Author: DW

A joint operation by American and Iraqi security forces targeted and killed 15 militants of the so-called  “Islamic State” terrorist groupin western Iraq, the US Central Command said. “The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive “suicide” belts,” CENTCOM said in a post on social media platform X.  7 American soldiers injured during battle At least seven American soldiers were hurt during the operation, the Associated Press news agency reported citing American military officials.  “This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS’ ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region…

Former US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would vote no on an amendment which seeks to end Florida’s six-week abortion ban. This comes a day after he seemed to indicate he would vote for the measure. In an earlier interview with NBC, Trump said, “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.” However his campaign quickly issued a statement saying that Trump had “simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” and hadn’t said how he would vote. The Republican presidential candidate then appeared in an interview with Fox News Channel, clarifying his stance.…

Japan has traditionally been seen as a market where perfumes, deodorants and other scent-based products scent did not sell well. However, analysts say attitudes have “fundamentally changed” in a short space of time, and the allure of scent is being embraced by consumers. “Fragrances only account for around 1.6% of the Japanese beauty market, which is very small in the third largest beauty market in the world,” said Yoriko Oka, senior manager in the fragrance and cosmetics division of luxury product importer Bluebell Japan Ltd. “But it is clear there has been a change in consumers’ mindsets,” she told DW.…

A four-year-old boy who accidentally broke an ancient urn dating back to the late Bronze Age has returned for a visit to the museum in Israel.The 3,500-year-old artefact was on display at the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa when it was damaged last week. But the museum’s director, Dr Inbal Rivlin, invited the boy to return for a guided tour and to see the jar after it had been repaired. Image: The 3,500-year-old jar after being smashed at the Hecht Museum. Pic: Hecht Museum Image: Ariel carries out some restoration work. Pic: Hecht Museum Exactly a week after…

Basel, a Swiss city bordering Germany and France, will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, public broadcaster SSR-SRG announced on Friday. The final of the event, which attracted 163 million viewers worldwide this year, will take place on Saturday, May 17. “Congratulations to Basel,” said Reto Peritz and Moritz Stader, the co-executive producers of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), in a statement. “We look forward to working with you to make the ESC an unforgettable experience for everyone.” The event will take place in the St. Jakobshalle, which is known for tennis tournaments and other sporting events. It can accommodate 12,000 people. The show will also be…

Condom use among sexually active teenagers has declined significantly over the past decade. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that 30% of teenage boys and girls in Europe, Central Asia and Canada didn’t use any form of contraception, including condoms, the last time they had sex. Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, said the report’s findings were “dismaying, [but] not surprising.” The data suggest rates of unprotected sex are at their highest levels since 2014. That’s putting young people at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. “Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected…

Marc-André ter Stegen reacted to Manuel Neuer’s resignation with the respect Germany’s longtime first-choice goalkeeper was due. “Forever a world champion and a legend in German football” the 32-year-old wrote on Instagram. He posted a picture of Neuer holding up the World Cup in the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 2014. What ter Stegen didn’t mention, was how relieved he may have been personally. For years, Barcelona’s No. 1 goalkeeper had endured the role of No. 2 in the Germany setup without complaint. Even when national team coach Julian Nagelsmann gave Neuer the nod this summer’s Euros, ter Stegen…

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday defended his decision to grant French citizenship to Pavel Durov, the CEO of the messaging app, Telegram. Durov received French nationality in 2021 via a special process reserved for those deemed to have made a special contribution to France. Granting Durov French nationality was “good for our country,” Macron said. He also mentioned Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, who like Durov won French citizenship via the process for ”merited foreigners.” Macron said he “totally” backed the citizenship decision, adding it was a “strategy” concerning those who “make the effort to learn the French language” and…

Telegram Messenger, better known as Telegram, is a social media and instant messaging service. For millions of users it is simply a daily tool for communication. For others it is much more than that. At its most basic level Telegram enables users to chat, and share photos and files for free. It offers end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls. It also lets users post files, use cryptocurrency, have unlimited cloud storage, create groups for up to 200,000 members, or start channels with an unlimited number of subscribers — and untold influence. As of 2022, it offers a paid subscription version…

Two former news editors in Hong Kong have been found guilty of sedition – the first journalists to be convicted under the law.Stand News’ former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam face two years in prison and a fine of up to HK$5,000 (£585) after being found guilty on Thursday. They are the first journalists to be convicted of sedition since Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China in 1997.Critics, including the US government and the last governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten, say their case reflects deteriorating media freedoms under the national security crackdown.Mr Chung, 54,…