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President Biden puts decades of Expertise to the Evaluation from high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin

Biden and Putin arrived in the summit website on the beaches of Lake Geneva in their motorcades shortly after 1 p.m. local time on a hot day in this city which has previously seen major talks involving US and Russian leaders. Both presidents stood out the Villa de la Grange using Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who made brief comments welcoming the 2 leaders.

Both Presidents shook hands and subsequently entered the 18th century villa to their very first round of meetings. The two Presidents made short statements ahead of their very first meeting of the day, but loud chatter among the journalists at the room drowned out much of what they said.

Putin thanked Biden for “the initiative to fulfill” as the pair sat down ahead of their very first meeting. “I understand you’ve been in a very long trip and have a great deal of work,” Putin said. “Nevertheless the US and Russia and US relations have a great deal of problems gathered which require the highest-level assembly and I hope that our meeting will be productive,” he added.

Biden can be heard responding by saying, “It is always better to meet face to face. “Depending on the result, the assembly will shadow Biden as he returns home to help revive his domestic agenda. He came to the villa bolstered by support from western allies he spent the last week consulting ahead of his face-to-face with the Russian President, who came at Geneva Wednesday morning ahead of their summit. In Biden’s telling, and these leaders backed him in his choice to meet Putin now, at the first six weeks of his presidency, before he’s had a chance to fully formulate a Russia strategy. In its worse, Biden’s summit could offer elevated stature to a pioneer who appears intent on analyzing the limitations of global standards and the willingness of the West into respond.

Expectations for its summit are low among American officers, who’ve stated since the encounter was first declared they didn’t believe anything concrete would emerge out of it. Instead, Biden is looking to open lines of communication with the notoriously shrewd Putin at the hopes of stalling additional deterioration in relations between the United States and Moscow, which Biden explained this week had attained a minimal point. Meeting face to face The French-style Villa la Grange was a hive of activity in anticipation of their very closely watched meeting of Biden’s young presidency. None responded to shouted questions about their expectations for the summit.

Security is tight, and both Russian and American officials are negotiating equal press access to risers for its coming. The building itself was spruced up with flowers, flags and a red rug. Two of the windows are all open to allow a snap indoors, and most of the light green shutters are open — except to get a room on the upper left-hand side, where all the shutters are shut and white screens are obscuring the glass on front door. It is the sort of scene Biden was itching for later he grew tired of pandemic-forced virtual meetings and phone calls. Biden wants the benefit of visiting Putin from the flesh. It is the very first time they will meet in person since 2011. Biden has recounted throughout that meeting he advised Putin, inches from his head, which he didn’t believe he was a soul (Putin stated in an interview that he doesn’t recall hearing that).

There are a few areas Biden believes he could work in harmony with Putin, such as collaboration on nuclear arms, climate modification and shared interest in Preventing the Iran nuclear thing. And yet one result officials said was potential was an agreement to reunite their ambassadors back to Washington and Moscow later months without a senior diplomat in place in either nation. But the regions of dispute much outnumber the areas of agreement, along with the bulk of the semester is expected to revolve around the myriad methods Biden considers Russia is violating international rules. That contains a current spate of ransomware attacks cutting across sectors in the United States, launched by criminal syndicates based in Russia. Biden also plans to raise consumer rights, as Russian resistance leader Alexey Navalny stays imprisoned. Looking to get predictability, Officials state Biden’s approach, which he’s outlined broadly, will largely mirror his general designation with Russia up to this stage — one characterized by careful calibration and deliberate equilibrium. There is no indication, at least publicly, that the approach has contributed to any shift in Putin’s behavior. But Biden’s choice to find areas of chance to work together — the two states agreed on an expansion of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty from the opening weeks after Biden’s inauguration — while also moving to slap sanctions on Russia has summarized the demanding model he’ll pursue at the assembly itself, officials say. Even with all the sanctions,” Biden made a point of phoning Putin in advance to let him know that they were coming. That paths with a deliberate attempt Biden has now sought to make space for additional regions of collaboration as they want to lay guardrails for its relationship.

It has plenty of critics including both US officials state, within Biden’s own government. But it also served to lay the groundwork to the important interview with Putin himself. Also it underscores why Biden, who aides say much favors face-to-face meetings, made a decision to move forward with the summit idea from the very first place. Both US and Russian officials said they expected talks to extend at least five hours. They’ll be broken up into sections: the first with only the leaders along with their various top diplomats, plus a second which expands into delegations of five officers apiece. Lasting most day, there are not any plans to share a meal. But fractures will occur, allowing every individual to regroup. Both would convene his own news conference then, Putin first and then Biden. Officials are entering the talks with the expectation that they can extend well past their allotted time. Indeed, the very first indication of whether Biden believes his approach may be having an impact may come in the assembly logistics themselves. A senior government official mentioned the intensive negotiations within the structure of their Geneva sit-down included an agreement that there will be flexibility built in to day. “I believe we are going to determine how the stream goes. “Russian officials were advocated for a joint press conference, but the Americans were wary of providing a shared platform to the things they believe would be efforts by Putin to undermine or embarrass the US President. “This isn’t a contest about who can do better in front of a press conference or attempt to embarrass each other,” Biden said on Sunday, explaining the decision. Almost none of those Russia experts Biden consulted ahead of his trip and there have been dozens — seemed to believe a combined press conference was wise, according to individuals familiar with the discussions. Looming within the preparation has been the summit Biden’s predecessor held with Putin at Helsinki, which ended at a joint look where former President Trump chose Putin’s side on election over US intelligence agencies. This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.