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Son of Iran’s last shah set to make first visit to Israel

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran’s exiled crown prince is scheduled to come to Israel this week on a visit that reflects the warm ties his father once had with Israel and the current state of hostility between Israel and the Islamic Republic.Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah to rule Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said Sunday that he will be delivering “a message of friendship from the Iranian people.” He is set to participate in Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial ceremony on Monday night, said Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, who will host him. He is also set to visit a desalination plant, see the Western Wall and meet representatives of the local Bahai community and Israeli Jews of Iranian descent, she said.Gamliel praised the “brave decision” by Pahlavi to make what she said would be his first visit to Israel. “The crown prince symbolizes a leadership different from that of the ayatollah regime, and leads values of peace and tolerance, in contrast to the...

CP Rail launches major clean-up effort after derailment in Maine

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

MONTREAL — Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway crews face a hefty cleanup effort after a freight train derailed in rural Maine yesterday, setting several cars ablaze.CPKC says the train hit a washout on the track in a wooded area near Moosehead Lake, some 220 kilometres southeast of Quebec City.The railroad operator says three crew members were taken to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries Saturday and released the same day.CPKC spokeswoman C. Doniele Carlson says locomotives and four derailed lumber cars went up in flames, with crews now containing spilled diesel fuel.She says cars carrying drums of ethanol and another hazardous material also went off the rails but did not catch fire, with state officials adding there is no threat to public safety.The rail line is the same one where the fatal Lac-Mégantic disaster unfolded about 90 kilometres further west as the crow flies in 2013.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2023.Companies in this ...

Promising senior, 4 others slain in Alabama party shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A high school senior who planned to play college football was celebrating at his sister’s 16th birthday party Saturday night in Alabama when gunfire killed him and three other people and wounded several others.Police were gathering evidence Sunday at a dance studio where the party was held in downtown Dadeville. They did not immediately say if a suspect was in custody, or if they knew more about any motivation.Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville High School senior who had committed to Jacksonville State University, was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ party before he was shot to death, his grandmother Annette Allen told The Montgomery Advertiser. “He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Allen told the newspaper, calling it “a million-dollar smile.”Dowdell’s mother was among those hurt in the shooting.“Everybody’s grieving,” Allen said.Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agen...

Russian hockey competition linked to war in Ukraine ending

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

BRAMPTON, Ontario (AP) — Russia and Belarus won’t be allowed to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments as long as the war in Ukraine continues, the group’s president said Sunday.With both nations already barred from competing in IIHF events through 2024, its president, Luc Tardif, said a decision on the two countries’ eligibility in 2025 will be made in March.“I hope Russia and Belarus will come back as soon as possible, because it will mean the war is over,” Tardif said during a news conference held on the final day of the women’s world hockey championships being held in the Toronto suburbs.“It’s a question of security for fans, our teams. Anyway, no visa, cannot travel,” Tardif added. “And nobody knows how long it’s going to take.”Russian men’s and women’s hockey players last competed under the Russian Olympic Committee banner at the 2022 Beijing Games, which concluded shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine. That led to the IIHF barring Russia and ally Bel...

Ontario announces plan to hire 1,000 new teachers for math and literacy

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

Ontario is hiring nearly 1,000 teachers for specialized math and literacy programs, the province’s education minister announced Sunday, but critics say that won’t provide enough help for students in the vast majority of schools.Stephen Lecce said more than $71 million will go toward supporting about 300 teachers, consisting of one math lead per school board to direct curriculum implementation and training and math coaches to provide support in classrooms. There are currently about 140 math coaches and the funding will see that number doubled.Lecce also said $109 million will go toward funding 700 teachers for reading intervention programs to support literacy development, as well as setting up early reading screening tools for students from senior kindergarten to Grade 2. An overhauled language curriculum will be in place for this coming September, he said.The government will also send so-called math action teams – made up of trained math educators – to school...

New Brite Spot restaurant in Ottawa damaged by fire

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

OTTAWA, Ill. — An Ottawa restaurant was damaged during a fire late Saturday night, according to the Ottawa Fire Department.Firefighters were called to the New Brite Spot restaurant in the 800 block of East Norris Drive. 2 teens shot in the Loop during large disturbance There was heavy smoke and flames coming from the restaurant when they arrived.According to a press release from the fire department, it took firefighters about 30 minutes to put the fire out.The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall is helping investigate the cause of the fire. The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. "To our customers, we are so appreciative to have you as part of our family," an employee said in a Facebook post. "Please keep us in your prayers that we can rebuild and come back strong. We will miss seeing all of you and hopefully get back to serving you soon. After 22 years of working for the Imeri family my heart is broken. They are such a big part of our community."

Coast Guard searching for 3 Americans who disappeared while sailing from Mexico

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) - The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for three American sailors who went missing off the coast of Mexico in early April. Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien and William Gross were aboard a 44-foot Lafitte sailing vessel named Ocean Bound that left Mazatlán en route to San Diego on April 4, the Coast Guard stated in a news release.Ocean Bound, the missing sail boat, is pictured here. (U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest)The sailors planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 along the way but there was no record of them arriving in Cabo San Lucas or a report of their location, according to officials. Family recipe to phenomenon: The San Diego restaurant credited with creating taquitos “We know that they did not arrive in Cabo San Lucas, nor have there been any sightings of the vessel after (April 4) when they left Mazatlán,” Commander Greg Higgins, U.S. Coast Guard Search Mission Coordinator, told Nexstar's KSWB.Higgins said the journey should have taken about two days, bu...

Judge sentences man to 25 years for 2020 murder

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for an August 2020 murder.According to Travis County court records, 30-year-old Antonio Joiner was found guilty and convicted by a jury April 6. Documents showed he entered a not-guilty plea April 4 before his trial. He was sentenced April 7.Court records show Joiner’s attorney filed a motion for a new trial April 10. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man accused in August 2020 Manor Road killing arrested According to past KXAN coverage, Joiner was arrested for the shooting death of Dontra Kinsey, who was found in an apartment complex parking lot outside a barbecue gathering in 2022. Police said Kinsey was taken to an area hospital, but he later died from his injuries.Two other charges were dismissed after his sentencing, according to Travis County jail records. Only one was related to the shooting.

High school star among 4 slain in Alabama party shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

By JEFF AMY and KIM CHANDLER (Associated Press)DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A high school senior who planned to play college football was celebrating at his sister’s 16th birthday party Saturday night in Alabama when gunfire killed him and three other people and wounded several others.Police were gathering evidence Sunday at a dance studio where the party was held in downtown Dadeville. They did not immediately say if a suspect was in custody, or if they knew more about any motivation.Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville High School senior who had committed to Jacksonville State University, was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ party before he was shot to death, his grandmother Annette Allen told The Montgomery Advertiser. “He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Allen told the newspaper, calling it “a million-dollar smile.”Dowdell’s mother was among those hurt in the shoo...

Bennington County crews mobilize to fight mountaintop fire

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:17:54 GMT

ARLINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) — At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Arlington Fire Department responded to the scene of smoke reported in Sandgate. They saw smoke on top of a mountain, but they could not access it. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Because their brush trucks couldn't make it to the remote location, they called for aid from throughout Bennington County in the form of ATVs, UTVs, and more hands on deck. The call for mutual aid extended into New York. Crews responded from Shushan in New York, and Bennington, Rupert, Manchester, and Shaftsbury in Vermont.The Arlington Fire Department said that, all told, 10 acres burned in the fire.