China still benefits from Russia relationship, even with international reputation at risk: experts

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Homecoming, a patriotic rescue movie, dominated the mainland China box office for the third successive weekend. Overall numbers remained anemic in the first full week after the National Day holiday period, sometimes referred to as a ‘Golden Week’. “Homecoming” garnered $12.1 million (RMB85.6 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy and research firm Artisan Gateway. That gave the film a 64% share of the nationwide weekend aggregate. Accordingly, it was far ahead of second-placed film “Give Me Five,” which released on Sept. 9, 2022. “Give Me Five” earned just $1.9 million over the weekend, for a six-week cumulative of $63.8 million.

A messianic ruler, already considered the world’s most influential figure, is about to get absolute power over the planet’s most-populous state.  What happens next will be remembered for generations. Chances are, Chinese President Xi Jinping will lead China into war.   The drama begins at the Communist Party’s 20th National Congress, which starts Sunday.

Ukraine joining NATO could lead to a third world war, the deputy secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation said.

The White House said Tuesday that President Biden believes Saudi Arabia has effectively sided with Russia’s war aims in Ukraine following the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance’s announcement last week that it would cut oil production. "We believe by the decision that OPEC+ made last week, (Saudi Arabia is) certainly aligning themselves with Russia," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Tuesday briefing.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has appointed a new commander to the armed forces in Ukraine as Moscow looks to turn around its dwindling fortunes.  General of the Army Sergei Surovikin will take over as Commander of the Joint Group of Russian Forces in Ukraine effective immediately, drawing on experience from the second Chechen war and campaigns in Syria and Tajikistan, Russian outlet Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.  Surovikin previously held command of the Southern group in June and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2017. His Chechen war experience, where he led the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division, will draw scrutiny as a campaign rife with accusations of war crimes and human rights violations and marked by its brutality.  Russian troops in 2004 raided a school in the rural community of Beslan after a three-day standoff with Chechen militants, with 330 of the 1,100 hostages – mostly children – killed.  Russian President Vladimir Putin and Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Syria, attend a state awards ceremony for military personnel who served in Syria, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 28, 2017.  (Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via Reuters) And human rights organizations claimed Moscow's warplanes in Syria deliberately targeted civilians and rescue workers during its campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US President Joe Biden warned that the risk of a nuclear threat has reached its highest point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, following harrowing threats from Vladimir Putin.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Elon Musk are feuding over how the United States should handle Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And the result of their disagreement could prompt a shift in U.S. policy, the lawmaker suggested.

SoundCloud has been restricted in Russia, with the country claiming “false information” about a “special military operation” in Ukraine have been circulating on the music streaming site.According to Interfax, who cite information from communications watchdog Roskomnadzor (RKN) (via Reuters), “Roskomnadzor restricted access to the SoundCloud service in connection with placement of materials containing false information regarding the nature of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine.”The report continued, claiming that SoundCloud has been blocked at the request of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, with the alleged messages circulating on the website including information on “attacks on civilians, strikes on civilian infrastructure, about numerous civilian casualties at the hands of Russian soldiers”.It said access to the service was blocked at the behest of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, adding that the information in question related to the special operation’s form and methods of warfare including “attacks on civilians, strikes on civilian infrastructure, about numerous civilian casualties at the hands of Russian soldiers”.Elsewhere, as the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, a rapper from Russia is believed to have taken his own life after he refused to be drawn into fighting in President Vladimir Putin’s war.Walkie, whose real name was Ivan Vitalievich Petunin, told fans in a Telegram video that he couldn’t “take the sin of murder on my soul” and that his final protest would be expressed by his death.