After 2-day delay, Israel allows vaccines into Hamas-run Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel has allowed the Palestinian Authority to deliver the first shipment of vaccines to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
An Associated Press photographer saw the shipment arrive Wednesday at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Palestinian Authority said it sent 2,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Gaza.
The move comes two days after the Palestinian Authority said Israel was preventing the shipment, which is intended for front-line medics.
Israeli lawmakers had been debating whether to allow vaccines into Gaza, which has been ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas since 2007.
Some had suggested the delivery of vaccines be linked to progress on the release of two captives held by Hamas.
An Israeli defense official confirmed that the vaccines were on their way to Gaza following approval, saying it’s “not in Israel’s interest to have a Gaza health crisis.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Israeli lawmakers had debated whether to allow the delivery of vaccines into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas, an Islamic militant group, seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank and coordinates with Israel on security and other matters.
Some lawmakers have said the delivery should be linked to progress on the release of two Israeli captives held by Hamas and the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in a 2014 war. They have also expressed concern that the first batch of vaccines will go to Hamas members rather than medics.
Trial in Floyd’s death: Minneapolis leaders said Wednesday that they are beefing up security plans, preparing to close streets and making sure businesses and residents are well-informed as the trial approaches for the former police officer charged in the death of George Floyd.
Mayor Jacob Frey said safety will be a top priority “during this very difficult time in our city” and that the trial of Derek Chauvin will likely increase trauma for many, especially as a verdict draws near.
“We believe it is on us to honor the magnitude of this moment and ensure that our families in this city feel safe,” Frey said.
Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and days of violent unrest in which buildings, including a police station, were burned and damaged.
Chauvin, who was fired, is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Jury selection in his trial is scheduled to begin March 8; opening statements are scheduled for March 29.
Protests in Myanmar: Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Myanmar’s biggest city Wednesday, in one of largest protests yet of a coup, despite warnings from a U.N. human rights expert that recent troop movements could indicate the military was planning a violent crackdown.
In Yangon, protesters marched carrying signs calling for ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be released from detention, while others feigned car trouble, strategically abandoning their vehicles — and leaving the hoods up — to prevent security forces from easily accessing the demonstrations.
Large rallies were also held in the country’s second-biggest city, Mandalay, and the capital of Naypyitaw, in defiance of an order banning gatherings of five or more people.
The demonstrations came a day after U.N. rapporteur Tom Andrews expressed alarm at reports of soldiers being transported into Yangon, noting that such movements had previously preceded killings, disappearances and mass arrests.
Abortion bill passes in SC: The South Carolina House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill banning nearly all abortions, following the lead of other states
with similar measures that would go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The proposal passed the Senate on Jan. 28. It faces a final procedural vote in the House on Thursday that likely won’t change the outcome and will then be sent to the governor for his signature. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has promised to sign the measure as soon as possible.
The “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act” requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus. If one is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or the mother’s life is in danger.
About a dozen other states have passed similar or more restrictive abortion bans, which could take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court — with three justices appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump — were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision supporting abortion rights.
Yousafzai threatened: A Pakistani Taliban militant who nine years ago is alleged to have shot and badly wounded Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai has threatened a second attempt on her life, tweeting that next time, “there would be no mistake.” Twitter on Wednesday permanently suspended the account with the menacing post.
The threat prompted Yousafzai to tweet herself, asking both the Pakistan military and Prime Minister Imran Khan to explain how her alleged shooter, Ehsanullah Ehsan, had escaped from government custody.
Ehsan was arrested in 2017, but escaped in January 2020 from a so-called safe house where he was being held by Pakistan’s intelligence agency. The circumstances of both his arrest and escape have been shrouded in mystery and controversy.
Bulger informer getting out: A former FBI agent convicted of second-degree murder for leaking information to Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger that led to the shooting death of a gambling executive will be released from prison on medical grounds, officials ruled Wednesday.
The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted 2-1 in favor of releasing 80-year-old John Connolly, who has cancer and is believed to have less than a year to live.
Connolly, who was Bulger’s FBI handler, was sentenced to 40 years behind bars after being convicted in 2008 in the killing of World Jai Alai President John Callahan in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1982.
Connolly tipped off Bulger and another gangster, Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, that Callahan was about to implicate the gang in a killing, authorities said.