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First refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Armenia following Azerbaijan’s military offensive

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia, local officials reported Sunday, and more were expected to come after a 10-month blockade and a lightning military offensive this month that resulted in Azerbaijan reclaiming full control of the breakaway region. Thousands of people were evacuated from cities and villages affected by the latest fighting and taken to a Russian peacekeepers’ camp in Nagorno-Karabakh. The first group of about 30 people has arrived from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia’s Syunik region, Karen Balyan, advisor to the Syunik governor, told Armenian media Sunday. Ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh also announced that the Russian peacekeepers would accompany anyone who wanted to leave the region and go to Armenia. At the same time, two dozen ambulances carried 23 people who sustained severe wounds during the two days of fighting that killed and injured scores of people out of Nagorno-Karaba...

Israeli military raid kills 2 Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel says its troops came under fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

NOUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said, the latest bloodshed in a surge of violence during a sensitive Jewish holiday period.The Israeli military said it moved into the Nour Shams refugee camp, near the town of Tulkarem, to destroy what it described as a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in a building. It said that engineering units detonated a number of bombs planted under roads and that militants opened fire and hurled explosives, as troops responded with live fire.The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men — Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32 — were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to the camp’s main road, severing water pipes and flooding parts of the street. The ground floor of the targeted building was heavily damaged, while part of the exterior wall of the second floor collapsed.The Hamas...

MPPs set to return to Queen’s Park following chaotic summer break

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

Politicians are set to return to Queen’s Park on Monday after a chaotic 15-week summer break that saw two cabinet ministers’ resign, a cabinet shuffle, and a major policy reversal. There was also the release of two damning reports from the auditor general and integrity commissioner about the process to remove lands from the Greenbelt for housing development.The return of the legislature will see Premier Doug Ford set about backtracking on a decision to remove 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes following almost a year of public outcry. The surprise announcement came following a caucus retreat in Niagara Falls, Ont., where party members shared with Ford what they have been hearing about the Greenbelt from people in their communities. The RCMP is reviewing information to determine whether it should investigate the Greenbelt land swap. Ford has said he is confident nothing criminal took place.A review of the Greenbelt announced earlier this month wi...

Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have found dozens of ancient graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead, in a Roman-era cemetery — a site dating back some 2,000 years that archaeologists describe as the largest cemetery to be discovered in Gaza. Workers came upon the site l ast year during the construction of an Egyptian-funded housing project near Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Since then, crews have worked to excavate the 2,700-square-meter (2/3 acre) site with the support of French experts.Now, what was once an inconspicuous construction lot — surrounded by a grove of nondescript apartment buildings — has become a gold mine for archeologists looking to understand more about the Gaza Strip. Gaza, a coastal enclave home to some 2.3 million people, has a rich history stemming from its location on ancient trade routes between Egypt and the Levant. But a number of factors — Israeli occupation, Hamas’ 16-year takeover of the territory and ra...

Residents prepare to return to sites of homes demolished in Lahaina wildfire 7 weeks ago

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood outside the front door.On Monday, officials will begin lifting restrictions on entry to the area, and Claydon hopes to collect those jars and any other mementos she might find.“I want the freedom to just be there and absorb what happened,” Claydon said. “Whatever I might find, even if it’s just those jars of sea glass, I’m looking forward to taking it. … It’s a piece of home.”Authorities will begin allowing the first residents and property owners to return to their properties in the burn zone, many for the first time since it was demolished nearly seven weeks ago, on Aug. 8, by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.The prospect of returning has stirred strong emotions in residents who fled in vehicles or on foot as the wind-whipped flames raced ...

The Biden administration is poised to allow Israeli citizens to travel to the US without a US visa

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington’s ongoing concerns about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian Americans.U.S. officials say an announcement of Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel’s admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the ma...

Scholarship to address shortage of STEM teachers, need for diversity

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

CHICAGO — A scholarship program aims to address the shortage of STEM teachers and the need for diversity in STEM programs.Dr. Theresa Robinson from Elmhurst University joined WGN Weekend Morning News to discuss it.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter. You can learn more by watching this story in the video player above.

Weekend Break: Pilsen Arts & Community House

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

CHICAGO — On Sunday, WGN Weekend Morning News checked out the Pilsen Arts & Community House. MORE STORIES: Weekend Break You can learn more in the video in the player above.

Sunday Brunch: Sunda New Asian

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

CHICAGO — This weekend for Sunday Brunch, Billy Dec from Sunda New Asian joined WGN Weekend Morning News. MORE STORIES: Sunday Brunch You can learn more by watching the video in the player above.

Apple Fest returns to Lincoln Square

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:02:16 GMT

CHICAGO — Apple Fest is a long-standing tradition in Lincoln Square and brings the community together to celebrate the beginning of autumn.Next weekend, the festival will welcome more than 80 vendors selling apples, apple pie, hard apple cider, candy apples and more.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter. You can learn more about the festival by watching the video in the player above.