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‘Unbearable and unjustifiable:’ WHO slams situation at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

The World Health Organization described Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital as a “death zone,” after a U.N. team visited the largest medical complex in the Palestinian enclave on Saturday.“The team saw a hospital no longer able to function: no water, no food, no electricity, no fuel, medical supplies depleted,” WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wrote on social media. He announced WHO was trying to set up an urgent evacuation plan from the current situation, which was described as “unbearable and unjustifiable,” and called for a cease-fire. Some 290 patients, including 32 babies in extremely critical condition, were left at al-Shifa, according to the U.N.-led mission, which accessed the facility briefly. The team also saw a mass grave at the entrance of the hospital, it said.Meanwhile, the White House said the U.S. was working “hard” to get a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see the release of hostages seized by the militant group in e...

Biden: ‘A cease-fire is not peace’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

President Joe Biden reiterated his opposition to a cease-fire in Gaza in an op-ed published Saturday, in which he also lamented the high cost to Palestinians and laid out his vision for a two-state solution.“As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, a cease-fire is not peace,” Biden wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece detailing the challenges presented by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.Even as many Democrats in Congress have called for a cease-fire and questioned the Israeli offensive, Biden has remained adamant that Israel is exercising its right to self-defense and has instead supported humanitarian pauses.These pauses, which were implemented last week, are designed to allow Palestinians to flee the hostilities and seek out food and medical care.Biden said he was “heartbroken” by the thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza and blamed Hamas for using Palestinian civilians as human shields. The “road to peace,” the president wrote, must lead to a two-state s...

Ukraine says it has evidence of 109,000 Russian war crimes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The Ukrainian government has collected evidence of around 109,000 alleged Russian war crimes, including physical and cyberattacks, according to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.Kostin told POLITICO on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday that Ukrainian officials have identified more than 400 suspected perpetrators of these crimes. Around 300 have been indicted, and 66 convicted.“The wide range, the big scale of these incidents and war crimes requires a lot of work and a lot of new approaches,” Kostin said at the forum, where the Ukraine-Russia war has been a dominant theme. “It’s our commitment to decide to document, prosecute each and every incident, because each and every incident of war crimes has its victims.”As Ukraine struggles to make progress in its fight against Russia, Kyiv has been compiling evidence of war crimes since the full-scale invasion last year to present to the International Criminal Court in the ...

Biden orders top aides to prepare reprimands for violent Israeli settlers in West Bank

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

President Joe Biden directed top officials to prepare visa bans and sanctions for extremist Israeli settlers attacking and displacing Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an internal document read to POLITICO.The Cabinet memo, sent to senior aides like Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday, orders their agencies “to develop policy options for expeditious action against those responsible for the conduct of violence in the West Bank.”A senior U.S. official read sections of the memo to POLITICO on Saturday evening shortly after Biden published an op-ed in The Washington Post revealing his intentions for such a move. “The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” he wrote in the op-ed.The directive comes as the Biden administration aims to show that it’s supporting Palestinian civilians in need, even as it staunchly defends Israel’s retaliation ag...

Patriots mailbag: Who should start at quarterback after bye week?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

One of the saddest parts of the current state of the Patriots’ quarterback position is that despite the fact that five starters around the NFL have suffered season-ending injuries and three have been benched — plus whatever is going on with Aaron Rodgers — the Pats still have one of the worst current situations in the league.It would be difficult to argue that the Patriots have a top-25 starting QB on their roster even with Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins and Anthony Richardson being out for the year.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots veteran leader relays message for Mac Jones after benching New England Patriots | Three Patriots assistants named in NFL head coach watch list New England Patriots | Patriots make Mac Jones look like starting QB in practice after benching New England Patriots | Callahan: Mac Jones has lost the locker room and 6 more Patriots thoughts at the bye New...

MLB notes: Lexington’s Sal Frelick reflects on memorable rookie year with Brewers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

Sal Frelick had always dreamed about playing in the big leagues, and growing up starring on the local fields in Lexington the talented outfielder always wondered what the day might be like if and when it finally came.Yet even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined things would play out like this.Frelick’s MLB debut was like something out of a fairy tale. Upon being called up ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers’ July 22 series opener against the Atlanta Braves, Frelick delivered an epic performance to lead his team to a 4-3 win over the NL East powerhouse. Batting sixth and starting in right field, the 23-year-old went 3 for 3 while making two sensational catches at the warning track and driving in two runs, first tying the game in the sixth and then knocking in the go-ahead run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly.Even four months later, Frelick still can’t quite believe it.“I had imagined really hoping to get my first hit out of the way and having a good game overa...

Extreme weather claims 2 lives in Bulgaria and leaves many in the dark

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Gale-force winds and heavy rain and snow hit large parts of Bulgaria on Sunday, claiming the lives of two people and causing severe damage and disrupting power supply in towns and villages, officials said on Sunday.Residents in eastern Bulgaria, that was hit hardest by the storm said they had never experienced such weather.A state of emergency has been declared in the Black Sea city of Varna, where officials said the extreme weather poses serious risks to the population. The port city was struck by gale-force winds and torrential rain mixed with snow.The mayor’s office reported that the power supply is disrupted in all boroughs of Varna, key roads are blocked by fallen trees and branches, leaving vehicles stranded. It called on citizens to stay at home and not to use their cars except in urgent cases.Varna International Airport was open, but there were delayed and canceled flights, airport officials said.On Saturday, police reported that a man had died after h...

Roadside bomb kills 3 people in Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Baluchistan province

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb exploded, killing three people in insurgency-hit southwestern Baluchistan province on Sunday, police said.Police officer Mohammad Rahim said the bomb was planted on a dirt road in Balgatar area of Kech district and was detonated remotely. Three men, two of whom were brothers, were killed while on their way to a family gathering, and a privately owned car was destroyed, he said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast but suspicion falls on Baluch nationalists turned separatist groups who have been involved in low-level insurgency for over two decades in the gas and mineral-rich province. The groups have been calling for independence from the central government in Islamabad.Kech district and surrounding areas have suffered from insurgency for years. Insurgent groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces and civilian targets in recent months. Islamic militants and a banned Sunni extremist group also operate...

At least 30 premature babies evacuated from Gaza’s main hospital, health officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — At least 30 premature babies were evacuated from Gaza’s main hospital on Sunday and will be transferred to facilities in Egypt, the territory’s Health Ministry said.Medhat Abbas, a spokesman for the ministry, confirmed the evacuation in a phone call with The Associated Press. A World Health Organization team that visited Shifa Hospital on Saturday said 32 babies were among scores of critically ill patients stranded at the hospital, where Israeli forces have been operating since last week. It was not immediately possible to resolve the discrepancy in the numbers. There was no immediate comment from the WHO.The WHO team said earlier Sunday that 291 patients were left at Shifa after Israeli troops had others evacuate. They included the babies in extremely critical condition, trauma patients with severely infected wounds, and others with spinal injuries who are unable to move.The team was able to tour Shifa Hospital for an hour after about 2,50...

Horoscopes Nov. 19, 2023: Meg Ryan, start something new

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jodie Foster, 61; Meg Ryan, 62; Allison Janney, 64; Ann Curry, 67.Happy Birthday: Think outside the box, and act on gut feelings. Pay attention to the changes around you this year; you will instinctively know how to get what you want. Don’t let opportunities slip away because you are focusing on drama. Know when to call it quits and when to start something new. Be direct, confident and quick to respond. Your numbers are 8, 13, 17, 26, 31, 35, 42.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Give yourself a moment to review details, and consider who or what you need to reach your goal. Look for the most cost-efficient way to proceed; you’ll impress and compel someone with something to contribute. A physical pick-me-up is apparent. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let mixed emotions confuse you or worry about someone backing out or taking a different path. Stick to what you want and concentrate on reaching your goal. Adapt and use your skills to fit ...