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Senior US, Chinese diplomats hold ‘candid’ talks to avoid escalation of tensions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats held “candid and productive” talks in Beijing and agreed to keep open lines of communication to avoid tensions from spiraling into conflict, officials said Tuesday. Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, was the most senior U.S. official confirmed to have visited China on Monday since tensions between Washington and Beijing soared over the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. in early February. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the time postponed a planned trip to China, and Beijing has since largely rebuffed attempts at official exchanges, though two top U.S. and Chinese defense officials briefly interacted at a forum in Singapore over the weekend.China’s Foreign Ministry said Kritenbrink and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu “had candid, constructive and fruitful communication on promoting the improvement of China-U.S. relations and properly managing dif...

Ukraine to open hearings in case against Russia at top UN court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Hearings open Tuesday at the United Nations’ highest court in a case brought by Ukraine against Russia linked to Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and arming of rebels in eastern Ukraine in the years before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv wants the International Court of Justice to order Moscow to pay reparations for attacks in the regions, including for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down by Russia-backed rebels on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew.Four days of hearings in the court’s ornate, wood-paneled Great Hall of Justice are opening against a backdrop of Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II raging on in Ukraine. Ukraine on Tuesday accused Russian forces of blowing up a major dam and hydroelectric power station in a part of in a part of the country Moscow controls, threatening a massive flood.Lawyers for Kyiv will present legal arguments to su...

Australian central bank boosts cash rate to 4.1% with 12th hike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia: (AP) — Australia’s central bank on Tuesday lifted its benchmark interest rate for a 12th consecutive time, to 4.1%, and warned further rises could follow.The Reserve Bank of Australia boosted the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point at its latest monthly meeting. That followed a higher-than-expected 6.8% annual inflation rate reported for the January-March quarter.Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe said it would take time for inflation to fall to the target range of 2% to 3%.“This further increase in interest rates is to provide greater confidence that inflation will return to target within a reasonable timeframe,” Lowe said in a statement.The cash rate is now at its highest level since April 2012.The bank first started jacking up interest rates in June 2022. Lowe said further increases might be needed. “The board will continue to pay close attention to developments in the global economy, trends in household spending, and the outlook for inflation and the...

Son Jun-ho selected for South Korean soccer team despite being detained in China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

The selection of Son Jun-ho despite his detention in China took the focus off Premier League star Son Heung-min for once when South Korea’s soccer roster was unveiled.Son Jun-ho, who plays for Shandong Taishan and won the 2021 Chinese championship with the Jinan-based club, has been held by Chinese authorities for almost four weeks since he was detained at Shanghai Airport last month.Yet he was picked by South Korea’s head coach Jurgen Klinsmann this week for two international friendlies against Peru and El Salvador on June 16 and 20. Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Son, who represented South Korea at the World Cup last year in Qatar, was being investigated on suspicion of taking bribes.Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post last month reported that the bribery allegations concerned suspected match-fixing involving coach Hao Wei.The Korea Football Association (KFA) said despite visits by officials to China, it has collected little information about ...

Normandy marks D-Day’s 79th anniversary, honors WWII veterans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

ON OMAHA BEACH, France (AP) — An overwhelming sound of gunfire and men’s screams. That’s how World War II veteran Marie Scott described D-Day as ceremonies were to honor those who fought for freedom in the largest naval, air and land operation in history.On Tuesday, the whistling sound of the wind accompanied many reenactors who came at dawn on Omaha Beach to mark the 79th anniversary of the assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control. Some brought a bunch of flowers, others waved American flags.Scott lived it all through her ears. She was just 17 when she was posted as communication operator in Portsmouth, Britain. Her job was to pass on messages between men on the ground and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and senior officers who were supervising the operation.“I was in the war. I could hear gunfire, machine guns, bombing aircraft, men screaming, shouting, men giving orders,” she recalled.“After a few moments of horror, I realised what was happening...

Russian police arrest more than 100 Navalny supporters, group says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

Russian police on Sunday (4 June) arrested more than 100 people who had taken to the streets to mark the 47th birthday of Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, a protest monitoring group said.OVD-Info said in a statement that 109 people had been detained in 23 cities as of 10:42 p.m. Moscow time (1942 GMT). Authorities have clamped down heavily on signs of dissent since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and in most cities, only a handful of people were held.Navalny is serving combined sentences of 11-1/2 years for fraud and contempt of court on charges that he said were trumped up to silence him.Footage from Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia's two largest cities, showed police arresting individual demonstrators. One man could be seen briefly holding up a sign before Moscow police ushered him away, bent over, as he groaned in pain.Another man, who held up a sign in English that read "Free Navalny", was also arrested in Moscow.In St Petersburg, a woman ...

Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville arrested after getting into fight with family member

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

BERKELEY – Ex-KTVU anchor Frank Somerville was arrested Monday night in Berkeley after getting into a fight with a family member, according to jail records and media reports.Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. to a home in the 800 block of Indian Rock Avenue, where Somerville’s brother was restraining Somerville, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.A spokesperson for the Berkeley Police Department told the newspaper Somerville had arrived at the residence intoxicated. He then got into a dispute that quickly escalated, police said.Somerville, 65, was being held at the Berkeley City Jail on misdemeanor charges of battery, criminal threats and disorderly conduct, according to jail records. His bail was set at $27,500.Somerville is set to be arraigned Thursday at the Wiley M. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.The police spokesperson did not immediately return messages seeking details about the arrest.Somerville’s 31-year career at KTVU ended on Jan. 31, 2022, when his contract expired and...

Ascienden a 5 los sospechosos detenidos por el tiroteo de Hollywood, Florida, que causó 9 heridos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

(CNN) — Cinco sospechosos del tiroteo del Día de los Caídos en el que resultaron heridas nueve personas cerca del animado paseo marítimo de Hollywood Beach, en el sur de Florida, están ya detenidos, anunció este lunes la policía.El tiroteo de la semana pasada comenzó como una pelea entre dos grupos que terminó a tiros, hiriendo a transeúntes inocentes en el concurrido paseo marítimo, entre ellos un niño de un año, según la policía de Hollywood.Entre los sospechosos detenidos por el tiroteo hay dos menores de 18 años.Un chico de 15 años, otro de 16 y un hombre de 18 fueron acusados de un cargo de intento de asesinato en primer grado, ocho cargos de intento de asesinato en segundo grado y un cargo de portar un arma de fuego oculta, según la policía.Las tres nuevas detenciones se suman a otras dos que fueron arrestadas inmediatamente después del tiroteo.Nueve personas resultan heridas durante un enfrentamiento entre dos grupos en Hollywood, Florida, dicen las autoridadesEl tirote...

Atlanta United takes draw streak into matchup against Los Angeles FC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

Atlanta United FC (6-4-6, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles FC (7-1-4, fourth in the Western Conference)Los Angeles; Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLS LINE: LAFC -157, Atlanta United FC +378, Draw +321; over/under is 2.5 goalsBOTTOM LINE: Atlanta United takes on Los Angeles FC after playing to a draw in three consecutive games.LAFC is 5-0-1 at home. LAFC is 5-0-0 when it scores at least three goals.United is 1-3-4 in road games. United has a 3-1 record in matches decided by one goal.The teams meet Wednesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Denis Bouanga has 10 goals and one assist for LAFC. Carlos Vela has scored three goals over the past 10 games.Giorgos Giakoumakis has scored nine goals for United. Thiago Almada has three goals and three assists over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: LAFC: 5-1-4, averaging 1.6 goals, 5.4 shots on goal and 6.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 0.8 goals per game.United: 2-3-5, averaging 1.9 goals, 4.9 s...

Turner’s 2 home runs, 4 hits, a hopeful breakout game for Phillies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:43 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner laughed as he pointed out that, no, his mom had not booed him again as she did from home during a game last month even as his numbers dipped more into uh-oh than All-Star territory.Turner stuck with his process even as some Phillies fans grumbled they might have been stuck with a free-agent bust only two months into a $300-million, 11-year free-agent contract.Hang tight.Turner might just be getting started — just as the Phillies are warming up again in June as they did last season when they burst out of an early-season funk and rode the hot streak all the way to the World Series.Turner homered twice for the first time with the Phillies, singled twice and knocked in three runs to lead the Phillies to an 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.“When he’s getting his pitches, and he’s not missing, it’s pretty fun to watch,” said winner Aaron Nola.Turner bumped his average to .243 — his OPS was 130th in baseball at .684 — and isn...