Entertainment
Putin to join President Xi and world leaders at SCO meeting in China
TIANJIN: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Sunday, where he will join President Xi Jinping and around 20 other world leaders for a major regional summit.
The gathering, organised under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), will run until Monday and comes just days before a huge military parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
China and Russia have sometimes touted the SCO as an alternative to the NATO military alliance.
In an interview published on China’s Xinhua news agency on Saturday, Putin said the upcoming summit will “strengthen the SCO’s capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats, and consolidate solidarity across the shared Eurasian space”.
“All this will help shape a fairer multipolar world order,” Putin said, Xinhua reported.
As China’s claim over Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have seen them clash with the United States and Europe, experts say Beijing and Moscow are eager to use platforms like the SCO to curry influence.
“China has long sought to present the SCO as a non-Western-led power bloc that promotes a new type of international relations, which, it claims, is more democratic,” said Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“In short, it offers a Chinese-inflected multilateral order that is distinct from the western-dominated ones in international politics,” Loh told AFP.
More than 20 leaders including Iranian and Turkish presidents Masoud Pezeshkian and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the bloc’s largest meeting since its founding in 2001.
“The large-scale participation indicates China’s growing influence and the SCO’s appeal as a platform for non-Western countries,” Loh added.
Beijing, through the SCO, will try to “project influence and signal that Eurasia has its own institutions and rules of the game”, said Lizzi Lee from the Asia Society Policy Institute.
“It is framed as something different, built around sovereignty, non-interference, and multipolarity, which the Chinese tout as a model,” Lee told AFP.
Talks on the sidelines
Chinese President Xi met leaders including Egyptian Premier Moustafa Madbouly and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Tianjin on Saturday.
Other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit will be organised.
Putin is expected to hold talks on Monday with Turkey’s Erdogan and Iran’s Pezeshkian about the Ukraine conflict and Tehran’s nuclear programme respectively.
Putin needs “all the benefits of SCO as a player on the world stage and also the support of the second largest economy in the world”, said Lim Tai Wei, a professor and East Asia expert at Japan’s Soka University.
“Russia is also keen to win over India, and India’s trade frictions with the United States present this opportunity,” Lim told AFP.
The summit comes days after India was hit by a sharp bump up in US tariffs on its goods as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday evening after a trip to Japan, marking the start of his first visit to China since 2018.
The two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.
A thaw began last October when Modi met with Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.
Modi was not on a list of attendees for the Beijing parade published by Chinese state media on Thursday that included Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
Entertainment
Taylor Swift on bond with Dakota Johnson: ‘Curious’
Taylor Swift has opened up about her close bond with Dakota Johnson, describing the actress as an “endlessly curious” and “empathetic” friend who stands out for her refreshing honesty.
Writing a heartfelt essay for Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026, the 36-year-old singer-songwriter vouched for Johnson’s “realness” in an industry often defined by carefully managed media responses.
Swift praised the bestie for her unique ability to answer questions with such “frank candour” that it leaves people wondering if she is simply incapable of lying.
While the two stars have largely kept their relationship away from the public eye, they have been part of the same social circle since 2016, often spotted enjoying dinner in the company of friends like Zoë Kravitz, Cara Delevingne, and Suki Waterhouse.
This long-standing connection has given Swift a front-row seat to Johnson’s personality, which she describes as being deeply inquisitive about the lives of others.
According to Swift, the actress is constantly exploring the “intricate relationship complexities” of the human experience, a trait that fuels her work both in front of and behind the camera.
Beyond their personal friendship, Swift highlighted Johnson’s professional bravery, specifically noting her willingness to take “newer and bolder risks” by founding her own production company, TeaTime Pictures.
The Grammy-winning artist noted that this drive to challenge herself is a core part of who the actress is.
Swift seems to admire the way Johnson balances being a captivating presence on screen with an inquisitive nature behind the scenes, suggesting that this combination is what makes her storytelling feel so authentic.
Ultimately, Swift believes that Johnson’s commitment to the truth is what defines her legacy in Hollywood.
She concluded her tribute by noting that her friend’s “unfailing truthfulness” helps shape her work into art that feels “as real and timeless as she is.”
By bridging the gap between her public persona and her private self, Johnson has clearly made a lasting impression on Swift, who views her as a rare example of someone whose evolving career is a direct reflection of her genuine, inquisitive character.
Entertainment
PM hails Saudi economic support, highlights US-Iran peace efforts in MBS meeting
- Pakistan reaffirms “shoulder to shoulder” support for Saudi Arabia.
- PM, MBS discuss regional situation during nearly two-hour meeting.
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review bilateral ties and strategic cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his sincere appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s consistent support for Pakistan’s economic stability during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister called on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah this evening. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.
According to the PMO, the two leaders held detailed discussions during a warm and cordial meeting that lasted almost two hours, focusing on the evolving regional situation as well as bilateral relations.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed full solidarity and support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the wake of recent regional escalation, saying that “the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with our Saudi brethren.” He also conveyed deep condolences over the loss of precious lives.
He appreciated what he described as the Kingdom’s “exemplary patience and restraint,” adding that the Crown Prince’s leadership during the current crisis “has been a source of strength for all peace-loving people in the Kingdom and beyond.”
The Prime Minister also shared recent developments related to Pakistan’s peace efforts, including those that led to the US–Iran ceasefire and the recently held round of historic talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. He noted that “Pakistan and the Kingdom enjoy a unique relationship as strategic defence partners under the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.”
He further expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s continued support of Pakistan’s economic stability, describing it as “deeply appreciated.”
Both leaders also exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to continued close cooperation.
Entertainment
A culinary thriller with explosive star power
Demi Moore is continuing her remarkable career resurgence, signing on for the new culinary thriller Tyrant alongside Charlize Theron and Julia Garner.
Variety broke the news exclusively, reporting that Moore has accepted a key role in the high-stakes film set within New York City’s elite fine dining scene.
David Weil, known for Amazon series Hunters and Invasion, will write and direct, working from a script he developed with Cody Behan.
Production is expected to begin within weeks in Los Angeles, having secured a California Film Tax Credit.
The film will be produced by Theron alongside her Secret Menu partners Beth Kono and A.J. Dix, as well as The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona.
Weil produces with partner Natalie Laine Williams, with Stan Wlodkowski serving as executive producer.
Moore arrives at this project on the back of one of the strongest periods of her career.
Her performance in The Substance, in which she played a fading star who takes a mysterious drug to reclaim her youth, earned her a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, as well as an Oscar nomination.
She will next be seen in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters in late May, and currently stars in the top-rated Taylor Sheridan series Landman.
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