World
Wang Yi meets Putin in sign of deepening China-Russia ties
![Wang Yi meets Putin in sign of deepening China-Russia ties Wang Yi meets Putin in sign of deepening China-Russia ties](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AP23053428387159.jpg?resize=1920,1440)
The heat of Russia’s and China’s relationship has been on show within the Kremlin as President Vladimir Putin held talks with China’s high diplomat Wang Yi and hailed the significance of the 2 nations’ cooperation.
Photographs confirmed Wang and Putin exchanging a agency handshake and sitting throughout the desk from one another throughout their assembly on Wednesday. Others confirmed Wang, the Chinese language Communist Occasion’s most senior overseas coverage official, wanting relaxed as he walked with Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Wang’s go to to Moscow – on the finish of a tour of various European nations – comes practically a yr after Putin ordered troops into neighbouring Ukraine, beginning a battle that has left 1000’s lifeless, pressured tens of millions to flee and left Ukrainian cities and cities in ruins.
The struggle has additionally widened divisions between Russia and the world’s liberal democracies, largely within the West, that are backing Ukraine and have imposed sanctions on Moscow. Ties between China and the US are additionally below critical pressure.
Noting the escalation in worldwide tensions, Putin mentioned that “on this context, cooperation between the Folks’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the worldwide enviornment is especially essential for stabilising the worldwide state of affairs”.
Ties between the 2 had reached “new frontiers”, he mentioned, confirming that Chinese language President Xi Jinping would possibly quickly journey to Moscow for a summit. The 2 males have met dozens of occasions since Xi grew to become Chinese language president.
Beijing has not condemned Moscow over the struggle though the invasion, which Moscow calls a “particular navy operation”, passed off shortly after Xi and Putin met in China and affirmed a “no limits” partnership.
The US and NATO have lately expressed concern that China would possibly present arms or different assist to Russia’s struggle, though China has denied having any such plan.
Wang emphasised that Moscow and Beijing each assist “multipolarity and democratisation of worldwide relations” – a reference to their shared aim of countering the perceived US dominance in international affairs.
“Chinese language-Russian relations aren’t directed in opposition to any third nations and definitely can’t be topic to stress from any third nations,” he mentioned.
Earlier on Wednesday, Wang held talks with Russia’s overseas minister. “Our ties have continued to develop dynamically and regardless of excessive turbulence within the international enviornment, we’ve proven the readiness to talk in defence of one another’s pursuits,” Lavrov mentioned.
Wang responded in form, underlining Beijing’s deal with deepening ties with Russia. Russia’s overseas ministry mentioned there was no dialogue a couple of purported Chinese language peace plan for Ukraine.
China has echoed Moscow’s declare that the US and NATO are accountable for the battle by “scary” the Kremlin.
Russia, in flip, has staunchly supported China amid tensions with the US over Taiwan and different points, comparable to within the northwestern Xinjiang area, the place the United Nations has discovered crimes in opposition to humanity might need been dedicated.
Nonetheless, some analysts say whereas China has emphasised its shut ties with Moscow, it’s also cautious of escalating tensions with the West when it wants to spice up its economic system after the extended lockdowns of its now-defunct zero-COVID coverage.
“Isolation from the West will not be one thing (Beijing) desires to threat,” Yu Jie, a senior analysis fellow for China within the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham Home, a United Kingdom suppose tank, mentioned in feedback printed on Wednesday.
“President Xi and his colleagues have begun to understand that cooperation with Russia comes with substantial limits to keep away from undermining China’s personal political priorities and longer-term financial pursuits.”
The struggle in Ukraine started on February 24 final yr and has turn into the most important land battle in Europe since World Battle Two.
At a gathering on Wednesday of the 193-member UN Basic Meeting to mark the primary anniversary of the struggle, UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s invasion as a violation of the UN Constitution and worldwide regulation.
The Basic Meeting is ready to vote in a while Thursday on a decision put ahead by Ukraine and supporters, stressing “the necessity to attain, as quickly as doable, a complete, simply and lasting peace” in keeping with the UN Constitution.
Guterres mentioned the Constitution was “unambiguous”, citing from it: “All members shall chorus of their worldwide relations from the menace or use of power in opposition to the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
Ukraine and its supporters hope to deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation by securing the assist of practically three-quarters of the meeting to match – if not higher – the assist acquired for a number of resolutions final yr.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzya, instructed the meeting that Moscow had been left with “no different choice” however to make sure “the protection and safety of our nation, utilizing navy means”.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
World
Germany's right wing poised for major wins as centrist parties stumble
![Germany's right wing poised for major wins as centrist parties stumble Germany's right wing poised for major wins as centrist parties stumble](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-2169317905.jpg)
Germany’s right wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is expected to win its first election since the party was formed in 2013, as anti-mass immigration sentiment sends voters to the polls.
Exit polls on Sunday showed AfD securing a winning 33.5% share of the vote in Thuringia and 31.5% in Saxony. Meanwhile, the center-left Social Democratic Party – to which Chancellor Olaf Scholz belongs – brought in less than 8% of the vote in both states, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The election follows a wider trend of success for conservative groups across Europe in recent months. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s government narrowly quashed a conservative takeover of the French parliament earlier this year.
Analysts say the ultimate impact that AfD and other party politicians can have will be determined by how willing centrists are to work with them.
GERMAN RIGHT WING CANDIDATE STABBED IN LATEST ATTACK AHEAD OF ELECTIONS
DRESDEN, GERMANY – AUGUST 29: A skinhead supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party waves a German flag while taunting leftist, anti-fascist protesters following the final AfD Saxony election rally prior to state elections on August 29, 2024, in Dresden, Germany. The AfD is currently leading in polls in both Saxony and Thuringia ahead of state elections scheduled for Sunday in both states. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
“The center-right will decide to what extent an AfD win would be a turning point: So far, they have been relatively consistent in excluding cooperation — more so than in other Western European countries,” Manès Weisskircher, a political scientist at the Dresden University of Technology, told the Journal.
The German elections this weekend come just days after a Syrian immigrant killed three people in a stabbing spree in Solingen, Germany. ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack shortly after.
![Emergency services and police at a stabbing scene in Germany Friday](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/Stabbing-scene-Germany.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Emergency services and police are deployed near the scene where three people were killed and injured in an attack at a festival in Solingen, western Germany, the German dpa news agency reported, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Gianni Gattus/dpa via AP)
Federal prosecutors in Germany identified the suspect as Issa Al H., omitting his family name because of German privacy laws.
GERMAN TERROR ATTACK SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS A SYRIAN REFUGEE, CHANCELLOR VOWS TO IMPLEMENT STRICT IMMIGRATION
ISIS said the attacker targeted Christians “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”
Der Spiegel magazine, citing unidentified security sources, said that the suspect had moved to Germany late in 2022, and sought asylum.
![Scholz gives speech in Berlin](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/GettyImages-2156486483-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing a surge in right-wing sentiment across Germany. (John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)
Similar attacks by Muslim migrants across Europe have spurred anti-immigration sentiment. Even the left-leaning Scholz called for strengthening immigration laws and ramping up deportations in the wake of the attack.
“We will have to do everything we can to ensure that those who cannot and are not allowed to stay in Germany are repatriated and deported,” Scholz said while visiting the sight where the stabbing happened.
“This was terrorism, terrorism against us all,” he said.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report
World
Seven EU members hadn’t received any post-Covid funding by end-2023
![Seven EU members hadn’t received any post-Covid funding by end-2023 Seven EU members hadn’t received any post-Covid funding by end-2023](https://static.euronews.com/articles/stories/08/69/58/16/1200x675_cmsv2_e50ff906-3ebe-5eb2-bccc-66f739cec99e-8695816.jpg)
Continued delays are jeopardising the EU’s €724bn post-Covid recovery fund, warns a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
Three years after creating a huge fund to stimulate post-pandemic recovery, EU member states have used under a third of the €724bn in grants and loans, EU auditors said in a report published today (2 September).
By the end of 2023, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden had not received any post-Covid money at all, the EU Court of Auditors said.
Almost all member states have experienced delays in submitting payment requests, whether due to political turmoil, uncertainty over the rules, or national administrative capacity, the report said.
The Netherlands and Hungary did not sign operational agreements, the first step required to access EU funds, while Sweden did not submit a payment application, it added – while others such as the Netherlands were held back by protracted coalition negotiations.
“For the Recovery and Resilience Plan you really need political consensus and support and that the government stands behind the plan, and the Netherlands was waiting for that stability,” Ivana Maletić, senior auditor at the Luxembourg-based EU agency, told Euronews in an interview.
In the more complex case of Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s government has to meet 27 milestones intended to fight corruption and safeguard judicial independence, which he hasn’t yet done.
The other four countries — Belgium, Finland, Ireland and Poland — submitted payment requests later than others, so they were still being assessed by the European Commission, which directly manages and implements the fund, at the end of 2023.
One quarter not completed on time
Unlike cohesion funds, the normal vehicle for EU regional spending, post-pandemic financial support is tied to progress on meeting commitments, and member states are behind schedule in meeting these targets and absorbing funds.
“Timely absorption of the RRF is essential: it helps to avoid bottlenecks in carrying out the measures towards the end of the Facility’s lifespan, and reduces the risk of inefficient and erroneous spending,” said Maletić, who led the audit.
Halfway through the six-year implementation plan for the post-pandemic funds, 24% of the planned reforms and investments have not been completed on time — meaning that a significant number of the trickiest promises have yet to be fulfilled, the ECA found.
With the RRF due to expire in August 2026 and no extension expected, EU auditors are recommending the Commission provide further support to strengthen how similar funds are designed in future.
“It can happen that for some actions, member states receive substantial amounts of funds without finalising them at all because it will not be possible to finalise them within the given time,” a senior auditor told a press conference on Monday (2 September) — though Brussels then doesn’t have the power to claw back money.
The EU executive however rejected auditors’ recommendations to stop funding incomplete actions and recover transfers.
“The Commission does not consider that payments based on progress is a risk and has no legal basis to recover funds already disbursed in relation to milestones and targets already and still fulfilled,” said its response.
World
Analysis-Apple Set for Music, TV Streaming Fight in India After Airtel Deal
-
Connecticut1 week ago
Oxford church provides sanctuary during Sunday's damaging storm
-
Politics1 week ago
2024 showdown: What happens next in the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump face-off
-
Politics1 week ago
Why won't Pennsylvania voters have results on Election Night?
-
World1 week ago
Portugal coast hit by 5.3 magnitude earthquake
-
Politics1 week ago
With 13 days until voting starts, 'election season' kicks off sooner than you think
-
Politics1 week ago
White House lawyers who advised Reagan, Bush endorse Harris over Trump in 2024 showdown
-
World1 week ago
Solingen stabbing: Three killed in attack at Germany festival
-
World1 week ago
French police officer injured in synagogue arson attack