Nikkei Asia reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping was absent from public view for many days this summer owing to a harsh reprimand from the elders at the Beidaihe meeting. Beidaihe is the “summer summit” held in early August each year, which sees the participation of the general leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Sources said that several party elders convened a meeting of their own ahead of Beidaihe, and later, some of them met Xi to convey that if the political, economic and social turmoil continues in the country without any effective countermeasures being taken, the party could lose public support, posing a threat to its rule.
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided on Tuesday that Myanmar would not be allowed to take over the rotating leadership of their regional bloc as scheduled in 2026. In the latest blow to efforts by Myanmar’s ruling generals to gain international recognition since they seized power in 2021, an ASEAN official statement confirmed that the Philippines will be the chair of the grouping in 2026.
Ukraine’s military announced advances and robust defence along the front lines of its 18-month war with Russia on Tuesday, while Moscow acknowledged “tension” in the southern sector but dismissed Kyiv’s campaign as unsuccessful. Ilya Yevlash, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military in the east, said, “We are pressing our offensive in the Bakhmut sector and our defenders are advancing confidently metre by metre, namely Klishchivka.”
A highway stretch in the US state of California has been named after 33-year-old Indian-origin police officer Ronil Singh, who was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in 2018. The Newman Police Department dedicated Highway 33 in Newman to Singh. The “Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway” sign can be seen at Highway 33 and Stuhr Road.
Following the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kremlin-aligned security groups are attempting to seize control of Wagner’s military forces in Ukraine and Africa. As per the reports, the Kremlin hopes to take experienced troops for the war in Ukraine while retaining Wagner’s influence in portions of Africa.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that providing weapons to Russia “is not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community.”
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday that she does not think the Biden Administration will revise US tariffs imposed on China during former President Donald Trump’s administration until the US Trade Representative’s Office completes an ongoing review.