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What to know on the seventh day of the latest Israel-Hamas war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has ordered the evacuation of some 1.1 million people in northern Gaza as the latest Israel-Hamas war entered its seventh day, the United Nations said Friday. The order could signal an impending ground offensive, though the military said Thursday that while it was preparing, a decision had not yet been made.The Israeli military pulverized the Hamas -ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes and blocked deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity ahead of a possible ground invasion as Palestinians tried to stock up on supplies.International aid groups warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis after Israel prevented entry of supplies from Egypt to Gaza’s 2.3 million people. The Israel-Hamas war has claimed at least 2,800 lives on both sides since Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Oct. 7.Some key takeaways from the war:WILL ISRAEL LAUNCH A GROUND ASSAULT?Israel has ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million people in northern Gaza, and directed hundreds o...

ONU: Israel pide a la población del norte de Gaza que de inmediato se mueva al sur

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

La Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) confirmó la noche de este jueves que Israel pidió que toda la población al norte de Wadi Gaza que se reubique en el sur de Gaza en las próximas 24 horas.“Justo antes de la medianoche, hora local, los jefes de equipo de la Oficina de Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios de las Naciones Unidas y el Departamento de Seguridad en Gaza fueron informados por sus oficiales de enlace en el ejército israelí de que toda la población de Gaza al norte de Wadi Gaza debería reubicarse. al sur de Gaza en las próximas 24 horas.“Esto equivale aproximadamente a 1.1 millones de personas. La misma orden se aplicó a todo el personal de la ONU y a aquellos refugiados en instalaciones de la ONU, incluidas escuelas, centros de salud y clínicas”, informó Stéphane Dujarric, portavoz del secretario general de la ONU.Las Naciones Unidas consideran imposible que tal movimiento se produzca sin consecuencias humanitarias devastadoras, alertó el vocero....

Broncos’ Russell Wilson throws 2 picks, struggles mightily in loss to Chiefs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The best throw that Russell Wilson made all night gave the Denver Broncos a chance against the Kansas City Chiefs.He made precious few good ones on either side of it.Wilson was 13 of 22 for 95 yards with a marvelous touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and two interceptions on Thursday night, and his inability to keep the Denver offense on the field proved costly in a 19-8 loss. Wilson was sacked four times, missed too many open targets and looked a lot more like he did last season than he had the first few weeks of this season.“We knew it was going to be a four-quarter battle,” said Wilson, whose quarterback rating of 46.6 was among the worst of his career, and who has only thrown for fewer than 95 yards twice. “We had some opportunities we could have capitalized on. We had a chance. We have to play better and play cleaner. I have to play better.”After a miserable season by any standard a year ago, Wilson came into Thursday night’s game completing ...

Mikal Bridges scores 23 points, Nets beat Maccabi Ra’anana of Israel 135-103

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges hit six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help, Harry Giles III had 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Brooklyn Nets beat Maccabi Ra’anana of Israel 135-103 on Thursday night in preseason play.Dwayne Bacon and Quindarry Weathers each scored 17 points for Ra’anana, with team members deciding to play the game despite war at home. Bacon played at Florida State and Weathers at Mississippi State.Spencer Dinwiddie added 15 points for the Nets.BULLS 133, NUGGETS 124, 2 OTDeMar DeRozan scored 19 points and Zach LaVine had 17 as Chicago outlasted defending champion Denver.Denver’s Braxton Key forced overtime with an alley-oop layup over two defenders off an inbounds pass from Hunter Tyson.Nikola Jokic scored 17 points for visiting Denver. Rookie Julian Strawther had 16,PISTONS 128, THUNDER 125In Montreal, James Weisman made all eight of his shot attempts and had 20 points and 10 rebounds to help Detroit beat Oklahoma City.Cason Wallace missed a 3-pointer w...

Israel orders civilians to evacuate Gaza City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is telling all civilians to evacuate Gaza City, calling for about 1 million Palestinians to move south “for your own safety and the safety of your families,” with the U.N. warning the move risked “devastating humanitarian consequences.”The evacuation call comes amid growing expectations that Israel is set to launch a ground assault on Gaza, as it seeks to wipe out Hamas in the wake of last weekend’s devastating attacks, which killed 1,300 Israelis. Dozens of people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Officials in Gaza say more than 1,500 people have been killed there in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, and Palestinians protest Israel’s ultimate goal is to press Gazans into Egypt. The Israeli forces say they need civilians to leave to avoid casualties as they ramp up their attack on Hamas. In an announcement to residents of Gaza, the IDF said: “Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and ...

Hungary’s deadlock on Ukraine defense cash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

Presented by ASD By JOSHUA POSANER with LAURA KAYALI, CALEB LARSON, PAUL MCLEARY, STUART LAU, GIORGIO LEALI, JACOPO BARIGAZZI and CONNOR O’BRIEN PRESENTED BY View in your browser or listen to audioSNEAK PEEK— EU leaders could approve a further €500 million payment to cover military aid to Ukraine at their summit on October 26 and 27.— A small group of U.S. senators want Defense Secretary Loyd Austin to dispatch unused Iron Dome batteries to Israel.— France is including Germany and Spain in its Pegasse 24 air force exercise.Good morning and welcome to Morning Defense. Tips to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] or follow us at @joshposaner, @LauKaya and @calebmlarson.DRIVING THE DAYEU MULLS FRESH UKRAINE CASH: EU leaders hope to approve a further €500 million in military aid for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility (EPF) at their summit this month, draft c...

Israel orders evacuation of 1.1 million people from northern part of Gaza, the UN says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military on Friday directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 million people — about half of the territory's population — within 24 hours, a U.N. spokesman said. This could signal an impending ground offensive, though the Israeli military has not yet confirmed such an appeal. On Thursday it said that while it was preparing, a decision has not yet been made. The order, delivered to the U.N., comes as Israel presses an offensive against Hamas militants. U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric called the order “impossible” without “devastating humanitarian consequences.”Earlier, the Israeli military pulverized the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, prepared for a possible ground invasion and said its complete siege of the territory — which has left Palestinians desperate for food, fuel and medicine — would remain in place until Hamas militants free some 150 hostages taken during a grisly weekend incursion.A visit by Secretary of State Antony Blin...

US defense secretary in Israel to meet with its leaders and see America’s security assistance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived Friday in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to meet with senior government leaders and see firsthand some of the U.S. weapons and security assistance that Washington rapidly delivered to Israel in the first week of its war with the militant Hamas group.Austin is the second high-level U.S. official to visit Israel in two days. His quick trip from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO defense ministers meeting, comes a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region on Thursday. Blinken is continuing the frantic Mideast diplomacy, seeking to avert an expanded regional conflict.Austin is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, and the Israeli War Cabinet.His arrival comes as Israel’s military directed hundreds of thousands of residents in Gaza City to evacuate “for their own safety and protection,” ahead of a feared Israeli ground offensive. Gaza’s...

Microsoft’s bid for Activision gets UK approval. It removes the last hurdle to the gaming deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft’s purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard won final approval Friday from Britain’s competition watchdog, reversing its earlier decision to block the $69 billion deal and removing a last obstacle for one of the largest tech transactions in history.The Competition and Markets Authority’s blessing was expected after it gave preliminary approval last month to a revamped Microsoft proposal meant to address concerns that the deal would harm competition and hurt gamers. It signals certain victory in the Xbox maker’s quest to acquire Activision, maker of the popular Call of Duty game franchise. The companies had agreed to extend an original mid-July deadline to Oct. 18 to overcome the British regulator’s objections. The approval also helps Microsoft avoid paying Activision a $4.5 billion penalty if the deal doesn’t close. “The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive...

China’s exports and imports sink in September as global demand falters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:45 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports and imports both fell in September from a year earlier, though they contracted at a slower pace than the month before even as global demand remained muted.Customs data released Friday showed exports for September slid 6.2% to $299.13 billion in the fifth straight month of decline. Imports also slid 6.2%, to $221.43 billion.China posted a trade surplus of $77.71 billion, up from $68.36 billion in August.Lu Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs, said in a press conference Friday in Beijing that the unstable momentum of the global economy’s recovery from the pandemic was the biggest challenge facing China’s exports.China’s economy has declined at a slower pace after leaders enacted a slew of policy support measures in recent months. However, property sector remains a drag on the economy, with sales slumping and developers struggling to repay massive amounts of debt.The central bank has eased borrowing rules and and cut mor...