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BEIJING/MOSCOW – Chinas President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia on a state visit next week, his first trip to Russia since it invaded Ukraine.

Mr Xi will exchange opinions on major international and regional issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit from March 20 to 22, Chinas Foreign Ministry said on Friday. It will be his first overseas trip since he won a third term as president earlier this month.

The Kremlin said Mr Putin would have a one-to-one meeting with Mr Xi in Moscow on Monday. They will hold further negotiations on Tuesday, followed by a statement to the press.

During the talks, they will discuss topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China, the Kremlin said.

A number of important bilateral documents will be signed, it added.

The objective of the visit is to further deepen bilateral trust, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing. He added that Mr Xis visit was in part to promote peace, although he made no explicit mention of the Ukraine war.

During the trip, Mr Xi is expected to discuss Chinas recently released 12-point blueprint for ending the war in Ukraine, a document dismissed by most Western governments.

The criticism of the plan was more muted from Ukraine, which has tried to avoid alienating Beijing since the start of the war on 24 February 2022.

Ukraine took issue with Chinas proposals for not stating that Russia should withdraw behind borders in place since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though it later said it was open to parts of the plan.

Chinas offer to broker peace in Ukraine has been met with scepticism in the West, given Beijings diplomatic support for Russia.

Mr Xi will hold a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky following his Russia visit, according to some media reports. Beijing has not confirmed the call.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke on Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about bilateral ties and the invasion.

A possible call between Mr Xi and President Joe Biden is also on the cards.

Mr Xi last visited Russia in mid-2019, while Mr Putin visited Beijing in 2022 to attend the opening of the Winter Olympics on Feb 4. At that meeting, the two leaders agreed to a no limits friendship and signed a series of long-term energy supply deals.

The two then met in September at the Shanghai Cooperation Forum, where Mr Putin said he understands Beijings questions and concerns about his invasion of Ukraine, a rare admission of tensions between the diplomatic allies.

The two sides have since continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties. Trade between the two countries has soared since the invasion, and China is Russias biggest buyer of oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS More On This Topic Chinas Xi plans to talk to Zelensky, meet Putin next week China says Russia ties solid as rock amid Ukraine peace push

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YouTuber Jake Paul strikes defeat against former boxing champ Mike Tyson in Texas

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YouTuber Jake Paul strikes defeat against former boxing champ Mike Tyson in Texas

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has defeated one of the greatest-ever fighters, former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson, who’s more than twice his age.

The bout was won on a unanimous points decision at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – home of the Dallas Cowboys and the biggest NFL stadium in the US.

The fight was already controversial but then arguably failed to live up to the hype. Boos were heard from the crowd in the final two rounds, after a perceived lack of action.

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
The heavyweight boxing match took place in Arlington, Texas. Pic: AP

Boxing careers compared

This was not Paul’s first professional fight. The 27-year-old American YouTube star made his debut in 2020 with his most high-profile clash against Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy Fury last year, which he lost by a split decision.

The so-called “Problem Child” has since defeated former UFC contender Nate Diaz, professional boxer Andre August, former Gold Gloves champion Ryan Bourland and most recently MMA fighter Mike Perry.

In contrast, “Iron Mike” Tyson, 58, was ranked among the best heavyweight boxers of all time.

More on Jake Paul

During his career, he knocked out 44 opponents – retiring from professional boxing in 2005 after defeat against Kevin McBride.

He returned to the ring in 2020 for a bout against fellow boxing icon Roy Jones, which ended in an unofficial draw.

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
Mike Tyson struggled at times against Jake Paul, 31 years his junior. Pic: AP

‘Someone’s getting put to sleep’

Earlier this week, Paul said he believed the bout would not go the distance. “No, someone’s getting put to sleep,” he said. “It’s going to be a war, and we’re both heavy hitters. It’s not going the full 16 minutes.”

Tyson was more reflective: “I’ve been through so many ups and downs since my last fight with Kevin McBride,” he said.

“I’ve been in rehab. I’ve been in prison, been locked up. Never in a million years did I believe I’d be doing this.”

Several states would not allow the bout to go ahead, and the Texas Athletic Commission only agreed to the fight if there were changes, due to Tyson’s age.

It limited the contest to eight rounds lasting a maximum of two minutes instead of three. Both boxers were also required to wear heavier gloves, designed to lessen the force of punches.

The fight was initially scheduled for 20 July, but was postponed when Tyson suffered an ulcer flareup.

Taylor defends title

Katie Taylor, center, celebrates after defeating Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
Katie Taylor celebrates after defeating Amanda Serrano in Texas. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, among the undercard fights, Irish boxer Katie Taylor successfully defended her super lightweight world title against Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano.

But it was tight. Taylor claimed the rematch 95-94 for all three judges in an epic battle.

The bout came two and a half years after the pair fought at Madison Square Garden, which Taylor won on a split decision.

Bout suffered from buffering

Earlier in the evening thousands of Netflix users in the US reported problems seeing the coverage, with some posting on social media about buffering.

At one point, more than 98,000 people had reported issues according to Downdetector, which tracks outages.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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US

YouTuber Jake Paul strikes defeat against former boxing champ Mike Tyson in Texas

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YouTuber Jake Paul strikes defeat against former boxing champ Mike Tyson in Texas

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has defeated one of the greatest-ever fighters, former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson, who’s more than twice his age.

The bout was won on a unanimous points decision at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – home of the Dallas Cowboys and the biggest NFL stadium in the US.

The fight was already controversial but then arguably failed to live up to the hype. Boos were heard from the crowd in the final two rounds, after a perceived lack of action.

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
The heavyweight boxing match took place in Arlington, Texas. Pic: AP

Boxing careers compared

This was not Paul’s first professional fight. The 27-year-old American YouTube star made his debut in 2020 with his most high-profile clash against Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy Fury last year, which he lost by a split decision.

The so-called “Problem Child” has since defeated former UFC contender Nate Diaz, professional boxer Andre August, former Gold Gloves champion Ryan Bourland and most recently MMA fighter Mike Perry.

In contrast, “Iron Mike” Tyson, 58, was ranked among the best heavyweight boxers of all time.

More on Jake Paul

During his career, he knocked out 44 opponents – retiring from professional boxing in 2005 after defeat against Kevin McBride.

He returned to the ring in 2020 for a bout against fellow boxing icon Roy Jones, which ended in an unofficial draw.

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
Mike Tyson struggled at times against Jake Paul, 31 years his junior. Pic: AP

‘Someone’s getting put to sleep’

Earlier this week, Paul said he believed the bout would not go the distance. “No, someone’s getting put to sleep,” he said. “It’s going to be a war, and we’re both heavy hitters. It’s not going the full 16 minutes.”

Tyson was more reflective: “I’ve been through so many ups and downs since my last fight with Kevin McBride,” he said.

“I’ve been in rehab. I’ve been in prison, been locked up. Never in a million years did I believe I’d be doing this.”

Several states would not allow the bout to go ahead, and the Texas Athletic Commission only agreed to the fight if there were changes, due to Tyson’s age.

It limited the contest to eight rounds lasting a maximum of two minutes instead of three. Both boxers were also required to wear heavier gloves, designed to lessen the force of punches.

The fight was initially scheduled for 20 July, but was postponed when Tyson suffered an ulcer flareup.

Taylor defends title

Katie Taylor, center, celebrates after defeating Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image:
Katie Taylor celebrates after defeating Amanda Serrano in Texas. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, among the undercard fights, Irish boxer Katie Taylor successfully defended her super lightweight world title against Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano.

But it was tight. Taylor claimed the rematch 95-94 for all three judges in an epic battle.

The bout came two and a half years after the pair fought at Madison Square Garden, which Taylor won on a split decision.

Bout suffered from buffering

Earlier in the evening thousands of Netflix users in the US reported problems seeing the coverage, with some posting on social media about buffering.

At one point, more than 98,000 people had reported issues according to Downdetector, which tracks outages.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

Politics

Elon Musk ‘shot down’ OpenAI’s ICO plan in 2018 over credibility concerns

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<div>Elon Musk 'shot down' OpenAI's ICO plan in 2018 over credibility concerns</div>

According to a court filing, Elon Musk said that the proposed initial coin offering (ICO) “would simply result in a massive loss of credibility for OpenAI.”

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