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The Taliban’s new ambassador arrives in China as Afghanistan’s rulers court foreign investment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban government’s new ambassador to China arrived in Beijing on Friday — the first time Afghanistan’s rulers have officially sent an ambassador to another country since returning to power more than two years ago.No country recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, but some, including China, have embassies in Kabul. Many other diplomatic missions were shuttered and their staff evacuated as Taliban fighters bore down on Afghanistan’s capital in August 2021. China is of particular importance to the Taliban, who are courting foreign investment and regional alliances amid their continued isolation on the international stage because of their restrictions on Afghan women and girls.The new ambassador, Bilal Karimi, who has no diplomatic experience and is in his late 20s or early 30s, was welcomed in Beijing by China’s special envoy for Afghan affairs, Yue Xiaoyong, according to a Taliban statement. Karimi presented...

Charges pending in shooting of 9-month-old girl in Washington Park: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

CHICAGO — A person is in custody and charges are pending after a 9-month-old girl was shot in the head in Washington Park, according to Chicago police.The shooting happened around 10:55 p.m. Tuesday in the 0-100 block of East Garfield. The baby was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition by her mother.Police said they did not receive a report of the incident until 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. Baby shot in head, critical after Washington Park shooting No further information has been released at this time.This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Dean's Reviews: 'Maestro,' 'Renaissance,' and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

Check out Dean's reviews on the new films 'Maestro' and 'Renaissance.'Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

VOTE: Help us choose the best KXAN viewer photo of November 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest forecast from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here at KXAN, we get hundreds of photos sent to us each month by viewers just like you.We want to showcase some of the best pictures we receive, so we narrowed them down to our 10 favorites for the month.Help us choose the best viewer photo of November 2023. Look through the 10 pictures below, then vote for your favorite. The winning photo will move on to represent November in the best viewer photos of the year once 2023 is said and done.If you’d like to submit a photo for December, email it to [email protected]. Be on the lookout as KXAN may contact you to send a permission form so we can use your photo on air and online. All submissions must be taken in December 2023.Here are the options for November, in no particular order.Take to the SkiesAustin, Nov. 26. Courtesy Nils Andresen.Sunset over Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Nov. 26, 2023. (...

Winter holiday fire safety tips, statistics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The holiday season often includes festive light displays and decorations, which can sometimes present fire risks.The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) said U.S. fire departments respond to nearly 800 fires a year caused by holiday lights and decorations.“These fires caused an annual average of 4 civilian fire deaths, 33 civilian fire injuries and $14 million in direct property damage,” NFPA said.According to the association, nearly one in five Christmas tree fires began with lamps or bulbs, and 8% were started by candles.“Candle fires peak in December and January with 11 percent of candle fires in each of these months,” NFPA said.NFPA provided the following winter holiday safety tips:Winter_Holiday_SafetyDownload

Staying safe from bears during forage season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – As the fall season winds down to winter, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Thursday people in western, southwestern and northeastern portions of Texas could find themselves in the unwelcome company of black bears. TPWD said the native Texas animals are guided by an excellent sense of smell and their behavior is driven largely by appetite. Fall provides their last opportunity to feast before they start denning up for the winter, TPWD said.The department warned the bears' natural instincts to forage become a problem when they find easy meals from humans, such as garbage, pet food or corn from a deer feeder. If a bear continually finds food around humans, TPWD said it can become habituated, losing its fear of people and creating a potentially dangerous situation.TPWD encouraged people outdoors to:stay alert and togetherkeep dogs leasheddouble bag food and trash while hiking or campingcamp safelyknow what to do if you see a bearTPWD said black bears are protec...

Schenectady County opens 30-day review period to enroll property in agricultural district

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Beginning Friday, residents in Schenectady County will have until Saturday, December 30 to enroll and be accepted as part of the county's agriculture district. This annual review period looks to encourage the use of farmland for agricultural production and maintain the agricultural industry in the county. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Those interested in applying can do so online. According to the county, after the 30-day review period, applications will be reviewed by the County’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. The County Legislature will hold a public meeting and there will be a final vote taken by the Legislature to include additional parcels in the Agricultural District.“Agricultural Districts were created to give counties a mechanism to assist landowners in conserving open spaces and enhancing the viability of farming within their borders,” said Anthony Jasenski, Chair of the Sc...

Colorado’s long COVID clinics can’t meet demand, so health leaders look to expand treatment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

Colorado doesn’t have enough capacity to treat everyone suffering with long COVID at the three specialized clinics in the state, so public health leaders are trying to figure out ways for more people to get the care they need closer to home.Three multidisciplinary clinics in the state see long COVID patients, at National Jewish Health in Denver, UCHealth in Aurora and Family Health West in Fruita. Together, they’ve treated about 10,000 people since mid-2020 — a significant number, but nowhere near everyone in need, said Dr. Sarah Jolley, medical director of the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.Researchers estimated in November 2022 that between 228,000 and 651,000 Coloradans had symptoms that lingered after a COVID-19 infection, what has become known as long COVID.Some people have relatively mild symptoms, such as loss of smell, while others are unable to work or care for themselves because of extreme fatigue or “brain fog.” Some report their conditions impro...

“Letters of Suresh” is as beguiling as an origami bird | Theater review

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

When playwright Rajiv Joseph’s drama “Letters of Suresh” opens, Father Hashimoto has been dead for two weeks. In the Curious Theatre Company’s nuanced production (through Dec. 9), his grandniece, Melody Park (Desirée Mee Jung), is in her living room in Seattle writing a letter to a man named Suresh to let him know.While clearing out the priest’s room at a church in Nagasaki, Japan, Melody came across the cache of letters that Suresh sent Hashimoto over the years and wonders if he’d like them back. She also wonders who this relative she never knew — her mother’s uncle — was … and sometimes she just wonders.Desirée Mee Jung plays Melody Park in “Letters of Suresh” at the Curious Theatre Company. (Michael Ensminger, provided by Curious Theatre Company)“I don’t remember the last time I wrote a letter … . I don’t remember the last time I wrote anything,”  Melody, a writing teacher, writes to this unknown Suresh, tapping on her laptop and aware of the wincing irony...

Firefighters fall from 2nd floor battling blaze in downtown Los Angeles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:44:15 GMT

Two firefighters are OK after falling through the second floor of a two-story downtown Los Angeles area office building that erupted in flames Friday morning.Crews responded to a fire burning outside the structure in the 1000 block of West Sunset Boulevard around 1 a.m.Firefighters respond to an office building blaze in downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 2023. (OnScene.TV)The flames eventually extended into the building, believed to house medical offices, and traveled to the second floor, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in a news alert. "There was a partial floor collapse on the 2nd floor which impacted two firefighters," the Fire Department posted. The firefighters were not injured and crews continued to battle the blaze aggressively.It took nearly an hour for the 68 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, the fire department stated. Arson investigators were sent to the scene. “The arson investigation is here … undetermined at this time as to how this fire started,” LAFD Assistan...