Putin to visit China for first time since ICC’s international arrest warrant was issued
Vladimir Putin will leave Russia and travel the farthest distance from his home country for the first time since an arrest warrant was issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a report. Mr Putin has reportedly accepted an invitation by Xi Jinping to visit China and the Kremlin is gearing up for his attendance at the Belt and Road Forum in October, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. News of the visit comes after Mr Putin declined an invitation by India to attend G20 summit next week. The Kremlin said the Russian leader has a “busy schedule” while his main focus at the moment is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia will be instead be represented by its foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow is an ally to Delhi and Beijing, both of whom are regional rivals and share strained diplomatic ties with each other. Both countries are not signatories to the ICC either. The Russian leader has, ever since the warrant was issued, travelled only to Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine. Before the warrant, he had visited Iran last year. On Tuesday, the Kremlin said a schedule for bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts was being worked out, when asked about the reported visit. “The schedule of bilateral Russian-Chinese contacts at various levels, including at the highest level, is being coordinated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “We will inform you about specific events and deadlines in a timely manner.” Mr Putin and Mr Xi have declared a “no limits” partnership between their countries. China has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine directly while emphasing the importance of upholding Kyiv’s territorial integrity. In March, an arrest warrant was issued against Mr Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for alleged war crimes committed by deporting Ukrainian children into Russia during the conflict. Human rights groups have estimated that more than 19,000 children were deported and placed with Russian families. Russian officials have claimed the children were taken in as a war-time humanitarian gesture. The Kremlin has rejected the war crime accusations. The Russian leader had earlier avoided going to South Africa, which is an ICC signatory, to attend the Brics summit last week. Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan also invited Mr Putin to visit Ankara for talks on a Black Sea grain deal, but he is now said to be considering traveling to Moscow himself. Turkey is not an ICC signatory. The flurry of announcements about the diplomatic visits come as British foreign minister James Cleverly visited China in the first such visit by a UK diplomat in five years. Mr Cleverly said he will urge China to fulfil its international commitments and show responsibility on the world stage on the Ukraine invasion. On Mr Putin’s purpoted visit to Beijing, he said, “Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine cannot be justified by Moscow or indeed anywhere else”. Read More India protests China's land claim ahead of the G20 summit President Xi Jinping is expected to attend Russia earns less from oil and spends more on war. So far, sanctions are working like a slow poison Vladimir Putin ‘too busy’ to face world leaders at G20 The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
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Rob Page backs Brennan Johnson to fill void left by Harry Kane at Tottenham
Wales boss Rob Page has backed Brennan Johnson to fill the striker void at Tottenham left by Harry Kane’s departure. Record Spurs goal-scorer Kane moved to Bayern Munich in a £100million deal earlier this month and Tottenham have yet to replace him ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline. But Tottenham are leading the chase for Wales forward Johnson with Nottingham Forest ready to listen to offers around the £50m mark. “I wouldn’t even talk about the Harry Kane situation and going in to fill that,” Page said after naming a 25-man squad for the September 7 friendly with South Korea and the crunch Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia four days later. “He’s his own person and player, a different type of player. I think he’s just got to go.” Page saw Johnson play for Forest on Saturday in their 3-2 defeat at Manchester United. Johnson came off 20 minutes from time, but Page said the 22-year-old was “fully fit” for international duty. “Young players today – and Brennan falls into this category – are a confident breed and he’s more than capable of playing at that level (for Tottenham),” said Page. “I think Brennan has a good support network around him. I know his dad (David), who used to play so he’s been through all this himself. “You need that network as a young lad. I don’t believe he will get carried with it. He will stay grounded and won’t change. “You don’t go into a club expecting to fill somebody’s else’s boots. “He’s a very different player to Harry and, if he goes there, it is on his own ability and what he can offer to the team.” Leeds winger Daniel James is sidelined by an adductor injury while Joe Morrell and Kieffer Moore – who are available for the Cardiff friendly with South Korea – are suspended for the trip to Riga after receiving respective red cards against Armenia and Turkey in June. Tom Lockyer is in the squad for the first time since collapsing in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley in May. Lockyer underwent an operation to address an irregular heartbeat but has since returned to action to lead Luton in their first Premier League campaign. Page said: “It’s a great story. We all watched the events unfold in the play-off final. We were all concerned, but there has been nothing but positivity since that day. “He has had some great news, he is back to normal and is now playing in the Premier League, which is unbelievable for him as well. “It is always going to be a challenge when you get promoted to the Premier League, Luton have done really well to be where they are at with the resources they have available to them. We all watched the events unfold in the play-off final. We were all concerned, but there has been nothing but positivity since that day Rob Page on Tom Lockyer “But for him personally he should be very proud of how he has recovered after it. A dream for him was to play in the Premier League and he has achieved that.” Josh Sheehan and Wes Burns earn recalls as Ollie Cooper and Luke Harris drop out of the squad. Fulham midfielder Harris, 18, has been in and around the squad for the past 12 months but has yet to be capped. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?,” said Page. “Luke’s not been involved for Fulham and the day I announce the squad the night before he’s on the bench and comes on. “The plan might be that Luke still goes out on loan to play games at a lower level. “We see potential in him, but it hasn’t quite gone how I anticipated if I’m being honest. “But like with Rubin (Colwill) and JJ (Jordan James) we’ve wanted to see them play more games. “It’s about managing Luke and he’ll drop back down to the Under-21s now. “It benefited Harry Wilson when Ryan (Giggs) was manager and, although it’s good we can expose him to this environment, there’s nothing like playing games and getting caps.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The key questions behind Vera Pauw’s Republic of Ireland departure Savannah Marshall would relish rematch with rival Claressa Shields in MMA cage England Women to get same match fees as men after Ashes summer boosts profile
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Mark Thompson named CNN chief executive and chairman at critical juncture in news network's history
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US commerce secretary warns China will be 'uninvestable' without action on raids, fines
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