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US and allies are pushing China and Russia closer together, but will their ‘unbreakable friendship’ past?

Russia and China could not stop stressing about their “unbreakable friendship” before Vladimir Putin’s summit with US President Joe Biden this week. Relations between Moscow and Beijing are at an “unprecedentedly significant level,” Russian chief Putin told NBC in an interview aired Monday, stressing he doesn’t consider China a threat. “China is a friendly nation. It has not announced us an enemy, as the United States has done,” he said. On Tuesday, Beijing returned to the compliments in kind, declaring the “sky is the limit” for spiritual cooperation. In recent years, the two countries have gravitated closer to each other amid their own forging connections with the West. For Russia, a pivot to the planet’s second largest economy proved to be a pure solution to sanctions within its annexation of Crimea and incursions into eastern Ukraine at 2014. And Beijing was more than happy to embrace closer ties with its northern neighbor since concerns escalated in almost every facet of its relations with the US. Economics has been at the center of their strategic partnership. Bilateral trade passed $100 billion in 2018, and the goal is to double it by 2024. The two countries have also deepened energy cooperation, including a $400 billion deal to transport natural gas in Russia and multiple joint nuclear power plant jobs in China. Moscow can also be Beijing’s largest arms supplier, supplying 70% of China’s arms imports between 2014 and 2018. On the diplomatic front, Beijing and Moscow have frequently sided with every other at the United Nations Security Council, countering the US and its allies on topics such as Syria while rejecting Western criticism over human rights violations. But their strategic alliance has taken on more urgency since Biden came to office with a pledge to maintain US leadership around the world platform. Beneath Biden, Washington has repeatedly singled out Russia and China as the largest dangers to this rules-based global arrangement, as it rallies allies to combine in a clear ideological battle between democracy and autocracy. Over the previous couple of days, talks on how to offset the authoritarian action of Russia and China were featured prominently in both the group of Seven (G7) summit in England and the NATO assembly in Brussels. In answer, Moscow and Beijing have introduced a strong united front against the criticism, along with what they say will be “attempts at ruining” their connection. “We have to inform those who strive every means to push a wedge between China and Russia any attempt to undermine China-Russia relations is doomed to fail,” Zhao, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday. But despite the show of unity, plenty of potential for friction remains. Trade relations between the two countries are deeply uncontrollable. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, although Russia is a far less important trading partner to China. Nearly all Russia’s exports to China comprise of natural resources and raw materials, in exchange for imports of manufactured goods.

There might be geopolitical issues also. Throughout its Belt and Road Initiative, China has expanded its economic impact in Central Asia, an area long termed by Russia because its own sphere of influence. Beyond official relations, the Russian people is growing increasingly wary of Chinese investment from Siberia and the Russian Far East, where Chinese jobs have stoked resentment and backlash from locals. Observers have long seen increasing Sino-Russian ties as a venture of advantage driven by geopolitical and economic interests, after the 2 powers moved on from their past animosity. In the late 1950s, relations between Moscow and Beijing became strained, and were later characterized by deep mistrust, ideological disputes and boundary conflicts. And now, in the lack of shared basic values, common ideologies and also a formal military alliance, it remains to be seen exactly how deep and lasting their own ties will be. Around Asia A total of 28 Chinese army airplanes flew to Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) Tuesday — the biggest incursion since the self-ruled island started regularly reporting these actions last year. An entire crew of employees at a quick food restaurant at Pakistan were supposedly detained on the weekend after refusing police officers’ demands free of burgers.

In Japan, some volunteers to the Tokyo Olympics are anxious about the chance of grabbing Covid-19, amid uncertainty over whether they’ll get vaccinated before the games. Photo of their Day Setting up a house in space: China will ship three astronauts into orbit on Thursday in its first crewed mission in almost five years. The 3 men, aged between 45 and 56, will endure for three months on the core section of the country’s as yet completed space station. While aboard the space station, called Tiangong or Heavenly Palace, the men will set up equipment and conduct a string of technical tests. A spending slump might be weighing on China’s retrieval A coronavirus flare-up in southern China and economic uncertainty among consumers might be complicating the country’s recovery efforts. Movie ticket sales throughout the Duanwu Festival holiday weekend — known in English as Dragon Boat Festival — plunged about 40% in the exact same period in 2019, based on official statistics. It was the worst box office performance for the holiday since 2015. And while 89 million individuals traveled over China’s borders during the vacation , or almost the same as throughout 2019’s pre-virus level, they did not invest as much as they used to. Official data revealed that entire tourist spending was just 75 percent of that in 2019. Chinese state media partially attributed the poor box office results in community lockdowns from the populous Guangdong area, enforced to control a coronavirus epidemic that started a month. The epidemic has also snarled other industries, including shipping, since Guangdong is home to several significant ports.

There may have been a couple of other elements in play. Moviegoers on Chinese sociable media complained about a shortage of Hollywood blockbusters to see the weekend. Along with the general fall in tourist spending could also be attributed to uncertainty about the economy. A nationwide survey conducted by the People’s Bank of China at the early quarter of 2021 revealed just 22% of urban residents who reacted were willing to invest more. Nearly half of those surveyed wished to save more.China has emerged out of the pandemic at a quicker pace than other big economies, thanks to strong worldwide demand for its products and also a state-led investment boom in infrastructure and real estate projects. But intake has recovered at a slower pace than anticipated. Additionally, it slowed from March’s 34% increase. The job economy hasn’t fully recovered, either. The economy added roughly 4.4 million new jobs in the first four months, fewer compared to 4.6 million recorded during the exact same period in 2019. — By Laura HePressure assembles for Beijing 2022 boycott A increasing number of Western parliaments are denouncing China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide, further afield Beijing diplomatically and increasing the likelihood of a partial political boycott of this 2022 Winter Olympics. On Tuesday, the Belgian Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee passed a non-binding motion saying Uyghurs were at “serious threat” of genocide as a consequence of the Chinese government’s actions from the far western area of the nation. A vote in the resolution is expected from the legislature on July 1. “Our small nation is fantastic, since we dare to save a little humanity,” explained Samuel Cogolati, a member of parliament, on his official Twitter. Belgian lawmakers are the hottest Western parliamentarians to debate a motion condemning Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang, where human rights specialists claim around 1 million Uyghurs have been detained in a huge system of re-education camps.

On July 10, the Czech Republic’s Senate announced the Chinese government was committing genocide from Xinjiang. On May 20, the parliament of Lithuania passed an identical non-binding resolution. In total, five Western parliaments have passed official non-binding motions using the term genocide in accordance with China’s Xinjiang policies, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands, with Belgium inclined to follow. The United States government in January formally declared China’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang as genocide. But the best blow could still be yet to come for the Chinese government. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on June 7 he was consulting America’s allies to a “shared approach” to a boycott on the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, in keeping Biden’s push to get a united front on activity against China. And strain to get a diplomatic boycott is climbing. The Czech Senate endorsed the concept in its announcement of genocide in Xinjiang a week. The US Innovation and Competition Act, which passed the Senate on June 8, also added a clause which will make it “the coverage of the US” to take part in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

World News

Ukraine war: Kyiv secures a bridgehead across the key Dnipro River, reports

But military experts warn that advancing from positions across the Dnipro could be very difficult.

Ukrainian troops have set up positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson region, reports say.The region is partially Russian-held and crossing the river could be significant in future offensives.The US-based Institute for the Study of War says Russian military bloggers have posted “enough geolocated footage and text reports to confirm” the advance.BBC Ukraine says its military sources have reported a “certain movement across [the] Dnipro” near Kherson city.

Ukraine’s military has not confirmed the movement, while Russia has denied the reports.But if the reports that Ukraine has secured a bridgehead on the east bank are correct, it could be significant in helping Kyiv drive Russian troops back.A Ukrainian advance in the area could, in the future, even cut the land corridor to Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.However, military experts say any Ukrainian troop movements in the bridgehead area – which is crisscrossed by floodplains, irrigation canals and other water obstacles – would be a tough task.And Ukrainian advances would be further complicated by Russia’s significant advantage in the air.

Ukraine’s military has for some time publicly spoken about preparations for a major counter-offensive, without specifying where and when it could be launched.Until now, all of the Kherson region on the east bank of the Dnipro has been under Russian control, with the wide river serving as a natural barrier.The regional capital – sitting on the west bank – was liberated by Ukrainian forces last November.Celebrations as Ukraine takes back key city KhersonPutin visits occupied Kherson region in UkraineIn Sunday’s report, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said “geolocated footage published on 23 April indicates that Ukrainian forces are operating in areas north-west of Oleshky on the east” bank of Dnipro.

The ISW added there was not enough information to analyse the scale of the reported Ukrainian advance – or the further intentions of the Ukrainian military.On Monday, Russia’s WarGonzo military blogger reported that Ukrainian troops were “trying to gain a foothold on Bolshoi Potemkin [Velykyi Potyomkin – Ukrainian] island”, which is located between the new and old channels of the Dnipro.

World News

India’s population will surpass China this week, according to UN

Last week, a different UN body said the milestone would be passed later in 2023.

India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by the end this week. A different UN body predicted last week that India would surpass China by the middle this year. The Asian nations have accounted more than a quarter of the global population since over 70 years. The UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in a press release that “China will soon relinquish its long-held position as the world’s largest country”.

The UN Population Fund said last week that India would have 2.9 million more people than China by the middle of 2023. China’s birthrate has dropped recently, and its population shrank last year for first time since 1961. India’s population will continue to grow for several decades, it said. However, fertility rates in India are also dropping – from 5.7 babies per woman in 1950, to 2.2 today. In November, the world population reached 8 billion. Experts say that the growth rate is slower than it used to be, and is now at its lowest level since 1950.

World News

Scientists are concerned about recent rapid ocean warming.

There’s growing concern that the oceans are heating up quickly – and scientists are unsure of the implications.

It has never warmed up this much, so quickly. Scientists don’t fully understand why. But they worry that, combined with other weather events, the world’s temperature could reach a worrying new level by the end of next year. Scientists do not fully understand why it has happened. But they are concerned that combined with other weather conditions, the temperature of the planet could reach a new alarming level by the end next year. They are less efficient in absorbing planet-warming gases.

In the last 15 years, Earth’s heat has increased by 50 percent, with the majority of that extra heat going into the oceans. This has real world implications – not only was the temperature of the oceans a record in April, but in some areas the difference over the long term is enormous. Image source: Getty ImagesIn march, sea surface temperatures along the east coast of North America reached 13.8C above the 1981-2011 average. Karina Von Schuckmann, lead author of the study and oceanographer with the research group Mercator Ocean International, said: “It is not yet clear why such a rapid and huge change is occurring.”

“We have doubled heat in the climate system over the last 15 years. I don’t think this is climate variability, but it could be. We do see the change. “An interesting factor that could influence the level of heat entering the oceans is a reduction in shipping pollution. In 2020, the International Maritime Organisation implemented a regulation to lower the sulphur in fuel burned by ships. This has had an immediate impact on reducing the amount aerosol particles released in the atmosphere. Aerosols that pollute the air also reflect heat back into the space, so removing them could have caused more heat to reach the oceans.

The average surface temperature of the oceans has risen by 0.9C since pre-industrial times, with 0.6C of that increase occurring in the last 40. This is less than the rise in air temperatures on land which have increased by 1.5C. Oceans absorb heat much deeper than land and require more energy to heat. This has real-world implications. It is especially damaging to coral reefs. Extreme weather will increase as heat from the upper ocean surface increases hurricanes and cyclones. This means they become more intense and longer-lasting.Sea-level rise: warmer waters take up more space – known as thermal expansion – and can greatly accelerate the melting of glaciers from Greenland and Antarctica that flow into the oceans.

This increases global sea levels and increases the risk of coastal flooding. Warmer water has a lower ability to absorb CO2. The oceans will absorb less CO2 if they continue to warm. This will lead to more CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere, further warming the air. “The Australian Bureau model strongly suggests a strong El Nino.” Hugh McDowell, from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, said that the trend has been in that direction and that all climate models have been trending towards a stronger event. Mr McDowell warned that predictions are less reliable at this time of the year.

Other researchers are more optimistic. Experts believe that a fully-formed event will follow. “If we have a new El Nino on top of that, it will probably cause an additional global warming of 0.2-0.25C,” Dr Josef Ludescher from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research said. “The impact of El Nino is reduced a few months following the peak. This is why 2024 is likely to be the warmest year on record. “Image source, Anadolu Agency.” And we may, we’ll be close to 1.5C and perhaps we’ll temporarily go over. El Nino is likely to disrupt weather patterns in Australia and around the world. It will also weaken the monsoon. There are also more fundamental concerns that as heat is absorbed by the oceans, they may be less able store excess energy.

One scientist described being “extremely stressed and worried”. Karina von Schuckmann says that some research has shown the world warming in jumps. Little changes over years are followed by sudden leaps upwards. After El Nino subsides, temperatures may drop again. She told BBC News that “we still have a window of opportunity to act and we should take advantage of this to reduce the effects.” Graphics by Erwan RIVALL.

World News

Wagner in Sudan: what have Russian mercenaries done?

The Wagner group denies involvement in the current conflict, but there’s evidence it has previously been active in Sudan.

Russian Wagner mercenary forces are accused of having commercial and military ties with Sudan. However, the group denies involvement in the current conflict. Yevgeny Praighozin, who has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has stated that “not one Wagner PMC [private company] fighter has ever been present in Sudan”. We have found no evidence of Russian mercenaries currently inside the country. There is evidence of Wagner’s previous activities in Sudan. Mr Prighozin’s operations in the nation have been targeted by US and EU sanctions. Gold-mining DealsIn 2017, Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir, during a trip to Moscow, signed a number of deals.

These included an agreement to establish a Russian naval base at Port Sudan along the Red Sea as well as “concessions on gold mining” between Russian company M Invest, and the Sudanese Ministry of Minerals. The According to a CNN investigation, gold was transported overland into Central African Republic where Wagner operates – exports that were not recorded in Sudanese trade data.

The BBC has not independently confirmed these images. In 2021, a Wagner linked Telegram channel published photos of an unnamed top Wagner leader awarding Sudanese soldier memorabilia during a ceremony that took place two years earlier. TelegramAnd, in July 2022 this channel distributed a clip allegedly showing Wagner’s mercenaries performing par The same source linked the Instagram profile of a Russian mercenary who called himself a “freelancer”. He shared stories of his exploits on Sudan in posts dating from August and Oct 2021. How influential is Wagner? The US Treasury claims that the Wagner Group has been involved in “paramilitary activities, support for maintaining authoritarian regimes and exploitation natural resources”. The relationship between the Royal United Services Institute and the UK-based Royal United Services Institute has grown since then.

“In 2018, they had around 100 men actively training Sudanese forces,” says Dr Joana De Deus Pereira from the UK. Sudanese media reported that the number grew to 500 and that they were mainly based in the south-west, near Um Dafuq and close to Sudan’s borders with the Central African Republic. According to Dr Samuel Ramani who wrote a book on Russia’s activities throughout Africa, the Wagner Group created its own media campaigns in order to keep President Bashir in power. Image source: AFP. This caused friction with the president’s security forces and Wagner switched its support to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who overthrew him.

Dr Ramani says that while the Foreign Ministry in Moscow opposed the coup, Prigozhin, and the Wagner Group, welcomed al-Burhan’s takeover. According to Dr Ramani it was between 2021 and 2022 when the Wagner Group increased their connections with the Rapid Support Forces, which is currently fighting Sudan’s regular army led by Gen Burhan. Mr Pri “Wagner had links with both General al-Burhan and Mr Hemedti in different degrees and ways,” she says. Wagner’s presence in AfricaWagner fighters are widely reported to be in the Central African Republic for several years, guarding diamond mines in the country, as well in Libya and Mali.

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Sudan fighting: Foreign nationals and diplomats evacuated

Several countries are helping their citizens leave the capital, Khartoum, following a week of fighting.

Several other countries have also started organising evacuations, starting on Sunday. France, Germany Italy and Spain have also started organising evacuations. A vicious power struggle has caused violence throughout the country. The UK government was able to airlift British diplomatic staff and their families out in a “complex” and “rapid” operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly stated that options to evacuate remaining British nationals were “severely restricted”.

The German army reported that the first of three flights had left Sudan bound for Jordan with 101 people aboard. Italy and Spain evacuated citizens – the Spanish mission included citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland Portugal, Poland Mexico, Venezuela, and Sudan. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government had evacuated diplomatic staff. More than 150 people were evacuated to the Saudi Arabian port Jeddah by sea, including citizens from Egypt, Pakistan, and Gulf countries. Many foreign students from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have also been trapped in Khartoum. They have made desperate calls for assistance.

The US announced on Sunday that a disaster response team will be sent to the region to “coordinate humanitarian response to those in need, both within and outside Sudan.” “Samantha Power, from the US Agency for International Development(USAID), said that the team would initially work out of Kenya and give priority to getting “life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in need.” The World Health Organization reports that the fighting has injured thousands and killed more than 400.

The death toll may be higher than 400, because people are unable to access healthcare due to the closure of most hospitals in the city. The fighting has also affected the western region of Darfur where the RSF was first formed. The UN has warned that 20,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Sudan in search of safety in Chad across the border.