HELSINKI Cheap New Balance 574 , May 9 (Xinhua) -- Finland is to formally assume the chairmanship of the Arctic Council on Thursday this week, during a time when the Arctic body faces increasing challenges caused by the international situation.

The final version of the document of goals for the chairmanship, which was published late last week New Balance 574 Sale , has left several plans pending on the international development.

According to the roadmap, Finland is prepared to organize an Arctic Summit if "the international situation allows it" and if a sufficiently heavy agenda can be agreed for the summit. At a lower level, Finland plans to arrange a meeting of Arctic Ministers of the Environment in 2018.

Finland is also ready to continue the strategic planning process for the Arctic Council that began during the current U.S. Chairmanship. "In favorable international conditions" New Balance 574 Custom , these goals could be confirmed at an Arctic Summit, says the document.

Harri Mikkola, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs New Balance 574 Gold , commented to Xinhua that the Finnish government "showed realism" when it listed some visions as "subject to political feasibility" in the Arctic programme.

The Arctic Council has, so far, avoided falling victim to the international tensions of recent years New Balance 574 Rose Gold , with the exception of some meeting boycotts. "But any negative development may suddenly break the balance. The current level of uncertainty is highly problematic", Mikkola told Xinhua.

Leading Finnish politicians have been unusually outspoken in connecting the problems with the change in the climate policy of the United States.

Foreign Minister Timo Soini said recently that the U.S. cannot any longer be expected to give unconditional support to the prevention of the climate change. At the prestigious discussion forum Atlantic Council of Finland last week, Soini suspected that the U.S. may exit the Paris agreement but may also choose just to be more passive.

He meanwhile said clean technologies and energy production are already important businesses for Americans and it would not be easy to reverse the situation. Soini said the input in climate affairs by the European Union countries as well as China and India will have a great importance.

Soini said Finland wants to avoid "drifting into a collision course" with the U.S.. "But we are not giving up our aims and commitments either" New Balance 574 Grey , he said, adding that the arctic cooperation with the U.S. demands now particular "dexterity".

Harri Mikkola of the FIIA said he understood the "dexterity" used by Soini as a reference to fast reappraisals of the U.S. Arctic policy Finland may be confronted with.

During the upcoming chairmanship of the Arctic Council, Finland will continue the Arctic Council's long-term goals of focusing on climate change and sustainable development. The priorities in Finland's program for the chairmanship include environmental protection New Balance 574 White , meteorological cooperation, cooperation in communications, and education in the Arctic.

The Finnish business daily Kauppalehti reported this week New Balance 574 Black , however, that attitudes in the Finnish maritime industry cluster differ somewhat from the emphasis on climate change and sustainability. Kauppalehti analyst Martti Kiuru said the Finnish maritime industry looks for "orders without limits" when Russia would increase the use of the energy reserves of the Arctic.

The document of goals noted that Finland will use its Chairmanship to promote Finnish Arctic expertise. Finnish icebreakers will be used for scientific excursions.

The Arctic Council is a body for intergovernmental cooperation for the Nordic countries, Russia New Balance 574 , Canada and the USA. Representatives of the Arctic indigenous peoples also participate in the Council. Many European and Asian countries are observers. The Ministerial Meeting for the transfer of the Chairmanship is to convene in Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S. on Thursday.

Flood fighting drill held in southwest China's Chongqing

Photo exhibition on Belt and Road Initiative opens at UN headquarters

Russian soldiers participate in Victory Day parade in Vladivostok

Aerial view of Huangguoshu Waterfall

Chinese submersible explores turbidity current in South China Sea

Straw art gala held in E China's Shandong

Xinjiang Int'l Grand Bazaar held in Urumqi, NW China

8th China Peking Opera art festival to be held in Nanjing

BEIJING， Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Apple China will offer free battery replacement for certain faulty iPhone 6s that shut down unexpectedly.

Consumers across China have filed complaints on China's microblog service Weibo， claiming their mobile phones unexpectedly switch off despite displaying battery levels over 50%.

China Consumer Association earlier last week sent a letter to Apple， requesting that it clarify the reason.

Stressing the issue is not safety-related， Apple China said in a statement Monday morning that the unexpected power-off only affects handsets with certain serial numbers. It agreed to replace the batteries of faulty iPhone 6s manufactured between September and October 2015 free of charge. Other models with the same problem are not included in the current replacement plan.

Consumers can check whether they qualify for free battery replacement at any Apple store or authorized reseller， the company added.

Rafael Nadal set up an Australian Open final against his great rival Roger Federer after edging Grigor Dimitrov in a classic five-set semi-final which stretched for nearly five hours on Friday.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion pulled off one of his toughest victories in denying Bulgaria's Dimitro.