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Taliban official says Afghan girls of all ages permitted to study in religious schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan girls of all ages are permitted to study in religious schools, which are traditionally boys-only, a Taliban official said Thursday. A day earlier, U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva told the Security Council and reporters that the United Nations was receiving “more and more anecdotal evidence” that girls could study at the Islamic schools known as madrassas.But Otunbayeva said it wasn’t clear what constituted a madrassa, if there was a standardized curriculum that allowed modern education subjects, and how many girls were able to study in the schools.The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from education beyond sixth grade, including university. Madrassas are one of the few options for girls after sixth grade to receive any kind of education.Mansor Ahmad, a spokesman at the Education Ministry in the Afghan capital Kabul, said in messages to The Associated Press that there are no age restrictions for girls at government-co...

Measures for Canadians with families trapped in Gaza to be announced today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will announce new measures today to bring family members of Canadians trapped in the besieged Gaza Strip to safety.Gaza became a battlefield after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 Israeli civilians and military members.The retaliatory siege, bombardments and ground attacks have left 19,600 civilians and combatants in Gaza dead.Canadians with extended family members in the war zone, including parents, grandchildren and siblings, have been pleading with the government to help their loved ones.When asked why it has taken the government so long to offer protection to Canadians’ extended families, Trudeau called the situation “extremely difficult.”He says Canada has worked hard to get more than 600 Canadians, permanent residents, and their spouses and children out of Gaza, but there is much more to do.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2023.Laura Osman, The ...

SUV crashes into townhomes in Niles; 2 taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

NILES, Ill. — A Mercedes SUV driven by a 74-year-old female struck the garage of a townhome and crashed into another townhome Thursday morning in Niles, Ill., according to the Niles Police Department.Police say the driver and a 62-year-old female inside the townhome that was crashed into were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. An 18-year-old male also in the townhome at the time of the incident declined medical treatment.At 7:50 a.m. Thursday, NPD officers responded to a report of a vehicle versus building crash in the 8900 block of W. Heathwood Circle. According to police, the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2011 Mercedes GLK350 driven by a 74-year-old female was attempting to back out of a parking space in the residential complex when it struck the garage of a townhome. The vehicle then accelerated rapidly through a yard and struck a separate townhome, ending up with most of the vehicle inside the residence.The Niles Community Development Departmen...

First 'seniors only' DMV opens in Calumet Park to help older residents avoid long lines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CALUMET PARK, Ill. -- The first 'seniors only' DMV opened for the far south side and southern suburbs in Calumet Park Thursday.The goal is to help seniors avoid long lines to get driver's licenses, IDs, car registration stickers and other DMV services. Chicago Park District offering free access to fitness centers for 12 days This is the fourth 'Seniors Only' faculty opened by the Secretary of State Alex Giannoulias where older residents can get services on a walk-in ais without an appointment.State officials will officially open the walk-in facility at the Calumet Township Senir Citizen Center in the 1200 block of South Ashland Avenue at 1 p.m.

Chicago Park District offering free access to fitness centers for 12 days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Park District is offering free access to fitness centers for nearly two weeks.The district's 71 fitness centers will open their doors to the public for free. No membership is needed.It begins on Wednesday, Dec. 27 and ends Sunday, Jan. 7."Our fitness centers have a variety of equipment to help maintain and/or improve one’s cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Everyone is invited to their local park, whether it is close to home or work to try-out our state-of-the-art equipment that features treadmills, cross trainers, upright and recumbent bicycles, free weights and benches, cable cross-overs, multi-station weight machines and core-focused weight equipment," the district said in a release. Unseasonable 50+ degree December ‘warmth’ this weekend and Christmas Day The Chicago Park District also offers free workout videos to do at home.Visit here to reserve your free spot at a fitness center.

Woman posed as Waffle House employee, went to 'work' before stealing from the register, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

RIVERDALE, Ga. (NEXSTAR/WJW) – Police in Georgia are looking for a woman accused of posing as a worker at Waffle House in order to access the restaurant's cash register. Officers with the Riverdale Police Department say the unidentified woman arrived at a Waffle House location in Riverdale, a suburb of Atlanta, on the evening Dec. 12. She then went "to work" at the restaurant, according to police. She was then captured on surveillance cameras "accessing the register tablet, opening the register, and stealing cash," police wrote in a Facebook post containing a photo of the suspect wearing a hair covering and a Waffle House cap. Waffle House’s 1955 menu offered this ritzy dish for just $1.50 A representative for Waffle House said the company was cooperating with law enforcement, but declined to comment on the incident, citing the pending investigation. It's also unclear how the woman convinced other Waffle House employees that she was a legitimate worker. A Waffle Hou...

Congress has one of its least productive years ever

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Congress wrapped up its work for the year yesterday, leaving 2023 behind as one of the least productive legislative sessions in recent history.There are fears that the lack of progress could bleed into 2024 because of the many issues that will have to be addressed in the new year. As they headed home for the holidays, lawmakers lamented a legislative year many would rather forget. "We saw a year marked by chaos extremism and paralysis,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).Minority leader Mitch McConnell said, "I'm not very happy with how productive the Senate has been this year."Congress passed fewer than 30 bills that became law this year, leading this Congress to be one of the least productive ever.Republicans say Democrats don’t want to address serious issues like securing the southern border.Democrats say Republicans are wasting time on frivolous issues, like trying to impeach President Joe Biden.“We've seen repeated efforts by Mag...

At least 15 people are dead after mass shooting at a Prague university

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — An armed man opened fire in a university building in downtown Prague on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and sowing widespread panic with one of the Czech Republic’s worst mass shootings of its kind, police and the city’s rescue service said.The bloodshed took place in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. He has not been named publicly.Police gave no details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators do not suspect a link to any extemist ideology or groups.Pavel Nedoma, the director of the nearby Rudolfinum Gallery, said he saw from a window a person standing on a balcony of the building and shooting a gun.Police said they were still searching the area, including the balcony, for possible explosives. The building was evacuated, Prague M...

E-scooter operator Bird files for bankruptcy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Electric scooter and e-bike operator Bird announced Wednesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with the company adding it had enough liquidity at this time to meet financial obligations and continue operations as usual. However, company leaders said in the statement they want to use the proceedings to sell off assets within the next 90 to 120 days.Officials said in the release the company is "making progress toward profitability and aim to accelerate that progress by right-sizing our capital structure through this restructuring." Officials added services will remain intact for its riders, partner cities, fleet managers and employees.Bird operates in 350 cities across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, per the release. Here in Austin, a spokesperson for the city's Transportation and Public Works Department told KXAN that up to 3,000 Bird e-scooters ar...

Man sentenced for putting bogus bomb outside St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Courthouse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

A man with a history of mental illness who admitted to constructing a bogus bomb and placing it outside the St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Courthouse in 2021 has been spared prison time.Dolores Christopher Alvarado, 32, pleaded guilty this month to felony threats of violence with intent to terrorize and was sentenced the same day to 23 months in prison, time that he already had served in custody. He was ordered to follow conditions of probation in an unrelated felony criminal case and of his current civil commitment for mental illness.Dolores Christopher Alvarado (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)Court records show Alvarado was wanted on a probation violation warrant when he placed the device outside the front doors of the building in downtown St. Paul just before 5 a.m. Dec. 20, 2021.The building and area were evacuated and the St. Paul Police Bomb Squad was dispatched. The device contained various liquids, a pressure plate and wiring that closely resembled th...