Due to the economic crisis, some of these establishments have become temporary shelters for the homeless and gig workers. In a small town in Guizhou, the owner has turned his café into a trendy place with live online broadcasts during which he raises funds to make up for the shortcomings of social services.
After the first forced repatriation by plane, the issue also entered the TV debate between Trump and Biden. The post-Covid economic crisis the main reason. Routes also to Italy via Serbia, with worrying contours of modern slavery.
Bishop David, president of the Bishops' Conference, issued an appeal for dialogue between Manila and Beijing at the end of the recent bishops’ assembly. "Nobody wants war,” he said, stressing the need for dialogue. A prayer will be broadcast and recited across the country. A close encounter between two rival coast guards ships risks degenerating into a geopolitical conflict.
Protesting are workers who belong to the main union, which associates a quarter of the 125,000 employees. They are demanding wage increases, but also improvements on holidays and leave. No response so far from the company, which plays down the impact. Meanwhile, there is also a clash in Seoul over the minimum wage, which employers would like to see remain firm despite inflation.
The meeting taking place in the city scarred by the wound of the atomic bomb also involves Eastern religious traditions in the Rome Call for AI Ethics, promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life. A specific addendum on the challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence added to the 2020 principles on the safeguarding of peace and the dignity of every person.
A medical facility in Pasay with Chinese and Vietnamese doctors and nurses has been shut down. According to investigators, victims of modern-day slavery forced to work in online scams who fall ill or suffer torture are brought to these facilities, which are also used by fugitives seeking changes to their physical appearance to escape police.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit dozens of cooperation agreements were signed in the fields of energy, trade and defence at the external borders. But - beyond the proclamations on the rejection of the dollar - China, India, Pakistan and the Central Asian countries remain well integrated in the world economy, taking care not to be dragged into the abyss of sanctions against Russia.
Two women, both running as independents, are leading in the polls. Yuriko Koike, the incumbent governor, is backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, and Renho Saito, who enjoys the support of the Constitutional Democratic Party. While the ruling party is still facing criticism over recent scandals, the opposition does not seem sufficiently united. Tomorrow's vote could set the stage for next parliamentary elections.
The WUC has organised various events to honour the victims of China’s most violent crackdown against the Muslim minority. Activist denounces policies that result in “crimes against humanity and genocide.” No Muslims from Xinjiang has been allowed to join the Hajj. Sinicisation and re-education camps have been set up for the Eid holiday.
An OECD-FAO report expects ice output to rise worldwide by 11 per cent with robust growth in exports from Cambodia and Myanmar. After the peak triggered by drought fears, prices are still 14 per cent higher than 12 months ago.
The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and the China Labour Bulletin release a report that highlights the latest trends involving Chinese labour. The China Labour Bulletin has monitored labour actions across the country since 2011. In 2023, protests over non-payment of wages and factory closures jumped tenfold over the previous year. Several factors are at play, like higher labour costs, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trade wars between China and the West.
Russia exported 24% more oil to China in 2023 than in the previous year. And the Sila Sibiri pipeline is also operating at full capacity. But Beijing's rush into renewable energy production and the electric car market says that its goals are divergent from Moscow's. And that the current boom - vital for Russian finances - cannot last long.
The region’s legislature passed a new law that changes the role of the regulator, who can now deregister social workers who supported the pro-democracy movement. Hong Kong’s welfare secretary called for the depoliticisation of the sector after so many social workers backed the 2019 demonstrations. The most vulnerable will pay for this in a society where the exodus of young families is creating an emergency for seniors.
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