Xi Jinping is visiting the European Union for the first time in five years. Trade tensions and China's position on Russia's war in Ukraine are set to be the main sticking points. When Chinese President Xi Jinping last visited the European Union in 2019, the world was a simpler place. No one had heard of COVID-19, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was far off and Brussels and Beijing were eyeing a trade and investment deal. Relations are far frostier now: the deal is on ice after an exchange of sanctions, and an increasingly hawkish EU has brewed a list of new laws to decrease dependence on China. Xi begins his trip in France on Sunday, before heading to Serbia and Hungary. And while he may feel the heat from the EU's toughened stance in Paris, the welcome will be warmer in Belgrade and Budapest, both seen as more sympathetic toward Moscow and Beijing. France: Ukraine gets top billing, but will Xi listen? French President Emmanuel Macron will host his Chinese counterpart in Paris on Monday, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also invited. The French and Chinese leaders will then travel to Macron's childhood holiday destination in the Pyrenees mountains. Bucolic setting aside, a source in the French president's office said the talks will be "very political" — dominated by divisions on Russia's war in Ukraine. France has imposed successive rounds of sanctions on Moscow through the EU since 2022, while China has fostered closer relations with Russia."The Chinese government has always maintained an objective, neutral and balanced stance and does not favor any party," Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, told Chinese media earlier this week. The French government source said Macron will "encourage China, as one of Russia's main partners, to use the levers at its disposal to change Moscow's calculation and contribute to a resolution of the conflict." The body of a man killed in a Russian air raid, covered in a black sheet, is seen at his bullet-riddled car But the push from Paris may fall on deaf ears. Xi agreed to call Ukraine's president after Macron visited China last year, but little resulted. Emmanuel Lincot, a researcher at the Catholic Institute of Paris and the Institute of International and Strategic Relations, told DW that as the EU's only nuclear power, Beijing views France as important. But for Lincot, a planned visit to China by Russia's president later this month proves Beijing's immovability. "There won't be one iota of change in terms of Xi Jinping's approach to big international questions," he said. EU-China trade remains a sticking point Xi's time in France will also see him sign new business deals, including reported plans for fresh Chinese orders with French aviation giant Airbus. The EU and China are among each other's biggest trading partners — but European imports significantly outweigh exports to China, and Brussels has often alleged unfair market access. Last year, the EU opened a probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies, slammed by Beijing as "naked protectionism." Isabelle Feng, a researcher at the French-language Free University of Brussels, said she expects EU-China trade to decrease "very, very slowly” amid these strained ties. "Changing global supply chains takes time," Feng said. China invests billions in Serbia After France, Xi heads to Serbia, where timing is everything. His arrival coincides with the 25th anniversary of US bombs hitting the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade as part of NATO's aerial campaign to stop the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's ethnic cleansing campaign against Kosovar Albanians.  Washington apologized for the incident, calling it an accident, and paid compensation for the Chinese nationals killed. But many in China still believe the embassy was targeted deliberately. "For China, it plays a role of a historical moment in which the 'big bad West' harmed China directly. It has created a lot of emphasis on the narrative that there is a need for reconstructing the global order," said Stefan Vladisavljev, a Belgrade-based researcher with the Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society. "There is a joint victimhood moment." Officially an EU membership candidate, Serbia and other Western Balkan nations sit in a geopolitical hot spot where different powers are competing for influence. Though the EU is Serbia's top economic partner, some €10.3 billion ($11 billion) in Chinese investments flowed into the country from 2009 to 2021, according to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. "There has been some positive economic impact to the Chinese presence in Serbia, but also what we should discuss — and we are not doing that currently — are those negative or corrosive aspects of the presence of the Chinese capital. We are talking mostly about environmental impact," said Vladisavljev. Hungary: A friend on the inside? Xi will wrap up his Europe trip in Hungary, the EU member most often at odds with Brussels. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the two states have "deepened political mutual trust" in recent years. But researcher Isabelle Feng describes the trend differently.  "Hungary is China's Trojan horse in the EU," she told DW. Budapest has in the past blocked EU statements on Hong Kong, and delayed EU aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told Chinese media outlet The Global Times on Tuesday that the EU's probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies was "really dangerous and harmful," and that his country will be "very much engaged" in improving EU-China ties. Feng said this EU disunity is useful for Beijing. "China's strategy toward the EU for 20 years has always been to divide and conquer," she explained. And for Emmanuel Lincot, Xi's move to court Hungary and snub the EU capital sends a message: "He wants to work with a Europe which is disenchanted with Brussels — a Europe which plays Moscow's cards." 

The southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing its worst flooding in 80 years. The death toll from the floods has risen to at least 78. It is feared that the death toll may still increase. In addition, more than 115,000 people have been displaced.   The news agency Reuters reported this information in a report on Monday (May 6). According to the report, this time the history of flood the state bordering Uruguay and Argentina has surpassed the flood of 1941.  On Sunday (May 5), 105 people were reported missing. That was about 70 only a day before. Meanwhile, a landslide occurred at a hydropower plant due to heavy rains. A dam has been partially breached. More than 400,000 people in Rio Grande do Sul were without electricity on Sunday evening.   Roads and bridges in several cities collapsed.  Meanwhile, about one-third of the total population is facing drinking water crisis.   Volunteers are using boats, jet skis to rescue those trapped in the floods and provide food and drink.  

Over 1,000 houses have been affected by flooding and landslides, with 42 of them being swept off their foundations. At least 14 people died in a flood and landslide that hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island, officials said on Saturday. Torrential rainfall has been pounding the region since Thursday, triggering a landslide in the Luwu district of the South Sulawesi province, according to local rescue chief Mexianus Bekabel. Floods of up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) covered 13 sub-districts in water and mud. Over 1,000 houses were affected, and 42 of them were swept off their foundations, officials said.  What is being done? Search and rescue officials worked to evacuate residents from their homes using rubber boats and other vehicles.  Over 100 people were moved to mosques or relatives' houses outside the flooded area, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said Saturday. Water levels have started to recede in some areas, the agency said. Floods and landslides caused by seasonal downpours are common in Indonesia. In April, over 20 people died in Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province. In March, at least 26 people died in flash floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island.   

Ankara said it would continue to impose the measures until Israel allowed an "uninterrupted and sufficient flow" of humanitarian aid to the region.  Turkey on Thursday suspended all trade with Israel, citing the "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in Gaza. "Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products," Turkey's trade ministry said in a statement. It said the measures would stay in place until Israel allowed "an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza." The two countries had a trade volume of $6.8 billion (€6.3 billion) in 2023. Katz blames Erdogan for breaking agreements Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking agreements by blocking Israeli exports and imports. "This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interest of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements," Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He said Israel would create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries. Thursday's announcement followed last month's curbs on a wide range of exports to Israel by Turkey. At the time, Turkey said Israel had blocked an attempt by the Turkish air force to drop aid into Gaza. Turkey and Israel's relationship worsens Turkey, one of the few Muslim-majority nations to recognize Israel, has seen large protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza. After years of thawing relations, Turkey has become one of the harshest critics of Israel's military operations in Gaza, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branding Israel a "terrorist state." On October 7, Hamas members attacked Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people. The militants also took over 200 people hostage. Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza shortly after to destroy Hamas. The militant group is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, and the EU, among others. More than 80% of the Gaza Strip's total population of 2.3 million has been displaced by the fighting, and the death toll in Gaza has reached more than 34,500 people.

Chinese state media reported 48 people were killed when a section of a highway collapsed. Search efforts are underway despite bad weather a day after part of a road fell in China's Guangdong province. The death toll from a highway collapse in China's Guangdong province climbed to 48 people, state media said on Thursday, as rescue efforts continued. Thirty people were wounded in the incident. A section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway collapsed on Wednesday at 2:10 a.m. local time, triggered by heavy rain. The 17.9-meter-long (58.7-foot) stretch of collapsed road caused 23 vehicles to plummet down the steep slope below, according to the Meizhou city government. "As of 5:30 a.m. on (Thursday)... 36 people have died, and 30 people have been injured," the state Xinhua news agency said, adding that the injuries were not life-threatening. Rain hinders rescue President Xi Jinping called on officials to "go all-out in on-site rescue work and treatment of the injured, and arrange for the management of risks and hidden dangers in a timely manner", state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. The search operation has been complicated by steady rain, gravel and soil coming down at the accident site, putting rescue workers at risl, a fire department official told Chinese media. CCTV footage showed excavators digging through the muddy hillside below the collapsed road as a crane lifted burnt and wrecked vehicles onto a lorry. CCTV reported that around 500 people have been deployed to support the rescue efforts. The provincial government has "mobilized elite specialized forces and gone all out to carry out... search and rescue", Xinhua reported. The southern province of Guangdong has witnessed a series of disasters due to extreme weather conditions in recent weeks.

A leading California university has cancelled its graduation ceremony as protests over Gaza continue to spread on college campuses across the US. The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles cited "new safety measures" in disbanding the event. Hundreds of people have been arrested on dozens of campuses where protests and encampments have sprung up in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Universities have brought in police to force students to leave. But some are also negotiating. At Columbia University in New York City, where the protests began last week, a Thursday night deadline for an end to the encampment was dropped. Chisato Mimura, a law student and protest leader at Yale University in Connecticut, told the BBC that activists were upset at President Joe Biden as well as their school officials for "quite literally funding and equipping the weapons used in genocide". Some of the protests on US campuses have been accused of antisemitism. A number of Jewish students have said they have felt unsafe at Columbia and at other universities, although other Jewish students have joined the demonstrations.  Earlier on Thursday, Minnesota Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar visited the campus. Her daughter, Isra Hirsi, was one of the protesters cleared from the university by police last week. "This is a movement that started with only 70 students" Ms Omar told the BBC." And because Columbia University decided to crack down on them and violate their First Amendment, this has now spread nationally and internationally. Source: BBC News

Protests against the ongoing war in Gaza have spread at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan in the United States. Police arrested dozens of people on Monday night to disperse the ongoing protests at New York University. The British media BBC reported. Authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on the Yale University campus in New Haven. The university confirmed the matter in a statement.  The ongoing protests on U.S. campuses captured the world's attention last week when New York City police arrested more than 100 protesting students on the campus of Columbia University. As part of the protest, the students setting up tent encampments at its New York City campus last week. Authorities have expelled the arrested students from the university after the police made the arrests. Hundreds of Columbia University teachers staged a mass walkout on Monday to protest the arrests of students protesting on their campuses. In addition, the authorities announced on Monday that all classes of the university will be conducted virtually. Meanwhile, protests in support of Palestine are taking place at major US educational institutions, including the University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan and Emerson College. But many U.S. politicians and campus-based organizations are claiming the protests as an anti-Semitic movement.

Jude Bellingham snatched Real Madrid a dramatic 3-2 Clasico win over champions Barcelona on Sunday to take them 11 points clear at the top of La Liga with six matches remaining. Los Blancos twice came from behind with Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez netting to level Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez strikes, before Bellingham rammed home the winner in stoppage time to virtually guarantee his team the title. Barcelona, second, bounced back with a strong performance after their Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain but their last stand was demolished by Bellingham. Madrid showed the same grit to stay in the match as they did midweek against Manchester City on the way to the final four in Europe, before Bellingham's knock-out blow left the Santiago Bernabeu crowd delighted. The England international, Madrid's top scorer with 21 goals across all competitions, netted twice in Madrid's Clasico win over Barcelona in October and is shining in his first season in Spain. "We had a great night with our fans, something we all deserved, we took a huge step towards La Liga," Vazquez, key in all three Madrid goals, told Real Madrid TV. "We've had a very good season, we're on a very good path, now we just have to polish it off and we'll go for everything." Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made three changes from the side that beat City, with Eduardo Camavinga moving to left-back to replace Ferland Mendy, while Luka Modric started in midfield. Madrid's penalty-saving hero against City, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, made an early mistake to hand Barcelona the lead. The Ukrainian strayed from his line to try and deal with a corner but got nowhere near the ball and Christensen nodded into the empty net. However Madrid were quickly level through Vinicius, who fired over a fine chance before levelling from the spot. The sensational Vazquez escaped Joao Cancelo far too easily and was tripped in the area by 17-year-old Barca centre-back Pau Cubarsi. Vinicius rolled home from the spot for his 19th goal of the season across all competitions. Barcelona were not deterred and made inroads down their right flank with Lamine Yamal giving Camavinga a torrid time.  'Disgrace'  The 16-year-old starlet thought he had struck with a clever flick from a corner but Lunin pushed the ball to safety, with Barcelona arguing it had already crossed the line. La Liga does not contract goal-line technology and using VAR the officials could not confirm the ball had completely entered the goal, so the Catalans were left frustrated. "We deserved much more given the way we played but there's not much we can do," said Xavi. "(Not having goal-line technology) is a disgrace." Yamal appealed for a penalty minutes later when Camavinga clipped him in the area but the referee waved their cries away. Raphinha and Ilkay Gundogan both sent free-kicks narrowly off-target, with Barcelona only having converted one since Lionel Messi departed in 2021. Barcelona were dealt a blow on the stroke of half-time when midfielder Frenkie de Jong was taken off on a stretcher after hurting his ankle in a challenge by Fede Valverde. Xavi also brought Lopez on for Christensen at half-time and it paid dividends for the coach after a slower start to the second half. The midfielder was in the right place at the right time to finish after 69 minutes when Lunin could only parry Yamal's low effort back into danger. However Madrid, seeking a fifth league and Champions League double, swiftly struck back when Vinicius crossed to the back post and Vazquez arrived to finish having lost his marker Cancelo. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made a brilliant save to thwart Vinicius at his near post as the forward sprinted through on goal with Madrid looking to strike and virtually wrap up their La Liga title. Bellingham dealt the killer blow, despite largely being kept quiet by the Catalans until he appeared to emphatically decide the match in stoppage time from Vazquez's cross. "We fight until the end and we never accept we're beaten," Vazquez added.   Source: Yahoo

Tokyo is worried about the Safeguarding National Security Bill. On March 19, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council unanimously passed the Safeguarding National Security Bill proposed by the Hong Kong government, with the legislation taking effect on March 23. The bill complements the so-called National Security Law and gives the Chinese government even more control over Hong Kong society. It will likely further accelerate the sinicization of Hong Kong. The news sparked demonstrations in Tokyo, while the Japanese government expressed “grave concern” in a statement issued by the Foreign Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which took a noticeably different tone from that which it has hitherto used. In fact, Japan has put out several statements since the National Security Law was first enacted in 2020, issuing two in March of that year soon after the law came into force, followed by a statement on December 21, 2021 when changes were made to the electoral system under the National Security Law. Of course, Japan is not alone here; statements have also been issued by the G-7 and other countries. The Japanese Foreign Ministry has stayed partly in step with other developed countries, but it has also represented the sentiments of the Japanese business community, given the large Japanese corporate presence in Hong Kong and the substantial investments that Japan has made in Hong Kong, especially in the financial sector. In its first statement on March 11, 2020, the Japanese government went no further than expressing “regret,” but it then expressed “grave concern” later that month, an expression that it has used since. In last month’s statement, Tokyo used the term “grave concern” twice, the first time it has done that. Moreover, it claimed that the National Security Law and the changes to the Hong Kong Basic Law on the electoral system “further undermine the confidence in the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.” This most recent statement also calls on China “to ensure that activities and rights of Japanese nationals and companies in Hong Kong, with which Japan maintains close economic ties, continue to be respected and protected in the same manner as before, and that the rights and freedoms of the people in Hong Kong are respected.” The language just before this part, specifically “…call on China and Hong Kong authorities, in cooperation with relevant countries…” also contains wording that was quite unprecedented. Previous statements have used the expression “call on China, in cooperation with relevant countries,” without any mention of “Hong Kong authorities.” Japan’s Foreign Ministry seems to be considering the possibility of somehow influencing the Hong Kong authorities through the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong or other means. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government was quick to hit back. Responding to a reporter’s question, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Tokyo said, “The Japanese side has released so-called talks related to Hong Kong [statements by the Press Secretary], pointing fingers at China’s Hong Kong affairs, seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs, and violating the basic norms of international relations. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this.” According to the spokesperson, the new bill will have the effect of closing loopholes in national security, thereby achieving long-term stability in Hong Kong and making the “One Country, Two Systems” framework permanent. He added that there is strong consensus in various sectors of Hong Kong society on this, before concluding “Hong Kong is purely a matter of Chinese internal affairs, so any external criticism is unacceptable.” In short, China sees the statements by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as interference in its internal affairs. Japan’s statement has clearly raised the temperature. Observers will doubtless be watching closely to see what comes next. Source: The Diplomat  

Tibetan residents demanded compensation for land illegally seized by authorities, sources say. Police have arrested and detained four Tibetans who protested Chinese authorities’ seizure of pasture land owned by Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region, three sources inside Tibet told Radio Free Asia. On April 10, residents of Taktsa village in Luonixiang rural township in Markham county in Chamdo, or Changdu in Chinese, clashed with authorities after they appealed against the land grab and demanded compensation, said the sources, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. In 2023, a Chinese county official illegally sold the pasture land to businessmen without the knowledge of locals and without providing them any compensation, the sources said.  The Tibetans had no knowledge that their land had been seized illegally until this April when the businessmen sent people to clear it. The Tibetans then confronted authorities, demanding payment. Police arrested and detained four of the Tibetans, and slapped and beat many others at the scene, said one of the sources.  There were no immediate details about the status of the four or the charges against them, and it is not clear for what purpose the seized land will be used.  Despite repeated attempts, RFA did not receive any immediate response to calls to Markham county authorities and the local police station.  Chinese authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas of nearby Chinese provinces often ignore residents’ concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials, who routinely rely on force to subdue those who complain or protest, according to human rights groups. Over the past few years, there have been several reports of similar land grabs that have taken place in Chamdo, a resource-rich area in eastern Tibet.  Most of the land grabs have been related to mining, including copper, gold and lithium, and development projects that China has undertaken in the areas. In some cases, Tibetans have been forced from their homes. The gesture was also seen being made by Buddhist monks and Tibetans residents during February protests in Dege county, southwestern China’s Sichuan province, in an appeal to Chinese officials to stop a planned dam project on the Drichu River. In the videos from Markham county, young and elderly Tibetans kneel before police clad in black, and wail, while others pull and tug at the authorities to heed their pleas. The land in question is used by about 25 Tibetan families to graze their animals and for recreation purposes, the sources said.  Chinese authorities have arrested the official who had colluded with the businessmen to illegally seize the land without compensating the Tibetans, charging him with corruption, said one of the sources.  Now, the residents are demanding compensation for the land that had been occupied, he added. Chinese police have forbidden the Tibetans from sharing information about the incident with people outside China, the sources said.   Source: rfa