International
On the afternoon of the 14th local time, at the Sadish Dawan Space Launch Center located on the island of Srihrigoda in southern Andhra Pradesh, India, with the launch vehicle LVM3 departing from the launch pad, the "Lunar 3" successfully took off. This is India's second "expedition" after four years, following the failure of its last lunar mission. If successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, and will also be the first country in the world to achieve a soft landing near the south pole of the moon. A historic launch of the Lunar Ship 3 was India's third lunar exploration mission and its second attempt at a soft landing on the lunar surface. Considered a "historic" launch by the Indian Space Research Organization. "Moonship 3" was developed by ISRO and consists of a lander, propulsion module, and lunar rover
On July 13th local time, the German government issued its first "China Strategy", covering areas such as economic and trade investment, defense and security, and addressing climate change. It also explained the areas of "risk reduction" and "dependence reduction" that are of great concern to the outside world. The public opinion believes that this strategic document, which has been brewing for several months, reflects a change in Germany's policy towards China, while also having a balanced and ambiguous color. In the future, there is still room for cooperation between China and Germany. Turning to "de risk"? The German government issued its first "China Strategy" on the same day, continuing the strategic positioning of China made by the European Commission in 2019, stating that China is both a "partner", a "competitor", and a "systemic opponent". When announcing the strategy, German Foreign Minister Berbok stated that China's role as a "systemic opponent" has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Meanwhile,
On the 13th local time, Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at request in Jakarta. This is the second meeting between the two in less than a month, which is seen as the latest progress in a series of high-level contacts between China and the United States in recent days. During the approximately 90 minute "overtime meeting," Wang Yi raised "three needs" to the US side, believing that the key to the next step is to take practical actions and strive for the relationship between the two countries to return to normal. "Honesty, pragmatism, and constructiveness" is the evaluation of this meeting by both China and the United States. The Washington Post quoted American diplomats attending the talks as saying that the talks were more in-depth and substantive than those held in Beijing in June. However, at the same time, public opinion also believes that there are still structural issues between China and the United States. To promote the stability and improvement of China US relations, the primary prerequisite is for the US to change its perception of China and approach China rationally
According to foreign media reports, two organizations under the World Health Organization announced on the 14th that aspartame has been listed as a possible carcinogen, but can still be consumed normally under the condition of not exceeding the limit. Specifically, if there are no other sources of food intake, adults weighing 60 to 70 kilograms will consume more than 9 cans of zero sugar drinks containing aspartame per day to exceed their daily allowance. However, researchers also suggest that for consumers, whether it is zero sugar drinks or sugary drinks, drinking water is not as healthy as drinking water. What do the affiliated institutions of the World Health Organization say? Aspartame is an old-fashioned sweetener that has been approved and widely used for nearly 50 years. It is added to a range of products such as zero sugar soda, chewing gum, jelly, ice cream, yogurt, cough drops, etc. This sweetener is about 200 times sweeter than regular sugar
In recent times, the high level diplomacy between China and the United States has not decreased and continues to attract attention. Following in the footsteps of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Finance Yellen, US President's Special Envoy for Climate Issues Kerry is also about to embark on a trip to China, becoming the third senior official of the Biden administration to visit China within a month. As agreed by both China and the United States, Kerry will visit China from July 16th to 19th, and both sides will exchange in-depth views on cooperation in addressing climate change. Climate change has always been regarded as an area of great potential for cooperation between China and the United States. Can Kerry's visit promote the achievement of cooperation between the two sides? At the same time, as high-level visits between China and the United States unfold, the tense relationship between the two countries seems to have eased. What impact will the visit of the US climate envoy have on the "climate" of China US relations? The visit to China is of dual significance, just like Antony Blinken and Yellen, so is Kerry's visit to China
On the 12th local time in the United States, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was invited to meet with US Assistant Secretary of Defense Ellie Ratner at the Pentagon, which was considered a "rare" and "unusual" meeting. Analysts believe that the US hopes to take advantage of the current high-level exchanges between China and the US to establish communication channels at the military level. However, the key to restoring normal military exchanges between China and the United States lies in whether the United States can take appropriate and correct actions. Both the Chinese Embassy in the United States and the US Department of Defense have released news of Xie Feng's visit to the Pentagon. In a press release from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, it was emphasized that Xie Feng was "invited to meet" with Ratner.
On the 12th local time, stepping on the red carpet of welcome in Kenya, Iranian President Lehi began a three-day trip to Africa. Next, he will also visit Zimbabwe and Uganda. This is the first visit by an Iranian president to Africa in over a decade. Analysis suggests that in the face of severe Western sanctions, Iran is expanding its political and economic ties with Africa and seeking more breakthroughs in diplomacy. On the 12th local time, Lech arrived in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, marking a new beginning in relations with Africa. Iran regards this visit as a "new beginning" in relations with the African continent. At a press conference held in Nairobi, Lech referred to Africa as a "continent full of opportunities" that would provide an excellent platform for the export of Iranian products, and all parties were "dissatisfied with each other's existing trade volume.". He pointed out that Africa is rich in mineral resources, and
A new player has arrived on the artificial intelligence development track. American entrepreneur Elon Musk announced on the 12th the establishment of xAI, a new company focused on artificial intelligence, aimed at understanding the essence of the universe. More information about xAI is expected to be revealed at an event on the 14th. "The new contestant announced the establishment of @ xAI to understand reality," Musk said on social media Twitter that day. The xAI official website will be launched simultaneously. Official information shows that the xAI team is currently composed of 12 people, including Musk, all male and many Asian. The team is led by Musk and can be described as a gathering of experts. Some members have worked in industry leaders such as Deep Thinking, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, as well as Tesla and the University of Toronto, and have participated in well-known products such as GPT-4
Just received visiting US Treasury Secretary Yellen at home, and tomorrow China will launch another important neighboring diplomatic action at the away game. From the 13th to the 14th, Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China's Foreign Affairs Working Committee, will attend the China ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, ASEAN and China Japan South Korea Foreign Ministers Meeting, East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting, and ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Analysis suggests that a series of meetings are taking place at a time when the world economic recovery is facing significant challenges such as uncertainty and geopolitical conflicts. China hopes to deepen cooperation with regional countries and practice true multilateralism. Currently, China ASEAN cooperation has reached a new important milestone, and cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea has also shown a new trend. Whether all parties can lay a solid foundation for regional peace and development, and maintain the correct direction of East Asian cooperation has become a focus of much attention.
On the 11th, US President Biden announced the nomination of Laura Stone as the US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands. Stone is a senior professional diplomat with a deep understanding of Asian affairs. Against the backdrop of deepening cooperation between China and Pacific island countries, which has attracted the attention of the United States, Biden has nominated this "China expert" as the ambassador to the Marshall Islands, sparking public attention. On the same day, the White House announced several important nominations for positions, including nominating Stone as the US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands. Public information shows that Stone holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in the United States and a Master of Philosophy degree in International Relations from Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Stone joined the US State Department in 1991 and has accumulated over 30 years of diplomatic experience to date. During this time, Stone served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, mainly responsible for South Asian affairs, including handling
After 9 years in power, Thai Prime Minister Prayut put an end to his political career - on July 11th, he announced his withdrawal from politics. It is believed that after a disastrous defeat in the May general election, Bayou has shown signs of resignation, and it is not surprising to announce his retirement now. However, as Bayu officially announced his retirement, the Thai parliament will vote to elect the next Prime Minister on the 13th, two days later. What signal and impact does the announcement of Bayu's departure at this moment release? Is it an encouragement for the democratic camp or an opportunity for other candidates in the military camp? Perhaps, once the results of the Prime Minister election are announced, the answer will naturally surface. "From now on, I announce my withdrawal from politics and the Thai Solidarity Party." On the same day, Bayo issued a statement on the social media account of the Thai Solidarity Party
The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced on the 12th that, as agreed by both China and the United States, the US President's climate envoy John Kerry will visit China from July 16th to 19th, and the two sides will exchange in-depth views on cooperation in addressing climate change. Kerry will be the third senior US official to visit China recently, following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Yellen. The public opinion believes that this visit demonstrates that China and the United States are attempting to deepen communication and dialogue in the face of the urgent challenge of climate change, and further stabilize bilateral relations. The US climate envoy will visit China. According to a statement released by the US State Department, during Kerry's visit to China and meetings with Chinese officials, he will engage with China on addressing the climate crisis, increase the implementation efforts and ambitions of relevant cooperation, and promote the success of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held this year.
On the eve of the NATO summit, there was a dramatic development surrounding Sweden's accession to NATO. On July 10 local time, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said that the Turkish government had agreed to submit the protocol of Sweden's accession to NATO to its parliament for approval. This means that Sweden's entry into the treaty is one less obstacle. Earlier on the 10th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said that only by opening the way for Türkiye to join the European Union would Türkiye "open the way" for Sweden to join NATO. Why is Erdogan's attitude taking a sharp turn? What impact will Türkiye's loosening of its grip have on its relations with the United States and Russia? For more than a year since Türkiye loosened its grip, the dramatic situation surrounding Sweden's "accession" to the Treaty seems to have come to an end. On July 10th, Stoltenberg met with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Christian
The New York Times announced on Monday that it will disband its sports department and rely on its sports news media, The Athletic, for future sports coverage. This move is seen as a major move by The New York Times to strengthen integration, save costs, and implement subscription strategies in the challenging media industry environment. At the same time, as the former pillar department of the Times, the revocation of the Sports Department also means the end of a glorious history. In the eyes of public opinion, the decision to cut off the Sports Department is a "major transformation" and "major measure" of the Times. Because in the history of The New York Times, the sports department has been renowned. The department's history can be traced back to reporting on the first Athens Olympics in 1896. The Department of Sports has also witnessed important milestones and figures in American sports over the past century. For decades
On July 10th, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of "Yuan" Inc. in the United States, stated on his Threads account that within less than a week of its launch, the number of registered Threads users has reached 100 million. How can this new platform achieve such astonishing user growth? What impact will it have on the competitive landscape of social media? Various issues have attracted public attention. Zuckerberg said on his Threads account that since its launch on July 6th, the number of registered Threads users has reached 100 million over the weekend. He also said that this was achieved in the context of Threads not yet launching large-scale promotion. "I can't believe it's only been five days!" Zuckerberg previously revealed that on the first day of its launch, Threads attracted 30 million users to register and became an Apple app provider
After the Wagner incident in Russia, just as the outside world believed that this mercenary organization would be "purged and liquidated" and its power was feared to be restricted, a new news released by the Russian government seemed to cause a "reversal" of the plot, and also made the fate of Wagner and its founder, Prigoren, once again a mystery. On July 10th, Russian President Peskov stated that on June 29th, Russian President Putin met with 35 people in the Kremlin, including Prime Minister Prygo and members of the Wagner leadership, and provided several options for the future direction of Wagner members. Many public opinion interpret this signal as: Putin is not in a hurry to impose severe punishment on Prigoren, the Wagner leader and his troops still play an important role in Russia's security and politics. But some scholars also believe that, given the occurrence of the Wagner incident, Prigo Ren
With the landing of Air Force One at Stansted Airport in London on the 9th, US President Biden's European tour began. From the 9th to the 13th, Biden will visit the UK, Lithuania, and Finland to attend two summits of NATO, US Nordic leaders. It is believed that compared to his visit to Spain to attend the NATO summit a year ago, Biden's visit to Europe this time is facing a new situation - the Ukrainian crisis has entered its second year, and the cracks within transatlantic allies are becoming increasingly apparent. The US hopes to demonstrate leadership and strengthen cohesion through this visit, but whether it can be achieved has been questioned. In the new situation, there are new goals. From the perspective of itinerary, Biden's five-day trip to Europe is compact and intensive. On the first stop in the UK, Biden held talks with British Prime Minister Sunak on the 10th. This is the sixth meeting between the two since Sunak took office in October last year. double
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on the 9th that starting from 2025, three locations along the Seine River will transform into mass swimming pools, marking the first time in a century. Since 1923, playing in the beautiful Seine River has been a wish for many people, but concerns about pollution and safety have deterred them. At present, the 2024 Paris Olympics bring new opportunities. After a hundred years, for someone like Idalgo who has been looking forward to it for a long time, although they still have to wait for two more years, their wish to play in the Seine River will soon come true. "Starting from 2025, we can swim in the Seine River!" Idalgo posted a video on social media platform Twitter that day with an accompanying text. My deputies have already gone into the water for the first time! It will soon be your and my turn. This video
In the eyes of many people, Japanese people have a special obsession with white rice. Not only does rice dominate the staple food market in Japan, but Japanese culture also has an inseparable connection with rice. However, the outside world has noticed that in recent decades, Japan's rice consumption has been decreasing year by year. According to The Guardian on July 10th, rice is losing out to cheaper and more convenient alternatives in this "staple food battle". Why do Japanese people no longer love eating rice? The status of rice is challenged around the world, and most culinary cultures are established on the most common cereal crops in the region, such as wheat in Europe, corn in South America, and rice in Asia. Like other Asian countries, rice has been a part of Japanese culinary culture for nearly 3000 years. In the Japanese Somon era, rice cultivation
On the 9th, at the end of his 4-day visit to China, US Treasury Secretary Yellen held a press conference at the US Embassy in Beijing. She stated that the 10 hour bilateral meeting with senior Chinese officials in recent days has been "direct" and "fruitful", which helps to stabilize China US relations. Yellen's statement and recent visits to China have received widespread attention from the US media. The general public opinion in the United States believes that Yellen's visit to China is a "positive step" towards stabilizing Sino US relations, and the overall atmosphere during the visit is friendly. After this visit, China and the United States may engage in more diplomatic contacts. On the other hand, as the Biden administration has not changed its policy towards China, it is difficult for Yellen's visit to change the basic situation of political and economic relations between China and the United States. The dialogue between China and the United States is a victory. The US media first paid attention to the background of Yellen's visit. The New York Times
As the Ukrainian crisis continues, the NATO summit will be held in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius from the 11th to the 12th. The highlight of the summit is to agree on a plan to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, including the first meeting of the NATO Ukraine Council scheduled for the 12th, to send a strong signal of support for Ukraine. Analysis suggests that NATO, led by the United States, has deeply intervened in the Ukrainian crisis through military aid to Ukraine. On the other hand, it refuses to reflect on the underlying reasons for the escalation of the crisis and continues to implement NATO's eastward expansion, northward expansion, and "Asia Pacific ization". These practices will further worsen the security situation in Europe and bring unrest and challenges to the Asia Pacific region. A "tone setting" meeting. This summit is Finland's first since becoming the 31st NATO member state in April this year, and it is also the NATO summit held since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis
According to statistics from two research institutions in the United States and Europe, the average surface temperature of the Earth broke records this week. Scientists have warned that as the record for the hottest day in the world is broken one after another, climate change is entering an unknown realm. At the same time, extreme weather events may become increasingly frequent and even endanger human production and life. According to statistics conducted by the Climate Change Institute of the University of Maine in the United States based on data from the National Center for Environmental Forecasting, the average surface temperature broke records this week. On Monday, the average surface temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius, setting a record for the highest since the National Center for Environmental Forecasting began its statistics in 1979. Previously, the highest temperature recorded by the National Center for Environmental Forecasting in the United States was in August 2016
Recently, the Yomiuri Shimbun in Japan published an article praising the ATTO3 model produced by BYD in China. The author of the article test drove the car and believed that its interior decoration was highly personalized, with no basic performance issues, and its price in Japan was even more competitive. The article also includes a picture of a red ATTO3 car, briefly introducing BYD's development process - the company entered the automotive industry in 2003 by acquiring an automotive company; In 2022, BYD's electric vehicle production reached as high as 910000 units, second only to Tesla globally. The article states that for the Japanese automotive industry, which has a nearly century long history of automobile production, such rapid progress is completely beyond the reach of Japanese peers. The author is particularly generous in praising the design of the car - despite
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Biden administration is expected to announce a new round of military assistance to Ukraine on the 7th local time, which will include highly controversial cluster ammunition. The outside world believes that the United States has made a decision to provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine, which is closely related to the changes in the situation between Russia and Ukraine. The United States hopes to help Ukraine break through Russia's defense and advance its current counterattack through this move. Human rights organizations urge the United States not to deliver cluster ammunition to Ukraine to avoid causing innocent civilian casualties. The public opinion points out that the United States disregards humanitarian concerns and insists on transporting controversial and widely banned cluster ammunition to Ukraine, which not only faces condemnation from international public opinion, but may also cause concerns among allies and even damage their unity. Because most EU and NATO member states sign
Within three days, the average temperature on the Earth's surface has hit new highs, which has made some scientists feel uneasy. According to data from the National Center for Environmental Forecasting in the United States, July 3rd was the "hottest day in the world" on record. But just one day later, this high temperature record was broken and remained unchanged on July 5th. Scientists have warned that climate change has entered "unknown waters", and the record for "the hottest day in the world" may soon be set again due to the combined effects of El Ni ñ o and global warming. The hottest week in 100000 years. Recently, news about the "hottest day in the world" has been circulating on the screen. According to data from the National Center for Environmental Forecasting in the United States, the average temperature on the Earth's surface exceeded 17 degrees Celsius for the first time on July 3rd, reaching 17.01 degrees Celsius. This means that since 1979
After the release of the new social platform Threads by "Yuan" company on Wednesday, 30 million users have registered within less than 24 hours. Just as "Yuan" company was celebrating, it received a lawyer's letter from its competitor Twitter. Whether the two tech giants will create a "legal battlefield" outside of the business war has attracted external attention. In the lawyer's letter, Twitter accused "Yuan" company of poaching its former employees and developing "fake application" Threads by stealing intellectual property rights. Twitter threatens to sue "Yuan" company for this. American media believe that this may be the most obvious sign that Twitter sees "yuan" companies as a competitive threat. Illegal theft? A few hours after "Yuan" launched a new application called Threads to benchmark Twitter, Alex Spiro, a Twitter lawyer, approached "Yuan" company
Recently, there has been intensive communication among relevant parties regarding Sweden's accession to NATO. On July 5th, US President Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Christsson at the White House. On the 6th, NATO plans to convene officials from Türkiye, Hungary and Sweden to meet. The United States and NATO are eager to finalize this matter as the NATO summit approaches next week. However, this tortuous process that has lasted for a year has already encountered many problems. Why is NATO led by the United States intensifying its push for Sweden's accession to the treaty? Can we achieve our wish? Why are NATO members Türkiye and Hungary delayed in giving the "green light"? After the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in early last year, Nordic countries Finland and Sweden simultaneously applied to join NATO in May last year. Although the two countries once wanted to join hands to enter the treaty, Finland had no choice but to fly alone. After obtaining unanimous agreement from 30 NATO member states,
The recently passed Independence Day holiday in the United States was shrouded in a heavy black shadow - more than ten large-scale shooting incidents broke the record for the number of gun incidents during the National Day holiday. In addition to the escalating gun violence, the increasing division between politics and society has also recently raised concerns in American public opinion. The Associated Press pointed out that as political polarization intensifies, conservatives rush towards the red states and liberals flood into the blue states. The division of states has reached the most severe level in modern American history. Looking for a place to be oneself. If asked why they want to move to another place, different people may give different answers. For example, a better living environment, more job opportunities, less life pressure, and so on. However, for today's Americans, there is a more important driving factor, which is politics. Retired police officer Tim Cole and his wife
While the outside world is still curious whether Zuckerberg and Musk will really engage in a cage fight, the social application platforms under the two tech giants have already started a war. On the evening of the 5th US time, "Yuan" company, led by Zuckerberg, officially launched a new social platform called Threads. This platform is similar in style to Twitter and is widely regarded as Twitter's strongest competitor since its acquisition by Musk. Industry experts even refer to this app as a "Twitter killer". However, "Yuan" company also stated that considering that Twitter has been around for a long time and has established a unique network, it is not easy for new products to replace Twitter. The company will focus on how to attract users and achieve seamless integration with other social platforms in the future. Online for 4 hours, with 5 million users "Let's get started. Welcome to
On July 4 local time, Egypt and Türkiye announced the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries to the ambassadorial level and exchanged ambassadors. This is an important step towards the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries since the mutual expulsion of ambassadors nearly a decade ago. Analysis suggests that the restoration of ambassadorial level diplomatic relations between Turkey and Egypt occurred against the backdrop of multiple Middle Eastern countries moving towards reconciliation, which can be said to be a natural outcome. Although there are still irreconcilable contradictions and differences between these two major regional powers on hot issues, it does not affect the easing momentum of the bilateral relationship. There is no luxury of separation On July 4 local time, the Turkish government and the Egyptian government issued a joint statement stating that Türkiye and Egypt have restored their diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level and have appointed ambassadors to each other's countries. The statement stated that this move signifies the restoration of normal diplomatic relations between the two sides, reflecting that both countries are driven by human factors