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| Hello. Our correspondent Tom Bateman travelled with Antony Blinken in China. He describes the mood on the trip. The US Secretary of State met Chinese officials, then told Laura Bicker the US had some words of caution for Beijing. Michelle Roberts explains why a new vaccine is being described as "one of the most exciting things we've seen". You also must see a remarkable painting, and we've got details of how Formula E is speeding things along for the more everyday electric vehicle driver. Finally, my colleagues at The Essential List newsletter have some exciting news: their round-up of our best feature content is going twice-weekly. I can highly recommend signing up. | |
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GET UP TO SPEED | | - Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are to be tried on rape and sex trafficking charges, a court in Romania has decided.
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| China warns US over 'red lines' |  | Antony Blinken and Wang Yi met at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Credit: Reuters. | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met China's President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, stressing the need to "communicate clearly about our differences". Discussions touched on several divisive topics for the two powerful nations, including Taiwan, Ukraine, the Philippines and Tibet. |
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| | Tom Bateman, US State Department correspondent |
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| | This has neither been about red carpets nor warm welcomes. I have watched Blinken largely trying to keep a polite but tough look on his face at the start of the meetings with his Chinese counterparts. More stern than smiles. It feels like these two sides are in a stand-off posture: One superpower recognising the other's emerging rival status. Each have been setting their red lines, checking each other out. Yes, trying to re-establish dialogue and diplomacy after ties hit rock-bottom early last year, but aware of the grave risks involved if the world's "most consequential" relationship - as Blinken puts it - goes wrong.
Both sides have made demands in the past three days. The Americans want Beijing to stop sending microchips and tools to Russia they say end up making weapons used in Ukraine. China is telling Washington to back off when it comes to what it sees as its right to exercise its demands in its own neighbourhood. Like the rest of the visit - they are both playing tough. |
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| | - BBC interview: Antony Blinken tells our China correspondent Laura Bicker the US will act if China continues to arm Russia against Ukraine.
| - Not for sale: ByteDance says it has no plans to sell TikTok, despite the US passing a law threatening to ban the app if it remains under Chinese ownership.
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Personalised melanoma vaccine tested |
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|  | Steve Young is one of the UK patients enrolled on the trial. Credit: PA Media. | An important trial of the world's first "personalised" mRNA vaccine against the deadliest form of skin cancer - melanoma - has begun in the UK. The treatment uses the unique genetic signature of the patient's own tumour to fight the cancer cells. It uses the same technology as current Covid vaccines. |
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| | Michelle Roberts, digital health editor |
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| How does the trial work? | The vaccine is in final-stage Phase III trials in countries including the UK and Australia. In the UK, the trial wants to recruit at least 60-70 patients across eight locations. They must have had their high-risk melanoma surgically removed in the last 12 weeks to ensure the best result. Some of them will get a dummy or placebo shot rather than the vaccine. None of them know which they are receiving though. | Could this be used to treat other cancers? | Potentially. Dr Heather Shaw from University College London Hospitals, who are conducting the British trial, says it has the potential to cure people with melanoma and is being tested on other cancers - lung, bladder and kidney tumours. | How do I know if I have a melanoma? | Take a look at our article to find out what to look for, including some images for reference. With some fair warning, this probably isn’t one to read while you’re eating. | | - 'A game changer': Scientists believe the Nobel Prize-winning technology behind mRNA vaccines may be the key to solving a variety of health problems, as BBC Future has explored.
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| How 'woke' is the Pope? | Since rising to the top of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has had a reputation as a moderniser. But a recent Vatican document is challenging his liberal image. | Hear why > |
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THE BIG PICTURE | Conservation does work, study finds |
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| |  | A snap of two Cuban crocodiles at a breeding sanctuary. Credit: Robin Moore/Re:wild. | Here's something heartening to cheer up your weekend. Efforts to protect endangered animals and plants are effective, a study suggests. Researchers spent 10 years looking at conservation projects across the globe going back as far as 1890. Positive effects were seen for turtles, trees, terns and more. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Charging ahead | Formula E's racing cars are boosting the wider electric vehicle industry. | |
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And finally... in the UK | Plumber Pete Harrington, who is wowing fans with his artworks online, says it's his ADHD diagnosis that has empowered him to create highly detailed paintings. Check out his latest, which we couldn't believe wasn't a photo. | |
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The Essential List newsletter | The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | - In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe.
| - US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe.
| - Football Extra: Latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays. Subscribe.
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