In a new court filing the US justice department has said that the top secret documents found at Donald Trump's Florida home were deliberately concealed to obstruct the FBI probe into the former US president Donald Trump's mishandling of classified materials.

'Obstructive conduct by Trump's legal team,' DOJ releases photos of documents seized

It's been about a month since the American house speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Beijing is still infuriated with the US official's visit in the subsequent delegation visits and has shown its disagreement in every single way possible- from sanctions, military drills and even abandoning decade-old ties.

Stalemate in US-China relations? Experts show worry over stalled talks

A United States official said on Wednesday, citing US intelligence, that the Russian military is struggling with a manpower shortfall as it fights Ukraine and is looking to hire contract service members and may even attract convicted criminals.&nbsp;

As the conflict in Ukraine enters the seventh month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday increasing the strength of Russia's armed forces from 1.9 million to 2.04 million.&nbsp;

Since the conflict's early weeks, Moscow has not disclosed any casualties, but thousands have perished, according to Western officials and the Kyiv government.

"The Russian military is suffering from severe manpower shortages in Ukraine," the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the downgraded intelligence.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-assures-lapid-us-will-never-allow-iran-to-acquire-nuclear-weapons-511892">Biden assures Lapid, US will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons</a>

As reported by Reuters, the official said it is believed that the Russian defence ministry is seeking to recruit contract service members to make up for these personnel shortages, "including by compelling wounded soldiers to re-enter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts."

"Separately, we have credible reporting that Russia’s defence ministry is also likely to begin recruiting convicted criminals in Ukraine in exchange for pardons and financial compensation," the official said.

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

A United States official said on Wednesday, citing US intelligence, that the Russian military is struggling with a manpower shortfall as it fights Ukraine and is looking to hire contract service members and may even attract convicted criminals.

A United States official said on Wednesday, citing US intelligence, that the Russian military is struggling with a manpower shortfall as it fights Ukraine and is looking to hire contract service members and may even attract convicted criminals. As the conflict in Ukraine enters the seventh month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday increasing the strength of Russia's armed forces from 1.9 million to 2.04 million. Since the conflict's early weeks, Moscow has not disclosed any casualties, but thousands have perished, according to Western officials and the Kyiv government. "The Russian military is suffering from severe manpower shortages in Ukraine," the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the downgraded intelligence. Also Read: Biden assures Lapid, US will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons As reported by Reuters, the official said it is believed that the Russian defence ministry is seeking to recruit contract service members to make up for these personnel shortages, "including by compelling wounded soldiers to re-enter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts." "Separately, we have credible reporting that Russia’s defence ministry is also likely to begin recruiting convicted criminals in Ukraine in exchange for pardons and financial compensation," the official said. (with inputs from agencies)

Russian military may begin recruiting 'convicted criminals': US intelligence

In signs of growing tensions over global semiconductor war, chip designer Nvidia said that US officials ordered it to seize exporting two of its top computing chips for Artificial Intelligence work to China.

US orders Nvidia to stop chip sales in China

Driven by soaring fuel prices caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, the yearly inflation rate in the Eurozone is up from 8.9 percent in July and is at its highest since records began.

Eurozone inflation hits a peak of of 9.1% in August

India's economy grew at its fastest pace of 13.5 percent year-on-year in the April to June quarter. A rebound in private consumption that's one of the key drivers of growth.

India's Q1 GDP grows at 13.5%, fastest pace in a year

Snap Inc said on Wednesday it will lay off 20% of all staff and shut down projects, including mobile games and novelties like a flying drone camera, as high inflation and a deteriorating economy ravage the advertising industry.

Snapchat to cut 20% of staff citing high inflation, deteriorating economy

A team of United Nation's experts is on its way to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant. The visit of the UN team was delayed after shelling near the plant.

Kremlin fears Ukrainian 'provocation' at Zaporizhzhia plant, reactor shut down due to shelling

A record-breaking heat wave is expected to hit California on Wednesday, bringing temperatures of up to 115 degrees. In the wake of rising temperatures, California has asked its citizens not to charge their electric vehicles so as to minimize their usage.

California braces for another run of extreme heat, govt urges reduced electricity usage

The country continues to battle flash floods caused due to incessant rainfall this monsoon season. The flash floods have caused massive destruction reportedly leaving one third of Pakistan under water as of now.

WION Climate Tracker | Pakistan: Disaster to cost $10 billion, displaced people make a plea for help

European Union intensifies its crackdown on Russia owing to Kremlin's Ukrainian invasion. In order to restrict the number of Russians that can enter EU nations, the bloc has now agreed to suspend a 2007 visa deal with Moscow.

EU decides to suspend 2007 visa facilitation deal with Russia

There seems to be some respite for Sri Lanka which is battling is worst hit economic crisis in history. The International Monetary Fund has announced a preliminary bailout package worth $2.9 billion for the struggling island nation.

WION Dispatch | Sri Lanka: IMF agrees to bailout, preliminary agreement to restructure economy

Nigeria's Osun river, considered sacred by many is now facing the threat of pollution. The river's water is believed to have healed many and helped women with fertility and is now being contaminated mainly because of the illegal mining taking place.

WION Climate Tracker | Nigeria: Sacred river Osun battles pollution

A recent report released by the UN, the human rights chief claimed that anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies led by the government had led to serious human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang province. In other news, the legal team for US former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that there was no "cause for alarm" during the FBI raid but still continues to seek a special master to review the documents. In other news, a US official stating US information claimed that the Russian military is seeking to enlist contract service members and can even draw convicted criminals due to a manpower shortage in Ukraine. Finally, the US Open 2022 saw Serena Williams move to the third round with a tenacious victory over Estonian Anett Kontaveit on Thursday.

Click on the headlines to read more:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/serious-human-rights-violations-committed-in-chinas-xinjiang-un-human-rights-chief-511904">Serious human rights violations committed in China's Xinjiang: UN human rights chief</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/09/01/292027-00032h287w.jpg" />

More than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are allegedly being detained by Beijing in western Xinjiang.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-lawyers-say-discover-of-classified-records-in-fbi-raid-no-cause-for-alarm-511927">Donald Trump's lawyers say discovery of classified records in FBI raid ‘no cause for alarm’</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/11/254009-donald-trump.jpg" />

"Simply put, the notion that Presidential records would contain sensitive information should have never been cause for alarm," Trump’s lawyers told the judge according to Reuters.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-military-may-begin-recruiting-convicted-criminals-us-intelligence-511902">Russian military may begin recruiting 'convicted criminals': US intelligence</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/09/01/292023-g5g6wexoiflyxfr7ryglsqas3u.jpg" />

As the conflict in Ukraine approaches its seventh month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday increasing the strength of Russia's armed forces from 1.9 million to 2.04 million.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-marches-on-in-us-open-beats-no2-seed-anett-kontaveit-511907">Serena Williams marches on in US Open, beats No.2 seed Anett Kontaveit</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/09/01/292025-00032hf4r4.jpg" />

The 40-year-old, who is expected to officially announce her retirement at the end of the tournament, showed brilliant fight to clinch the encounter 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;EU decides to suspend 2007 visa facilitation deal with Russia

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-decides-to-suspend-2007-visa-facilitation-deal-with-russia-511931/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

A recent report released by the UN, the human rights chief claimed that anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies led by the government had led to serious human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang province.

A recent report released by the UN, the human rights chief claimed that anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies led by the government had led to serious human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang province. In other news, the legal team for US former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that there was no "cause for alarm" during the FBI raid but still continues to seek a special master to review the documents. In other news, a US official stating US information claimed that the Russian military is seeking to enlist contract service members and can even draw convicted criminals due to a manpower shortage in Ukraine. Finally, the US Open 2022 saw Serena Williams move to the third round with a tenacious victory over Estonian Anett Kontaveit on Thursday. Click on the headlines to read more: Serious human rights violations committed in China's Xinjiang: UN human rights chief More than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are allegedly being detained by Beijing in western Xinjiang. Donald Trump's lawyers say discovery of classified records in FBI raid ‘no cause for alarm’ "Simply put, the notion that Presidential records would contain sensitive information should have never been cause for alarm," Trump’s lawyers told the judge according to Reuters. Russian military may begin recruiting 'convicted criminals': US intelligence As the conflict in Ukraine approaches its seventh month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday increasing the strength of Russia's armed forces from 1.9 million to 2.04 million. Serena Williams marches on in US Open, beats No.2 seed Anett Kontaveit The 40-year-old, who is expected to officially announce her retirement at the end of the tournament, showed brilliant fight to clinch the encounter 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. Watch | EU decides to suspend 2007 visa facilitation deal with Russia

Morning news brief: Human rights violation in China, Trump’s FBI records ‘no cause for alarm’, & more

The International Atomic Energy Agency team is set to inspect Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia. Ahead of the visit, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said that this is a technical Mission aiming to prevent a nuclear disaster, more in our next report.

IAEA wants permanent presence at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The United Nations has released a much-anticipated report on China's treatment of the Uighur and other Muslim minorities in its North western Xinjiang region.

UN report on Uighur Muslims: Extent of China's mistreatment may constitute crimes against humanity

A lawsuit against the makers of Zantac was dropped ahead of the trial which was scheduled to start on the 22nd of August in a US court. This comes after a series of court settlements when some of the drug makers were involved.

Zantac contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical, lawsuit dropped ahead of trial

Ravil Maganov, chairman of Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil, died on Thursday after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.&nbsp;

Some Russian media also reported the death of Maganov, 67, who was also Lukoil's vice president, citing unnamed sources.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imf-announces-agreement-for-29bn-sri-lanka-bailout-511949" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka and IMF reach staff-level agreement for $2.9 billion bailout loan</a>

No immediate comment was available from Lukoil.&nbsp;

Maganov had worked in Lukoil since 1993, shortly after the company's inception, and had overseen its refining, production and exploration, becoming chairman in 2020. His brother Nail is the head of mid-sized Russian oil producer Tatneft.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-shoots-down-civilian-drone-for-the-first-time-off-chinese-coast-511996">Taiwan shoots down 'civilian' drone for the first time off Chinese coast</a>

Ravil Maganov was a close associate of one of Lukoil's founders, Vagit Alekperov.

Alekperov, former Soviet deputy oil minister, resigned as president of Lukoil in April, a week after Britain imposed an asset freeze and travel ban on him as part of sanctions over Russia's military actions in Ukraine.

Ravil Maganov, chairman of Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil, died on Thursday after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Ravil Maganov, chairman of Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil, died on Thursday after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. Some Russian media also reported the death of Maganov, 67, who was also Lukoil's vice president, citing unnamed sources. Also read | Sri Lanka and IMF reach staff-level agreement for $2.9 billion bailout loan No immediate comment was available from Lukoil. Maganov had worked in Lukoil since 1993, shortly after the company's inception, and had overseen its refining, production and exploration, becoming chairman in 2020. His brother Nail is the head of mid-sized Russian oil producer Tatneft. Also read | Taiwan shoots down 'civilian' drone for the first time off Chinese coast Ravil Maganov was a close associate of one of Lukoil's founders, Vagit Alekperov. Alekperov, former Soviet deputy oil minister, resigned as president of Lukoil in April, a week after Britain imposed an asset freeze and travel ban on him as part of sanctions over Russia's military actions in Ukraine.

Russian oil firm chief Ravil Maganov dies after falling from hospital window: Report

The United Nations has released a much-anticipated report on China's treatment of the Uighur and other Muslim minorities in its North western Xinjiang region. This report was released despite China's opposition, accusing Beijing of serious human rights violations.

UN Report: China used vague national laws to clam down on Uighurs

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION | Study proves our parents right, says 'phones will be the death of us'

Staying on with its zero Covid policy, China has yet again placed millions of people under lockdown. A total of over 21 million in the Chinese city of Chengdu which is the capital city of Sichuang province has been ordered to stay indoors while businesses have been asked to shutdown.

China: Chengdu announces mass Covid-19 testing, millions of people under lockdown

Uighur rights abuse: Potential ‘crimes against humanity’ in China’s Xinjiang, reads UN report

Sri Lanka: IMF agrees to $2.9 billion bailout, preliminary agreement to restructure economy

In four days from now, United Kingdom will get its new Prime Minister. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were eye to eye in their 12th and recent leadership debate.

Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss make final attempts to woo Tory leaders; contenders address inflation, energy crisis

Amid the ongoing incessant rainfall and catastrophic floods , Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged that every penny of donations collected for the flood victims will be spent in a very transparent manner.

PM Shehbaz Sharif vows to spend 'every penny' of flood-related donations in transparent manner

As the Ukraine war enters its seventh month, North Korea is providing assistance to help restore Russian-occupied areas in the east. Senior Russian officials, in an interview, publicly support this initiative because they foresee cheap and tenacious labour that might be placed under gruelling conditions.

At a recent meeting of North Korea's ambassador to Russia and two envoys from the Donbas region, they expressed optimism about cooperation in the field of labour migration and cited easing pandemic restrictions as a justification.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/despite-us-opposing-russia-organises-vostok-2022-war-games-with-china-and-india-511979">Also read |&nbsp;Despite US opposition, Russia holds Vostok-2022 war games with China, India, other nations</a>

However, employing North Koreans in Donbas would undoubtedly violate the UN Security Council's restrictions imposed on the former due to its nuclear missile programs, complicating US-led nuclear international disarmament efforts.

The labour exports will also support a longer North Korea plan to cooperate with China along with Russia in developing an alliance meant to lessen the American influence in Asia. The former already offered to contribute to the reconstruction of the district in Donbas.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-two-cruise-missiles-seoul-defence-ministry-507766">Also read |&nbsp;North Korea fires two cruise missiles: South Korean defence ministry</a>

However, in 2017, Russia supported the UNSC’s sanctions on North Korea as a result of the country’s IBM test, which required member nations to remove North Korea from their territories.

The US predicted that nearly 100,000 North Koreans were arranged in Russia, China, Europe and South Asia. This idea of using North Korean labourers works a great deal for Russia, as it produces high-quality work and is very affordable. And these labour exports brought North Korea hundreds of millions of dollars.

The experts believe Russia appears to undermine those sanctions as it deals with a pressure campaign led by the US to isolate its economy over the aggression in Ukraine. This is because the western sanctions imposed on Russia have left it cash-strapped.

(With inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

As the Ukraine war enters its seventh month, North Korea is providing assistance to help restore Russian-occupied areas in the east. Senior Russian officials, in an interview, publicly support this initiative because they foresee cheap and tenacious labour that might be placed under gruelling conditions.

As the Ukraine war enters its seventh month, North Korea is providing assistance to help restore Russian-occupied areas in the east. Senior Russian officials, in an interview, publicly support this initiative because they foresee cheap and tenacious labour that might be placed under gruelling conditions. At a recent meeting of North Korea's ambassador to Russia and two envoys from the Donbas region, they expressed optimism about cooperation in the field of labour migration and cited easing pandemic restrictions as a justification. Also read | Despite US opposition, Russia holds Vostok-2022 war games with China, India, other nations However, employing North Koreans in Donbas would undoubtedly violate the UN Security Council's restrictions imposed on the former due to its nuclear missile programs, complicating US-led nuclear international disarmament efforts. The labour exports will also support a longer North Korea plan to cooperate with China along with Russia in developing an alliance meant to lessen the American influence in Asia. The former already offered to contribute to the reconstruction of the district in Donbas. Also read | North Korea fires two cruise missiles: South Korean defence ministry However, in 2017, Russia supported the UNSC’s sanctions on North Korea as a result of the country’s IBM test, which required member nations to remove North Korea from their territories. The US predicted that nearly 100,000 North Koreans were arranged in Russia, China, Europe and South Asia. This idea of using North Korean labourers works a great deal for Russia, as it produces high-quality work and is very affordable. And these labour exports brought North Korea hundreds of millions of dollars. The experts believe Russia appears to undermine those sanctions as it deals with a pressure campaign led by the US to isolate its economy over the aggression in Ukraine. This is because the western sanctions imposed on Russia have left it cash-strapped. (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea plans to send military labour to Russian-occupied areas in east Ukraine

“China’s opening will continue. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River will not flow backwards." When Chinese premier Li Keqiang made this declaration during a visit to Shenzhen recently, it immediately set tongues wagging about the country's future.

Then the speech disappeared from Chinese social media, giving way to speculations of a rift between Li and President Xi Jinping, as the latter is poised to retain his presidency for an unprecedented third term. The five-yearly Party Congress, set to open in Beijing on October 16, will also see Li stepping down from his post.

Li, who has a background in economics, had more or less disappeared from the state media headlines for months while Xi became the centre point of all policies, the chairman of everything.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imf-announces-agreement-for-29bn-sri-lanka-bailout-511949" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka and IMF reach staff-level agreement for $2.9 billion bailout loan</a>

Xi's crackdown on private businesses and push for a "shared prosperity" is driving China towards a socialist path after enjoying record-breaking growth as a freewheeling economy for the last four decades. This shift in direction and crackdown on big businesses naturally led to worries about China under Xi. So Li's speech added another dimension to the tea leaf reading by the analysts.

The goings on inside the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) always remained hazy and Beijing had projected a unified front before the world even when leaders faced headwinds.

Analysts and diplomats often had to resort to clues like state media headlines and public appearances of CCP leaders to gauge who is in favour and who is not. Going by that, it is hard to speculate Xi is facing any major challenge as he appeared in a total of 683 articles in the People’s Daily in July compared to a mere 32 featuring Li. Moreover, the news is also emerging that Xi is planning foreign visits later this year, signalling his confidence in his control over the party machinery.

So what to make of Li's pronouncements in Shenzhen? Some analysts say that his words and the act of paying respect to a statue of Deng Xiaoping are a signal to the country and the rest of the world that China will continue on its economic journey despite the recent crackdowns on high tech and real estate sectors.

But some see it as an admission by a weak premier that he failed to act as a counterweight to Xi in the party. "It is Li’s way of saying that he tried but failed, and this is goodbye," tweeted Adam Ni, who founded the widely followed China Neican newsletter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
These are the actions/words of a man found wanting against greater forces, and trying to leave his mark on the public memory. It is Li's way of saying that he tried but failed, and this is goodbye...
— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) <a href="https://twitter.com/adam_ni/status/1560590612834816000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Still, it is foolhardy to think Xi has everything under control. His insistence on continuing the Zero Covid policy is throwing the supply chains into disarray while prolonged lockdowns are testing the patience of the people. The weeks-long lockdown in Shanghai recently saw frustration and anger surfacing on social media and the censors had to work overtime to remove comments targeted at the administration and CCP.

A report by a think tank on Sunday called for a change in Covid policies, but that was also taken off social media the next day. Currently, 28 cities are either completely or partially enforcing lockdown measures due to Covid outbreaks. There is no sign that Beijing is pondering changes to its Covid policies, but Chinese economists speculate lockdowns would gradually ease once the party congress is over.

Even more worrying for Beijing leaders would be the crisis in the real estate sector as people in more and more cities are now refusing to pay mortgage instalments for unfinished apartments adding to the woes of many cash-strapped builders. This could snowball into a much wider economic problem as many provinces have banked on land sales to fund government projects.

None of this is going to pave way for a coup and when the party congress opens in Beijing, the well-oiled party machinery will display the same old charade of leaders hailing the leadership and dishing out patriotic speeches about the country’s advance under the CCP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-city-chengdu-announces-mass-covid-19-testing-amid-rising-cases-511959">Chinese city Chengdu announces mass COVID-19 testing amid rising cases</a>

“Don’t read the latest gossip about Li challenging Xi as anything more than gossip. Xi almost certainly will continue on to a third term, making history as the most powerful Chinese leader in generations,” wrote Dexter Tiff Roberts, who had spent more than two decades in China as a Bloomberg correspondent and is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative.

CCP hates surprises and it is unlikely that even in the face of severe challenges they will have a sudden leadership change. The party has set aside term limits for the presidential post and declared Xi Jinping Thoughts as its guiding light. It is unlikely anything will change this immediately.

In a deep dive into the machinations that led to the rise of Xi, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Christopher Johnson, argues that CCP wanted a strong leader like him to take charge and shore up the party as the opening up under Deng Xiaoping had threatened the party’s grip on power while factions linked to former President Jiang Zemin played their own games.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

“China’s opening will continue. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River will not flow backwards." When Chinese premier Li Keqiang made this declaration during a visit to Shenzhen recently, it immediately set tongues wagging about the country's future.

“China’s opening will continue. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River will not flow backwards." When Chinese premier Li Keqiang made this declaration during a visit to Shenzhen recently, it immediately set tongues wagging about the country's future. Then the speech disappeared from Chinese social media, giving way to speculations of a rift between Li and President Xi Jinping, as the latter is poised to retain his presidency for an unprecedented third term. The five-yearly Party Congress, set to open in Beijing on October 16, will also see Li stepping down from his post. Li, who has a background in economics, had more or less disappeared from the state media headlines for months while Xi became the centre point of all policies, the chairman of everything. Also read | Sri Lanka and IMF reach staff-level agreement for $2.9 billion bailout loan Xi's crackdown on private businesses and push for a "shared prosperity" is driving China towards a socialist path after enjoying record-breaking growth as a freewheeling economy for the last four decades. This shift in direction and crackdown on big businesses naturally led to worries about China under Xi. So Li's speech added another dimension to the tea leaf reading by the analysts. The goings on inside the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) always remained hazy and Beijing had projected a unified front before the world even when leaders faced headwinds. Analysts and diplomats often had to resort to clues like state media headlines and public appearances of CCP leaders to gauge who is in favour and who is not. Going by that, it is hard to speculate Xi is facing any major challenge as he appeared in a total of 683 articles in the People’s Daily in July compared to a mere 32 featuring Li. Moreover, the news is also emerging that Xi is planning foreign visits later this year, signalling his confidence in his control over the party machinery. So what to make of Li's pronouncements in Shenzhen? Some analysts say that his words and the act of paying respect to a statue of Deng Xiaoping are a signal to the country and the rest of the world that China will continue on its economic journey despite the recent crackdowns on high tech and real estate sectors. But some see it as an admission by a weak premier that he failed to act as a counterweight to Xi in the party. "It is Li’s way of saying that he tried but failed, and this is goodbye," tweeted Adam Ni, who founded the widely followed China Neican newsletter. These are the actions/words of a man found wanting against greater forces, and trying to leave his mark on the public memory. It is Li's way of saying that he tried but failed, and this is goodbye... — Adam Ni (@adam_ni) August 19, 2022 × Still, it is foolhardy to think Xi has everything under control. His insistence on continuing the Zero Covid policy is throwing the supply chains into disarray while prolonged lockdowns are testing the patience of the people. The weeks-long lockdown in Shanghai recently saw frustration and anger surfacing on social media and the censors had to work overtime to remove comments targeted at the administration and CCP. A report by a think tank on Sunday called for a change in Covid policies, but that was also taken off social media the next day. Currently, 28 cities are either completely or partially enforcing lockdown measures due to Covid outbreaks. There is no sign that Beijing is pondering changes to its Covid policies, but Chinese economists speculate lockdowns would gradually ease once the party congress is over. Even more worrying for Beijing leaders would be the crisis in the real estate sector as people in more and more cities are now refusing to pay mortgage instalments for unfinished apartments adding to the woes of many cash-strapped builders. This could snowball into a much wider economic problem as many provinces have banked on land sales to fund government projects. None of this is going to pave way for a coup and when the party congress opens in Beijing, the well-oiled party machinery will display the same old charade of leaders hailing the leadership and dishing out patriotic speeches about the country’s advance under the CCP. Also read | Chinese city Chengdu announces mass COVID-19 testing amid rising cases “Don’t read the latest gossip about Li challenging Xi as anything more than gossip. Xi almost certainly will continue on to a third term, making history as the most powerful Chinese leader in generations,” wrote Dexter Tiff Roberts, who had spent more than two decades in China as a Bloomberg correspondent and is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative. CCP hates surprises and it is unlikely that even in the face of severe challenges they will have a sudden leadership change. The party has set aside term limits for the presidential post and declared Xi Jinping Thoughts as its guiding light. It is unlikely anything will change this immediately. In a deep dive into the machinations that led to the rise of Xi, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Christopher Johnson, argues that CCP wanted a strong leader like him to take charge and shore up the party as the opening up under Deng Xiaoping had threatened the party’s grip on power while factions linked to former President Jiang Zemin played their own games. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Li comments unlikely to dent Xi juggernaut

Amazon and Google criticized Microsoft's cloud computing changes on Tuesday, saying they limit competition and discourage customers from switching to rival cloud service providers.

Amazon, Google criticizes Microsoft's cloud computing changes

Goldman Sachs, one of the leading US financial service companies has some grim analysis for the United Kingdom. The financial firm says inflation in the country could exceed to as much as 20 percent next year if oil prices fail to cool down.

UK Inflation could top 20% next year: Goldman Sachs

The cultural arm of the United Nations, UNESCO, declared on Tuesday that it approved Ukraine's application to add the port city of Odesa to the World Heritage List.&nbsp;

Following a meeting between Oleksandr Tkachenko, the minister of culture for Ukraine, and Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of UNESCO, at the organization's Paris headquarters, UNESCO announced that it had organised experts to assist Ukraine so that the nomination could be urgently reviewed by World Heritage Committee member states.&nbsp;

In addition to Kyiv and Lviv, which are also in danger, UNESCO said it now intends to list Odesa on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

UNESCO said that the Black Sea port of Odesa, which is only a few dozen kilometres from the frontlines, has already been hit by artillery fire. The Odesa Museum of Fine Arts, which opened its doors in 1899, had a portion of its enormous glass roof and windows destroyed last month.&nbsp;

Since the start of the war, UNESCO has paid for renovations to both the museum and the Odesa Museum of Modern Art. They will also pay for additional staff members whose job it is to protect the artefacts. Along with providing safety gear, it will assist in digitising artwork.&nbsp;

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According to UNESCO, it has already raised close to $7 million for Ukraine and will contribute further money to repair war-related damage to museums as well as additional protective gear.

It will also provide assistance for the "digitisation of at least 1,000 works of art in Odessa as well as the documentary collection of the Odessa State Archives," it said.

The beetroot soup known as borshch was added to Ukraine's list of intangible cultural treasures in July, a decision that Moscow criticised as "xenophobic."

(with inputs from agencies)

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The cultural arm of the United Nations, UNESCO, declared on Tuesday that it approved Ukraine's application to add the port city of Odesa to the World Heritage List.

The cultural arm of the United Nations, UNESCO, declared on Tuesday that it approved Ukraine's application to add the port city of Odesa to the World Heritage List. Following a meeting between Oleksandr Tkachenko, the minister of culture for Ukraine, and Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of UNESCO, at the organization's Paris headquarters, UNESCO announced that it had organised experts to assist Ukraine so that the nomination could be urgently reviewed by World Heritage Committee member states. In addition to Kyiv and Lviv, which are also in danger, UNESCO said it now intends to list Odesa on the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO said that the Black Sea port of Odesa, which is only a few dozen kilometres from the frontlines, has already been hit by artillery fire. The Odesa Museum of Fine Arts, which opened its doors in 1899, had a portion of its enormous glass roof and windows destroyed last month. Since the start of the war, UNESCO has paid for renovations to both the museum and the Odesa Museum of Modern Art. They will also pay for additional staff members whose job it is to protect the artefacts. Along with providing safety gear, it will assist in digitising artwork. Also Read: Zelensky meets IAEA chief in Kyiv ahead of agency's visit to Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant According to UNESCO, it has already raised close to $7 million for Ukraine and will contribute further money to repair war-related damage to museums as well as additional protective gear. It will also provide assistance for the "digitisation of at least 1,000 works of art in Odessa as well as the documentary collection of the Odessa State Archives," it said. The beetroot soup known as borshch was added to Ukraine's list of intangible cultural treasures in July, a decision that Moscow criticised as "xenophobic." (with inputs from agencies)

UNESCO supports Ukraine's bid to put threatened port of Odesa on World Heritage list

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