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Previous attempts to throttle Beijing’s technological development have largely failed

The White House is considering banning the export of advanced AI models – the software underpinning systems like ChatGPT – to China, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.

Such a ban would be enforced by the US Department of Commerce, the sources said. In determining which AI models to ban, they said that the department would likely calculate how much computing power is required to train a model, and restrict the export of the most power-hungry, and therefore advanced, versions.

A framework was laid out in President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI last year, which requires tech companies to share “safety test results and other critical information” with the Commerce Department, once development of a model reaches a certain threshold. 

No commercially-available AI models – including OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google Deepmind’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude – have reached this threshold yet, research institute EpochAI told Reuters. Google Deepmind’s Gemini Ultra is “seen as being close,” the institute added.

Read more Blinken threatens China over Russia ties (VIDEO)

The US already restricts the sale of some high-end computer technologies to China. In 2020, former US President Donald Trump banned the export of equipment used to make advanced semiconductors to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s top chip manufacturer. Biden expanded the ban in 2022 to include all state-owned chip factories in China, and to cut Chinese firms off from certain chips made anywhere in the world using American tools.

At the time, the Commerce Department claimed that “These items and capabilities are used by [China] to produce advanced military systems including weapons of mass destruction…and commit human rights abuses.”

The US is currently in talks with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to formalize the so-called ‘Chip 4 Alliance,’ which Beijing sees as an attempt by Washington to “dominate the global semiconductor production and supply chain.”

Despite the crackdown, SMIC succeeded in producing Bitcoin-mining semiconductors using 7-nanometer (nm) technology in 2021, a feat that only Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung could match at the time. According to AI experts who spoke to Reuters, AI export controls could be similarly ineffective, as China is thought to be only two years behind the US in developing its own AI software.

Previous attempts to throttle Beijing’s technological development have largely failed

The White House is considering banning the export of advanced AI models – the software underpinning systems like ChatGPT – to China, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.

Such a ban would be enforced by the US Department of Commerce, the sources said. In determining which AI models to ban, they said that the department would likely calculate how much computing power is required to train a model, and restrict the export of the most power-hungry, and therefore advanced, versions.

A framework was laid out in President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI last year, which requires tech companies to share “safety test results and other critical information” with the Commerce Department, once development of a model reaches a certain threshold. 

No commercially-available AI models – including OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google Deepmind’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude – have reached this threshold yet, research institute EpochAI told Reuters. Google Deepmind’s Gemini Ultra is “seen as being close,” the institute added.

Read more Blinken threatens China over Russia ties (VIDEO)

The US already restricts the sale of some high-end computer technologies to China. In 2020, former US President Donald Trump banned the export of equipment used to make advanced semiconductors to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s top chip manufacturer. Biden expanded the ban in 2022 to include all state-owned chip factories in China, and to cut Chinese firms off from certain chips made anywhere in the world using American tools.

At the time, the Commerce Department claimed that “These items and capabilities are used by [China] to produce advanced military systems including weapons of mass destruction…and commit human rights abuses.”

The US is currently in talks with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to formalize the so-called ‘Chip 4 Alliance,’ which Beijing sees as an attempt by Washington to “dominate the global semiconductor production and supply chain.”

Despite the crackdown, SMIC succeeded in producing Bitcoin-mining semiconductors using 7-nanometer (nm) technology in 2021, a feat that only Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung could match at the time. According to AI experts who spoke to Reuters, AI export controls could be similarly ineffective, as China is thought to be only two years behind the US in developing its own AI software.

Britain is set to build Western Europe’s first next-generation nuclear fuel facility, the government has announced 

The UK announced on Wednesday that it will invest £196 million ($246 million) to build Western Europe’s first facility to produce high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) as it seeks to break Russia’s monopoly over the market.

The funding will be provided to Urenco, a British-Dutch-German consortium for production of HALEU, which is the fuel required by most advanced small modular reactors (SMRs).  

Advanced modular reactors, which are smaller and can be made in factories, could transform how power stations are built by making construction faster and less expensive.   

Companies around the world developing SMRs are relying on HALEU to power them, but currently this type of enriched uranium is only commercially produced by Russia’s Tenex, a subsidiary of state nuclear major Rosatom.   

“The potential is wider than just the British domestic market,” Andrew Bowie, the minister for nuclear told reporters. “We have allies who are more exposed to Russia and they will be looking to maximize Urenco’s UK facility.”  

The first production plant is scheduled to be operational by 2031 in the northwest of England, according to the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.  

Read more Biden brags about first US-made nuclear fuel

Britain aims to boost its nuclear power capacity to 24 gigawatts by 2050, equivalent to about a quarter of projected electricity demand.   

Nuclear power production in the UK slumped to its lowest level in more than 40 years last year, after six reactors have been shut down since 2021, according to recent data from the British government and the UK unit of Electricite de France SA.   

The UK currently has nine operational nuclear reactors at five sites but a number of those are approaching the end of their operating lives.  

The push for HALEU production comes as the West seeks to reduce its energy imports from Russia in light of the Ukraine conflict.   

Last year, American firm Centrus Energy announced it had produced a first small batch of the fuel as part of Washington’s strategy to cut reliance on imported nuclear fuel from Russia.  

The US has limited imports of Russian uranium to 20% of domestic demand. However, last year it imported nearly $1.2 billion of Russian uranium, the largest amount since 2009.

The case against the ex-Maltese premier, deputy PM, and others stems from a probe into a privatization scandal

A number of former and current high-ranking officials in Malta have been charged with corruption over a hospital privatization scandal, the AFP news agency reported on Wednesday.

The charges against former premier Joseph Muscat, current Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, and the governor of the EU nation’s central bank, Edward Scicluna, were filed on Monday, AFP said, citing documents it had obtained.

Muscat, who was Malta’s prime minister between 2013 and 2020, has reportedly been charged with accepting bribes, corruption in public office, and money laundering.

Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who published extensive investigations into the Muscat administration’s privatization deals, was assassinated in 2017. The political fallout from the murder forced Muscat to resign in late 2019.

Fearne and Scicluna were charged with fraud, misappropriation, and fraudulent gain, AFP reported.

The charges are the result of a probe dating back to a 2015 decision by Muscat’s Labour government to pass the management of three public hospitals in the Mediterranean island nation to a private company. The firm later sold the concession to the Steward US hospital network. The privately-owned chain filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, putting all 31 of its US hospitals up for sale.

Last year, a Maltese court annulled the privatization after the deal had been challenged by the opposition. The court said it had found evidence of fraudulent behavior. An appeals court later upheld the ruling due to “collusion” between the companies and senior government officials.

Read more Pfizergate: Ursula von der Leyen’s shady Covid vaccine deals prove she can get away with anything

Muscat’s health minister and chief of staff at the time have also been charged with bribery and money laundering, according to AFP.

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela cast doubt on the integrity of the inquiry on Monday. Local media quoted him as claiming that the probe’s findings were timed to damage his Labour Party’s prospects ahead of the June elections for the European Parliament.

Muscat took to Facebook on Tuesday to claim that the authorities “decided to smear” him “without even questioning” him. Fearne also claimed on Wednesday that he had “never strayed towards breaking the law.”

Malta ranks as a ‘Flawed Democracy’ on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. It scored 51 points out of 100 for 2023 on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The EU is no stranger to corruption scandals. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is currently being investigated for corruption in connection with the purchase of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic. Elsewhere, Slovak National Bank governor and member the EU Central Bank Governing Council, Peter Kazimir, is defending bribery charges. Former Latvian central bank Governor Ilmars Rimsevics was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in December.

Kathy Hochul said she “misspoke” when she claimed that black children in the Bronx had never heard of computers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed remorse for claiming that black children in the inner city “don’t even know what the word computer is.” Hochul was slated for her comment and accused of bigotry.

She made the remark at a conference in California on Monday, when she was discussing how politicians could expand access to tech jobs for disadvantaged communities. 

“Right now, we have young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word computer is. They don’t know, they don’t know these things,” she said.

Her remark went unquestioned by her interviewer, but was soon being mocked online. Several prominent conservatives accused her of displaying “the soft bigotry of low expectations,” while State Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo, a fellow Democrat who represents the Bronx, called the comment “harmful, deeply misinformed, and genuinely appalling.”

This is what Kathy Hochul the Governor of NY thinks of Black peoplepic.twitter.com/7C8M9VeBFk

— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) May 8, 2024

“B***h, not only do we know what a computer is, we all got one in our pockets!” Florida Congressional candidate Lavern Spicer wrote on X. “You sound just as racist as S****y Joe Biden did when he said ‘poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.’”

“I misspoke and I regret it,” Hochul said in a statement later on Monday. “Of course black children in the Bronx know what computers are – the problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI.” 

The Democratic Party’s efforts to court the black vote are often condemned by Republicans as racist. Most notably, President Joe Biden’s criticism of voter ID laws as “Jim Crow 2.0” was slated by conservative politicians and pundits, who argued it implied that blacks and other minorities are somehow incapable of obtaining photo identification.

A survey by the Methodist Centre reveals the concern of people over 75, indirect victims of the exodus of young families caused by the security crackdown after the 2019 protests. Meanwhile, an appeal court accepts the authorities' request to ban "Glory to Hong Kong", the song that became the protest movement's anthem.

Recent tests revealed that only about a third of incoming UAVs are properly identified, the report says

An advanced French anti-drone system set to be deployed at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris has numerous flaws and is often unable to distinguish explosive-laden drones from air conditioners, The Times reported Monday, citing sources.

The French capital will host the Olympic Games between July 26 and August 11. To protect against terrorist threats, the authorities intend to use the so-called Parade system, the deployment of which is estimated to cost €350 million ($376 million) over 11 years. 

The system, which consists of a radar, radio frequency direction finder, and jamming system is touted as being capable of diverting UAVs or forcing them to land.

However, according to the Times, despite the Games being just weeks away, during recent tests, the Parade system was reportedly found to be capable of detecting only one in three drones, and only within a range of 800 meters. The framework also “confused the propellers of air conditioning units with drones,” the paper’s source claimed.

Earlier media reports had suggested that the rollout of the Parade system was not going according to plan. While the delivery of six systems was initially scheduled for 2023, it was delayed for several months. A Senate committee subsequently launched a probe into the matter, but announced in March that it would not be releasing its findings.

Read more Cheating Chinese could ‘wreck’ Paris Olympics – US anti-doping chief

According to the outlet AFP, the contents of the report proved to be too “sensitive,” with an unnamed security source telling the agency that “contrary to the official line, things aren’t really working as we’d like.” 

Paris and surrounding areas have experienced horrific acts of terrorism in the past, including a series of coordinated attacks in 2015 that targeted the Bataclan theater and the Stade de France, among others, killing 130 people.

Last year, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that drones “[are] without doubt the main [threat] to be dealt with” at the Olympics. Some 15 million tourists are expected to visit the French capital during the Games. There are an estimated three million drones in the country, many of which are privately owned.

Countries bent by war and violence remembered: Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Myanmar again recalled at the Wednesday audience. May the intercession of St Stanislaus 'obtain also today the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world'. The theological virtue of hope, accompanied by patience, belongs to those who "stubbornly desire peace".

Rashida Tlaib claims that the recent batch of defense aid has emboldened Israel to launch a ground invasion of Rafah

Washington bears responsibility for the “genocide” being carried out in Gaza by the Israeli military, US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has claimed. Continued US support approved by lawmakers is tantamount to “consent for these atrocities,” she insisted.

Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in Gaza following the militant group’s deadly October 7 incursion. According to the Hamas-controlled health authorities, the operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has resulted in the deaths of 35,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

On Monday night, Israeli tanks and troops entered Rafah, which it sees as the last major Hamas bastion. Rafah is also where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have taken shelter, fleeing the military action.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tlaib argued that there is no coincidence in the fact that Israel’s ground operation in Rafah started after the US sent West Jerusalem over $14 billion “with absolutely no conditions on upholding human rights.”

Read more US delaying major arms deliveries to Israel – WSJ

According to the Democratic congresswoman, who is known for her left-wing views, most of her colleagues in Congress have effectively given the green light to Israel to go ahead with its military action. “Our country is actively participating in genocide,” she claimed.

Tlaib went on to “urge the ICC [International Criminal Court] to swiftly issue arrest warrants for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials to finally hold them accountable for this genocide.”

On Tuesday, Axios quoted House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul as saying that a group of Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives is devising sanctions against the ICC in a bid to shield the Israeli leadership. Several US senators also reportedly held a virtual meeting with ICC representatives last week to convey their concerns.

On Tuesday, Qatari news site Al Araby, citing anonymous sources, claimed that the “American administration has given Netanyahu a green light for a limited, short-term operation [in Rafah] … to achieve an image of victory.” Officially, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington does not support the operation.

Rashida Tlaib claims that the recent batch of defense aid has emboldened Israel to launch a ground invasion of Rafah

Washington bears responsibility for the “genocide” being carried out in Gaza by the Israeli military, US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has claimed. Continued US support approved by lawmakers is tantamount to “consent for these atrocities,” she insisted.

Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in Gaza following the militant group’s deadly October 7 incursion. According to the Hamas-controlled health authorities, the operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has resulted in the deaths of 35,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

On Monday night, Israeli tanks and troops entered Rafah, which it sees as the last major Hamas bastion. Rafah is also where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have taken shelter, fleeing the military action.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tlaib argued that there is no coincidence in the fact that Israel’s ground operation in Rafah started after the US sent West Jerusalem over $14 billion “with absolutely no conditions on upholding human rights.”

Read more US delaying major arms deliveries to Israel – WSJ

According to the Democratic congresswoman, who is known for her left-wing views, most of her colleagues in Congress have effectively given the green light to Israel to go ahead with its military action. “Our country is actively participating in genocide,” she claimed.

Tlaib went on to “urge the ICC [International Criminal Court] to swiftly issue arrest warrants for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials to finally hold them accountable for this genocide.”

On Tuesday, Axios quoted House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul as saying that a group of Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives is devising sanctions against the ICC in a bid to shield the Israeli leadership. Several US senators also reportedly held a virtual meeting with ICC representatives last week to convey their concerns.

On Tuesday, Qatari news site Al Araby, citing anonymous sources, claimed that the “American administration has given Netanyahu a green light for a limited, short-term operation [in Rafah] … to achieve an image of victory.” Officially, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington does not support the operation.

The Philippine central bank has approved the PHPC, a stablecoin pegged to the Philippine peso to reduce its volatility. The coins.ph platform aims to reach 20,000 to 30,000 users within a month. About 10 million Filipinos live abroad, eager to cut transaction costs with the new digital currency.

The Texas-based organization agreed to pay a massive settlement last year over multiple sexual abuse claims

The iconic Boy Scouts of America (BSA) youth organization, which has for decades taught young people basic survival and life skills, announced on Tuesday that it will officially be changing its name to Scouting America in line with its new policies of inclusion.  

The change will take effect on February 8, 2025 to commemorate the organization’s 115th birthday, according to BSA President and CEO Roger Krone. 

The Texas-based organization, which was established back in 1910 and has had over 130 million youth members throughout its history, declared bankruptcy in 2020 in the wake of a burgeoning sexual abuse scandal, which involved scores of scoutmasters over a period of several decades.       

Last year, the BSA agreed to pay out $2.46 billion to settle claims by some 82,000 Boy Scouts who claimed to have been sexually abused by organization officials and volunteers. Nevertheless, the bankruptcy reorganization plan has allowed the organization to keep operating and adding new members.  

Announcing the rebranding, Krone stated that “though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be prepared for life.” 

“In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” Krone told the Associated Press. 

Read more Boy Scouts declaring bankruptcy to avoid facing sex abuse victims while keeping its doors open to predators & fresh recruits

Initially, the organization was set up exclusively for boys and did not allow girls or gay youths to join its ranks. The Boy Scouts saw its peak annual membership at nearly 5 million in 1972, but its numbers have since fallen off to just over 1 million. 

In 2013, the Boy Scouts announced a drastic change to its policies and officially ended its ban on gay members. In 2018, it also started accepting girls and officially changed its name to Scouts BSA. The organization currently has over 170,000 female participants.  

The decision to allow girls to join the Boy Scouts elicited a lawsuit by the Girl Scouts of the USA. The organization, founded in 1912, argued that the move led to confusion by making it seem like the BSA had sole purview over all scouting activities and accused it of unfair competition and trademark infringement. In 2022, however, a federal judge rejected the Girl Scouts’ claims.

Ryanair is reportedly prepared to assist European governments in dealing with the migrant influx

Low-cost carrier Ryanair is ready to help European governments deport illegal migrants, CEO Michael O’Leary told reporters on Tuesday, Politico has reported.

O’Leary was speaking at a press conference near Brussels Airport, the outlet said, where he was launching a campaign to promote voting in the upcoming European parliamentary elections.

“We have no issue in principle” with the idea, O’Leary said. “If European governments are legally deporting illegal arrivals, and we can provide help,” Politico quoted the Ryanair CEO as saying.

O’Leary reportedly dismissed concerns voiced by a reporter that having a connection with deportations could damage the airline’s reputation. “If European governments are properly deporting illegal arrivals … to a country like Albania … We are happy to fly those flights,” he said.

Read more Britain driving migrants to Ireland – deputy PM

Migration is a controversial issue in Ireland, which has seen a large influx of asylum seekers from Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. In the year to April 2023, immigration to the country jumped 31% compared to the previous 12 months, contributing to the worst housing shortage in the EU.

The UK has been tightening its immigration rules, having seen a record high in 2022. Many asylum seekers are using Northern Ireland to enter Ireland from the UK, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda, Politico has reported. Parts of the Irish capital are being turned into refugee camps, with over 100 tents lining a city centre canal in the last week.

Speaking about Sunak’s plans last month, O’Leary reportedly said he would be happy to run deportation flights to the Central African nation if the company had suitable aircraft. On Tuesday, he stated that Ryanair “cannot go to Rwanda because we cannot fly that far.” The airline’s only destination in Africa is Morocco. The airline can, however, fly to countries such as Albania, he added.

READ MORE: Britain launches raids to detain migrants for deportation to Africa

The UK government has a deal with the Balkan state to send illegal migrants from Albania back home. In February, Tirana agreed with Italy to hold thousands of asylum seekers who had attempted to enter the country.

Ryanair is Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers. It is known for its no-frills approach to air travel and outlandish cost-saving methods. Among the most outrageous floated by the company in the past are encouraging flight attendants to lose weight, removing toilets from planes and replacing them with extra seats, having passengers load their own luggage, and charging overweight passengers a “fat tax.”

Ryanair is reportedly prepared to assist European governments in dealing with the migrant influx

Low-cost carrier Ryanair is ready to help European governments deport illegal migrants, CEO Michael O’Leary told reporters on Tuesday, Politico has reported.

O’Leary was speaking at a press conference near Brussels Airport, the outlet said, where he was launching a campaign to promote voting in the upcoming European parliamentary elections.

“We have no issue in principle” with the idea, O’Leary said. “If European governments are legally deporting illegal arrivals, and we can provide help,” Politico quoted the Ryanair CEO as saying.

O’Leary reportedly dismissed concerns voiced by a reporter that having a connection with deportations could damage the airline’s reputation. “If European governments are properly deporting illegal arrivals … to a country like Albania … We are happy to fly those flights,” he said.

Read more Britain driving migrants to Ireland – deputy PM

Migration is a controversial issue in Ireland, which has seen a large influx of asylum seekers from Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. In the year to April 2023, immigration to the country jumped 31% compared to the previous 12 months, contributing to the worst housing shortage in the EU.

The UK has been tightening its immigration rules, having seen a record high in 2022. Many asylum seekers are using Northern Ireland to enter Ireland from the UK, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda, Politico has reported. Parts of the Irish capital are being turned into refugee camps, with over 100 tents lining a city centre canal in the last week.

Speaking about Sunak’s plans last month, O’Leary reportedly said he would be happy to run deportation flights to the Central African nation if the company had suitable aircraft. On Tuesday, he stated that Ryanair “cannot go to Rwanda because we cannot fly that far.” The airline’s only destination in Africa is Morocco. The airline can, however, fly to countries such as Albania, he added.

READ MORE: Britain launches raids to detain migrants for deportation to Africa

The UK government has a deal with the Balkan state to send illegal migrants from Albania back home. In February, Tirana agreed with Italy to hold thousands of asylum seekers who had attempted to enter the country.

Ryanair is Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers. It is known for its no-frills approach to air travel and outlandish cost-saving methods. Among the most outrageous floated by the company in the past are encouraging flight attendants to lose weight, removing toilets from planes and replacing them with extra seats, having passengers load their own luggage, and charging overweight passengers a “fat tax.”

The distinctive dessert was reportedly replaced with a less politically-tinged alternative at the French president’s dinner with his Chinese counterpart

A last-minute change at French President Emmanuel Macron’s dinner with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping caught media attention on Tuesday: the favorite dessert of many a French leader was suddenly dropped from the menu, seemingly over its connection to Russia.

On the second day of the Chinese president’s state visit, the two leaders and their wives dined at the ‘Etape du berger’ restaurant at the Col du Tourmalet ski resort in the Hautes-Pyrenees region. According to La Depeche news outlet, the menu, pre-agreed several weeks in advance, consisted of traditional Pyrenean dishes: black pork ham, lamb shoulder, porcini mushrooms and local cheeses.

The dinner was to end with a dessert called ‘Russian cake’ (Gateau Russe), a local specialty with a recipe dating back to the 1920s, which at that time included almonds harvested in Crimea.

“I proposed the menu at the Elysee a few weeks ago,” the owner of the restaurant Eric Abadie told the news outlet.

However, according to the report, “given the sensitive geopolitical context” the ‘Russian cake’ was replaced at the last minute with a less politically-tied alternative: blueberry tart.

Read more France doesn’t want regime change in Russia – Macron

According to the Artigarrede house, a family pastry shop which has held the secret recipe to ‘Russian cake’ for over a century, Francois Mitterrand was the first French leader to favor the pastry and introduced it to dining tables at the Elysee Palace. His successors Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy also appreciated the dessert and served it often at official receptions. Both Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are also known to love it.

Xi visited France amid a tense geopolitical situation surrounding the Ukraine conflict, which was reportedly one of the main topics of discussion between the two leaders. Unlike France, which condemned Russia for the hostilities and slapped it with economic restrictions, China refused to join in sanctions and instead boosted trade with Moscow. China’s stance has drawn criticism from the West, which has warned Beijing that it could also face sanctions if it continues to cooperate with Russia.

READ MORE: Xi refuses to back Zelensky’s unilateral ‘peace conference’

During talks with Xi this week, the French president once again urged the Chinese leader to make sure his nation does not provide any aid to Moscow that could be used against Kiev. At the leaders’ joint press-conference on Monday, Xi urged France and other Western nations not to “cast blame” on third countries for the Ukraine conflict and instead focus on ways to find a peaceful solution.

The distinctive dessert was reportedly replaced with a less politically-tinged alternative at the French president’s dinner with his Chinese counterpart

A last-minute change at French President Emmanuel Macron’s dinner with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping caught media attention on Tuesday: the favorite dessert of many a French leader was suddenly dropped from the menu, seemingly over its connection to Russia.

On the second day of the Chinese president’s state visit, the two leaders and their wives dined at the ‘Etape du berger’ restaurant at the Col du Tourmalet ski resort in the Hautes-Pyrenees region. According to La Depeche news outlet, the menu, pre-agreed several weeks in advance, consisted of traditional Pyrenean dishes: black pork ham, lamb shoulder, porcini mushrooms and local cheeses.

The dinner was to end with a dessert called ‘Russian cake’ (Gateau Russe), a local specialty with a recipe dating back to the 1920s, which at that time included almonds harvested in Crimea.

“I proposed the menu at the Elysee a few weeks ago,” the owner of the restaurant Eric Abadie told the news outlet.

However, according to the report, “given the sensitive geopolitical context” the ‘Russian cake’ was replaced at the last minute with a less politically-tied alternative: blueberry tart.

Read more France doesn’t want regime change in Russia – Macron

According to the Artigarrede house, a family pastry shop which has held the secret recipe to ‘Russian cake’ for over a century, Francois Mitterrand was the first French leader to favor the pastry and introduced it to dining tables at the Elysee Palace. His successors Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy also appreciated the dessert and served it often at official receptions. Both Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are also known to love it.

Xi visited France amid a tense geopolitical situation surrounding the Ukraine conflict, which was reportedly one of the main topics of discussion between the two leaders. Unlike France, which condemned Russia for the hostilities and slapped it with economic restrictions, China refused to join in sanctions and instead boosted trade with Moscow. China’s stance has drawn criticism from the West, which has warned Beijing that it could also face sanctions if it continues to cooperate with Russia.

READ MORE: Xi refuses to back Zelensky’s unilateral ‘peace conference’

During talks with Xi this week, the French president once again urged the Chinese leader to make sure his nation does not provide any aid to Moscow that could be used against Kiev. At the leaders’ joint press-conference on Monday, Xi urged France and other Western nations not to “cast blame” on third countries for the Ukraine conflict and instead focus on ways to find a peaceful solution.

The building is accessible to the public and the faithful after the official inauguration ceremony. The former Christian place of worship was converted by presidential decree in August 2020. President Erdogan extols the thousands of 'ancestral heritage sites' to which he would 'breathe new life', but makes no mention of its origin as a basilica.

The company found itself in hot water following allegations that the jab can cause blood clots in rare cases

AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company has announced the withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine from global markets, claiming the drug has been sidelined by alternatives.

The development comes after the drug manufacturer recently admitted that the vaccine can cause potentially fatal blood clots in rare cases.

In a statement on Wednesday, cited by multiple media outlets, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said multiple variants of the vaccine had been developed since the start of the pandemic, leading to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or developed. A spokesman also cited independent estimates claiming that “over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over 3 billion doses were supplied globally.”

The AstraZeneca vaccine was rolled out in early 2021, shortly after the Covid-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. AstraZeneca voluntarily withdrew its market authorization for the vaccine in the EU last March, with the European Medicines Agency confirm.

Shortly after the rollout, AstraZeneca found itself at the center of controversy after numerous Western countries suspended the use of its vaccine over fears that it may have caused some patients to develop blood clots. However, EU health officials at the time insisted that the benefits of the inoculation still outweighed the risks.

Read more Covid vaccine maker admits it could cause potentially fatal side effect

In recent months, the drugmaker has been fighting an uphill legal battle, with a class-action lawsuit claiming that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “defective” and less safe than expected. The company has denied the allegation.

Plaintiffs have insisted that the vaccine has caused Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare condition in which a person has blood clots, which can reduce blood flow, combined with a low platelet count, which can cause difficulties in stopping the bleeding. TTS caused by the vaccine is believed to be linked to several dozen deaths in the UK alone, with hundreds of others suffering serious injuries.

While the company initially denied a link between the condition and the use of the product, it admitted in court documents submitted to the UK High Court last February that “the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS,” adding that “the causal mechanism is not known.” It also claimed that the vaccine has “an acceptable safety profile.”

The company found itself in hot water following allegations that the jab can cause blood clots in rare cases

AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company has announced the withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine from global markets, claiming the drug has been sidelined by alternatives.

The development comes after the drug manufacturer recently admitted that the vaccine can cause potentially fatal blood clots in rare cases.

In a statement on Wednesday, cited by multiple media outlets, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said multiple variants of the vaccine had been developed since the start of the pandemic, leading to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or developed. A spokesman also cited independent estimates claiming that “over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over 3 billion doses were supplied globally.”

The AstraZeneca vaccine was rolled out in early 2021, shortly after the Covid-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. AstraZeneca voluntarily withdrew its market authorization for the vaccine in the EU last March, with the European Medicines Agency confirm.

Shortly after the rollout, AstraZeneca found itself at the center of controversy after numerous Western countries suspended the use of its vaccine over fears that it may have caused some patients to develop blood clots. However, EU health officials at the time insisted that the benefits of the inoculation still outweighed the risks.

Read more Covid vaccine maker admits it could cause potentially fatal side effect

In recent months, the drugmaker has been fighting an uphill legal battle, with a class-action lawsuit claiming that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “defective” and less safe than expected. The company has denied the allegation.

Plaintiffs have insisted that the vaccine has caused Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare condition in which a person has blood clots, which can reduce blood flow, combined with a low platelet count, which can cause difficulties in stopping the bleeding. TTS caused by the vaccine is believed to be linked to several dozen deaths in the UK alone, with hundreds of others suffering serious injuries.

While the company initially denied a link between the condition and the use of the product, it admitted in court documents submitted to the UK High Court last February that “the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS,” adding that “the causal mechanism is not known.” It also claimed that the vaccine has “an acceptable safety profile.”

The AfD in Hamburg intends to kick out a lawmaker who recently served as an election observer in Russia

A Siberian-born German politician is being punished by her party for allegedly deceiving fellow members about her intention to serve as an election observer in Russia.

Olga Petersen, who is an Alternative for Germany (AfD) member of the Hamburg State Parliament, went to Russia in March to observe the presidential election and shared her impressions about the process in interviews with local media at the time.

The right-wing party's Hamburg branch announced on Tuesday that she had been removed from its faction in the parliament and that a legal process for her ouster from the party had been launched.

The statement listed several reasons for the disciplinary action, most related to Petersen's alleged disruptive impact on internal party politics. The AfD also accused her of deceiving fellow members by telling them she was going to Russia in a personal capacity and acting otherwise during the trip.

The German government has denounced the Russian election, claiming it was neither free nor fair, and declined to send a representative to the inauguration of Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The Russian president won in a landslide in March, securing a fifth term in office.

READ MORE: Relations with West, national resilience and forging victory: Key takeaways from Putin’s inauguration

According to German media, earlier this year, the AfD’s federal leadership reprimanded three members of its Bavarian branch who defied its warnings not to observe the Russian election. In general, however, the party is critical of the government’s handling of the Ukraine crisis and advocates for improving relations with Moscow.

Petersen was the only woman in the AfD’s faction in the Hamburg Parliament. Now that she is independent, the group has shrunk to six members. She told NDR radio that her loyalties remain with the party and that she is preparing for a legal battle against the motion to expel her.