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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine war: UN body urges restraint after Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant hitPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, ReutersBy Ian AikmanBBC NewsRussia and Ukraine must avoid actions that “jeopardise nuclear safety”, a UN watchdog has said, after a drone attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant.Russia said Ukraine was behind the attack, which it said injured three people. Ukraine has denied involvement.The giant Russian-held nuclear plant, with six reactors, is on the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.The UN’s atomic energy watchdog has repeatedly warned that attacking the plant could risk nuclear disaster.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has a team of experts at Zaporizhzhia, confirmed “physical impact of drone attacks” at the plant, including at one of the reactors. The plant’s Russian-installed administration said radiation levels were normal and that there was no serious damage. The IAEA said the damage had not compromised nuclear safety, but it warned that “this is a serious incident with potential to undermine [the] integrity of the reactor’s containment system”.IAEA head Rafael Grossi specified there had been “at least three direct hits” against the plant’s “main reactor containment structures”.”This cannot happen,” he said. “No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go.”The Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest in Europe. Russian forces seized it shortly after launching their February 2022 full-scale invasion and have occupied it ever since. Both Russia and Ukraine regularly accuse each other of shelling the plant and risking a serious nuclear accident. Mr Grossi has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed to the plant by the conflict.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Russia has occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant since early 2022The plant’s Russian administration has said Ukraine’s armed forces were behind the attack, but Ukraine has denied the allegation. “Ukraine was not involved in any armed provocations on the site,” Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate spokesman Andriy Yusov told the Ukrainska Pravda news website. The plant is “illegally occupied by Russia,” he added. Mr Yusov accused Russia of endangering the nuclear facility, the civilian population and the environment by carrying out strikes on the plant itself. Last month the IAEA said its team of experts at the plant had heard explosions every day for a week. At the time, Mr Grossi said: “For more than two years now, nuclear safety and security in Ukraine has been in constant jeopardy. We remain determined to do everything we can to help minimise the risk of a nuclear accident that could harm people and the environment, not only in Ukraine.”Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaNuclear powerZaporizhzhia nuclear power plantUkraineMore on this storyMillion in Ukraine lose power after Russian attackPublished22 MarchRussia likely targeted Ukraine nuclear plant – ZelenskyPublished26 October 2023How risky is stand-off over Ukraine’s nuclear plant?Published21 November 2022Top StoriesIsrael reduces troop numbers in southern GazaPublished3 hours agoJeremy Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than everPublished17 hours agoManhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed to deathPublished6 hours agoFeaturesPath of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipseWhere in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe comics legend lurking in a British basementIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?West faces ‘authoritarian’ alliance, says Nato headWhy these singer-songwriters are pop’s new breakout stars’A game of Jenga’: Inside the perilous Baltimore bridge clean-upElsewhere on the BBCGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerThis family bonds over Race Across the WorldThese are the the things we love on the BBCAttributioniPlayerOne of the most talented bands to never make it…Why did trailblazers Microdisney fail to achieve the commercial success they deserved?AttributioniPlayerDid you know these scenes were filmed in… Glasgow?!Ali Plumb travels through the city’s silver screen sightsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Manhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed2Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?3Probe after Boeing plane engine cover falls off4Speaker left ‘devastated’ by father’s death5’Radiographer started crying during my cancer scan’6’He was one of us’: Memorial ride for Hairy Biker7Former Wimbledon manager Kinnear dies aged 77AttributionSport8Hardest Geezer: Runner completes Africa challenge9Israel reduces troop numbers in southern Gaza10Post Office bosses earned millions despite scandal

[ad_1] At the time, Mr Grossi said: “For more than two years now, nuclear safety and security in Ukraine has been in constant jeopardy. We remain determined to do everything…

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March 29, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaWar a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s TuskPublished7 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFEImage caption, Mr Tusk (R) praised a change in mentality among European allies but said the next two years were criticalBy Paul KirbyBBC NewsPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has delivered a blunt warning that Europe has entered a “pre-war era” and if Ukraine is defeated by Russia, nobody in Europe will be able to feel safe.”I don’t want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept from the past,” he told European media. “It’s real and it started over two years ago.”His remarks came as a fresh barrage of Russian missiles targeted Ukraine.Russia has intensified its bombardment of Ukraine in recent weeks. Overnight into Friday Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down 58 drones and 26 missiles and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said energy infrastructure had been damaged in six regions, in the west, centre and east of the country.Ukraine’s national energy company has announced emergency blackouts in three regions of the country – Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kirovograd – and have urged consumers to limit electricity use. The provider, Ukrenergo, blamed “the massive Russian attack on Ukrainian power plants overnight.” Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had already blamed Ukraine for the jihadist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall without any evidence and “evidently feels the need to justify increasingly violent attacks on civil targets in Ukraine”. He pointed out that Russia had attacked Kyiv with hypersonic missiles in daylight for the first time earlier this week.He used his first foreign interview since returning to office as Polish prime minister at the end of last year to deliver a direct appeal to Europe’s leaders to do more to bolster its defences.Regardless of whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump won November’s US presidential election, he argued Europe would become a more attractive partner to the US if it became more self-sufficient militarily.Image source, EPA-EFE/Jakub Szymczuk/KPRPImage caption, Mr Tusk (R) and Polish President Andrzej Duda held talks earlier this month with President Biden at the White HouseIt was not about Europe achieving military autonomy from the US or creating “parallel structures to Nato”, he said. Poland now spent 4% of its economic output on defence and every other European country should spend 2% of GDP, with the European Union as a whole mentally prepared to fight for its security.Since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, relations with the West have reached their lowest ebb since the worst days of the Cold War, although President Putin said this week that Moscow had “no aggressive intentions” towards Nato countries. The idea that his country would attack Poland, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic was “complete nonsense”, he said. And yet he also warned that if Ukraine used Western F-16 warplanes from airfields in other countries, they would become “legitimate targets, wherever they might be located”.This is not Mr Tusk’s first warning of a pre-war era. He gave centre-right European leaders a similar message earlier this month.However, he revealed that Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, had asked fellow EU leaders to stop using the word “war” in their summit statements, because people did not want to feel threatened. Mr Tusk said he had replied that in his part of Europe, war was no longer an abstract idea.Appealing for urgent military aid for Ukraine, he warned that the next two years of the war would decide everything: “We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War.”Image source, Omar Marques/Anadolu Image caption, Mr Tusk said Poland now spent 4% of its GDP on defence and called on other EU states to meet a 2% targetWhat was most worrying now, he told journalists from some of Europe’s biggest newspapers, was that “literally any scenario is possible”.He remembered a photo on the wall of his family home in Poland that showed people laughing on a beach at Sopot, near Gdansk where he was born, on the southern Baltic coast.The image was from 31 August 1939, he said, then a dozen hours later and 5km (three miles) away, World War Two began.”I know it sounds devastating, especially to people of the younger generation, but we have to mentally get used to the arrival of a new era. The pre-war era,” he warned.Despite his chilling remarks, Mr Tusk was more optimistic about what he called a real revolution in mentality across Europe. When he was Polish prime minister for the first time, from 2007 to 2014, he said few other European leaders beyond Poland and the Baltic states realised Russia was a potential threat.He praised several European leaders and highlighted the importance of security co-operation between Poland, France and Germany – an alliance known as the Weimar Triangle. And he pointed to Sweden and Finland, once paragons of pacifism and neutrality but now members of Nato.Meanwhile, Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief Gen Oleksandr Syrskiy admitted in a rare interview that Russia was outgunning Ukrainian forces “about six to one” on the front line.”The defence forces are now performing tasks along the entire vast front line, with little or no weapons and ammunition,” he warned in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency, saying the situation was “tense” in some areas.Gen Syrskyi said Ukraine had lost territory it would “undoubtedly have retained” with “a sufficient number of air defence systems and artillery shells”, and said the country hoped to receive more aid and missiles soon.The latest warning from Poland’s Prime Minister echoes what his neighbours in the Baltic states have been saying for some time; if Russia can get away with invading, occupying and annexing whole provinces in Ukraine then how long, they fear, before President Putin decides to launch a similar offensive against countries like theirs, that used to be part of Moscow’s orbit? Defence spending per capita is noticeably higher in the NATO countries bordering Russia than it is in western Europe. Vladimir Putin, who critics say has just “reappointed himself” to a fifth presidential term in a “sham election”, has recently said he has no plans to attack a NATO country. But Baltic leaders like Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas say Moscow’s word cannot be trusted. In the days leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed Western warnings of the imminent invasion as “propaganda” and “Western hyperbole”.Related TopicsWar in UkraineDonald TuskPolandMore on this storyFleeing Ukraine’s embattled border villagesPublished7 days agoZelensky hits back after Russia links Ukraine to concert attackPublished5 days agoEurope rift on Ukraine clouds Macron talks in BerlinPublished15 MarchNew pro-EU Polish PM fleshes out programmePublished12 December 2023How much grain is Ukraine exporting?Published1 day agoTop StoriesDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape chargePublished3 hours agoWar a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s PMPublished7 hours agoMassive crane to haul wreckage of Baltimore bridgePublished2 hours agoFeaturesAnalysis: DUP resignation is a political bombshellWho is the former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson?Beyoncé’s country album: The verdictCalls for Post Office police probe after BBC storyLife after Pontins swapped tourists for tradespeopleWaiting for Evan, Putin’s ‘bargaining chip’ in Russian jail2 Tone Music: Black and white exploding colourWeekly quiz: How much did Kate’s Titanic piece of wood sell for?A view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. VideoA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridgeElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIf aliens existed, what would they look like?Let Brian Cox and Robin Ince guide you through the universe’s big questionsAttributionSoundsThe ultimate bromanceEnjoy the genius of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a journey through the archivesAttributioniPlayerThe deadly history of wallpaper…Discover the extraordinary stories of the ordinary items all around youAttributionSoundsMost Read1Olly Alexander rejects call to boycott Eurovision2Actress ‘upset’ at son’s trampoline park exclusion3Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape charge4Iranian TV host stabbed outside London home5War a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s PM6Massive crane to haul wreckage of Baltimore bridge7Easter egg hunt in cemetery pulled after backlash8Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr dies aged 879France loves Brazil says Macron after Lula meeting10Life after Pontins swapped tourists for tradespeople

[ad_1] However, he revealed that Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, had asked fellow EU leaders to stop using the word “war” in their summit statements, because people did not want…

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March 26, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS Supreme Court appears sceptical of abortion pill casePublished19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A federal judge revoked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone in 2023.By Bernd Debusmann Jr and Kayla EpsteinBBC NewsThe US Supreme Court appeared sceptical of an effort to restrict access to a commonly used abortion drug, mifepristone, during a Tuesday hearing.Several members of the court questioned whether it was an appropriate challenge of the drug’s federal approval.It is the most significant abortion case before America’s top court since it ended the national right to abortion in June 2022.The outcome could affect abortion access for millions.This case centres on decisions made by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to loosen restrictions of mifepristone’s use since 2016.The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an umbrella group of anti-abortion doctors and activists, filed a lawsuit in November 2022 alleging that the drug is unsafe and that the federal agency inappropriately expanded access to it. Numerous studies have shown that mifepristone, which was first approved by the FDA in 2000, is safe.But the group, which includes medical professionals, has also argued that its members might suffer harm by having to treat patients who used mifepristone to end a pregnancy. They said that would be in opposition to their own religious beliefs.Elizabeth Prelogar, the US Solicitor General, told the court that the doctors could not show that the FDA’s decisions had directly harmed them.She added that ruling in favour of the anti-abortion group would “severely disrupt the federal system for developing and approving drugs” and “inflict grave harm on women across the nation.”Several of the judges seemed to find the basis for the case dubious. Even some of the conservative justices who have ruled in favour of anti-abortion plaintiffs in the past questioned whether the doctors had suffered due to the rule changes. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, pressed the group’s attorneys on whether two of the doctors cited in the case had been forced to terminate a pregnancy against their will. How abortion pill ruling threatens other drugs How safe is the abortion pill mifepristone?Some of the justices, both liberal and conservative, asked whether there was a “mismatch” between the injuries claimed by the group and the changes they were pursuing – limiting millions of Americans’ access to mifepristone. Justice Neil Gorsuch, another conservative judge appointed by Mr Trump, questioned whether a ruling in their favour could open the door to “a handful of individuals” turning a “small lawsuit into a nationwide legislative assembly on an FDA rule, or any other federal government action”. Two of the court’s liberal justices, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, asked why the doctors were not already protected by their right to lodge conscience objections to certain procedures, like abortion.Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug – misoprostol – for medical abortions, and it is now the most common way to have an abortion in the US.Medical abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 53% in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute. More than five million US women have used mifepristone to terminate their pregnancies. The court has previously ruled that it would not consider a challenge of the FDA’s approval of the drug, but a ruling against the FDA could severely limit access as it would roll back the expansion of access that has occurred since 2016. The FDA announced in 2016 that it would allow mifepristone’s use until the 10-week mark, rather than up to seven weeks of gestation. Then in 2021 it lifted in-person dispensing requirements, a move that allowed providers to send it to patients by mail. In 2022, the FDA moved further by allowing retail pharmacies to dispense the drug, meaning medical professionals – not just doctors – could prescribe it. The following year, a judge in Texas revoked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Abortion remains one of the most contentious political issues in the US, and will likely be a major factor in the 2024 election.On Tuesday, dozens of protesters from both sides of the debate gathered outside the US Supreme Court during oral arguments. They waved signs that read, “We won’t go back to the 1950s” and “abortion kills.” Thirteen of the protesters were arrested for illegally blocking roads and a walkway, according to the US Capitol Police.Related TopicsAbortionUS abortion debateUnited StatesMore on this storyHow abortion pill ruling threatens other drugs Published12 April 2023How safe is the abortion pill mifepristone?Published19 April 2023Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaPublished24 June 2023Top StoriesLive. Ship that collided with Baltimore bridge lost power – governorLive. Israel claims UN ceasefire resolution has damaged negotiations with HamasTwo ministers quit government in mini-reshufflePublished30 minutes agoFeaturesWhat we know about Baltimore bridge collapseIn pictures: Baltimore bridge collapseKate rumours linked to Russian disinformationWho is Julian Assange and why is he facing extradition?How do I know if my smart meter is broken?Striking kite-flying picture scoops top prize19th Century law fires up anti-abortion pushHow much is the BBC licence fee and what does it pay for?Bowen: Biden has decided strong words are not enoughElsewhere on the BBCConquering Everest’s ‘Death Zone’ on skisFind out how a Japanese alpinist became the first person to ski down Mount EverestAttributionSounds’You do feel like you’re invincible’Why are so many young men risking their lives on the UK’s roads?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsHow many big hits from 1995 will you remember?Featuring Ace of Base, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, David Bowie and many moreAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Kate rumours linked to Russian disinformation2Church limited Clapham attacker’s attendance3Pupils are injured in crush at school gate4Two ministers quit government in mini-reshuffle5North Korea censors Alan Titchmarsh’s trousers6British Gas chief’s pay package jumps to £8.2m7Russia blames West and Kyiv for Moscow jihadist attack8Tory’s mayoral contest ad showed New York not London9BBC to explore reform of licence fee10Assange judges seek no death penalty pledge from US

[ad_1] Both conservative and liberal justices seemed dubious about limiting access to a drug used by million of women.

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March 11, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaTwo Sessions: China touts openness while tightening controlPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Premier Li Qiang – right, with President Xi Jinping – will not be giving this year’s closing speechBy Tessa WongBBC NewsAs China’s annual parliamentary sitting comes to a close after a hectic week of meetings, a glaring void looms on Monday’s final agenda.The National People’s Congress is usually capped off by the premier’s press conference. But this year, and for the rest of the term, the tradition has been mysteriously nixed.Officials have said there was no need for it given there were other opportunities for journalists to ask questions. But many observers saw it as another sign of consolidation and control, in what became a running theme for the congress, even as top officials preached openness.The cancellation of the press conference also effectively diminishes Premier Li Qiang’s profile. Though the event was scripted, it was a rare chance for foreign journalists to ask questions and gave the country’s second-in-command some room to flex his muscles.In years past, it even yielded some unexpected moments. In 2020 then-premier Li Keqiang disclosed figures that stoked debate over a government claim that they had eradicated poverty. The dimming of the spotlight on the premier, along with a shorter congress this year, are all signs of ongoing structural change within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) where President Xi Jinping is increasingly accumulating power at the expense of other individuals and institutions, noted Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore who studies Chinese governance.But to the outside world, the party is keen on projecting a different kind of image as it battles dwindling foreign investor confidence and a general malaise in its economy.Addressing international journalists last week, foreign minister Wang Yi insisted China was still an attractive place to invest in and do business. “China remains strong as an engine for growth. The ‘next China’ is still China,” he said, before citing ways in which “China is opening its door wider”. Who is China’s new foreign minister Wang Yi?Can a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?This year’s economic blueprint, delivered by Mr Li at the start of the session, laid out plans to open up more areas to foreign investment and reducing market access restrictions in sectors such as manufacturing and services.These moves come after foreign investors were spooked by recent anti-espionage and data protection laws, as well as several sudden high-profile detentions of Chinese and foreign businessmen. Foreign direct investment in China recently fell to a 30-year low.”There are fewer political checks and balances, there is no transparency. This is the bigger concern for investors… you cannot predict what’s going to happen, so you avoid the risk,” said Dr Wu.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared China was “opening its doors wider”But last week Mr Wang dismissed such concerns. “Spreading pessimistic views on China will end up harming oneself. Misjudging China will result in missed opportunities,” he said, as he focused on talking up China’s prospects.Both Mr Wang and Mr Li repeatedly used buzzwords like “high quality development” and “new productive forces” to signal a new stage in China’s development, though neither fully explained what they meant. China is aiming to hit an ambitious goal of around 5% GDP growth this year. “Beijing is changing how it opens to the world,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow in Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute.He said it is now focused on attracting high-end foreign technology and advanced manufacturing operations to help Chinese companies in key future industries. “Foreign investment and trade are less important for China’s economy than they once were, but Beijing still wants to avoid a rush to the exits that could further shake its growth prospects.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, China is focusing on boosting its high-end technology sectorAt the same time, officials were keen to emphasise the government’s ultimate goal.”Stability is of overall importance, as it is the basis for everything we do,” said Mr Li. Elsewhere in his report, he made it clear that while China pursues growth, it would also prioritise greater national security.Some may question how successfully China can achieve a thriving open economy while increasing control. But “from Beijing’s perspective, there is no contradiction between high-quality development, especially with foreign investment, and greater security needs,” said Jacob Gunter, lead analyst with Merics specialising in China’s economy.For instance, when it comes to critical technologies where Chinese firms have yet to catch up, it would want to ensure as much of it as possible is produced within its borders, pointed out Mr Gunter. This reduces the risk of rivals – such as the US and its allies – stealing the technology or blocking their exports to China.Beijing also signalled it would continue to clamp down on problematic areas in its economy, such as the floundering real estate sector and ballooning local government debts. Mr Li promised more measures to defuse financial risks and improve supervision, and pledged to crack down on illegal financial activities. While these problems have existed for several years, “the debt levels and size of the property bubble have gotten big enough that they have to solve it now and can’t back off”, said Mr Gunter.”The economy is performing really poorly right now. The fact that they haven’t gone back to kicking this can down the road signals this is a longer term priority and not something they will back off on.”Related TopicsXi JinpingAsiaChinaCommunist Party of ChinaMore on this storyCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?Published7 days agoChina sets ambitious economic target for 2024Published5 days agoXi arrives in US as his Chinese Dream sputtersPublished15 November 2023Belt and Road: Is China’s trillion-dollar gamble worth it?Published17 October 2023Do China’s vanishing officials spell trouble for Xi?Published22 September 2023Who is China’s new foreign minister Wang Yi?Published26 July 2023How a diplomat’s downfall leaves China red-facedPublished27 July 2023Top StoriesPalace faces questions as news agencies withdraw Kate’s Mother’s Day imagePublished59 minutes agoLive. Oscars 2024: Oppenheimer sweeps awards with best picture and actor winsThe outfits: Stars turn on the style for the OscarsPublished30 minutes agoFeaturesThe full list of winners at the Oscars 2024Oscars 2024: How to watchLily Gladstone: The actress who could make Oscars historyIs Europe doing enough to help Ukraine?What a $1 deal says about America’s office marketGaza war fuels Jerusalem fears as Ramadan to beginThe people keeping the historic foot ferry afloat’I thought I’d never get to have a Mother’s Day’Listen: How to win an Oscar. AudioListen: How to win an OscarAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCHair-pulling, punching and kickingFootage from the moment a brawl erupts in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerFrom triumph to tragedy…After more than 30 years of service, America’s space shuttle took to the skies for the last timeAttributioniPlayerCan they take on an elite boarding school?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Palace faces questions over Kate image2Oscars red carpet fashion: Stars turn on the style3The full list of winners at the Oscars 20244Two arrested in funeral home investigation5Actor Ryan Thomas wins Dancing on Ice6Six skiers missing near Matterhorn in Swiss Alps7’Town Halls’ woke jobs’ and ‘Palace’s doctored photo’8Ukraine criticises Pope’s ‘white flag’ comment9Israel’s president faces Gaza protest at Holocaust museum10Met officers suing force over Grenfell response

[ad_1] China’s pushed duelling narratives of openness and control at the National People’s Congress.

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February 28, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaOrganiser of ‘white party’ in Sri Lanka apologises after backlashPublished48 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukranians have travelled to Sri Lanka since Moscow’s invasion of UkraineBy Kelly NgBBC NewsAn organiser of a “white party” in Sri Lanka has apologised after the event sparked a backlash online.The event’s advertisement specified a white dress code, but also had a line saying “Face control: White” – which was largely interpreted to mean the event was open only to white people. An organiser later said the event was “a bad idea”, adding that it was meant to bring together expatriates.The party, which was due to take place last Saturday, was cancelled. Backlash against the event was swift, with many on social media calling it “disgusting” and “racist”.”I know not all expats are like this… but this sort of thing should be stopped fast and stopped hard,” said one local restaurant owner. “How dare they come to a brown country and ban the people of that country,” another social media user said on Facebook. Writing on Instagram under the handle geo_ecstatic, a man who said he was an event organiser, said there was “no malice or racism” in planning the party. “We wanted to meet expats who have been living here for a long time and love Sri Lanka. The team… supported me and a joint decision was made to quickly organise a party,” he said, adding that he has since had to leave the country after receiving a barrage of abuse and threats. “I didn’t expect this to be such a sensitive moment for a huge number of people. I admit that it was a bad idea… and I understand that we created it ourselves out of our stupidity. I deeply apologise to everyone whose feelings were hurt.”The event was due to be held in the Sarayka Lounge in the southern coastal town of Unawatuna. The venue later posted a statement saying the party had been cancelled, adding that its staff team ” did not conduct a thorough-enough check” and have “severed ties” with the event planners. “We have never supported and will never support various racist statements or organisations,” they wrote.The organiser as well as the owners of Sarayka Lounge are believed to be Russian citizens. Rupasena Koswatta, president of an Unawatuna entrepreneurs’ association told BBC Sinhala many Russians have moved into Unawatuna, a coastal city just 5km (3.1mi) from Galle, in the last two years.Many of the tourism businesses there are now owned by Russians in the area now known by many as Sri Lanka’s “Little Moscow”.The Russian Embassy in Colombo later released a statement saying it “strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination and nationalism” and urged citizens residing on the island to follow its laws and respect local customs.Later on Sunday, Sri Lanka said it had ended long-term tourist visa extensions for Russians and Ukrainians. More than 288,000 Russians and nearly 20,000 Ukrainians have travelled to Sri Lanka since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to reports. But the country’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe later reportedly said the decision was made without prior Cabinet approval.Additional reporting by BBC SinhalaRelated TopicsWar in UkraineAsiaSri LankaMore on this storyWhat’s killing so many of Sri Lanka’s iconic elephants?Published6 FebruaryIs the worst over for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis?Published18 July 2023How many Russians have left during war – and who are they?Published4 June 2023Why is Sri Lanka in crisis?Published29 March 2023Top StoriesBiden wins Michigan primary but suffers Gaza protest votePublished1 hour agoRare forest wood burned by ‘green’ UK power stationPublished1 hour agoNew funding to help protect MPs from threatsPublished1 hour agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Day of royal tragedy and drama’ and ‘£16 packs of cigs’Free tuition a ‘beacon of hope’ for med studentsWhy South Korean women aren’t having babiesWhy Google’s ‘woke’ AI problem won’t be an easy fixGazans in survival mode with cold nights and food rations’My mother’s body was left by smugglers in the desert’Watch: Inside the famous Sistine Chapel after crowds leave. 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[ad_1] Later on Sunday, Sri Lanka said it had ended long-term tourist visa extensions for Russians and Ukrainians. More than 288,000 Russians and nearly 20,000 Ukrainians have travelled to Sri…