Author: DW

Kenyan president William Ruto has withdrawn a bill which sparked deadly protests in Nairobi, saying he was respecting Kenyans’ “loud” opposition to it. After 22 people were reportedly killed in violent protests on Tuesday which also saw part of Kenya’s parliament building burnt, Mr Ruto said he would no longer be introducing unpopular new financial laws which would have hiked taxes for Kenyans. Protesters said the bill would have put yet more pressure on ordinary citizens and businesses trying to grapple with the high cost of living.The government claimed it wanted to raise funds to pay off debt.Read more: Kenya…

Scientists injected two radioactive chips into a live rhino’s horns at a South African rhino orphanage June 25, 2024. The rhino was the first of 20 slated to receive the injection in an effort to stop poaching, which a conservationist at the rhino orphanage called “the best idea I’ve ever heard.” How the anti-poaching chips work The chips will do two things: Scientists leading the project told the AFP news agency the chips will set off radiation detectors at border control points, alerting authorities of potentially poached material; they will also render the injected horns poisonous for human consumption, depleting their…

Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak were renowned Czech composers who borrowed from the folk music of their homeland in their classical-romantic works. “Ma Vlast” (My Fatherland) by Smetana, for example, is a homage to what is now the Czech Republic; while the famous “The Vltava” (also known as “The Moldau”) references the river that builds up from a trickle from its source over rapids to a large river that then flows into the Elbe in Germany. The full orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk symphony orchestra that opens the Rheingau Music Festival every year are performing the Czech classics. When the Armenian-French chief conductor…

An evening of Doner kebabs and a fully dressed Joshua Kimmich jumping into swimming pools – it’s safe to say spirits are high in the Germany camp. Top of the group and contributing to a party atmosphere at Euro 2024 , it’s easy to see why Germany are all smiles. One man who deserves perhaps more credit than he is getting is head coach Julian Nagelsmann. The 36-year-old was the face of Germany’s young coaching generation. Now he has seamlessly transitioned into leading the country at a home tournament. Ironic then, that the man who has long insisted football is a players’ game now looks like Germany’s…

Skip next section EU agrees to fresh Belarus sanctions to step up pressure on Russia06/26/2024June 26, 2024EU agrees to fresh Belarus sanctions to step up pressure on RussiaThe European Union agreed on new sanctions on Belarus over the Ukraine war, as it tries to tighten sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Belgium, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, said EU ambassadors have agreed to the new package in principle.  “With this package, we just closed the biggest loophole of our sanctions regime,” the EU presidency said in a statement. European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed…

The beach, the sun and even the festive street atmosphere are likely among the first things travelers want to see when they visit Barcelona. However, their reception has been a bit different for the past few weeks. As tourists land in the city, a different kind of message greets them at the airport: “Drought alert. Save water during your stay.” Catalonia has been in a critical situation for three years and has seen its worst drought in 200 years. Although the rains of the last few weeks have helped ease the situation, the region remains alert to what the future may bring. In the context…

North Korea launched early on Wednesday a weapon that intelligence agencies believe was an advanced hypersonic missile, although the test ended in failurewhen the missile blew up off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. The launch came a day after the74th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.It is widely considered to have been a defiant show of force by the North after the US Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt had docked at the South Korean port of Busan this week ahead of trilateral naval exercises with South Korea and Japan. The latest failed missile launch could lead North…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has arrived in his home country Australia to be reunited with his wife and children as a free man.The 52-year-old landed in the capital Canberra on Wednesday after an extraordinary few days following his release from Belmarsh prison in London. Assange was seen passionately kissing his wife Stella after stepping off a plane at the city’s airport.The Wikileaks founder earlier held up a fist in the air to applause and shouts of “welcome home” from his supporters.They could also be heard shouting “Thank you Julian” and “We love you Julian”. Assange later hugged his father John…

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday issued a guilty verdict in the case of an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during an alleged reign of terror in Mali. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud will be sentenced at a later date, but the crimes he is convicted of could amount to life imprisonment. The charges brought against him included torture, rape and sexual slavery, as well as destroying religious and historic buildings. The crimes are believed to have taken place when al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, a group known as Ansar Dine, took over the Malian ancient…

Kenya finds itself plunged into uncertainty a day after protesters stormed Parliament amid violent demonstrations over a controversial tax plan. How did we get here? Kenya’s controversial finance bill A finance bill outlines how the government wants to spend money. It is often presented to Parliament before the beginning of the fiscal year, which, in Kenya, runs from July to June. Young protesters in Kenya identifying as Generation Z have for days rallied against the country’s finance bill, which they argue will raise taxes on already overtaxed Kenyan workers. Following a public outcry, the government abandoned its plan to put…