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Hamas releases a third group of hostages as part of truce, and says it will seek to extend the deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the United States said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as “a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.”The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. “What she endured was unthinkable,” U.S. President Joe Biden said of the first Americ...

Person taken into custody after fire set in Westboro police station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

A person was taken into custody after a fire was set in the lobby of the Westboro Police Station on Sunday night, officials said.Crews responding to a report of a fire at the police station on Main Street around 8:20 p.m. found a smoldering fire being held in check by the building’s sprinkler systems and heavy smoke in the building, according to Westboro Fire Chief Patrick Purcell.The police station was evacuated.Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and ventilated the building.No one was injured. Policing operations, including patrol, remain operational.After a search, which included police K-9 units and police drones, a person of interest was located and taken into custody. That person’s name is not being released.There was minimal fire damage to the building, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage. Purcell estimated the damage at $250,000.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey out vs. Chargers; WRs Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers active

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

The Ravens will be without cornerback Marlon Humphrey for a second straight game.The former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection is inactive for Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. He hasn’t played since suffering a calf injury Nov. 12 against the Cleveland Browns.That will potentially put a strain on Baltimore’s defense, with the Chargers averaging 25.9 points per game (eighth-most in the NFL) and 248.6 yards per game passing (ninth). In 10 games this season, quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown for 2,609 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.The Ravens’ offense, however, will have its full complement of wide receivers with Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers both active. They were questionable with shoulder and hip injuries, respectively, and Beckham said Friday he would be a “game-time decision.”Having both should help somewhat ease the loss of tight end Mark Andrews, who suffered a likely season-endi...

China calls for a cease-fire in Myanmar fighting but will continue its own border drills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing called for a cease-fire in Myanmar after a coalition of ethnic fighters seized several crossings along Myanmar’s border with China in the past month.However, China will continue live-firing drills on its side of the frontier aimed at “testing the mobility, border control abilities and firepower capabilities of the military units so that the People’s Liberation Army is ready for any emergency,” the army newspaper PLA Daily said on Sunday. Myanmar heavily relies on trade with China, especially for importing manufactured goods and exporting agricultural products. Unrest in Myanmar’s border region has been a constant irritant to China, which nevertheless backed the military leaders who seized power in the Southeast Asian nation in 2021 from an elected government. Yet China is highly wary of conflicts spilling over the shared border that is already rife with drug trafficking and people smuggling. Cybercrime targeting Chinese victims has become a major concern...

Australia commits another $168 million to monitoring migrants freed from indefinite detention

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government on Monday committed an additional 255 million Australian dollars ($168 million) in funding for police and other law enforcement officials to monitor 141 migrants freed when a court ruled their indefinite detention was unconstitutional.The new funding over two years reflects an increase in the workload of law enforcement officials due to government concerns of a heightened community risk posed by those released following a landmark High Court decision on Nov. 8. That ruling said the government could no longer detain indefinitely foreigners who had been refused Australian visas, but could not be deported to their homelands and no third country would accept them.The migrants released due to the High Court ruling were mostly people with criminal records. The group also include people who failed visa character tests on other grounds and some who were challenging visas refusals through the courts. They include refugees and stateless peo...

Beijing court begins hearings for Chinese relatives of people on Malaysia Airlines plane

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A Beijing court began compensation hearings Monday morning for Chinese relatives of people who died on a Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared in 2014 on a flight to Beijing, a case that remains shrouded in mystery after almost a decade. Security was tight around the Chinese capital’s main Chaoyang District Intermediary Court and no detailed information was immediately available. Police checked the identities of journalists onsite and sequestered them in a cordoned-off area. Reporters were able to see relatives enter the court but were unable to speak with them before the hearing began. Various theories have emerged about the fate of the plane, including mechanical failure, a hijacking attempt or a deliberate effort to scuttle it by those in the cockpit, but scant evidence has been found to show why the plane diverted from its original route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The Boeing 777 with 227 passengers and 12 crew aboard is believed to have plunged into th...

Environmental protesters board deep-sea mining ship between Hawaii and Mexico

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Greenpeace activists have boarded a deep-sea mining ship in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico and said Sunday they’ll stay to protest exploration the ship is conducting to support activity that would destroy marine life.Australian-owned The Metals Company, whose subsidiary runs the ship, accused the protesters of endangering the crew and breaking international law.The escalating conflict comes as international demand for critical minerals found on the seafloor grows, but an increasing number of countries say more research is needed into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining.Greenpeace began the protest Thursday by positioning kayaks beneath the ship, Coco, for up to 10 hours at a time to block it from deploying equipment to the water.In response, the company’s CEO Gerard Barron threatened an injunction on Saturday afternoon — according to correspondence shared by Greenpeace and reviewed by The Associated Press — alleging protesters broke int...

Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, as investors watch spending, inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares retreated Monday as investors awaited updates on consumer spending and inflation in the U.S. and other nations. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 0.4% in morning trading to 33,479.71 after the producer price index in October came in a little higher than expected, at 2.3%. In China, industrial profits declined less than last year, at minus 7.8% in October. “While conditions have been improving, it also indicates that recovery has been slow. From the series of economic data lately, recovery momentum has also been on-and-off,” Yeap Jun Rong, a market analyst at IG, said in a commentary. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.0% to 17,382.28, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.8% to 3,017.79. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.4% to 7,009.50. South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.2% to 2,491.20. Several central banks in the region are holding policy meetings this week, including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Bank of Korea and Bank of Thailand. While analy...

Lane restrictions on major downtown artery starting Monday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

The replacement of a century-old water main will result in lane restrictions to a major downtown artery starting Monday.Southbound University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane between College Street and Queen Street West for most of the next seven months in order to complete several infrastructure projects, among them the replacement of a 150-year-old water main.The City says construction may need to pause during the coldest part of winter from late December until early February when traffic restrictions will be lifted and all southbound lanes will be opened.The work on the southbound lanes is expected to be completed by summer 2024.In addition, Ontario Line construction will occupy two northbound lanes on University Avenue between Queen Street West and Armoury Street until early December at which time the northbound route will be reduced to one lane until that project is completed in 2026.“During construction, drivers are advised to plan their travel in advance, choose ...

3 injured in crash involving CTA bus on South Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:49 GMT

CHICAGO — A crash involving a CTA bus on the city's South Side has left three people injured, according to Chicago fire officials.Fire officials say the crash happened in the 8600 block of South Stony Island Avenue on Sunday night. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines A man and a woman injured in the crash were taken to the hospital in fair condition and another man was transported in critical condition.Currently, it is unclear what led to the crash or if any other vehicles were involved.Fire officials did not provide details on the exact time the crash occurred.