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Iraq's tumultuous rise, those who are waiting for its calm fall will fail.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Anyone who reads the article published in the Foreign Affairs titled "Iraq is Quietly falling Apart"  by Michael Knights would notice that between the lines of the article, which contains false arguments to build a false conclusion - writes Mariam Atta.The author begins his article by saying that Iraq has achieved a degree of stability only on the surface and goes on to explain that the control of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the Coordination Framework formed the current Government, which will ultimately lead to its collapse.Iraq is attractive to investors.Knights indeed forgot that this current Government had exceeded expectations in just six months and that its achievements have gone beyond government data and have become a tangible reality on the ground, felt by Iraqis and seen by the peoples of the Middle East and its leaders, who are investing billions of dollars in a secure and stable Iraq.In these few lines, we will not be able to elaborate on all the achievement...

Migrants bussed to L.A. by Texas governor receiving aid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has claimed responsibility for a busload of migrants that arrived at Union Station in Los Angeles on Wednesday.  In a statement, Abbott said small border towns in the Lone Star State “remain overwhelmed and overrun” with people crossing into the country illegally from Mexico and that many of them are hoping to make it to L.A.  “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the frontlines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border,” the governor’s statement read in part.  Volunteers seen here carrying supplies for a busload of migrants, including children, who bussed to L.A. by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on June 14, 2023. (KTLA)Abbott is following the lead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has drawn cri...

Man gunned down in Sylmar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

A man found dead on a sidewalk in Sylmar Thursday morning had been shot multiple times, investigators said.The shooting was reported around 12 a.m. in the 15000 block of Foothill Boulevard.Officers responding to the call located a man in his 50s down on the sidewalk who was unconscious and not breathing, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Police investigate a fatal shooting in Sylmar on June 15, 2023. (KTLA)The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses said they heard eight shots fired and saw a car flee the area. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene and a white canopy was placed over the body during the investigation. Police have not released a description of the suspect or suspects.

Hot summer ahead for California: Weather predictions heat up in new NOAA forecast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

An already sweltering summer forecast just got even steamier. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a new long-range weather outlook Thursday that favors above-average temperatures for basically the entire United States. Between July and September, all but a few states have between a 33% and 70% chance of a hotter-than-normal summer. The highest chance for heat is in Arizona — which is already hot on even a normal summer day. The average high in Phoenix in July is 106 degrees. El Niño officially arrives early: What it means for 2023 weather The entire East Coast, from Maine down to Florida, the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest is "likely" to see an above-normal summer, according to the forecast. NOAA gives about half of U.S. states a 50% to 60% chance of extra-hot weather over the next three months. Things are a bit better in California and the Midwest, but those regions are also still more likely to see a hot summer than a cool one...

Ke Huy Quan surprises Harrison Ford at 'Indiana Jones' premiere

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Mr. Jones!Indiana Jones and Short Round reunited in Hollywood on Wednesday night.Ke Huy Quan surprised Harrison Ford at the "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" star-studded premiere in Hollywood.Cameras captured the Oscar winner jumping with excitement as Ford was doing an interview with his back turned to him. Slowly Quan lightly placed his hands on "The Fugitive" actor and when he turned around, his face lit up with a smile."You're all grown up!" Ford exclaimed after the pair embraced in a hug."How proud are you of this guy?" the "1923" star was asked.While his response wasn't heard by the cameras nearby, you can tell the answer by just looking at Ford's face, which beamed with pride.Quan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March for his role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once.""The Goonies" actor played Short Round, the trusty sidekick of the fictional archeologist, in 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."While Quan isn't in the franchise's fifth in...

Teacher shot by first-grader was fired, attorney says. Email to division: 'I wish to resign'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) -- Virginia first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by her 6-year-old student in January, no longer works for Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), though her attorney and the school division dispute whether she was fired or she resigned.Nexstar's WAVY obtained an email exchange from the school district that includes messages between Zwerner and the NNPS Human Resources Department. Two identical emails, sent March 20 and again May 22 with the subject line of “Exit Letter,” state that “NNPS has processed a separation of employment for you effective the close of business 06/12/2023.”The one-page email from the Human Resources Department explains exiting information, per standard NNPS policy. The email outlined what items Zwerner was to turn in, where to address questions regarding leave balances, paychecks, VRS retirement plans and insurance benefits, and it invited her to complete an exit questionnaire. Drugs, but no trigger lock found in 6-year-old Ri...

The very real evolution of a Goblynne

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

The very real evolution of a Goblynne: Goblynne, says indie art-pop artist Molly Kirschenbaum, is a project name that comes from feelings of being a “creature” (their words), when others would try to force them into traditional gender normative boxes. That might have sucked during their formative years, but they’re reclaiming it now.“The project is a lot about femininity and being told I was a woman, and then realizing that I’m nonbinary later on in my life,” they say. “I often had this feeling growing up, especially when I’d be in ‘girls night’ or whatever, that I was different but I could never describe it. And whenever I’d be asked to look really feminine and this particular sort of girly way, I often just had this feeling of, I’m a creature, I’m a monster. It was this intrusive, at the time very negative self-talk. As I got older and was birthing this project, I had this desire to reclaim or re-explore that feeling as something empowering. Like, if I am something different, how ...

7 fantastic Bay Area things to do this weekend, June 16-18

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Got your weekend plans? We have some scintillating ideas, from fun with sharks and Pixar’s heartwarming new movie to ice cream/candy bar magnificence.As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 PLAY: Hang out with new & improved sharksOK, the sharks themselves aren’t new and improved (though we hear they are big on the self-help circuit); we’re talking about the Shark Experience at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, which has just reopened after a major makeover.2 SLURP: Ice cream heavenSure, on paper, it seems like a brilliant idea to turn favorite candy bars like Snickers and Heath Bars into ice cream treats. But does it really work in practice? After strenuously detailed research, we ...

Let the Oakland Zoo’s black bears show you why to secure a campsite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Want to know why it’s always a good idea to secure your camp in bear territory? Look no further than this demonstration provided by the Oakland Zoo – turns out its black bears are world-class educators when it comes to campsite safety (also in destroying campsites).“For the second year in a row we created a mock campsite to demonstrate to guests how exposed food and more can attract bears,” the zoo writes on Facebook. “Human-wildlife conflict is the reason these black bears are at Oakland Zoo. In June 2017, when they were just cubs, these bears got into trouble coming into contact with humans. Per state policy, mother Cambria was deemed a public safety threat. After this incident, California Department of Fish and Wildlife considered the unique circumstances of the bear family and made an exception that resulted in giving the bears a second chance to live by allowing them to be permanently placed at Oakland Zoo.”RELATED: Marin County neighborhood gets r...

Preview: ‘Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’ adds fighting game twist to Metroidvania genre

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:42 GMT

Although one “Prince of Persia” has been delayed, another one is closer to reality. Ubisoft revealed that a new entry is on the way, and this offering adds a Metroidvania twist. Titled “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown,” it follows the exploits of Sargon, a fearless dual sword prodigy who is one of the Immortals tasked with rescuing the kidnapped Prince Ghassan who was taken to the cursed city of Mount Qaf.In the short demo I played at the Ubisoft Forward event, I got a sense of the gameplay. Combat has a rhythm to it as players have a melee attack button and a ranged attack one. With a limited health bar, players can only take a few hits so knowing enemies’ attack patterns and anticipating their strikes is important.DIGGING INTO COMBATThey can dodge out of the way with a dash, but a better move is a parry, which players will need to time. If done correctly, players will build up their Athra’s Glow meter for more powerful attacks. It takes a while...