I & L News

  In his election campaign, Trump appeals to voters to ask themselves whether they are better off today than they were four years ago, a tried and tested political argument. However, he is overlooking some facts: In the last year of his term in 2020, life expectancy in the USA fell by 1.8 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which also caused a severe economic slump. Despite recovery thanks to government aid, the economy was smaller at the end of 2020 than at the end of 2019. However, if you compare 2019 with today, there are some parallels, which is seen as a success of measures to mitigate the pandemic. Adjusted for inflation, GDP is 11.5% higher than in 2019 and growth is similar to the Trump era. Inflation remains a key issue in Trump's campaign, even though inflation has now fallen and incomes have kept pace with inflation. The unemployment rate is now slightly lower than before the pandemic and household wealth has continued to rise in the Biden era. North Korea conducted a...

 The economic downturn is hitting Germany particularly hard this year; according to the IMF, all other industrialized nations are doing much better. However, the German economy is surprisingly growing in the third quarter and a recession has been avoided. This is apparently mainly due to government and private consumer spending.

  The Canadian government has accused Indian Home Minister Amit Shah of being behind a plan to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. The Indian government has denied the allegations as unfounded. According to the *Washington Post*, a Canadian official confirmed that Shah was involved in campaigns of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada. Sikh separatists are demanding an independent state of Khalistan in India, which is seen as a threat by the Indian government. The allegations are straining relations between Canada, the USA and India. Kamala Harris warned in Washington of the dangers of another term in office for Donald Trump. At a large rally with around 75,000 participants near the White House, the location of Trump's speech on 6 January 2021, she criticized Trump for his attempt to seize power unchecked and violently reverse his defeat in the 2020 election. The presidential election on November 5 is crucial for the future of the USA, said Harris. T...

  China's President Xi Jinping called on US President Joe Biden last year to change US language on Taiwan independence. Xi asked Biden to publicly state that the US was against Taiwan independence instead of just saying that it did not support it. However, the US rejected this change and emphasized its previous “one-China policy”. Since then, Chinese diplomats have repeated the demand, but the Biden administration has stuck to its previous position. Taiwan has been informed of these diplomatic developments by the US. The Israeli parliament decided on Monday to ban the UN aid organization UNRWA in the country, triggering international concern as this could further worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel justified the ban with the involvement of some UNRWA employees in an attack on October 7, 2023 and their connection to Hamas. At the same time, the Israeli army intensified its attacks in northern Gaza, leaving around 100,000 people in towns such as Jabalia and Beit Hano...