44 h. ago Xi greets veterans at Victory Day gala stressing Chinese narrative of WWII

After holding a massive military parade in the morning to mark 80 years since the end of World War II and showcase its growing military might and rising diplomatic stature, China held a gala at the Great Hall of the People, reinforcing its narrative about the second world war. The hour-and-a-half commemorative gala began at 8pm Wednesday, with President Xi Jinping and members of the Politburo greeting several surviving Chinese veterans of World War II. Their handshakes drew warm applause,...

Events

1 week ago ‘Not asking for pity’: Ukrainian war veterans find healing in the water

During a pool training session months ago, Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi was struck by an idea: what if a group of veterans swam across the strait of Bosphorus, between Turkey’s European and Asian shores? And if they did it on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day? The symbolism of the day would draw attention to the toll and devastation inflicted by Russia’s full-out war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year. When the 34-year-old pitched the idea to fellow veterans in their One for Another...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong water scandal: tougher vetting of tender bidders needed, lawmakers say

Hong Kong lawmakers have called for tougher vetting of bidders for government tenders, accusing authorities of accepting information submitted by companies at face value after awarding a HK$52.9 million (US$8.8 million) bottled water contract to a firm suspected of deception. The calls for stricter background checks came as a senior official apologised for the first time over the growing procurement scandal, which came to light at the weekend after the government was forced to terminate a...

Politics

2 w. ago Bottled water brands seize on Hong Kong procurement scandal to promote products

Some bottled water brands in Hong Kong are taking advantage of a growing government procurement scandal to promote their products. Watsons Water posted on social media on Wednesday that its products were “safety and quality assured”, highlighting its strictly controlled production processes, which included multiple filtration and high-temperature distillation. The post received almost 380 reactions. Another local drinking water manufacturer, Swire Coca-Cola, posted on Facebook on Tuesday night...

Politics

2 w. ago Zelensky gifts Trump a golf club owned by Ukraine war veteran

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave US counterpart Donald Trump a golf club during his visit to Washington this week that had belonged to a serviceman fighting Russia’s invasion, Kyiv said on Tuesday. Trump, an avid golfer who owns several courses, accepted the gift and presented Zelensky with symbolic keys to the White House in return, the Ukrainian leader’s office said. The warm exchange marks a stark turnaround from February, when Zelensky left the White House early following a...

Politics

2 w. ago Calls for Hong Kong government to speed up probe into pricier water deal

Hong Kong authorities are facing mounting pressure to explain how a company offering more expensive bottled water and without an operating factory could win a tender, while a civil service union leader has said workers are now worried about their health and are buying their own water. Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon on Monday questioned the deadline of three months that the government had set for itself in its investigation to produce preliminary conclusions on its bottled water procurement...

Politics