doctor

Watermelon Pictures says it is “appalled and devastated” by the Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Gaza that killed a Palestinian surgeon featured in the documentary “American Doctor.”

“We are horrified and heartbroken by the killing of Dr. Rizk Abu Shaaira. This is yet another devastating example of the continued violence against Gaza’s medical community,” Hamza Ali, the co-founder of Watermelon Pictures, the North American distributor of the film, said in a statement Thursday. “Hospitals are places of healing, not targets of war. We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and call for accountability and an end to the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.”

Directed by Poh Si Teng, “American Doctor” follows three American physicians who travel to Gaza to provide medical care during the Israel-Hamas conflict before and after the 2025 ceasefire. Abu Shaaira was among the surgeons that the doctors worked with at Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza. The surgical wing of the hospital was hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed six people, including Abu Shaaira as well as a 13-year-old boy, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. At least 28 people were wounded.

“Dr. Abu Shaaira was among the extraordinary medical professionals whose courage and humanity we sought to honor through ‘American Doctor,’” Teng said in a statement. “His death is devastating and a painful reminder that the crisis documented in our film continues. Those who dedicate their lives to saving others deserve protection, not violence.”

Among those critically injured in the strike on the hospital is Dr. Mohammed Odainy, another Palestinian surgeon featured in the documentary. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon from California who had worked with both Abu Shaaira and Odainy during his time in Gaza, described the attack as “an unforgivable crime.”

“Operating with another surgeon is an intimate partnership. You learn their cadence, their strengths and weaknesses, and even glimpse their confidences and fears,” Sidhwa said in a statement. “Dr. Rizk Abu Shaaira and I performed a complex surgery on a man with shrapnel injuries, while Dr. Mohammed Odainy and I operated on a teenager after an American-made bomb tore a hole in his abdominal aorta. Remarkably, the child lived. These two men were my friends, colleagues and an inspiration. Now Dr. Rizk is dead and Dr. Mohammed is fighting for his life. It was an unforgivable crime.”

In its media release, Watermelon Pictures notes that hospitals, medical personnel and patients are protected under international humanitarian law. “Deliberate attacks against protected medical facilities and personnel are prohibited and may constitute war crimes,” it said.

The Israeli military said the strike was targeting a Hamas commander that is using the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence for the claim and the commander was not among the dead. Israel has carried out near-daily strikes in Gaza despite its October 2025 ceasefire agreement with Hamas. A group of U.N.-commissioned experts have described Israel’s ongoing acts in the territory as genocide and has also accused Israeli forces of crimes against humanity in the West Bank. Israel has denied these allegations and rejected the findings as misinformation.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Friday that he has been discharged from the hospital after suffering a stroke last weekend and will miss “several weeks” of votes in the Senate as he recovers in a rehabilitation facility.

Murphy, 53, said in a statement that doctors are “very encouraged by the progress I’ve made so far” and that the stay at the rehabilitation center will get him back to work on the quickest timeline possible.

Murphy said doctors diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleed in the brain. He said he called 911 on Oct. 31 out of an abundance of caution after feeling that “something was not right” with his body.

“This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy,” he said.

The press release updating Murphy’s condition included a statement from Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Suarez said the senator has shown tremendous progress and “we expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation.”

In the Senate, Murphy serves on the Appropriations Committee and is a leading voice on immigration and gun policy. He is considered a contender for more senior leadership positions in the Senate and among the many Democrats seen as potential 2028 candidates for the White House.

Murphy said he has been staying engaged with his team and colleagues remotely and that his staff ensures the work of his office continues uninterrupted.

“I want to extend my deepest thanks to the excellent doctors and staff at Johns Hopkins who have treated me and cared for my family,” Murphy said.

Murphy had been traveling the country in support of House and Senate candidates as his party raced for majority control, which it secured in Tuesday’s midterm elections. A day before the stroke, he posted that he had been campaigning in his home state for Gov. Ned Lamont. The week before, he posted from Minnesota campaigning with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic nominee for the Senate.

Lamont won reelection Tuesday, and Flanagan won her race, becoming the first Native American female U.S. senator.

The final sprint before election day capped Murphy’s whirlwind trip to the Middle East at the start of October for meetings with several leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In early September, Murphy completed his annual “walk across Connecticut,” covering about 70 miles over four days, talking with residents about their concerns along the way.

Three other Senate Democrats had strokes in recent years. Sens. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland had strokes in 2022 and have recovered. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman had a stroke while campaigning for his seat that year and now uses adaptive technology in the Senate, including live captioning on a phone or tablet that transcribes words as people speak to him and helps him process the conversation.

Fetterman said on social media the day after Murphy’s stroke that his family was “rooting for Chris and his family for a full and speedy recovery.”

Freking writes for the Associated Press.

Tom Jones has postponed two California concerts after coming down with a “bad case of the flu.”

Hours before he was expected to take the stage on Monday at the Greek Theatre, the Welsh crooner announced on Instagram that he was rescheduling his L.A. and San Diego concerts on doctor’s orders.

“I’ve had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I’ve been hit with a bad case of the flu,” Jones wrote. “Following doctor’s advice, I unfortunately have to reschedule tonight’s show in Los Angeles and tomorrow’s show in San Diego.”

Monday’s Greek Theatre show will now happen on Nov. 4. His show at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park has been postponed until Nov. 3.

According to the Instagram statement, all tickets for the original shows will be honored for the new dates. Those who are unable to attend the rescheduled concerts are advised to request a refund through the original point of purchase.

The 86-year-old “It’s Not Unusual” singer is on the tail end of his “Come Gather Round Tour.” His San Francisco show on Nov. 1 was expected to be the finale, but the tour will now wrap in L.A. Jones is scheduled to perform next at Yaamava’ Theater on Thursday.

“I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience caused,” Jones said. “I look forward to seeing you all soon.”