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Blinken urges Israel to comply with international law in war against Hamas as truce is extended

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday stepped up calls for Israel to comply with international law as it wages its war against Hamas in Gaza.On his third trip to the Middle East since the war began on Oct. 7, Blinken said the U.S. remains committed to supporting Israel’s right to self defense. But he also said it is imperative that Israel protect civilians if it starts major military operations in southern Gaza. His message aligns with the Biden administration’s shifting rhetoric on the war, which began as a full-throated embrace of Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks but gradually tempered as the number of Palestinian civilian casualties began to rise dramatically. The death toll and scale of destruction has prompted widespread international criticism, including from members of President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party.Meeting in Jerusalem just hours after Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute to a third extension of a cease-fire agre...

Gambian man convicted in Germany for role in killings under Gambia’s former ruler

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German court on Thursday convicted a Gambian man of murder and crimes against humanity for involvement in the killing of government critics in his West African homeland. The killings took place nearly two decades ago when, the court found, the man was a driver for a military unit deployed against opponents of then-President Yahya Jammeh.The 48-year-old suspect, Bai Lowe, was given a life prison sentence by the state court in the district of Celle, which also convicted him of attempted murder. The court described it as the world’s first sentence under international criminal law for human rights violations in Gambia.Judges found that the defendant was a driver for a unit known as the “patrol team,” or “Junglers,” deployed by Jammeh to carry out illegal killings to suppress the opposition and intimidate the public.Jammeh ruled Gambia, a country surrounded by Senegal except for a small Atlantic coastline, for 22 years. He lost a presidential election and went into ...

On ‘Innocence,’ Kenny G’s jazz lullabies aren’t just for kids. They’re for everyone

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four decades into his career – which include countless world tours, 20 studio albums, the Guinness World Record for bestselling jazz artist, and a Grammy – saxophonist Kenny G is grateful that his music continues to resonate.“It’s not just my hard work, because I work hard. I practice every day for three hours – every single day,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s not just that. There’s more to it. There’s the timing of things. Then there’s the intangibles of why does a melody sound good to me.”That latter element is crucial. If there is a constant in the career of Kenny G, it’s found in his chase and appreciation for melodies. On Dec. 1, that hunt will result in “Innocence,” his latest album and a collection of lullabies — both familiar and new — arranged in an idiosyncratic Kenny G fashion.“I’ve already made music that people get engaged to, and then I made music they get married to and then they tell me how they make babies to my music. Well, I said, I’...

Director Lepage and dancer Cote to premiere wordless ‘Hamlet’ ballet in Toronto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

TORONTO — Robert Lepage and Guillaume Cote have reimagined “Hamlet” without one of its most famous features: the script.The celebrated dancer-choreographer and veteran playwright-stage director say they will premiere a ballet based on the classic tragedy in Toronto in April, five years after reimagining the career of filmmaker Norman McLaren as a multimedia dance for the National Ballet of Canada.This time, they’ve transposed William Shakespeare’s tragedy into a “wordless” performance that weaves classic and contemporary choreography.Cote will star as Hamlet, alongside a company of eight other dancers. John Gzowski supplies the score.Lepage has worked on numerous productions of the play and even played the troubled prince, and says he is excited about the idea of a non-verbal rendition of the story.The production from Ex Machina, Cote Dance and Dvoretsky Productions runs April 3 to 7 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre.This report by The Canadian Pre...

Bereavement fares worth looking into but do your research before booking: experts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

When Cathy Olliffe-Webster’s 90-year-old mother-in-law died suddenly last year, her family had to make the trek from Cold Lake, Alta., to Ontario in a hurry.The jewelry business owner reckons the flight would have set her and her husband back $2,000 because it was a last-minute booking, but they scored a hefty discount.“We ended up paying $400 each there and back,” Olliffe-Webster recalled. “I was happy with the price.”The savings her family landed came courtesy of Air Canada’s bereavement fare program — an initiative the airline runs to offer discounts to customers travelling before or after the imminent death of a loved one.Such programs are offered by several airlines, but many Canadians don’t know they exist or are too distressed by their family situation to explore them.However, Olliffe-Webster encourages people to research the policies when they find themselves needing to travel following a loved one’s death.“Most people, e...

Rights of Dane convicted of murdering a journalist on sub were not violated in prison, court rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The human rights of a self-taught Danish engineer who was convicted five years ago of murdering a Swedish journalist on his homemade submarine were not violated as he had claimed, a Danish court ruled Thursday.Peter Madsen was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 for killing Kim Wall, a 30-year-old freelance reporter, after bringing her aboard his self-built submarine with the promise of an interview. There he tortured and killed her before dismembering her body and dumped it at sea in a case that gripped Scandinavia.Madsen had sued the southern Denmark prison where he is incarcerated over a ban on getting visits, exchanging letters and making telephone calls without permission. In its ruling, the district court in Nykoebing Falster said that the ban was not a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the court said that Madsen may receive visits, phone calls and write letters with a vetted person but needs permission each time. On Aug. 10...

6 people, including firefighter, injured after West Chicago apartment building fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

CHICAGO -- A fire in an apartment complex in West Chicago sent a firefighter and six other people to the hospital. The fire happened near the 800 Block of Burr Oak Circle around 1 a.m. The Fire Chief said the injuries are minor and the firefighter is being treated for exhaustion. When will thousands of students get bus service? CPS has few answers A report said some people jumped from the second and third floors to escape. Families who live in the building are now displaced. Fire crews are still trying to figure out what caused the fire. WGN is actively investigating the incident and will update as more information is provided.

Amundsen Park Fieldhouse no longer being considered for migrant shelter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

CHICAGO — The City of Chicago is no longer considering the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse as a site to house migrants.In a rare change of plans, the mayor's office now says the park will not be used as a temporary shelter. It was one of several fieldhouses the city has looked into using to house asylum seekers.The community around the park pushed back on the plan from the beginning. The alderman announced Wednesday night that the park will reopen to staff next Monday — and to the public soon after.With little warning, the Amundsen Park community found out last month that 200 migrants could be moving out of some police stations and into the fieldhouse.It sparked some spirited meetings and a call for more transparency in early October.In a written statement posted Wednesday night, Ald. Chris Taliaferro told his constituents plans to use the fieldhouse have been scrapped — saying the change of plans was due to decreasing number of migrants arriving and other housing options opening up. Of th...

Stainless steel children's cups recalled due to lead content: CPSC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

CHICAGO -- Tiblue AND Klickpick Home stainless steel children's cups have been recalled due to excessive amounts of lead found on the bottom exterior, CPSC said.Lead is toxic and if ingested by young children, can cause severe health effects. In addition, the lid can crack and break during use, producing sharp edges, causing choking or laceration hazards towards children. Relieving postpartum depression without medication — and more The recalled cups are the 8 and 12 oz. The CPSC says consumers should immediately take cups from the children and contact Fengm for a full refund.

WATCH: Man shot at women who wouldn't open their door

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:07 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) - A man who appeared to be intoxicated allegedly tried to get inside a house in Memphis last month, then shot at two women inside when they wouldn't let him in, police said.Surveillance video shows what police are calling an attempted aggravated burglary. They were frightening moments for Candice Lock and her daughter who were inside their home. "We're laying in her bed. We're watching TV, and I see a guy walk on my porch, and he's swinging a gun, and he has a ski mask on, and he has gloves on," Lock said. She had never met the man before. The women told police that the man came to their door and told them that his car was around the corner and he needed to get inside the home. Police say he had slurred speech and appeared to be intoxicated. Thieves drive car into East Memphis store, steal perfume and cologne When the women told him to leave, the man kept trying to get inside. Police say when one of them opened the blinds, he fi...