Author: DW

Wednesday is the tenth anniversary of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 being shot down over eastern Ukraine by rebel forces with Russian support and equipment.  Ceremonies in Europe later on Wednesday will center around Vijfhuizen in the Netherlands, near Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, where the plane took off — the site of the monument to the 283 passengers and 15 crew killed. Of the victims, 193 were from the Netherlands.  The downing took place fairly early in the war in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea but predating its full-scale invasion in 2022Image: Sem van der Wal/ANP/picture alliance Australia mourns in Canberra…

Paraguay’s anti-drug agency, Senad, announced the confiscation of 4,013 kilos of cocaine at the port in the capital Asuncion, saying it was hidden in sugar sacks that were set for delivery to Belgium.  The more than four metric tons of cocaine would have a street value in Europe in the region of €220 million (roughly $240 million), Senad said in a statement on Tuesday.  Europe and the US are the largest markets for cocaine originating in Latin America, generally in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.  The route to Europe via Paraguay, Argentina, or Brazil is increasing in significance, according to a recent UN report,…

The mother of Jay Slater has paid tribute to her “beautiful boy” after his body was found in Tenerife.The British teenager went missing on the Spanish island on 17 June, sparking a near-month long search that resulted in a body being found on Monday. A court spokesperson in Tenerife said fingerprints examined in a post-mortem had confirmed the remains were that of Mr Slater.The multiple injuries suffered were compatible with a fall from a cliff in a rocky area, the spokesperson added.In a statement, Mr Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan – who flew to Tenerife to search for him – said:…

US Senator Bob Menendez was convicted Tuesday on all counts in his corruption trial. The charges included acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government and accepting gold and cash bribes from three US businessmen. The jury in Manhattan federal court deliberated for more than 12 hours over three days before reaching a verdict. The trial lasted nine weeks.  The 70-year-old Menendez will be sentenced on October 29. “The total combined charges carry a maximum potential sentence of 222… years in prison,” a spokesman for the Southern District of New York prosecutor’s office said in a statement. What was the case about?…

The angry comments began as soon as the announcement was made. NATO said at its summit in Washington last week that Jordan would host its first liaison office in the Middle East.  “The opening of a NATO Liaison Office in Amman is a natural progression of the longstanding relationship between NATO and Jordan,” a press release said. It also acknowledged Jordan “as a beacon of stability in both regional and global contexts.” Others didn’t see things in such a positive light. “Betrayal runs in their veins,” one social media user based in Algeria wrote on Facebook under a news article…

Rising sea levels caused by climate change are making the Earth “fatter” at the equator – slowing down its rotation and making the days longer. As polar ice caps have melted, water has shifted from the poles to the equator, “significantly” increasing how oblate – or fat – the Earth is since 1900, and lengthening its days. Adding a few milliseconds to a 24-hour day may not sound much, but it has “implications for precise timekeeping and space navigation”, the authors of the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said.The pace of change is higher than at…

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock moved on from Senegal to the Ivory Coast on Tuesday on her two-day trip to West Africa.  Insurgent violence and military takeovers in the region were high on the agenda, as Baerbock visited counterterrorism training in the Ivory Coast aimed at preventing a spillover of terrorism from the central Sahel region.  Baerbock observed training at an international academy in Jacqueville, roughly 35 kilometers (around 22 miles) outside the capital Abidjan, simulating the prevention of a bomb attack in a rural village. International governments including Germany help to fund this international academy in Jacqueville, while their security forces…

Israel continued to bomb the Gaza Strip on Tuesday shortly after the US renewed its criticism over the high civilian death toll in the war on Hamas. At least 57 Palestinians were killed in bombardments on central and southern parts of the enclave, health officials said. Later in the day, the Israeli military said half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing had been eliminated. What did the US say about Israel’s offensive in Gaza? US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced Washington’s “serious concern” to two senior Israeli officials following deadly Israeli airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip, his…

Gibraltar has accused Spanish players of making “rancid” and “hugely offensive” statements while celebrating their Euro 2024 win over England.Manchester City star Rodri sang “Gibraltar is Spanish” as he took the mic in front of thousands of fans in Madrid on Monday night. Gibraltar has been a British Overseas Territory since 1713, but many in Spain believe it should be returned and it remains a delicate diplomatic topic.Rodri’s on-stage antics happened as he and the other players partied in front of supporters a day after their 2-1 win over the Three Lions. Image: Madrid’s Plaza Cibeles was packed with fans.…

Authorities in Bangladesh ordered schools and universities across the country to remain closed for an indefinite period. This decision came after six students were killed in protests over reforms to quotas for jobs in the public sector. On Tuesday, there was a significant increase in violence as protesters and pro-government student groups clashed, while police dispersed rallies with tear gas and rubber bullets. Education Ministry spokesman M. A. Khair told AFP the shutdown order was issued for “the security of the students”. Three of the victims died in the southern port city of Chattogram, more than 300 kilometers from the capital…