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Sunak tells Biden UK will stand by cluster bomb ban amid Ukraine tensions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

LONDON — Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak were all smiles Monday as they met in London — but concern about the United States’ decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine lingered.The U.K. prime minister told the U.S. president Monday that Britain will “stand by our obligations” under a treaty banning the production or use of the controversial munitions, according to Sunak’s official spokesperson.Publicly, the two leaders — meeting for the sixth time since Sunak became prime minister last year — demonstrated a united front ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Vilnius.Speaking in front of reporters at Downing Street, Biden said he “couldn’t be meeting with a closer friend and a greater ally.”In a sit-down that ran to just 40 minutes, and saw the pair drink tea in the garden of 10 Downing Street, the U.S president and British PM reaffirmed what Biden called “rock solid” relations between the two countries.“We stand as two of the f...

‘Heartbreaking’: Frantic search continues for missing 7-year-old Lowell girl with autism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Lowell police are turning to the public for help as emergency crews continue to search for a missing 7-year-old girl who is nonverbal and living with autism.Anna was last seen between 2 and 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere section of the city and may be riding on a bicycle. She is described as being a Black girl who is 4 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 70 pounds. She was last seen wearing black shorts, a white vest, and a purple hair tie.Even before Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan used a Sunday evening news conference to urge area residents to come outside and assist in the search, dozens of neighbors could be seen fanning out across the area and calling out Anna’s name in the hopes of locating her.Officers on ATVs, bikes, boats, a helicopter, and others using a drone could be seen searching the Merrimack River and surrounding area late into the night.As the search unfo...

Motorists warned of lengthy traffic delays as Sumner Tunnel closure enters second week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is warning drivers heading into Boston to be prepared for even more slowdowns for the Monday morning commute as the two-month shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel enters its second week.Although the first week of the shutdown created some longer drive times for motorists in and around the city, MassDOT officials are reminding drivers that the levels were lower than usual because it was a holiday week. Commuters are being urged to use public transportation whenever possible.“People are going to be back from the holiday, that’s when you’re going to see most of your heaviest impacts,” MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Glover said.The nearly 90-year-old tunnel is undergoing a $160 million project to repair its ceiling, pavement and lighting. Drivers are being diverted while the construction project continues through August.“We’re hoping that people don’t look at the traffic impacts this week and think well it’s not so bad I’m gonna jump on th...

Man in custody in connection with Malden shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

A man has been taken into custody in connection with a shooting in Malden on Sunday that left a man hospitalized.Officers responded to a reported shooting outside New York Pizza on Main Street learned the victim had gone to the hospital.A 20-year-old Malden man has been identified as the suspect in the shooting and is in custody, police said in a statement on Monday morning. His name has not been released.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Putin hosted Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin at the Kremlin after abortive mutiny

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

By The Associated PressRussian President Vladimir Putin hosted mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence held by both men.The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself. The Wagner forces pledged loyalty to Putin, according to Peskov.The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month in order to demand a change of defense minister, was extraordinary. Though Putin branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded, the criminal case against the mercenary chie...

Chicago Cubs in MLB draft: Shortstop Matt Shaw — one of the top college hitters — at No. 13 and right-hander Jaxon Wiggins at No. 68

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

Matt Shaw’s ambitious outlook for his professional already has him envisioning a fast track to Wrigley Field.The Chicago Cubs selected the University of Maryland shortstop with the 13th overall draft pick Sunday.“My goal is to play in the major leagues, so I wanted to be on a team I thought would move me up and give me the opportunity to kind of fail early and learn to get my footing through playing against really good competition, moving up to Double A and moving up to the majors,” Shaw said Sunday night. “And for me, the Cubs will do a good job of that and that’s really exciting to me.”After going the pitcher route in the first round three of the last four years, the Cubs tapped into the deep college hitter pool for their top 2023 draft pick with their selection of Shaw.Shaw, 21, was considered one of the top college hitters in the draft. He won the 2023 Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s top shortstop and was the Big Ten Player of the Y...

Chicago White Sox in MLB draft: Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez at No. 15 and right-hander Grant Taylor at No. 51

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

Jacob Gonzalez knew the Chicago White Sox had some interest.“They were my best meeting at the combine,” Gonzalez said during a video conference Sunday. “When I met with the White Sox, they were the only team to show video of my swing and they were very interested — on the video — they wanted to know what I was trying to do in it and what they see I can do with my swing.”Gonzalez aims to showcase that swing someday at Guaranteed Rate Field after the Sox selected the Mississippi shortstop with the No. 15 pick in the MLB draft Sunday.“It means a lot,” he said. “It’s a small step in the long run. But it feels nice to get going in the journey.“I felt like I got a little bit trolled by the A’s pick (at No. 6) when they said Jacob Wilson. I got my hopes up for half a second, but it was good. I had my friends and family surrounding me. They were all really supportive and very excited for me.”The Sox drafted LSU ri...

A bejeweled cannon and other art will head home to Sri Lanka from Netherlands museum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s foreign minister said Monday that his country welcomes the Netherlands’ plan to return hundreds of colonial-era artifacts — including a bejeweled, ceremonial cannon — and said the Indian Ocean island is working to preserve the historic items. The Dutch government last week announced that it will return 478 objects of cultural significance to Indonesia and to Sri Lanka. It said the objects were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period, acquired under duress or by looting. Under the plan, Sri Lanka is to receive six artifacts, including the cannon and guns currently in the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures and the Rijksmuseum. The transfer of ownership to Sri Lanka will take place later this year.Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said Sri Lanka is “very grateful” for the items’ return. Discussions continued, he said, to “identify the number of artifacts.”“We need to have the mechanism here...

Stock market today: Wall Street uneven ahead of US inflation update as US earnings season kicks off

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

BANGKOK — Trading is uneven on Wall Street as the corporate earnings season kicks off and ahead of new inflation data for the Federal Reserve to consider before its next policy meeting later this month. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1% before the bell, while S&P 500 were essentially unchanged.U.S. consumer prices for June are due out on Wednesday, with forecasts calling for an annual increase of just over 3% compared with 4% the month before. The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates in an effort to cool the economy and bring inflation down to its target level of 2%.On Thursday, the government reports on prices at the wholesale level.Sprinkled throughout the week will be new quarterly earnings reports from Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo and big banks like Wells Fargo, JPMorgan and Citigroup.On Friday, Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish after data suggested the U.S. job market is still warm enough to keep the economy growing but maybe not so hot ...

Debt worries up as higher interest rates and rising cost of living take a toll: MNP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

CALGARY — A report by insolvency firm MNP Ltd. says 52 per cent of Canadians say they are $200 away or less from not being able to pay all of their bills at the end of the month as higher interest rates and a rising cost of living have stretched budgets.The result for the July report is up six percentage points from 46 per cent in April.MNP president Grant Bazian says the escalating burden of household bills and food prices has intensified Canadians’ financial anxiety and is further compounded by increased debt-servicing costs, particularly for those who are deeply indebted.MNP’s consumer debt index fell to 83 points in its latest reading compared with 89 points in April as Canadians expressed a more negative attitude toward their personal finances and debt.The report says 35 per cent of those asked say they already don’t make enough to cover their bills and debt payments, up from 30 per cent in April and a record high for the survey. It also says a record 48 per c...