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China And Russia Reaffirm Their Close Ties As Moscow Presses Its Offensive In Ukraine

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping: File Image

BEIJING — On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated their “no-limits” friendship, which has expanded as both countries face mounting tensions with the West, and blasted US military deployments in Asia and the Pacific.

At their summit in Beijing, Putin hailed Xi for China’s recommendations to settle the conflict in Ukraine, which Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected as mostly adopting the Kremlin’s line.

Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his biggest allies and commercial partners comes as Russian forces launch an operation in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, marking the most serious border incursion since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022.

China claims to be impartial in the crisis, but it has supported the Kremlin’s accusations that the West led Russia into attacking Ukraine, and it continues to supply vital components required by Moscow for weapons manufacture.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping: Image AP

China And Russia Reaffirm Their Close Ties As Moscow Presses Its Offensive In Ukraine

China, which has not condemned the invasion, suggested a broad-based peace plan in 2023, calling for a cease-fire and direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Both Ukraine and the West rejected the idea because it did not call on Russia to vacate Ukraine’s occupied territories.

China also lent a verbal nod to Russia’s narrative about Nazism in Ukraine, with a joint statement issued Thursday saying Moscow and Beijing should protect the post-World War II order and “severely condemn the glorification of or even attempts to revive Nazism and militarism.”

Putin has claimed the “denazification” of Ukraine as a primary purpose of the military action, falsely referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government as neo-Nazis.

The mostly symbolic and ceremonial visit emphasized cooperation between two countries facing challenges in their relations with the United States and Europe.

“Both sides want to show that despite what is happening globally, despite the pressure that both sides are facing from the U.S., both sides are not about to turn their backs on each other anytime soon,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, a Chinese foreign policy researcher at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

While Putin and Xi stated they wanted to stop the war, they made no new ideas in their public remarks.

“China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this,” Xi said in prepared remarks to the media in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. His statements echoed China’s overarching peace initiative.

Earlier in the day, Putin was greeted in Tiananmen Square with military fanfare and cannon fire.

On the eve of his visit, Putin stated that China’s proposal may “lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take Russia’s security concerns into account and contribute to achieving long-term and sustainable peace.”

Zelenskyy has stated that any negotiations must entail the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the departure of Russian soldiers, the release of all captives, a tribunal for those responsible for the assault, and security assurances for Ukraine.

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Putin Speaks: AP Image

China And Russia Reaffirm Their Close Ties As Moscow Presses Its Offensive In Ukraine

Putin said he would brief Xi on the situation in Ukraine, adding, “We appreciate the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends to regulate the situation.”

Following Russia’s latest attack in Ukraine last week, the war has reached a crucial point as Ukraine’s depleted military awaits new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery rounds from the United States, which have been delayed for months.

China and Russia’s joint statement also harshly slammed US foreign policy, citing US-formed alliances as having a “Cold War mentality.”

“Both sides expressed serious concern about the consequences caused to the strategic stability of the Asia-Pacific region by AUKUS,” according to the statement, referring to the acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

China and Russia have accused the United States of installing land-based intermediate-range missile systems in the Asia-Pacific region under the guise of joint drills with allies. They claimed that the United States’ operations in Asia were “changing the balance of power” and “endangering the security of all countries in the region.”

The united declaration underscored China’s support for Russia.

“There’s so much Chinese falling over themselves to give Russia face and respect without saying anything specific, or committing to anything,” said Susan Thornton, a former diplomat and senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center.

The meeting was another endorsement of China and Russia’s amicable “no limits” friendship, which they signed in 2022, just before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Since then, Russia has been increasingly economically dependent on China since Western sanctions have limited its access to most of the global commercial system. China’s expanding commerce with Russia, which reached $240 billion last year, has helped the country buffer some of the worst effects of sanctions.

Moscow has transferred most of its energy exports to China and relied on Chinese enterprises to purchase high-tech components for Russian defense sectors to avoid Western sanctions.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping: Image AP

China And Russia Reaffirm Their Close Ties As Moscow Presses Its Offensive In Ukraine

“I and President Putin agree we should actively look for convergence points of the interests of both countries, to develop each’s advantages, and deepen integration of interests, realizing each others’ achievements,” added Xi.

Xi congratulated Putin on the start of his fifth term in office and commemorated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, which were formed after a civil war in 1949. In the March election, Putin eliminated all significant political opponents and faced no serious threat. He, like Xi, has not spelled out a succession strategy.

“In a famous song of that time, 75 years ago — it is still performed today — there is a phrase that has become a catchphrase: ‘Russians and Chinese are brothers forever,'” Putin stated.

During the war, Russia and China expanded their military ties. In recent years, they have conducted several cooperative war simulations, including naval drills and long-range bomber patrols over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Russian and Chinese ground forces have also moved to the other country’s territory to conduct joint training.

China continues to be a major market for Russian military hardware, while the country’s defense industry is rapidly developing, including the production of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

Putin has already stated that Russia has shared highly sensitive military technologies with China, considerably improving its defense strength.

SOURCE -(AP)

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

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Starbucks’ interim CEO, Howard Schultz, violated federal labor law in 2022 by telling a California barista who expressed concerns about unionization that “if you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.”

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Schultz’s statement constituted an unconstitutional, coercive threat.

The decision highlights Starbucks’ difficult relationship with organized labor, as more and more employees at its outlets unionize.

Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

In 2022, as interim CEO, Schultz visited a business event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks locations. According to the NLRB, Barista Madison Hall attempted to discuss the benefits of unionization as well as Starbucks’ claimed history of unfair labor practices.

“Why are you angry at Starbucks?” Schultz inquired. He stated that the occasion was not the appropriate forum for discussing union problems before remarking on working elsewhere. The administrative law decision states that he “had an angry expression on his face.” The NLRB ruling maintains an administrative law judge’s decision from October 2023.

Starbucks issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the board’s decision. “Our focus remains on training and supporting our managers to ensure respect for our partners’ right to organize, and we are making progress in our discussions with Workers United,” a business representative said in a statement Thursday.

Though Schultz stepped down from his third term as CEO in March 2023, he remains involved with the company. When he retired from Starbucks’ board of directors in September, the business named him “lifelong chairman emeritus.”

“We note that the judge identified the Respondent’s highest official, interim CEO Schultz, as a ‘legendary leader,’ a status that would exacerbate the coercive nature of Schultz’s statement,” the ruling read.

Since the first Starbucks branch in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, the coffee business has been embroiled in hundreds of labor battles over alleged union-busting practices. In June, the Supreme Court heard Starbucks v. McKinney, a case involving seven employees who were fired after attempting to form a union. The Supreme Court agreed with Starbucks.

An NLRB administrative law judge earlier stated that Starbucks had engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in unionization efforts at Buffalo outlets, including the first site to unionize. Starbucks dispatched high-level executives into Buffalo-area stores on a “relentless” campaign, according to the judge, which “likely left a lasting impact as to the importance of voting against representation.”

Starbucks stated at the time that it is “considering all options to obtain further legal review,” and that “we believe the decision and remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

The union reports that on October 1, the 500th Starbucks location in Washington state decided to unionize.

The NLRB ordered Starbucks on Wednesday to stop threatening to terminate employees for unionizing and to post a notice of employee rights in all of its Long Beach outlets.

“We are pleased to see the NLRB continuing to advocate for workers and their legal right to organize. At the same time, we’re looking ahead and proud to be on a new journey with the firm,” said Michelle Eisen, co-chair of Starbucks Workers United’s national organizing committee and bargaining delegate, in a statement to CNN on Thursday.

SOURCE | CNN

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

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CNN | Tesla

Tesla is recalling around 27,000 Cybertrucks due to a rearview camera issue that delays the image being presented on the dashboard, increasing the danger of a collision.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, the rearview display may appear blank for up to 8 seconds when the Cybertruck is in reverse. That is far over the two seconds required by US federal safety regulations.

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla has issued a free, over-the-air software update to address the issue. Drivers can also reverse the Cybertruck by “performing a shoulder check and using their mirrors,” according to the NHTSA.

This is the fifth recall for the electric vehicle, which was released last year. The most recent recall, in June, concerns the truck’s large single windshield wiper and a piece of plastic trim along the edge of the truck bed that might become loose and detach from the vehicle while driving.

In April, the trucks were recalled because the accelerator pedal could become stuck when depressed. Tesla launched a software recall in January for 2.2 million of its cars, including Cybertrucks, due to warning light letters that were too small to read. That issue was likewise resolved with an over-the-air software upgrade.

Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla announced a rise in sales this week for the first time this year, however, year-to-date sales still trail the same period in 2023.

The company delivered approximately 463,000 automobiles worldwide in the third quarter, rising 6% from the previous year’s sales number and 4% from the second quarter of this year.

SOURCE | CNN

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The Biden Administration can go Ahead With Student Loan Forgiveness, Says a Federal Judge.

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(VOR News) – A temporary restraining order that was obtained against the expansive new student loan forgiveness system that was planned by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden will be allowed to expire by a federal judge.

Injunction was issued against the program that was being proposed. It is possible that the execution of this strategy may reduce the suffering of tens of millions of people in the United States of America.

There is a possibility that the idea might be beneficial to as many as three out of every four people who are now in possession of federal student loans, as stated by an estimate that was provided by the Center for American Progress.

This happens because the student loan plan takes into account government initiatives.

A victory was granted to the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, according to an announcement made by United States District Judge Randal Hall in Georgia before the close of the day on Wednesday. The previous Republican president, George W. Bush, was the one who appointed Hall to his current post. Hall now serves in that capacity.

In the next few weeks leading up to the election that will take place in November, it is quite likely that Vice President Joe Biden will press forward with the proposition that his administration has offered to cancel student loans. There is a chance that this will occur given the verdict.

A new condition has emerged as a result of a lawsuit that was filed against the aid package by seven states that are run by Republicans. This lawsuit was filed against the aid package after it was submitted.

There are a number of states that have ruled that the debt cancellation scheme that is now being carried out by the United States Department of Education is illegal. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, and Ohio, amongst others.

The conclusions of Hall, on the other hand, indicate that Georgia did not have the legal jurisdiction to launch a legal action against the relief plan. As a result, the state was unable to fulfill the duty of the forum for the application.

The judge made an order that the case be relocated to Missouri because the states argue that the notion that was proposed by Biden would be most detrimental to Mohela, which is the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.

Which is responsible for servicing student loans?

The judge issued the order as a result. The United States Department of Education’s spokesman applauded the judge’s finding that Georgia had “no legal basis” to pursue the action; yet, the spokesperson also criticized the Republican drive to prevent relief from being granted. The verdict made by the judge was lauded by the authorized spokesperson.

This case is the outcome of an ongoing campaign by Republican elected officials who, according to what they claimed, seek to prevent millions of their own people from having breathing room on their student loans. This campaign is the cause of this complaint.

That campaign is reflected in this lawsuit that has been filed. “The fact remains that this lawsuit reflects an ongoing effort.”

Our efforts to improve the flawed student loan system and to provide support and relief to borrowers all throughout the country are not going to be abandoned, and we are not going to stop up on providing these services. We have declared our intention to carry on with our work.

Under the plan that was proposed by Vice President Joe Biden, student debt would be forgiven for four different groups of borrowers:

Those who owe more than they initially took out; those who have been in repayment already for decades; students who attend schools with a low financial value; and those who are eligible for loan forgiveness under an existing program but have not yet implemented the program.

SOURCE: CNBC

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