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Is Hamas hiding in Gaza’s main hospital? Israel’s claim is now a focal point in a dayslong stalemate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Gaza’s Shifa Hospital has become the focus of a dayslong stalemate in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group.Shifa is Gaza’s largest and best-equipped hospital. Israel, without providing visual evidence, claims the facility also is used by Hamas for military purposes. It says Hamas has built a vast underground command complex center below the hospital, connected by tunnels, something Gaza health officials and Hamas deny.Since Israel declared war against Hamas in response to a deadly cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, its forces have moved in on Shifa. While Israel says it is willing to allow staff and patients to evacuate, Palestinians say Israeli forces have fired at evacuees and that it is too dangerous to move the most vulnerable patients. Meanwhile, doctors say the facility has run out of fuel and that patients are beginning to die.Here is a closer look at the Shifa standoff.A HOSPITAL AND A SHELTERShifa is the leading hospital in a health care syste...

Migrant boat capsizes in Sunny Isles Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

Local police officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue sprang into action following reports of a migrant boat landing in Sunny Isles Beach. The situation unfolded near 100 Poinciana Drive just before 2 a.m., with initial reports indicating a capsized boat and multiple individuals in distress. Live video footage showed a helicopter overhead as it possibly searched for more migrants in the water. Authorities appeared to focus on a white boat that washed up on the shore. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) confirmed 12 people on-site, with three reported patients. One individual is currently being transported to a local trauma center for urgent medical attention. Officials assure that updates will follow as more information becomes available.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Turkish MPs to start discussing Sweden’s NATO bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee is scheduled to debate Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Thursday.That brings Sweden’s application a step closer toward ratification by the full assembly — needed before President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can sign it into law.The agenda of the parliamentary committee was first reported by Reuters.Sweden’s application to join the alliance has stalled thanks to accusations by Turkey that it is not doing enough to curb what it calls Kurdish terrorists in Sweden. Turkey’s latest move leaves Hungary as the only NATO country where parliamentary ratification hasn’t begun. Last week, Hungary’s President Katalin Novák called on the Budapest parliament to “take a quick and wise decision about Sweden’s NATO accession” during a visit to the alliance’s headquarters.“I am fully supportive for Sweden’s accession and what I can tell you and promise you also that I will do my utmos...

Israel wants to obliterate Gaza to deter Iran, Hezbollah, says Dutch memo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

Israel is deliberately using “disproportionate force” in Gaza and targeting “civilian infrastructure” in an effort to limit its own losses and showcase its “military force,” according to a confidential memo from the Dutch Embassy in Tel Aviv.The memo, drafted by the Dutch defense attaché in the embassy and seen by Dutch outlet NRC, analyzes Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been launching retaliatory airstrikes for over a month straight and conducting a ground invasion, killing more than 11,000 people according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza.The defense attaché said that the Israeli army is using lethal force in an attempt to limit its own losses and “showcase credible military force to show Iran and its proxies [such as Hezbollah] that they will stop at nothing,” NRC reported.This strategy has the “intention of deliberately causing massive destruction to the infrastructure and civi...

No school in Andover Tuesday as negotiating teams work to end teachers strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

A rally is planned in Boston Tuesday in support of the ongoing teacher strike in Andover as the union and school committee will return to the bargaining table in the hopes of coming to an agreement. An Essex Superior Court judge ruled Monday that the Andover Education Association will face large fines for each day the illegal teachers strike continues. Hours later, it was announced that school would be canceled again Tuesday after a fourth day of failing to reach a contract agreement.News of the ruling came after striking teachers in Andover made their voices heard, interrupting a planned school committee news conference. The judge’s ruling means the union will face a $50,000 fine for Monday and that figure will increase $10,000 a day for each day the strike carries on.Members of the Andover Education Association voted on Friday to authorize a strike after months of negotiations with the Andover School Committee over a new contract. “What do we want?” said Andover teacher Fran...

Sneak peek inside Central Perk, Boston’s new ‘Friends’-themed cafe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

7NEWS got a sneak peek inside the new Central Perk cafe in Boston ahead of its grand opening on Tuesday that is expected to draw a crowd of Friends fans.The 205 Newbury St. cafe is themed after the hangout in the beloved sitcom offers collectibles in addition to the food. For more information visit: https://centralperk.com/pages/locations

North Andover Select Board approves application to fly Palestinian flag on Town Common

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

Dozens of people crowded into North Andover High School on Monday to voice their opinions during a lively Select Board meeting where a proposal to fly the Palestinian flag above Town Common was ultimately approved.The request to fly the flag on the Town Common flag pole was approved after about an hour of public comment, during which those gathered spoke both in favor of and against flying the flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.“It’s a big deal for us to see the Palestinian flag that many of us think represents the attempted genocide of the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Iden Irelander. “It basically represents Hamas, since they are the elected ruling party in Gaza.” One supporter said, “It’s a flag that represents its people, it’s a flag that represents a nation, the heritage of the people, their traditions, their culture and it doesn’t represent a terrorist group.” This application came after an Israeli f...

Flakes to a Warm-up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

First flakes of the season were flying last evening with the most notable snows across central Massachusetts. Across the higher terrain, 0.25-0.75″ of an inch fell for several spots, marking the first measurable snow for some communities, including the Worcester Airport. With some linger moisture on the ground early this morning and temps below freezing inland, there may be a bit of black ice on the sidewalks, driveways or patios. A few spot rain/snow showers are possible today, with the best chance for a few flakes across the interior this morning. It won’t add up to much and all and all, it’ll be a mainly dry day with breaks of sun too as highs head for the mid to upper 40s. A bit of a breeze develops today too, gusting 15-20mph. After a chilly night tonight, mid 20s to low 30s, we’ll bounce back to near 50 tomorrow. While progress is slow the next couple days, we trend up quite nicely to end the week. While we fall just shy of 60 Thursday, most locations...

Animal Rescue League searching for new home for ‘mischievous’ sibling mini stallions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

The Animal Rescue League of Boston is looking for a new home for a pair of sibling mini stallions who were recently transported to ARL from a horse sanctuary in Plymouth County after initially being surrendered by their previous family on Martha’s Vineyard.The 20-year-old brothers named Dwight and Stanley are not only stunning, they are in fantastic health and are very social horses. They also have a bit of a mischievous side as well.After being surrendered, during their time at the sanctuary they displayed their wonderful personalities, but also spent a little too much time trying to interact with the mares on the property, so the sanctuary reached out to ARL for assistance, and the stallions were transported to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center.Mini horses make wonderful pets and typically live longer than full-size horse breeds, so these two have many years ahead of them. The stallions will be gelded later this month and will then be looking for their new home, however...

Teck Resources agrees to sell steelmaking coal business

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:45 GMT

VANCOUVER — Teck Resources Ltd. has agreed to sell its steelmaking coal business in a series of deals that value the operations at US$9 billion.The company says Swiss commodities giant Glencore has agreed to pay US$6.9 billion for a 77 per cent stake in the coal business, known as Elk Valley Resources.Meanwhile, Japanese company Nippon Steel Corp. will acquire a 20 per cent stake in exchange for its interest in one of Teck’s coal operations and US$1.7 billion in cash, including US$1.3 billion at closing and US$400 million to be paid out of cash flow from the coal business.South Korean steelmaker POSCO will swap its interest in a pair of Teck’s coal operations for a three per cent stake in the overall steelmaking coal operations.Teck has been weighing the future of its steelmaking coal business since it became apparent its plan to spin off the operations into a separate company did not have the required shareholder support.The company says the sale is subject to several c...