Author: DW

Israel has offered a comprehensive new ceasefire deal to Hamas, according to US President Joe Biden.The deal would involve the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza and the reconstruction of civilian areas.Mr Biden urged Hamas and prominent figures in Israel not to “lose this moment” after ceasefire talks ground to a halt at the start of the month when Israel refused a permanent end to the war and ramped up its assault on the city of Rafah.”Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It’s time for this war to end,” the president…

In an AI-generated image that has gone viral, tent camps for displaced Palestinians can be seen against a backdrop of mountains. The white tents are arranged in such a way that the words “All Eyes on Rafah” can be read. The image has been spreading across social media since May 27, the day after an Israeli airstrike killed dozens of civilians in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the attack, which has prompted widespread condemnation worldwide, a “tragic mistake.” More than 47 million Instagram accounts have shared the picture since a Malaysian user…

Authorities in France have arrested an 18-year-old who was suspected of plotting an “Islamist-inspired” terror attack during the Paris Olympics. The suspect was an “18-year-old of Chechen origin” who was arrested in Saint-Etienne, in southeast France, on May 22. “He intended to attack spectators but also security forces and die as a martyr,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday night. The ministry said the arrest marked the “first foiled attack against the Olympic Games.” What do we know about the alleged terror plot? According to the Interior Ministry, the suspect was accused of “actively preparing an attack” against…

France says it has foiled an attack targeting one of the football stadiums being used for this summer’s Olympic Games.The country’s security forces arrested an 18-year-old from Chechnya earlier this month in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said. According to investigators, the man was preparing an attack on the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne.He planned to target spectators and police forces in order to “die and become a martyr”, the minister’s statement added.The Paris Olympics will take place between 26 July and 11 August, and will be held under heavy security. President Emmanuel Macron has said the…

Alexander Zverev’s assault trial has opened at the Berlin criminal court, with his legal team attacking the charges as “unfounded” and painting the alleged victim, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend, as someone motivated by fame and money, interested only in her follower count on social media. Zverev, the reigning Olympic tennis champion, is accused of “physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument.” The woman is also the mother of his child.  Opening the trial, Philipp Zündorf, the public prosecutor, read out the charge in full. He said the alleged incident occurred at a rented Airbnb apartment in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, between…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Stockholm Friday to meet with the leaders of Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Norway. “Today I am in Stockholm for the third Ukraine-Northern Europe summit,” Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post, adding, “Our top priorities are to ensure more air defense systems for Ukraine, joint defense industry projects, and weapons for our warriors, as well as global efforts to force Russia to make peace.” “Ukraine will grow stronger as a result of the support of our principled and consistent allies, as well as new security agreements,” wrote Zelenskyy on Friday. In February and…

Provisional election results show the country’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is in the lead with 41.8% of the total vote. As of 2 p.m. CET on Friday, approximately 66% of votes from around the country had been counted and verified. The final results are expected over the weekend. South Africa’s election took place on May 29, with polls officially closing at 9 p.m. local time.Although these are merely partial results as votes continue to be validated, many analysts are predicting the ANC, which currently rules the country, will not hold the majority in parliament for the first time in 30…

Police have shot a knifeman who injured several people in an attack at a far-right demonstration in the German city of Mannheim.It happened in the southwestern city’s market square shortly after 11.30am local time. “A firearm was used against the attacker,” police said in a statement.German news site Bild showed a video in which the knifeman is shot as he stabs a police officer in the neck from behind.The officer was bent over and appeared to be helping another person at the time. Image: Pic: AP Moments before, the video shows the attacker wrestling with a man on the ground…

The men’s UEFA Champions League final is the most watched annual sporting event on the planet. Around 450 million football fans are expected to tune in on Saturday as record winners Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund — a team even their own supporters never expected to get this far. The contrast between the 14-times champions Madrid and a Dortmund team who have won it just once — back in 1997 — extends to the coaches. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, 64, has lifted the famous trophy twice as a player and four times as a manager. He has coached fellow European heavyweights such as…

After an assassination attempt put Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in hospital for over two weeks, the 59-year-old politician is now continuing his recovery at home. The head of the clinic in Slovakia’s Banska Bystrica, Miriam Lapunikova, confirmed on Friday morning that Fico had been released. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank him for being a disciplined patient,” Lapunikova said, according to a post published by the hospital on social media. Lapunikova previously said Fico expressed wishes to receive nursing care at home. Police were deployed in front of Fico’s apartment in Bratislava, Slovakian national broadcaster RTVS reported.…