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U.S. Capitol riot hearing shows Trump allies

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U.S. Capitol riot hearing shows Trump allies

The congressional committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat presented testimony on Thursday showing that close allies – even his daughter – rejected his false claims of voting fraud.

According to Reuters, the U.S. House of Representatives select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault also showed graphic footage of thousands of rioters attacking police and smashing their way into the Capitol. It was the first of six planned hearings intended to show that the Republican former president conspired to unlawfully hold onto power.

Biden on Thursday described the attack as “a clear, flagrant violation of the Constitution.”

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday underscored the partisan lens through which many Americans view the assault. It found that among Republicans about 55% believed the false claim that left-wing protesters led the attack and 58% believed most of the protesters were law-abiding.

Two Republican Georgia state election officials who Trump tried to pressure to “find” votes that would overturn his election defeat will testify at hearings later this month, a source familiar with the matter said.

The Democratic-led committee presented video of testimony from notable Trump administration figures including his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, Attorney General William Barr, campaign spokesperson Jason Miller and General Mark Milley.

It also showed part of Trump’s incendiary speech before the attack in which he repeated false election fraud claims and directed his supporters’ anger at Vice President Mike Pence, who was at the Capitol overseeing congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election win – a process the riot failed to prevent.

Some congressional Republicans in the days after the attack condemned Trump, but most have since changed their tune, supporting him and downplaying the day’s violence. Trump himself has gone after Republicans who voted to impeach him for his actions, backing primary challengers to them ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the following two years.

Democratic committee chair Bennie Thompson said Trump was at the center of a conspiracy to thwart American democracy and block the peaceful transfer of power.

“Jan. 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup, a brazen attempt, as one writer put it shortly after Jan. 6, to overthrow the government,” Thompson said. “The violence was no accident. It was Trump’s last stand.”

Barr in videotaped testimony said: “I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff, which I call the bullshit. And, you know, I didn’t want to be a part of it.”

Barr’s view convinced Trump’s daughter.

“I respect Attorney General Barr. So I accepted what he was saying,” Ivanka Trump said in videotaped testimony.

Trump, who is publicly flirting with another White House run in 2024, issued a statement before the hearing calling the committee “political Thugs.”

“Aware of the rioters’ chants to ‘hang Mike Pence,’ the president responded with this sentiment: ‘Well, maybe our supporters have the right idea,'” said Representative Liz Cheney, one of the two Republicans on the nine-member panel and its vice chairperson.

Since leaving office last year, Trump has kept up his false claims that his 2020 election loss to Biden was the result of widespread fraud, an assertion rejected by numerous courts, state election officials and members of his own administration.

“We can’t live in a world where the incumbent administration stays in power based on its view, unsupported by specific evidence, that there was fraud in the election,” Barr, who resigned about two weeks before the Capitol attack, said in the video.

Kushner was shown on video dismissing threats by some Trump aides to resign after the riot as “whining.”

The hearing also featured two witnesses who testified in person: U.S. Capitol police officer Caroline Edwards, who sustained a brain injury in the attack, and Nick Quested, a filmmaker who captured footage of the far-right Proud Boys group, accused of helping to plan the attack.

Edwards described insults hurled by rioters at her during the melee but said she was proud of fighting them off even after being injured.

“I was slipping in people’s blood,” Edwards said. “It was carnage. It was chaos.”

“What I saw was just a war scene,” Edwards added.

The mob attacked police, sent lawmakers and Pence fleeing for their safety and caused millions of dollars in damage. Four people died that day, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. More than 100 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide.

“Those who invaded our Capitol and battled law enforcement for hours were motivated by what President Trump had told them: That the election was stolen and that he was the rightful president,” Cheney said. “President Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack.”

To her fellow Republicans – who voted to remove her from her House leadership position – Cheney offered a warning: “There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

Cheney noted that multiple Republican congressmen contacted the White House after Jan. 6 to seek pardons for what she said was their role in trying to overturn the election.

Paul Pierce sued over alleged six-figure gambling $180K high-stakes poker debt

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Paul Pierce sued over alleged six-figure gambling $180K high-stakes poker debt

Paul Pierce is being sued for an alleged six-figure gambling debt stemming from high-stakes poker games.

Stephen Carmona filed a lawsuit against the NBA legend and is seeking $180,000, plus interest, in regard to the money he supposedly lent Pierce, who subsequently lost it in poker games and never paid it back, according to TMZ Sports.

It is well known that Pierce habitually plays in high-stakes poker games. In fact, he’s played in the World Series of Poker a number of times and also appeared in a now-viral video captured during a friend’s poker night, that featured smoking, drinking and cavorting with strippers.

Pierce is also no stranger to being sued.

Last month, Pierce was sued over an alleged cryptocurrency “pump and dump,” according to the New York Times. He faced a lawsuit in 2020 over a marijuana business deal gone bad, and was sued five years prior by his Manhattan landlord for allegedly leaving his apartment in “shambles.”

Carmona claims that on one occasion he loaned Pierce $150,000, of which $140,000 was lost and only $10,000 returned. Further, Carmona alleges he lent an additional $40,000 to Pierce the following week for a game, which was also lost.

Pierce allegedly promised to repay Carmona, but did not “despite multiple requests for repayment,” according to the suit.

Inflation hits fresh 40-year high in May

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Inflation hits fresh 40-year high in May

Inflation remained painfully high in May, with consumer prices hitting a new four-decade high that exacerbated a financial strain for millions of Americans and worsened a political crisis for President Biden.

According to Fox Business, the Labor Department said Friday that the consumer price index, a broad measure of the price for everyday goods, including gasoline, groceries and rents, rose 8.6% in May from a year ago. Prices jumped 1% in the one-month period from April. Those figures were both higher than the 8.3% headline figure and 0.7% monthly gain forecast by Refinitiv economists. 

Close to 98% of investors now expect the Fed to carry out another half-point rate hike in September as inflation remains stubbornly high, according to the CME FedWatch tool. 

Still, the Fed is in a precarious situation as it walks the line between cooling consumer demand and bringing inflation closer to its 2% target without inadvertently dragging the economy into a recession. Hiking rates tends to create higher rates on consumer and business loans, which slows the economy by forcing employers to cut back on spending. 

“The Fed is now between a rock and a very hard place,” said Peter Earle, a research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. “Acting more aggressively to stem the rise in prices heightens the likelihood of causing a recession.”

It marks the fastest pace of Inflation since December 1981. 

So-called core prices, which exclude more volatile measurements of food and energy, climbed 6% from the previous year, also more than Refinitiv expected. Core prices also rose 0.6% on a monthly basis, suggesting that underlying inflationary pressures remain strong. 

“What an ugly CPI print. Not only was it higher than expected on almost all fronts, pressures were clearly evident in the stickier parts of the market,” said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors. “The decline in inflation, whenever that finally happens, will be painfully slow.”

Price increases were widespread: Energy prices rose 3.9% in May from the previous month, and are up 34.6% from last year. Gasoline, on average, costs 48.7% more than it did one year ago and 7.8% more than it did in April. In all, fuel prices jumped 16.9% in May on a monthly basis, pushing the one-year increase to a stunning 106.7%. 

In another worrisome sign, shelter costs – which account for roughly one-third of the CPI – accelerated in May, climbing 0.6%. It marked the fastest one-month gain since 2004. On an annual basis, shelter costs have climbed 5.5%, the fastest since February 1991. 

Food prices have also climbed 10.1% higher over the year and 1.2% over the month, with the largest increases in dairy and related products (up 2.9%, the biggest monthly increase since July 2007), non-alcoholic beverages (1.7%), cereals and bakery products (1.5%), and meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose (1.1%).

Scorching hot inflation has created severe financial pressures for most U.S. households, which are forced to pay more everyday necessities like food, gasoline and rent. The burden is disproportionately borne by low-income Americans, whose already-stretched paychecks are heavily impacted by price fluctuations. 

Rising prices are eating away the strong wage gains that American workers have seen in recent months: Real average hourly earnings decreased 0.6% in May from the previous month, as the inflation increase eroded the 0.3% total wage gain, according to the Labor Department. On an annual basis, real earnings actually dropped 3% in May.

Rampant inflation has become a major political liability for Biden ahead of the November midterm elections, in which Democrats are expected to lose their already razor-thin majorities. Surveys show that Americans see inflation as the biggest problem facing the country – and that many households blame Biden for the price spike.  

The hotter-than-expected report will also have major implications for the Federal Reserve, likely solidifying a series of aggressive rate hikes as central bank officials try to tame inflation. Policymakers already raised the benchmark interest rate by 50-basis points – double the usual size – in May and are expected to approve at least two more similarly sized hikes in June and July. 

2022 The world’s most expensive cities

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2022 The world’s most expensive cities

The world’s most expensive cities

1. Hong Kong

2. New York

3. Geneva

4. London

5. Tokyo

6. Tel Aviv

7. Zurich

8. Shanghai

9. Guangzhou

10. Seoul

Global mobility company ECA International has released its annual list of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, and once again Hong Kong has landed at the top of the list, reported by CNN.

The company calculates the list based on several factors, including the average price of household staples like milk and cooking oil, rent, utilities, public transit and the strength of the local currency.

This is the third year in a row that Hong Kong has claimed the dubious honor of being the world’s priciest city on the ECA index. The index specifically focuses on foreign workers and expats in their rankings.

It is safe to call Asia the most expensive continent, with five cities — Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Seoul — landing in the top 10.

Some regulators include the Middle East in Asia. In that case, Tel Aviv — which is in sixth place — also counts toward Asia’s total and would give it six out of 10 spots.

Asia also claims the honor of being home to the fastest-rising city on the overall list. That would be Colombo, Sri Lanka’s main metropolis, which jumped 23 places from 162 to 149.

Lee Quane, ECA’s regional director for Asia, explained the reasoning for mainland China’s growing presence on the index.

“The majority of the mainland Chinese cities in our rankings have higher rates of inflation than we are used to seeing, but they are still typically lower than elsewhere in Asia,” Quane said in a statement. “Therefore, the main reason for their rise in the rankings has been the continued strength of the Chinese yuan against other major currencies.”

So, which cities are lower ranked than in previous years?

Paris, which has topped the ECA list in the past, dropped out of the top 30. Madrid, Rome and Brussels all fell as well.

“Nearly every major Eurozone city saw a drop in the rankings this year as the euro performed worse in the last 12 months than the US dollar and British pound,” Quane explains.

External factors like politics and international conflicts can also play a role. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the accompanying sanctions placed by many countries meant that Moscow came in 62nd place and St Petersburg landed in 147th.

Europe’s most expensive city is Geneva, Switzerland, which was in third place after Hong Kong and New York City. Switzerland uses the Swiss franc instead of the euro.

The coronavirus pandemic has, of course, played a role in global supply chains and other economic factors.

ECA International isn’t the only company that ranks the world’s cities based on economics.

London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) releases its Worldwide Cost of Living index every December. In 2021, Tel Aviv took the prize for costliest place to live, with Paris and Singapore tying for second.

Hong Kong was in the fifth spot, behind Zurich. In 2020, Hong Kong, Zurich and Paris all shared the designation of number one.

Both lists use the prices of everyday items like groceries and fuel to determine their rankings. However, EIU ties its figures to the US dollar, so economies that do the same thing — like Hong Kong, for one — are more likely to rank highly.

Either way, regardless of the order cities are listed on different indexes, it’s clear that Asian, European and North American cities are far more expensive to live in than their counterparts in Africa and South America.

FBI raids home of Nicholas Roske, suspect charged with trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh 

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FBI raids home of Nicholas Roske, suspect charged with trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh 

FBI agents raided the California home of Nicholas Roske, who has been charged with trying to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Federal officials Wednesday night converged on the Roske family’s one-story house in Simi Valley and busted down the front door after obtaining a search warrant.

Appearing before a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Roske paused several times while responding to routine inquiries from US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan during the 10-minute hearing.

Asked if he understood what was happening and whether he was thinking clearly, Roske paused, then said, “I think I have a reasonable understanding, but I wouldn’t say I’m thinking clearly.”

Roske said he is taking medication, but did not say what it is or why he is on it. He also said he is a college graduate.

Neighbors told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that the feds also were canvassing the area and asking questions about Roske.

“They were always nice people so it’s a surprise more than anything,” neighbor Zach Quadri told CBS News of Roske’s family. 

Roske was arrested earlier Wednesday outside Kavanaugh’s home in Montgomery County, Maryland, where he had shown up with a backpack and suitcase containing a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, a knife, tactical gear, pepper spray and other items, including zip ties, a hammer, a screwdriver and duct tape

The 26-year-old was apprehended after calling 911 and telling the operator that he was having “suicidal thoughts” and had a firearm in his suitcase.

Roske also allegedly confided in the emergency communications dispatcher that “he traveled from California to Maryland to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice,” according to a US Justice Department press release. 

The suspect was charged with one count of attempting to murder or kidnap a US judge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, Roske told investigators that he “began thinking about how to give his life purpose and decided that he would kill the Supreme Court Justice.”

Roske said he was angry over the leaked draft opinion signaling the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade. He was also upset over the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws, an affidavit said.


“This kind of behavior is obviously behavior we will not tolerate,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters Wednesday. “Threats of violence and actual violence against the justices of course strike at the heart of our democracy and we will do everything we can to prevent them and to hold people who do them accountable.”

Over $160K worth of marijuana plants seized in drug bust in Georgia home

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Over $160K worth of marijuana plants seized in drug bust in Georgia home

 A drug bust at a south Georgia home resulted in $160,000 worth of drugs being taken off the streets.

The Georgia Department of Corrections, along with Fitzgerald Police Department and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, assisted in the case.

The identities of the suspects have not been released.

Lanier County Sheriff’s Office seized over 100 marijuana plants in a home grow operation bust.

The seized pot has a street value of more than $160,000.

On Monday, investigators carried out a search warrant at a home on Bryant Lane in Ray City after an investigation into a marijuana grow operation inside the house.

The plants were at different stages of growth and the loose marijuana was being prepared to be packaged and sold.

New COVID-19 vaccine may be option for troops with religious concerns

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New COVID-19 vaccine may be option for troops with religious concerns

According to AP, a COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal approval may offer a boost for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons.

At least 175 active duty and reserve service members have already received the Novavax vaccine, some even traveling overseas at their own expense to get it. The vaccine meets Defense Department requirements because it has the World Health Organization’s emergency use approval and is used in Europe and other regions. The Food and Drug Administration is considering giving it emergency use authorization in the U.S.

Across the military, more than 5,000 service members have been discharged for refusing the vaccine, according to the latest statistics provided by the services. Of those who requested religious exemptions, only slightly more than 100 have been approved.

In the lawsuit against the Navy, a federal judge in Texas agreed the case can go forward as a class-action lawsuit and issued a preliminary injunction barring the service from taking action against sailors who objected to the vaccine on religious grounds. Berry said the Justice Department has said it will appeal the ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the Air Force lawsuit, Berry said, lawyers have asked that it also be a class action, and they are seeking a temporary restraining order preventing the Air Force from taking any adverse actions. The court has not yet ruled.

The Novavax vaccine may be an acceptable option for some of the 27,000 service members who have sought religious exemptions from the mandatory vaccine. Military officials say many troops who refuse the shots cite certain COVID-19 vaccines’ remote connection to abortions.

Laboratory-grown cell lines descended from fetuses that were aborted decades ago were used in some early-stage testing of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and to grow viruses used to manufacture the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The vaccines do not contain fetal cells. Novavax, however, says that ”no human fetal-derived cell lines or tissue” were used in the development, manufacture or production of its vaccine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory last year, saying the shots were critical to maintaining military readiness and the health of the force. Military leaders have argued that troops for decades have been required to get as many as 17 vaccines, particularly for those who are deploying overseas.

One group involved in lawsuits targeting the military’s vaccine requirement said it’s possible some shot opponents may see Novavax as an amenable option.

“I definitely think it is for some, but certainly not for all,” said Mike Berry, director of military affairs for First Liberty Institute. “There are some for whom abortion is really the ultimate issue, and once that issue is resolved for them spiritually, then they’re willing.”

Berry added, however, that for others, abortion is “just a tangential issue,” and they have broader opposition to vaccines as a whole. “A rudimentary way of looking at it is that they’ve asked for God’s will, and they believe that it would be wrong for them to get the vaccine,” Berry said. “In other words, they believe that God has told them no.”

Novavax also may appeal to people who are uncomfortable with the new genetic-based technology used in Pfizer and Moderna’s so-called mRNA vaccines. They deliver genetic instructions for the body to make copies of the coronavirus’ outer coating, the spike protein.

The Novavax vaccine is made with a more familiar technology, like those used for years to prevent hepatitis B and shingles. It trains the body to fight the coronavirus by delivering copies of the outer coating which are grown in insect cells, then are purified and packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus, according to Novavax research chief Dr. Gregory Glenn.

While some religious groups oppose the shots, when COVID-19 vaccines first started rolling out the Vatican’s doctrine office called the options “morally acceptable” and Pope Francis, who has received Pfizer shots, has strongly encouraged widespread vaccination.

Berry said he doesn’t know how many would consider Novavax acceptable, but guessed it may be a small percentage. First Liberty Institute and the law firm Schaerr Jaffe LLP are representing a number of Navy sailors in one lawsuit, and nine airmen in another.

Military officials declined to publicly detail the nature of any service members’ religious exemption requests, but spoke on condition of anonymity to provide some descriptions. They said that the most predominant issue mentioned in waiver requests is the remote link to fetal cell lines, while others argue that their body is a temple that must remain pure. Others, officials said, describe reasons that appear to have less connection to faith.

Berry said his firm carefully screens individuals for the lawsuits, to make sure their objections are based on sincerely held religious beliefs, rather than political or other opposition masquerading as faith-based views.

The military can’t administer the Novavax shot now, and won’t pay for anyone’s travel overseas to get it. But tens of thousands of American forces are based in Europe, where Novavax is available.

Earlier this week, advisers to the FDA backed the Novavax vaccine. Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize it. A final FDA decision isn’t expected immediately, as the agency finishes combing through the data.

Thailand makes marijuana legal as of Thursday, but smoking discouraged

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Thailand makes marijuana legal as of Thursday, but smoking discouraged

According to AP, Thailand made it legal to cultivate and possess marijuana as of Thursday, like a dream come true for an aging generation of pot smokers who recall the kick the legendary Thai Stick variety delivered.

The stated intention of the country’s public health minister to distribute 1 million marijuana seedlings, beginning Friday, has added to the impression that Thailand is turning into a weed wonderland.

Some Thai advocates celebrated Thursday morning by buying marijuana at a cafe that had previously been limited to selling products made from the parts of the plant that do not get people high. The dozen or so people who turned up at the Highland Cafe were able to choose from a variety of buds with names such as Sugarcane, Bubblegum, Purple Afghani, and UFO.

“I can say it out loud, that I am a cannabis smoker. I don’t need to hide like in the past when it was branded as a illegal drug,” said 24-year-old Rittipong Bachkul, the day’s first customer.

So far, it appears there would be no effort to police what people can grow and smoke at home, aside from registering to do so, and declaring it is for medical purposes.

For the time being, however, would-be marijuana tourists might want to proceed with caution.

POLITICS

S. Korean truckers’ strike enters third day, supply chain risks grow

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S. Korean truckers’ strike enters third day, supply chain risks grow

Thousands of South Korean truckers were on strike for a third day on Thursday to protest the sharp surge in fuel costs, disrupting production, hitting ports activity and posing new risks to a strained global supply chain, according to Reuters.

Presenting President Yoon Seok-youl, in power for just a month, with one of his first big economic challenges, about 7,200 members or roughly 30% of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union were on strike, the country’s transport ministry said.

The police have made more than two dozen arrests including members of the truckers union who were blocking the gates of the Hite Jinro (000080.KS) brewery in Icheon, southeast of Seoul, Yonhap news reported.

President Yoon warned strikers on Thursday not to use violence and said the government is trying to resolve the situation through dialogue.

“Under no circumstances will the public find breaches of the law or resorting to violence acceptable,” he told reporters.

A union official said the number of participating members was much higher and they were also joined by non-union truckers.

“Due to skyrocketing fuel prices and the government not acting enough to protect our livelihood, our frustration is only growing and growing,” Kim Jae-kwang, a senior union official, said.

He said many truck drivers were on the verge of going out of business.

“Large cargo truck drivers are paying an additional 3 million won in fuel costs when their monthly pay is around 3 to 4 million won.”

South Korean steelmaker POSCO (005490.KS) said it had been unable to ship about 35,000 tonnes of steel products from two plants daily since the strike began – equivalent to roughly a third of its daily shipments from those plants.

A South Korean auto industry group called the strike “extremely selfish”, saying it would further pressure the sector which has been hurt by the global chip shortage.

Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) has seen some disruption to production at plants in Ulsan as truck drivers refuse to deliver components, Yonhap news agency reported. Hyundai Motor declined to comment on the matter.

An official with the Korean Shippers’ Council said the impact was being felt at the ports.

“There’s only a minimal amount of cargo getting into ports right now. Until yesterday the situation may have appeared okay because some pre-arranged cargoes were being delivered but the reality now is that it is very difficult.”

The Cargo Truckers Solidarity union is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which is known for being more defiant than other big union groups in their actions.

U.S. and China are expected to trade blows at Asian security meeting

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U.S. and China are expected to trade blows at Asian security meeting

The United States and China are expected to use Asia’s top security meeting this week to trade blows over everything from Taiwan’s sovereignty to the war in Ukraine, although both sides have indicated a willingness to discuss managing differences.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, which attracts top-level military officials, diplomats and weapons makers from around the globe, will take place June 10-12 in Singapore, the first time the event has been held since 2019 after it was postponed twice because of COVID-19.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address the meeting in a virtual session, organisers said.

On the sidelines of the summit, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defence General Wei Fenghe are expected to hold their first face-to-face meeting since President Joe Biden took office.

“We expect, from our perspective, the substance of that meeting to be focused on managing competition in regional and global issues,” a senior U.S. official said.

Chinese media have also said Beijing will use the meeting to discuss cooperation with the United States.

Austin and Wei are likely to then use speeches over the weekend to re-affirm their commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, while delivering some pointed remarks in the direction of the other.

Relations between China and the United States have been tense in recent months, with the world’s two largest economies clashing over everything from Chinese belligerence towards Taiwan, its military activity in the South China Sea and Beijing’s attempts to expand influence in the Pacific region.

“The key issue this year is inevitably going to be the U.S.-China competitive relationship,” said Meia Nouwens, Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation at The International Institute for Strategic Studies, the think tank that organises the event.

“There’s a new sense of urgency with regards to the People’s Liberation Army’s ongoing modernisation and the assertiveness that we’ve seen from China in the last two years.”

Although the summit is focused on Asian security issues, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will remain central to discussions. The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and reduced cities to rubble, entered its 100th day last week.

Ukraine will send a delegation to the meeting but the Russians will not be attending, according to a source familiar with the list of attendees.

“American participants will use the occasion to criticise China’s strategic partnership with Russia,” said Li Mingjiang, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“We’ll see some inferences of the China-Russia partnership as a coalition of autocracies … China will defend their relationship with Russia, their position and policy in response to Ukraine.”

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