CHEEKY HEADLINE

Putin’s Pyongyang Arms Supplier Calls US, Japan, and South Korea ‘Asian NATO'

North Korea condemns drills by Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul and warns of “fatal consequences” for what Kim Jong Un thinks is a Pacific version of the Atlantic Alliance.

by AFP | June 30, 2024,

Russian and North Korean flags waving at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region on September 13, 2023, during the meeting of Russian and North Korea's leader. Artem Geodakyan / POOL / AFP

North Korea denounced on Sunday joint military drills by South Korea, Japan and the United States, calling them an "Asian version of NATO" and warning of "fatal consequences".

It comes a day after the allies wrapped up three-day exercises, dubbed "Freedom Edge", in ballistic missile and air defenses, anti-submarine warfare and defensive cyber training.

US, South Korean and Japanese leaders agreed at a trilateral summit last year to conduct annual drills as a sign of unity in the face of North Korea's nuclear threats and China's rising regional influence.

"We strongly denounce... provocative military muscle-flexing against the DPRK," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency Sunday, referring to the North's official name.

"The US-Japan-ROK relations have taken on the full-fledged appearance of an Asian-version NATO," it said, warning of "fatal consequences".

"The DPRK will never overlook the moves of the US and its followers to strengthen the military bloc."

The latest joint drills involved Washington's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Tokyo's guided-missile destroyer JS Atago, and Seoul's KF-16 fighter jet.

Pyongyang has always decried similar combined exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.

The two Koreas have meanwhile been caught in a tit-for-tat balloon campaign in recent weeks, with Pyongyang sending trash-filled balloons southwards in retaliation to similar missives sent northwards from the South carrying pro-Seoul propaganda.

South Korea has also grown anxious over the North's warming relations with its isolated neighbor Russia.

North Korea is accused of breaching arms control measures by supplying weapons to Russia to use in its war in Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang this month in a show of unity.

Kenya: The pain of the bereaved, calls for fresh protests

By Ronald Agak, reporting from Nairobi - Lauriane Vofo Kana 

KENYA

Emotions run high in Kenya.

After days of bloody protests against proposed tax hikes and the removal of the bill, Kenyans were still shaken to the core.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported cases of abduction and arbitrary arrests.


During the June 25 protest alone, 26 people were killed, the body said. Many more were wounded.

A number of businesses are also counting losses following looting and burning down of buildings.

In a bid to find a lasting solution, William Ruto has been meeting different groups at the State House in an effort of finding a lasting solution following the protests.

The President has directed the setting up of a committee to address the concerns of youth who are dissatisfied with the state of the country's affairs.

However, calls for another protest this Tuesday (Jul. 2) persist, especially o, X (formerly Twitter). Some even demanding the president resign.

In anticipation of more protests, Nairobi still has a heavy presence of security personnel.

There were peaceful protests within capital's central business district and candle lighting gathering at the Jeevanjee Garden in honour of those who were killed during the Tuesday and Thursday protests.

Greece fights dozens of wildfires in 'most difficult day of year'

Athens (AFP) – Firefighters were battling a series of wildfires near the Greek capital Athens on Sunday evening, as the country braces for another scorching summer.

Issued on: 01/07/2024 -

Greece faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record © Aris MESSINIS / AFP

Greece faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures hitting 44°C (111°F).

"Today in Attica two extremely dangerous fires that broke out in residential areas and spread rapidly due to strong winds in Keratea and Stamata were tackled", Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said late on Sunday.

He said there was no longer an active front in Stamata, north of Athens, though there were some minor reignitions in the eastern area of Keratea.

He said "ground forces will remain in the field throughout the night".

Since Sunday midday, the authorities have called for the evacuation of at least eight areas near the capital, with flames destroying cars and houses.

Ert channel reported that a 45-year-old-man died from a cardiac arrest while trying to flee fires in suburban Athens.

According to the police, the man was found unconscious in the yard of a house in Rodopoli and taken to hospital where he died.

"Today is the hardest that the Fire Brigade has faced in this year's firefighting season," fire department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said on Sunday afternoon, during an emergency press briefing.

"The situation is very difficult, as strong winds continue to blow, they have not subsided and the outbreaks are many," the mayor of Lavreotiki, Dimitris Loukas, told Athens News Agency Sunday afternoon.

However he said a nearby military air base was not currently in danger from the flames.

Greece is battling dozens of wildfires -- one at Mount Parnitha, known as "the lungs of Athens" was brought under control late Saturday 

 © Aris MESSINIS / AFP

Fire brigade spokesman noted that wind speeds had exceeded 60 km per hour in Keratea, while in Stamata, the blaze was fanned by strong northerly winds exceeding 70 km an hour.
Island fires

A fire also broke out Sunday in an industrial zone in Ritsona, near the island of Evia.

Black smoke filled the sky above Ritsona after the fire started in a recycling factory, burning various flammable materials that were in the grounds around it, including tyres and mattresses.

Firefighters are fighting to prevent the flames from spreading beyond the recycling plant to other factories in the area.

The fire also approached a refugee centre, but the Athens News Agency reported that this was not believed to be in danger.

Separately, a large wildfire broke out on Serifos island on Saturday afternoon, but was also brought under control by firefighters early Sunday.

"All of southwestern Serifos has burned. We are talking about an area where the fire stopped at the sea," Serifos mayor Konstantinos Revintis told MEGA TV.

The fire caused damage to houses, cottages, warehouses and chapels, according to the mayor.

Residents told to evacuate from six areas near the capital Athens 

© Aris MESSINIS / AFP

The Fire Danger Forecast Map issued for Sunday by the Civil Protection Ministry predicted a very high category 4 risk of fire for Attica, the Peloponnese, Crete, the North and South Aegean Regions, and central Greece.

A wildfire ignited Saturday afternoon in the area of Mount Parnitha-- known as "the lungs of Athens" -- was controlled Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from other regions as well as volunteer firefighters.

More than forty wildfires erupted across Saturday in Greece with wind speeds exceeding 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour, according to fire brigade sources.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Greeks to brace for a difficult wildfire season in his weekly Facebook post on Sunday.

"The difficult times are still ahead of us. Our effort is continuous. In this effort, our allies are new tools that build a new culture of prevention and responsibility," he said.

© 2024 AFP

Greece fighting dozens of wildfires braces for worse to come


AFP
June 30, 2024


Residents told to evacuate from six areas near the capital Athens. — © AFP

A large wildfire broke out southeast of Athens on Sunday afternoon, amid warnings that the worst of the summer heat is yet to come.

Accustomed to scorching summers, Greece faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record, with temperatures hitting 44°C (111°F).

According to Athens News Agency, the fire started in the Plaka area of Keratea district Sunday morning and was burning close to houses, while strong winds were blowing in the area.

Some 56 firefighters, with two teams on foot and 17 vehicles, were deployed to extinguish the blaze, assisted by eight planes and two helicopters.

Shortly after 12.30 PM, the emergency alert system 112 was activated, urging residents to evacuate the areas of Markati, Plaka and Panorama.

On Saturday another wildfire had erupted in the same area sparking evacuation orders but was successfully controlled.

A large wildfire that broke out on Serifos island on Saturday afternoon had been brought under control by firefighters early Sunday.

“All of southwestern Serifos has burned. We are talking about an area where the fire stopped at the sea,” Serifos mayor Konstantinos Revintis told MEGA TV.

On Saturday, the mayor had said that the fire caused damage to houses, cottages, warehouses and chapels.


Greece is battling dozens of wildfires — one at Mount Parnitha, known as “the lungs of Athens” was brought under control late Saturday – © AFP/File RAHEB HOMAVANDI, ATTA KENARE

The Fire Danger Forecast Map issued for Sunday by the Civil Protection Ministry predicts a very high category 4 risk of fire for Attica, the Peloponnese, Crete, the North and South Aegean Regions, and Central Greece.

A wildfire ignited Saturday afternoon in the area of Mount Parnitha– known as “the lungs of Athens”, was controlled Saturday evening with the help of reinforcements from the regions of Thessaly, Epirus, and Central Macedonia, as well as volunteer firefighters.


Greece faces a tough wildfire season after its warmest winter and earliest heatwave on record. — © AFP

More than forty wildfires erupted across Saturday in Greece with wind speeds exceeding 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour, according to fire brigade sources.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Greeks to brace for a difficult wildfire season in his weekly Facebook post on Sunday.

“The difficult times are still ahead of us. Our effort is continuous. In this effort, our allies are new tools that build a new culture of prevention and responsibility,” he said.

“The fire in Parnitha was extremely difficult, but it was detected immediately thanks to aerial surveillance with drones that we have implemented this year for the forests and mountainous areas of Attica,” he stressed.

Saudi Arabia, Canada And More Issue Advisory For Lebanon Amid Fears Of War Between Israel-Hezbollah

Saudi Arabia, Canada, the United States, India and many more have issued advisories for citizens in Lebanon amid fears of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Outlook Web Desk
Updated on: 30 June 2024 

Saudi Arabia, Canada And More Issue Advisory For Lebanon Amid Fears Of War Between Israel-Hezbollah Photo: AP

As tensions between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah continue to rise, many countries have issued travel advisories and alerts for citizens in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia, Canada, the United States, India and many more have issued advisories for citizens in Lebanon amid fears of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah.


US, Europe Warn Hezbollah To Ease Strikes On Israel Amid Risk Of Mid-East War Being A 'Catastrophe' For Lebanon

BY Asmita Ravi Shankar

Saudi Arabia Urges Citizens To 'Leave Immediately'

In a statement issued on June 29, the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that it was closely following the developments in south Lebanon and has issued a "travel ban" for the same.

The advisory issued by the kingdom called on all citizens "to adhere to the travel ban and to leave Lebanese territory immediately for those who are currently in Lebanon".

'Avoid All Travel' - Canada To Canadians In Lebanon

Canada has also urged Canadians to "avoid all travel" to Lebanon.


"The security situation can deteriorate further without warning. If the armed conflict intensifies it could impact your ability to depart the country by commercial means. It may result in travel disruptions, including airspace closures and flight cancellations and diversions," reads the official advisory.

Canada's Travel Advisory To Lebanon Photo: travel.gc.ca

Furthermore, the Canadian government has stated that citizens in Lebanon "should not rely on the Government of Canada for assisted departure or evacuation" due to the fact that Ottawa has urged Canadians in Lebanon to leave at the earliest since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

India, US And More Issue Warnings

The Ministry of External Affairs in India has also issued an advisory for Indians and urged them to remain in constant touch with the Embassy in Beirut.

As of now, India has not issued a travel advisory but have urged citizens in Lebanon to stay in touch with the embassy.



The US Embassy in Lebanon has also urged Americans to avoid travel to Lebanon, particularly the southern regions and border areas such as the Lebanon-Israel border and the Lebanon-Syria border.

Along with these countries, Germany, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, the UK, Austria, and Kuwait have issued advisories for their citizens to leave Lebanon at the earliest.

Leicester pro-Palestine independent aims to topple Labour in UK election 'battleground' seat

The UK Labour Party's controversial stance on Gaza has propelled first-time candidate Shockat Adam to run for MP in the Leicester South constituency.

Assiah Hamed
London
Nick McAlpin
London
30 June, 2024
NEW ARAB

Independent candidate Shockat Adam aims to unseat Labour's Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South [illustration: Lucie Wimetz/The New Arab]


On paper, independent candidate Shockat Adam's chances are slim.

He's running in the UK general election to become the next MP for England's Leicester South constituency, hoping to topple Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth on 4 July.

Ashworth secured over two-thirds of the vote last time in 2019 – more than three times his nearest rival.

But the Labour Party appears to be worried by something – or is at least taking nothing for granted in the seat, which has a large Muslim population. A tool for volunteers on Labour's website called Leicester South a "battleground area".

"We have got monumental support," Adam, 51, told The New Arab.


"This is not Shockat Adam's campaign. This is our campaign. We've got people… door-knocking, canvassing, leafleting.

"Funding was [secured] within one presentation, five minutes, everything was done."

Israel has been waging a war on Gaza for almost nine months. Its offensive has killed at least 37,877 people, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.
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Rose Chacko

The crisis is an important electoral issue for a small but noteworthy number of UK voters, and some discontent with the stances taken by Labour and the ruling Conservatives may put their support elsewhere.

A survey carried out by polling firm Savanta in late May and early June found 44 percent of Muslims and a quarter of 18–24-year-olds ranked "the Israel-Palestine conflict" among their five highest policy priorities at the next general election.

In Leicester South, the Muslim community represents about 30 percent of the adult population, according to 2021 census data analysed by The New Arab. The religious makeup of the constituency's voter base may differ as some residents won't meet citizenship requirements to cast a ballot.

Some 20 percent of Leicester South's adult population is 18 to 24 years old and about a third is under 35.

Adam said that if elected to parliament, he "will hope to readdress the balance" for the people of Gaza.

"My role… is to give them a voice and call out for their safety and call out for the cessation of selling of arms to Israel or any other country that is carrying out atrocities," he added.

He said he would also seek to "ensure that… any side that has committed war crimes is directed to the international courts of justice", adding that he supported recognition of the state of Palestine.


Independent candidate Shockat Adam (3rd) joins other candidates who are running for MP in Leicester South at a YouElect event on June 13, 2024. [Ruma Ali]

Adam has also promised to champion affordable housing and address the cost-of-living crisis.

"I've been going to food banks… people genuinely are worried about eating or heating," he said.

Adam is endorsed by The Muslim Vote, a campaign group that has backed and is encouraging Muslims to vote for a list of independents and candidates from smaller parties.

Nine MP hopefuls are contesting Leicester South, including Sharmen Rahman, representing the Greens. She told media outlet Hyphen she joined the party over the Gaza war.

There are also a sizeable number of Hindus in Leicester South, making up some nine percent of the constituency's adult population, according to census data.

Two years ago, the city of Leicester hit headlines due to unrest between its Hindu and Muslim communities.

Asked on 8 June if he'd had people from the Hindu community supporting him, Adam said: "We started that engagement, and we're hoping to work on that."

'A lot of change needed in this city'

Former Labour councillor Ruma Ali has been publicly advocating for Adam in the Labour stronghold of Leicester South.

Ali, 35, represented Humberstone, Hamilton, and Netherhall Ward for four years until the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) deselected her in May last year.


Since her departure, Ali has continued her activism as chair of the Diversity and Interfaith Network Leicester, which aims to empower marginalised groups. As the 7 July election approaches, Ali has criticised Labour's alleged failure to address the needs of the underrepresented in Leicester.

"The general election gives the public an opportunity to vote for who they want in leadership, and that's democracy," she said.

Ali argues that Leicester's politics have suffered since the unrest and violence in 2022, compounded by the Labour Party NEC's deselection of 20 local councillors, resulting in the loss of 23 seats.

"The major political parties are not listening to locals," she said, pointing to the support for independents like Adam, as well as Claudia Webbe in Leicester East.

An outspoken advocate regarding the Gaza war, Ali accuses Labour leader Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the genocide in Gaza".

Her endorsement of Adam and Webbe is driven by her belief in the need for alternative voices to challenge establishment politics.

"A big reason I support both candidates is because they support Palestine and have been lobbying for a ceasefire," she said.

Ali says current MP Jonathan Ashworth lacks support of all communities and is "out of touch", highlighting his failure to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"It's a two-horse race. The other candidates will just split the votes," she emphasised.

Across Leicester South, Palestinian flags fly atop buildings and the balconies of private residences.


On the busy Evington Road, Adam's posters and banners hang outside nearly every local establishment.

His campaign slogan, "Leicester Deserves Better", is hoped to ring true among residents.

Leicester resident Sumaya tells The New Arab that while she supports Palestinian rights and stresses the importance of such issues being discussed in Parliament, she is nonetheless pessimistic about the impact of this election.

"I think as a Leicester resident, none of my values align with the current people in power, so voting for either Labour or Conservatives wouldn't make sense to me," the 28-year-old said.

"There's a lot of change needed in this city, and I believe wholeheartedly that, even if I vote, those changes won't happen."

Sumaya added she hopes that local affairs would also take precedence, from the cost-of-living crisis to unemployment, and raised concerns over Leicester's alarming rates of homelessness.

"I would like to see changes in the homelessness issue in this city, which continues to grow, and something adjacent to free breakfast and soup kitchens implemented because there are many children who live under the poverty line."

Another resident, Zubair, recently turned 18 and will vote for the first time in the upcoming election.

He told The New Arab that he is planning to vote for Adam, stressing that "there needs to be a change in our constituency".

Zubair said that Israel's months-long war on Gaza has largely impacted his drive to vote and believes that there can be room for selfless politics to spark major reform.


"I feel like candidates like him [Shockat] are more down to earth and more in touch with people. I believe he can offer more to communities than our current MP," he added.

Zahid "Zed" Sheikh, a senior presenter of Leicester's Muslim-led radio station Ramadan FM, says that there have been significant shifts in voting preferences and party loyalty among Leicester South's population, especially among Muslims.

Sheikh says that Leicester South has historically been a Labour stronghold with a 22,000 majority. The Muslim community has loyally supported Labour for over five decades.

However, he finds that disillusionment is growing.

"Muslims in Leicester South are horrified with Labour's Jon Ashworth," Sheikh told The New Arab.

He predicts that there is a chance for Adam to be the constituency's independent choice to break from the "outdated" red/blue divide.

Despite witnessing growing support for Adam, Sheikh asserts that entrenched Labour loyalty and internal divisions within the Muslim community could also hinder real change.

"Labour's stance on Gaza has once again exposed their true stance," the radio host said.

"But I do not believe there is a real concept of unity. There is too much caste and cultural division. The two-faced allegiance members in the Muslim community will surface after 4th July."

He continued: "The bogus Iraq war taught the Muslim community nothing. They are still glued to Labour for the sake of planning permissions, immigration issues and grants."


The New Arab contacted the Labour Party for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Palestine calls Arab League extraordinary meeting to discuss Gaza war, Israeli settlement building

Extraordinary meeting to be held this week at level of permanent delegates, Palestinian envoy says

Awad Rajoub |30.06.2024 - 



RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestine called an extraordinary meeting of the Arab League to discuss Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and settlement expansion in the West Bank.

“The meeting will be held at the level of permanent delegates this week to discuss confronting the Israeli crimes of genocide and colonial expansion in the West Bank,” Palestinian delegate Mohannad al-Aklouk told the official news agency Wafa.

There was no confirmation of the meeting by the pan-Arab organization.

On Thursday, the Israeli government approved steps proposed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to "legalize" settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and impose sanctions on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

Settlement outposts are small communities established by illegal Israeli settlers on privately owned Palestinian land without approval from the Israeli government.

International law regards both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there illegal.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 37,800 victims since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 554 Palestinians have since been killed including 133 children and nearly 5,300 injured by Israeli army fire in the West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

 

Zionist Minister calls for execution of Palestinian detainees

[30/June/2024]

OCCUPIED AL-QUDS June 30. 2024 (Saba) - The so-called extremist Zionist Minister of Security Itamar Ben Gvir called on Sunday for killing Palestinian prisoners and executing them by shooting them.

According to the Palestinian Media Center, "Ben Gvir" said in a video clip: Palestinian detainees must be executed by shooting them in the head.

The extremist Ben Gvir demanded that the law on executing detainees be passed in the Zionist Knesset in the third reading, and pledged to provide the minimum food for detainees to keep them alive until the law is passed.

Extremist Ben Gvir has previously imposed sanctions on Palestinian detainees that caused an explosion of anger, and he is known for his extremist positions and criminal terrorist policies.

The enemy forces are arresting more than nine thousand Palestinians, including thousands from the Gaza Strip who were arrested since October 7, and during this period, crimes against detainees have escalated, including killing them under torture

H.H

Hamas leader calls for Palestinian democracy

Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the Muqata in Ramallah, West Bank, November 5, 2023. File Photo by Chuck Kennedy/U.S. Department of State/UPI | License Photo

June 30 (UPI) -- Husam Badran, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, has called for a national consensus democracy to take root in a unified Palestine as he encouraged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to resist Israeli occupation.

Badran, speaking to Qudsna TV on Saturday, said Hamas envisions a Palestine uniting Gaza and the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem, under one government in which all Palestinian factions can take part in governance.

The comments were seemingly made to reject Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the destruction of Hamas to end Israel's brutal war in Gaza. Israel has said it will only accept a ceasefire if Hamas no longer runs Gaza.

"Nothing can be arranged in the Palestinian arena without Hamas being present and having influence," Badran said. "International and regional parties realize that eliminating Hamas is not possible. All attempts to pressure Hamas to extract concessions from it have failed, and political games and negotiations will not succeed in that either."

In his remarks, Badran criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas -- the head of the partially self-governing body in the West Bank -- for rejecting and disrupting proposals to form a consensus government and for "allowing" the weakening of resistance to Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Abbas is also often referred to as Abu Mazen.

"The head of the Authority, Abu Mazen, is the one who rejects and disrupts the proposal to form a consensus government and went to form a government unilaterally without consulting anyone," Badran said. "Our Palestinian people will not stand in a waiting line until the Authority changes its position."

Badran said Hamas doesn't have a problem with Fatah, the main party in Abbas' Palestinian Authority government. Like Hamas, Fatah advocates for an independent Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

But Badran criticized the Palestinian Authority's intransigent position to form a consensus government with Hamas and other resistance factions in Gaza like Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front. And he said the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority is "incapable of performing its duties in the West Bank, let alone its ability to perform any role in Gaza."

"There are also protests within Fatah's ranks against Abbas's handling of the national issue and obstructing efforts to reach comprehensive national reconciliation," Badran said.

The Palestinian liberation movement does not just belong to Fatah, or any individual group or person, Badran said, asserting that no other government or group has the right to impose conditions on Hamas being part of a united Palestinian government.

Fascism Once Again Lurks Around the Corner

A Tale of Two Wars


NICOLAS TENZER
JUN 30, 2024

The fascist “Russian March” in Moscow’s Lublino district. November 4, 2017.

 Photo: Matthias Berg

Fascism is back in Europe. It reigns in Russia. It threatens in the United States. Some countries have succeeded in erecting more or less solid dikes, but none is guaranteed to hold forever.

Fascism? Some are quick to dismiss the term, as if to minimize its influence, including in Russia. However, as Timothy Snyder has masterfully demonstrated, the current Russian regime is in fact fascism—and, in this case, totalitarianism. Fascist parties often seek to borrow masks as if to hide their intentions. Some, perhaps, have more diverse facets—one usually thinks of Georgia Meloni’s Italy—and do not take part in the international struggle of fascism against Western democracies, even if they corrode their principles. But more often than not, their characteristics are those of fascism, as described by Umberto Eco in a 1995 text that has often been commented on: irrationalism, refusal of critical thought, banishment of diversity, playing on frustrations, conspiracy, the cult of death, the destruction of the individual and his or her rights, and the flattening of language, which has become stereotyped and simplistic.

The term “fascism” is more appropriate than “populism” because it highlights the total destruction of freedoms that lies at the heart of its intentions. The idea of populism could still lead us to believe that the “people”—a largely mythologized figure, incidentally—would decide, whereas in reality, effective power would be in the hands of a group in power, turning this “people” into an inert mass used as a club against singular individuals. Populism is the first stage of fascism, which may or may not take hold depending on the historical, social, institutional and political circumstances of each country. Fascism is populism made real. There are certainly fascisms that have borrowed from left-wing doctrines or are at least partially derived from them, but concrete fascism is always extreme right-wing, even if it claims to be on the side of the “workers” or the “oppressed” ones. The rhetoric is just a cover.

In a war waged by a fascist state, the primary risk is the conjunction of fascisms. Extending the zone of fascism is the state’s primary means of achieving its ends. This is by no means a historical novelty. This certainly does not mean that all fascist states will go to war alongside the main aggressor power—Franco’s Spain, let alone Salazar’s Portugal, did not go to war alongside Hitler’s Germany—but that they will, to varying degrees, support the revisionist power, mainly by sabotaging all measures to help the aggressed state and join the Allies—Portugal was also an exception there. One could almost say that a country’s degree of fascism is measured by its support for a criminal state—now essentially Putin’s Russia. We need hardly remind you of the mutual support between Moscow and almost all of Europe’s far-right parties.

On the evening of July 7, we will know whether Russia has succeeded in bringing under its control one of the two most important countries in the European Union, France, which is the only nuclear power, the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and which still has the fourth largest diplomatic network in the world. We will know whether the country which, after years of weakness and complacency towards Moscow, had finally taken decisive steps in support of Ukraine, has gone over the wall. I won’t go back over the possible scenarios after the parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7, the reasons why the French President could hardly oppose the pro-Russian policies of the far right—I’ve talked about this at length here—and even less over the reasons why, if any, for Emmanuel Macron’s reckless gamble, taken in the absence of any consideration for Ukraine, Europe and security, but will attempt to explore the territories of this European fascism of which France has become, I fear, one of the most revealing examples. If the French far right wins the majority of seats in the National Assembly, it will become the only case where it has been able to win alone. This speaks volumes about its power and the way it has invaded and perverted souls.

French fascism and others

In an important interview conducted a year before his death, the historian Zeev Sternhell returned in part to the quarrel that his work on French fascism had provoked. This dispute is far from over, and isn’t confined to France—Sternhell considered that Israel was not immune to fascism—and some of Sternhell’s opponents can be found on both the right and the left of the political spectrum. It’s not always certain that they understood the meaning of his thought precisely because it was radical. Curiously enough, even Raymond Aron tended to play down the role of one of his friends in fascist, even pro-Nazi circles, forcing Sternhell to set the record straight a few years later.

My purpose here is not to discuss in detail Sternhell’s theses as they apply to individual cases. Rather, I'd like to consider what provoked the epidermal reaction of certain critics, beyond these specific cases. Overall, the intention of most critics—before undoubtedly losing the historians’ battle—was to minimize the importance of French fascism. They have refused to see that it largely pre-existed the National Revolution implemented by the Vichy regime from 1940 onwards. As early as the 1890s, and even more so in the 1920s and 1930s, fascist ideology flourished in many circles and intellectuals. That openly fascist circles were few in number says nothing in fact about the way ideas infuse, develop underneath and eventually explode as soon as circumstances allow.

The fact that French fascism was reburied after 1945 in no way meant its demise. Pétain continued to be honored, including by French presidents, although the alibi of presenting him as the “victor of Verdun” (1916) does not hold water historically. Many of those involved in implementing the Statute of the Jews returned to their posts after the war. Antisemitism—which I witnessed at first hand in my youth—continued to flourish in certain circles of the French Catholic bourgeoisie. The hatred of the foreign and the different, the glorification of ethnicity, a certain French spirit that is not that of the Enlightenment, continued to turn some souls inward. Putinism blew on these embers even more intensely than Nazism and Fascism at the time. It has continued to win over a large proportion of French conservatives—without which the upsurge of this new fascism could not have taken place—but it has also long since captured a section of the working classes who had long abandoned their vote for the Communist Party. Sternhell is also right to assert that “the National Front (predecessor of the Rassemblement national) belongs to the intellectual structures of the right”.

Logically enough, this French fascism is in line with the structure of Putin’s thinking: racialist narrative, national pride, distinction between inferior and superior peoples, structural anti-Semitism—even if it is denied, including through open support for Israel or rather its government against a backdrop of anti-Islamic reaction—, rewriting history to excuse the crimes of the past and exonerate those of the present (no far-right leader has ever called for Putin and his assassins to be tried by an international tribunal), playing games with the truth, conspiracy thinking, the cult of force, contempt for international law and the Constitution, little appetite for the independence of the judiciary, and so on. Not only are the links between several elected representatives or candidates of the French far right, like many others, and the Russian regime extremely strong, but there is also an ideological connivance whose long-term effects are potentially even more lasting and invasive.

Of course, France is not the only European country with this predisposition to fascism, even if it is not yet in the majority in the country. Germany has both counter-fires and facilitating factors. The factors of resistance are essentially linked to the shameful historical memory of Nazism, as evidenced by the mobilization of Germans against the rise of the AFD. But it did happen, which shows that, in the end, no dike is completely watertight. The people of the former East Germany, in particular, were not educated in the memory of the Holocaust in the same way as those in the West. But in Germany too, the 1980s witnessed the Historikerstreit, with some historians, while refraining from rehabilitating Nazism, nonetheless attempting to turn it into a historical parenthesis alien to certain currents of German culture, or even to blame it on the mass crimes of Stalinism. At the heart of this dispute was also the question of the uniqueness of the Holocaust, over and above that of German guilt. As for Italy, it did not fully seek to disseminate in the public mind a history of the roots of fascism, giving it also the opportunity of a revival. In France, Germany, Italy and several other European Union countries, the facts of complicity with fascism and collaboration have not always given rise to significant cleansing. The work of remembrance, as the saying goes, also shows its limits when there is a presumption that the past cannot be conjugated with the present.

Fascism versus the constitution— a civilizational challenge

Beyond the complacency, if not complicity, of most extreme right-wing movements with Russia’s criminal power—and sometimes a few others—the hallmark of these movements is contempt, sometimes hatred, for the very idea of the Constitution and the fundamental principles attached to it. The rule of law, freedom of opinion, human dignity and equality, the independence of the judiciary and media pluralism are all objects of detestation. This rejection is even more marked towards supranational rules—the European Union Treaty, the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Convention of Human Rights of the Council of Europe and even the United Nations Charter—and international law as such. The far right constantly invokes the people, whose alleged will it opposes to the law, and, in this respect without much difference from the communist parties of the former USSR or the People’s Republic of China, claims to embody it.

The extreme right therefore intends to scuttle the rule of law in all its aspects, in order to submit it to the government and a parliament under orders, and to abolish all forms of regulation, whether by the supreme or constitutional courts, or by the authorities responsible for guaranteeing media pluralism. Its contempt for justice is regularly expressed, reflecting its rejection of checks and balances. This is the very nature of fascism: to hinder any challenge to power by free institutions, from the judiciary to the media—whose criticism is also constant—before attacking academics, intellectuals and any dissenting opinion. The institutions of civil society must be either brought to heel or destroyed, before leaving individuals, unprotected, face-to-face with power. Individuals who are “different” because they are dissidents, of a different skin color or nationality, Jewish, LGBT+, etc., are rejected from the national community. The human person as such is destined to be broken progressively after a series of gradual steps for which dictatorial and sometimes totalitarian regimes have provided the instructions. Each person enters a situation of maximum insecurity, which begins with harassment, then intimidation, then increasingly direct threats, before they are carried out.

We can’t say it often enough: we know how the far right gets into power, sometimes legally, but we also know how difficult it is to get out—and sometimes impossible, at least peacefully. It uses every possible means to hold on to power, and even when elections can still be held legally, the infiltration of institutions, including the appointment of judges close to the government, the control of the media and the strengthening of a police force under orders, make the return to power of the democratic opposition an increasingly difficult task as time goes by. Depending on the country and the state of civil society, the test of institutional resistance may not be conclusive. History shows us that institutions collapse more easily than they are built. Sometimes, institutions and laws built up over decades can collapse in just a few short years. It would be foolhardy to bet on their resilience.

The far right has adopted a “civilizational” discourse that Marie Peltier has shown to be central to conspiracy thinking. It has largely served the people of this movement to exonerate and above all deny mass crime, whether that of Putin’s “Christian” Russia or that of supposedly “secular” regimes such as those of Saddam Hussein and the Assad clan. It is precisely this civilizational narrative that needs to be turned on its head: the division of the world does not take place between different civilizations conceived as closed entities devoid of history, and therefore of evolution. The fixist historical perspective of the far right—which correspond to creationism in biological science—is that of a petrified history that separates geographical areas locked in their cultures, religions and traditions, which has always served to legitimize dictators who would somehow be the “representatives” of their civilization.

The relativist discourse on civilizations can and must be countered by a universalist and normative discourse on the principle of civilization, which would define this term as the possibility of openness for every society and culture. Everywhere in the world, contrary to the Orientalist vision, there are common rules that people, more than governments, want to make their own: the rule of law, the defense of freedom, respect for the human person above and beyond the characteristics (religion, skin color, ethnic group, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) of each. However, all over the world, it is this universality, linked to our historicity, that the extreme right intends to abolish. As soon as there are no longer any rules that apply to everyone and cannot be abolished, whether international law or the domestic constitutional law of liberal regimes, both of which are founded on largely shared principles, the history of freedom comes to an end. The only alliances that emerge are those between regimes whose rules are contempt for the law, and often crime.

Elements for a fight

Before coming to power, the far right often uses a reassuring rhetoric. Beyond the many concealments, the case of the French election seems to show that this classic rule has, in many respects, not been completely validated. Newspapers widely reported remarks, old and new, by far-right candidates revealing racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic statements, as well as climate change truthism and anti-vaccine stances. During a televised debate, the leader of the National Rally even ironized the emblematic figure of the Resistance, Jean Moulin, tortured and murdered by the Nazis. Another of his representatives made it clear that the Constitutional Council was an obstacle that had to be circumvented, if not knocked down. Far-right leaders have already begun to cast suspicion on dual nationals, whom they plan to bar from sensitive civil service posts. They have made it clear that they will no longer help Ukraine to defend itself with every possible weapon. They could return to their initial demands, back in 2014, to lift sanctions against Moscow. Many also point out that racist speech has become even more liberated since the far-right gained the upper hand, auguring the worst.

We can see all too clearly the path that the extreme right would take, with potentially far worse consequences than in Italy: multiple forms of discrimination in access to the law and public services, particularly for immigrants, a spoils system in the civil service, the gradual rewriting of school textbooks, the withdrawal of aid to associations deemed hostile, threats to public service radio and television deemed too critical of the government, efforts to combat foreign interference, a growing conflict with the European Union over the implementation of provisions contrary to the Union Treaty and European directives, a blocking position within the Council of the Atlantic Alliance, and so on. All this would weaken France’s position within Europe, NATO and the UN. The unpredictability of the outcome would also discourage direct investment in France by foreign companies, except from the new allies of the extreme right. For a few years, the Constitutional Council and the judicial institutions could hold out, but if the far right were to remain in power in the 2027 presidential election and the next legislative election, normally scheduled for 2029, by 2031 a majority of Constitutional Council judges could belong to the far right, making anything possible. Of course, we haven’t reached that point yet, but we need to weigh up the possible consequences of the far right coming to power.

In the meantime, we can certainly imagine that civil society, associations, unions, intellectuals and the majority of academics would react. But power, at a certain point, always weighs more heavily.

We cannot conceal the sense of powerlessness felt by many defenders of the rule of law and whistle-blowers. In France, as in other countries suffering from an extreme right-wing at a high level of approval, the truth about the extreme right has been revealed time and again. During the European and parliamentary election campaigns, the reality of its links with Russia, the very origin of the party (then the Front National), which counted Nazi collaborators and some who had worn the uniform of the Waffen SS among its founders, the anti-Semitism of several of its candidates, etc., were demonstrated with ineffective effect on the electorate. The same is true of the economic and social disaster that would result if its program were to be implemented, particularly for the poorest, and of the total incompetence of its leaders. This seems to serve no purpose, not only because the hatred of the supposed “elites”, and in particular of Emmanuel Macron’s own person, beyond all rationality and elaborate criticism, is so strong that it obliterates any argument, but also because, more seriously, for part of the far-right voters, we may have moved from a vote of rejection of others to a vote of adhesion that corresponds to what might be called the Putinization of minds. Even the argument I defend here of a resurgence of genuine French fascism is often brushed aside as an exaggeration and an ill-timed warning that this past is behind us. This dismissal of a return of evil is rather analogous, mutatis mutandis, to the argument often heard about Russia that the early warnings we issued, well before 2014, were exaggerated. Even today, they continue to dismiss as a matter of principle any attempt to compare Putin and Hitler. If we fail, with convincing words, to show this fascist nature of today’s far right, we will have already begun to lose the battle.

I can’t go into all the causes of the rise of the far right in France, elsewhere in Europe and in the United States. Each situation is just as specific. In the case of France, the responsibility of all governments is high. The failure of education is certainly a long-term structural cause. The complacency of certain political leaders towards the themes of the extreme right is another. Above all, we must not forget that advocacy of constitutional rules, independence of the judiciary, human rights and, as I have often referred to here, international law, has been rare on the part of politicians from the various parties. As a result, many citizens have ceased to consider them part of their common heritage. Of course, there has also been an inattention on the part of most governments to people’s suffering, to their sense of dereliction and abandonment, and an indifference to their real ills that many have refused to consider. How many times have I heard ministers and senior civil servants say, “We mustn’t exaggerate” about education, extreme poverty, problems of purchasing power, mass unemployment and insecurity? Not only has the feeling taken hold of people’s souls that they can no longer control anything, that they no longer have a grip on their future, but that governments themselves have lost that control. Even in the most necessary reform processes, the feeling arose that these were incapable of bringing about a better future. Since this category of the future is not, as it should be, at the heart of politics, some people prefer to rely on those who are definitively preparing, like Putin in Russia, to destroy this very category.

All this is happening at the very moment when, in Europe, a war has resurfaced, the outcome of which will determine the future for decades to come and determine the destiny, free or enslaved, of future generations. In addition to this external war, there is now a form of internal warfare, which may as now seem gentler and still appear to take the forms of democracy, but which carries within it powerful seeds of destruction. As in other dark camps, we are faced with two wars. Either we will win them both, or both can engulf us.




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Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church elects a new patriarch with pro-Russian views

THE FACE OF EVIL

Newly elected Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil blesses the people during his enthronement ceremony at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a disputed vote that reflects the divisions in the church and in the society

A woman holds an icon as she attends the enthronement ceremony of the new Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a disputed vote that reflects the divisions in the church and in the society. 

Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, greets the newly elected Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil after his enthronement ceremony at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a disputed vote that reflects the divisions in the church and in the society. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

The newly elected Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil holds a cross after his enthronement ceremony at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a disputed vote that reflects the divisions in the church and in the society. 

(AP Photos/Valentina Petrova)

 June 30, 2024


SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-year-old metropolitan considered to be pro-Russian, as its new leader in a vote that reflected the divisions in the church and wider society since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.

Growing divisions between pro-Russian and anti-Russian factions within the senior clergy began after some of them attempted to warm relations with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople in 2019. Russian and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to accept the designation that formalized a split with the Russian church.

Unlike his late predecessor, who in his last prayers criticized Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Daniil has taken the side of the Moscow Patriarchy in its dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarch over the independence of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church.
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Daniil also criticized the expulsion last fall of a Russian and two Belarusian clerics accused of spying for Moscow, and in his prayers he blamed people who called Russia an “aggressor.”

The 52-year-old bishop, born Atanas Nikolov, studied theology in Sofia and eventually went to serve as a monk in a monastery. He belongs to the first generation of young Bulgarians who joined the church after the fall of communism.

The bells of the golden-domed Alexander Nevski cathedral in downtown Sofia announced the election of a new patriarch by the 138 delegates at the church council. Shortly after, council speaker Cyprian said that “Vidin metropolitan Daniil was elected by the clergy and the people as Holy Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia metropolitan.”

Daniil was clad in the green-and-gold patriarchal attire and put upon his head the white veil, symbol of his office.

In a tight second-round ballot, Daniil won support of 69 delegates against Grigory, the metropolitan of Vratsa, who was backed by 66 delegates. The patriarch is elected for life unless he steps down.

Daniil succeeded the soft-speaking and charismatic Patriarch Neophyte, who passed away in March aged 78 after leading the church for 11 years.

A church procession accompanied the newly elected patriarch to the cathedral, where he was enthroned in a sumptuous ceremony, attended by other Orthodox church representatives as well as Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.

Bartholomew is considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, which gives him prominence but not the power of a Catholic pope. Large portions of the Eastern Orthodox world are self-governing under their own patriarchs.

Though the church in Bulgaria is fully separate from the state, its constitution names Eastern Orthodoxy as the “traditional religion,” followed by some 85% of its 6.5 million people.
___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Guest Opinion: Self-assertion and competitive cooperation promote U.S.-China relations


Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
2024-06-30 



by Liu Hong

China and the United States are both major world countries, but in recent years, frictions and tensions between them have been on the rise. This is largely due to the inevitable clash between the United States as a global hegemon and a rising China. However, the fundamental ideological differences and oppositions between them cannot be ignored.

The United States is a long-established capitalist country that consistently protects the interests of a minority upper capitalist class. Alexis de Tocqueville noted that American democracy avoids the "tyranny of the majority," reflecting the U.S. political and economic system's protection of the upper bourgeoisie. Francis Fukuyama declared the end of history with the triumph of Western-style liberal democracy, predicated on the idea that people seek not equality, but superiority, meaning that the superior bourgeoisie should govern the country. Under the long-term influence of these cultural and ideological factors, socialism has never gained significant traction in the United States, making it a unique case in the capitalist world. In many countries, such as those in Europe, socialist parties have long existed and have come to power. Influenced by the United States, its ally Japan has also long been ruled by the center-right Liberal Democratic Party, while the former Socialist Party had become a "perennial opposition party."

Due to the weak influence of socialist thought in the United States, it has become a typical right-wing capitalist state. Political scientist Steven Hill described contemporary American society as a "cancerous spread of oligarchic rule." Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman pointed out that U.S. government policies often go against the interests of the majority of middle- and lower-class citizens, making the United States resemble an oligarchy more than a democracy. In the U.S. Senate, policy preferences often reflect those of donors, and in the House of Representatives, "millionaires representing just 5 percent of the population receive twice the representation as the poorest 50 percent." According to a report by Princeton and Northwestern universities, nearly 1,800 American policies do not represent the interests of the general public or mass organizations but rather those of economic elites and organized interest groups.

China, on the other hand, is a rising socialist power, adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of China and practicing a socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Capitalism has never maintained a long-term dominant position in China. China is committed to safeguarding the fundamental interests of the majority and emphasizing the welfare of the majority, the highest embodiment of socialist principles and objectives. This has unique significance in the context of world history.

How to coexist with the United States has become an extremely important question, necessitating political philosophical reflections on how to seek common ground while reserving differences with others. This includes considerations such as the relationship between minorities and majorities, state and people, elites and masses, capital and labor, and tolerance and intolerance. Different people have different answers to these questions, and different responses lead to different outcomes. John Rawls, in "A Theory of Justice," discusses how tolerance should treat intolerance, suggesting that when the tolerant sincerely and reasonably believe that their own safety and that of the institutions of liberty are in danger, they should restrict the freedom of the intolerant. Kent Calder posits that the bourgeoisie only compensates economically and materially when public dissatisfaction threatens to unseat them, as the so-called democratic age precludes the use of force to suppress the public. How should China respond to a United States long dominated by capitalism?

There are four possible modes of interaction with others: first, living in isolation; second, hostility and confrontation; third, abandoning one's own stance and being completely assimilated by the other; fourth, emphasizing harmonious coexistence and seeking cooperation through competition.

In the history of U.S.-China relations, the first scenario occurred during the Cold War when the United States and China belonged to different camps and cut off relations. The second scenario often poses a risk, manifesting in partial or localized wars and conflicts, such as the Korean War. The third scenario includes the United States proposing the "peaceful evolution" of China. The fourth scenario, "self-assertion" and "competitive cooperation," is the fundamental policy that the United States and China should adopt and needs to be increasingly accepted by the people of both countries.

In this article's view, assimilation results in the loss of one's nature and dignity, making it the least desirable option. Isolationism may protect oneself to some extent but does not align with the trends and dynamics of globalization, leading to frequent obstacles. Hostility and conflicts often result in significant loss of property and life, being a shared disaster for humanity that should be avoided. Insisting on "self-assertion" while advocating "competitive cooperation" can ultimately achieve peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit.

Both the United States and China should adhere to their self-assertion, choosing development paths that suit their histories, cultures, economies, and people. American culture emphasizes individualism, placing personal interests at the core and opposing centralization while pursuing equality. American culture often encourages individuals to be their true selves, reflecting positive aspects. The U.S. economy values the market, encouraging it to play the largest role in achieving efficient resource allocation. Experience has shown that this is the correct path for promoting economic growth and achieving national and personal prosperity. American society values the rule of law, which is the cornerstone of its society and government, ensuring fairness, justice, and order.

Chinese culture emphasizes collectivism, effectively inspiring individuals to contribute to the collective and the nation, playing a vital role in maintaining long-term development and unity. The core feature of China's socialist system is the pursuit of the interests and happiness of the broad masses, fundamentally different from the capitalist system. As a large country with 1.4 billion people, this reflects China's unique historical mission and makes significant contributions to global peace and development. China has consistently adhered to an independent and peaceful foreign policy, a core principle of its diplomacy and a common demand of the international community.

While maintaining their own systems, the United States and China should engage in "competitive cooperation." The 20th-century international landscape shows that capitalism cannot rely solely on "accumulated advantages" to defeat socialism, nor can socialism replace capitalism in the short term without undergoing long-term historical development. Seeking cooperation amidst competition, while maintaining competition in cooperation, not only corrects the intrinsic development trajectory of capitalism but also has profound implications for the theoretical goals and practical paths of socialism.

This model of competition and cooperation not only benefits both countries but also provides more opportunities and benefits globally. As the two largest economies, the United States and China should demonstrate the ability to cooperate and coordinate in international affairs, jointly addressing global challenges such as climate change, trade imbalances, and geopolitical conflicts. This spirit of competitive cooperation helps maintain international peace and stability and promotes global economic prosperity.

In conclusion, the United States and China, as major world countries, differ in many ways, even fundamentally. Beyond ideological opposition, there are many other significant differences. China is one of the oldest countries in history, while the United States is one of the youngest. China is the largest developing country, while the United States is the largest developed country. Therefore, handling U.S.-China relations requires a political philosophical approach, thinking dialectically about how to seek common ground while reserving differences, thereby actively promoting the development of U.S.-China political, economic, and cultural relations.

Editor's note: Liu Hong is a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.

Lighting strike on wet ground sent 7 from Utah youth church group to hospital


Seven kids on a hike with their church were hospitalized Thursday after a lightning bolt struck the wet ground they were standing on, officials said.

A youth group with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Salina, Utah was hiking when it began to rain and the water puddled on the ground, according to a Facebook post from the Sevier County Sheriff's Office.


A lightning strike in the clouds© Wirestock, Getty Images

What causes thunderstorms? This is how lightning and thunder form during a storm
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The lightning bolt struck the ground next to the group, and approximately 50 of them felt the shock of it, police said

Two of the seven youth members who were transported to the hospital for electrocution concerns experienced "some serious symptoms," according to the sheriff, but they are not expected to be life-threatening injuries.

Lightning strikes: Chances of being struck by lightning are low, but safety knowledge is still important

How common is it to get struck by lightning?


The chance of being struck by lightning is about one in 1.22 million, but fatal strikes are most common during the summer months.

At least three people have died from lightning strikes this year, including a a 59-year-old man in New Jersey, a 73-year-old man in Florida and a 51-year-old rancher, along with 34 of his cattle, in Colorado.

Still, while lightning strikes are on the rise, deaths from strikes are declining and reached a record low last year.

Experts caution people to stay inside during a thunderstorm.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

50 members of Utah church youth group checked after lightning strike

 Published at 8:09 pm, June 27, 2024 |
Logan Stefanich and Pat Reavy, KSL.com

SALINA, Utah (KSL.com) — About 50 members of a church youth group from Salina who were hiking on Thursday felt the effects of a nearby lightning strike, with seven taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said the group “was hiking south of the Fremont Junction near the Willow Springs Overlook in the eastern part of Sevier County when it began to rain” about 1:45 p.m.

“A light rainstorm in the area produced water puddling on the ground. While hiking, lightning struck the ground next to the youth. Approximately 50 youths felt the shock of the lightning. Seven (of them) had some medical concerns due to the electrocution. The seven were transported to Salina by ambulances from Emery and Sevier counties where (they) were triaged for their symptoms,” Curtis said in a prepared statement.


Two members of the group who were “experiencing some serious symptoms” were flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi for further treatment. The others from a Salina stake of The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints were taken to Gunnison Valley Hospital and Sevier Valley Hospital.

“At this time none of the injuries are expected to be life-threatening,” the sheriff stated.


Curtis told KSL.com that one of the symptoms the teens experienced included numbness. He said all the patients were talking and breathing and no one was burned by the lightning, which did not directly strike anyone. The hiking group totaled about 100 teens between the ages of 14 and 17, both boys and girls, in addition to adult leaders. Curtis says the two teens flown to Lehi were reported to be “doing pretty good” as of Thursday evening.

Arches mudslide

Meanwhile, heavy rain and mudslides are also once again affecting the area around Moab and Arches National Park.


The entrance of Arches was briefly closed due to a pair of mudslides on U.S. 191.

“U.S. 191 at Arches road is completely closed in both direction as crews work to clear a mudslide,” Moab city officials posted on social media. The slide happened about 4 p.m. At 5:27 p.m. the city posted that “U.S. 191 at Arches National Park road remains closed while crews clear the mudslide on the road. A second mudslide has also occurred north of this area.” And by 5:46 p.m., the city posted that “U.S. 191 north and southbound lanes are now reopened. It will take some time for the backed-up traffic to move through, but vehicles are moving now.”

By 6:20 p.m., U.S. 191 and all city streets were open with the exception of Kane Creek Boulevard.