The Telegraph : Macron 'working on secret plan' with China to end war, April 18, 2023

 

8:00 PM (1 hour ago)
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View in browser Tuesday April 18 2023 By Sam Hall Good evening. Emmanuel Macron is said to be drawing up secret plans with China to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. We also have the latest news from Scotland, after Humza Yousaf said the SNP’s treasurer Colin Beattie is "innocent until proven guilty" after he was arrested. Today's trivia: London Bridge was sold for £1 million to the American tycoon Robert P. McCulloch on this day in 1968. Where did he have the 19th century structure rebuilt? Answer and crossword solution below.     Try The Telegraph free for 1 month - then 2 months for £1     Macron 'working on secret plan' with China to end war Emmanuel Macron has tasked his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne to work with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations, reports suggest. The French strategy sees talks between Russia and Ukraine happening as soon as this summer if all goes well, anonymous sources told Bloomberg. Henry Samuel and Joe Barnes have more details on the conditions that any future negotiations would be dependent on. Meanwhile, a Russian court has denied bail for US reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested on charges of espionage for which he faces up to 20 years in prison - our Russia Correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva has the full story. It came as Ukraine's military said that Russia appears to be preparing a retreat from some areas of Kherson - follow all today's war developments on our Ukraine live blog. And according to leaked US documents, the United Nations secretary-general was “really p----d off” with Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president ambushed him with a surprise military medal ceremony.   China 'began developing two Covid vaccines' before official outbreak   Claims that Covid leaked from a lab were once roundly dismissed as Trumped-up charges - the ravings of a US president who seemed maliciously hellbent on blaming China for the pandemic. Now after 18 months of extensive research and analysis, a US Senate Committee has published its full 304 page report into the matter - and it makes for compelling reading, writes our Science Editor Sarah Knapton. The committee concludes that: “The preponderance of circumstantial evidence supports an unintentional research-related incident.” It even appears that China had begun making vaccines before it admitted to the world there was a dangerous virus running rampant through the country.   SNP treasurer 'innocent until proven guilty', says Yousaf   Humza Yousaf said Colin Beattie is "innocent until proven guilty" after the SNP’s treasurer was arrested as part of a police investigation into the party’s finances. The new SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland said he had not suspended Mr Beattie from the party despite calls to do so from opposition parties. Asked about the possibility of suspension by reporters at Holyrood this lunchtime, Mr Yousaf said: "I have said already that people are innocent until proven guilty." Mr Yousaf said he was "surprised" by the arrest and described it as a "very serious matter indeed". Jack Maidment and Daniel Sanderson have all today's developments in Scotland on our politics live blog.     Evening Briefing: Today's essential headlines   Suella Braverman | The Home Secretary is to claim the small boats crisis is a “national emergency” in a legal attempt on Wednesday to override planning laws and turn a former RAF base into an asylum camp.   London | Tough Mudder banned after leaving park 'like Somme' Politics | WI should open its arms to trans women, says William Hague US | Alabama shooting victim died saving sister at 16th birthday party Germany | Pensioners’ dance group banned from wearing Egyptian costumes in show Tiptree | Late Queen’s favourite marmalade brand shrinks jar size