Author: DW

Emmanuel Macron will call for a “state of emergency” to be declared in New Caledonia as deadly rioting rages in the French territory.The French president will make the request during a cabinet meeting today following violence across the archipelago in the South Pacific, his office said. At least two people have been killed and more than 300 injured in the riots, as France’s National Assembly approved controversial changes to voting rules in New Caledonia.French authorities in the territory say more than 130 people have been arrested since Monday. Image: A road is barricaded in Noumea. Pic: Lilou Garrido Navarro Kherachi…

African nations are particularly vulnerable to severe weather events. These not only cripple economies and people’s livelihoods but also cost lives across the continent. In West Africa, for instance, more than 70% of the population is affected at least once every two years by flood, drought or sandstorms. But like other less-developed regions, many parts of Africa have gaps in the ability to warn people of both imminent natural disasters, such as flash flooding, or future hazards, such as drought. This has dramatic consequences. Over the last two decades, the average number of deaths caused by a flooding event in Africa…

Eight watches belonging to Formula One legend Michael Schumacher raked in four million Swiss francs ($4.4 million; €4.1 million) at an auction in Geneva on Tuesday. The seven-time F1 champion was an avid watch collector. But he has not been seen in public since a serious skiing accident in 2013. The watches were put up for sale by Schumacher’s family to coincide with the 30th anniversary of his first Formula One Drivers Championship win in 1994. “Collectors were so happy to discover these timepieces filled with history,” said Christie’s Head of Watches in Europe, Remi Guillemin.A bespoke F.P. Journe watch…

Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court on Wednesday ruled that   former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko was guilty of crimes against humanity committed while in several positions of authority from 2000 to 2016. Trial International said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Sonko had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. He is the most senior official ever to be tried in Europe using universal jurisdiction that allows the most serious crimes to be prosecuted anywhere. Sonko had denied all charges during the trial. The ruling can be appealed. What was Sonko accused of? Sonko, 55, was accused by Swiss prosecutors of carrying out several…

A suspected drug boss nicknamed “The Fly” is at the centre of police manhunt after escaping from a prison van in France.Two prison officers were killed and three others seriously wounded when a convoy transporting prisoner Mohamed Amra from court to jail was ambushed at a motorway tollbooth near Rouen in Normandy by gunmen wearing balaclavas. Image: Mohamed Amra Several hundred police officers have been deployed nationwide to find the 30-year-old convict and gunmen. It is unclear how many assailants were involved.CCTV footage showed a black Peugeot SUV driving into the front of the white prison van, with other video…

Inflation in Argentina slowed for the fourth consecutive month, despite an annual rate nearing 300%, official data showed on Tuesday. The monthly inflation rate rose at 8.8%, compared to 11% in March. This is seen as a victory for President Javier Milei who took office in December with monthly inflation at a peak of over 25%, promising to address the rising costs. “Inflation is being pulverized,” Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, said on X. “Its death certificate is being signed.” The yearly inflation rate in April was at 289.4%, slightly higher than the annualized rate a month earlier, the official…

The video-sharing platform YouTube on Tuesday said it would block access inside Hong Kong to 32 links featuring the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” in compliance with a court injunction that provoked strong criticism from rights groups. The Hong Kong government has deemed the song, which was sung widely at anti-government protests in 2019, to be a danger to security in the semi-autonomous Chinese region. In approving the government’s application to ban the song, Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal agreed it could be “weaponized” and used to incite secession.’Glory to Hong Kong’ unofficial anthem of 2019 protests: DW’s Phoebe KongTo view this video please…

Sat in a makeshift shelter on the outskirts of a frontline town in eastern Ukraine, the soldier – callsign “Zaur” – shared some rare, good news: new ammunition appeared to be arriving.He did not know the precise details but said fresh supplies started to be delivered about a week or two earlier. This was making a difference for his artillery team as they fought to defend Chasiv Yar from advancing Russian forces.Follow latest: Missiles launched at Crimea”It allows us to do our job, to hold off Russian soldiers, to restrain them, and also to destroy them when they attempt counterattacks,”…

Three people were killed and others wounded as riots and looting continued in New Caledonia on Tuesday night. The unrest came after French lawmakers voted on a contentious bill, according to the high commissioner of the French Pacific territory. What we know about the riots The three killed were young indigenous Kanak people, a spokesperson for New Caledonia’s president Louis Mapou said based information was provided by police, according to the Reuters news agency. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Wednesday said “hundreds” of people, including police, were hurt in the latest unrest. On Wednesday, gunshots were heard in the morning despite…

Days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the West foisted deep sanctions on Moscow in the hopes of hurting the Kremlin’s ability to finance the conflict. The sanctions targeted politicians and oligarchs, froze foreign reserves, curbed access to Western technology and cut Russian banks off from the Swift international payment messaging system. The financial penalties were widely expected to bring Russia to its knees. Initially, the ruble plummeted in value and the Russian economy contracted by 1.2% in 2022. Last year, however, Russia’s growth outpaced both the United States and Europe at 3.6%. The country is on course for another…