Author: DW

In July 2023, after 13 years in office as the Netherlands’ prime minister, Mark Rutte announced he would resign from office, saying he was “retiring from politics.” Rutte had been the longest-serving prime minster in the history of the Netherlands, a country of just over 17 million. So, why did he step down? Rutte’s liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) had deemed his approach to asylum-seekers too lenient, causing his fragile four-party coalition government to collapse. This was followed by snap elections won by far-right populist Geert Wilders. Rutte had been unable to prevent this shift toward the right, arguably marking the biggest defeat…

A white couple from West Virginia have been accused of child neglect after allegedly forcing their adopted black children to work as ‘slaves’ and locking them in a barn.Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, pleaded not guilty at Kanawha County court on Tuesday to multiple charges, including human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labour, and child neglect creating substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death, according to local news outlet Metro News.They also face allegations of human rights violations, over specifically targeting black children and forcing them to work…

06/26/2024June 26, 2024US journalist Gershkovich appears before closed Russian courtReporters took photos of Gershkovich ahead of his closed-door trial on WednesdayImage: Donat Sorokin/TASS/dpa/picture allianceReporters briefly filmed US journalist Evan Gershkovich ahead of the start of his closed trial on spying charges in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. The 32-year-old, who could face up to 20 years in a penal colony if convicted, was seen standing with a shaved head in a glass box. Prosecutors accuse the Wall Street Journal reporter of gathering secret information on a company that makes tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine.  “The judge has entered the…

A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded midair on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said. The launch from near the capital, Pyongyang, ended in failure as the missile blew up over the eastern coastal waters near the North Korean city of Wonsan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The missile fragments scattered up to 250 kilometers away. No damages were reported. The missile, likely solid-fueled, emitted more smoke than usual, suggesting engine issues, South Korea said. Japan’s Defense Ministry also confirmed the launch of the missile. Launch comes ahead of trilateral military drill North Korea has…

Evan Gershkovich has been seen before the start of his behind-closed-doors trial in Russia accused of spying.Reporters were allowed to briefly film the US journalist on Wednesday before the start of the hearing in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg where he faces charges of espionage which he denies. Gershkovich was seen standing in a glass box, with a shaved head.The Wall Street Journal reporter was first arrested on espionage charges in March 2023 after Russia claimed he had been “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA.Mr Gershkovich faces 20 years in prison if convicted and he has spent more…

Argentine President Javier Milei arrived in Madrid on Friday to a rock star greeting from right-wing conservatives at an event organized by the Spanish far-right VOX party. Milei was snubbed by the Spanish government as well as the nation’s royals. Speaking at the confab, Milei railed against the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and repeated claims that Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez is corrupt. The Spanish Foreign Ministry accused Milei of engaging in a “frontal attack on our democracy, on our institutions and Spain.” Milei has rejected calls to apologize, preferring to continue his attacks. An award and a quick sit-down…

Jay Slater’s father has said police have left him and his family in the dark over the search for the missing British teenager – as they shared what they hope is an image of him.Warren Slater, the 19-year-old’s dad, said that while some officers on Tenerife had been “brilliant”, he had been left frustrated at the lack of communication from others. Speaking to reporters, he said: “Nobody’s told us. The mountain police [have been] brilliant… but I don’t know how the other police [force] works.”They could be doing everything but if they are doing [something], they’re not telling us what…

Apple said Friday it would delay the rollout of its recently announced AI features in Europe because of “regulatory uncertainties.” An Apple spokesperson cited for the delay concerns over the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the bloc’s landmark legislation aimed at curbing the power of big tech. “We do not believe we will be able to roll out these features to our EU users this year,” the spokesperson said. Earlier this month, the company unveiled “Apple Intelligence,” its suite of AI features for its coveted devices.  The announcement came as an apparent attempt by Apple to reassure its users that it…

At least eight people are dead after a fire in an office building in the city of Fryazino outside Moscow on Monday, according to Russian emergency services.Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of the burning eight-storey former Russian electronics research institute on Monday and at least six others died in the fire, the state-run TASS news agency reported. More than 130 firefighters and 50 vehicles tackled the flames, which had spread from the fifth floor to the seventh, according to TASS. Image: Pic: Reuters/Governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov via Telegram Black smoke billowed from…

Argentine President Javier Milei received an award in Hamburg in northern Germany on Saturday. The right-wing populist was met with protests from left-wing groups over his support for austerity measures. Milei is later expected to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, although a military honors reception has been canceled. The federal government said that the program was shortened at the request of the Argentine delegation. It comes a day after Milei was snubbed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country’s royals. Instead, the Argentine leader met with the head of the Madrid region’s government, Isabel Diaz…