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Xi Jinping to Strengthen His Hold on Power in China
China’s National People’s Congress will convene on Sunday, bringing with it the biggest cabinet overhaul in a decade as Xi Jinping tightens his grip on power while dealing with a slew of issues ranging from an uneven post-COVID economic recovery to deteriorating US relations.
Almost 3,000 delegates will meet in the Great Hall of the People, west of Tiananmen Square, for the first National People’s Congress (NPC) of the post-zero-COVID period, though some procedures, such as testing and quarantine for journalists, will remain in place.
The NPC will rubber-stamp Xi’s new economic team after China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong secured a record-breaking third term and loaded the ruling Communist Party’s top ranks with friends during its twice-a-decade meeting in October.
It will also address Xi’s proposals for an “intense” and “wide-ranging” reorganization of state and Communist Party enterprises, according to official media, following a three-day meeting of the party’s central committee on Tuesday.
“It will almost certainly entail more incorporation of State Council ministries into the party under the name of the party’s comprehensive leadership,” Wen-Ti Sung, a political scientist at the Australian National University, predicted, with public health and national security likely to be areas of emphasis.
According to sources and analysts, the administration is likely to set a 2023 economic growth target of 5% to 6% to keep unemployment at bay, with measures targeted at increasing consumption and foreign investment, among other things, but little in the way of game-changing reforms.
China’s GDP grew by only 3% last year, one of the slowest rates in over a half-century.
Loyalist Li Qiang, previously Shanghai party head, is set to become premier, in command of the world’s second-largest economy, with investors cautiously hopeful that his ties with Xi will allow him to usher in more business-friendly policies following an increasingly statist turn.
The NPC will install new faces at the top of major economic and regulatory entities, including the central bank, to replace a generation of reform-minded officials such as retiring Premier Li Keqiang and economic czar Liu He, a vice premier.
“The National People’s Congress will be a continuation of the 20th Party Congress and will firmly execute Party choices made then, including a focus on security,” said Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Affairs at the National University of Singapore.
The NPC convenes amid a difficult time for China and Xi, who abruptly abandoned his COVID strategy in December after three years, following widespread demonstrations unparalleled during his rule.
It comes amid a demographic shift that has seen the population shrink for the first time since 1961, urban employment fall for the first time in six decades, and per capita spending fall.
Worsening relations with the US, limiting China’s access to cutting-edge technologies, and a slowing global economy are additional challenges for Xi, who will be confirmed for a third term as president after abolishing constitutional term limits in 2018.
The 63-year-old Li Qiang, a veteran of provincial-level postings whose chances were unaffected by his management of last year’s catastrophic two-month Shanghai COVID lockdown, will be the People’s Republic’s first premier who has never served in the central administration.
“The beginning of his tenure could be bumpy as he tries to find his position in the State Council and grasp how to make it work for him,” said Trey McArver, co-founder of the research company Trivium China.
Ding Xuexiang, a former Xi assistant expected to become the top vice-premier, likewise lacks central-level management expertise.
The congress, which usually lasts one to two weeks, will begin with the outgoing Li giving a 2023 work report, which is expected to focus on boosting the economy harmed by three years of COVID controls and a property sector crisis.
“We will seek to stimulate growth and have policy tools to do so,” Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the economic policy commission at the state-backed China Association of Policy Science, told Reuters.
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Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
(VOR News) – The European Union’s medical regulator has granted approval to Wegovy, a blockbuster weight loss treatment manufactured by Novo Nordisk, in order to expand its application to include the reduction of major heart events in overweight or obese adults.
In order to expand the scope of the medication’s applicability, this authorisation was granted. The purpose of obtaining this approval was to broaden the medicine’s application.
The Danish pharmaceutical company announced on Thursday that the European Medical Agency has formulated a “positive opinion” regarding the label’s expansion.
The agency made this determination after conducting a comprehensive examination of the results of a SELECT study that was subjected to rigorous monitoring. Other applications of the substance are facilitated by this conclusion.
The SELECT experiment, which was financed by Novo Nordisk and published in August 2023.
Wegovy and Ozempic contain semaglutide as the active ingredient.
Reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by twenty percent when compared to a placebo. The researchers arrived at this conclusion. This realisation was the outcome of the researchers’ investigation.
The notion that the European Medicines Agency label for Wegovy should be amended is a significant step forward for patients who are coping with cardiovascular disease and obesity, according to Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president and director of development at Novo Nordisk.
The company’s statement, which was disclosed, indicated that the recommendation to update the label is a substantial advancement.
It is evident that Wegovy has the potential to save lives by reducing the likelihood of significant adverse cardiovascular events, as evidenced by the findings of the SELECT research. An additional benefit of participating in this exercise is that it helps individuals effectively manage their weight, which is a benefit in and of itself.
The company also stated that the label update incorporates data from the SELECT trial, which showed a 15% reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and a 19% reduction in the risk of death from any cause when compared to situations in which a placebo was used in conjunction with the product.
The SELECT trial was conducted in the United States, according to the company. Furthermore, the organisation disclosed that the SELECT investigation was conducted in the United States of America.
It is anticipated that the label amendment will be implemented within the next month, as per the statement issued by Novo Nordisk.
Wegovy has also been approved for use in the United States.
Similarly, the UK medical regulator has taken similar actions. The United Kingdom on Tuesday granted its clearance for the use of Wegovy to reduce the risk of significant cardiac difficulties or strokes in adults who are overweight or obese, such as heart attacks or strokes.
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America granted sanction for the medicine to be used in specific applications during the month of March.
This resulted in a rise in the number of distinct applications for the highly popular treatment, which coincides with the sector’s increasing level of competition.
On Thursday, Roche, a global pharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Switzerland, announced that its Wegovy competitor weight reduction tablets will be incorporated into a collection of pharmaceuticals designed to mitigate the adverse effects of obesity.
The pharmaceutical collection will encompass a diverse selection of weight loss medications.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Schinecker, conveyed his satisfaction with the exceptional early-stage trial results of the two potential weight-reduction pharmaceuticals that the company is currently developing. In addition, he asserted that these medications demonstrated the “best in disease potential.”
In making this assertion, Schinecker was alluding to the fact that the medications exhibited the “best in disease potential.” He also stated that they will be a part of a more comprehensive portfolio that is intended to set the Swiss company apart from its competitors in the growing obesity therapy market.
This adds insult to injury. This strategy will be implemented in order to distinguish the Swiss company from other businesses in the market.
SOURCE: CNBC
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