Well-known Russian pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin was injured in a car explosion outside of Nizhny Novgorod in central Russia. The news was announced by rescuers, while his entourage announced that he was “well” after the attack. «The writer was traveling with his family to the village of Pionerskoye in Nizhny Novgorod, the car he was in exploded. The driver was killed and the writer was injured and hospitalized,” the emergency services said. According to preliminary reports, an improvised explosive device was placed under the car. “We still can’t say exactly what happened. But Zakhar Prilepin is fine,” his spokesman told Interfax.

Also read: Ukraine, Kinzhal launched hypersonic missile intended to destroy Kiev

And Moscow immediately pointed the finger at the “Kiev regime” and at the United States and Britain for what happened. “Washington and NATO have fueled another international terrorist cell, the Kiev regime. Bin Laden, Isis, now Zelensky with the criminals. The direct responsibility of the United States and Great Britain. Let’s pray for Zahar,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote in Telegram.

Also read: War, Ukraine accuses Russia: “Phosphorus ammunition to Bakhmut”

By Xinhua | on May 06, 2023 | 07:46

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) meets with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers meeting in Goa, India, May 4, 2023. (Source: Xinhua/Javed Dar)

China and Russia have agreed to further expand bilateral ties and make the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said China is ready to join forces with Russia to implement the important consensus reached between the SCO heads of state two countries and strengthen strategic communication.

The two countries have had frequent exchanges at all levels and increased cooperation in various fields, Qin said.

Lavrov said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March gave a great impetus to the development of bilateral ties. Russia is ready to jointly increase cooperation with China in various areas and raise bilateral relations to a higher level.

Both sides agreed to plan and organize high-level and multi-level exchanges, enhance economic and trade cooperation, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and facilitate personnel exchanges.

They pledged to enhance communication and coordination with other SCO member states, and uphold SCO solidarity and cooperation, to make the SCO a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The two sides also agreed to improve coordination and cooperation within the BRICS, the Group of 20, the United Nations and other multilateral bodies, reject all forms of hegemonism, protect and uphold the common interests of emerging economies and developing countries International equality and justice.

They agreed to strengthen communication and coordination in the Asia-Pacific region, to oppose a new “Cold War” and to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

China will continue to facilitate peace talks and stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to make concrete contributions to a political solution to the crisis, Qin said.

Lavrov said the Russian side attaches importance to China’s position paper on the political solution to the Ukraine crisis, agrees with China’s principled position and is ready to sincerely maintain close communication with China.

The two sides also exchanged views on other international and regional issues of common concern.

(Web Editor: 吴思萱, Zhao Jian)

According to the Russian occupation administration, the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was not affected by the partial evacuation of the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. “Currently there is no need to evacuate the plant’s workers and residents of the city (Enerhodar, NB),” the director of the plant appointed by the Russian authorities, Yuri Chernichuk, said today. “There is no reason to worry. All the reactors (of the power plant, ed.) are shut down”, he explained.

The day before, Moscow-appointed head of administration for the Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, ordered the partial evacuation of 18 Russian-occupied towns in the Zaporizhia region, including Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located.

Families with children, elderly, disabled and hospitalized patients are affected. Balizki justified this by saying that there has been an increase in Ukrainian bombings in recent days.

Controlled by the Russian army since 2022

Russian news agency TASS, citing another occupation administration official, reported that Russian authorities planned to evacuate around 70,000 people from sites in the region.

The nuclear power plant has been controlled by the Russian army since March 2022. It has been repeatedly bombed, stoking fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

Russian occupation authorities announced similar evacuations in the Kherson region last fall. They took place shortly before an offensive in which the Ukrainian army managed to reconquer the regional capital of the same name, which had been occupied by Russian forces.

Military aid to Taiwan is viewed by China as a breach of contract since the island is part of Chinese territory.

US President Joe Biden on a visit to California14.03.2023

Portal U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to send $500 million in arms aid to Taiwan using the same emergency agency that has been used more than 35 times for Ukraine, a source familiar with the plan said on Friday ( 5).

As part of the 2023 budget, Congress approved an allocation of up to $1 billion in weapons aid.

The withdrawal, which authorizes the president to transfer items and services from US stores without congressional approval in an emergency, would be the first of that $1 billion authorization.

China regards Taiwan as its own territory. Last month, China held military exercises in Taiwan after the island’s official Tsai Ingwen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

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In February, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he intends to seize the president’s drafting authority, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday. The spokesman declined to comment on whether the US is moving forward with the $500 million aid package.