Author: DW

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…

Rory McIlroy has filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, on the eve of the PGA Championship.According to court records in Palm Beach County, Florida, the couple, who met during the Ryder Cup in 2012, are now heading their separate ways. They began dating two years later and married in 2017 before going on to have one daughter, Poppy, in September 2020.The filing was first made on Monday and a statement from McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, confirmed the split.He said: “Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed. “They stressed Rory’s desire…

Catalans voted on Sunday in a regional election which could serve as a barometer for the level of support for seceding from Spain. According to a near-complete count of the ballots, the Socialists under Salvador Illa became the largest party, achieving 42 seats.  However, this is far from the 68 seats required for an absolute majority in the chamber. The Socialists will therefore need to win the support of other parties.  Meanwhile, separatist parties appear to have lost power in Catalonia. The four pro-independence parties, led by former regional president Carles Puigdemont’s Junts party, were set to win a total of 61 seats. Sanchez…

Two years ago, Russia tried to capture Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv. Now, it has launched a second attempt. Until recently, experts were certain that Russian operations near Kharkiv were little more than a propaganda effort, believing Russia lacked the forces to take the city. In early May, however, Russia took control of several villages in the north of the Kharkiv region, stoking fears it was pushing to capture the region’s capital as well. Should that happen, Ukraine would not only lose more territory, but also one of its key cities. Kharkiv is an economic and cultural hub, and has come to symbolize Ukrainian resilience against…

Eight people have died and another eight were critically injured after a bus carrying farm workers crashed and overturned in Florida.The bus was transporting 53 workers when it collided with a pickup truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said. The bus then swerved off State Road 40 – a hilly two-lane road that goes through farms – and crashed through a fence, before overturning, authorities said.The incident took place at 6.35am local time on Tuesday and it is unclear why the two vehicles crashed.A total of 40 people needed hospital treatment – eight of…

One of the most esteemed contemporary writers, Canadian author Alice Munro, has passed away at the age of 92 in her home in Ontario, a spokesperson for her publisher confirmed on Tuesday. A titan of short-story writing, Munro revolutionized the architecture of short stories and demonstrated that the format was worthy of the Nobel Prize. She published 14 original short-story collections and several short-story compilations. With this body of work, she became the first Canadian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. “Dear Life” was the title Munro gave to her last work, a 2012 collection of short stories. Some…

The Georgian parliament on Tuesday approved in the third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests. It requires media, NGOs, and other non-profits to declare themselves as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they are more than 20% funded from outside Georgia.  Critics have called it a threat to domestic freedoms and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. They have also drawn comparisons with comparable rules introduced in Russia in recent years.  Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze recently defended the plans, saying the law was “solely aimed at promoting transparency and accountability.”…