The European Union has sounded the alarm over Hong Kong’s new national security bill, saying it had the potential to “significantly” affect the work of the EU’s office and the territory’s status as a business hub.

On Tuesday Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously passed the new bill only two weeks after it was first presented, fast-tracking a major piece of legislation that critics say further threatens the city’s freedoms.

The package, known as Article 23, punishes offences including treason, sabotage, sedition, the theft of state secrets, external interference and espionage with sentences ranging from several years to life imprisonment.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/10598710

EU Antitrust Chief Warns Apple About App Store Fees and Safety Warnings

The European Chamber of Commerce said in its de-risking report that companies were "skewed disproportionately towards risk management and building resilience" because of the COVID pandemic, global economic slowdown, Ukraine war and U.S.-China geopolitical competition.

"China has a rational self-interest in ensuring that there is a workable commercial relationship with Europe going forward. And that, frankly, is put at risk right now," Jens Eskelund, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, said.

"I think there is a risk that Europe feels compelled to react in more protective ways."

Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/10167995

When Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014, tens of thousands of people fled the southern peninsula. Some of these exiles joined Ukraine's armed forces in the fight against Russia.

As Deputy Mayor David Belliard of Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) aptly notes, cycling in Paris has transcended mere trendiness; it’s become a fundamental aspect of the city’s identity. Despite challenges like inclement weather, cyclists continue to flock to the streets, setting new attendance records and reshaping the urban landscape in the process.

The EU and the Philippines already have well-established trade relations, with trade in goods worth over €18.4 billion in 2022, while trade in services worth €4.7 billion in 2021, while the EU's foreign direct investment stock in the Philippines reaching €13.7 billion in 2021.

The Philippines is among the fastest growing emerging economies in the world, projected to see the 2nd highest economic growth in ASEAN with 5.9% GDP growth in 2024.

However, in similarly long-established – so resilient – democracies where far-right parties are in power, or influencing power, such as Italy and Sweden, Liberties said deterioration of the rule of law, while gradual, risked becoming systemic. In more recently re-established EU democracies, such as Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland, it said the rule of law “can swing rapidly - either towards recovery or decline”.Measures such as infringement proceedings or conditional freezing of EU funds could and should be deployed, he said, but Brussels was “like a bystander. They fail to realise some governments are deliberately destroying checks and balances.”

The European Union announced a €7.4 funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt on Sunday, part of a push to stem migrant flows to Europe criticised by rights groups.

While many countries have expressed similar concerns, the warning was unusually stark for the German leader, who has continuously underscored Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on the country that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

"The more desperate the situation of the people in Gaza becomes, the more this begs the question: No matter how important the goal can it justify such terribly high costs, or are there other ways to achieve your goal?" Scholz said at a joint appearance with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

This parody of an election will be remembered for the cynically methodical manner in which he and his cronies stole the people’s right to freely choose Russia’s leader.

Putin is not a fit person to lead Russia. He portrays himself as a man of the common people yet wholly lacks common decency, integrity and honour. He should be standing in the dock of the international criminal court in The Hague, where he faces war crimes charges over the abduction of Ukrainian children, not standing for re-election as president for another six years.

Putin’s victory in the election, which concludes this weekend, is a foregone conclusion. He faces no credible rival. The Kremlin has spent an estimated $1.2bn (£1bn) on “information management” (meaning lies and propaganda), vote-fixing in occupied Ukraine, and unopposed nationwide campaigning. Lavish state funding, including a reported 20-fold increase in spending on internet projects, platforms and media, has a single aim: a Putin landslide.

Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/10104003

Estonia's Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has told the BBC that Russia's Vladimir Putin is "afraid" of a war with Nato.

The leader of Estonia, which borders Russia, warned that while Putin is good at "sowing fear", his threats must also be taken seriously.

Ms Kallas added that Nato countries do not want to go to war with Russia either.

She has previously called on European countries to bolster support for Ukraine, warning that war could expand "very fast in Europe, so no country is left untouched" if Vladimir Putin wins.