Climate change is a threat to thousands of animal species, including gorillas, pangolins and turtles.

The US secretary of state Antony Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday as the two nations try to salvage a diplomatic relationship and ensure that it does not spiral towards conflict. Beijing has described ties between the two nations as being at a low point thanks to America’s “wrong perception” of the country. Mr Xi said he hopes Mr Blinken will make "more positive contributions" to stabilising China-US relations. "State-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity," Mr Xi said. "I hope that, through this visit, Mr Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilising China-US relations." Mr Blinken told the Chinese president that Joe Biden believes that the US and China have an obligation to manage our relationship and that “the US is committed to doing that”. Mr Blinken said the US and China agreed on the need to stabilise their bilateral relationship, adding that America is clear-eyed about the challenges that China poses. Mr Blinken also said US expected additional visits by senior US officials to China over the coming week. Hours of talks across two days have seemingly done little to bridge the two sides' differences on issues ranging from the status of Taiwan to trade, human rights or their approach to the war in Ukraine. However, the fact that the discussions are so extensive on the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years will only be seen as a positive by Washington. Mr Blinken’s meeting with Mr Xi was roughly 30 minutes long and could help facilitate a summit between Mr Biden and the Chinese president later in the year, it was reported. According to a video posted online by Chinese state television, Mr Xi said that “the two sides agreed to follow through with the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali. The two sides have also made progress and reached the agreement on some specific issues. This is very good”. Mr Xi said China “hopes to see a sound and steady China-US relationship” and believes that the two countries “can overcome various difficulties”, according to Xinhua. Ahead of the meeting with Mr Xi, Mr Blinken met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi who warned that the US that the two nations “must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of US-China relations.” According to the nation’s state media, he also said “it is necessary for the US to reflect deeply and work with China to manage differences and avoid strategic surprises”. Mr Wang spoke with Mr Blinken for more than three hours and told the US secretary of state that Washington must choose between “cooperation or conflict”. “The Secretary of State’s trip to Beijing this time comes at a critical juncture in China-US relations,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “It is necessary to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict. We must reverse the downward spiral of China-US relations, push for a return to a healthy and stable track, and work together to find a correct way for China and the United States to get along,” Mr Wang added. He also reportedly asked the US to stop speculating on the “China threat theory” and lift “illegal unilateral sanctions” against China. On Sunday, Mr Blinken met with the Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang for seven and a half hours hoping to ease the tensions between the two sides. Mr Blinken invited the Chinese foreign minister to visit Washington and the invitation was accepted, according to US state department spokesperson Matt Miller. He called the talks with Mr Qin “candid, substantive and constructive”. “The Secretary invited foreign minister Qin to Washington to continue discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time,” Mr Miller said. He added that Mr Blinken had emphasised the “importance of diplomacy and maintaining channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation”. Mr Blinken stressed “the need to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation” in his talks with Mr Qin on Sunday. China took a strong stand on Taiwan with reports suggesting that Mr Wang told the US secretary of state that China has no room for compromise and concessions on the Taiwan issue. “On this issue, China has no room to compromise or concede,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to CCTV. “The United States must truly adhere to the One China principle confirmed in the three joint US-China communiques, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’.” “Despite very low expectations for any breakthroughs made during Blinken’s visit to China, there is still hope that both sides can maintain their ‘bottom line’ in the relationship,” state-run Global Times said in an editorial on Monday. “This is going to be a process of sustained diplomacy,” one senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters. The Taiwan premier Chen Chien-jen told the media: “For this high-level interaction between China and the United States, Taiwan closely grasps the relevant details.” “Qin Gang pointed out that the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests, the most important issue in Sino-US relations, and the most prominent risk,” Chinese state media quoted Mr Qin as having told the US diplomat. Read More Blinken opens second day of talks in Beijing on mission to ease soaring US-China tensions Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Taiwan handbook teaches civilians how to spot ‘enemy’ Chinese soldiers

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Mia Khalifa has issued some advice for women in unhealthy relationships while jokingly comparing herself to Tom Brady. It all started when Khalifa stitched a TikTok speaking about "cool girl engagement rings." In response, the 30-year-old said: "That's not a thing. Everyone knows the real cool girls get divorced before 30." One follower agreed with Khalifa, writing "FACTS. Married at 18, divorced at 20." Khalifa replied: "Girl don't know I'm Tom Brady in this game." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter She went on to candidly share her relationship history, having been married twice and engaged three times. "Married at 18, divorced at 21. Second marriage: married at 25, divorced at 28. Third engagement: engaged at 29, ended it at 30, but I kept the ring and still keep Tom Brady on his toes," she joked. @miakhalifa Replying to @Nikki Jones im thanos out here collecting soul stones The former adult star said women "shouldn't be afraid to leave these men," adding: "We are not stuck with these people." "Marriage is not a prudish thing, it's paperwork. It's a commitment you make to someone, but if you feel like you're not getting anything out of that commitment and you're trying, you have to leave. You have to go," she continued. "I know it's hard to fill out paperwork and schedule appointments and do all this stuff. "But this is your f***ing life, do you want to be stuck with someone? Period." The clip, which racked up almost two million views, was soon inundated with hundreds of comments. "You have been my Ted talk for today. Thank you for your service," one person joked, while another praised Khalifa's "realness." Meanwhile, a third added: "I love this! Keep Tom Brady on his toes! Get it gal." Inevitably, trolls weren't far behind. Over on Twitter, one person wrote: "Mia Khalifa, a pornographer, is giving advice regarding the nature marriage as not sacred, but transactional, and that you just leave your husband whenever you feel like it." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

China is pushing its regional power systems to quickly bridge regulatory differences in order to meet a 2025

KAWASAKI, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 13, 2023--

By Robert Harvey LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices rose on Friday as renewed global supply concerns from Russia's fuel export ban