Chinese leader warns of “storm sea”
In the near two-hour speech at the Communist Party congress yesterdayXi Jinping has defended his tough reign and presented himself as the leader who saved the nation from the pandemic and who can guide the country through danger and instability.
Mr. Xi, who is poised to declare a third term as leader, used his opening report to argue that his decade in power has yielded historic achievements: war. campaign against corrupt officials, clean up the environment and suppress anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
Although he did not mention the United States by name, his distrust of the other world power was an unmistakable backdrop when Xi warned of potential obstacles ahead. “Get the house repaired well before the rain comes, and prepare for the big challenges of high winds and waves, even dangerous storms,” he said. Below are updates from the congress.
Analysis: Mr. Xi’s speech represents a centralized party movement away from economic development and towards him. security obsession – smash any ideological and geopolitical challenges to party rule.
Explosions echo in Belgorod
Some strikes hit the Belgorod region of Russia crossed the border with Ukraine yesterday, injuring at least three people. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion and Ukrainian officials were not immediately available for comment.
The explosions appear to be part of an increase in attacks on Belgorod – a key platform for Russia’s invasion – that have undermined Putin’s efforts to separate the Russian people from the war. Local officials evacuated towns and villages hit by shelling. Sunday was the fourth consecutive day of strikes reported in the area.
On Saturday, two men opened fire on Russian soldiers at a training camp in the region, killing 11 people and injuring 15, before committing suicide, according to state news agencies. It remains unclear whether the attackers were volunteers participating in the training.
Text definition: Several attacks in recent days have targeted Russian-held areas far from the front lines, including the occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, where explosions hit an administrative building. main on Sunday.
Mobilization: Russian media have reported at least 7 deaths among those who have just been arrested. President Vladimir Putin said that in some cases training could take as little as 10 days.
Life lived: New report sheds light on the bravery of three women victims of Russian atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine.
Notorious prison fire in Iran
A big fire broke out on Saturday at the Evin . prison, a facility in Iran’s capital that holds hundreds of dissidents and political prisoners, as anti-nationalist protests rattled the country for a fifth week. According to eyewitnesses and videos posted on social media, explosions and gunshots can be heard.
IRNA, the state news agency, reported that eight people were injured in the fire and said it began during clashes in one wing of the prison, which houses convicts of financial crimes. .
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are unknown at this time. Conflicting reports on social media cite an explosive device, an escape attempt and an outside entry into the prison.
Story: The thousands of prisoners at Evin include prominent opposition politicians, activists, lawyers, journalists, environmentalists and students. The prison is famous for its torture allegations and is a powerful symbol of the regime’s authoritarian approach to justice.
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ARTS AND IDEAS
How Russian action movies are selling war
For an American, it can be easy to forget how much ideology is packed into the action movie genre, Amos Barshad wrote in The New York Times Magazine. That is, until you watch a movie from elsewhere and come face-to-face with the cartoon heroes and villains of other cultures.
Amos explored big-budget scenes like “Granit,” Touriste” and “Solntsepyok” to honor the actions of Wagner’s group, a private Russian military force. It has close ties to President Vladimir Putin and has been used in war zones around the world, including in Ukraine. (“Granit” is manufactured by a company controlled by the founder of the Wagner Group.)
The films are aimed at the countries where Wagner operates, as well as Russians, as a recruiting tool for people with a preference for action and weapons and little choice of work – people who might be drawn pull to fight for money. Unlike the old American mercenary magazines, the films help to present a righteous and seductive face about killing and dying in informal activities that are in line with the interests of the Kremlin.
As a recruiting vehicle, the closest American analogue to Wagner’s film might be Frank Capra’s World War II series, “Why We Fight,” writes Amos. But the inspiration for Wagner’s films came from the Cold War of the 1980s, when America was churning out nationalist films like “Red Dawn,” “Invasion USA” and “Rambo III” — the the film has a clear, unsettling arrangement between the good guys and the bad guys across the globe. .
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