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Live updates | Israel and Hamas extend truce, agree to free more hostages and prisoners

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their cease-fire until Wednesday, raising the prospect of further exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and a longer halt to their deadliest and most destructive war.Eleven Israeli women and children freed by Hamas entered Israel on Monday night after more than seven weeks in captivity in Gaza in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce. Thirty-three Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived early Tuesday in east Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ramallah. The prisoners were greeted by loud cheers as their bus made its way through the streets of Ramallah.The deal for two additional days of cease-fire raised hopes for further extensions, which would also allow more aid into Gaza, which has been battered by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive that have driven three-quarters of the 2.3 million population from their homes.But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ mi...

Elevator drops 650 feet at a platinum mine in South Africa, killing 11 workers and injuring 75

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — An elevator suddenly dropped around 200 meters (656 feet) while carrying workers to the surface in a platinum mine in South Africa, killing 11 and injuring 75, the mine operator said Tuesday.It happened Monday evening at the end of the workers’ shift at a mine in the northern city of Rustenburg. The injured workers were hospitalized.Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) CEO Nico Muller said in a statement it was “the darkest day in the history of Implats.” It said an investigation had already begun into what caused the elevator to drop and the mine had suspended all operations on Tuesday.All 86 mine workers killed or injured were in the elevator, Implats spokesperson Johan Theron said. Some of the injured had “serious compact fractures,” he said. Theron said the elevator dropped approximately 200 meters down the shaft, although that was only an early estimate. He said it was a highly unusual accident.South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platin...

Fighting child sexual abuse online: What EU measures exist? 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

The European Parliament wants to establish effective rules to prevent and combat online child sexual abuse while protecting people's privacy.The proliferation of online materials of children engaging or appearing to engage in a sexual act has been on the rise, particularly of materials depicting younger children. In 2022, there were more than 32 million reports of suspected online child sexual abuse, marking a historic high.Updating EU legislation on child sexual abuseThe EU has adopted a strategy on combating child sexual abuse. As part of this commitment, the European Commission aims to update the existing rules from 2011. In November 2023, Parliament’s civil liberties committee adopted a report on the proposal for a regulation aiming to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.Find out more about what the European Parliament does to protect children.Safeguarding privacyThe European Parliament wants to strike a balance between safeguarding children in the digital sphere and upholding...

Dear Abby: I’m tired of older people sneering about smartphones

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

DEAR ABBY: This is in response to “Love My Cheap Phone” (Aug. 28). As a millennial who has worked in retail my whole adult life, I’m tired of the excuse that the older generation can’t or won’t use smartphones.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I can’t believe my son spoke to his partner that way Advice | Dear Abby: My sister met a British guy, and now she’s a mouse Advice | Dear Abby: My husband says he can’t wear his wedding ring to the office Advice | Dear Abby: All these women want to date me, and I don’t know what to do Advice | Dear Abby: How can I get my wife to give my car keys back? Personal computers have been out for decades, and smartphones have been around more than 16 years. Like the automatic transmission, these things are designed to make our lives easier and should be embraced rather than shunned.I’ve had people cuss me out ove...

Single family residence sells in Palo Alto for $2.9 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

1974 Channing Avenue – Google Street ViewThe property located in the 1900 block of Channing Avenue in Palo Alto was sold on Nov. 13, 2023 for $2,870,000, or $1,786 per square foot. The house, built in 1953, has an interior space of 1,607 square feet. This single-story home boasts a generous living space with four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house is equipped with a single carport.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In September 2022, a 1,610-square-foot home on Wildwood Lane in Palo Alto sold for $2,350,000, a price per square foot of $1,460. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,424-square-foot home on the 1800 block of Channing Avenue in Palo Alto sold in July 2022, for $3,370,000, a price per square foot of $2,367. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Channing Avenue, Palo Alto, in January 2023, a 2,468-square-foot home was sold for $3,100,000, a price per square foot of $1,256. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bath...

Oakland City Council calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

(KRON) -- The Oakland City Council passed a resolution on Monday calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.The resolution passed unanimously. More than 1,200 public comments were submitted online, 86% of which supported the resolution, according to the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC). “The Bay Area has been turning out for weeks, demanding a ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza. With this resolution, we are proud that our Oakland city council is reflecting the voices of the diverse communities it represents, and is standing firmly on the side of peace and justice,” said Lara Kiswani, Executive Director of AROC. Retail theft prevents Oakland small business from opening on Black Friday The resolution, "empowers the City Council to transmit Oakland's support for a permanent ceasefire to California legislators and United States Congressional Offices," according to the AROC. However, it is purely symbolic. The resolution passed during a temporary truce between Isra...

All the times top official Jenny Harries told Brits to chill about COVID-19

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

LONDON — Britain’s coronavirus inquiry is in full swing — and it’s not just the top political players squirming.U.K. Health Security Agency chief Jenny Harries — England’s deputy chief medical officer at the height of the pandemic — is slated to appear Tuesday afternoon and could face awkward questions of her own.Harries burst into the public consciousness as the virus spread in 2020, with a host of utterances that were meant to reassure worried Brits — but ended up sowing more confusion.POLITICO rounds up Harries’ most controversial comments — plus her Whitehall promotion at the end of it all.Mass gatherings? Don’t sweat it!Back in the hyper weird moments of early 2020, Harries took part in a video Q&A on coronavirus with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, came into Downing Street to answer some of the most commonly asked questions on coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/jByRhFFfat— Boris Johnson (@Boris...

Antique cannonballs dug up at Waltham construction site

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

More than a dozen old military cannonballs were found at a Waltham construction site Monday morning.The state Department of Fire Services said contractors made the discovery while digging a trench at a site on Foundry Avenue.A Hazmat team, the police bomb squad, and other agencies were called to the scene.The bomb squad removed the cannonballs from the trench and disposed of them without incident. There are no reported environmental hazards or details on how the munitions may have ended up there.

One of 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont may never walk again after bullet hit his spine, mother says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

(CNN) — One of the three Palestinian college students who were shot while walking in Vermont may not be able to move his legs for the rest of his life after a bullet became lodged in his spine, according to his family, who shared his account of the attack with CNN.A 20-year-old junior at Brown University, Hisham Awartani, is starting to come to terms with the “very long road he has in front of him” after he and two longtime friends from the Israeli-occupied West Bank were shot while strolling through Burlington on Saturday, his mother, Elizabeth Price, said.“He’s just a very resilient young man and he’s been trying to keep everyone’s spirits up by joking and just trying to be as calm as possible,” Price said. “We are determined to work with him and support him and get the best possible care.”“I believe that Hisham has the determination … to regain his legs movement, but the doctors currently say that it is not possible,” she added.The suspect in the attack, 48-year-ol...

Bruins Beat: Patrick Kane not a perfect fit, but an intriguing one

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:05 GMT

The Bruins and Patrick Kane? Really? Well, that is a courtship that is apparently happening.On Monday morning, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman floated the nugget that the Bruins are one of several teams involved in trying to attract the former Chicago Blackhawk superstar who is currently a free agent coming off hip resurfacing surgery.And it’s not all that surprising that the B’s would be involved. You can say what you want about any trade or draft pick Don Sweeney has or hasn’t made, but you cannot say the Bruins GM doesn’t do his due diligence in going after players he thinks might help his team. He’s made a high profile play for Jimmy Vesey when he was considered an impact contributor coming out of Harvard as a free agent. He tried to throw his chips in with John Tavares when the Maple Leafs’ captain was on the market. Neither of them worked out, but Sweeney was very much in the game.And there’s also the fact that two of his divisional riva...