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How Israel will fight Gaza genocide accusations in The Hague

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.Back in November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the far-right and religious nationalists in his coalition government to pipe down and “be careful with their words” when talking about their desired outcomes for the war on Hamas.“Every word has meaning when it comes to diplomacy,” he said at a Cabinet meeting, warning that speaking out of turn harms Israel’s international legitimacy.Netanyahu’s plea for circumspection was triggered by a series of contentious public remarks made by hard-liners in his government, hinting at the possible annexation of the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of Palestinians from the coastal enclave.And these off-the-cuff, ill-judged comments will now complicate Israel’s defense before the International Court of Justice at The Hague (ICJ), which has scheduled a hearing next week on the genocide accusations South Africa has lodged against Israel.Just days before Netanyahu’s appeal, Agriculture Mi...

Macron’s government abstains from dry January

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

To the despair of France’s medical establishment, dry wine has won out over dry January.It’s that time of year when — bleary eyed and a few kilos heavier from too many festive toasts — many of us swear off alcohol, at least for a little while. It’s known as dry January, and according to its proponents, it’s both healthy and fun. But for the fourth year in a row it’s failed to get the French government’s official backing. President Emmanuel Macron’s top team have French wine-makers to keep sweet. The practice of staying sober for the first month of the year was launched as an official campaign by British charity Alcohol Change U.K. in 2013 as part of a health communications push to get people to realize the benefits of cutting down on boozing. Since then, it’s been repeated yearly, and even gotten official backing from the U.K. government. “It is shortsighted for governments to not, at least, recognize the huge social and...

Expensive fuel and million dollar missiles: Counting the cost of the Red Sea crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

The combat reports from Western navies operating in the Red Sea in recent days read like missives from a war zone — anti-ship missiles shot down, boats full of fighters sunk. But this conflict is playing out in one of the world’s busiest waterways and the knock-on disruption to global trade routes has the potential to reverberate around the globe.Attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi militants have spiked in recent weeks in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, with dozens of cargo ships and fuel tankers targeted or delayed as a result of the fighting.While a U.S.-led coalition has been deployed to keep peace in the region, the impact of the burgeoning conflict is already being felt in a number of sectors. And, with Iran vowing to ensure its long-running efforts to pressure Israel continue, it’s likely the crisis has only just begun.Here’s what it means in practice.Bad for businessThe Bab el-Mandeb strait, located between Djibouti and Yemen, has been the focal point for...

Crosby’s power-play goal in 3rd period sends Penguins to 6-5 win over Bruins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored on the power play to snap a third-period tie and added two assists, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.Crosby’s goal broke a 5-all deadlock and halted a four-game winning streak for the first-place Bruins, who rallied from three down to tie it. The Penguins also got goals from Drew O’Connor, Ryan Graves, Jake Guentzel, Lars Eller and Jeff Carter. Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves.Brad Marchand scored twice for the Bruins, and David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists. Morgan Geekie added a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 29 shots.The game started with a back-and-forth flourish as the teams combined for five goals in the first eight minutes. Boston opened the scoring 41 seconds in as Marchand won a 1-on-1 battle in front of Nedeljkovic after Pastrnak fired a wrist shot.The Penguins got the next two goals from O’Connor and Graves before Pastrnak collected his second point of the period on...

BPS superintendent assures principals half of city’s public schools will not be closing after release of long-term facilities plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

The superintendent of the Boston Public Schools on Wednesday assured principals that half of the city’s public schools will not be closing in the coming years. This week, the city released a long-term facilities plan that details plans to possibly close or consolidate half of Boston’s 119 schools. In an email to principals, Superintendent Mary Skipper said the plan does not imply half the schools should or will be closing but acknowledges work needs to be done. “The plan does outline something we all already know: many of our buildings do not meet the full needs and aspirations of our students and, over the next several years and likely decades, we must invest in facilities that will,” Skipper said.Skipper said the Boston public school system will continue to have many smaller schools that offer a range of diverse programming. 

2 people taken to hospital after fight in Cambridge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

Two people were taken to the hospital with knife wounds after a fight in the Porter Square area of Cambridge Thursday night, police said. Cambridge Police Director of Communications and Media Relations Robert Goulston said authorities responded to the scene in the area of 15 White Street around 7:45 p.m. Law enforcement personnel were later spotted still on scene within the Porter Square Shopping Center, which includes 15 White Street. Police had at least one area outside a business taped off with crime tape.The injuries in this incident were considered non-life-threatening, according to Goulston, and authorities were working to find the person responsible as of around 9 p.m.No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Northeastern falls to Stony Brook in CAA opener, 62-53

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

After a taxing non-league slate, the Northeastern Huskies opened the CAA play with a hard scrabble 62-53 loss to Stony Brook on Thursday night at Matthews Arena.The Huskies fell to 5-9 overall, 0-1 in the league and 13-6 in CAA openers. NU will resume conference play on Saturday night at Monmouth. The Seawolves improved to 8-6 and 1-0.Northeastern shot 33.3% from the floor and a dismal 4-of-18 from behind the arc. Graduate forward Chris Doherty notched a double double with 15 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore guard Masai Troutman netted 16.Stony Brook shot 37.5% from the floor with five treys, 41 boards and seven assists. Guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore led the Seawolves with 21 points.“I thought we started the game pretty good, got off to a good start and got the lead, but as the game wore on, we kind of sputtered,” said NU head coach Bill Coen. “It was more our offense that let us down.”Coen, the longest tenured head coach in the conference, had his push for the CAA combined reg...

Teen bicyclist hits head on roadway in Pacific Beach crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 13-year-old bicyclist was seriously hurt Thursday after falling off a bike in the Pacific Beach neighborhood, authorities said.The crash occurred around 10:41 a.m. at the intersection of Pacific Beach Drive and Riviera Drive, D. O'Brien with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said in a news release.Authorities say the teen girl was riding a bicycle westbound on 1400 Pacific Beach Drive when she lost control at the intersection of 4100 Riviera Drive. The victim's bike overturned and she struck her head on the roadway. Body found in freezer identified The rider, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, per SDPD.No other vehicles were involved in the crash.Anyone with information related to the collision is encouraged to call the listedCommand handling the investigation or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

B-1 bomber crashes at South Dakota Air Force base, crew ejects safely

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A B-1 Lancer bomber from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota crashed Thursday, with all four of its crew members ejecting, the Air Force said. The B-1 crashed “at approximately 5:50 p.m. today while attempting to land on the installation. At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission. There were four aircrew on board. All four ejected safely,” the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth said in a statement. At the time of the crash visibility was poor with mist and low clouds, according to automated weather reporting equipment recording airfield conditions.The B-1 is a conventional supersonic bomber that first came into service in the 1980s. It has been used to support the U.S. bomber presence in the Asia Pacific region and to conduct close air support missions in U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It does not carry nuclear weapons.While 100 were originally built, fewer than 60 remain in service at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base. Tara ...

Maui’s mayor says Lahaina debris site will be used temporarily until a permanent spot is found

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:52 GMT

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — The mayor of the Hawaiian island of Maui said Thursday that a site selected to hold debris from last year’s deadly wildfires that devastated the city of Lahaina will not store it permanently. Instead the debris will be at the Olowalu site south of Lahaina only until a permanent spot is identified and a landfill built there, Mayor Richard Bissen said during a County Council committee meeting, according to a statement from his office. Most of the steel and concrete left behind by the fire will be recycled. Much of the debris heading for the site will be ash and small particles, which state Department of Health tests have confirmed is laden with arsenic, lead and other toxins. Some residents have objected to using the Olowalu site, and a protest was staged last week. Environmentalists have raised concerns because it’s just 400 yards (365 meters) from the coast, where a reef hosts the largest known manta ray population in the U.S. and serves as a prima...