Ecuadorians are picking a new president, but their demands for safety will be hard to meet

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Ecuadorians are picking a new president, but their demands for safety will be hard to meet CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The contest comes Sunday, and whoever wins the prize — a job that starts on Christmas — will face a difficult, if not impossible, task. What awaits is a shorter-than-normal 15-month run as president of Ecuador, which is engulfed in a surge of violence tied to drug trafficking.The runoff election pits an heir to a banana empire, Daniel Noboa, and an attorney, Luisa González. In a different year or in another country, their business and lawyering experience might help them deliver on campaign promises. But all that Ecuadorians want is safety, and they are demanding to get it in a tiny fraction of the time that has taken other countries to address the issue.“There’s nothing that fails like success,” said Lowell Gustafson, a Latin American politics professor at Villanova University. “Whoever wins this election is going to have to deal with this … but I don’t know what can be expected from the president in that kind of short time with what sure look to be virtua...

At Colorado funeral home where 115 decaying bodies found, troubles went unnoticed by regulators

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

At Colorado funeral home where 115 decaying bodies found, troubles went unnoticed by regulators DENVER (AP) — As legal and financial troubles piled up at the Colorado funeral home where authorities last week discovered at least 115 decomposing bodies, the troubles went unnoticed by state officials who have long struggled to effectively oversee the industry.Colorado has some of the weakest rules for funeral homes in the nation with no routine inspections or qualification requirements for funeral home operators.The operators of the Return to Nature Funeral Home didn’t pay their taxes, got evicted from one of their properties and got sued for unpaid bills by a crematory that quit doing business with them almost a year ago, according to public records and interviews.None of the problems appeared to attract the attention of regulators, who hadn’t even checked on the company after November when its state registration expired. That registration allowed Return to Nature Funeral Home to operate in the small town of Penrose where the bodies were found.Stricter regulations might no...

El joven israelíestadounidense que sobrevivió a un disparo en el ataque de Hamas, en el que murieron sus padres, dice a CNN que guardará la bala

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

El joven israelíestadounidense que sobrevivió a un disparo en el ataque de Hamas, en el que murieron sus padres, dice a CNN que guardará la bala (CNN) — “Mamá y papá sacrificaron sus vidas para salvarme”, expresó Rotem Matias, joven israelíestadounidense de 16 años, en una conversación con CNN este jueves.Los padres de Rotem, Deborah y Shlomi Matias, fueron asesinados por combatientes de Hamas en Israel. La madre de Rotem murió mientras intentaba protegerlo. A él le dispararon pero sobrevivió al ataque.“Ahora puedo caminar. Hace unos días, ni siquiera podía mantenerme de pie”, le relató Rotem a Poppy Harlow, de CNN. “Me extrajeron la bala del estómago mediante una cirugía y me encuentro mucho, mucho mejor”.Rotem aseguró que piensa conservar esa bala.Jóvenes israelíes de todo el mundo regresan a casa tras ataque de Hamas: “En realidad no hay otra opción”“Quería simplemente guardarla como un recuerdo para no olvidarlos nunca y acordarme de que, aunque fue el momento más duro y bajo de mi vida, encontré… alguna esperanza de que tal vez podría vivir y compartir lo...

Spain wins 25th straight qualifier at home to keep Scotland from clinching spot in Euro 2024

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Spain wins 25th straight qualifier at home to keep Scotland from clinching spot in Euro 2024 MADRID (AP) — Spain kept Scotland from becoming the first team to secure a place at the 2024 European Championship by beating the visitors 2-0 Thursday for its 25th consecutive home win in qualifiers.Scotland only needed a draw to clinch a spot at its second straight Euros and was still level at 0-0 after more than 70 minutes. But two late goals for Spain in Seville ended Scotland’s perfect qualifying record and kept first place in Group A up for grabs.Scotland still leads the group with 15 points, three more than Spain and five more than Norway, which won 4-0 at Cyprus with two goals by Erling Haaland. The top two from each group will qualify automatically for Euro 2024 in Germany.Israel was supposed to host Switzerland in Group I on Thursday, but its match was postponed until November because of the war with Hamas. Israel’s game at Kosovo scheduled for Sunday was also postponed. Israel is now due to play three qualifiers in the one-week international break next month designe...

Wales daring Argentina to beat them in Rugby World Cup quarterfinal

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Wales daring Argentina to beat them in Rugby World Cup quarterfinal Every team came to the Rugby World Cup with a lofty goal.Some were overly ambitious — Australia.Some wanted respect — Italy.Some wanted to say they’re here — Chile.Every team stated they wanted to win one game at least.Except Wales.Wales came to France not with a determination to win, but a determination not to lose. The Welsh mantra is: We want to be hard to beat.Four teams have tried to beat them and four teams have failed. Next up is Argentina in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Marseille.Wales coach Warren Gatland says confidently, “We’re not ready to go home yet.”Most thought they would be home by now. Wales was in turmoil from the start of the year. Female employees accused the union of sexism and discrimination. Players threatened to strike over contracts. Wales won just once in the Six Nations. Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb retired unexpectedly. Team captain Ken Owens withdrew with another sore back. Gatland said if he’d known about all of th...

1 officer found guilty of homicide in Elijah McClain case, 2nd officer acquitted

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

1 officer found guilty of homicide in Elijah McClain case, 2nd officer acquitted DENVER (KDVR) -- A jury has returned a split verdict in the case against two Aurora police officers charged with Elijah McClain's death in 2019. One officer, Randy Roedema, was found guilty of criminally negligent reckless homicide and third-degree assault. The other officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted of all charges.The two were charged, along with three others, in 2021 after protests over the death of George Floyd spurred Gov. Jared Polis to direct the state's attorney general, Philip Weiser, to open a new investigation into McClain's death.BackgroundOn Aug. 24, 2019, officers stopped McClain while he was walking home from a convenience store. A 911 caller reported McClain, who was wearing a runner's mask and jacket and listening to music, and said he seemed "sketchy."Three officers approached McClain after he left the store and the situation quickly escalated. McClain was put in a neck hold by officers and pinned to the ground before he was injected with the sedative ketamin...

Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day Friday for freeze watch

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day Friday for freeze watch DENVER (KDVR) — Snow is falling in the high country on Thursday, and on Friday in the Denver weather forecast, the metro and eastern Colorado are on a freeze watch. Friday will be a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day with temperatures to drop below freezing at night.Prepare to protect your plants and pipes.Weather today: Cloudy, cooler, breezy, and mountain snowDenver and the Front Range will see cloudy skies and below-average highs in the upper 50s for most of Thursday. Colorado weather: Where will it snow this week? Light showers are possible after sunset and there might even be a few flakes in the city closer to midnight.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Oct. 12 Snow will continue to fall in the high country with brisk winds. A winter weather advisory is in effect through 6 a.m. Friday. Some 4 to 14 inches of snow accumulation and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible.Pinpoint Weather: Advisories on Oct. 12 Weather tonight: Breezy as precipitation exitsAfter an early shower, rain and...

Denver Zoo euthanizes leader of African lion pride

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Denver Zoo euthanizes leader of African lion pride DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Zoo announced Thursday that the leader of its African lion pride was euthanized Wednesday after battling health complications.The 7-year-old lion, Tobias, had several medical conditions including an inflammatory bowel disease and a chronic kidney disease. Local filmmakers debut paranormal documentary on Friday the 13th Tobias, or Toby, came to the Denver Zoo from the Buffalo Zoo when he was 3 years old as part of a plan to support African lion conservation efforts. It didn't take long for Toby to do his part in the conservation effort and the zoo welcomed three of his cubs: first was Tatu in July of 2019, then came Oskar and Araali in April of 2020."When he met our female lions, he had a lot of manners to learn, but he was persistent and quickly helped grow our pride of lions," said Kelsey, one of the caretakers at the zoo.The Denver Zoo said the cubs "stole the hearts of everyone who laid eyes on them." Toby was the best lion dad they could have asked ...

‘I thought I was going to die:’ Delivery driver shares account of traumatic dog attack in Cooper City caught on dashcam

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

‘I thought I was going to die:’ Delivery driver shares account of traumatic dog attack in Cooper City caught on dashcam A South Florida delivery driver’s dash camera captured a harrowing dog attack that left her screaming for help and in need of over 30 stitches. Speaking with 7News on Thursday, Diana Riveros vividly recounted the terrifying incident that unfolded in a Cooper City neighborhood on Oct. 6.“All I could say is, ‘Help me, help me.’ I thought I was going to die,” Riveros said.Riveros, who had just completed a grocery delivery to a residence along the 8200 block of Northwest 30th Street, said she noticed a billing error.“So I went back to her house,” she said.As she stood outside the home, the victim said, the door opened, and a dog pushed past its owner.“I see the video, and I’m like, ‘I don’t understand how I escaped,'” she said.The canine knocked Riveros to the ground and viciously bit into her body.“I just looked up to the sky and I said, ‘God, please help me,’ and when I think that, the dog stoppe...

Two cars collide in Ipswich

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:33:51 GMT

Two cars collide in Ipswich Two cars collided in Ipswich, resulting severe damage on both vehicles.Sky7HD captured the crash over High Street. The conditions of any occupants of the vehicles are unknown.The white SUV is on its side, and the red vehicle’s hood is destroyed.Rescue crews closed part of the road while they worked on the scene.No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.