China Declines US Request for Defense Chiefs Meeting
China rejected a US request for a meeting between US Sec. of State Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu at a security forum set to begin Friday in Singapore, criticizing Washington for the move on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Pentagon said that the PRC had declined an invitation extended in early May for a meeting between the two defense ministers at the annual Shangri-La Security Forum, adding that the US will continue to work to improve bilateral channels of military-to-military communication.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in the US questioned the seriousness and significance of Washington's offer, citing US sanctions imposed and demanding that the punitive measures be lifted immediately.
Pro-China narrative
The US seems to seriously believe that it can impose illegal unilateral sanctions against China on the one hand, while pretending to want to build a relationship of trust and communication on the other. This kind of paradoxical US diplomacy is an expression of internalized hegemonic thinking that no longer has a place in a multipolar world. Instead of its persistent and ill-intended attempts to contain China, Washington must take concrete steps to remove obstacles to sincere dialogue and back up its words with direct action.
Anti-China narrative
US sanctions against China do not rule out a meeting between the two defense ministers in Singapore, and this is far from the first time that Beijing has rejected invitations from senior US defense officials to engage in dialogue. Both facts illustrate that Beijing is only using the US-imposed sanctions as a pretext to refuse military communications and continue its policy of confrontation. If the PRC is serious about stabilizing security ties with the US and its openness to engage in bilateral dialogue, now is the time to prove it.
Nerd narrative
There's an 18% chance that the US and China will be at war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
El Salvador Ex-President Sentenced to 14 Years Over Gang Ties
In El Salvador's crackdown on criminal gangs, the current administration has sentenced former Pres. Mauricio Funes and his former Security Minister Gen. David Munguía Payes to 14 and 18 years behind bars, respectively, for their ties with criminal gangs.
Funes, who governed from 2009 to 2014, was charged with a dozen crimes, including illicit association and failure to perform duties. The trial, which started in April, came after El Salvador last year began allowing trials in absentia since Funes now lives in Nicaragua and is a citizen there.
Prosecutors allege that Funes' negotiations were aimed at getting the country’s powerful street gangs to lower the homicide rate in exchange for benefits to jailed leaders.
Narrative A
In contrast with previous administrations, Bukele's crackdown on the country's notorious gangs has been highly successful, putting more than 60K dangerous criminals behind bars and dramatically slashing the murder rate that has plagued the nation for decades. Two of his predecessors have rightly been sentenced to long prison terms not only for corruption but for maliciously failing to protect Salvadorians. There should be no tolerance for politicians' criminal conduct or negligence.
Narrative B
Bukele has done the same thing that he accuses Funes of doing negotiating with the gangs. The difference is Bukele's all-out war on criminal organizations has taken a terrible toll on democracy and human rights. Thousands of innocent people, including foreign workers searching for work, have been arrested on very loose grounds. If Bukele is let off the hook for his abuses, then any politician could be free from scrutiny.
Alleged Russian Spy Whale Reappears off Sweden's Coast
A harness-wearing Beluga whale that has previously raised suspicions of being a Russian-trained spy has been spotted off Sweden's southwestern coast in Hunnebostrand, according to a Monday statement from OneWhale — an organization tracking his movements.
First spotted in Norway's northern region of Finnmark in 2019, the whale has reportedly spent more than three years moving down the Norwegian coastline before picking up its pace in recent months and reaching Sweden on Sunday.
The unconfirmed speculation surrounding the whale nicknamed "Hvaldimir" — a combination of the Norwegian word for whale as well as Vladimir — began in 2019 when biologists found the whale was wearing a GoPro reading "Equipment St. Petersburg." Moscow has never officially commented on the matter.
Narrative A
Hvaldimir’s limelight is undermined by a shadow of danger, and his continued interactions with humans pose a threat to his own life. With accidents involving propellers already occurring, there remains a stark reminder of the risks that inevitably accompany Hvaldimir’s incredible story.
Narrative B
Authorities have taken great care to make sure that Hvaldimir has stayed clear of boat traffic, despite being vulnerable to Sweden’s large ocean population. Meanwhile, plans are in the works to create a marine reserve with the hope that, in time, Hvaldimir will be rehabilitated into the wild, but for now, the whale is enjoying a summer break.
Moscow and Kyiv Targeted in Exchange of Drone Attacks
The capitals of Russia and Ukraine were both targeted in drone attacks exchanged by the warring countries on Tuesday — with both labeling the attacks as acts of terrorism.
In a statement, Russia's defense ministry said, "This morning, the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist drone attack on targets in the city of Moscow" and suggested eight failed to reach their targets. Russian sources suggested that as many as 30 drones took part in the attack.
Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said two civilians received medical treatment at the scene, but that no one was seriously injured. He added that several buildings sustained minor damage.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Russia's continuous attacks on Ukraine's civilian population continue to demonstrate its use of terrorism to the world. The global community must continue to isolate and pressure Russia through sanctions and other means, while Ukraine must continue to fight to free itself from this evil.
Pro-Russia narrative
Ukraine's attack on Moscow was an act of terrorism that had no military objective but was instead aimed at creating panic among ordinary Russians. It's evident that Moscow must continue with its special military operation until such threats from Kyiv are adequately nullified.
Nerd narrative
There's a 31% chance that the next Russian leader will disapprove of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Nepal Shelves Plans to Move Everest Base Camp
Authorities in Nepal have reportedly shelved plans to move the Everest base camp after widespread resistance from the Sherpa community and other mountaineering operators.
The potential move was first announced in June last year. It came following concerns that the Khumbu glacier, on which the base camp sits, was rapidly thinning due to human activity and increased greenhouse emissions.
However, a number of officials and local experts reportedly stated the idea to move the base camp was not feasible and that there were no workable alternatives.
Pro-establishment narrative
Seventy years on from the first successful climb, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa have opened the door to thousands of others following in their footsteps — transforming the surrounding area from small farming villages to bustling economic engines that bring in millions of dollars to the local population.
Establishment-critical narrative
In issuing a record number of permits, Nepal is prioritizing short-term income over the long-term state of the mountain. Worse still, they're turning a blind eye to the safety of the climbers who are at greater risk of dying under these conditions. This situation is not sustainable.
COVID: Top Chinese Scientist Doesn't Rule Out Lab Leak
In a BBC interview, George Gao, the former director of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the theory that COVID originated from a lab leak shouldn't yet be excluded due to a lack of evidence.
He also acknowledged for the first time that the Chinese government had conducted an investigation into the lab leak hypothesis, though he said that "they haven’t found wrongdoing."
The BBC also spoke to two bat coronavirus specialists, Duke professor Dr. Wang Linfa and Dr. Shi Zhengli, who worked at the Wuhan laboratory in 2020. Wang said Shi had told him she was worried that "there's a sample in her lab that she did not know of, but has a virus, contaminated something, and got out."
Pro-China narrative
As opposed to the politicized, disingenuous debate over COVID in the US, China has followed the science. Allowing intelligence agencies — which are political in nature — to investigate the origins of a virus should tell you everything you need to know about the US agenda. Washington is now trying to use COVID to demonize Beijing and gain the upper hand on the global stage. Reports on the so-called lab leak are nothing but Western propaganda.
Anti-China narrative
If China wanted to claim ethical superiority surrounding the COVID origin debate, it should have allowed for a completely independent World Health Organization investigation when it finally allowed the agency to investigate in 2021 rather than hovering over it under the pretense of safety. Since the beginning, China has blocked outside investigators from its laboratories and even its borders, which shows it has no interest in getting to the truth of the matter.
Cynical narrative
COVID and its deadly impact on the world may have been in the making for much longer than anyone could imagine. The US government began testing coronaviruses in dogs and pigs in 1965, then Pfizer patented its first COVID spike protein vaccine in 1990. The US public health establishment, headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, has been researching COVID — and its potential profitability — for decades, but we've been led to believe that it all mysteriously appeared out of nowhere in 2019.
Tech CEOs, AI Experts Warn of Existential Risk
In a statement released by the Center for AI Safety on Tuesday, artificial intelligence (AI) experts and tech CEOs — including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and "AI Godfather" Geoff Hinton — have issued a new warning about the severe risks posed by AI to humanity, including extinction.
Signed by AI experts and public figures, the one-sentence Statement on AI Risk asserts, "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war."
This follows an open letter in April signed by thousands of AI experts calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4 — citing potential risks to society and humanity — as well as establishing a robust auditing and certification ecosystem.
Narrative A
These warnings should not be dismissed, as once AI systems reach a certain level of sophistication, it may become impossible to control their actions. By likening the threat posed by AI to nuclear war, these renowned AI experts want policymakers to focus on the technology's safety, which remains neglected. It is vital to pressure industry leaders and policymakers to establish guidelines and regulations for the responsible deployment of AI.
Narrative B
AI is the future, and trying to set back its development won't solve any problems. AI offers a revolutionary means to address some of the world's biggest challenges, including inequity and even climate change, and it must be kept on its current track. Rather than trying to reign it in, the tricky areas of the technology simply need to be identified, and work can be done to improve them while AI continues to develop at its current pace.
Techno-skeptic narrative
Artificial intelligence experts continue to overblow the technology's risk and engage in unrealistic fear-mongering. Although current technology is impressive, artificial general intelligence — the true concern — is still a long ways off, if attainable at all. By consistently releasing warnings about its far-fetched consequences, tech experts miss the mark and distract the public from debating existing or near-term harms and economic realities of AI.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be a positive transition to a world with radically smarter-than-human artificial intelligence, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Oxford: Transgender-Critical Academic Delivers Controversial Talk
On Tuesday, protesters interrupted a talk given at the Oxford Union involving feminist Professor Kathleen Stock, who is opposed to transgender women entering female spaces. One protester reportedly glued herself to the floor in front of the academic.
During her speech, which was interrupted for half an hour while police attempted to remove the protester from the floor, Stock stated that trans women entering female-only spaces are "not fair on females" and that "at least 50%" of imprisoned trans women were guilty of sexual assault.
A wider protest was organized by Oxford University's LGBTQ+ Society, with approximately 200 people involved. Two other protesters were also removed from the event by security.
Right narrative
Criticism of Stock's appearance at the Oxford Union has been disappointing. Both Oxford and Cambridge often set the tone for intellectual discussion, and the desire to shut down the event could have had major implications for all other institutions. The Oxford Union must continue to stand firm and defend the importance of free speech.
Left narrative
Free speech should not be used as a guise to defend hate speech, which is what Stock is promoting regardless of her claiming not to be transphobic. Tellingly, though she claims to be an advocate for women, both of Oxford's originally all-female colleges have condemned her appearance. More voices must speak up to prohibit dangerous speakers from being invited to the Union again.
Theranos Founder Begins Prison Sentence
On Tuesday, Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the disgraced blood-testing start-up Theranos, was taken into custody to begin serving her 11-year prison sentence at a women’s prison camp in Bryan, Texas.
Holmes was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud in January 2022, stemming from the blood lab she founded in 2003 at age 19. Her start-up, which drew valuations of more than $9B, received investments from many high-profile people, including Rupert Murdoch, the Walton family, and former US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Theranos was a Silicon Valley darling until the Wall Street Journal reported that Holmes and her former love interest and business partner Ramesh Balwani had misled the public about the company’s capabilities.
Narrative A
Holmes, one of the century’s biggest fraudsters, has shown little genuine remorse for her lies, but now she gets rewarded by getting to serve her sentence in a cushy prison “camp” with minimum security. Considering the severity of her crimes, Holmes got off easy.
Narrative B
Holmes is the latest victim of the US' unfair federal justice system, which is far too strict and arbitrary. There was no mandatory minimum sentence in this case, and she was over-sentenced for wire fraud convictions. This sentence is way more punitive than it is rehabilitative.
GOP Freedom Caucus Mulls Ousting Speaker McCarthy Over Debt Deal
Members of the Republican House Freedom Caucus have been discussing the idea of ousting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over the debt ceiling bill he struck with Pres. Joe Biden over the weekend.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) on Tuesday explicitly spoke out about potentially triggering a vote to vacate the speaker's chair, with Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) claiming that this option would be "unfair" to McCarthy.
This comes as a growing number of GOP lawmakers have criticized the debt agreement as it failed to include the $4.5T in spending cuts the House approved last month.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the US may yet avoid a default, both Democrats and Republicans have driven the country to the brink of a financial catastrophe, with untold repercussions yet to come, such as the effects of this mismanagement on the nation's reputation. This deal is a complete disaster that puts The US' embarrassing division front and center on the global stage.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though the new debt deal is far from the original House bill, Speaker McCarthy and the Biden admin. successfully banded together to advance GOP priorities in exchange for increasing the debt limit that had to be raised anyway. It would be nonsensical for Republicans to abandon their victories in this deal.
Nerd narrative
There's a 40% chance that a vote on a Republican-introduced resolution to vacate the Speaker of the House will be held before July 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.