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☆ China’s Chang’e-6 probe successfully lands on far side of the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Chang’e-6 lunar lander successfully touched down on the far side of the moon Sunday morning Beijing time, in a significant step for the ambitious mission that could advance the country’s aspirations of putting astronauts on the moon. China’s most complex robotic lunar endeavor to date, the uncrewed mission aims to return samples to Earth from the moon’s far side for the first time. The landing marks the second time a mission has successfully reached the far side of the moon. The probe will spend two days on the far side of the moon, and 14 hours to collect moon soil samples, Xinhua reported. 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 Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China National Space Administration, Xinhua, Luna, NASA Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Aitken, China, United States, Mongolia, India, Japan, Texas

The meeting, between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun, is the first face-to-face talks between the two defense chiefs and Austin’s first such discussions with a Chinese counterpart since late 2022. The meeting, on the sidelines of an annual defense conference in Singapore, takes place against a fraught regional backdrop. Austin is expected to raise concerns with Dong about China’s support for Russia, US officials said ahead of the meeting. Talks between Austin and Dong are not expected to see substantive progress towards resolving many entrenched issues between them. Several weeks later, US and Chinese top generals spoke in a video call, paving the way for this week’s in-person meeting between the defense chiefs.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Dong Jun, Austin’s, China’s, Austin, Dong, Nancy Pelosi, Li Shangfu, Li, won’t, Xi Jinping’s, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: Singapore CNN, US, National Defense, South China Seas, Communist Party, Coast Guard, Defense, Washington, Russia, America, East, Communist, Central Military Commission Locations: Singapore, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, Beijing, East, South, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, China, South China, American, Russia, Ukraine, Austin, Asia –, San Francisco

☆ Jerry Seinfeld is unfazed that 'Unfrosted' got terrible reviews: 'It doesn't matter what you think of me'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewJerry Seinfeld doesn't care that "Unfrosted," his directorial debut, got terrible reviews. I think it's funny that you hated it because you wanted to laugh and you didn't laugh." "Unfrosted" follows a handful of successful recent movies about the creation of popular products, including "Steve Jobs," "The Social Network," and "Tetris." Even though it failed to make waves, Netflix didn't lose as much money on "Unfrosted" as it could have.

Persons: —, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Cabana, Melissa McCarthy, Hugh Grant, James Marsden, Bari Weiss, Seinfeld, he's, Steve Jobs, Mattel, Netflix didn't, would've, Glen Powell, Tom Cruise Organizations: Service, Rotten, Business, Social Network, Netflix Locations: California

☆ China’s Xi Jinping calls for peace conference and ‘justice’ over war in Gaza as Arab leaders visit Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese leader Xi Jinping decried “tremendous sufferings” in the Middle East and called for an international peace conference as leaders from Arab nations visit Beijing this week amid mounting global concern over Israel’s war in Gaza. Justice should not be absent forever,” Xi said Thursday at the opening of a meeting between top diplomats from China and Arab states, also attended by several leaders from the region. Delegations from 22 Arab states joined that event at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, according to Chinese state media. China has recognized a Palestinian state since 1988. Thursday’s ministerial meeting is the first such gathering since China held its first joint summit with Arab leaders in late 2022 in Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Israel, Xi, ”, Abdel, Fattah, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kais Saied, China “, Yun Sun, Fatah, Joe Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, Egypt’s Sisi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United Arab Emirates, States Cooperation Forum, Diplomats, Stimson, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, of Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Gaza, “, Palestinian, Rafah, United States, Israel, Washington, United, Palestine, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Istanbul

☆ Trump continues his revenge tour against pro-DeSantis lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

DeSantis and Good later endorsed Trump, who will formally receive the GOP's presidential nomination in July. Advertisement"Thank you President Trump for endorsing my campaign for Congress!" Before Trump endorsed McGuire, Good had gone to great lengths to appear close to the former president. Trump's most successful revenge tour has been against the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him for inciting the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Last month, Trump endorsed a primary challenger to one of those two, Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Bob Good, Trump, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Sen, John McGuire, McGuire, Good, Matt Gaetz's, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Tony Gonzales, Chip Roy, Texas, Roy, Dan Newhouse Organizations: Service, Truth, Business, Caucus, Florida, Save, Trump, Republicans, Republican, Democrats, GOP, Capitol, Dan Newhouse of Washington Locations: Virginia, New York City, Manhattan, Florida, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Dan Newhouse of

☆ How Trump could turn a guilty verdict into a win
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Twelve New Yorkers will then weigh the possibility of a historic verdict: finding the first-ever former president guilty in a criminal trial. Polling shows that a guilty verdict has some potential peril. AdvertisementIn a recent Quinnipiac University nationwide poll, 62% of voters said a guilty verdict would not affect their vote in November. It's not hard to imagine that in responding to a potential guilty verdict Trump lashes out in a way that causes him more problems. During the Manhattan criminal trial, Trump has sent repeated fundraising appeals, including when Justice Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt for violating his gag order.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Jean Carroll, Cook, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump's, Justin Lane, It's, Paul Ryan, couldn't, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Tish James, Justice Juan Merchan Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Quinnipiac University, Republicans, GOP, Yahoo, New York Times, Siena College, Justice Department, Florida Gov, Politico, New York, Save Locations: Manhattan, Quinnipiac, Donald Trump's Manhattan, weaponized, Florida

☆ America’s military has the edge in space. China and Russia are in a counterspace race to disrupt it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Direct-ascent anti-satellite missiles are fired from Earth to take out a satellite target in space. Since then, China is believed by analysts to have conducted multiple, nondestructive missile tests that could advance its ability to target satellites. Illustration by CNNThat’s because the US has done extensive non-offensive testing of technologies to approach and rendezvous with satellites, including close approaches of its own military satellites and several Russian and Chinese military satellites, SWF says. Chance Saltzman explained why the US felt it needed to be able to counter other countries’ space capabilities. Its tenets may be more relevant now than ever – but potentially under greater threat amid a new focus on military and space.

Persons: –, Russia’s, ”, Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Zang Jihui, Chance Saltzman, ” Saltzman, Juliana Suess, Kamala Harris, Etienne Laurent, SpaceX’s, Tong Zhao, ” Zhao, doesn’t, RUSI’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russian, CNN, Getty, Sputnik, Center for Security, Strategy, Technology, Observer Research, Foundation, China, US Space Force, Liberation Army, PLA, Space Force, Washington, CNN That’s, Space, China’s PLA, US Space Command, Vandenberg Space Force, Bloomberg, Union of Concerned, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Modern Defense Technology ”, United Nations Security, US Locations: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Europe, United States, China, Moscow, North Korea, Iran, Beijing, AFP, Soviet, Soviet Union, America, New Delhi, India, CNN China, Washington, Japan, Guam, France, Australia, Israel, Gaza, London, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, powerlines

☆ The Brat Pack, Reconsidered - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Andrew Mccarthy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was the 1980s, and I was in the right place at the right time, as a cultural shift was taking place. It’s difficult to imagine now, but Hollywood was not always as enamored of the young as it is today. There were some in the old guard who resented this upheaval, and when a disparaging article in New York magazine appeared lumping a group of us young actors as the Brat Pack, many in Hollywood snickered with satisfaction. The nod to the Rat Pack placed us on a historical Hollywood continuum while simultaneously reducing us by stripping our individuality. As the magazine put it: “This is the Hollywood ‘Brat Pack.’ It is to the 1980s what the Rat Pack was to the 1960s — a roving band of famous young stars on the prowl for parties, women and a good time.”

Persons: lumping, ” Organizations: Hollywood Locations: New York, Hollywood

☆ Bipartisan congressional delegation visits Taiwan following days of Chinese military drills around island
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Avery Lotz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday following the election of the island’s new president and after days of Chinese military drills. The US will continue to stand by our steadfast partner and work to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. US officials condemned the drills, with the State Department urging the Chinese to “act with restraint.”Two years ago, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, marking the first time a US House speaker had traveled to Taiwan in 25 years. Her visit was met with days of large-scale military drills and warnings of a “severe impact” on US-China relations from the Chinese government. In April 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy similarly defied threats from China, presenting a united front with then-President Tsai Ing-wen in a California meeting.

Persons: Michael McCaul, Lai Ching, China’s, Putin, Xi, ” McCaul, Xi Jinping, ”, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Tsai Ing, “, Antony Blinken Organizations: CNN — House Foreign, Communist Party, US, Taiwan, House Foreign Affairs Committee, ” CNN, State Department Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, “ Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, America, Asia, China, California

☆ Trump will try to spin his Manhattan trial verdict in his favor, no matter what happens
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Twelve New Yorkers will then weigh the possibility of a historic verdict: finding the first-ever former president guilty in a criminal trial. Polling shows that a guilty verdict has some potential peril. It's not hard to imagine that in responding to a potential guilty verdict Trump lashes out in a way that causes him more problems. The easiest prediction is that Trump's verdict will likely spawn a wave of donations. During the Manhattan criminal trial, Trump has sent repeated fundraising appeals, including when Justice Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt for violating his gag order.

☆ Trump lawyer blasts 'The Apprentice' biopic in legal warning letter, calling it foreign election interference
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIn the 1970s, the lawyer Roy Cohn taught Donald Trump a simple playbook for political fights: attack, counterattack, and never apologize. Trump is employing that strategy on "The Apprentice," an independently produced biopic about him that premiered this week at the Cannes Film Festival. In a cease-and-desist letter, one of Trump's attorneys threatened to sue over the movie's release, calling it "direct foreign interference in America's elections." The letter warns that the movie's release in the United States would amount to "foreign interference in our elections." "The Movie, released six months before the November 2024 election, is directed at influencing the 2024 election by falsely defaming President Trump," he wrote.

Persons: —, Roy Cohn, Donald Trump, Trump, David Warrington, Sebastian Stan, Cohn, Jeremy Strong, US Sen, Joseph McCarthy, Ivana, Ali Abbasi, Gabriel Sherman, Abbasi, Strong, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Warrington, Sherman, Steven Cheung Organizations: Service, Cannes Film, Business, Trump, New, Communist Party, US, Warrington, Dhillon Law, Los Angeles Times, Hollywood, White House Locations: New York, American, Dublin, Warrington, United States

China launched two days of military drills starting Thursday surrounding Taiwan in what it called a “strong punishment” to its opponents on the self-governing island, after Taiwan’s new president pledged to defend its sovereignty as he took office. The drills were the first substantive response by China to the swearing in of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing dislikes, in Taipei on Monday. Mr. Lai’s party asserts Taiwan’s separate status from China, and in a high-profile inaugural speech on Monday, he vowed to keep Taiwan’s democracy safe from Chinese pressure. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has mainly responded to Mr. Lai’s speech with sharply worded criticisms. China did not say how many planes and ships it was deploying in the exercise, but the last major drill in multiple locations around Taiwan that China has conducted was in April of last year in response to the visit to Taiwan by the former House speaker, Kevin McCarthy.

Persons: Lai Ching, Kevin McCarthy Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Kinmen, Taiwan Strait

☆ Election Updates: Trump prosecutor wins re-election and other takeaways from Tuesday’s contests.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The protest vote against Mr. Biden there was nearly double that against Mr. Trump, who won about 85 percent of the vote in the Republican primary. Turnout also plunged in the Democratic primary, with about 184,000 votes tallied, compared with the more than 537,000 recorded in 2020. In neighboring Washington State, the uncommitted ballot option got nearly 10 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary in late March. Image Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, celebrated her re-election win in the Democratic primary on Tuesday in Atlanta. The Democratic primary for district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., ended in a remarkable blowout.

Persons: Vince Fong, Kevin McCarthy, Fong, McCarthy, — Mike Boudreaux, Biden, Donald J, Mr, Trump, Fani Willis, Brynn Anderson, Willis, Christian Wise Smith, Scott McAfee, Trump’s, Judge McAfee, McAfee’s, Jamie McLeod, Skinner, Janelle Bynum, Ms, Bynum, Tina Kotek, Lori Chavez, DeRemer, Mike Schmidt, Nathan Vasquez, Vasquez, Schmidt, Schmidt’s Organizations: Republican, Trump, Democratic, Mr, Associated, Georgia, Oregon’s Fifth Congressional Locations: California, Tulare County, Georgia , Idaho , Kentucky, Oregon, Kentucky, In Oregon, Gaza, Washington State, Fulton County, Atlanta ., Georgia, Fulton County ,, Multnomah County, Portland

☆ Trump Prosecutor Wins, McCarthy’s Successor Is Set and Other Election Takeaways
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Fong succeeds Mr. McCarthy nearly five months after he resigned from Congress, following his ouster from the speakership. Mr. Fong will now serve until the term expires in January and will again face his Republican opponent — Mike Boudreaux, the longtime sheriff of Tulare County — in the fall to seek a full term. Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and Oregon also held primary contests on Tuesday, with presidential primaries in Kentucky and Oregon yielding notable protest votes against President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. Biden met significant resistance in the Kentucky primary, and a protest vote against him in Oregon faltered. The protest vote against Mr. Biden there was nearly double that against Mr. Trump, who won about 85 percent of the vote in the Republican primary.

Persons: Vince Fong, Kevin McCarthy, Fong, McCarthy, — Mike Boudreaux, Biden, Donald J, Mr, Trump Organizations: Republican, Trump, Democratic, Mr Locations: California, Tulare County, Georgia , Idaho , Kentucky, Oregon, Kentucky

☆ Iran President Raisi: Days of funeral ceremonies begin as investigators probe helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Funeral ceremonies are set to begin on Tuesday for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, as authorities probe what caused the aircraft to smash into the side of a remote mountainside during foggy weather on Sunday morning. A helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi takes off on May 19, 2024, before the crash took place. There is no indication what might have caused the crash – and why so many senior Iranian government officials were traveling in a single, decades-old helicopter. A high-ranking delegation will go to the crash site in Eastern Azerbaijan, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Inside Iran, where many of the country’s restive youth population have grown tired of rule by conservative clerics, Raisi had a much more polarizing legacy.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohsen Mansouri, Ali Hamed Haghdoust, Mansouri, Reza, Khamenei, “, ”, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Uraloglu, Iran’s, ’, Ayatollah Khamenei —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Xi, Raisi’s, Azin, ” Xi, Putin, Russia, ” Raisi, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Wana News Agency, Reuters, Mehr, Iranian, Turkish Transportation, Infrastructure, TRT, Moj News Agency, AP, Kremlin, US Locations: Tabriz, Iran, Qom, Tehran, Mashhad, Turkey, Turkish, Eastern Azerbaijan, Israel, Korean, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Russia, Iranian

☆ What to Watch as Voters Head to Polls in Georgia, Oregon and Elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in several states. Vince Fong, a state lawmaker and onetime aide to Mr. McCarthy, had a significant lead in the primary. Georgia, Kentucky, Oregon and Idaho have primary contests today. In Kentucky and Oregon, voters will also weigh in on the presidential primaries, raising the possibility of protest votes against both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, will face a challenger in the Democratic primary for her position.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Vince Fong, Mr, McCarthy, Mike Boudreaux, Biden, Donald J, Fani Willis, Fani, Willis, Christian Wise Smith, Scott McAfee, Trump’s, Robert Patillo II, Tiffani Johnson Organizations: Congressional District, Trump, Democratic Locations: Tulare County, Georgia, Kentucky, Oregon, Idaho, Fulton County

☆ Peloton shares drop after it announces refinancing to stave off cash crunch
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Peloton shares plunged on Monday after the connected fitness company said it is launching a "global refinancing," as it looks to stave off a cash crunch amid falling sales. Peloton plans to use the proceeds to buy back about $800 million of its 0% convertible senior notes, which are currently due in 2026, and refinance its existing term loan. Shares fell more than 12% in extended trading after Peloton announced the refinancing, but later regained some ground. In a letter to shareholders, the company said it is "mindful" of the timing of its debt maturities, which include convertible notes and a term loan. "Overall, our refinancing goals are to deleverage and extend maturities at a reasonable blended cost of capital," the company said.

Persons: Barry McCarthy, McCarthy, Goldman Sachs Organizations: JPMorgan

☆ Slouching isn’t bad for your spine but may impact your memory, research says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Chris Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Conversation —Often a posture assigned to teenagers and disaffected youth, slouching is traditionally considered to be a “bad” posture — with some claiming it will damage your spine and cause pain. But while posture is heavily overlaid with psychological meaning, is it really that bad for our spines if we slouch? There’s also no clear evidence that slouching while sitting at your desk or while using your phone causes damage to the spine. Slouching has been linked to poorer information and memory recall, as well as worse mood when compared to sitting upright. But aside from that, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests there’s no single, ideal or good posture.

Persons: slouching, —, ”, there’s, There’s, it’s, Slouching, Chris McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Manchester Metropolitan University

Lai, 64, a former doctor, was inaugurated alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lai takes up the mantle from DPP predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who bolstered the island’s international standing and recognition during her eight years in office. He is also expected to project goodwill to China with a message of pursuing peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. That deliberately nuanced stance mimics his outgoing predecessor Tsai, Taiwan’s first female president, who was unable to stand again because of term limits.

Persons: Taipei CNN — Lai Ching, te, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s, Tsai Ing, Tsai –, –, Xi Jinping, Tsai, Taiwan’s, rebuking Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Communist Party, CNN, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, ” Locations: Taipei, China, United States, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ In Beijing, Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Putin’s two-day state visit comes as Western leaders have leant on Xi to ensure that soaring exports from his country aren’t propping up the Russian war effort – a claim Beijing denies. Putin also traveled to Beijing with top security officials who the Russian president said Thursday would join informal talks on Ukraine. Beijing, which says it is neutral on the war, has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Xi, analysts say, is seeking to keep Putin as a close partner, while not stepping over Western red lines. For that reason, she added, “he’s okay with on-going dependency between Russia and China – and with inequality in this relationship.”

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Putin’s, Andrey Belousov, Sergey Shoigu, “ Putin, he’s, Kurt Volker, “, ”, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, –, Israel, Hamas, Russian, Russian Security, Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Observers, CNN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, Gaza, Russian, China, ”, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, China’s Harbin, Siberia, Europe

☆ Stylist Holly White got her start waitressing and interning at Vogue. Now, she's transforming 'Bridgerton' actors into fashion stars.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewWearing a school uniform never worked for Holly White. "I was assisting fashion assistants, and I knew immediately that I'd fallen in love with styling," White said of her time at the magazine. India Amarteifio and Holly White. Charithra Chandran attends a Vogue and Netflix event in a look styled by Holly White. "We're having conversations about the directions we want to go, when we want to push certain silhouettes, what we want to say with certain looks," White said.

Persons: —, Holly White, White, I'd, Mary, Kate, Ashley Olsen, Tim Walker, wasn't, Luke Newton, Tom Hiddleston, Loki, Milly Alcock, Holly White White, Amarteifio, Tolu Coker, India Amarteifio, Kayla Oaddams, Charithra Chandran, Jeff Spicer, Newton, They've, Luke, Jamie McCarthy Organizations: Service, Business, London College of Fashion, Vogue, Netflix, Newtown, Getty Locations: London, India, British, Nigerian, Amarteifio

☆ Vladimir Putin arrives in China for state visit as Russian troops advance in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing for the start of a two-day state visit underlining close alignment with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Russian troops advance in Ukraine. Ahead of the trip, Putin hailed the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership” between the countries in an interview with Chinese state media Xinhua. The two leaders – who declared a “no limits” partnership weeks before the February 2022 invasion – have continued to strengthen their countries’ diplomatic, trade and security ties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Xi hosts Putin in Beijing as the Chinese leader comes under under mounting pressure from the US and Europe to ensure exports from China aren’t propping up Russia’s war effort. This is the fourth in-person meeting between Xi and Putin – known for their personal chemistry – since the invasion and Putin’s second visit to Beijing in that time.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s, China’s, –, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, Wednesday, Xinhua, ”, Trade, China aren’t, Kremlin Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Gaza, ” Beijing, United States, Europe, China, Moscow, Harbin, China’s, Heilongjiang, Russia’s

This week, Xi is welcoming him to China for a two-day state visit — their fourth in-person meeting since Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine began. China has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Russia has also become China’s main oil supplier, overtaking Saudi Arabia, according to official Chinese trade data. Governments warn against support for Russia’s war effortThe wartime surge in trade, and growing purchases of oil, have sparked criticism in the West that China was helping to fund Russia’s war. It mirrors Xi’s state visit to Russia in March 2023, which was the Chinese leader’s first overseas trip after starting a norm-shattering third term as president.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Antony Blinken, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, ’, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, European Union, International Monetary Fund, —, EU, White, European Commission Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, United States, Saudi Arabia, India, West, Beijing, France, Chinese

☆ Putin to meet Xi in China as world convulses from global conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Pyongyang – which has an economy almost entirely dependent of China – is believed by Western governments to be aiding Russia with war supplies. Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a “Cold War,” suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China. They have also criticized Israel and the United States – converging with mounting global backlash, especially across the Global South against Israel’s war. The conflict has also impacted how China and Russia view their relations with countries there, he added. China “wants to use Russia” for its aims, but Russia is making China weak, he said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, It’s, China –, Xi, France –, Jens Stoltenberg, Sergei Guneyev, ”, Li Mingjiang, Manoj Kewalramani, Russia doesn’t, Stringer, Gaza —, Sergey Lavrov, presser, Wang Yi, Israel, “, Privately, Shen Dingli, China “, Alexander Dugin, Donald Trump, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, NATO, Forum, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, EU, Takshashila, Boys, Getty, United, Global, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russia, Weibo, Moscow, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Russian, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Tehran, Beijing, Europe, France, Serbia, Hungary, Bangalore, Rafah, AFP, Israel, United States, Kewalramani, South, Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Nicholas Kristof says press ‘shouldn’t be neutral’ with coverage of Trump’s threats to democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The American press, he writes in clear-eyed terms, “shouldn’t be neutral about upholding democracy” and must not “dispassionately observe our way to authoritarianism.”We spoke with Kristof over email for a Q&A about this and more. This is strange for a pundit to admit, but I think there’s too much punditry in journalism today and not enough reporting. … We journalists shouldn’t dispassionately observe our way to authoritarianism; we shouldn’t be neutral about upholding democracy.” Do you believe your colleagues in the press are as clear-eyed about this as you are? I believe that journalism — along with law and the civil service — restrained the Trump presidency and is a force for civilization and democracy. He believed it and I believe it, and that is why I say that journalism is an act of hope.

Persons: Nicholas Kristof, “, Kristof, Gray Lady, Donald Trump, ”, James Bond, scoff, I’ve, That’s, It’s, I’m, we’re, aren’t, it’s, William Safire, shouldn’t, Joe McCarthy, Edward R, Murrow, McCarthy, Martin Luther King Jr, George Wallace, Jim Crow, Trump, Joe Kahn, — that’s, Will, Let’s, — Organizations: New York CNN, New York Times, The New York Times, Times, Trump, Endowment, Arts, CNN, State Security, State, “ Locations: New York, Congo, Iraq, Syria, Aleppo, America, Washington, China, —, Oregon, U.S, Gaza, Russia

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