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Taliban kill mastermind of suicide bombing at Kabul airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Taliban have killed the senior Islamic State group leader behind the August 2021 suicide bombing outside the Kabul airport that left 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghans dead, according to the father of a Marine killed in the attack who was briefed Tuesday by military officials.Over the weekend, the U.S. military began to inform families of the 11 Marines, the sailor and the soldier killed in the blast at Abbey Gate during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. And those family members shared the information in a private group messaging chat, according to the mother of another Marine.The account from the families to The Associated Press was confirmed by three U.S. officials and a senior congressional aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that had not yet been made public. The IS leader, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed in southern Afghanistan in early April as the Taliban conducted a series of operation...

Joly ‘concerned’ as Azerbaijan escalates Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with Armenia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she’s “deeply concerned” about Azerbaijan escalating a long-running dispute with Armenia over a breakaway province by blocking its main access road.Tensions between the two have spiralled in recent months since the Azerbaijan restricted access to the road that connects Armenia with the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.The area is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, but is internationally recognized as being part of Azerbaijan.In January, the House foreign-affairs committee heard that Azerbaijan had limited access along the only road into the territory, known as the Lachin corridor, although medical services were still granted access.In her first statement this year about the conflict, Joly says a new checkpoint Azerbaijan installed along the road “clearly undermines the peace process and stability throughout the region.”Canada says both countries need to keep talking and stick with the peace process, which...

Timeline of Kim Foxx's two terms as Chicagoland's top prosecutor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago area's top prosecutor will not seek reelection after two terms of intense scrutiny of her efforts to overhaul criminal prosecutions and her approach to high-profile cases, including charges against actor Jussie Smollett for staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself.Kim Foxx announced Tuesday that she will not seek a third term as Cook County state's attorney next year, telling a City Club of Chicago meeting that she will leave in November 2024 “with my head held high" after eight years prosecuting crime in her hometown.“I leave now with my head held high, with my heart full, knowing that better days are ahead,” Foxx said. “And it has been my honor and my privilege on behalf of project kids across this city." Kim Foxx says she will not seek re-election 2016: First Black woman to be Cook County State's AttorneyFoxx, who was raised in Chicago public housing, first ran for the office in 2016 in a race dominated by questions about then-State's Attor...

Some Portland police staff decry 'woke' LGBTQ training video

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The anonymous written comments staff members of the Portland Police Bureau provided after an LGBTQ policy training session shows many rejecting the whole training.KOIN 6 News in Portland obtained the feedback for the online training video titled, "PPB LGBTQAI2S+ and Queer Policy - Introduction and Training." The document includes a wide variety of feedback, from positive responses to complaints about technical issues. Deadlines: When to use Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby coupons, gift cards and more But many used blunt, direct language to register their response. Among them:"I will never ask anyone for their preferred pronouns. This woke agenda is insane. I guess it's time to resign like everyone else.""With policies like this, we are creating a natural playground for psychopaths and other bad actors.""Biggest takeaway is that the people that make decisions within the police bureau are Marxist ideologues trying to destroy the bureau."One of the most co...

Jury deliberates in 'ComEd Four' bribery trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

CHICAGO -- The corruption trial for the "ComEd Four" are now in the hands of the jurors.Federal prosecutors finished up their rebuttal argument Tuesday after six weeks of testimony and two days of closing arguments in the ComEd bribery trial.“We’re not talking about amateurs here,” Assistant US Attorney Amar Bhachu tells jurors during rebuttal arguments. “They were not playing checkers, they were playing chess, and they were grandmasters of corruption.”But defense attorneys have argued their clients did nothing wrong. Tinley Park’s music venue gets a new name "Jay is a Chicago guy," Attorney Mike Gillespie said, regarding his client, Jay Doherty. "And he has nothing to do with Springfield.  Zero. Not a thing."Defense attorneys argued their clients were engaged in legal and constitutionally-protected lobbying, but federal prosecutors are seeing it differently.The four people on trial are former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Ann...

24-carat gold-plated gun in luggage leads to US woman's arrest: Australia officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A 28-year-old woman from the U.S. is facing charges and potential visa cancellation after Australian authorities say they found a 24-carat gold-plated handgun in her luggage over the weekend. The woman, who hasn't yet been identified, was arrested at Sydney Airport on Sunday after officers with the Australian Border Force, using "sophisticated detection technology" found the firearm in her luggage. According to ABF, the firearm was unregistered and the woman, who was traveling from Los Angeles, lacked a permit to import or possess a firearm in Australia. The woman was charged and, if convicted, could face up to 10 years in prison, ABF wrote in a press release. Will TSA stop you for marijuana in your luggage? While details are limited, the woman appeared before a court on Monday and received bail. Pending court proceedings, the woman could have her visa canceled and be removed from Australia. Another court hearing is scheduled for May, according to 7News Australia.Airl...

Three storm threats in Central Texas through Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Extensive cloud cover has kept temperatures too cool to develop severe thunderstorms in our area, especially from Austin westward through the Hill Country. Clouds are breaking east of I-35, warming temperatures and providing a chance of developing strong to severe storms this evening.From I-35 eastward is where we may see isolated severe thunderstorms develop now through 9 p.m., with the potential of hail, damaging winds or an isolated tornado.Strong storms possible after 5 p.m.Our area is in a 2 out of 5 threat of severe storms this evening.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for strong to severe storms Tuesday afternoon & eveningNext severe threat: late Wednesday into early ThursdayAn upper-level low over northeast Utah will continue to move southeast towards Texas. A cold front will be head to our area late Wednesday night, moving over the area during the overnight hours. The Storm Prediction Center feels that strong winds will be the number one threat followed by sizea...

Texas, Michigan switch sites in home-and-home series for 2024, 2027

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns are headed to The Big House earlier than planned.UT announced Tuesday that the game against the Michigan Wolverines scheduled for Sept. 4, 2024, will now be at Michigan Stadium. It was initially set to be in Austin. The return game, set for Sept. 11, 2027, will be at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersThe schools mutually agreed on the switch, UT said. The games were announced in 2014, giving a 10-year lead time for the first matchup.The schools have played each other only once before in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Vince Young helped lead the Longhorns to a 38-37 win with 372 total yards and five touchdowns, including 192 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. Dusty Mangum booted a 37-yard goal as time expired to give Texas the win.Michigan and Texas are the two winningest programs in NCAA history. T...

'Like I'm just your prey': Survivor pushes for victim rights after attacker gets probation sentence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who admitted to attacking a woman and exposing himself to a child is now on probation for the next 10 years.The survivor Lynn Isaak made it her mission to find who attacked her, and might be the very reason police were able to arrest Antonio Rios. Rios pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and injury to a child for indecent exposure.35-year-old Antonio Cordero Rios pleaded guilty to aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and injury to a child for indecent exposure charges. (Photo provided by: Austin Police Department). Nearly a dozen other women across the Austin area claim he preyed on them as well for nearly half a year before he got caught.Isaak's story is now bigger than just her. And it's leading to an important conversation.Out for her normal morning run in her Travis Heights neighborhood in 2020, Isaak never thought she would be in court in 2023 facing a man who attacked her."After I passed you, I could s...

Texas House takes up bill to ramp up social media protections for teens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As part of a larger effort to crack down on 'Big Tech,' the Texas House gave initial passage to a bill Tuesday that would require websites to protect teenagers from "harmful" content and get parental consent before using minors' data.The "Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act" (SCOPE) aims to give parents and guardians more tools for shielding their kids from "addictive algorithms" and prevent social media companies from collective private information about minors.It comes amid growing concerns around high usage of social media by American teens and the consequences the volume of usage can have on their overall health. Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General said he believes anyone younger than age 14 should not have social media accounts, citing growing research showing the harmful impacts it can have on children's mental health and development.A priority of Speaker Dade Phelan, the bill would prevent a "digital service provider" or D...