Latest news

The China-Russia relationship
Xi and Putin in a new meeting - celebrating the countries' relationship

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, AFP reports.

- Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history, Putin said in a televised opening speech.

In his opening speech, Xi said Russia and China should strive to maintain their friendship "for generations."

The presidents are participating in a meeting of the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which, in addition to China and Russia, includes India and Iran. The SCO has been described as an "anti-NATO" with the aim of acting as a counterbalance to the USA's influence on the world stage.

At the same time, the SCO is also a forum where Russia and China's partnership may be tested, as both countries want to expand their influence in Central Asia, writes The Guardian.

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Political situation in Belarus
Belarus grants rare amnesty to five political prisoners

Belarus dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko has, in a rare move, released five political prisoners, the BBC reports.

It was at a press conference on Tuesday that Lukashenko announced that he intended to release five "seriously ill" prisoners. They are three men and two women, of which only one has been identified - 67-year-old Ryhor Kastusev, Lukashenko's rival in the 2010 election.

- When we saw each other, everyone got so happy and started crying. We saw that he was at home and that everything was fine, says his daughter Galina.

There are over 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, according to the human rights group Viasna. Many of them were arrested after the protests that followed Lukashenko's election victory in 2020 – a victory the opposition and much of the world accuses him of cheating.

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The election in Great Britain
Labor is heading for its biggest majority since 1832

Social Democratic Labor is headed for a total landslide victory in Thursday's British parliamentary elections, according to Sky News' latest poll by the polling institute Yougov.

The party is predicted to win a majority of 212 seats - the largest by any British party since 1832.

In total, Labor is expected to get 431 seats, compared to 102 for the Conservative Tories, 72 for the Liberal Democrats and 18 for the Scottish National Party.

If the result stands, Keir Starmer will be the most successful Labor leader in history in terms of mandate. Under Jeremy Corbin in 2019, the party received 202 seats, less than half of what they are estimated to receive now.

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Details: Israel and the UN in talks about Starlink in Gaza

Israel and the UN are discussing the possibility of establishing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system in Gaza, reports Axios, citing sources. The call is part of the plan to increase security for UN employees in Gaza.

The UN has emphasized in talks with Israeli representatives that a satellite system is a requirement for the organization to be able to help with aid in Gaza, according to the sources.

Israel is concerned that the system risks ending up in the hands of Hamas and thus making it more difficult for the country's intelligence services to monitor the terrorist group's communications.