Author: DW

The crisis at South African Airways (SAA) probably won’t be resolved any time soon after talks for a majority stake purchase were terrminated last week. South Africa’s Parliament announced on Wednesday that it would refer the collapsed deal to sell a majority stake in the embattled airline to the Takatso Consortium to the independent Special Investigating Unit (SIU). The SIU investigates corruption at state entities, to ensure “accountability and transparency.” The country’s Department of Public Enterprises had been in talks with the Takatso Consortium since 2021 for a 51% stake in SAA as part of efforts to end recurring bailouts of…

Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy has been suspended by the government following a reported row with the UK government over comments he made on social media.Mr Levy has appeared regularly in the UK media – including on Sky News – as a representative for the Israeli government following the Hamas attacks on 7 October. The Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed to the Jewish Post that he has been suspended.Politics latest: Signs of Tory truce as PM addresses influential committeeAccording to various outlets in Israel, this came following a row with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office over Mr Levy’s social…

Since the beginning of 2024, Mozambique’s northernmost province of Cabo Delgado has been engulfed in a new wave of violence. Repeated clashes between armed insurgents and security forces have been rife in several coastal towns, a result of which around 100,000 people — including over 61,000 children — were displaced between early February and early March, according to the UN migration agency.  Mozambique has been fighting the jihadist militants in the north since October 2017.  The insurgent group was initially known as Ansar al-Sunna, but proclaimed affiliation with so-called Islamic State in 2019.  It is known locally as al-Shabab, whose name comes…

COVID, the pro-democracy crackdown and China’s trade war with the United States have dealt a severe blow to Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial hub. Once seen as the main gateway between the West and China, many investors now believe it is increasingly hard to separate Hong Kong from the authoritarian mainland — a dilemma that has sparked an exodus of foreign firms from the city known as the Pearl of Asia. Since 2019, the number of global companies with regional headquarters in Hong Kong has fallen by 8.4%, according to data from the city’s census and statistics department. The…

A Spanish court ruled on Wednesday that former Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves can be released on bail of €1 million ($1.08 million) while he appeals his rape conviction. What the court ruled The ruling came a day after his lawyer requested the 40-year-old’s release on grounds he had already served a quarter of his 4.5-year sentence following his arrest in January 2023.  The Barcelona court granted the bail petition on the condition that he hand over his Spanish and Brazilian passports and remain in Spain. He must also check in with the court when summoned or on a weekly basis. The court also prohibited Alves from…

Dani Alves has been granted bail as he appeals his conviction for sexual assault, which the victim’s lawyer called a “scandal”.The former Barcelona player was found guilty of sexual assault in February and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The court ruled that Alves raped the victim in a bathroom at an upscale Barcelona nightclub early on New Year’s Eve in 2022. He has filed an appeal against the verdict.A Spanish court then ruled on Wednesday that Alves can be released on bail if he pays one million euros (£854,000) and hands over his Brazilian and…

Neogtiators from the European Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to continue the freeze on import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to EU markets until June 2025, the Belgian EU presidency said on Wednesday. However, the accord will include tougher restrictions on some agricultural produce, following protests and pressure from farmers and other groups in recent months. Poland: Farmers angry at UkraineTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What did the EU say?  “This renewal underscores our unwavering support to Ukraine while including safeguard mechanisms to…

For Sale: One of the world’s most successful social media platforms with a billion users across 140 countries. Sounds like a good deal for someone with ambition and money. But Chinese-owned TikTok isn’t just any short-video-sharing app. It is a phenomenon changing social media and how people communicate. Claims of national security concerns in the US don’t make things any easier. Plus protectionist attitudes and sentiment on China in general have turned dark and Congress is moving fast to force the company’s hand. US Congress in control? The US government now sees TikTok as more than entertainment — it is a news and information…

A court in the Netherlands has ruled that Dutch airline KLM’s “Fly Responsibly” campaign, launched to improve its environmental image but no longer in use, was “misleading” for customers. The 2022 lawsuit was filed by environmental group Fossil Free. It accused KLM of so-called “greenwashing,” arguing that there is no way to “Fly Responsibly” so long as air travel is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Fossil Free hailed the Wednesday verdict as “a historic victory over greenwashing by big polluters.” However, the court did not impose any punishment on the company, or force it to issue any rectification.  What did…

The UK is the 20th happiest nation in the world – but young people are significantly more likely to be unhappy than older generations.Britain dropped one place from the 2023 rankings, placing it below Lithuania and Czechia, while Finland, Denmark and Iceland were the top three happiest countries. Finland was in the top spot for the seventh year in a row, while Afghanistan placed last. Image: Finland is leading the way on happiness. Pic: Reuters Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia made up the rest of the top ten.The US fell by eight places in the ranking…