💡 SPOTLIGHT

Power, wealth, ambivalence — how China's contradictions weigh on the world

Just because war appears more likely to spread to Europe or the Middle East than Asia, we should not forget China's enormous weight. But what does Beijing want to do with it? asks Dominique Moïsi in French daily Les Echos.

From one battle to another: the wars in Ukraine and Gaza dominate the news for their strategic importance and emotional impact. But they cannot diminish the rivalry between the U.S. and China, nor a series of recent, seemingly contradictory, developments on the Asian front.

Though less striking, these developments may indeed be more important in the long term for understanding the future evolution of the world. In late March, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed a large delegation of American businessmen to Beijing. U.S. President Joe Biden will receive Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on April 10. It's notable also that Xi and Biden held an unannounced call on April 2 in an effort to manage tensions between the two countries.

During that March encounter with U.S. business leaders in March, Xi played the role of a "salesman-in-chief." He was smiling and reassuring, as if his priority at the moment was to clear up some small misunderstandings existing between Beijing and Washington on the geopolitical front.

"Invest in China. Despite our real difficulties, especially on the real estate front, we are more resilient than ever, 30% of the world economy's growth is still the product of China," Xi said.

The problem is that this new Chinese message is a tough sell. How can China simultaneously attract foreign business and continue to forge closer diplomatic and strategic ties with President Vladimir Putin's Russia? How can it denounce the Cold War climate, supposedly imposed by Washington, and at the same time demonstrate ever more aggressive nationalism in the China Sea? [...]

— Read the full article by Dominique Moïsi for Les Echos, translated into English by Worldcrunch.

🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Spanish sports daily AS dedicates its front page to Luis Rubiales’ arrest on his way to the Dominican Republic. The former president of Spain’s football federation was briefly detained by Spanish police upon his arrival due to an investigation into corruption during Rubiales' tenure at the RFEF. The probe involves alleged corruption, fraudulent administration, and money laundering, particularly focusing on contracts signed since 2018 that included the relocation of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. Rubiales denies any wrongdoing, asserting that his wealth comes from work and savings, and denies allegations related to a non-consensual kiss with Women's World Cup star Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• A Russian drone attack has killed four in Kharkiv. The drone attack hit residential buildings and an energy facility, cutting power for 350,000 residents in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second biggest city. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says that Russian forces also hit a solar power plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region. A NATO summit continues Thursday after agreement for the alliance to play a greater role to support Ukraine. German daily Die Welt looks into the strategy, and risks, of a proposed fund of 100 billion euros to support Ukraine’s military over five years.

• Sunni militants launch deadly attack on Iranian security forces. At least 11 Iranian security force members were killed and the suspected militants suffered 16 fatalities in attacks on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards headquarters in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. This follows an attack that killed high-ranking Revolutionary Guard personnel in Syria earlier in the week.

• Rescuers in Taiwan try to reach more than 600 stranded after massive quake. Rescue efforts are focused on Hualien on the rugged east coast of Taiwan, where landslides were triggered by the country’s strongest earthquake in 25 years. The official number of trapped or stranded rose from 100 to more than 600 as people regained phone signal. At least 10 people are reported to have died, and around 52 are reported missing.

• Opposition forces in Myanmar claim drone attacks on capital. If the attacks are confirmed the incident could hurt the image of a powerful military. The National Unity Government, an alliance of anti-junta groups formed to challenge military rule, says the military headquarters and an air base were targeted, and that reports suggest there were casualties.

• Kuwait voters head to polls for the 4th time in as many years to pick a new parliament. The oil-rich country in the Persian Gulf has been in a political deadlock between the National Assembly and the royal family. This election is the first one to take place under Kuwait’s new emir, Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad Al Sabah, 83, who acceded to the throne in December last year following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al Sabah.

• The first pig kidney transplant patient is making a remarkable recovery. The 62-year-old patient, Richard Slayman, was discharged from the hospital Wednesday, just two weeks after the four-hour-long surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors said Mr Slayman’s kidney is functioning well and he is no longer on dialysis. Want to know more about xenotransplantation? We’ve got you covered.

• A man admits to stealing a solid gold toilet worth $6 million. James Sheen, 39, has pleaded guilty to burglary for swiping the toilet made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan entirely from 18-carat gold, which had been installed at the Blenheim Palace in 2019 as part of an exhibition, next to the room in which Winston Churchill was born.

📰 STORY OF THE DAY

Tipping culture: variations from table to table, country to country

The tipping culture is a deep-rooted phenomenon in several societies, which raises the question about its pertinence and necessity. Should this practice disappear? What is its role in different parts of the world? asks Traver Pacheco in Spanish online media Ethic.

💵 In many countries, a gratuity is considered an integral part of workers' compensation in sectors such as hospitality and restaurants. However, tipping culture varies significantly around the world. In some places it is seen as an expression of gratitude, while elsewhere it can be perceived as unnecessary or even offensive. In Spain, tipping culture can be very different from one region to the other. According to a study carried out by Alpha Research, only 11% of customers leave a tip, and 17% admit that they have never left any.

🍽️ So, when should we leave a tip? The obligation to tip varies according to local customs and cultural expectations. In some places, customers are expected to give a specific percentage of the total bill, while in others tipping is completely optional. It can also depend on the circumstances; For example, for a special event or a celebration, the tip tends to be more generous. Yet despite the diversity of cultural norms, there are occasions when it is more common to give a tip, such as in restaurants, bars and for delivery services.

💳 The payment method can also influence the practice of giving a tip. In cash transactions, it is easier to make a specific amount, like rounding up or leaving the change. In comparison, paying by card or mobile application allows you to add a more precise percentage. However, this type of electronic payments, the use of which has increased from around 16% in 2019 to around 30% in 2022 according to the Bank of Spain, has led to fewer tips.

➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com

📣VERBATIM

“Unfortunately, in wars friendly fire happens.”

— An Israeli cabinet minister denied allegations that Israeli forces deliberately targeted seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza. WCK founder José Andrés accused Israel of deliberately targeting his workers, but the minister labeled these claims as “nonsense.” Israel stated that the strikes leading to the workers' deaths were a "grave mistake" and promised an investigation. For more, read this France Inter piece: NGO Killings Trigger New Accusations Of Israel "Weaponizing Food" In Gaza.

📹 THIS HAPPENED VIDEO — TODAY IN HISTORY, IN ONE ICONIC PHOTO

➡️ Watch the video: THIS HAPPENED

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

-39%

A study led annually by the University of Maryland's GLAD lab shows an encouraging drop of 39% in tree loss in tropical forests of Brazil and Colombia, due notably to political actions prioritizing the environment. In Brazil, under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, primary forest losses dropped by 36%, attributed to reinforced law enforcement. Colombia also saw a nearly 50% decrease in forest loss under President Gustavo Petro.

📸 PHOTO DU JOUR

Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea, has arrived in China in the latest chapter of Beijing’s so-called “Panda Diplomacy.” She is now being quarantined at a wildlife reserve in southwestern China, where she is expected to join a breeding program. — Photo: Li Chuanyou/Xinhua/ZUMA

👉  MORE FROM WORLDCRUNCH  

• Report: Gaza Aid Workers Are Forcing Displaced Families To Pay For Food — DARAJ

• NGO Killings Trigger New Accusations Of Israel "Weaponizing Food" In Gaza — FRANCE INTER

• The Ethics Behind Experimenting With Bodies Of The Brain-Dead — UNDARK

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