Author: DW

Earlier this year, the G7 , a group of wealthy nations comprising the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan, and the European Union banned rough diamonds mined in Russia. The ban was part of many sanctions on Russia imposed by Western nations and their allies for President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But the sanctions against Russian diamonds, intended to weaken Russia’s economy in light of its aggression, could pose a potential risk to the global diamond market’s stability. “When you look at the G7 suggestion that affects the global diamond industry, you have to take into consideration that…

Israel’s military may have repeatedly broken the laws of war and failed to distinguish between civilians and fighters, according to the UN.The body’s human rights office said Israeli forces “may have systematically violated the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack”. This claim is based on the assessment of six Israeli attacks that caused a high number of casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza between 7 October and 2 December.Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said the requirement to pick methods avoiding or at least minimising civilian harm “appears to have been consistently violated”.A…

Cyril Ramaphosa was on Wednesday sworn in for a second term as South African president amid pomp and ceremony, weeks after his African National Congress (ANC) party lost its majority. South Africa’s Chief Justice Raymond Zondo led proceedings with Ramaphosa taking his oath of office before various ministers, foreign dignitaries, religious and traditional leaders, and supporters at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.Ramaphosa took his his oath of office at the Union Buildings in PretoriaImage: Phill Magakoe/EPA Ramaphosa takes oath of office Heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso and Eswatini’s absolute…

Environmental protesters sprayed paint on Stonehenge on Wednesday, with footage showing an orange powder covering some of the stones. Two protesters dressed in white were seen running towards two of the megaliths and spraying paint, as another person attempted to stop them, in footage released by Just Stop Oil, an environmental activist group focused on the issue of human-caused climate change. The prehistoric structure dates back to somewhere between 3100 BC and 1600 BC, according to archaeologists. Just Stop Oil target events and public treasures Just Stop Oil has drawn criticism for targeting public treasures in the past, including the vandalism of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers with…

A former Coronation Street actress has said she “hopes to God” a missing British teenager is found safe and well after he went missing on the island of Tenerife. Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on Monday while on the Spanish island, where he was holidaying with friends. His friend, Lucy, said she received a call from him at about 8.15am on Monday when he told her he was lost, in need of water, and only had 1% phone charge.Lucy said he had told her that he planned to walk back to his accommodation following a…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Putin and Kim met on the runway at the capital’s airport before sharing a limousine ride towards the city center with a large police escort.  As North Korean state media outlet KCNA described it in English, the two leaders were able to share their “pent-up inmost thoughts” during this conversation and agreed to deepen the two countries’ relations.  Though Putin’s rarely in North Korea, he entertained Kim as recently as last September at a Russian spaceportImage: Yonhap/picture alliance Putin thankful…

Chinese Coast Guard rammed and boarded Philippine naval boats and confiscated their weapons in the South China Sea, injuring a Filipino soldier, the Philippine military said on Wednesday. “The Chinese Coast Guard personnel illegally embarked on our RHIBS (rigid-hulled inflatable boats),” Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres told reporters, adding that Chinese boarders had some guns. The incident is the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent months off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where a tiny Philippine garrison is stationed on an old warship BRP Sierra Madre that was deliberately beached. What do we…

Love Island star Jack Fowler has called for serving nuts on planes to be banned after claiming he suffered an “extremely scary” allergic reaction on a flight to Dubai.The reality star, who appeared on the hit ITV2 show in 2018, shared details on social media, saying he had to use his epi pen and required five tanks of oxygen after being served a chicken curry with nuts in it on an Emirates flight, despite flagging his allergy twice. He has now spoken out after receiving messages from others “completely relating” to his experience. Image: Fowler was given oxygen on the…

Croatia is engulfed in football fever again – especially since captain Luka Modric led the Vatreni (fiery ones) to a 2-1 win over Portugal in Lisbon last Saturday. The veteran star of Champions League winners Real Madrid was Croatia’s linchpin in their last friendly ahead of Euro 2024. His and Croatia’s goal at the European Championship is nothing less than the title, Croatian sports reporter Ines Goda Forjan told DW. “This will probably be his last major tournament with Croatia,” said Forjan, who reported on the national team from their training camp northwest of Berlin. “He is a special player, very focused…

German Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck heads to South Korea on Wednesday as part of an East Asia trip. Habeck will then head to China on Friday before returning to Germany. In Seoul, Habeck will meet representatives from politics and business. The Green lawmaker will be accompanied by a business delegation and members of the Bundestag during the visit. South Korea is a big market for Germany, says Habeck Habeck says South Korea is Germany’s second most important market in Asia with goods exports — mainly vehicle related — worth around €20 billion ($21.5 billion). Seoul is also a significant producer of IT equipment.EU targets Chinese e-vehicles with higher…