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Al Jazeera says Qatar’s prime minister met with Taliban’s supreme leader in Afghanistan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The supreme leader of the Taliban met in Afghanistan with Qatar’s prime minister this month, the first-such publicly known meeting between the Taliban’s reclusive leader and a foreign official, the Al Jazeera satellite news network reported Wednesday. Haibatullah Akhunzada met Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 12 in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban, Al Jazeera said. Sheikh Mohammed also is the foreign minister of Qatar, an energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula. The state-owned network did not specifically discuss what the two officials spoke about, though it described the meeting as aimed at ways to end the Taliban’s international isolation. Qatari government officials declined to discuss the meeting, which Reuters first reported. The Taliban did not respond to requests for comment regarding the meeting. The U.S. State Department did not immedi...

Master business skills without paying for an MBA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

Lindsay Mack earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2005. Nearly 15 years later, when she considered the best way to grow her business acumen, an MBA was not it.Mack, who is from Philadelphia, grew her career without an MBA. When ready to advance her skills in platform strategy, she opted for a faster, lower-cost cohort program instead.For students like Mack, the cost of a top MBA — averaging $225,605 in the U.S., according to a 2022 report by BusinessBecause, an online publisher of graduate business content — is daunting, and the value is questionable.“I didn’t see how making such a significant investment (in an MBA) would really leapfrog me to the next level,” says Mack, now Comcast ’s executive director of product management.Cost isn’t the only barrier to attaining a graduate business degree. BusinessBecause reports that the average acceptance rate for the most competitive U.S. business schools is 16%, based on its analysis of data from U.S. News & World R...

4 shot outside store in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are searching for the person who shot four people outside a store in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.The shooting happened in the 7000 block of South Halsted around 8:35 p.m. Tuesday. Police said a group of people were on the sidewalk outside a store when an unknown person began shooting in their direction from a grey Dodge Durango.Four people were struck. A 36-year-old man was shot in the head and transported to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. A 34-year-old man was shot twice in the buttocks and once in the abdomen and was also transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. North Lawndale family seeks justice for woman killed in hit-and-run A 43-year-old man was shot twice in the left leg and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A woman suffered a graze wound to the arm and received medical attention on the scene.It is unknown if the victims were the intended target. No further details hav...

Wednesday Forecast: Temps near 90 with chance for scattered storms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures near 90 Wednesday with partly cloudy conditions. A 30 percent afternoon storm chance, cooler lakeside. Winds: SSE 5-10 G15. High: 89/81. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight with a 20% storm chance. Winds: SE 0-5. Low: 68.Thursday Forecast: Partly cloudy with a 30% storm chance, cooler lakeside. Winds: SSE 5-10 G15. High: 88/80.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Free food available for families this summer break

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Although summer is a celebration for countless kids, it's also a very tough time for plenty of parents.Many are attempting to make ends meet while ensuring that their families have enough food on their plates.With school out of session for summer break, food is not as readily available.According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 children in Texas are facing hunger. Many of these kids depend on free food from school breakfasts and lunches.To help out, the Central Texas Food Bank is bringing back its summer meals program.Starting on June 5th, the nonprofit will partner with 60 sites citywide, distributing about 5,000 meals a day to families in need. RELATED: Pflugerville ISD offering free meals through summer break "We are doubling our output of meals,” Central Texas Food Bank president and CEO Sari Vatske said. “We want to make sure that kids have access to food when school is not in session."She also mentioned that summer brings more challenges for low-income families."We...

Easy-to-remember license plates introduced for Texas drivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The makers of specialty license plates in Texas just launched a series of easy-to-remember customizable license plate messages. My Plates said on May 22 the new 2 Plus 2 Personalized Plate Combinations would feature the combinations of two letters plus two numbers.The company said buyers could use any combinations from initials, state abbreviations, to favorite schools or teams. My Plates did warn that "once a combination is gone, it may not ever be available again.""We are excited to offer this new series of 2 Plus 2 special personalized license plate combinations to our customers," said Steve Farrar, CEO of My Plates. "These plates are a great way to express your individuality and make your vehicle stand out from the crowd."The license plates are available for purchase online.

Veterans Affairs Secretary tours Central Texas facilities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Secretary of Veterans Affairs said Tuesday Central Texas is the third-fastest growing region in the country for veterans. Secretary Denis McDonough toured the VA clinic in Cedar Park Tuesday morning to talk about the importance of the region."That's why last year we opened new facilities in Killeen and Copperas Cove. That's why we are, why we've arranged funding of new facilities in San Marcos and Pflugerville. These are all opportunities for us to reach our veterans, who have earned and deserved world-class healthcare," Secretary McDonough told a press conference at the clinic. McDonough and Congressman John Carter, R-Texas, also revealed while the VA dealt with a record number of claims in 2022, the nation is already on pace to break that in 2023.McDonough also visited facilities in Austin and San Antonio, according to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gloversville man accused of stalking at Stewart's

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

BROADALBIN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Gloversville man was arrested on Thursday and is accused of stalking at a Broadalbin Stewart's Shop. Willard Bishop, 56, faces multiple charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Thursday around 7:30 p.m., troopers responded to the Stewart's Shop on Second Avenue in Broadalbin for a report of a suspicious man. Troopers identified the man as Bishop. Troopers say their investigation found Bishop trespassed when he entered the store and violated and written ban from all Stewart's Shops properties since March 2023 due to a previous incident. Further investigation found Bishop was allegedly harassing an individual at the location and followed that victim multiple times. Traffic stop leads to drug, gun possession arrest in Clifton Park State Police say the victim had confronted Bishop and told him not to do so in the past. State Police also say they found illegally possessed metal knuckles in Bi...

1 person dead, 3 injured in separate St. Louis City shootings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

ST. LOUIS - One person is dead, and three others are hurt after at least three different shootings last night into early Wednesday morning in the city of St. Louis.Investigators here told FOX 2 that there are no suspects in custody in connection with any of the shootings. It also does not appear that any of the shootings are connected.The case involving a homicide happened Tuesday night just north of the Central West End at North Kingshighway Boulevard and Hodiamont Tracks. Police rushed there for a double shooting just before 9:45 p.m. Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags Authorities shared that the violence happened about the St. Louis kitchen. Investigators said one male was shot in the leg. He was conscious and breathing when he was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.Police explained that another male was shot in the stomach. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives have been called in and are now handling th...

Crews responding to Washington Park, Illinois structure fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:24:17 GMT

WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. - Crews are at the scene of a structure fire in Washington Park, Illinois, Wednesday.Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter is flying over the area located on the 5700 block of Westmoreland Place, where a home was reignited from a previous fire. That start of the initial fire in unknown, and debris can be seen from both incidents. Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags The cause of the second fire is still unknown and so far, no injuries have been reported. Our Nissan Rogue Runner reporter Nic Lopez was at the scene. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.