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Peace in the Southern Caucasus will put an end to Russia’s hegemony in the region - and here’s why

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

The Kremlin has been using frozen conflicts on the fringes of the Russian empire for decades, thawing and refreezing them to suit its immediate objectives: we’ve seen enough of this tactic in Donbass, Transnistria, and South Ossetia. In the same vein, the conflict in Karabakh is Russia’s key to the Southern Caucasus and - indirectly - to Europe. That is why the US and the EU must join forces to broker a lasting peace in the region and not allow Putin to play his old tricks. But unfortunately, so far Russia has had a field day in Karabakh.Karabakh is internationally recognised Azerbaijani territory with a separatist enclave, populated by Armenians. This area is controlled by the Russian military contingent operating under the guise of peacekeepers, and there are no Azerbaijanis living there – they were all forcefully expelled 30 years ago.  Armenia does not recognise the enclave as a part of its territory and has no territorial claims against Azerbaijan in this area.One of the m...

2 men hospitalized after being shot in South L.A. 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

An unknown suspect opened fire in South Los Angeles on Friday evening, sending two victims to the hospital. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the area of 106th Street and Towne Avenue in the Green Meadows neighborhood around 8 p.m. after receiving a call from gunshot victims. The victims, identified only as two men aged approximately 34 and 37 years old, were walking along 106th Street towards Towne Avenue when gunshots rang out, police said. The men realized they were shot and called police while the gunman fled the area on foot.  L.A. County deputy recruit dies months after being struck by driver in South Whittier Both men were transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition. No suspect description has been released. It is unknown whether the shooting is gang related, LAPD said. Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.

Neighborhood under quarantine due to invasive fly species

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

An invasive fly species has prompted the quarantine of an upscale Southern California neighborhood, the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.The Tau fruit fly is native to Asia and is a “serious pest for agriculture and natural resources,” according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.The flies can be typically found on a variety of fruits and vegetables along with a “select range of native plants in California,” officials said.After the detection of more than 20 Tau flies in the Stevenson Ranch area of the Santa Clarita Valley, a quarantine was placed on residents. The quarantine area spans about 79 square miles, bordered on the north by Castaic Junction, on the south by Oat Mountain, on the west by Del Valle, and on the east by Honby Avenue.Stevenson Ranch is an upscale neighborhood with a median home price of $1.15 million dollars according to Redfin.The invasive Tau fruit fly has prompted the Stevenson Ranch community to be placed under quarantine, the fi...

49ers’ All-Pro Trent Williams still ascending at age 35

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

SANTA CLARA — At some point, logic suggests Trent Williams will need to rely on his experience and know-how to compensate for a declining skill set in terms of power and explosion.Yet Williams turned 35 this month and is somehow getting better with age.When coaches and analysts crunch film and numbers and fellow players gather and ponder who can really play the most violent of games, Williams makes everyone sit up and take notice. He has the respect of his peers and and his credibility is off the charts.Going into his fourth year as the 49ers’ left tackle, Williams is coming off the first two All-Pro seasons of his career, which seems odd since he’s been named to 10 Pro Bowls.When Pro Football Focus’ analysts pored over the film and graded ever play and every player in naming the Top 50 in the NFL, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was No. 1, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was No. 2 and Williams was No. 3.NFL.com names a Top 100 each year and Willia...

Danger signs in the Oakland hills as wildfire risks intensify, homeowners lose insurance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

OAKLAND — Admiring East Oakland from a lookout point at Joaquin Miller Park, Dale Risden feels right at home, having lived just a block away from an entrance to the park’s 500 acres of redwood-laden open space his whole life.But he easily recalls a day nearly 32 years ago when, instead of city streets, all anyone could see from that observation point was a blanket of black smoke emanating from the tragic 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, which killed 25 people and consumed more than 3,000 homes.Three decades later, thousands still reside in the hills, and it’s a favorite local spot among hikers and cyclists. But for Risden, the trauma of the fire — and fear of history repeating itself — loom large, as it does in other areas of increasingly high fire risk as the consequences of climate change continue to intensify.Oakland Hills residents flee burning homes on Sunday, October 20, 1991. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group archives)Oakland resident faces a wall of flames with a gar...

Katie Ledecky passes Michael Phelps for most individual golds at world championships

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Katie Ledecky added to her legacy as the greatest female swimmer in history when she won the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday at the World Aquatics Championships, establishing two more notable records with the triumph.The victory by the 26-year-old Ledecky made her the first swimmer ever to win the same event six times at the world championships and also marked her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for the most individual golds ever at the worlds.Ledecky, who had the 30 top times ever in the 800 entering the race, led all the way, dominating her competitors and winning in a time of 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds.The gold in the 800 was Ledecky’s second individual gold of these championships following her win in the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She also took silver in the 400 free here.Li Bingjie of China claimed the silver in 8:13.31, with Ariarne Titmus of Australia took the bronze in 8:13.59.Kaylee McKeown of Australia made some history of her...

In Ashland, a new house, an old watch and a mystery solved

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

ASHLAND, Va. (AP) — As work was getting underway at a new home site in Ashland, Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity construction manager Jeff Ell thought to himself he ought to go over the property with his metal detector.Ell, who has been with Habitat for two years, does not always use his metal detector on job sites, but the urge was strong on this one.“Just curiosity — buried treasure, Viking gold or something,” he said with a laugh. “You just never know what you’ll find.”That is for sure.On that day, Ell found a couple of run-of-the-mill coins and “some other junk,” and then, “Bing! Bing! Bing!” as he put it, “in the front of the house was this watch.”Buried a few inches in the soil was a small pendant watch, about the size of a quarter. No necklace was found, and the glass covering and the hands were long gone, but the engraved initials on the back were clear as day: “WWB TO JLW.”A mystery awaited unraveling — who were WWB and JLW, and what was the story of the watch?...

Arrestan al hijo de Gustavo Petro, presidente de Colombia, por presunto lavado de activos y enriquecimiento ilícito

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

(CNN Español) — Nicolás Fernando Petro Burgos, hijo del presidente Gustavo Petro, fue arrestado este sábado por presunto “lavado de activos y enriquecimiento ilícito”, informó la Fiscalía General de Colombia en un comunicado.También fue detenida su expareja. “Se hicieron efectivas las órdenes de captura proferidascontra Nicolás Fernando Petro Burgos, por los delitos de lavado de activos y enriquecimientoilícito y Daysuris del Carmen Vásquez Castro por los punibles de lavado de activos y violación dedatos personales por hechos ocurridos desde 2022 a la fecha”, dice el comunicado de la Fiscalía.Petro pide a la Fiscalía de Colombia que se investiguen denuncias de corrupción contra su hijo y su hermano“Los capturados serán puestos a disposición de un Juez Penal Municipal con Función de Controlde Garantías, a quien se le solicitará impartir legalidad a los procedimientos de allanamiento,captura e incautación de elementos materiales probatorios”, ...

Denver weather: Afternoon thunderstorms and heat through the weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver’s weather will stay in a pattern of hot temperatures, morning sunshine, and afternoon thunderstorms through the weekend.Weather today: More afternoon storms, high heatToday will be very similar to just about every day this past week. Denver will start off with sunshine, temperatures climb into the 90s, then clouds will increase ahead of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. There is a chance for a few of these storms to become strong or severe - main concerns are hail, gusty winds and heavy downpours. Looking ahead: Increasing storm chanceTomorrow and Monday continue this pattern of morning sunshine, highs in the 90s, then afternoon storm chance. Better storm chance mvoes in by the middle of the week as monsoon moisture will move in and result in some heavy rainfall. Temperatures Wednesday through Friday will be cooler in the 80s.

Medical convoys from Nagorno-Karabakh suspended after Armenian detained by Azerbaijan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:09 GMT

The transfer of critically ill patients from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been halted, local Armenian leaders said, after a man traveling with the Red Cross to seek treatment was arrested by Azerbaijani forces on war crimes charges.Gurgen Nersisyan, the state minister of the breakaway region’s unrecognized government, announced on Saturday that Vagif Khachatryan was “taken from the checkpoint” installed by Baku on the border with Armenia and that his whereabouts are unknown. Speaking to POLITICO, one of his advisers, Artak Beglaryan, confirmed that all medical evacuations have been stopped indefinitely as a result.In a statement shared with state media, Azerbaijan’s prosecutor’s office confirmed Khachatryan had been detained, adding that he stands accused of committing “genocide.” Officials allege he was involved in the killing of 25 people in the village of Meshali during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in 1991, which saw hundreds of thou...