave continues to choke the Southwest as high temperatures will move east

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

(CNN) — More than 85 million people remained under heat alerts Saturday as the weekslong heat wave continues and intensifies in the Southwest.Dangerously high temperatures will continue to plague the Western United States throughout the weekend, with temperatures growing hotter in the South early next week.“Daytime highs will routinely range between 10-20F above normal, equating to daytime temperatures approaching the century mark in the interior Northwest, between 100-110F in central and southern California, and 115-120F+ in the high desert of southern California, southern Nevada, and Arizona,” according to the Weather Prediction Center.More than 100 temperature records are possible through Monday across the West and South.Death Valley, California, could top 130 degrees on Sunday. That’s happened just five times in more than 110 years of recordPhoenix temperatures have reached 110 degrees on consecutive days, and the streak should continue through at least ...

Marketa Vondrousova defeats Ons Jabeur to win the Wimbledon women’s championship

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

Marketa Vondrousova became the lowest-ranked and first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, defeating 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.Vondrousova is a 24-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic who is ranked 42nd. She was the first unseeded woman to even reach the final at the All England Club in 60 years – the last, 1963 runner-up Billie Jean King, was seated in the front row of the Royal Box on Saturday alongside Kate, the Princess of Wales.The retractable roof on the main stadium was closed, shielding everyone from the wind that topped 20 mph (30 kph) outside, and that perhaps allowed Vondrousova’s smooth lefty strokes to repeatedly find the intended mark. Her shots betrayed none of the sort of tension that Jabeur’s shots did.Vondrousova trailed in each set but collected the last four games of the first, then the last three games of the second.This is her first Grand Slam title. She lost in the final of the 2019 French Open as a teenager.Jabeur d...

Ukraine rejects Bulgarian president’s claims that Kyiv is to be blamed for Russia’s ongoing war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Ukraine on Saturday criticized Bulgaria’s pro-Russian president over his remarks that Kyiv is to blame for Russia’s ongoing war and that supplying arms to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. President Rumen Radev had told reporters on Friday, during a news conference in which he spoke about the recent NATO summit, that he wanted “to make it clear that Ukraine insists on fighting this war.” “But it should also be clear that the bill is paid by the whole of Europe,” he added.The remarks by the pro-Russian leader are part of his continuing efforts to keep Bulgaria out of joint EU military support for Ukraine.The Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia in a statement on Saturday said Kyiv was making all possible efforts to restore peace and rejected Radev’s stance that supplying arms to Ukraine fuels and prolongs the war. Blaming the war on Ukraine, which “was treacherously attacked by its northern neighbor, is one of the most common supporting theses of Russian propaga...

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu rushed to hospital, his office says he is in ‘good condition’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushed to a hospital on Saturday, but was in “good condition” as he undergoes a medical evaluation, his office said.The Israeli leader’s office said he was being treated at Israel’s Sheba Hospital, near the coastal city of Tel Aviv, but gave no further details.Walla, a leading Israeli news site, quoted an unnamed official close to Netanyahu as saying he had fainted but was fully conscious at the hospital. The report could not immediately be confirmed.Netanyahu, 73, is Israel’s longest serving leader. He has served multiple terms stretching over 15 years in office. His current far-right government, a collection of religious and ultranationalist parties, took office last December.

Tenants at two west-end buildings staging rent strike rally Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:32 GMT

Hundreds of tenants at two west-end properties are taking part in a “Rally for Fair Rent” today. Residents at 33 King Street and 22 John Street have not paid rent since June 1 citing mismanagement by corporate landlord Dream Unlimited and increases they say are three times higher than the buildings’ rent control guidelines. Provincial guidelines allow landlords of rent-controlled buildings to increase rents for most existing tenants based on the annual rent increase guidelines, which in 2023 is set at 2.5 per cent. The rent increase guideline for 2024 will remain unchanged.The cap does not apply to rental units first occupied after Nov. 15, 2018.Landlords can also apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for increases above the rate set by the province.Some tenants have reported rent increases of 22 per cent over the last five years. A spokesperson for the corporate landlord told CityNews earlier this month they had reached out to tenants to develo...