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Pop star Shakira reaches a deal with Spanish prosecutors on the first day of tax fraud trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Pop star Shakira agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities on the first day of a tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Monday, avoiding the risk of a prison sentence.Shakira told the presiding magistrate, José Manuel del Amo, that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million).The trial, which would have included more than 100 witnesses over the following weeks, was instead called off after just eight minutes.Prosecutors said in July that they would seek a prison sentence of eight years and two months and a fine of 24 million euros ($26 million) for the singer, who has won over fans worldwide for her hits in Spanish and English in different musical genres.The case hinged o...

Reading program keeps deployed service members connected to home through the holidays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

As more service members are deployed to the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region, one organization has a fun way to keep them connected to their families this Thanksgiving.United Through Reading uses the power of books and reading to help military families, said Jessica Hall, the organization’s vice president of marketing and communications.“It’s just a wonderful way to stay connected,” she said. “I would hope that we all have a really great memory of growing up and sitting on the couch with a loved one reading a book. Our program still allows that memory to happen.”Here’s how the program works: military members record themselves at “story stations” reading a book. Those stations can be located on ships, aircraft carriers and at military bases.The recording is sent back home along with a free copy of the book so the service member’s children who can watch and read along on demand, Hall said.Since the organization’...

Bruins’ Milan Lucic expected to face assault charge in court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

Bruins veteran winger Milan Lucci is set to be arraigned on a criminal charge in Boston Municipal Court today.Lucic was reportedly arrested in Boston’s North End on Saturday morning a following domestic incident and is now facing an assault and battery charge.The Bruins announced Lucic was placed on indefinite leave from the team following the arrest, saying in a statement: “The organization takes these matters very seriously, and we will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need.”Lucic has been limited to just the first four games of this season. He had been placed on long term injured reserve and has not played for the past four weeks.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Authorities investigating deadly officer-involved shooting in Franklin, NH

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

An investigation is underway after a man was fatally shot by police in Franklin, New Hampshire early Monday morning, officials said.Officers responding to a report of a barricaded suspect following an armed disturbance in the area ordered a shelter-in-place for residents in the area of Central and West Bow streets, according to a statement issued by New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella.The name of the man who was shot has not been released. An autopsy will be scheduled by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. No law enforcement officers have been physically injured and there is no threat to the public.The exact circumstances surrounding this incident remain under active investigation.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Public invited to candlelight vigil for NH officer fatally shot in line of duty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

New Hampshire state officials will hold a candlelight vigil on Monday night honoring Officer Bradley Haas, who was shot and killed in the line of duty at New Hampshire Hospital last week.The vigil, hosted by the state’s Departments of Health and Human Services and Safety, will honor Haas and stand in support of staff and patients of the hospital.The public is invited to the soccer field at the corner of S. Fruit and Clinton Streets in Concord at 4:30 p.m. to gather in remembrance.A former chief of police in Franklin, Haas was working as a New Hampshire Department of Safety security officer when he was killed, the Attorney General’s office said.Haas was a father and a law enforcement veteran, according to the Attorney General’s office, serving a total of 28 years with the Franklin Police Department in various roles after spending three years working as a military police officer in the Army.

Babies evacuated from Gaza’s Shifa Hospital arrive in Egypt, state-run media say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egypt’s state-run media say babies evacuated from Gaza’s embattled Shifa Hospital have arrived in Egypt.The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said it was transporting 28 premature babies from a hospital in southern Gaza to another across the border in Egypt on Monday.Egypt’s Al-Qahera satellite channel broadcast images of the babies inside Egyptian ambulances, without specifying how many had arrived. Over the weekend, 31 babies were evacuated from Shifa.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, as Israel pressed an offensive it says is aimed at eradicating Hamas and uprooting their militant infrastructure.A shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled G...

Chilly Few Days, Midweek Storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

Starting off the Thanksgiving travel week on a good note, not just here in New England but also up and down the East Coast. That should help out air travel (at least today) with quiet weather across the major hubs. But that will change tomorrow as we track a midweek storm.Today is quiet, cold, and deceiving. Looking outside you’ll see plenty of sun today, but the sun will be accompanied by cold temperatures — highs only making it to about 40° this afternoon. For perspective, we should be at about 50° for highs. Of course the breeze will make it feel colder and keep wind chills around the freezing mark this afternoon. Tomorrow features less wind but clouds will increase in the afternoon ahead of our next system Tuesday night and Wednesday.Of course in between two cold days is a cold night. And that will be the case tonight with many of us seeing temperatures fall to near 20° tomorrow morning.We’ll watch an area of low pressure move east from the Plains and it will l...

Lucas: Where is the US response to attacks on troops in Syria, Iraq

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

How many? The line came back to me as I watched John Kerry, Joe Biden’s climate czar, sitting across the table from Chinese President Xi Jinping at San Francisco’s summit of Asian leaders.Perhaps Kerry should have been there because Biden believes that climate change is “the ultimate threat to humanity,” and not the communist Chinese or a nuclear armed Iran or North Korea—or even Donald Trump.That remark just about lets all U.S. enemies off the hook.Speaking of remarks, Kerry’s was uttered in 1971 before a much-publicized anti-Vietnam War hearing before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.Dressed in military fatigues Kerry, a decorated war veteran who became a leader in the anti-Vietnam War movement, took center stage during a period when the U.S. was seeking ways to get out of the unpopular war with some semblance of dignity.Then a young man, Kerry stole the show with his testimony about alleged atrocities committed by U.S. troops—most of which were imagined—and dramat...

More than 400,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan following crackdown on migrants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than 400,000 Afghans returned to their home country following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in the country, Pakistani authorities said Monday.Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, confirmed the number and told The Associated Press that the majority have been using the border crossings of Torkham and Spin Boldak to return home.An estimated 1.7 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan when authorities announced its nationwide crackdown, saying that anyone without proper documents had to leave the country by October 31 or else get arrested.However, Pakistani officials said the other 1.4 million Afghans registered as refugees need not worry as only people without proper documentation were sought after.In the 1980s, millions of Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of their country. The numbers witnessed a spike after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan also...

Los Angeles freeway is fully reopened after arson fire, just in time for Monday morning’s rush hour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:10:41 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An elevated Los Angeles freeway closed for more than a week because of an arson fire reopened ahead of Monday morning’s commute, at least a day earlier than previously announced and weeks ahead of the original estimate.“Welcome back, Los Angeles!” Mayor Karen Bass posted late Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.The Nov. 11 blaze, fed by flammable materials stored under the roadway in violation of a company’s lease, shut a mile-long stretch of Interstate 10 near downtown, snarling traffic as repair crews worked around the clock. Officials had said last week that all lanes were expected to reopen by Tuesday, but moved it up to Monday after significant progress. Gov. Gavin Newsom said recent safety inspections showed the span was safe to start reopening Sunday evening and that the freeway would be “fully operational” before Monday’s rush hour. “It wasn’t just speed that we were after. We wanted to make sure this thing was safe,” Newsom said at a ...