Author: DW

Following recent election victories of pro-business candidates in Argentina and Ecuador, voters in Panama also chose a staunch free market advocate as their next president in a poll held earlier this month. Jose Raul Mulino, a 64-year-old former security minister in the government, stormed to victory on the campaign slogan “La Promesa de Chen Chen,” meaning “A promise of money in your pocket.” In November last year, far-right libertarian Javier Milei won the presidency in Argentina vowing to “exterminate” rampant inflation and “put a chainsaw to the state.” A month earlier, banana fortune heir Daniel Noboa became Ecuador’s youngest president at 35. The…

Whether or not to recognize a Palestinian state is a decades-old debate. Advocates say the move would have legal and symbolic power, but critics argue it would not change the situation on the ground. Source link

Anti-government protesters in Iran have told Sky News they have received calls from officials urging them to attend mourning events for late president Ebrahim Raisi.The activists, who did not want to be named, said authorities were “desperate” for public displays of sadness following the leader’s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday. It comes after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning, with funeral events getting under way yesterday.Iranian media said the crash near the country’s border with Azerbaijan killed a total of eight people, including Mr Raisi’s foreign minister and three helicopter crew members.On…

Vietnam’s National Assembly elected Public Security Minister To Lam as the country’s new president on Wednesday. In a secret ballot, 472 out of 473 deputies voted in favor of his nomination, as reported by state media. Following his election, Lam promised to try his best “to fulfill all the tasks assigned,” promising his loyalty to the nation, the state and the people. Lam, 66, has been the public security minister since 2016 and joined the Politburo in 2021. Anti-corruption crackdown takes down bigwigs The recent major leadership reshuffle in the one-party state follows an anti-corruption campaign led by Communist Party General…

A 50-year-old man has been caught on camera jumping off a pleasure boat to try and “body slam” an orca in New Zealand, in what was branded “disgraceful” and “pathetic” behaviour.”Shocking” footage of the man diving into the sea to land on the orca with his body has sparked uproar on social media after New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC) posted it on its Instagram account. The man has been fined $600 (£288) as a consequence of his actions off the coast of Devonport, Auckland, in February, which saw him aiming for an adult male orca and a calf.People can…

Ask your average German about Jenny Erpenbeck, and they may very well respond, “Jenny who?” Yet the contemporary German author has made a name for herself beyond Germany’s borders; she’s showered with prizes and has even been predicted to one day win the Nobel Prize in literature. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages, and she’s read to thrilled audiences in Uzbekistan, Mexico and India during her global book tours. So why the discrepancy?  It’s not as if Erpenbeck is totally unknown in Germany — quite the contrary. She has a loyal readership, and she can usually count on…

05/22/2024May 22, 2024Reports: Ireland to announce recognition of Palestinian stateIreland is expected to announce the recognition of a Palestinian state on Wednesday, media reports said, despite opposition from Israel. The announcement is expected to come during a scheduled press conference at 8:00 am (0700 GMT), according to local media. The Irish government believes that recognition will support peace efforts. Ireland had earlier signaled it would recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of this month, part of a coordinated effort with Spain, Slovenia, and Malta, who argue that a two-state solution is crucial for lasting peace in the region. Last week,…

In April, a significant amount of cocaine was confiscated by Senegalese customs authorities near the country’s border with Mali. Experts say this is one of many instances highlighting the increasing involvement of the region in the global drug trade. The West African country in fact now acts as a key stopover between South America and Europe, which typically is the final destination in the supply chain of traffickers. But the actual consumption of cocaine in the region meanwhile is declining to minimal levels, further cementing West Africa’s role as a transit point.Tramadol – the poor man’s cocaineTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider…

Ireland, Norway and Spain have officially recognised Palestine as a separate state, prompting Israel to recall its ambassadors from two of the European states.Speaking on Wednesday, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said: “Today Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine, each of us will undertake whatever national steps are necessary to give effect to that decision. “I am confident that further countries will join us in taking this important step in the coming weeks.”What is the two-state solution?The Irish government argues that recognition supports a two-state solution, which it said is essential for lasting…

German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann on Tuesday won the International Booker Prize for fiction for the book “Kairos.” The book was chosen from 149 submissions for the UK-based award. The £50,000 ($64,000, €59,000) in prize money will be divided between the translator and the author. Last year’s winner was “Time Shelter” by Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov and translated by Angela Rodel. The Booker Prize for English-language fiction will be handed out in the fall. What did the award panel say about Erpenbeck’s ‘Kairos’? “Kairos” follows the story of a young woman’s “destructive affair” with an older man in East…