1. Xi Jinping, Putin and Kim Jong Un "discussed immortality"
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is reported to have discussed the topic of life extension in a private conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The three leaders reportedly discussed the subject on their way to Beijing's Tiananmen Square for a military parade, with the conversation being broadcast live, according to a report by The Moscow Times.
Xi is quoted as saying that "in the past, people rarely reached 70," whereas now, "at this age, you're still a child." In response, Mr Putin stated that "thanks to the development of biotechnologies, human organs will be able to be transplanted continuously," and as a result, "people will become younger and may even achieve immortality." Xi added that "according to forecasts, the possibility of living to 150 years old exists within this century," after which the camera was cut away.
Both leaders, who are both 72, have yet to designate a successor. Xi has abolished the limit of two five-year terms for the Chinese presidency, making it unlikely he will step down in 2027, the publication notes. Mr Putin, after serving four times as president, "reset" his terms by amending the Constitution, allowing him to lead Russia until 2036. He will turn 84 by then. The average life expectancy for Russian men is 67.
The Times has previously reported that Mr Putin uses unconventional medicine, including regular baths with an extract from the severed antlers of live deer, a substance believed to have rejuvenating properties and to improve potency. It was recently revealed that Russia will begin exporting deer to China.
Most high-ranking Russian officials are of a similar age to the president. Sources close to the Kremlin told Meduza that Mr Putin's close circle is obsessed with life extension. According to the publication, last year a high-level official close to the head of state asked Russian scientists to develop anti-ageing remedies.
Mr Putin has also ordered the launch of a national project called "New Health Preservation Technologies," for which 2 trillion roubles have been allocated. In May, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova promised that, as part of this initiative, "preparations to restore ageing cells and their functions" would be developed and implemented between 2028 and 2030. A Meduza source said the project's emergence was driven by the "obsession" of Mr Putin's friend—78-year-old Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of the Kurchatov Institute—who "dreams of eternal life."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
