Prologue Journal – Page 40488 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Senior Chinese diplomat heads to Australia and Fiji to pave way for Xi-Albanese talks in Beijing

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Ma Zhaoxu’s trip is expected to help stabilise Beijing’s ties with Canberra with a new round of political consultations. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216584/chinas-vice-foreign-minister-heads-australia-and-fiji-week-lay-groundwork-albanese-talks-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed

Climate change: Sinopec’s parent to build China’s first long-distance hydrogen pipeline to boost green fuel usage

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The ‘west-to-east’ demonstration pipeline will stretch over 400km from Inner Mongolia to Beijing, according to China Petrochemical Corp. https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3216580/climate-change-sinopecs-parent-build-chinas-first-long-distance-hydrogen-pipeline-boost-green-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed

South China Sea: PLA forces tail US warship near disputed Spratly Islands as live-fire drills around Taiwan enter day 3

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Guided-missile destroyer USS Milius ‘illegally intruded’ into waters near Mischief Reef, PLA Southern Theatre Command says. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216582/south-china-sea-pla-forces-tail-us-warship-near-disputed-spratly-islands-live-fire-drills-around?utm_source=rss_feed

Biden Must Tread Rocky Path in Northern Ireland Before Tending Roots

New York Times President Biden, who has ancestral ties to Ireland, will mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland before heading south. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/world/europe/biden-belfast-northern-ireland.html

Will Blinken’s trip yield a strategic upgrade for US ties with China-friendly Vietnam?

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Blinken’s trip is part of US efforts to upgrade diplomatic relations with Vietnam, which has been hesitant to formally upgrade ties over fears of alienating Beijing. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3216581/will-blinkens-trip-yield-strategic-upgrade-us-ties-china-friendly-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed

Philippines will not let US access military sites for ‘offensive action’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said bases which can be accessed by Washington’s troops are for defence purposes, to give US ‘the chance to be able to come and help us in any way’. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3216579/philippines-will-not-let-us-access-military-sites-offensive-action?utm_source=rss_feed

Ukraine Says Russia Is Using ‘Scorched Earth’ Tactics in Bakhmut

Wall Street Journal A top Ukrainian military commander described the situation in the city, where Ukrainian forces have been largely pushed out of its center, as “difficult but under control.” https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-says-russia-is-using-scorched-earth-tactics-in-bakhmut-b8838a0a

Diplomatic forums, the Security Council and India: What to watch for this week.

New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/world/europe/diplomatic-forums-the-security-council-and-india-what-to-watch-for-this-week.html

Israel seeks to relocate crisis, spares no efforts to commit more crimes: Iran

Disclaimer: PressTV is affiliated with the state broadcasting agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not a reliable news source. Iran says Israel will spare no efforts to pursue its criminal acts against Palestine and other regional countries. https://presstv.ir/Detail/2023/04/10/701291/Iran-Kanani-Israel-crimes

Voters should be ‘scared s—less’ about 2024 election rigging because of AI: expert

Fox News Advanced artificial intelligence platforms could pose a danger to election security as soon as 2024, with some experts speculating they could become a major source of misinformation. “We should be scared s—less,”Gary Marcus, professor emeritus of cognitive science at New York University and an AI expert, told Fortune last week. The comments come…