Author: DW

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…

The National Assembly in Vietnam will debate and most likely ratify the UN International Labor Organization’s Convention 87, which mandates the free establishment of labor organizations, in October, according to sources who spoke with DW.  Although Hanoi had vowed to ratify the convention by the end of 2023, European officials are confident it will do so by the end of this year in order to avoid potential sanctions from Western partners who are growing frustrated by Vietnam’s foot-dragging over labor reform. There has been concerted pressure from the European Union and Canada on Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party to realize the promises it…

The future of Portuguese politics remained unclear on Monday after polls saw the opposition center-right Democratic Alliance take a marginal lead over the ruling center-left Socialist Party, but fall short of the number of seats needed for a governing majority. With virtually all of the votes from Sunday’s election counted, the two traditional political blocs were far ahead of their rivals. But with European Parliament elections looming in June, the explosive ascent of the far-right, anti-immigration Chega party has received the most attention. According to Monday’s results, the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition won 79 seats in the 230-seat legislature, followed by the ruling Socialists with 77 — a…

An Italian Michelin-starred chef has been handed a suspended prison sentence and fined after 53 people fell ill after eating clams contaminated with norovirus.The charges related to a wedding banquet at Marco Sacco’s Piccolo Lago restaurant, where he has two Michelin stars. Guests at the restaurant overlooking Lake Mergozzo in northern Italy, were served a risotto during celebrations to mark the nuptials in 2021, La Repubblica reports.However, the food later turned out to be contaminated with norovirus, the highly contagious virus also known as the winter vomiting bug.Sacco said he had served more 3,000 similar dishes and no problems had…

Skip next section Pro-Ukrainian Russian volunteers launch attack on Russia’s Kursk03/12/2024March 12, 2024Pro-Ukrainian Russian volunteers launch attack on Russia’s KurskRussian volunteers fighting for Ukraine say they have launched a cross-border attack on Russian territory. The Freedom of Russia Legion said it had “destroyed” a Russian armored military vehicle in the village of Tyotkino in Russia’s western Kursk region. Kursk borders Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region. The Sibir Battalion group said: “As promised, we are bringing freedom and justice to our Russian land.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said it repelled the volunteer forces after inflicting significant losses on them. Kursk Governor Roman Starovoyt…

A new threat has emerged from the attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on shipping in the Red Sea that have caused delays to goods arriving in Europe from Asia. The United States said last week it believed the recent sinking of a Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated fertilizer ship severed vital undersea cables that provide internet connectivity between the East and West. The attack on the M/V Rubymar on February 18 “forced the crew to drop anchor and abandon ship,” a US defense official said. “Preliminary assessments indicate the anchor dragging along the seafloor is likely to have cut the undersea cables that provide internet and telecommunications service around the…

The future of Portuguese politics remained unclear on Monday after polls saw the opposition center-right Democratic Alliance take a marginal lead over the ruling center-left Socialist Party, but fall short of the number of seats needed for a governing majority. With virtually all of the votes from Sunday’s election counted, the two traditional political blocs were far ahead of their rivals. But with European Parliament elections looming in June, the explosive ascent of the far-right, anti-immigration Chega party has received the most attention. According to Monday’s results, the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition won 79 seats in the 230-seat legislature, followed by the ruling Socialists with 77 — a…

A British police officer living in Australia has died after a freak accident.Liam Trimmer was celebrating his engagement with his new fiancee, a nurse, in Western Australia when he fell and cut a carotid artery in his neck on Sunday, local media reported. Carotid arteries are major blood vessels that provide the brain’s blood supply.It is believed family and friends tried to save the 29-year-old’s life, but he died before emergency services arrived. Image: Liam Trimmer An inquest has been opened. Mr Trimmer had emigrated from the UK to Australia in 2013 and later graduated from Western Australia’s (WA) police…

Despite an early shock, the US Women’s National Team recovered to win the inaugural women’s Gold Cup. But was the tournament a success for a region that has been slower than most to grow the women’s game? Source link

Russia has arrested a South Korean man on suspicion of espionage. South Korean media reported on Tuesday that the man was a missionary who supported North Korean laborers in Russia’s Far East. This is the first time a South Korean citizen has been arrested in Russia over alleged spying. Espionage carries a maximum jail term of 20 years in Russia. What else do we know about the spying allegations? Russian state news agency TASS reported on Monday that the man had been detained in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and was transferred to Moscow as part of investigations. The…