Author: DW

Voters in the Dominican Republic head to the polls Sunday to choose the next president and members of parliament. With widespread support for his tough stance on migration from troubled neighbor Haiti, President Luis Abinader is poised for a comfortable re-election. Voting officially began at 7:00 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) and will continue until 5:00 p.m., with the first results expected a few hours later. Opinion polls show Abinader with 60% of voter support against 25% for his closest rival, Leonel Fernandez, a 70-year-old three-time ex-president. If Abinader exceeds 50% of the vote, he will win another term without…

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said. “The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,” the minister said in comments aired on state TV The incident took place in the city of Jolfa in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, Vahidi added, following earlier reports on state media. Jolfa is located about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran, on the border with Azerbaijan.…

A helicopter carrying Iran’s president has been involved in a “hard landing” during bad weather, Iranian state media has said.President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province at the time. Rescue teams are trying to reach the scene but are reportedly being hampered by fog and heavy rain.State media initially said it happened near Jolfa, about 375 miles (600km) northwest of Tehran, but then put it further east near the village of Uzi.The president was reportedly travelling with foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province and other officials. However, Iranian interior minister Ahmed Vahidi didn’t…

Following days of unrest and violence in New Caledonia, French security forces have smashed through dozens of roadblocks set up by rioters between the territory’s capital, Noumea, and the airport, according to High Commissioner Louis Le Franc. France has been attempting to restore order in the Pacific territory, which has been paralyzed by unrest sparked by a controversial electoral reform. What do we know about the police action in Noumea? Officers had cleared up around 60 barricades set up along the road to the airport, Le Franc said on Sunday. However, the commissioner said that the road will only be operational after debris…

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is out of danger following an assassination attempt, officials said on Sunday. Fico was hit four times by bullets at point-blank range on Wednesday when meeting supporters in the central town of Handlova. What do we know about Fico’s condition? Milan Urbani, the deputy head of the university hospital in Banska Bystrica, said that the prime minister’s condition was no longer life-threatening. “Based on the adviser to the medical consultation this morning, we can state that the patient is currently not in a life-threatening condition,” Urbani said at a press conference. However, he stressed that Fico’s…

People in northeastern Japan have been warned to stay vigilant after a man was found dead with gash wounds and police officers were left with serious injuries.Two officers were attacked on Saturday in Kazuno city, Akita prefecture, while recovering the missing man’s body, Japanese media said. He was found dead after going looking for bamboo shoots in the mountains a few days before.It is yet to be confirmed whether a bear was responsible.The officers’ injuries, while serious, are not believed to be life-threatening. A police helicopter and cars are involved in the search for the bears. Wooded areas in Kazuno…

Skip next section Ukraine says Russian minesweeper destroyed05/19/2024May 19, 2024Ukraine says Russian minesweeper destroyedThe Ukrainian navy has said that Ukrainian forces have sunk a minesweeper from Russia’s Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet, adding to the growing list of Russian vessels destroyed during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Last night the Ukrainian Defence Forces destroyed the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Project 266-M Kovrovets minesweeper,” the navy said on the Telegram messaging app. Kyiv says it has destroyed a third of Russia’s vessels in the Black Sea since Moscow launched its offensive over two years ago. Moscow officials have tended to remain silent about most of…

The military of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said on Sunday that its armed forces had prevented a violent takeover of power. “An attempted coup d’etat has been stopped by the defense and security forces,” said army spokesman General Sylvain Ekenge in a message broadcast on national television. “The attempt involved foreigners and Congolese. These foreigners and Congolese have been put out of action, including their leader,” he said, without specifying whether “out of action” meant killed or detained. The United States Embassy issued a security alert on Sunday warning of “ongoing activity by DRC security elements” and reports of gunfire…

Two people have died and five are missing after a boat collision on the River Danube, Hungarian police have said.Officers found a man with a bleeding head on the shore near Veroce, about 30 miles (48km) north of Budapest, on Saturday night. Police believe he’s a survivor from the incident after the bodies of a man and woman were found nearby.A hotel boat with a damaged hull was stopped more than 50 miles (80km) further west at Komarom.Hungarian news site Blikk reported it was 109m (357ft) long and had collided with a motorboat. It said the hotel ship probably travelled…

A medical team was examining Saudi King Salman over joint paint and “high temperature”, state media said on Sunday. This is the second time the monarch has been examined in less than a month. The Royal Court of Saudi Arabia said that the tests will take place at a clinic at the Al-Salam Palace in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. “The treating medical team decided to conduct some tests to diagnose the health condition and to ensure his health,” they said. The statement did not provide further details. Who is Saudi Arabia’s King Salman? Before becoming Saudi Arabia’s monarch, King…