Author: DW

Japan on Tuesday lamented a “regrettable” recent comment by US President Joe Biden that “xenophobia” was hampering economic growth in the Asian country. “We lodged representations to the United States that the comment was not based on the correct understanding of Japan’s policy and regrettable,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. But Hayashi added that Japan’s relationship with its security ally was stronger than ever, and Tokyo would work to strengthen it further. What exactly did Biden say? Last week, at a fundraiser for his 2024 re-election campaign in Washington, Biden said, “One of the reasons why our economy’s…

A company has been named in parliament as the contractor running the Ministry of Defence’s payroll that was hacked by China – an accusation the country has denied. Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey claimed in the House of Commons on Tuesday that SSCL (Shared Services Connected Ltd) is the contractor after Sky News revealed the night before that the Chinese state had hacked the Armed Forces’ payroll system. China has said the accusations were “completely fabricated and malicious slanders”.Defence Secretary Grant Shapps gave a statement to MPs on Tuesday about the hack – but he did not say who…

Skip next section Ukraine’s SBU says uncovers Russian assassination plot05/07/2024May 7, 2024Ukraine’s SBU says uncovers Russian assassination plotUkraine’s SBU State Security Service says it has caught Russian agents within the Ukrainian state guard service who were plotting to kill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior government officials. “Counterintelligence and SBU investigators thwarted the FSB’s (Russia’s security service) plans to eliminate the president of Ukraine and other representatives of the top military and political leadership,” the SBU said on Telegram. A statement said that two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine, which protects top officials, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the plan. Both were…

Ulrike Holzgrabe believes China wouldn’t need an atomic bomb to deal a fatal blow to Europe. Just stopping its supplies of antibiotics would also do the trick, the professor for pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry at Würzburg University in southern Germany told DW. Europe’s huge shortage of medical masks during the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the continent’s vulnerability to ensuring a steady supply of basic medicinal products. In 2020, the European Parliament stated in a report that public health could be a “geopolitical weapon that can bring down an entire continent.”Big pharma, made in ChinaTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider…

The spontaneous celebrations on the streets of Gaza didn’t last long on Monday night. Shortly after Hamas had announced that it had accepted a cease-fire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, heavy explosions were reported in the eastern part of Rafah, where the Israeli army had ordered people to evacuate immediately on Monday morning. Late on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office said that the cease-fire proposal fell short of Israel’s demands and that the war cabinet had agreed to continue the operation in Rafah. Officials suggested that Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the US, the EU and…

There are many in Israel who don’t believe Benjamin Netanyahu wants a new hostage deal, and they’re not just the families of those still being held in Gaza.Such is the scepticism with which Israel’s prime minister is now regarded, a growing number of Israelis are starting to think their embattled leader wants to string out the fighting as long as possible as a means to remain in office. Having spent much of Monday blaming Hamas for collapsing ceasefire talks, the group’s dramatic acceptance of a ceasefire proposal last night certainly threw the Israeli government. Please use Chrome browser for a…

At least three people have died and dozens more are believed to be trapped under rubble after a building under construction in South Africa collapsed.Officials in the city of George, on the country’s southern coast, say 51 people are still trapped while 24 have been taken to hospital after the disaster on Monday afternoon, local time. Western Cape premier Alan Winde said: “Seventy-five members of construction crew have been confirmed on site at that time of the incident.” Image: CCTV footage shows the building before it collapsed. Pic: Reuters CCTV footage obtained by Reuters showed a cloud of dust as…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday it had opened an investigation into Boeing after the American multinational corporation admitted it may not have completed required inspections on certain 787 aircraft. These checks are needed to ensure a safe and functional electrical flow between aircraft components. More specifically, these inspections are needed to “confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” according to the US air safety authority. “The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” the FAA continued. “At the same time, Boeing is reinspecting all 787…

Israel has rejected a ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas and announced it is pushing ahead with an assault on the town of Rafah in southern Gaza.The Israeli military said it was conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in the east of the city, which is the group’s final stronghold in Gaza. Soon after Israeli tanks entered Rafah and advanced as close as 200m from Rafah’s crossing with Egypt, the Associated Press reported, citing an Egyptian official who said the operation appeared to be limited in scope.Middle East latest: Follow live updates Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player…

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday for talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade between China and the European Union. Xi arrived in France on Sunday for a rare European visit that included meeting with President Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Macron welcomes ‘commitment’ not to sell arms to Russia Speaking at a press conference after the talks, Macron said he welcomed Chinese “commitments to refrain from selling any arms” or providing “any aide” to Russia in support of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. He said France…