Author: DW

Pope Francis has made his first trip out of Rome for seven months with a visit to Venice where he asked worshippers to “pray for me”. It was a rare acknowledgement of the strains of the job as he told thousands of the faithful gathered in St Mark’s Square: “This work is not easy”. During a five-hour visit on Sunday, the pontiff visited an art exhibition and prison as well as conducting mass.The 87-year-old unexpectedly withdrew from a Good Friday procession in March “to preserve his health”.He had been battling respiratory problems all winter that made it difficult for him to…

The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised Israel over the arrest of a young Palestinian Christian woman in the occupied West Bank.Justin Welby, the head of the Anglican Church, says the plight of Layan Nasir is a breach of assurances made by Israel about the treatment of Christians.The case highlights the controversial Israeli practice of administrative detention used to hold thousands of Palestinians for months without charge. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:44 Layan Nasir’s mother Lulu on her daughter’s arrest Ms Nasir, 23, was taken from her home in the early hours on 6 April.Her…

Ireland is pledging emergency legislation enabling it to send asylum seekers back to the UK.More than 80% of recent arrivals in the republic came via the land border with Northern Ireland, Irish justice minister Helen McEntee told a parliamentary committee last week. Rishi Sunak told Sky News it showed the UK’s Rwanda scheme was already working as a deterrent after it finally became law last week. Read more: Anti-immigrant camp in Dublin ‘not about racism’, residents say Ireland’s deputy prime minister has said the threat of deportation to Rwanda is causing migrants to head for Ireland instead of the UK.Micheal…

Russian journalists Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin, both of whom have worked for DW and other international media in the past, have been arrested by Russian authorities over accusations of “extremism.”   The accusations against both are linked to YouTube videos published on the channel that was once run by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February, but the YouTube channel is still active and managed by his aides and allies. Navalny’s movement is designated by Russian authorities as an “extremist” group, meaning his staff and supporters can face prosecution. Gabov was detained in Moscow, while Karelin, who also has Israeli…

British troops on the ground delivering aid to Gaza is “an option” but there has been no approval for the move, a Whitehall source has told Sky News.The British military is already helping with the construction of the offshore pier, alongside US colleagues, which is designed to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza via sea routes. Whitehall sources added that no decision had been made on the use of British troops and there was still “plenty to work out”.The Israeli offensive in the territory has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, displaced about 80% of the population and pushed hundreds…

Hamas has released a new video that appears to show two hostages who have been held in Gaza since the 7 October assault on southern Israel.The two men, Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, speak in the video against an empty background, sending their love to relatives and asking to be released. The video was released during the Passover holiday, when Jews celebrate the biblical story of gaining freedom from slavery in Egypt.Sky News has decided not to show the video online.In the footage, Mr Siegel breaks down in tears as he recalls spending last year’s Passover with his…

Pope Francis traveled to Venice on Sunday, marking his first trip outside Rome in seven months. During the six-hour-long visit, he became the first pontiff to attend the Venice Biennale, a major contemporary art event. The Argentine pontiff flew directly by helicopter from the Vatican to a women’s prison on Giudecca Island, home to the Vatican’s exhibition at the Biennale. Later, the pope will celebrate a Mass at St. Mark’s Basilica with about 10,000 people in the audience. Pope Francis meets inmates, visit exhibition The exhibit the pope visited is titled “Through My Eyes,” which showcases works from nine contemporary…

The volcanic island of Robinson Crusoe, 670 kilometers (416 miles) west of Chile’s mainland, was renamed in 1966 after the famous Daniel Defoe novel about a man left to survive on a remote island. Over 300 years after the novel was written, this island of roughly 1,200 residents is now set to enjoy one of the most magical moments of sporting history. For the first time ever, the island will compete in Chile’s domestic football cup. The Football Federation of Chile invited Robinson Crusoe Island and Alejandro Selkirk Island to join together and compete as the “Juan Fernandez Archipelago.” This weekend, on the last Sunday in April, they will host three-time…

US police have detained over 100 people at a pro-Palestinian protest, Northeastern University said on Saturday. The event in Boston, in the northeastern US state of Massachusetts, is the latest in a series of rallies at campuses across the US. Several of those protests have been interrupted by police.  Arrests at Arizona State University and Indiana University There were also arrests at Arizona State University (ASU) and Indiana University as US universities struggle to deal with growing pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments on campuses.  At ASU university police arrested 69 people early Saturday after they set up an unauthorized encampment in violation of university rules that state that demonstrations cannot…

Spanish football has been marred by another racist incident, with “monkey sounds” directed at a black player.Nico Williams was playing for his La Liga club Athletic Bilbao against hosts Atletico Madrid on Saturday but was targeted as he took a corner kick in the first half of the game. “I have gone to take a corner and I have heard monkey sounds,” the winger told broadcaster DAZN after Saturday’s match.”There are stupid people everywhere but nothing happens, we have to keep working.”I hope this changes little by little because in the end we are fighting internally and externally against this.”…