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A fire at a wedding hall in northern Iraq kills at least 114 people and injures 150, authorities say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

By FARID ABDULWAHED (Associated Press)MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — A fire that raced through a hall hosting a Christian wedding in northern Iraq killed at least 100 people and injured 150 others, authorities said Wednesday, warning the death toll could rise higher.The fire happened in Iraq’s Nineveh province in its Hamdaniya area, authorities said. That’s a predominantly Christian area just outside of the city of Mosul, some 335 kilometers (205 miles) northwest of the capital, Baghdad. Television footage showed flames rushing over the wedding hall as the fire took hold. In the blaze’s aftermath, only charred metal and debris could be seen as people walked through the scene of the fire, the only light coming from television cameras and the lights of onlookers’ mobile phones. Survivors arrived at local hospitals, receiving oxygen and bandaged, as their families milled through hallways and outside as workers organized more oxygen cylinders. The health department in ...

L.A. County search and rescue team saves deer stranded in debris basin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department search and rescue team assisted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in rescuing a deer stranded in a debris basin in Tujunga on Tuesday, officials announced.  The deer had apparently been stuck in the basin, located in the Haines Canyon area, for some time and was unable to get out, according to a LASD social media post.  At the scene, an LASD coordinator saw that there would be no easy way to extract the animal and called in the Montrose Search and Rescue Team.  Members of LASD's Montrose Search and Rescue Unit assist officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in lifting a stranded deer out of a debris basin in the Haines Canyon area on Sept. 26, 2023. (LASD)Members of LASD's Montrose Search and Rescue Unit assist officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in lifting a stranded deer out of a debris basin in the Haines Canyon area on Sept. 26, 2023. (LASD)Members of LASD...

Berkeley Hills stabbing spree suspect charged with murder, attempted murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

Alameda County prosecutors filed murder and a slew of other felony charges Tuesday against a man accused of killing one person and wounding two others in a weekend stabbing spree in the Berkeley Hills.Along with the murder charge, Jonah Jeremiah Roper, 36, faces two counts of attempted murder in attacks that left a wooded neighborhood just a few blocks from Tilden Park reeling Saturday.Roper also faces charges of first-degree residential burglary and evading a police officer, along with numerous sentencing enhancements. He was being held without bail Tuesday evening at the Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning in a downtown Oakland courthouse.Authorities say the violence began midday Saturday when a man — later identified as Roper — got into a struggle with two residents of a home on Overlook Road. One woman was stabbed to death at the home, police said.A person who called police at 12:33 p.m. described the incident as a family disturbance. Berkeley poli...

Santa Clara man killed in crash with tractor on Highway 152

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

GILROY – A 78-year-old Santa Clara man was killed in a crash Tuesday morning on State Route 152 in Gilroy, according to authorities.The man was driving a 2021 Toyota RAV4 eastbound on the highway, east of Canada Road, at 7:30 a.m. when he collided with a 2023 tomato harvester tractor crossing from the south shoulder to the north shoulder, the California Highway Patrol said.A Good Samaritan pulled over to provide aid and called 911, according to the CHP.The man died of his injuries at the scene while his passenger, a 76-year-old Santa Clara woman, was taken to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas with major injuries, the CHP said.The tractor driver, a 22-year-old Coalinga man, remained at the scene, according to the CHP.Alcohol and drugs did not appear to play a role in the deadly collision, the CHP said.Anyone with information related to the case can contact the CHP Hollister-Gilroy area office at 408-427-0700.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | San Jose: Man dies week...

SF Giants: Kyle Harrison scratched from start against Padres with illness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Giants rookie Kyle Harrison was scratched from his start against the San Diego Padres due to an illness, the team announced.Harrison was scheduled to make his seventh big league start on Tuesday night, but the team announced 25 minutes before the 6:45 p.m. first pitch that John Brebbia would be starting in his place.After his complete game win on Monday night, Logan Webb told the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast that he’d pitched through a nasty cold and sounded nasal over the mic. The 22-year-old has made six starts since his call-up and debut on Aug. 22 against the Philadelphia Phillies.Harrison has been shaky since and was optioned on Sept. 15 after some struggles in three starts against the Padres, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Guardians. He was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento shortly after to replace Alex Cobb in the rotation, who’d been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a left hip impingement. Harrison has a 4.85 ERA with 31 strik...

San Francisco public school students are falling behind in math, coalition says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The San Francisco Unified School District is in the midst of developing a plan to make comprehensive and strategic adjustments to the district’s math curriculum.Meredith Dodson, executive director of the San Francisco Parent Coalition, said, "Right now kids are falling behind. That’s why we’re calling on the district to act with urgency and offer a concrete plan to improve math learning outcomes."The coalition, a collective of over 6,000 public school parents and teachers, is urging the district to bring back 8th grade algebra.Starting in 2014, the San Francisco Unified School District made a controversial, equity-focused mathematics reform to delay offering Algebra 1 until ninth grade, for all students.The district made the reform in response to racial gaps among students passing algebra and progressing to higher level courses, such as AP calculus and AP statistics. EdWeek wrote that the district's strategy aimed to "avoid the early sorting of students into ...

Union City police searching for boy who did not come home from school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

(KRON) -- The Union City Police Department is searching for a missing 13-year-old boy. Police said Malik Oscar Burr did not return home from school on Monday. He is a student at Cesar Chavez Middle School. Alameda Sheriff’s Office confirms report of kidnapping is unfounded Malik is 5-foot-5, 120 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black Nike sweatshirt and blue jeans. Malik is considered "at-risk" due to his age, but he does not have medical issues and does not take any medication. He was last seen at his school, which is located at 2801 Hop Ranch Road. He communicated with his family at 8:30 p.m. Monday night, police said. Anyone who sees Malik is asked to call 911 or the UCPD at (510) 471-1365.

LIVE UPDATES: GOP candidates debate the issues at Reagan Library in Simi Valley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

The second Republican presidential debate is happening in Southern California, as the leading contenders to represent the GOP in November 2024 prepare to debate the issues at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Seven candidates are slated to participate, the GOP says. Those in attendance are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.Former president Donald Trump will not be in attendance. Missing his second debate, he remains the leading candidate for the nomination despite ongoing and growing legal problems.Instead, Trump was in Michigan amid the ongoing United Auto Workers Union strike.The GOP debate is being broadcast on Fox News, Fox Business and a Spanish language feed can be found on Univision. It begins at 6 p.m.

The Hollywood writers strike is over after guild leaders approve contract with studios

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leaders of the screenwriters union declared their nearly five-month-old strike over Tuesday after board members approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing Hollywood at least partly back from a historic halt in production. The governing boards of the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America and their joint negotiating committee all voted to accept the deal, and afterward declared that the strike would be over and writers would be free to work starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.Late-night talk shows — the first to go dark when writers walked out on May 2 — are likely the first shows that will resume.The writers still have to vote to ratify the contract themselves, but lifting the strike will allow them to work during that process, the Writers Guild told members in an email.After Tuesday’s board votes, the contracts were released to the writers, who had not yet been given any details on the deal, which their leaders called “exception...

Jets sign veteran QB Trevor Siemian to their practice squad as a backup to Zach Wilson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:14 GMT

The New York Jets signed veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian to the practice squad Tuesday, giving them an experienced backup to embattled starter Zach Wilson. The team announced the move after the 31-year-old Siemian passed a physical at the Jets’ practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.Wilson has struggled since taking over for Aaron Rodgers, who tore his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with New York. Wilson has two touchdown passes and four interceptions with a 52.4 percent completion rate and is averaging just 5.6 yards per pass.After the Jets’ 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday dropped them to 1-2, coach Robert Saleh insisted the team was sticking with Wilson because “right now, he’s who gives us the best chance to win.” That didn’t sit well with fans — including Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath, who said during an interview on “The Michael Kay Show” on 98.7 ESPN New York on Monday that “I’ve seen enough of Zach Wil...