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Hamas releases more Gaza hostages after dispute, delay in transfer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

Hamas released a second group of Gaza hostages late Saturday after a delay caused by a dispute between the militant group and Israel over the terms of a truce agreement, according to the Israeli military and Qatari government officials.The Israel Defense Forces said Red Cross representatives transferred the freed hostages to Egypt late Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Israel was to free 39 Palestinians as part of the deal.Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari confirmed that the hostage transfer had taken place.“13 Israelis and 4 foreigners were received by ICRC and on their way to Rafah,” Al Ansari wrote in a message posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.Al Ansari had posted earlier in the day that a dispute causing a delay in the hostage transfer had been resolved by Qatari-Egyptian mediators.“After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides,” Al Ansari wrote&n...

Tuba-tastic! Low brass rings in Boston’s Downtown Crossing’s conversion into ‘Snowflake Crossing’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

The Christmas season rang in Downtown Crossing with a distinctive low note or, rather, 100 such low notes as just as many regional brass instrument players assembled for Boston’s annual TubaChristmas.The tuba, sousaphone and euphonium players assembled dressed in their holiday best and surrounded by merry decorations to blow past Thanksgiving and into the Christmas season starting at noon on Saturday with a concert of classic holiday favorite tunes.The annual tuba-tacular is the kickoff event for this year’s “Snowflake Crossing” that converts Boston’s downtown into a winter wonderland. Upcoming events include Thursday’s Christmas tree lighting on the Common; Dec. 7’s Singing Nuns as the Daughters of St. Paul’s Choir enchants the public; the downtown Holiday Market that the city describes as “a fantastic lineup of artisan vendors to offer their handcrafted products outside on Summer Street,” which started Friday and runs thr...

Youth under arrest; 6 people injured in multi-vehicle crash in Mississauga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

A young male is in custody following a multi-vehicle crash in Mississauga on Saturday night.Peel police say between five to seven vehicles were involved in the crash on Eglinton Avenue between Intrepid Drive and Churchill Meadows Boulevard just before 6:30 p.m.Six people were taken to hospital, however, police say it was for precautionary reasons and there were no significant injuries to report.Police say a youth has been taken into custody and is facing a dangerous driving charge. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that stunt racing may have been a factor in the crash.

Winnipeg revokes Peter Nygard’s Key to the City following sexual assault convictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

Winnipeg has revoked what it calls its highest honour — the Key to the City — from Peter Nygard following the former fashion mogul’s conviction on four counts of sexual assault.During a council meeting Thursday, St. Norbert-Seine River Coun. Markus Chambers said Nygard, who founded a fashion company in Winnipeg in 1967 that ultimately became Nygard International, received the honour in 2008.Chambers then asked Mayor Scott Gillingham what measures were being taken to preserve the integrity of the honour following Nygard’s recent convictions, as well as other charges against him which remain before the courts.Gillingham responded that in light of the convictions, he’d asked the city’s protocol officer to strike Nygard’s name from the list of key recipients.On Saturday, a spokesman for Gillingham said in an email that Nygard was removed from the list earlier this week.Other former recipients of Winnipeg’s Key to the City include astronaut...

Derek Chauvin’s family has received no updates after prison stabbing, attorney says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

An attorney for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, said Saturday that Chauvin’s family has been kept in the dark by federal prison officials after he was stabbed in prison.The lawyer, Gregory M. Erickson, slammed the lack of transparency by the Federal Bureau of Prisons a day after his client was stabbed on Friday by another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, a prison that has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages.A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday that Chauvin was seriously injured in the stabbing. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the attack. On Saturday, Brian Evans, a spokesperson for the Minnesota attorney general’s office, said: “We have heard that he is expected to survive.”Erickson said Chauvin’s family and his attorneys have hit a wall trying to obtain in...

Israel and Hamas complete 2nd day of swaps after tense delay, as Gaza cease-fire holds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

AL BIREH, West Bank (AP) — Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire.The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The delay underscored the fragility of the cease-fire, which has halted a war that has shocked and shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region.The war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have left over 13,300 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory. Roughly tw...

Car crashes into lake Michigan in Streeterville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

CHICAGO -- A car veered off of DuSable Lake Shore Drive into Lake Michigan early Saturday morning.The incident occurred near the 800 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive just after 3 a.m. and found a blue sedan in the water. There were no occupants in the vehicle. Employee shot at liquor store is latest victim of armed robbery sprees across Chicago Police say a witness told them they saw three men take off from the scene. There were no injuries reported. Police are still investigating the incident.

National Weather Service warns overnight snow could make for hazardous driving conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Winter weather is making its way to Chicagoland and it could make for some headaches for drivers on Sunday morning.According to the National Weather Service (NWS), overnight snowfall could create some hazards for those who expect to hit the roads on Sunday. Saturday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, cold, high 30s The NWS said snowfall is expected northwest of I-55 between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and southeast of I-55 from 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. The highest snowfall rates are expected between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., when snow could fall at a rate of up to .5 inches per hour.The NWS is warning drivers that the overnight snowfall could make for hazardous travel conditions and reduced visibility into Sunday morning, especially on bridges and untreated roads. Drivers are advised to use caution and plan on increased travel times.According to the NWS, the Chicago area can expect to see between 1 and 2 inches of snow, while areas west and northwest of the city could see between 2 and 3 inches.Latest w...

Missing teen girl located

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

CHICAGO — A teen girl who went missing on Tuesday has been located according to Chicago police.Police did not provide details on where the teen was located.

Texas Longhorns to face Oklahoma State in Big 12 title game Dec. 2 in Arlington

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It took two overtime periods for Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys upended BYU 40-34 Saturday and will face the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Conference championship game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.Oklahoma State trailed BYU 24-6 at halftime but rallied to outscore the Cougars 34-10 in the second half and overtime to clinch a spot against the Longhorns. Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II ran all over BYU for 166 yards and five touchdowns. No. 7 Texas Longhorns hammer Texas Tech 57-7, clinch berth in Big 12 Conference title game Due to an unbalanced Big 12 schedule with the addition of four teams, BYU is one of them, Texas and Oklahoma State didn't play each other during the regular season. The Cowboys earned the second spot in the title game via a tiebreaker, the Bedlam win over rival Oklahoma 27-24 on Nov. 4. Both the Cowboys and Sooners finished the Big 12 season 7-2 while Texas was 8-1. Oklahoma beat TCU 69-45 on Friday before Texas clobbered Texas T...