U.S. reaction: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Xi’s visit amounted to Beijing’s providing “diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit” war crimes.
Macron survives two no-confidence votes
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| The French National Assembly rejected a no-confidence motion against the government of President Emmanuel Macron, ensuring that a fiercely contested bill raising the retirement age to 64 from 62 becomes law. It was a close result, with 278 votes cast in favor, nine short of the 287 needed to pass. A second vote received 94 votes. |
| The pension overhaul, which Macron has sought since the beginning of his first term in 2017, has provoked two months of demonstrations, intermittent strikes and occasional violence. It has split France, with polls consistently showing two-thirds of the population opposing the change. The measure was rammed through Parliament last week without a full vote on it. |
| After the no-confidence votes yesterday, there was no indication that the protests would abate or that the restive mood would fade anytime soon. A period of deep uncertainty lies before France, and it is unclear how Macron, whose silence has been perceived by some as aloofness, will be able to reassert his authority. |
| Aftermath: Sporadic clashes erupted between crowds of protesters and the police in cities across the country, including Strasbourg, Rennes and Lyon. Labor unions have called for a day of strikes and demonstrations on Thursday, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally party, declared, “I believe it is difficult to govern in these circumstances.” |
Warming approaches a daunting threshold
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| Global average temperatures are estimated to rise 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels within the next decade as humans continue to burn fossil fuels. Nations must make immediate and significant changes to prevent heating beyond that level, according to a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. |
| That number holds a special significance in global climate politics: Under the Paris climate agreement, most nations agreed to “pursue efforts” to hold warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Beyond that point, scientists say, the impacts of catastrophic heat waves, flooding, drought, crop failures and species extinction become significantly harder for humanity to handle. |
| There is still one last chance to shift course, the report says. But it would require industrialized nations to join together to halve greenhouse gases by 2030 and then stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by the early 2050s. If those two steps were taken, the world would have about a 50 percent chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. |
| Quotable: “The pace and scale of what has been done so far and current plans are insufficient to tackle climate change,” said Hoesung Lee, the chair of the climate panel. “We are walking when we should be sprinting.” |
| Details: The world’s two biggest polluters, China and the U.S., continue to approve new fossil fuel projects. Last year, China issued permits for 168 coal-fired power plants, and last week the Biden administration approved an enormous oil drilling project in Alaska. |
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