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GENEVA — Responding to the growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, the United Nations and the Lebanese government launched a $426 million flash appeal Tuesday to provide emergency assistance to support 1 million people directly affected by the rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon. “In just the past two weeks, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, over 6,000 have been injured, and an estimated 1 million people have been directly affected or displaced since October 2023,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, told journalists in Geneva. “I want to add that you will have seen in recent hours the reports of the beginning of an Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon,” he said. “We are deeply concerned about this development. We urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, adhere to international humanitarian law and engage in immediate de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and to prevent further suffering.” He said the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations already are providing food, nutrition for children, water and other basic supplies needed for “peoples’ survival and well-being,” but the humanitarian response is insufficient to deal with the overwhelming and growing humanitarian needs. “This appeal aims to rapidly reinforce and scale up these essential services in support of the government-led response,” Laerke said, adding that there was little time to lose. Israel launched its ground invasion against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon Tuesday morning, describing it as a “limited, localized and targeted” operation. The action follows the detonation by Israel two weeks ago of thousands of pagers that killed many people, injured thousands and decimated Hezbollah’s leadership — raising the low simmering conflict in Lebanon to a higher, more dangerous level. “We are gravely concerned by the widening hostilities in the Middle East and their potential to engulf the entire region in a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe,” said Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. She warned that further deterioration of the situation “could rapidly expand to embroil other states in the region. “With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians have already been terrible,” she said. “We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering.” Throssell underscored the dangers of further escalation, noting that the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “has sent shock waves reverberating around the region.” “I think what we have seen unfolding in recent days has added to our concerns,” especially on the impact “of innocent children, women and men from hostilities,” she said. “All parties to these conflicts must clearly distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects in the way they conduct hostilities,” she said, adding that the warring parties must do all they can “to protect the lives of civilians,” as well as their homes and essential infrastructure. Israel has said the offensive will continue until Hezbollah stops firing rockets at Israel and it is safe for families to return to the homes they abandoned near the Lebanon border. For Christian Cortez, head of delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for Lebanon, the war raging in his country is not just a matter of statistics. It is personal. “Just a few days ago, my wife’s brother was killed in the line of duty while rescuing others. He served with dedication in the Lebanese Civil Defense. …  He leaves behind his wife and three young children, and like thousands of other Lebanese, they now face the hardships of the displacement,” he said. Speaking from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, he told journalists that his brother-in-law’s death was not just a personal loss for his family but one of “a heartbreaking list of Lebanese humanitarian workers and civilians who have tragically lost their lives in the recent escalation.” “His is just one of millions of stories of fear and trauma,” Cortez said. He spelled out the immense challenges facing the Lebanese Red Cross, “which has been at the front line of the emergency response from the first day.” He said the Lebanese Red Cross is facing shortages of medical supplies, ambulances and fuel, noting that the IFRCs $65 million appeal is only 12% covered.

London — As the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel approaches, many European countries are strengthening their calls for Israel to end its assault on Hamas targets in Gaza amid growing horror at the civilian death toll.   The militant attack killed 1,200 people, including Israelis and people of several other nationalities. Around 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas. The assault prompted outrage from Israel’s allies in Europe. “This Hamas attack is terrible, and it is barbaric. In these dark hours for the Jewish state, we … stand firmly by Israel's side,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in the hours following the attack. Then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak echoed those words of support. “I want to express my absolute solidarity for the people of Israel. Now is not a time for equivocation, and I'm unequivocal,” Sunak said on the day following the attack. Israel’s Western allies, most prominently the United States, said the country had the right to defend itself. Israel responded with waves of airstrikes on Hamas targets and a ground invasion of Gaza. Israel officials defended targeting schools and hospitals in Gaza, saying Hamas fighters were using them as bases and to store weapons.   'Miscalculation' But soon, Western concern grew over the mounting civilian death toll, which reached 22,000 by the end of 2023, and has since climbed to over 41,000. “I think there was a miscalculation on behalf of most Western governments — that they went all in in support for Israel early on, making it very, very difficult to find some sort of off-ramp to also tell Israel when it was wrong, when it acted excessively,” said Andreas Krieg, a Middle East analyst at Kings College London. “As this became clearer in late 2023 and early 2024, most Western governments found it very hard to backtrack from the initial unequivocal support that they gave to Israel.” There was also global concern over the lack of aid reaching Gaza amid the devastation. South Africa brought an ongoing case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, supported, among others, by Spain, Ireland and Belgium. An interim ruling by the court ordered Israel to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” Israel insisted it operates according to international law. Negotiations to secure a truce, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, have so far failed.   “Europeans don't have the leverage that the U.S. has to actually do anything about it apart from, obviously, potentially a diplomatic statement or trying to sponsor diplomatic efforts. But if there was no coercion exercised on the Netanyahu government, nothing was going to change,” Krieg said. In Britain, a change of government in July brought a change of approach to Israel.  Newly elected Labour leader Keir Starmer dropped the previous government’s plan to challenge an arrest warrant requested by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes. In September, Britain announced it was suspending some arms sales to Israel.   'No contest' Bronwen Maddox, director of London-based Chatham House, said the changing British approach was felt in Israel. “There's no question that some of these moves, for example, Britain taking more steps to express its disapproval of aspects of what Israel is doing — those are stinging in Israel. I heard a lot — I was there just really just days ago — a lot of people saying, ‘Well, if it's a competition between security and international support, we'll take security anytime. There's no contest,’” Maddox told Agence France-Presse. Germany, Israel’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States, has been among the strongest of Israel’s allies in Europe. “I would say the messages coming out of Germany up till now are probably the most pro-Israel of any major country in the world, even in comparison to the United States,” Krieg told VOA. However, Berlin has also suspended several arms exports licenses to Israel in recent months. “That's likely not because there's a change of policy,” Krieg said. “I think the German government is still unequivocally standing with Israel. But there is a concern over legal action being taken against the German government in Germany by lawyers who are saying Germany is no longer compliant with international law, by being complicit in this war,” he added. After facing missile attacks from Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen, Israel has widened its military operations in recent days, launching air strikes against both militant groups and a limited ground invasion across the Lebanese border. The United Nations says over 1 million people in Lebanon have been forced to flee the fighting. European nations offered Israel unequivocal support in the wake of October 7. After a year of brutal, escalating conflict, most are demanding an end to the fighting.

As the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas cross-border attack on Israel approaches, many European countries are strengthening their calls for Israel to end its assault on Hamas targets in Gaza amid growing horror at the civilian death toll. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

The monthly number of U.S. Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico has plummeted in 2024 from 2023's record high.

The post Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border have fallen sharply in 2024 appeared first on Pew Research Center.

WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Hilltop Youth, a group of extremist settlers in the Israeli -occupied West Bank who attack Palestinians and their property. In addition, the State Department placed diplomatic sanctions on two men — Israeli settler Eitan Yardeni, for his connection to violence targeting West Bank civilians, and Avichai Suissa, the leader of Hashomer Yosh, a sanctioned group that brings young volunteers to settler farms across the territory, including small farming outposts that rights groups say are the primary drivers of settler violence across the territory. The sanctions, which expose people to asset freezes and travel and visa bans, come as violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has exploded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war following the deadly terrorist attacks of October 7. Palestinians report verbal and physical harassment and restriction of movement, and they face intimidation by settlers circling their properties on motorbikes, cars or horses and spying via drones. The Treasury Department said Hilltop Youth has carried out killings and mass arson, while rights groups and Palestinians say the group is behind "price tag" attacks — attacks on Palestinian villages in retaliation for perceived efforts to hamper settlement construction. The group may prove difficult to effectively sanction, as it is loosely organized and decentralized. In addition, Israel's finance minister has previously vowed to intervene on sanctioned settlers' behalf. In the past, sanctioned settlers said that the measures had little impact on their finances. Hilltop Youth has already faced sanctions from the EU and U.K. The Biden administration has been criticized for imposing relatively few sanctions on Israeli extremists. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, 27 extremists and entities have been sanctioned by the U.S. under President Joe Biden 's February 2024 Executive Order related to maintaining West Bank stability. Treasury Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said that the U.S. "will continue to hold accountable the individuals, groups and organizations that facilitate these hateful and destabilizing acts." State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "The actions of these individuals have contributed to creating an environment where violence and instability thrive. Their actions, collectively and individually, undermine peace, security and stability in the West Bank."

Iran distorts what sparked the Israel-Hamas war and glosses over Tehran’s decadeslong effort to destroy Israel via proxy forces.

A new exhibit in Washington sheds some light on a little-known layer of the sea and the strange creatures that live there. Artechouse art center and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution collaborated on the spectacle, called Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean. Maxim Adams has the story.

Tokyo — Japan's new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said Tuesday that his nation faces its "most severe" regional security situation in the post-WWII era, without naming any specific threats. "The security environment surrounding our country is the most severe since the end of World War II," he said in his first press conference after being approved as prime minister by parliament earlier in the day. Ishiba, 67, is a former defense minister who has previously called for the creation of an Asian NATO to counter China's rapid military build-up, North Korean missile launches and other security threats. "With the Japan-US alliance as a foundation, we will expand the circle of friendly and like-minded countries, using diplomacy and defense to realize the peace of Japan and the region," he told reporters on Tuesday. He also said he would focus on cybersecurity and the safety of Japanese people abroad and would work to fix a shortage of new troops for Japan's military. On the economy, Ishiba — who backs the Bank of Japan's exit from its maverick ultra-loose policies — said he would broadly continue the work of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida. "The Japanese economy stands on the brink of whether to emerge from deflation. I will navigate our economy and fiscal policies by prioritizing ending deflation," he said. Ishiba, who won a ruling party leadership vote last week, has said he intends to call a general election for October 27 to shore up his mandate. On Tuesday, he said the public and private sectors will have a shared goal for "female participation in all decision-making scenarios at all organizations." However, his own 20-strong cabinet announced earlier in the day includes just two women.

Brussels — The new head of NATO vowed on Tuesday to help shore up Western support for war-ravaged Ukraine and expressed confidence that he can work with whoever is elected president of the United States, the alliance's most powerful member, in November. "There can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine," new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in his first speech on taking office, and he affirmed a commitment made by the organization's leaders in 2008 that "Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO." Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are making advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's army has a shaky hold on part of the Kursk region in Russia, which has provided a temporary morale boost, but as casualties mount it remains outmanned and outgunned. "The cost of supporting Ukraine is far, far lower than the cost we would face if we allow Putin to get his way," Rutte told reporters, a few hours after his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg handed the reins to him, along with a Viking gavel with which to chair future meetings. But Ukraine's NATO membership remains a distant prospect. Several member countries, led by the U.S. and Germany, believe that Ukraine should not join while it's fighting a war. Rutte declined to speculate about what must happen before it can stand among NATO's ranks. Rutte did single out China, and particularly Beijing's support for Putin. "China has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine. China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War without this impacting its interests and reputation," he said. NATO's new top civilian official also underlined the importance of keeping the trans-Atlantic bond between the United States, Canada and Europe strong, with U.S. elections just a month away. Surveys suggest the election will be a close race. It could see the return of Donald Trump, whose bluster during his last term of office about low defense spending among European allies and Canada undermined the trust of NATO member countries. It became an existential challenge, as smaller members feared that the U.S. under Trump would renege on NATO's security pledge that all countries must come to the rescue of any ally in trouble, the foundation stone the alliance is built on. But Rutte said: "I know both candidates very well." He praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to spend more and for toughening their approach toward China. He also hailed the "fantastic record" of Vice President Kamala Harris and described her as "a highly respected leader." "I will be able to work with both. Whatever is the outcome of the election," Rutte said. When pressed about Trump's commitment to the other allies, he deflected, saying only that both candidates "understand that, in the end, the trans-Atlantic relationship is crucial, not just for Europe." Asked whether the Netherlands, which has only just reached NATO's spending of 2% of gross domestic product on its defense budget, has set a good example to other allies, Rutte shook his head and said "No. We should have done this earlier." Earlier, Stoltenberg had welcomed Rutte to NATO headquarters in Brussels for the change of leadership. The two men, who first sat together at NATO's table 14 years ago as the leaders of Norway and the Netherlands, greeted each other warmly, before laying a wreath to fallen military personnel, surrounded by the flags of the 32 member countries. "Mark has the perfect background to become a great secretary general," a visibly emotional Stoltenberg said as he ended a decade in office. "He has served as prime minister for 14 years and led four different coalition governments, so therefore he knows how to make compromises, create consensus, and these are skills which are very much valued here at NATO," Stoltenberg said. Rutte said that he "cannot wait to get to work." Among his other priorities, he said, are to increase defense spending and strengthen partnerships that the alliance has established with other countries around the world, notably in Asia and the Middle East. After hundreds of NATO staffers applauded the two men as they moved inside to the great hall where North Atlantic Council meetings are held at the level of ambassadors, ministers or leaders, Stoltenberg helped his successor to get started by presenting him with a Viking gavel to use when chairing meetings. Stoltenberg, NATO's 13th secretary-general, took over in 2014, the year that "little green men" from Russia infiltrated Ukraine. Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, sparking a defense spending buildup at the world's biggest security alliance that gathered pace over his term. His tenure was surpassed only by Dutch diplomat Joseph Luns, who spent 12 years in charge of NATO. NATO secretaries-general run the HQ, drive the alliance's working agenda and speak on behalf of the 32-nation organization with one unifying voice. Continuity is usually the key word when they take up office.

Abuja — Hundreds gathered in Abuja, Nigeria for the 2024 Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk, raising awareness and support for pediatric cancer. Despite progress in cancer care, Nigerian children face high costs and delayed diagnoses, which the walk aims to address. Titilayo Adewumi joined the walk with her 13-year-old son Shittu, diagnosed with leukemia at age 5. With support from the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, Shittu is now cancer-free. Adewumi recounts the toll her son's cancer diagnosis took on her family. "I had to stop working for like 4 - 5 years so I could concentrate on him," she said. "We went out of cash, we didn't have money, that is when the Okapi visited us ... I was so excited when the doctor told me that he was free of cancer, I felt like jumping into the roof and back I was so happy because it was not easy." Among the walkers was Izuyor Tobi. He brought his daughter Hope, who battled neuroblastoma. Treatment costs nearly drained the family’s finances until Okapi intervened. Today, Hope is healthy. Tobi believes that spreading awareness about pediatric cancer will save lives. "If not for Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, I don't think my daughter will be alive today... What I do is to create more awareness by telling people what Okapi Children Cancer Foundation has done for my daughter," he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of childhood cancers occur in low-income countries like Nigeria, where many cases go undiagnosed or are detected late. Pediatric oncologist Ifeoma Ezeukwu from the Federal Medical Center explained barriers to care. "Ignorance is also another barrier," she said. "I have come across so many people who will tell you, I never knew children could have cancer. ... Early detection is key to survival in childhood cancer unlike the adult cancers; children, the prognosis are better in them when they are seen early, once you capture cancer early, you know that cure is what is expected." Kemi Adekanye founded the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation in 2017 and has been mobilizing community awareness and support. Funded by friends and family, the foundation has helped over 200 children access treatment, despite costs starting at $180. Adekanye says they’re focused on influencing government action for pediatric cancer. "As of today, there's currently no supports being provided to children battling cancer, so we expect the government to intervene in terms of subsidizing treatment costs for children battling cancer, as well as equipping our hospitals more so people don't have to travel far and wide to access oncology centers,” she said. Health policy analyst Ejike Oji called for systemic reforms across Nigeria to ease the burden on families. "The government should establish dedicated pediatric oncology wards across the country to provide grounds for training health care professionals to ensure their skills are good in diagnosing and treating childhood cancer," he said. "If you look at the cancer from diagnosis to treatment, it's a lot of money. Radiotherapy is one of the most expensive; most families cannot afford." The large turnout at the 8th Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk — 'Bridge The Gap' —showed the power of community mobilization. Nigerians are advocating for better health care, early diagnosis and family support, ensuring no child faces cancer alone.

SEOUL — A North Korean defector living in South Korea was detained on Tuesday after ramming a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border, in an apparent attempt to get back to the North, Yonhap news agency reported.  The incident took place at around 1:30 a.m. (16:30 GMT on Monday) at the Tongil Bridge in Paju, northwest of the capital Seoul, after the man ignored warnings from soldiers guarding the bridge and attempted to drive through, Yonhap said, citing city police.   Paju police referred queries on the incident to provincial police authorities. The northern Gyeonggi police agency could not be reached for comment.   The man aged in his 30s who had defected more than a decade ago told police that he was trying to return to North Korea after struggling to settle in the South, the report said.  It is highly unusual for North Koreans who have fled their isolated country to try to return, though many struggle to adapt to life in their democratic, capitalist neighbor.   As of June, around 34,200 North Koreans had resettled in South Korea, mostly after arduous, sometimes life-threatening journeys, usually via China, to escape poverty and oppression at home, according to Seoul's unification ministry.   The ministry, which handles cross-border affairs and provides resettlement support for defectors, said in 2022 that about 30 defectors were confirmed to have returned to the North since 2012, but defectors and activists say there could be many more unreported cases.   In early 2022, a defector in his 30s made a rare, risky return to North Korea across the heavily fortified border after struggling to cope in the South, igniting fresh debate over how such escapees are treated in their new home country.  

BANGKOK — A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with more than 20 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said.  The bus was carrying 44 passengers from central Uthai Thani province for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruengkit told reporters at the scene.  Videos posted on social media showed the entire bus engulfed in fire with huge plumes of black smoke pouring out as it stood on the side of the road. Bodies were still inside the bus hours after the fire.  The students on the bus were reported to be in elementary and junior high school.  Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said officials could not yet confirm the number of fatalities because they had not finished investigating the scene. He said the driver survived but appeared to have fled and could not yet be found.  Anutin had earlier said 25 were feared dead, but Piyalak Thinkaew, a rescuer of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation told reporters later that two more survivors had been found, reducing the number of those still missing to 23 — three teachers and 20 students.  Rescuers and officials were able to access the bus hours after the fire was put out. Piyalak said they were still unable to identify the bodies, most of which were found in the middle and back seats, leading them to assume that the fire started at the front of the bus.  Thai media reports and rescuers said the bus was heading to Nonthaburi when the fire started around noon in Pathum Thani province, a northern suburb of the capital.  A rescuer at the scene told Suriya that the fire likely started after one of the tires exploded and the vehicle scraped against a road barrier.  Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra offered her condolences in a post on social media platform X, saying the government would take care of medical expenses and compensate the victims’ families.  The Patrangsit Hospital, which is located near the scene, said in a news conference that it admitted three young girls, one of whom suffered burns to the face, mouth and eye. 

Tunis — Tunisian politician Ayachi Zammel, a candidate in the north African country's October 6 presidential election, has been jailed for 12 years, his lawyer said on Tuesday. "The court in Tunis sentenced Ayachi Zammel to 12 years in prison in four cases" related to voter endorsements, lawyer Abdessater Messoudi told AFP. Messoudi said Zammel "remains a candidate in the election" on Sunday. The frontrunner is incumbent President Kais Saied, who was elected in 2019 but later orchestrated a sweeping power grab that included dissolving parliament and replacing it with a legislature with limited powers. Former lawmaker Zammel heads a small liberal party, and had been one of just two candidates approved by Tunisia's electoral authority ISIE to challenge Saied for the top post. Ahead of the vote, ISIE had rejected the bids of some 14 hopefuls. It eventually presented a final list of just three candidates — Saied, former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Zammel. On September 18, his lawyer said Zammel had been handed a 20-month prison term for charges related to forging voter endorsements.  

Berlin — A Chinese woman has been arrested in the German city of Leipzig on suspicion of foreign agent activities and passing on information regarding arms deliveries, the prosecutor general said in a statement on Tuesday.  The suspect, named only as Yaqi X, is accused of passing on information obtained while working for a logistics company at Leipzig/Halle airport to a member of the Chinese secret service, who is being prosecuted separately, the statement said.  The second Chinese national, named as Jian G, was working as an aide to Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany, when he was arrested this year on suspicion of "especially severe" espionage on behalf of Beijing.  The information passed along by Yaqi X in 2023 and 2024 included flight, cargo and passenger data as well as details on the transportation of military equipment and people with ties to a German arms company, the prosecutor general said.   The Chinese Embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.  Anxiety about alleged Chinese spying has risen across Western Europe recently. Beijing has denied the accusations, saying these stem from a "Cold War mindset" and are designed to poison the atmosphere for cooperation between China and Europe.  Tensions have also been simmering between Berlin and Beijing over the past year after Chancellor Olaf Scholz unveiled a strategy to de-risk Germany's economic relationship with China, calling Beijing a "partner, competitor and systemic rival."    

BEIJING — China is marking the 75th year of Communist Party rule as economic challenges and security threats linger over the massive state. No festivities have been announced for the occasion Tuesday, save for a flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, with an honor guard marching from the entrance of the sprawling palace that in past centuries was the home of Chinese emperors. The entirely state-controlled media ran constant reports on China's economic progress and social stability, with no mention of challenges ranging from a declining birth rate to the disruption in supply chains that has harmed the largely export-driven economy. Commemorations were also held in the former British colony of Hong Kong and Portugal's former territory of Macao, both of which returned to Chinese sovereignty in the late 1990s in a key indication of Beijing's determination to overcome what it has called a “Century of Humiliation.” In recent decades, China has mounted military parades and displays of the country's economic might only at the turn of decades, such as for the 60th and 70th anniversaries. The world’s second largest economy has struggled to regain momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic. A prolonged property slump led to a spillover effect on other parts of the economy, from construction to sales of home appliances. Last week, China announced a slew of measures to boost the economy, including lower interest rates and smaller down payment requirements for mortgages. Party leader and head of state Xi Jinping has largely avoided overseas travel since the pandemic, while continuing with his purges at home of top officials considered insufficiently loyal or being suspected of corruption or personal indiscretions. "The road ahead will not be smooth, there will definitely be difficulties and obstacles, and we may encounter major tests such as high winds and rough seas, or even stormy waves” Xi warned during a banquet on the eve of the anniversary. “We must be vigilant in times of peace, plan ahead, and rely closely on the entire Party, the entire army, and people of all ethnic groups across the country," he said, adding "no difficulties can stop the Chinese people from moving forward.” The anniversary also comes as China is facing growing frictions with neighbors including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines over territorial claims and their close relationships with Beijing’s chief rival, the United States. The Communists under Mao Zedong seized power in 1949 amid a civil war with the Nationalists, also known as the KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, who shifted their political, economic and military power to the now self-governing island democracy of Taiwan. Beijing continues to insist Taiwan must be annexed under Communist Party rule, by force if necessary, while the U.S. has provided arms to ensure its defense. China, meanwhile, has involved itself in disputes over its claims to most of the South China Sea and uninhabited islands held by Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and other neighboring nations. China's military buildup and its recent launch of a nuclear capable ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean have raised concerns about a possible conflict. At home, Xi has made himself effectively leader for life by ending term limits and extending his power over key government and party bodies. China allows no competitive elections and the party retains near total control over the media that informs its 1.4 billion people.