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Blinken meets with Xi amid mounting US-China tensions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, rounding out a high-stakes trip to Beijing that the U.S. hopes will help ease the mounting tensions between the two countries.Xi’s willingness to meet with Blinken is a signal from the top of the ruling Chinese Communist Party that Beijing wants to move past the acrimony that has curdled U.S.-China ties since the Chinese spy balloon episode in February. Xi’s conversation with Blinken — on the heels of the secretary’s meeting with Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, which affirmed both a follow-up discussion in Washington later this year and a need to bolster U.S.-China people-to-people exchanges — reflects Beijing’s desire to resume high-level official contacts despite festering disagreements over issues including Taiwan’s status and China’s role in America’s opioid overdose epidemic.In a statement delivered ahead of the meeting, Xi hailed the “candid discussions” Blinken had with Chinese o...

Pro-Russian party banned in Moldova after coup warnings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

A pro-Kremlin party which has called for regime change in Moldova has been dissolved by the country’s top court, just weeks after its leader was sanctioned by the EU over his links to Moscow.In a ruling handed down Monday, Moldova’s Constitutional Court said that the Shor Party would be wound up after its activities were found to be “unconstitutional.” Headed by Moldovan-Israeli businessman Ilan Shor, the party has organized rallies against Moldova’s pro-Western government in recent months, calling for the departure of President Maia Sandu. Demonstrators have clashed with police and several arrests have been reported.A commission will now be appointed by the Ministry of Justice to oversee “the liquidation and deletion of this party from the state register of legal entities.”Marina Tauber, one of the party’s top lieutenants, called the ruling “shameful and unprecedented.”In May, Shor, Tauber and other top party officials wer...

Increased security presence remains after 2 people shot at Malden apartment complex

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

Authorities are investigating a shooting at an apartment complex in Malden that sent two people to the hospital early Sunday morning, officials said.Malden and state police could be seen scouring the lobby area at Quarrystone at Overlook Ridge, where crime scene tape was up and evidence markers were being put out. An increased police presence could still be seen at the complex on Monday morning.Police say the shooting occurred in the lobby of the apartment complex.Witnesses said they heard a barrage of gunshots and then a flurry of activity in the area.The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said a 33-year-old woman was one of the two people wounded. A man who went to the hospital after was also injured in the shooting.Anyone with information is asked to call the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office or Malden police.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Two cancer drug trials put on hold after patients died, companies say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

(CNN) — Two clinical trials have been paused within the past two days because six participants – including one child – have died, according to reports by the drug companies.The two trials were unrelated: They were in different stages and testing therapies. But both were testing new cancer treatments. One was testing a treatment for a blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, and the other was testing a new agent for ovarian cancer.Deaths in clinical trials are thought to be rare. A study published in 2019, which looked at deaths in studies testing breast cancer drugs over a decade in Germany, found that out of more than 23,000 patients treated in 32 trials, 88 of them (0.4%) died on their therapies. Of those 88 deaths, only 27% were determined to be related to the treatments themselves.Seattle Children’s has paused the study while the death is investigated, according to Dr. Rebecca Gardner, interim chief medical officer at Seattle Children’s T...

Who impressed at OTAs? What does Justin Fields need to show at camp? 4 key topics as Chicago Bears head into their summer break.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus sent his team into its summer break with the message that players need to stick to their individual strength, conditioning and nutrition plans so their bodies are ready for training camp.After nine organized team activity practices, a team bonding event at the United Center and a three-day mandatory minicamp, the Bears have five weeks to regroup before preparation for the 2023 season kicks into high gear.As the Bears reset, the Tribune’s team of writers addressed four key topics surrounding the team.1. The player I noticed the most during OTAs and minicamp was _________.Brad Biggs: DJ Moore.It was impossible to miss the new wide receiver, and with him wearing jersey No. 2, the Bears are banking on a slew of big plays from 1 (Justin Fields) to 2. At times passing elements at practice had a purpose, and it was easy to tell the coaching staff was trying to facilitate the relationship on the field. Moore isn’t very tall — he’s li...

Blinken and Xi pledge to stabilize deteriorated US-China ties, but the main US request is rebuffed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE (AP Diplomatic Writer)BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and said they agreed to “stabilize” badly deteriorated U.S.-China ties, but America’s top diplomat left Beijing with his biggest ask rebuffed: better communications between their militaries.After meeting Xi, Blinken said China is not ready to resume military-to-military contacts, something the U.S. considers crucial to avoid miscalculation and conflict, particularly over Taiwan.Yet Blinken and Xi pronounced themselves satisfied with progress made during the two days of talks, without pointing to specific areas of agreement beyond a mutual decision to return to a broad agenda for cooperation and competition endorsed last year year by Xi and President Joe Biden at a summit in Bali.And, it remained unclear if those understandings can resolve their most important disagreements, many of which have international implications. St...

Shooting prompts SWAT standoff in Pacific Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A shooting suspect is in custody after they barricaded themself inside a Pacific Beach apartment Monday, prompting a five-hour SWAT standoff, San Diego police confirmed.Around 12:51 a.m., SDPD received a call reporting a shooting from a neighboring home at a cluster of studio apartments located near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Gresham Street.Upon arrival, officers found a bullet hole and were able to determine where the shot was fired from. Police contacted the people to try and get them to come out, but they refused, prompting the standoff, SDPD Lt. Adam Sharki said. Two minors killed after struck by car on SR-78 Several nearby homes and units were evacuated by police due to the shooting and several surrounding roads were closed to drivers. There were no injuries reported from the incident."I just heard a bang. It didn’t sound like a gunshot to me. I thought it was someone smashing something really loud." said evacuated resident Andy DeJoseph.Around 4:30 a.m....

Greek court postpones hearing for smuggling suspects in deadly migrant boat sinking until Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

MALAKASA, Greece (AP) — A court in southern Greece on Monday postponed a hearing for nine Egyptian men accused of being migrant smugglers in a case involving the sinking of a fishing trawler last week that killed at least 80 people and left hundreds more missing.Estimates have put the number of people packed on the dilapidated fishing trawler at around 700-750. A total of 104 people were rescued when the boat capsized and sank in international waters off the coast of Greece last Wednesday, while 78 bodies were recovered. A search and rescue operation continues, but the chances of finding more survivors are slim. Another two bodies were found Monday in the area of the search, Greece’s coast guard said. It added that they were being taken to the southern port of Kalamata ahead of identification efforts.The court in Kalamata postponed the Egyptians’ hearing until Tuesday to give them and their lawyers time to review the testimonies of nine Syrian and Pakistani survivors, gi...

Auto tycoon Ghosn denies payments to former French Cabinet minister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese judge on Monday questioned auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn in Beirut over possible links to a former French Cabinet minister charged two years ago with “passive corruption” for work she did for him, officials familiar with the case said.The Lebanese officials said Ghosn denied any dealings with France’s former Justice Minister Rachida Dati who is accused of having done consulting work for Ghosn for two years starting in 2010 when she was a member of the European parliament.Dati was accused in 2021 of “passive corruption by a person who at the time was holding an elective mandate” and “benefiting from abuse of power.” She was suspected of lobbying which would have been illegal in her position.The former head of Nissan and Renault denied during the questioning in Beirut that Nissan had paid about $1 million for Dati in lawyer fees, added the officials speaking on condition of anonymity.The officials said Beirut recently received a new Red Notice from Inte...

Russian opposition leader Navalny urges anti-Kremlin campaign as his new trial begins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:37 GMT

MELEKHOVO, Russia (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny urged his supporters Monday to begin a broad campaign against Moscow’s actions in Ukraine as he went on trial on new charges of extremism that could keep him behind bars for decades.The trial began inside a maximum security penal colony in Melekhovo, 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow, where Navalny, 47, is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court — charges he says are politically motivated. Soon after it started, the judge closed the trial despite Navalny’s demand to keep it open.In a statement posted on social media by his allies, Navalny declared that the decision to close the trial was a sign of fear by President Vladimir Putin, and he announced the start of a campaign against Moscow’s decision to send troops to Ukraine.Navalny said the effort must reach out to millions to explain the disastrous impact of the fighting and “combat Putin’s lies and the Kr...