Blinken arrives in China

Antony Blinken arrived in China yesterday — the primary go to by a U.S. secretary of state to China since 2018 — within the hope of slowing the downward spiral of relations between Beijing and Washington.

Blinken met with China’s overseas minister, Qin Gang, for 5 and a half hours, one hour longer than scheduled. The two males and their aides then had a stroll collectively and a working dinner collectively for 2 hours.

The official Chinese abstract of the assembly was bleak. Qin asserted that U.S.-China relations had been at their lowest level because the begin of regular diplomatic ties in 2019. He additionally identified that the Taiwan problem was the best threat to relations between China and the U.S.

According to the U.S. abstract, Blinken stated that the U.S. would rise up for the pursuits and values of the American individuals “and work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order.”

What the U.S. needs: Officials have pressured that re-establishing high-level diplomacy is their priority. Security points are more likely to weigh closely, and Blinken plans to speak with Chinese officers about world points, together with local weather change and financial stability worldwide.

China’s strategy: China is anticipated to boost a litany of grievances throughout the two-day go to, reflecting Beijing’s view that the U.S. is a declining hegemon decided to cling to energy by containing China.

G.O.P. response: Leading congressional Republicans excoriated Blinken on Friday for traveling to China. They accused him of undermining nationwide safety by making an attempt to normalize diplomatic relations with Beijing, as they press for a extra hard-line strategy.

Evidence suggests Russia blew up Ukrainian dam

The Kakhovka dam in Ukraine was designed to resist virtually any assault conceivable from the surface. Evidence reviewed by The New York Times clearly suggests that Russia blew it up from within.

The dam, which is managed by Russia, was constructed throughout Soviet occasions, which meant that Moscow had the construction’s engineering drawings and knew about its Achilles’ heel: a small passage beneath the dam reachable from the machine room. This passageway, the proof suggests, is the place an explosive cost detonated and destroyed the dam.

Details: Seismic sensors in Ukraine and Romania detected the telltale indicators of huge explosions on the day of the collapse, and U.S. intelligence satellites captured infrared warmth indicators that additionally indicated an explosion. Additionally, as water ranges fell, the part that collapsed was now not seen above the water line — sturdy proof that the muse had suffered structural injury, engineers stated.

Nuclear: The high U.N. nuclear official just lately visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant and stated that it had a “few months” of water left to cool the reactors and spent gas rods, and that the authorities there had began to take steps to replenish the provision.

Other updates from the conflict:

Bangladesh’s coal-less coal plant

Bangladesh spent $2 billion to construct the Maitree energy plant, one of many world’s latest coal-burning energy vegetation. It started operation in December however has sat idle for weeks at a time. The cause: No coal to burn.

Maitree experiences these momentary shutdowns due to a scarcity of foreign money to import coal from Indonesia. The troubles dealing with the ability plant are a glimpse into the dangers that different new coal vegetation all over the world might face in coming years, as renewable power sources like wind and photo voltaic change into cheaper.

Coal in Asia: China continues to construct new coal vegetation, however different nations are retiring outdated vegetation or canceling new deliberate tasks. Bangladesh, for example, just lately canceled plans to construct 12 coal-burning vegetation. India stated it would suspend new coal plant projects for the following 5 years.

What’s particular about your hometown’s meals?

I really like speaking in regards to the meals of New York City, the place I used to be born and raised. But that’s not simply bagels and pizza. Instead, when mates go to me, I make them strive the flavors of my New York City.

I believed in regards to the tastes of residence whereas studying about some of New York City’s most distinctive restaurants. My colleagues’ suggestions made me surprise: What would you all feed a customer to present them a style of your hometown? Why is that this meals particular to you?

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Golam Khan was a revolutionary throughout the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, which one skilled calls “a forgotten genocide.” Khan went from being a conflict hero to an immigrant cabdriver in New York City. He has fought to maintain the reminiscence of the conflict alive in his new land, but does anyone care?

Lives lived: Daniel Ellsberg leaked to The Times a secret historical past of American lies and deceit within the Vietnam War, authorities paperwork that got here to be referred to as the Pentagon Papers. He died at 92.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Egypt spars with a Dutch Museum

A brand new exhibit within the Netherlands explores how Black musicians — Beyoncé, Tina Turner, Nas and others — have drawn inspiration and pleasure from the concept historic Egypt was an African tradition. The exhibit is framed as a helpful corrective to centuries of cultural erasure of Africans.

But what would possibly sound empowering within the U.S. and thought-provoking within the Netherlands, is anathema to Egypt’s authorities and lots of of its individuals, who’ve flooded the museum’s Facebook and Google pages with complaints — sometimes racist ones — about what they see as Western appropriation of their history.

Many Egyptians don’t see themselves as African in any respect, figuring out far more intently with the predominantly Arab and Muslim nations of the Middle East and North Africa. Many look down on darker-skinned Egyptians and sub-Saharan Africans. Some really feel that their tradition and historical past are being erased within the Western quest to appropriate historic racism.

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