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Shaping Narratives From Doha to International Screens

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

Amid the daily spectacle of tradition and commerce in Doha, filmmaker Noor Al-Nasr remains focused, using her camera to capture the spirit of Qatar. “Our stories,” she said, “are the essence of our past and the blueprint for our future.”Behind the scenes, Noor meticulously crafts her films, ensuring every frame tells a story that echoes Qatar’s soul and reaches out to the world. (Photos from Noor Al-Nasr)From Design to FilmNoor’s artistic journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUQ) with a focus on graphic design. It evolved through her Master’s studies at the Savannah College of Arts and Design University in Atlanta, Georgia. This educational path sharpened her visual communication skills and set the stage for her transition into the film industry. “Design was my first language. But now, cinema is my voice,” she reflects. Her acclaimed short film, “Dana’s Kite,” is a vibrant portrayal of Qatar’s gen...

Bay Area Travel: A holiday weekend getaway to Sausalito

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

Craving an escape from the holiday hoopla — the hustle, the bustle, the endless to-do lists? Just over the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito may just be the most charming village on San Francisco Bay, and the perfect destination for a holiday day trip, winter weekend jaunt or destination for out-of-town guests.With its distinctive Mediterranean flair and famous panoramic views of the Bay and San Francisco’s city skyline, Sausalito is also known for its elegant, Victorian-era homes, rising up woodsy, steep-sided hills, and historic storefronts, many dating to a more rough-and-tumble era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Massive marinas crowded with sailboats, yachts and colorful houseboats line the town’s waterfront, and a grand promenade with renowned seafood restaurants perched on piers beckon day-trippers with fancy food and sublime views.It’s this charming storybook setting that has made Sausalito world famous over the years, drawing throngs of weekend tourists, who cr...

Travel Troubleshooter: I’m still waiting on a refund from a canceled pandemic flight

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked two tickets to Paris on British Airways through Flight Network in 2020. British Airways canceled the flight because of the pandemic.I have tried for years to get a refund from Flight Network, but after numerous calls and emails, I have not received the money. Can you help me?— Erika Eng, Arlington Heights, IllinoisChristopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter ANSWER: You’re kidding! It’s been almost four years since the start of the pandemic, and you’re still waiting for your money back? That’s got to be a new record.So, what went wrong? You booked your tickets through Flight Network, a Canadian online travel agency. (I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of Flight Network’s executives on my consumer advocacy site.) Flight Network has some of the worst online reviews I’ve ever seen, but that’s not the reason for your delay.The pandemic was a disaster for airlines. They canceled flig...

Crash or climb? Jobs may decide fate of California home prices

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

Will California housing’s future be a crash, correction, cooling – or a climb?Some folks are antsy about potential price tumbles. One poll found nearly half of Americans fear a housing crash in 2024. So my trusty spreadsheet looked at California home price history back to 1975 to see what might power the next move.The analysis eyeballed gyrations in a California price index from the Federal Housing Finance Agency against the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage from Freddie Mac and inflation as tallied by the Consumer Price Index. Plus, we gauged home-price changes vs. statewide unemployment rate and the total income of Californians, minus inflation, as a benchmark for the broad economy.This history lesson reminds us to keep our eyes on the job market. Paychecks are housing’s secret sauce.Winners and losersTo make this math relatively simple, the spreadsheet compared one-year periods when the California price index fell vs. when it was rising.In the 187 quarters studied, 47 had price...

Minnesota judge sets aside murder conviction of Marvin Haynes, man imprisoned as teen for 2004 flower shop killing

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota judge sets aside murder conviction of Marvin Haynes, man imprisoned as teen for 2004 flower shop killing.Source

Suspect arrested after 2 people were killed in a shooting in the southern Swiss town of Sion

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Two people were killed and one was wounded as a gunman opened fire at two locations in a southern Swiss town on Monday and then fled, police said. The suspect was arrested on Monday afternoon. Authorities were alerted to a wounded person in a parking lot in Sion, the capital of the Valais canton at 7:15 a.m., police said. They found a 34-year-old woman with a fatal gunshot wound. A 41-year-old man was shot and killed a few minutes later and a 49-year-old woman was wounded. The two victims and the wounded woman were all from the Vallais region, police said. Police launched a manhunt and issued an appeal for people to come forward with any information on a 36-year-old believed to be the gunman. They warned that the suspect, who could be on the run in his locally registered convertible, may be armed and dangerous and that people should not approach him.The man was eventually caught by police in the St. Leonard region, according to a police statement.They said that he appe...

Prince William Co. school board adopts amendment to change citizen comment policy

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

The Prince William County School Board last week approved an amendment that will change the board’s citizen comment policy, increasing the number of speakers allowed in public comment time.Board members on Dec. 5 supported a revised version of an amendment proposed at the board’s last meeting; the revision was based on public comments and remarks submitted by board members.The newer, now-adopted version of the amendment increases the number of citizen comment slots from 20 to 30. In the case that 20 or less people sign up to speak, each speaker will be able to speak for three minutes, which is the current policy.In the case that more than 20 speakers sign up, with the 30-speaker cap, speaker’s time will be reduced to two minutes per person. The sliding scale would allow the School Board to increase the number of possible speakers while still keeping the one-hour cap on public comment time.“We have made several significant amendments to what we had proposed fo...

Destacado profesor y escritor de Gaza muere en un ataque aéreo, semanas después de haber dicho a CNN que él y su familia no tenían “otro lugar adonde ir”

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

(CNN) — En octubre, Refaat Alareer deliberaba entre quedarse en su casa, en el corazón de la ciudad de Gaza, o huir más al sur con su mujer y sus seis hijos.Mientras los aviones de guerra israelíes bombardeaban el norte de Gaza, las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (IDF) ordenaron a los civiles que evacuaran sus casas inmediatamente y se dirigieran al sur.Civiles como Alareer se enfrentaban a un dilema imposible. Quedarse en casa y arriesgarse a morir, o intentar huir sin protección. En aquel momento, este escritor y académico de 44 años declaró a CNN que él y su familia no tenían otra opción que permanecer en el norte, porque “no tienen otro sitio adonde ir”.“Es una imagen arquetípica palestina de una discusión, un debate sobre si debemos quedarnos en una habitación, para que si morimos, muramos juntos, o si debemos quedarnos en habitaciones separadas, para que al menos alguien pueda vivir”, dijo.Alareer, profesor de Literatura Comparada en la Universidad ...

Loveland Police settle false DUI lawsuit for $400,000

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) -- A Loveland man was arrested for a DUI he didn't commit, now he will receive $400,000 from the city.The Problem Solvers first reported on the federal lawsuit filed by Harris Elias in 2022, after he was arrested in January of 2020 on suspicion of drunk driving.He blew zeroes on a breathalyzer machine but was still arrested and forced to do a blood test, which all came back with zeroes. Town of Bailey battling water issues following possible leak on main line “This is, as far as we can tell, the largest non-confidential monetary payment ever made in Colorado to settle a civil rights lawsuit where the primary allegation is a wrongful DUI arrest with no physical injuries or time spent in jail,” said Elias's Attorney Sarah Schielke. “While, like with most civil rights settlements, the city admits no wrongdoing, we feel the size of this particular settlement – and the fact that both the arresting officer William Gates and former Chief Ticer are no longer at LPD ...

How likely is it for the Denver Broncos to make the NFL playoffs?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:24:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Broncos are getting closer and closer to a shot at the NFL playoffs. The team has a chance in two different ways.Broncos' chances of winning the AFC WestThe Broncos beat out the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday while the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills, meaning these two rivals have a closer record than many predicted before the season. Russell Wilson records longest touchdown pass this season The Chiefs still have the No. 1 spot in the AFC West, most likely securing them a spot in the playoffs. The Broncos are second in the division, which leaves Denver hoping for a wildcard spot. But if you look at recent weeks there's hope for that to change.The Chiefs have lost four of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Broncos have won five of their last six.With four games left in the season, the Broncos are only in second place by one loss.However, the New York Times playoff simulator shows the Broncos overcoming this as a fairly unlikely scenario, w...