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Travel Troubleshooter: Fishy experience at Istanbul bar ends up in a $7,853 charge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: While I was on vacation in Istanbul last year, I fell victim to a scam by some local thugs. They ran a “club” where they persuaded single male tourists to come in. Then, they coerced them into paying thousands of dollars for bogus drinks (“Champagne” that was cider and water, for example). They made it impossible to leave without the threat of violence.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter Once I was inside, it was clear that the locals I had come with were working with the “club” to lure tourists in and bilk them of their money. I played dumb, realizing I had no choice but to stay. There was one exit down a flight of stairs and a bouncer who made sure no one was leaving until they got their money. Some charges they made me sign for; others they continued to charge to my card now that they had it.They charged me on two credit cards: one Wells Fargo card and one Chase card. I eventually was able to leave an...

SFPD searching for 'person of interest' in block party shooting

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

(AP) — San Francisco police searched Sunday for a person of interest in a mass shooting during a block party in San Francisco Friday night in what investigators said appeared to be a “targeted and isolated” incident. One teenager dead, several other people wounded in Antioch birthday party shooting The person of interest is a man believed to be a member of a street gang who detectives have tied to a Mercedes sedan recorded on surveillance video speeding from the scene of the shooting, police said.The man has outstanding firearm warrants from San Mateo and Alameda counties, as well as an outstanding arrest warrant for homicide in Oakland, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.Gunfire erupted shortly after 9 p.m. Friday during an anniversary party hosted by the clothing store Dying Breed near the intersection of 24th Street and Treat Avenue in the Mission District. Among the victims were eight men and one woman, the Chronicle reported. They range in age from 19 to...

San Leandro fatal collision causes traffic detours

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

(BCN) -- Police in San Leandro asked the public to avoid the area of Davis and Preda Streets Monday morning as a fatal vehicle collision was investigated. One dead, seven injured in Antioch birthday party shooting Davis Street between Orchard Avenue and Pierce Avenue was closed in both directions following the wreck at about 4 a.m. Police asked drivers to avoid the area until at least 7 a.m. Marina Boulevard was a suggested alternate route to Interstate 880 during the closure.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Aerolínea china defiende restricciones de peso para auxiliares de vuelo tras reacción violenta del público

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

(CNN) — La aerolínea china Hainan Airlines defendió la imposición de requisitos de peso a los asistentes de vuelo después de que los informes de la nueva política se hicieran virales en redes sociales y provocaran una reacción negativa del público.Medios estatales informaron inicialmente que la aerolínea, una de las más grandes del país, introdujo una nueva política a principios de junio que amenazaba con dejar en tierra a las asistentes si su peso excedía el “límite estándar”.La regla era parte de una serie de pautas más amplias sobre la apariencia emitidas para la tripulación de cabina, con el peso “estándar” calculado por altura, según el Global Times administrado por el estado.Por ejemplo, un asistente que mida 158 centímetros, la estatura promedio de una mujer china adulta, deberá permanecer dentro de los 48 kilogramos.Tras tres años de cierre por pandemia, aerolíneas chinas lanzan nuevas rutas aéreas en 2023Los asistentes de vuelo que superen menos del 5% de ese estándar...

Lahmajoun ‘pizzas’ are a family-friendly dinner to satisfy Dad

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

In Turkey, Armenia and the Levant, a meat-topped flatbread known as lahmajoun comes topped with spiced ground lamb, tomatoes and bell pepper. With the dough stretched paper-thin, diners typically drizzle the popular dish with lemon juice and roll it up to eat.We were in Istanbul when we came across this tasty, social dish, which fills a similar place in the culture as pizza in many other places, with equally exacting standards for what makes a good lahmajoun. The toppings are chopped coarsely for a rustic texture, the dough is expertly stretched by hand, and the flatbread cooks in minutes in a roaring-hot oven.Though delicious, authentic lahmajoun is out of reach for kids trying to do something nice for Father’s Day. That’s why we created this recipe for our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals. Kids can help out, though the recipe does involve a food processor and a very hot oven.We swap the usual homemade flatbread dough for st...

Emitirán declaración de desastre tras colapso de la I-95; reparación puede tomar meses

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

El gobernador de Pensilvania, Josh Shapiro, emitirá una declaración de desastre este lunes para comenzar las reparaciones en la carretera I-95 después de que un camión incendiado provocara el colapso de una parte de la carretera en el noreste de Filadelfia el domingo por la mañana, lo que causó importantes retrasos en el tráfico que se intensificarían esta semana.Durante una conferencia de prensa el domingo por la noche, Shapiro dijo que se espera que la reconstrucción completa de la I-95 tome “algunos meses” y que tendrían un cronograma específico para la reconstrucción luego de una revisión de ingenieros y funcionarios de PennDOT. También dijo que los funcionarios estaban trabajando en soluciones provisionales para conectar ambos lados de la carretera.“Para acelerar este proceso y reducir la burocracia, mañana por la mañana planeo emitir una declaración de desastre, lo que permitirá que el Estado Libre Asociado retire inmediatamente fondos federales y actúe rápidamente...

Insider: Expedia CEO talks about his company, travel demand, high prices, and his compensation

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

Online travel agency Expedia Group is benefitting as Americans continue to make up for trips they skipped during the worst of the pandemic, and Wall Street expects it to post a solidly profitable 2023 after a money-losing first quarter.The Seattle-based company has been restructuring operations, and next month it will launch a rewards program that will tie together its disparate brands including Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, which competes with Airbnb.CEO Peter Kern talked with The Associated Press about the company, demand for travel, whether consumers can tolerate higher prices, and his management style. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.Q: The question of the moment in the travel industry is whether demand is going to remain strong. What do you see?A: We see macro demand pretty strong. It depends where you are in the world, but by and large demand has remained robust, and it’s going to be a busy summer for sure. Q: Are high prices having any effect on travel spe...

Microsoft stakes Xbox video game sales on long-awaited space adventure Starfield

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

One small step for an intrepid crew of 24th century space explorers could be a giant leap — or flop — for Microsoft when the Xbox-maker launches its long-awaited video game Starfield.Players must fend off pirates, navigate strange moons, build outposts and fix their own starships in a space epic that is due out on Xbox in September after years of development and delay. Microsoft gave its most detailed glimpse of the upcoming game at a Los Angeles event Sunday.The release could be one of the most important in Xbox’s history as it looks to attract gamers with a headliner on par with Nintendo’s latest Zelda game and PlayStation’s upcoming Spider-Man 2, said Mat Piscatella, a game industry analyst for market researcher Circana. After months of watching Nintendo’s Switch console and Sony’s PlayStation steal the momentum in a lagging market — with boosts from Hollywood adaptions of Nintendo’s Super Mario and the PlayStation exclusive Last of Us — Micros...

Toney describes FA as ‘spiteful,’ says he’ll come back stronger after betting ban

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

LONDON (AP) — England striker Ivan Toney has described the Football Association as “spiteful” for its handling of his ban for breaking betting rules.Toney was handed an eight-month suspension last month after admitting to 232 counts of breaching English soccer’s betting rules.The FA announced Toney had been charged with 262 breaches in November, effectively ruling him out of contention for the World Cup in Qatar, but had to wait until May before receiving his ban and a fine of 50,000 pounds ($62,000).“It came out just before the England camp,” the Brentford striker said in an interview on Kick Game’s YouTube channel that was released Monday. “Obviously I missed that and the World Cup. Honestly, that would have been my biggest dream.“It was like, get it out now so he doesn’t go with England, and then all of a sudden they want to wait until the end of the season. It is what it is, if they want to do it that way. I call it a bit spiteful, but it is what it is.”Toney said missing the Wo...

Crews work to control fire in NW Miami-Dade

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:37 GMT

A large fire broke out in Northwest Miami-Dade.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived at the scene of the fire in the area of Northwest 137th Avenue at 182nd Street, near the Everglades, Monday morning. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene as thick black smoke emitted from the flames. According to MDFR, units were dispatched in reference to a grass fire in the area. A tanker was requested and crews began to clear the area. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.