Hungary gives tax breaks to boost population, stop immigration

Annalena Baerbock is Germany's first female foreign minister. According to the new government's coalition agreement, she wants to pursue a "feminist foreign policy." But opinions differ as to what that actually means.

With the Winter Olympics in Beijing set to begin in just over a month, China is sticking more than ever to its anti-Covid measures, which are among the world's strictest. The city of Xi'an has been in lockdown for almost a fortnight, all because of fewer than 2,000 Covid-19 cases. To date, only a handful of cases of the Omicron variant – all of them arrivals from abroad – have been identified.

The birth rate in the world's most populous country, China, has fallen for a fifth consecutive year to hit a record low. The population is ageing and the workforce is shrinking. Despite ending the decades-long one-child policy, the baby boom officials had hoped for never materialised. These rapidly changing demographics foreshadow a crisis that could undercut the country's economic and social stability.

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Inflation in Turkey has soared to nearly 49 percent - the highest level in two decades. It's another sign that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's unorthodox monetary policy may not be bearing fruit. Also in the show: as energy prices surge, British authorities unveil more financial aid for electricity bills, and Facebook shares plunge as it reports a drop in user numbers for the first time.

State governors in Nigeria are targeting a 200 per cent increase in the country’s aggregate tax revenue through a collaboration with the Joint Tax Board on an initiative called Data for Tax.

Swiss authorities on Thursday extradited a German lawyer sought by Germany on account of being a key leader of a massive tax fraud scheme called "Cum-Ex." Hanno Berger, 71, was handed over to German police officials in the city of Konstanz in southern Germany, prosecutors based in Frankfurt said.

Poland is warmly welcoming Ukrainians fleeing the war in sharp contrast to its treatment of previous waves of refugees from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. What explains the difference?

A carbon tax is set to be introduced in January in the hope companies will switch to climate-friendly energy sources. But businesses are already complaining about costs while they are still struggling from the pandemic.

Poland is allowing millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war access to the labor market and to health and social benefits. Polish officials are struggling to register and help all the people arriving in the country.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has expedited the "Strategic Compass" security strategy, which allows the European Union to form a rapid reaction force. Germany has offered to provide the "military core."

After first appearing in China more than two years ago, Covid-19 has returned to the Middle Kingdom. The country had largely succeeded in keeping infection and mortality rates in check. But in recent weeks, the Omicron variant has posed a significant challenge to the country's zero-Covid strategy. Once again, harsh lockdowns and restrictions are being enforced. We take a closer look.