They expect him to arrive soon

Xi will be the first national leader to shake Putin's hand since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since its invasion. Russia is presenting Xi's trip, his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month, as evidence that it has a powerful friend prepared to stand with it against a hostile West that it accuses of trying to isolate and defeat Moscow. "We can feel the geopolitical landscape in the outside world undergoing drastic changes," Putin said in an article in China's People's Daily published on the Kremlin website, adding that he had high hopes for the visit from his "good old friend." For Xi, the visit is a diplomatic tightrope. China has released a 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, but at the same time strengthened ties with Moscow. China has repeatedly dismissed Western accusations that it is planning to arm Russia but says it wants a closer … [Read more...] about China’s Xi arrives in Russia to meet Putin over Ukraine war

Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has resumed its regular flights linking Hanoi and Beijing after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline’s flight VN513 departed from Beijing at 3:30 pm and landed in Hanoi at 5.55 pm on Sunday. Before the resumption of the Beijing-Hanoi flight, Vietnam Airlines held a welcoming ceremony for the passengers on board at Beijing International Airport, with the participation of Vietnam and China's competent agencies and enterprises and over 100 passengers. The air carrier is operating the Hanoi-Beijing air route with a frequency of three round-trip flights a week. The airline will start increasing its frequency from mid-2023, while planning to open an air route connecting with Beijing’s Daxing International Airport. China is one of Vietnam Airlines’ biggest international source markets. The air carrier has reopened most of its air routes linking Vietnam to China, said a representative of the airline. The … [Read more...] about Vietnam Airlines restarts air services between Hanoi and Beijing

Vietnam has recorded around 13,000 cases of dengue fever so far this year, about 2.3 times higher than the same period in 2022, according to the Ministry of Health. The rising numbers of cases have been recorded in mainly in central and southern localities, the General Department of Preventive Medicine reported. However, Hanoi has also not been spared. The capital’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recorded 172 dengue fever cases in 23 of 30 districts, a 20-fold increase from the same period last year. The health ministry said abnormal weather conditions have contributed to the rise in the number of cases. Normally dengue does not hit in such numbers until the rainy season. A surge in cases is expected soon as the country enters the rainy season, it added. On Monday, the ministry asked localities to ramp up environmental cleanup efforts to curb the spread of outbreaks. Medical facilities must ensure enough medicine and equipment to treat patients, it added. Vietnam … [Read more...] about Dengue fever hits before rains this year