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Gulf nations Bahrain, Qatar to restore ties after boycott

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Gulf nations of Bahrain and Qatar agreed to restore diplomatic relations late Wednesday.Bahrain had been the last holdout of four Arab nations that imposed a boycott on Qatar in 2017. They were angered by Qatar’s support for Islamist groups that rose to power in some countries following the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which the other autocratic nations viewed as terrorist organizations.The boycott was lifted at the start of 2021, and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have restored ties with Qatar since then, with top leaders paying official visits in recent months.Bahrain and Qatar each issued official statements announcing the decision to restore relations following a meeting between their delegations at the headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation bloc of which both are members, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.The four nations had severed all ties to Qatar, and at the height of the crisis there was even ta...

In new book, Murakami explores walled city and shadows

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Haruki Murakami wrote a story of a walled city when he was fresh off his debut. More than four decades later, as a seasoned and acclaimed novelist, he gave it a new life as “The City and Its Uncertain Walls.”It was three years ago when he felt the time had come to revisit the story that he thought was imperfect but had important elements, such as the wall and the shadow, and tackle them again based on what he was feeling on his skin.“Because of the coronavirus … I hardly went out and stayed home most of the time, and I tended to look at my inner self. Then I thought, perhaps it’s time to write that story,” Murakami said. And he did, “as if recovering it from the back of a drawer.” He started writing it in January 2020 and finished in December 2022, years that overlapped with multiple earthshattering events. “When I write a novel, I just know it’s time,” he said.There were also Russia’s war on Ukraine, shaken globalism and the Pandora’s box of social media, Murakam...

B.C. Chinese communities tell Mendicino of intimidation by foreign powers and proxies

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

VANCOUVER — Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says Chinese community members in Vancouver have told him of “intimidation, harassment and abuse” linked to foreign governments or their proxies, confirming the need for a foreign agent registry.Mendicino said he met Wednesday with a “robust cross-section” of people from the communities.The results, he said, reinforced the need for a registry of agents who are acting on behalf of foreign governments in Canada.“Foreign interference is a phenomenon that has existed for many years, but it has become a more insidious threat to our national security landscape,” Mendicino said after the meeting.“And so that’s why we have (been), and will continue to be, very proactive in putting in place the people, the resources and the tools that are necessary to combat foreign interference.”The federal government announced in March that it wants to hear from Canadians on creating a foreign influence transparency re...

AISD, Austin Apartment Association partner to find affordable rentals for teachers

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

Austin ISD is taking steps to help teachers find more affordable housing."In AISD we have an exclusive deal with the Austin Apartment Association," said Arnoldo Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of human capital with Austin ISD.In a partnership announced on KXAN, the school district is working with the Austin Apartment Association to find apartments that will offer incentives for teachers."From discounted rates, to waving some fees," said Gutierrez. "It is something that is exclusive for our teachers in Austin ISD."Austin ISD Trustee Candace Hunter says she knows the struggles teachers face when it comes to finding affordable housing in Austin."Our schools are in the core (of the city)," said Hunter. "So that is east, northeast, southeast and central Austin where those areas are rapidly gentrifying which is putting those rents into the stratosphere." Austin ISD identifies two potential sites for teacher, staff affordable housing Lyndsay Hanes with the Austin Apartment Associatio...

White House urges meat processors to guard against child labor in their industry

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. — The Biden administration is urging U.S. meat processors to make sure children aren’t being illegally hired to perform dangerous jobs at their plants.The call comes after an investigation found more than 100 kids working overnight for a company that cleans slaughterhouses, handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers. The letter is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on the use of child labor. The Labor Department has reported a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally in the U.S.“The use of illegal child labor — particularly requiring that children undertake dangerous tasks — is inexcusable, and companies must consider both their legal and moral responsibilities to ensure they and their suppl...

Troy men found guilty of 2020 murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Two Troy men were convicted of killing another man in 2020. Nashone Pinn, 23, and Eric Stroud, Jr., 20, were found guilty of Murder and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Officials said they killed Zeandre Domingo in August 2020. Their convictions are part of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination cases being pursued by the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office.The DA's Office said they have prosecuted more than 250 cases since 2019.

Attorney for New Scotland murder suspect seeks to suppress evidence

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

NEW SCOTLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New developments have been made in the case for the Virginia man accused of murdering a local physician assistant.Jacob Klein was arrested in April 2022 for the stabbing death of Philip Rabadi in his New Scotland home. Klein's attorney has filed a motion to suppress evidence gathered by police the night Klein was arrested, including a gun, his clothing, and statements Klein made to police. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! His lawyers said police did not have probably cause to arrest Klein, and everything that came after should be tossed out. A judge will now consider the motion.Klein was charged with murder in the second degree. He pleaded not guilty.Before he was killed, Rabadi worked as a physician assistant at St. Peter’s Health Partners. He also graduated from Albany Medical College in 2015.

Multiple crews help fight large Schoharie County brush fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

RICHMONDVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A large brush fire broke out in Schoharie County on Wednesday. Several crews—some reportedly from Otsego and Delaware Counties—responded to Richmondville, near the county line, to fight the blaze. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The fire began around 3 p.m. on Winegard Road near train tracks. Officials believe the fire was sparked from a passing railroad work car that was clearing brush from the tracks. Once crews had an understanding of the magnitude, it was all hands on deck."So the wind is actually driving the fire, so we've been chasing the fire," Richmondville Fire Chief Dennis Cole explained. "When we contain hotspots, when the wind picks up, it actually fires up the hotspots again."The flames stretch along five miles of track, and smoke could be seen from as much as 20 miles away. Black ash fell from the sky, and firefighters worked on foot as well as on ATVs to extinguish numerous fir...

Uncollected tree debris frustrates Fox Park residents

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS – When tree crews got to work in the 2800 block of Victor Street in Fox Park on March 22, neighbors didn't think the leftover limbs and scrapped stumps would still be there three weeks later."This stuff has been sitting here, it's been collecting trash. It's making a mess," Amanda Izzo said."I have a teenager. Sometimes she struggles to find a parking spot on the street,” neighbor Simon Yost said. “I think it would be good if at some point here we could move on with our lives."Izzo said it’s not just there street, but surrounding blocks as well.“There are trees piled up everywhere," she said.Sure enough, when we hiked through Hawthorne and rode down Russell, we saw more piles of tree debris. But none of the wooden waste we witnessed compared to the volume on Victor. Top Story: PETA protests outside St. Louis Budweiser brewery "You know, it just reduces the quality of life in the neighborhood, I would say, significantly," Izzo said.Another neighbor claimed a representativ...

Woman struck by car during an attempting robbery at QuikTrip

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:25:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A woman was taken to a hospital Wednesday evening after being struck by a vehicle in south St. Louis County.A spokesperson from the St. Louis County Police Department said just after 5:30 p.m. they received a call about a robbery at a QuikTrip in the 2000 block of Union Road, located in Mehlville.Upon arrival, the officers found a woman lying in the parking lot. They claimed that a car suspected of being involved in the robbery had hit the woman, causing serious injuries.The description of the vehicle is unknown at this time. The investigation is ongoing. FOX 2 will give updates as more information becomes available.