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☆ Joint Base Andrews: Three freed Americans back on US soil in Maryland after historic prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Elizabeth Whelan hugs her brother Paul Whelan at Joint Base Andrews following his release from a Russian prison. Alex Brandon/APPresident Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris walk with family members of the returning Americans to greet them at Joint Base Andrews. Today, their agony is over,” said Biden, who hosted the families of Gershkovich, Whelan, Kurmasheva and Kara-Murza at the White House. Whelan, Gershkovich and Kurmasheva flew roughly 10 hours from Ankara, Turkey, on top of a three hour and 45 minute flight from Moscow to Ankara. This is typical protocol for wrongfully detained Americans who return home.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Whelan, Gershkovich, Harris, Biden, Kurmasheva, “, ”, ” Biden, Feedback Biden, CNN Whelan, Vladimir Kara, Murza, –, Vadim Krasikov, Elizabeth Whelan, Joint Base Andrews, Alex Brandon, Base Andrews, Brittney Griner Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Joint Base Andrews, Street Journal, US State Department, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Washington Post, Joint Base, Base, AP, White, National Security Council, State Department, Brooke Army Medical Center, Defense Department Locations: American, United States, Russia, Maryland, Moscow, Radio Free Europe, Germany, Poland, Norway, Slovenia, Gershkovich, Kara, Ankara, Turkey, San Antonio, PISA

☆ China doping controversy casts a shadow over Olympic swimming
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The global sports doping watchdog World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the assessment without an appeal. Concern only deepened Tuesday, after WADA acknowledged a separate 2022 case in which two Chinese swimmers tested positive for “trace amounts of a prohibited substance metandienone,” a banned anabolic steroid. “I feel so wronged,” said Zhang, denying that Chinese swimmers engaged in doping. The 2022 case, reported by the Times earlier this week, involves a swimmer on the Chinese roster in Paris, according to the paper. Personally, I believe that seven doping tests in one day might have disrupted our Chinese swimming team,” Gao wrote on Weibo.

Persons: Zhang Yufei, Zhang, ”, WADA, CHINADA –, Travis Tygart, “, it’s, CHINADA, Pan, Jonathan Nackstrand, China’s Pan Zhanle, Gao Min, Qin Haiyang’s, ” Gao, Yu Liang, they’ve Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Paris Olympics, Tokyo, China’s, Doping Agency, Tokyo Games, New York Times, ARD, Times, CNN, Getty, Aquatics, Paris Olympic, ’, China national, commentors Locations: Hong Kong, China, United States, Australia, Beijing, Paris, AFP, Tokyo, Weibo, France

Simone Biles competes on the uneven bars on July 30. Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesWith the first chapter of Simone Biles’ comeback at the Olympics already complete, the next is ready to be written. All this comes not long since Biles said she had considered walking away from gymnastics having experienced a mental block called “the twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics. “I started off with therapy this morning,” Biles said on Tuesday after the team event. I told my therapist I was feeling calm and ready.”She ended the day alone in the center of Paris’ Bercy Arena, completing her floor routine to rapturous applause.

Persons: Simone Biles, Jamie Squire, Simone Biles ’, Biles, “, ” Biles, Suni Lee Organizations: USA, Games, Tokyo, US, Paris ’ Locations: American, Paris

☆ North Korea’s Kim ‘inspects’ flood response as thousands evacuated from China border region after heavy rains
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Some 5,000 people were rescued from flood-hit areas along North Korea’s border with China over the weekend in efforts supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, the country’s state media reported Monday. A flooded area in North Korea's North Pyongan province on July 28, pictured in a photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. At least 15 people died following a rain-triggered landslide in central China’s Hunan Province, Chinese state media Xinhua said Sunday. China’s northeast – a key food-growing region which traditionally had been less effected by frequent flooding – is also grappling with heavy rains. In China’s Liaoning province, across the border from North Korea’s North Pyongan, more than 45,000 people were evacuated from their homes as of Sunday morning as heavy rains hit the region, according to Xinhua.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim –, Gaemi Organizations: CNN, North Korean, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, Xinhua Locations: China, North Pyongan, Yalu, North Korea, Sinuiju City, Dandong, Asia, North Korea's, Pyongan province, Philippines, Taiwan, China’s Fujian Province, China’s Hunan Province, –, China’s Liaoning, North Korea’s, Xinhua, Southwest Liaoning

☆ China’s hosting Palestinian and Ukrainian delegations this week. But can it play peace broker in global conflicts?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has had a busy week in which two devastating conflicts have loomed large. Kuleba’s visit was the first time in the nearly 29 months of Russia’s war on Ukraine that a high-level Ukrainian official has visited China. Official statements from Beijing and Kyiv after Wednesday’s Wang-Kuleba talks gave no indication that the Ukrainian diplomat had swayed Beijing toward Kyiv’s vision for peace. Observers say Beijing could, at some point, play a role in any potential future talks, but is unlikely to shift its relationship with Russia. But it was met with some skepticism from observers in the region given the failure of past attempts at unity.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Fatah, Dmytro Kuleba –, –, Kuleba, Beijing “, ” Wang, ”, Steve Tsang, Kuleba’s, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Zelensky, Russia ”, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud al, Mussa Abu Marzuk, Pedro Pardo, Beijing’s, Wednesday’s Wang, ” Kuleba, Xi, Chong Ja Ian, Donald Trump, Trump’s, JD Vance, ” Chong, Jonathan Fulton Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hamas, Ukrainian, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Beijing, NATO, Central Committee, Fatah, China's, Getty, Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, Observers, West, National University of Singapore, Republican, Global, ”, Palestinian, US State Department, West Bank ”, Atlantic Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Russian, Kyiv, Laos, AFP, Guangzhou, Ukrainian, Moscow, China’s, ” Russia, India, Brazil, Israel

☆ Hamas and Fatah sign agreement in Beijing ‘ending’ their division, Chinese state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Isaac Yee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity,” Chinese broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday, following a deal brokered by China. There is a long history of bitter enmity between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah. Israel launched its military operations in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed more than 1,100 people and saw roughly 250 others kidnapped. Around 39,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s war in Gaza that has triggered a mass humanitarian crisis and widespread destruction. Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo in October 2017 under pressure from the Arab states, led by Egypt.

Persons: Fatah, Wang Yi, ”, ” Wang, Mousa Abu Marzook, “, ” Abu Marzook, –, Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ’, Rami Hamdallah Organizations: CNN, Hamas, PLO, Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, China’s Foreign Ministry, Palestinian Locations: China, Beijing, Israel, Gaza, Oslo, Fatah, United States, Cairo, Egypt

☆ China’s summer of devastating floods shows steep challenge as it grapples with extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Villagers clean rubbish after torrential rains caused flooding in Meizhou, Guangdong province of China on June 19. John Ricky/Anadolu/Getty ImagesA man drives through a muddy street in the aftermath of flooding from heavy storms in Meizhou, Guangdong province last month. “All my hard work for a year has come to nothing.”A road is flooded following heavy rainfall in Jiangxi province on July 4. China’s government has mounted a top-down effort to revamp how the country responds to extreme weather in recent years after 2021 floods in Henan’s Zhengzhou killed more than 300 people. But there have been past issues of misappropriation of state recovery funds, for example following the deadly 2021 floods in Zhengzhou.

Persons: John Ricky, –, Xi Jinping, it’s, “, Tingshu Wang, ”, Hongzhang Xu, Typhoon Doksuri, Li Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Getty, Communist Party, AFP, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, Agricultural Television, Retailers, Workers, CNN Weather, ” Observers, Australian National University, Reuters, Greenpeace East, “ Locations: China, Hong Kong, sweltering Henan, Nanyang, speedboats, Meizhou, Guangdong province, Guangdong, AFP, Guangzhou province, Henan, Hunan, Lake, Henan’s Nanyang, Jiangxi province, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan province's Changsha, Chongqing, Hainan, Zhengzhou, breadbasket, Jiangxi, Munich, Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing, –

CNN —At least 12 people have died and 31 others are missing after a bridge partially collapsed in China’s northern province of Shanxi, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Authorities said a portion of the bridge in Zhashui County in the city of Shangluo collapsed on Friday evening after recent rains and flash flooding. As of 12 p.m. local time (12 a.m. ET) Saturday, search and rescue operations were ongoing after 17 cars and 8 trucks fell into the river, state media reported. Parts of China have been grappling with devastating floods, just weeks after scarce rainfall and sweltering temperatures created drought conditions.

Persons: Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Authorities, Reuters Locations: China’s, Shanxi, Zhashui County, Shangluo, China, Henan, Sichuan, Hanyuan County

☆ Could a Trump-Vance win reshape America’s relationship with China – and Taiwan?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Vance was swift to name China the “biggest threat to our country,” in an interview with Fox News Monday as the RNC got underway. He’s made countering what Washington says is a security threat from China a cornerstone of his foreign policy, even as he’s worked to stabilize communications with Beijing. And Beijing – which is grappling with its own economic woes – may be preparing for more friction if Trump takes office. The substance of Biden’s China policy – in terms of sanctions, tariffs and competition – has not been that different from Trump’s, she noted, and Biden has been keener on strengthening alliances and coalitions to counter China together. “But the style of Biden’s China policy is more predictable and stabilizing.

Persons: Donald Trump, JD Vance, Vance, Joe Biden, “, ”, ” Vance, Trump, China –, That’s, ’ Vance, Sergey Lavrov, Vance doesn’t, Marco Rubio, Xi Jinping, He’s, he’s, ” Brian Wong, Qilai Shen, Biden, They’ve, Cho Jung, ” Cho, Yun Sun, –, keener Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Republican, Republican National Convention, Chinese Communist Party, Foreign, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, Fox News, RNC, University of Hong Kong’s, Contemporary, of, People, Bloomberg, Getty, Communist Party, Bloomberg Businessweek, US, China’s Foreign Ministry, Stimson Center, World Trade Locations: Hong Kong, Ohio, Washington, China, Asia, Beijing, Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, America, Florida, Contemporary China, Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Japan, South Korea, US

☆ China’s internet dominated by talk of Trump’s ‘luck’ and American ‘violence’ after attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Discussion of the assassination attempt, in which a gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, dominated Chinese social media in the hours after the attack. Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was declared safe following the incident. As shots rang out during his speech at the rally, the former president ducked to the ground and was covered by Secret Service agents. I bet (US President Joe) Biden would take ages to crouch down,” read one social media comment that got thousands of likes and appeared to allude to concerns about Biden’s age. There were also repeated links made between the attack and recurring instances of gun violence in the United States, which are often highlighted by Chinese state media as an example of the country’s failings.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, “, Joe, Biden, crouch, ”, Shinzo Abe, Xi Jinping “, ” Biden, …, what’s, “ Chuan, “ Trump Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Trump, Weibo, Republican, Secret Service, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trump . State, Beijing, Sunday, Global Times, Washington Locations: China, Hong Kong, Pennsylvania, United States, Weibo, Trump, ”, Beijing, Russia

☆ China third plenum: Communist Party meets to set direction for troubled economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the meeting, which takes place every five years and is known as China’s third plenum. It has historically been a platform for the party’s leadership to announce key economic reforms and policy directives. China’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.7% in the April to June months, compared to the previous year. But observers of China’s opaque political machine don’t believe there will be fundamental economic reforms this time around. Uncompleted residential buildings at a real estate project on the outskirts of Shenyang in China's Liaoning province earlier this year.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Xi, , Xi’s, Andrea Verdelli, They’ll, ”, Neil Thomas, Jing Qian, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Li Yuchao, Xu Zhongbo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, West, Reuters, party’s Central, US, Congress, Bloomberg, Getty, Observers, ” Asia Society Center, China, Tech, EU, Central Committee, Foreign, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Europe, party’s, Shenyang, China's Liaoning, China's Shandong

☆ NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia in Ukraine war as bloc eyes Asia security threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, NATO leaders said Wednesday, as the defense alliance hardens its stance on Beijing and the “systemic challenges” they say it poses to their countries’ security. For the third consecutive year, leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the NATO leaders’ summit in another sign of closer ties between the bloc and those countries, as well as Australia. NATO’s increasing focus on AsiaThe NATO leaders’ declaration is the latest step in what has been the bloc’s gradual hardening of tone on China in recent years. NATO leaders first mentioned the need to jointly address “opportunities and challenges” posed by China in a 2019 declaration, before moving to refer to “systemic challenges” the country poses in 2021. “The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region directly affect Euro-Atlantic security,” the leaders said in their declaration.

Persons: ”, Joe Biden, China’s, “, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylov, –, Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NATO, US, ’, Getty Images China, Union, European Union, EU, Wednesday, North Locations: China, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Moscow, North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Russian, ”, North Korea, Iran, Pyongyang, Tehran, North, Pacific

☆ China food safety scandal: Cooking oil carried in same trucks as fuel, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Experts quoted in official media also discussed health hazards of the alleged practices. “Using chemical tankers for edible oils will inevitably result in residual contamination,” said Liu Shaowei, a food safety expert cited by CCTV. Several executives found to be responsible for the 2008 case were ultimately handed death sentences, and the tragedy drove deep mistrust of domestic products and food safety in China. Another case in 2022, also exposed by state media, showed how “dirty” pickled cabbage was supplied to popular instant noodle brands. Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of food safety and the security of grain and food staple supplies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, –, ”, Liu Shaowei, Liu, ’, ‘, Xi, ” Xi, Yanzhong Huang, Huang, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Oil Group, Council, CCTV, ” Communist Party, Weibo, Monday, CNN, Food Safety, Foreign Relations Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Communist, New York

☆ Hungary’s Orban holds talks with Xi during surprise Beijing visit, days after meeting Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The two leaders began their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Monday morning, Chinese state media reported. China is a “key power in creating the conditions for peace” in the war, Orban wrote in an X post Monday. “This is why I came to meet with President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest,” he added. Orban and Xi last met in May, when the Chinese leader was welcomed with fanfare for a state visit to Hungary. “Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” she added.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Xi Jinping, ” Orban, Xi, Orban, ”, Orban’s, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, –, Ursula von der Leyen, ” Putin, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, NATO, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of, European Union, Putin, ”, Ukrainian Locations: Hong Kong, Hungarian, Beijing, Moscow, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, Diaoyutai, Washington, Hungary, China, Russian, Kazakhstan, Europe, Budapest, ”

☆ China’s Chang’e-6 moon mission returns to Earth with historic far side samples
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module returned to Earth Tuesday, successfully completing its historic mission to collect the first ever samples from the far side of the moon in a major step forward for the country’s ambitious space program. “The Chang’e-6 lunar exploration mission has been a complete success,” said Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), from the control room. Once they receive the samples, Chinese scientists are expected to share data and carry out joint research with international partners, before Beijing later opens the samples for access by international teams, according to statements from CNSA officials. China and the US are not alone in eyeing the national prestige, potential scientific benefits, access to resources and further deep space exploration that successful moon missions could bring. Last year, India landed its first spacecraft on the moon, while Russia’s first lunar mission in decades ended in failure when its Luna 25 probe crashed into the moon’s surface.

Persons: China’s, ”, Zhang Kejian, Xi Jinping –, –, zhong ”, Luna, James Head, Yuqi Qian, Artemis, Bill Nelson, ” Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Tuesday, CCTV, China National Space Administration, CNN, Brown University, “, University of Hong, International, NASA, Luna Locations: Hong Kong, Mongolia, United States, Beijing, China, Soviet, University of Hong Kong, India, Japan, Texas, Chang’e

CNN —Thousands of North Koreans chanting “welcome Putin” lined Pyongyang’s wide boulevards waving Russian and North Korean flags and bouquets of flowers Wednesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. Putin and Kim presented their delegations and stood together as the Russian national anthem played before the two leaders rode standing shoulder to shoulder in an open-top limousine as they smiled and waved to the crowds. The two autocrats are expected to ink a new strategic partnership agreement in a stark signal of their expanding relations. Kim beamed visibly as he greeted Putin at the airport in the early hours, video footage of the Russian leader’s arrival showed. The pair then rode together to the Kumsusan State Guest House where Putin is staying, according to North Korean state-run news agency KCNA.

Persons: “, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Kim Il, Kim, ” KCNA, Pyongyang’s’s Organizations: CNN, West, Kumsusan, House Locations: North Korea, Russian, Pyongyang, Moscow, Ukraine, Korean, Russia, Seoul, Washington, South Korea

☆ Putin may need arms from North Korea’s Kim for Ukraine war, but what is he willing to give in return?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

North Korea launched its first spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November. The arrangement may also enable North Korea to gain real-world intel on the functioning of its weaponry and help it ramp up exports more broadly. Such satellites can help North Korea improve its ground-based military capabilities, for example enabling it to more accurately target opponents’ forces with its own missiles. Both countries in recent years have blocked movement in the council related to North Korea as they grew skeptical of US-backed sanctions. He pointed to his experiences during the former US President Barack Obama administration working on nonproliferation efforts related to North Korea and Iran.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin ramped, Kim Jong, Putin, ”, Edward Howell, Xi Jinping, Kim, ” Putin, “ Kim Jong, he’ll, Ankit, Sofiia Gatilova, Putin –, “ Putin, –, John Erath, Erath, Xi, it’s, Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, ” McFaul, … we’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Oxford, KCNA, intel, South, United Nations, North, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Kremlin, UN Security Council, Center for Arms Control, Observers, UN, National Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Hong Kong, North Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, Eurasia, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Washington, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Kharkiv, Kyiv, China, Iran

☆ Putin arrives in North Korea for first visit in 24 years as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin is scheduled to travel to Hanoi in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Putin’s trip to North Korea will have a “very eventful” agenda, his aide Yuri Ushakov said during a press conference Monday. One image was of a grandstand being constructed on the eastern side of Kim Il Sung Square, the site where all major parades in North Korea are held. Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, June 18. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, Yuri Ushakov, Ushakov, Kim Il, John Kirby, Biden, wasn’t “, ’ Kim, ” Kim, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping, Michael Mitsanas, Katharina Krebs, Mariya Knight, Yoonjung Seo, Betsy Klein, Paul P, Murphy Organizations: CNN, TASS, Putin, Planet Labs, Maxar Technologies, US, North Korean, North, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, West, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, Kremlin, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korean, Korea, Hanoi, Russia, United States, Asia, Moscow, North, Zarubinreporter, South Korea, South, Russia’s, Eurasia, Italy, Kyiv, Russian, Vietnam, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ Chinese officials’ attempt to ‘block’ formerly detained journalist mars Australia goodwill tour
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s four-day visit to Australia this week was set to be focused on repairing long-strained relations between the two countries. But apparent efforts by Chinese officials to stand in front of an Australian reporter during a press briefing have shone a spotlight back on frictions between the countries. Beijing has also long been condemned by Western nations and rights groups for wrongful and arbitrary detentions. 2 official, to Australia is the highest-level trip to a US-allied country of any Chinese official in seven years. Speaking alongside Li following the signing ceremony, Albanese called the visit “another important step in stabilizing” the relationship.

Persons: Li Qiang’s, Cheng Lei, Li, Anthony Albanese, Cheng, I’m, ” Cheng, Albanese, ”, Yang Hengjun, Yang, Li Qiang, Lukas Coch, ” Li, Scott Morrison Organizations: CNN, Sky News Australia, Australian, Sky News, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, CGTN, Australia's, AP Pandas, Sunday, Adelaide Zoo, New Zealand Locations: Australia, China, Canberra, Beijing, Australian, US, “, New, Chinese

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea in rare trip as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Hanoi Wednesday for another two-day trip, in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. The Kremlin has said that Russia hopes to build a partnership with North Korea “in all possible areas,” according to Russian state media. Putin’s move to bolster North Korean ties has also been a boon for Kim, who remains unbowed by years of international sanctions over his illegal nuclear weapons program. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, ” Kim, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ”, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, North Korean, Pyongyang –, North, North Korea “, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Hanoi, Russia, United States, South Korea, Moscow, Korean, Russia’s, Italy, Kyiv, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ ‘You unite people,’ Pope Francis tells star-studded cast of global comedians in Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Christopher Lamb | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —As world leaders gather in Italy for a summit addressing entrenched global crises, Pope Francis hosted an international gathering of a different sort on Friday to broadcast his own message – of the importance of humor. The leader of the Catholic Church hosted the equivalent of a conclave of comedians in the Vatican by inviting Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and others to the Vatican. Over 200 people were in the audience at the Apostolic Palace, with more than 100 comedians from 15 countries. You denounce abuses of power; you give voice to forgotten situations; you highlight abuses; you point out inappropriate behavior,” Pope Francis added. US President Joe Biden, a Catholic who has a warm relationship with Francis, is among the leaders expected to be present at the gathering.

Persons: Pope Francis, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, Goldberg, Louis, Pope, ” –, ” Pope Francis, ”, Joe Biden, Francis, Francis ’, Tig Notaro, Jim Gaffigan, Colbert, Fallon, O’Brien, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Catholic, Venice Biennale Locations: Italy, Ukraine, Venice, Vatican

☆ India elections: Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP have another five years in power. What does it mean for the world?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Narendra Modi has raised India’s stature on the global stage like no other recent leader of the world’s most populous country. But the election results also place Modi in a radically different position from the one he enjoyed during his first decade in power. Now, Modi’s BJP will need to answer the interests of its coalition allies – and face stronger checks from a resurgent opposition, which could dampen its Hindu-nationalist agenda. In the meantime, some observers suggest that while the election results may not have boosted Modi, they are already a boon for India’s global clout. “India coming back as a proper democracy is good for the world order in many senses,” he added.

Persons: CNN — Narendra Modi, –, Modi, ”, T.V, Paul, “, Nehru, ” Modi, Joe Biden, Pete Marovich, that’s, Washington, Farwa Aamer, assertiveness –, Justin Trudeau, Nasir Kachroo, Pakistan –, Sushant Singh, Fahd Humayun, India’s Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Reuters, Japan, South Asia, Asia Society Policy, Modi . Canadian, Canadian, Yale University, Indian, Tufts University, ”, McGill University Locations: India, Delhi, United States, China, Pakistan, Australia, New York, New Delhi, Washington, Russia, Canada, Indian, American, Jammu, Kashmir, Modi’s BJP, BJP, Islamabad

☆ China’s Chang’e-6 probe lifts off with samples from moon’s far side in historic first
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe departed from the far side of the moon on Tuesday, moving a step closer to completing an ambitious mission that underlines the country’s rise as a space superpower. Its return journey to Earth is estimated to take about three weeks, with a landing expected in China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25. “The lunar surface is rich in basalt,” Zhou added. It marked the second time a mission has successfully reached the far side of the moon, after China first completed that historic feat in 2019 with its Chang’e-4 probe. Last year, India landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time, while Russia’s first lunar landing mission in decades ended in failure when its Luna 25 probe crashed into the moon’s surface.

Persons: China’s, Bill Nelson, Nelson, –, “ zhong, CNSA, ”, Zhou Changyi, Zhou, James Head Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, China National Space Administration, NASA, CNSA, Brown University, Luna Locations: Hong Kong, China, Mongolia, Aitken, India, Japan, Texas

☆ Biden to meet with Zelensky in Normandy and at next week’s G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while he is in Normandy, France, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. CNN previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not extended an invitation, according to a French presidential source. Sullivan added that Biden is also expected to meet with Zelensky during the G7 in Italy next week. “In the course of a little more than a week, the president will have two substantive engagements with President Zelensky,” Sullivan said. The two leaders last met in person when Zelensky was in Washington, DC, in December 2023 to make an in-person plea for military and economic aid.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, Zelensky, ” Sullivan, Biden, Rishi Sunak, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, Sullivan, ”, Janet Yellen’s, Emmanuel Macron, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Joshua Berlinger, Simone McCarthy, Brad Lendon, Eric Cheung Organizations: CNN, White House, Ukraine, Air Force, British, Canadian, Zelensky, “, Russia, US, US Army Rangers, Biden, NATO Locations: Normandy, France, he’s, he’ll, Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Washington , DC, Kharkiv, “, United States, Germany, Biden’s, Pointe du Hoc

Singapore CNN —China’s support to Russia will extend the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, as he called on countries across the Asia-Pacific to join an upcoming peace summit he accused Russia of trying to thwart. It comes ahead of the international peace conference on Ukraine slated to be held June 15-16 in Switzerland. “With China’s support to Russia the war will last longer. When asked later about China’s statement it would not attend the peace summit, the Ukrainian leader accused Russia of using Chinese diplomats to disrupt it. “Time is running out” including for Ukrainian children taken by Russia, Zelensky told a packed hall during an address on the closing day of the three-day security meeting.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, China –, ” Zelensky, “, Putin, of National Defense Dong, ” Dong, Lloyd Austin, Dong, Russia ”, Vladimir Putin, ”, Austin, Prabowo Subianto, José Ramos, Pat Ryder, Joe Biden Organizations: Singapore CNN —, of National Defense, CNN, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Criminal, Ministry of Foreign, US Defense, Horta, Ukraine, Pentagon, Twitter Locations: Singapore, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, China, Switzerland, Beijing, Kharkiv, The Hague, United States, Timor

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