Author: DW

The summer of 2024 has been particularly hot and dry in Eastern Europe. In Ukraine, one of the world’s key corn exporters, temperatures soared above 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in July, which is unusual for the region. Neighboring Romania, meanwhile, has been stricken by a drought for several months now which has prevented insects from pollinating the corn plants in one of the main corn-supplying countries of the European Union. A phenomenon that Ukraine has also experienced, says Tetiana Adamenko from the agricultural department at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center. “Ten days in July we observed temperatures above 35 degrees.…

An Israeli television channel has broadcast CCTV footage allegedly showing Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee.The video shows dozens of prisoners lying face down on the floor with their hands on the backs of their heads.One of the prisoners is led away to a discreet corner. Three soldiers then appear to use shields to block the view.Only a metre or so away, a military dog on a lead can be seen barking fiercely at the prisoner.The incident, which is said to have taken place at the Sde Teiman prison in July, has been severely criticised by…

American rapper Travis Scott was arrested in Paris on Friday over a violent altercation with his own bodyguard, authorities said. “Policemen were called to the Georges V hotel and arrested Travis Scott for violence against a security agent. The latter had intervened to separate the rapper from his bodyguard,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement. French media reported that Scott was intoxicated at the time. The rapper’s representatives did not immediately comment. Travis Scott in Paris for basketball event Scott is one of the biggest names in rap, having topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with singles like “Sicko…

A new type of mpox called “clade 1b” appears to be deadlier and able to spread from person-to-person more easily than previous forms. Mortality rates are as high as 10% of infections. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the situation in Central Africa was now “high risk.” Mpox, formally known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Clade 1b mpox was first detected in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in central Africa, where it started spreading in September 2023. Infections have since been reported in Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Rwanda. New cases in…

Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has won his country’s first Olympic medal since 1992 after an Olympic record throw of 92.97 meters. In doing so, Nadeem becomes the first athlete from Pakistan to ever win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event. The feat prompted praise from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who said “you’ve made a whole nation proud young man.”  ‘We will all celebrate together’ “On August 14, we are going to celebrate our Independence Day, and this is a special gift to the nation from me,” Nadeem said when asked by DW what the medal means to him and…

The number of people leaving Sweden is set to exceed the number of arrivals in 2024 — for the first time in more than 50 years — the Swedish government announced on Thursday. “According to the Swedish Migration Agency’s forecast, Sweden is set to receive the lowest number of asylum-seekers since 1997, and for the first time in over 50 years, Sweden has net emigration,” the Swedish Ministry of Justice posted on X, formerly Twitter. Number of asylum applications is at a ‘historically low level’ Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters that from January to May this year, around 5,700 more people left Sweden than…

California celebrated the return of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo on Thursda, in a ceremony that attracted large crowds, dignitaries and the media. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are the first giant pandas to enter the US in over two decades, quelling fears that thawing US-China relations had put an end to “panda diplomacy.” “This is about something much deeper, much richer, than just the two beautiful pandas we celebrate,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said at the opening ceremony. “It’s about celebrating our common humanity. It’s about celebrating the things that bind us together.” The welcome ceremony included…

For a retiree to Florida, Robert “Kelly” Ortberg looks youngish and energetic on the official portrait Boeing distributed with news of his pick to take over the top post from August 8. The 64-year-old aerospace veteran — whom everyone in the industry calls just Kelly — was a former CEO of aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins and a late entry into the race to replace current Boeing chief Dave Calhoun, after it had been dragging on without a clear favorite emerging. Calhoun had intended to stay in office until the end of the year but clearly had become what Americans call a lame-duck executive, meaning he…

People in Russia are unable to access YouTube amid an alleged crackdown on the video hosting site.Russian internet monitoring service Sboi.rf said there had been reports of thousands of glitches with the Google-owned video service. Users said the site was only accessible via virtual private networks (VPNs), which give users access to remote servers -often in a different country – and lets them sidestep website blocks and firewalls on the internet.Sky’s Moscow correspondent, Ivor Bennett, also reported that he was unable to access the site. It is unknown if the glitch is permanent or not.The website remained available via some…

Taylor Swift’s promoter called off her concerts in Vienna this week after law enforcement in Austria announced the arrests thee people over a suspected plot to attack the venue. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” Barracuda Music said on Instagram late on Wednesday, adding that all would-be concert-goers would have their tickets refunded. On Thursday, police said one suspect had made a full confession. “He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the…