A burning smell, a sky shrouded in thick fog… Toxic smoke filled the air throughout the St. Lawrence Valley that Sunday. From Gatineau to Rimouski and across the Saguenay, air quality has been classified as “poor” by the government. The wildfires have deteriorated Quebec’s air quality so badly that the metropolis has earned the unenviable title of the world’s most polluted city.

The opaque smog that blanketed southern Quebec propelled Montreal to the top of the list of cities in the world with the most polluted air by IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors local air pollution.

The pollution index hit 238 in the morning, while the world’s second largest city, Kuwait City, reported an index of 160.

The concentration of fine particles of less than 2.5 microns in Montreal was about 35 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual guideline for air quality.

However, no significant health effects are expected for the general population.

It would take “several days, several weeks” of non-stop smog for that smoke to become a public health concern, frets Mélanie Tailhandier, chief of the Major and Environmental Emergencies Division at the Montreal Regional Public Health Department.

“There may be health effects, but during episodes [de pollution]. It’s not something that will last beyond the smog. »

However, asthmatics, people with heart problems, young children and pregnant women should be cautious if these episodes recur. Such concentrations of fine particles cause shortness of breath, asthma attacks, wheezing or chest pain. The best precautions are to stay indoors and limit outdoor physical activity as much as possible.

Health effects may occur, but only during episodes [de pollution]. It’s not something that will last beyond the smog

From Monday, air pollution should be “acceptable” again.

Wearing a cloth mask will not help protect you from this poor air quality. Only N95 masks can block these fine particles, although wearing a face covering is not recommended by authorities.

series of closures

The Mont-Tremblant Ironman was canceled “due to the ash warning and the high concentration of particulate matter”.

“Athletes are urged to limit time outdoors as much as possible and to consider wearing a face covering. […] We thank you for your understanding under these extraordinary circumstances,” the organizers said in a press release a few minutes before departure.

Almost 3,800 athletes from 23 countries, which would have meant a record number of participants for this distance in Mont-Tremblant, had to return home disappointed.

The same fate befell the Montreal Mixed Relay Triathlon World Championship activities as all of the day’s activities were canceled due to poor air quality.

World Triathlon Declaration:
The Groupe Copley World Triathlon Championship Series Montreal mixed relay event scheduled for Sunday, June 25 has been canceled due to high AQHI from wildfires in the area. pic.twitter.com/H71a2EPuUW

— Triathlon Canada (@TriathlonCanada) June 25, 2023

Ditto for all of the city of Montreal’s outdoor sports and cultural activities through Monday noon. The Montreal Botanical Gardens and Insectarium were also closed. City day camps will remain open, but “will prioritize indoor activities,” according to a city press release.

Several cities also had to close their outdoor sports facilities. In particular, the communes of Laval, Longueuil and Brossard have closed access to their monitored outdoor pools due to smog. The water features remained open.

With Olivier Du Ruisseau

To see in the video

Sixty years later, Eldense return to the second tier after an epic game, a merry-go-round of comings and goings in-game and on the scoreboard in which their rival, Raúl González’ Castilla, squandered two scoreboard advantages. First the 2-0 that gave them a first-half lead, and then the 3-2 they scored after a penalty conceded and taken by Arribas, their most virtuous footballer, seven minutes from the end of extra time. The inexperience and lack of calluses doomed the Madrid affiliate, who relinquished the final game after losing possession in a collegiate side’s turnover. Ortuño signed the goal with a cross shot that led to the rise of the powerful Eldense. In the last play, Castilla challenged a penalty against Pablo when he tried to finish the ball in the penalty area.

Under the auspices of Pascual Pérez, owner of telephone and fiber optics company Finetwork, Eldense was one of the favorites for promotion from the start of the course. This is the third time in a row that the successful businessman has taken over the helm of the club, which has been transformed into a sports limited company and is planning a modern 18,000-capacity stadium. Finetwork also sponsored the Spanish team, a connection thought to have been severed recently by a video of coach Luis de la Fuente speaking out in support of bullfighting. For this reason, in the last concentration, the coach of La Roja wore a sweatshirt over his shoulders that covered the company logo.

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It was not an easy enterprise like the white subsidiary in Elda. They needed to win after the draw (1-1) in the first leg as the equalizer after 90 minutes and extra time was useless as they finished in a worse position than Eldense in the regular season. The regulations state that the penalty shootout will not take place.

The statistics also confirmed the complexity of the task for Raúl’s footballers. The local team had not lost a game at their stadium throughout the course. Birth certificates also reflected a match between boys and men. The Eldense are the second tallest in the first RFEF, averaging 28 years, compared to the youngest at 19.

However, it was Castilla that exuded looser football from the start. He played with the overpressure of local players who represent one of the strongest and most solid economic projects in the bronze tier of Spanish football.

Castilla’s two goals in ten minutes, between 25 and 35, reflected the greater lab with which the merengue natives dominated the game. Rafa Marín, Imperial, converted a delicate Arribas cross and converted a powerful header. The second goal was a futsal-style manual counterattack. Obrador reached the bottom line and his cross ended in a drop shot by Uruguay’s Álvaro Rodríguez for Dotor’s shot.

There was only one team on the field. The Eldense showed signs of being overwhelmed and outclassed by Castilla’s football storm. Their players’ ankles were too stiff to make sharp passes and set up a game, so they scored on the sidelines of the first half. Nieto hammered a side cross just wide of the post with a great header.

That goal gave way to another game in Act II. The Eldense suggested the fight that suited him best, more physically demanding, with more shock and hard leg. There the tenderness of the Castilla players was more noticeable. With the ball he had been clearly superior to Arribas, Dotor and Nico Paz, but when the time came for the other football he emerged as the loser. The Eldense trade has been introduced. A ball from Bernal on the right side of the box pushed Carlos Hernández into the net. From the tie to the end of the 90 minutes and also into extra time, a total game ensued. Brazenly, the two teams looked for the goal that would certify their promotion. Dotor forced Vallejo into a miraculous intervention with a choppy header. Joel responded with a dizzying counterattack, which he placed against Luis López. Melted from the barrel, his shot was tame and focused. The lanky Castilla goalkeeper also denied the home side’s third goal, saving a Mario Soberón header from close range after the first half of extra time had elapsed.

The last quarter of an hour began with a maneuver by Arribas that led to the last penalty. And in the latest local bullying, Luis López rose to prominence again despite not being able to avoid Ortuño’s historic draw.

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After failing the “Gaokao,” the horrible Chinese exam that gives you access to university, for the 27th time, 56-year-old Chinese millionaire Liang Shi wonders if he can fulfill his dream of going to Sichuan University can realize.

However, Liang Shi can be proud of his social success, as he started his career with a menial job in a factory before founding his own building materials company, which prospered and made him a millionaire.

AFP

But the 1950s have always brought with them one frustration, namely that he hadn’t achieved a sufficient grade in “Gaokao” to be able to integrate into the prestigious University of Sichuan, the province in south-west China where he lives.

After failing the exam for the first time at the age of 16, this stubborn man had repeated it almost ten times, always in vain, before having to quit as he had reached the age limit (25 years old) at the time.

When that limit was lifted in 2001, Liang Shi believed he had another chance.

And this year he was on his 27th attempt, each time after months of “living as a monk”: getting up at dawn every day to spend 12 hours a day in school books, no alcohol, no distractions, not even mahjong, his favorite game, with his friends.

And late Friday night, like hundreds of thousands of high school students in his province, he swooped onto the Internet to see his results. Along with a number of journalists who now follow him every year. Even before he saw his score, he could tell from her disappointed look that he had failed once again.

This year’s result leaves him in doubt. “I thought my score would not be high enough to enter Sichuan University. But I didn’t expect that my score wouldn’t allow me to get into any university, even the lowest rated one,” he told AFP.

So far he has never been discouraged and every year he immediately announced that he would take the exam again the following year.

“But if I really don’t see any improvement, I tell myself it might not be worth trying anymore. I really worked very hard every day. I don’t know at the moment if I’ll try again next year,” he admitted with a tired look.

On the other hand, he finds it difficult to imagine giving up. “If I stop showing up for gaokao, every cup of tea I drink will taste like regret for the rest of my life.”

Even though being a pop star seems like a comfortable job, it takes courage to perform on stage in front of people. Especially when these people become violent.

Just this month, two high-profile singers got into a heated argument during a stage performance, sending their fans into an uproar.

Last week, Ava Max was brutally slapped by a stranger while performing in front of fans in Los Angeles – the singer later revealed her attacker slapped her so hard he “scratched the inside of her eye”.

Shockingly, her attack marks the second time a singer has been physically assaulted by a bystander this month alone.

Days before Ava’s onstage slap, fellow musician Bebe Rexha was thrown in the face with a cellphone by a man in the crowd at a New York concert, an incident that resulted in her having to get three stitches – and suffering a black eye as a result .

‘I’m fine’: Bebe Rexha gave her 10.7 million fans an update after a man threw a phone and punched the singer in the face during a concert in New York City on Sunday

Ouch! Ava Max has revealed she was punched in the face by a fan during a performance in Los Angeles – resulting in a scratch on the inside of her eye

Angry: Ava later shared on Twitter that she sustained an eye injury from the slap. Footage shows the stage intruder being bundled up by security guards offstage

The attacker, 27-year-old New Jersey native Nicolas Malvagna, was later arrested and charged with assault – although he insisted his intention was “to have Ms Rexha photographed with his phone and return it as a souvenir,” according to the statement his attorney Todd A. Spodek told .

Bebe, a Grammy-nominated artist, was on her way to the stage when she was hit in the face by the device.

She posted a video of her injuries on social media, showing her eyebrows requiring stitches as a result.

The singer captioned it, “I’m fine guys,” before singing, “I’m fine yeah I’m fine.”

Unfortunately, Ava and Bebe are far from the first celebrities to be attacked on stage.

Harry Styles was thrown a bizarre array of objects in odd places, from skittles thrown in his eye to a water bottle thrown in his crotch.

Meanwhile, artists like Taylor Swift and Beyonce were attacked on stage and others like Justin Bieber and Dave Chappelle were heavily attacked on stage.

Here are some of the most harrowing attacks celebrities have suffered on stage.

Harry Styles had food thrown at him on stage, a water bottle thrown in his crotch and he was groped

Harry has been attacked by many foods and drinks over the years and has even been grabbed in the crotch on stage

Hope you’re okay Harry: The 28-year-old singer covered his eyes as they were thrown at him during a performance of his song ‘Kiwi’ in video captured by a fan

Harry has endured an unfortunate amount of assault at both One Direction and solo concerts.

In November 2022, he was pelted with Skittles while performing his song Kiwi at The Forum in Los Angeles.

At least one of the Skittles appeared to have hit the singer’s eye, as moments later he was clutching his eye in pain.

He seemed to narrow his eyes for the rest of the performance.

This isn’t the first food-related incident the Watermelon Sugar singer has dealt with on stage.

Harry was grabbed in the crotch by a concertgoer during a performance in 2017

A month earlier they had been pelted with chicken nuggets. Luckily, their soft texture made the projectile much more harmless.

In 2017, fans began throwing kiwis on stage for his song “Kiwi.” Though neither hit him, the singer admitted to slipping and falling on the mush they left on stage.

When he was with One Direction in 2015, a can of Red Bull was thrown at his head.

The can hit the side of his face and shortly after the incident the musician could be seen reeling, resting his head on his hands.

A few weeks later he was hit by another drink, albeit in a much more sensitive area.

During one silly moment when Harry was spraying water on his bandmates, a bystander wanted revenge on them.

The viewer threw a water bottle between Harry’s leg, hitting him in the crotch. The singer convulsed in pain upon impact.

Painful revenge: During a silly moment when Harry was spraying water on his bandmates, a bystander wanted revenge on their behalf. The viewer threw a water bottle between Harry’s leg, hitting him in the crotch. The singer convulsed in pain upon impact

Ouch! The pink flowers spattered his face as he hopped down a few steps and turned to greet the crowd on his lap of honor

In another instance in 2017, Harry was groped by a fan in the audience.

As he knelt above the crowd, the fan grabbed his crotch.

Finally, Harry let the audience throw a bouquet of flowers to him.

The flowers hit him visibly in the face. He responded by rubbing his face, but the singer finished like a true artist.

Luckily it was a lot lighter than some of the previous items he was accused of.

Speaking of the unmentionable, a fan got up close and personal when he grabbed Harry’s crotch during CBS Radio’s We Can Survive 2017 benefit at the Hollywood Bowl.

Taylor Swift was grabbed by the leg at a concert and several other close quarters

Taylor was surprised when a viewer grabbed her leg during her performance

Taylor was mugged on stage at the O2 Arena in London. Normally her job is to prevent spectators from entering the stage, but this man was too quick for her. The fan climbed to the top of the stairs where she was standing and handed her a note

A Violent Encounter: A concert-goer who appeared to have a much more violent intent took the stage. Luckily, he managed to get through to security before he got to Taylor. A full-fledged brawl ensued when the concert-goer punched the security guards while Taylor continued to sing

Taylor Swift may be the biggest singer right now, but even she’s not immune to onstage assaults.

During her 1989 tour in 2015, a male fan showed up and grabbed her leg while she was performing Bad Blood.

The singer couldn’t get over her shock at that moment and just stood there for a moment and stared at him in silence.

Finally she started singing again as the man was led out by security.

Taylor still had a few narrow chances on other appearances.

In 2014, Taylor was mugged on stage at the O2 Arena in London. Normally her job is to prevent spectators from entering the stage, but this man was too quick for her.

Luckily he had no intention of hurting her. Instead, he climbed to the top of the stairs where she was standing and handed her a note.

At this point, security forces finally managed to reach him and escort him off the stage.

A year later, in 2015, a concert-goer who appeared to have a much more violent intent took the stage.

Luckily, he managed to get through to security before he got to Taylor. A full-fledged brawl ensued when the concert-goer punched the security guards while Taylor continued to sing.

TMZ alleges Christian Ewing, 26, sneaked into the concert and was later charged with “felony and assault and disability.”

Though Taylor was unaffected by the unplanned event, a security guard fractured his ribs before they could drag him off the stage.

Justin Bieber was attacked at his piano and fled after a water bottle was thrown at him

Beaver out! Justin stormed off the stage after a spectator threw a water bottle at him, hitting him in the head

After a man came on stage to attack Justin, security guards came on stage and he turned over the piano to escape

Justin Bieber has been a polarizing figure in the past, so it’s not too surprising that he was the victim of an onstage attack.

The singer played the piano during a concert in Dubai in 2013. Suddenly a man crept onto the stage.

Shockingly, the man grabbed Bieber from behind, taking him completely by surprise.

Luckily, the baby singer was able to free herself from the man’s grasp.

Eventually, security ran onto the stage to grab the man who was tearing the piano off its hinges and destroying it.

Bieber had quite a bit of bad luck on this tour. While in Brazil later that year, he suffered another seizure that left him angry.

While he was singing his song Boyfriend, someone in the audience threw a water bottle at him.

The bottle hit his hand and nearly threw his microphone onto the stage.

After a moment of shock, Justin stormed off the stage without a word.

Fans waited patiently in their seats for half an hour for his return before the lights went on and they were escorted out of the building.

Beyoncé was dragged off the stage to watch as a man attacked Jay-Z

Sadly, Beyonce and Jay-Z aren’t untouchable as they both endured attacks on stage

Carried away: Beyonce wanted to interact with her fans but was pulled off the stage instead

Another wild attack came on stage in Brazil. This time Beyoncé was the victim.

The Crazy in Love singer was shockingly dragged off stage by a concert-goer in 2013.

Beyonce entered a platform that allowed her to lean into the audience and engage with fans as she sang.

That’s when the crazy fan reached out and managed to grab her with both arms and pull her into the audience.

Security was on the scene quickly and managed to free her from the man’s clutches before she got too far into the audience.

After returning to the stage, she continued to sing and dance as if nothing had happened.

Here Comes Trouble: A man stormed the stage and pushed Jay-Z during his concert with his wife Beyoncé

Five years later, Beyonce had another audience encounter, but this time she was also dating her husband Jay-Z.

“At this time, there was no evidence that Maxwell had contacted Jay-Z,” Atlanta Police spokesman Jarius Daugherty said.

But police later determined that Maxwell had actually “made contact” with the rapper.

“It appears Mr. Maxwell was pushing Jay-Z,” Daugherty said.

Police charged Maxwell with simple battery.

Police also said Maxwell was being treated for minor injuries when “people close to Jay-Z prevented him from making any further contact with the actor.”

A concert-goer jumped at Lana Del Ray as she left the stage

Lana Del Ray had a scary interaction with a fan in Antwerp

Lana Del Ray almost survived a performance in Antwerp unscathed, but was attacked as she left the stage.

A fan captured footage of a man trying to jump on the singer at her concert.

The man jumped into the air and landed on her as she passed.

Luckily, security came quickly and was able to get her to safety.

On Twitter, users expressed their concern for the singer.

“@LanaDelRey I’m so sorry about what happened in the pit last night. Are you okay?’ Has the fan hurt you?’ asked a fan.

Another explained: “I was in Antwerp and saw her, WTF?” You have no respect for her but don’t worry, security is doing a good job getting her to safety straight away.”

Dave Chappelle was attacked with a gun on stage after making an anti-trans joke on his Netflix special

The incident happened during Chappelle’s set on the last day of a four-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl that was part of the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival

Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage last night while filming a Netflix special in Los Angeles

Chappelle became a controversial figure after making jokes about the LGTBQ+ community in his Netflix special What’s in a Name, which led directly to his stage attack.

During his stand-up set at the Hollywood Bowl in 2022, 24-year-old Isaiah Lee charged Chappelle with a replica handgun that flipped out to reveal a large blade resembling a pocket knife.

The comedian was able to dodge Lee and was unharmed. Security violently subdued Lee, who was later arrested by the LAPD and taken to the hospital with a broken arm.

Lee was charged with two misdemeanors – one for assault and one for entering a restricted area during a live event – and was sentenced to 270 days in prison after pleading no objection.

The next day, Chapelle released a statement describing the event as “disturbing and regrettable.”

“As unfortunate and troubling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,” the statement said.

“Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock used humor to help calm the crowd before Chappelle introduced the last and introduced musical guests for the evening.”

Lee gave an interview in prison where he said he was “triggered” by Chappelle’s jokes about transgender people and the homeless.

Lee told the New York Post that he wasn’t amused by Chappelle’s quick wit.

“I identify as bisexual and I wanted him to know what he thought was the trigger,” Lee said.

Miley Cyrus was grabbed by a fan who jumped onto the stage behind her

Miley was shocked when she felt a fan grab her shoulder from behind on stage

Miley was playing The Climb when a fan climbed onto the stage herself and approached her. The singer was heard saying “Oh my god, oh my god” as the bodyguard pushed the fan off the stage before taking Miley away

In her heyday, Miley Cyrus had her own spooky stage experience when a concert goer jumped onto the stage and grabbed her.

In 2011, Miley was performing “The Climb” when a fan herself climbed onto the stage and approached her.

When the fan grabbed Miley’s shoulder, the then 18-year-old pop star was clearly distraught.

Miley was heard saying “Oh my god, oh my god” as the bodyguard pushed the fan off the stage before taking Miley away.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only unwanted encounter with Cyrus.

In 2014, a fan snuck into her dressing room. Miley wasn’t there at the time, but the fan left a message saying he wanted to meet her. The fan was eventually arrested.

Years later, in 2019, Cyrus was groped by a fan in Barcelona. A man began to feel her hair, then grabbed her and attempted to kiss her forcefully.

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine has been mugged twice on stage

Adam each had two very different reactions when approached by fans during his performance on stage

“You need to calm down”: Adam patiently attended to a fan who came on stage to give him a hug

Adam Levine experienced quite a few stage robberies during his time on Maroon 5.

In 2015, the lead singer recalled a moment during one of his recent concerts when a fan jumped onto the stage and approached him.

“She ran towards me at full speed and I sang,” he recalled in a very serious tone.

“I wasn’t aware of them. The next thing I knew she was charging at me.

“I kind of had to deal with it because nobody was around,” the singer explained.

Shock: Adam Levine was less than impressed when a fan jumped onto the stage during Maroon 5’s concert and tried to hug him

“So I looked at her and kind of held her shoulders. I say, “You need to calm down – please calm down, relax,” he continued.

“And I put my arm around her. And then someone had already managed to get there [and] gently… remove her from the stage.’

Five years later he was mugged on stage by another fan. However, this time he was much less patient.

During the song “Sunday Morning,” a fan jumped onto the stage and laid hands on him.

Levine clearly wasn’t pleased as he mouthed the word “f**k” in frustration before walking to the other end of the stage, with the star skipping a few lines before continuing with the song.

Fifth Harmony’s Ally Brooke has been attacked twice in a matter of days

Ally Brooke was attacked twice in Mexico: once on stage and once at the airport

For the count: Ally was knocked to the ground by a fan who appeared to be trying to hug her

Before Fifth Harmony disbanded, Ally Brooke was the victim of some horrific attacks on stage.

In 2016 the band brought their show to Mexico.

During a performance, a man went through security and jumped onto the stage. Trying to hug Ally, he pulled her to the ground.

Eventually, security arrived, threw the man to the ground and escorted him off the stage.

Ally recovered quickly. Moments later, she jumped up to continue her performance.

Just two days before the concert, Ally was attacked by a fan at the airport.

An over-enthusiastic fan grabbed her as she passed. She later took to social media to reassure fans that she was fine.

She wrote: “Just to let you know I’m fine following the incident at the airport.” Please be careful and gentle so no one gets hurt. That was terrifying. Thank you very much!’

The following is a transcript of an interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that aired on Face the Nation on June 25, 2023.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is one of the many top officials in the Biden administration who have been monitoring events over the past two days. And he comes to us from the State Department. Good morning, Mr Secretary.

EXTERNAL SECRETARY ANTONY BLINKEN: Good morning, Margaret.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you tell us who in the Biden government had contact with the Russian leadership?

SEC. BLINKEN: Well, I’ve directed my own team, at the President’s behest, to work primarily with the Russians to ensure they understand their responsibilities in protecting our own personnel, ensuring their safety and the welfare of all American citizen in Russia. So a number of people got involved to make sure Russians get this message.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is the US ready for more unrest in Russia and for the scenario of Vladimir Putin not remaining in power?

SEC. BLINKEN: Margaret, this is an unfolding story. And I think we’re in the middle of a moving picture. We didn’t see the last act. We’re watching it very closely and closely, but just step back for a moment and put it in context. Sixteen months ago, Russian forces stood on the doorstep of Kiev, Ukraine, thinking they would take the city in a matter of days and wipe Ukraine off the map as an independent country. This weekend they had to defend Moscow, the capital of Russia, against Putin’s own mercenaries. Throughout this incident, Prigozhin himself has raised profound questions about the very premises of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, saying that Ukraine or NATO pose no threat to Russia, which is part of Putin’s narrative. And it was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority. So this raises profound questions. It shows real cracks. We can’t speculate or know exactly where this will lead. We know that Putin has much more to answer for in the coming weeks and months.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But is the US prepared for the possible fall of the Putin government? And is their nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world, safe?

SEC. BLINKEN: We always prepare for any eventuality that might happen in Russia. It is an internal matter for the Russians to find out. When we are dealing with a great power, and especially a great power that has nuclear weapons, that is of course a concern, something we are very focused on. We have seen no change in Russia’s nuclear stance. There hasn’t been any change for us, but we will monitor it very, very closely.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin is appearing on television this morning. But it appears to have been pre-recorded. Do you know where Vladimir Putin is currently? Is he in Moscow?

SEC. BLINKEN: I don’t want to – I don’t want to speculate on that or on the information that we have. Here, too, we are observing this closely. I think that tells you, among other things, that we are still not final about what was actually agreed between Prigozhin and Putin. I suspect we’ll learn more about the deal they’ve struck in the coming days and weeks. Our focus is relentless on Ukraine, making sure she continues to have what she needs to defend herself and retake territory conquered by Russia. The President not only brought together the National Security Cabinet yesterday, he brought together the leaders of our key allies and partners. He challenged us all to do the same. When it comes to supporting Ukraine, we are very much in agreement on our goals and our actions. And this is where our focus lies.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But as you just said, Prigozhin questioned the very premise of Vladimir Putin’s war. So, are the Wagner fighters returning to fight in Ukraine? We know?

SEC. BLINKEN: It’s too early to say what will happen to the Wagner forces and if they will return to combat. And it was extraordinary that they moved to Russia from Ukraine. But it’s too early to tell if they’ll return to combat as Wagner and if they’ll be integrated into regular Russian forces. What that means for Wagner in other parts of the world. I mean, consider that both Putin and Prigozhin are responsible for committing horrible acts against Ukrainian civilians in Ukraine. But even in the case of Wagner, in country after country in Africa, wherever Wagner is, death, destruction and exploitation result. But all of this will likely unfold over the coming days over the coming weeks. To the extent that it’s a real distraction for Putin and the Russian authorities to watch out for, they somehow have to be on their guard even as they try to engage with the counteroffensive and Ukraine. I think that opens up even more opportunities for Ukrainians to be successful on the ground.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, as you just implied, Yevgeny Prigozhin has a footprint that stretches from Africa to Syria to Ukraine. Do you have any idea where he is right now?

SEC. BLINKEN: I can’t go into what we know or don’t know, through-through intelligence. It’s something we look at and pursue. But the most important thing for us is to do exactly what the President did yesterday, which is, even though it brought people together, to share all the information we had about what was going on in Russia to make sure we could continue to focus on focus on the whole We support the Ukrainians and make sure that they do their best. When it comes to the counteroffensive.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, among other things, Prigozhin directly undermined the Russian military leadership. Do we know who currently heads the Russian military? And how could Vladimir Putin agree to changes in the leadership of his military and still look like he’s in charge?

SEC. BLINKEN: Well, those are great questions. And I think we will get the answers in the coming days and weeks. It’s still too early to say for sure what the final chapter of this particular book will be like. The looming Prigozhin storm within Russia is something that many people have been seeing for months. Direct challenges to the military leadership, severe criticism of Russia’s behavior in its aggression against Ukraine and now the actual premises of the war being called into question. Prigozhin himself said that Ukraine and NATO posed no threat to Russia, which, as you know, is part of Putin’s narrative. This creates further cracks in the Russian facade. And those cracks are already deep. Economically, militarily, his standing in the world, all have been dramatically weakened by Putin’s aggression against Ukraine. He managed to bring Europe together, he managed to bring NATO together, he managed to make Europe turn away from Russian energy, he managed to alienate Ukrainians while uniting Ukraine. So all in all, this was a strategic failure. Now you introduce deep internal divisions into it. And there are many questions he will need to answer in the coming weeks.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is there a possibility of a civil war?

SEC. BLINKEN: I don’t want to speculate about that. These are basically internal affairs of the Russians – it’s not our job to find out. It is our job to ensure that Ukraine continues to have what it needs to defend itself and reclaim the territory that Russia sees of it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Will President Biden address Vladimir Putin directly? Has the CIA director made contact with the Russian secret service?

SEC. BLINKEN: Margaret, I will not go into any diplomatic contacts that we may have or may have had. I can tell you that on my instructions, on the instructions of the President, we had some contacts with the Russians over the weekend. Make sure they are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to keeping our personnel safe in Russia . It is very important that we do this and we have done so.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I would like to ask you about Beijing. I was with you earlier this week. And I listened to you choose your every word very carefully. And then, on the way home, President Biden called Xi Jinping a struggling dictator who didn’t know what his own military was doing by raising the spy balloon over the United States. How much did that damage your work?

SEC. BLINKEN: Margaret, I think you heard me say during and after the trip that the main purpose was to bring more stability to the relationship. We have a duty, and I think China has a duty, to responsibly manage these relationships and ensure that the profound differences we have do not culminate in conflict. But one of the things I said to my Chinese colleagues during this trip was that we will continue to do and say things that you don’t like, just as no doubt you will continue to do and say things that we don’t like. And if you look at what’s coming out of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs –

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you saying that was a strategic remark?

SEC. BLINKING: – You will hear this every day. The President always speaks openly, he speaks directly. He speaks loud and clear, and He speaks for all of us. But the entire focus of what we do is to ensure that while we express our differences through actions or words, we do the same. We are continuing to work on this in order to expand our communication channels, because we bear a responsibility. And above all, we have a responsibility to ensure that the competition in which we find ourselves does not conflict. I think we’ve now found a better way to do just that. And we will see that in the coming weeks and months.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You also said that Chinese officials assured you that they would not provide legal assistance to Russia, but Chinese companies did. According to the US Treasury Department, Chinese companies have also done business with the Wagner Group. Have you reached out to the Chinese to find out what is currently happening on the ground in Russia?

SEC. BLINKEN: Again, I can’t go into any diplomatic context, which we may or may not have had. But you are absolutely right that during the visit, the Chinese reaffirmed to us and many other countries that they have not provided lethal military aid to Russia for operations in Ukraine and will not do so in the future. I have also shared the concerns you have expressed about the provision of this type of support by Chinese companies and urged them to be vigilant in this regard. I’m sure they will make their own assessments of what has happened in Russia over the past few days. And as our contacts develop and we have stronger and more sustained lines of communication, one of the things we need to talk about is the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. We talked about that for a while when I was in China. I expect these talks to continue.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Minister Blinken, thank you very much for your time this morning.

SEC. BLINK: Thank you, Margaret. nice to be with you

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