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Bulgarian defense minister ‘regrets’ Zelenskyy visit leak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Bulgaria’s Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said he “regrets” that information leaked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Sofia on Thursday.The visit was initially kept secret for security reasons, but diplomatic sources leaked the plans Tuesday to Bulgarian outlet 24chasa.bg.Tagarev confirmed Zelenskyy’s visit to Bulgaria on TV1 on Tuesday and apologized for the advance revelations. “For such a visit there have been preparations for some time, it is not public. I am sorry that information was leaked in the public domain,” he said. Bulgaria’s new prime minister, Nikolai Denkov, is ardently pro-Ukraine, but its president, Rumen Radev, is equivocal on Bulgaria’s position in NATO and hostile to arming Kyiv. As head of state, Zelenskyy would likely be expected to meet Radev on such a visit. Sofia’s government has recently announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine.“We will have security when ...

Macron floats social media cuts during riots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron told mayors on Tuesday that one option when riots are out of control could be to cut access to social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok, according to footage of his speech seen by POLITICO. “We need to think about the use of these networks by the youth … and about the bans that need to be put in place. And I say this very clearly, because they change the way young people relate to reality,” Macron said at a gathering at the Elysée Palace with some 250 mayors of cities targeted during the riots.“And [we need to think about] the decisions we make, including administrative decisions, when things get out of hand, so that at some point we can say we’re in a position to regulate or cut them off. It’s important not to do it in the heat of the moment, and I’m glad we didn’t have to, but it’s a real debate we need to have when things cool down,” he added. French news chann...

Meta’s Twitter rival Threads not yet launching in the EU

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Most Europeans will have to wait before they get their hands on Meta’s Twitter rival Threads, the company and its chief EU regulator confirmed Wednesday.Facebook’s parent company Meta will release its alternative to Elon Musk’s social media platform on Thursday in the U.S. and the U.K., according to App Store data. But Meta is not planning to roll out the Instagram-linked app in the EU at this point, a spokesperson for the Irish Data Protection Commission told POLITICO. Ireland’s regulator oversees the company because the firm has set up its EU headquarters there. The spokesperson added Meta said it would be in contact ahead of rolling out the app in the EU.Meta confirmed to POLITICO that it would not launch Threads in Europe at the current time. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment further. The company faces a range of new EU tech laws putting pressure on its business model, including the Digital Markets Act on digital competition, which prohib...

Investigation underway after shooting in Brockton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Authorities are investigating a shooting in Brockton.Officers could be seen leaving evidence markers on the ground in the area of Tremont and Fulton streets. No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Suspicious death investigation underway in Bartlett, NH

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Authorities are conducting a suspicious death investigation in Bartlett, New Hampshire, officials announced Wednesday morning.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Daywatch: Highland Park remembers, together

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Good morning, Chicago.Cooper Roberts, the 9-year-old paralyzed from the waist down in last year’s July 4 Highland Park parade shooting, threw out the first pitch at Monday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and his favorite team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who have shown their support since soon after the tragedy.Surrounded by family and other invited members of the Highland Park community who were impacted by the incident, Cooper was the featured attraction at home plate when outfielder Christian Yelich, his favorite player, sidled up beside the entourage and surprised him.With help from his brother, Luke, who was hit by shrapnel on the day of the shooting, Cooper was pushed out to the 30-foot mark between the pitcher’s mound, and home plate, where Yelich crouched to catch the toss. Cooper threw a perfect strike on one bounce.Highland Park marked a year since seven people were killed and dozen more were injured during the Independence Day parade shooting. The somber anni...

‘Big decisions’ loom for the Chicago White Sox — now 37-50 and 7 games back — with the trade deadline less than a month away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

There were plenty of interesting notes from the Chicago White Sox’s California trip.Starter Lance Lynn took umbrage with Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrew Velazquez bunting Thursday. Third baseman Jake Burger disclosed after homering Sunday against the Oakland Athletics that tips from his wife, Ashlyn, helped.There just wasn’t enough sustained success.The Sox went 3-4 in the two series. After beginning their final homestand before the All-Star break with a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, they are 13 games under .500 (37-50) and seven games back in the American League Central.The trade deadline is less than a month away. And the Sox have to make some choices.“Obviously we’ve got big decisions to make by Aug. 1,” general manager Rick Hahn said before Tuesday’s game. “I’ve seen quotes from players, I’ve heard from players directly, (manager) Pedro (Grifol) and the coaches have heard from players directly, that their priority an...

Antoni: Court’s student loan decision will tether tuition prices

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

Taxpayers can be grateful that the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s unconstitutional student loan bailout. The justices saved America from not just a massive expense on the current federal balance sheet, but excessive borrowing and higher tuition costs in the future.Biden’s student loan amnesty plan was a misuse of the 2003 HEROES Act and would have put taxpayers on the hook for up to $20,000 per student loan borrower. Even those borrowers with relatively high incomes were eligible for the handout; households making $250,000 annually were eligible for up to $40,000 in “forgiveness” – a euphemism for a taxpayer bailout.The exact cost of such a bailout would have been far higher than the White House’s estimate of $380 billion, with some estimates exceeding $1 trillion. The disparity between these estimates stems from the fact that a taxpayer-funded bailout of student loan debt would have created incentives that in turn change people’s behavior.If the Supreme Court had g...

China accuses the US of turning Taiwan into a powder keg with its latest sales of military equipment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Defense Ministry accused the United States of turning Taiwan into a powder keg on Wednesday with its latest sales of $440 million in military equipment to the self-governing island democracy. The U.S. State Department approved of the sale of 30 mm ammunition and related equipment, along with spare parts for Taiwan’s vehicles, small arms, combat weapon systems, and logistical support items. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei responded that “the U.S. ignores China’s core concerns, crudely interferes in China’s internal affairs, and deliberately escalates tensions across the Taiwan Strait.”China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary, and Tan said “stern representations” had been lodged with the U.S. “This is tantamount to accelerating the transformation of Taiwan into a ‘powder keg’ and pushing the Taiwanese people into the abyss of disaster,” he said in a statement on the ministry̵...

1 dead, 6 hurt in July Fourth block party shooting on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:42 GMT

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — A 14-year-old boy was killed and six other people were injured in a shooting at a Fourth of July block party on Maryland’s Eastern Shore early Wednesday, according to the county sheriff’s office.The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting in Salisbury shortly after midnight, according to a statement posted on social media. Salisbury is a city of about 33,200 people about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southeast of Washington, D.C.Investigators determined that seven people were shot and one victim, a 14-year-old boy, died at a hospital, the sheriff’s office said. The other six victims were being treated at a hospital, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.No arrests have been made, but there was an active investigation, Capt. Timothy Robinson said by telephone. The Salisbury shooting was one of several mass shootings over the holiday weekend, including fatal shootings in Baltimore, Fort Worth, Texas, and Philadelphia. T...