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Climate Threat Global Challenges
China's "Green Wall" Turns Inhospitable Desert into Carbon Sink

The 3,000-kilometer-long tree wall that China has planted along the country's largest desert has succeeded in its goal of stopping sandstorms from reaching Beijing, reports Ny teknik.

The Taklamakan Desert in northwest China is also known as the "Sea of ​​Death," as the area is so dry that hardly any animals can live there. The name is said to mean "go in and never come out again."

A "green wall" of trees and shrubs began to be planted by the Chinese government in the late 1970s, and the project was completed in 2024. The result was a 3,046-kilometer-long green belt around the desert.

Now research shows that the tree wall has prevented the desert from swallowing nearby farmland, which was one of the project's aims. In addition, the desert has become a carbon sink, meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits.

Political situation in the UK
Former Labour leader Corbyn takes over new party

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been appointed party leader of the newly launched left-wing party Your Party, writes the New Statesman.

The party was launched as an alternative to Corbyn's previous party, which many on the left believe has gone too far to the right.

However, the party formation has not been completely painless, culminating in a battle for the party leadership between Corbyn and co-founder Zarah Sultana.

Corbyn's side won 14 of the 24 seats on the committee that appoints the party leader.

- I am pleased that the members have voted for a socialist mass party that takes up the fight with Starmer and Farage, Corbyn said shortly after the announcement.

An earlier version incorrectly stated that Corbyn had been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The future of the Democrats
Newsom tops WP's ranking of likely presidential candidates

Despite the fact that no Democrats have announced their candidacy for the US Democratic presidential nomination, an unofficial starting field has already begun to emerge, writes the Washington Post, which ranked the candidates.

At the top of the newspaper's list is California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has recently attracted a lot of attention for his attacks on Donald Trump. Newsom is also the one most Democrats currently want to see as the next presidential candidate, in the few polls that have been conducted. Josh Shapiro, also a governor, but in Pennsylvania, is in second place.

At the other end of the list, among the real long shots, are House of Representatives members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship
Afghanistan and Pakistan on the verge of a new spiral of revenge

The Afghan military has attacked military posts in Pakistan in the latest escalation in the border region between the two countries, reports the AP. Several Pakistani soldiers are said to have been killed.

Pakistan calls the attacks unprovoked, while Afghanistan portrays them as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes over the weekend.

After deadly clashes in the border area in October, a ceasefire was brokered by Qatar, but peace talks in November led nowhere. Pakistan claims that IS and other terrorist groups are planning terrorist attacks on the Afghan side of the border, according to Reuters.