Author: DW

Iran knows it, China knows it and apparently, so does the US government: despite existing sanctions against the oil industry of the Islamic Republic, oil from Iran is being shipped to China in record volumes. Javier Blas, an opinion columnist who covers energy and commodities for Bloomberg, recently described how Iranian oil ends up in China. “If you believe the Chinese government, the country doesn’t import any oil from Iran. Zero. Not a barrel. Instead, it imports lots of Malaysian crude. So much that, according to official Chinese customs data, it somehow buys more than twice as much Malaysian oil as…

Heavy rains and relentless flooding fueled by the erratic El Nino weather pattern, have plunged East Africa into a humanitarian crisis. From Uganda’s Mpigi District to Kenya’s capital Nairobi and further south to Tanzania, many communities are left to face the devastating impact of its widespread destruction. In Tanzania alone, over 155 people have been killed, and at least 200,000 impacted by flood damage. Homes, infrastructure, and crops are all significantly affected. In neighboring Kenya, flash floods in Nairobi have resulted in at least 13 deaths, as the search for missing people continues. Uganda’s submerged communities In Uganda’s Mpigi District, located near the capital, Kampala, a typically peaceful river has turned aggressive,…

The trial of Andrew Tate, the social media influencer accused of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, can go ahead, a court in Romania has said.Friday’s ruling by a court in Bucharest comes almost 10 months since he and his brother Tristan were first charged – and can be appealed. The Bucharest Tribunal said that the prosecutors’ case file against Tate met the legal criteria but did not set a date for the trial to begin.One of the brothers’ lawyers, Eugen Vidineac, said the court’s decision “lacks legal basis and reasoning” and has filed…

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 Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on the last day of his China tour Friday, where he stressed that it was important to manage bilateral relations responsibly. “We are committed to maintaining and strengthening lines of communication to advance that agenda, and again deal responsibly with our differences so we avoid any miscommunications, any misperceptions, any miscalculations,” Blinken said at a news conference. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Blinken the two “countries should be partners, not rivals.”  “There are still a number of issues that need to be resolved, and there is still room for further efforts,” CCTV…

The Hannover Messe, one of the world’s largest trade fairs, is a trendsetter.   The annual event, which takes place in the German city of Hanover, is where the world gets a glimpse into the industrial future and its groundbreaking themes. The fact that China is an indispensable player here is apparent from the number of exhibitors from the Asian powerhouse. Almost 1 in 3 of the approximately 4,000 participants this year came from China. The fact that the German government defines Beijing simultaneously as a “partner,” “competitor” and “systemic rival” in its China strategy, unveiled last year, did not deter exhibitors. “I’m not…

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, announced that their countries were ready to move ahead with a jointly developed new tank that would become the central pillar of their ground defenses. Pistorius signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of the next-generation tank, the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), during a visit to France on Friday. The tank is meant to replace Germany’s Leopard 2 battle tank and France’s Leclerc.Pistorius, left, said the signed memorandum of understanding was an ‘important milestone’Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance What did Pistorius say? Pistorius described the agreement in principle as…

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) appears to be inching towards changing the law to expand the imperial family and head off a succession crisis in the world’s oldest monarchy. Critics, however, caution that conservatives still intend to ensure that any new legislation does not open the way for a woman to finally assume the East Asian nation’s Chrysanthemum Throne.Many European nations have long embraced the concept of a female monarchImage: Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images Representatives of parties from across the political spectrum are expected to convene a meeting in early May to address an issue that has hung over the…

Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have reached boiling point at US universities, leading to the arrests of hundreds of protesters on campuses across the country.Police have been involved in clashes with pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up encampments on dozens of campuses, with over 500 arrests being made. But what are their demands, how have things escalated and where have people been arrested? Here’s what’s happened so far. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:36 University protests continue across the US What are the protests about?The message from the students in encampments has been simple: they…

Dust from the Sahara blew thousands of miles to Athens, Greece, this week, resulting in a striking natural event that appeared to position the Acropolis, at least momentarily, on Mars, giving everything a reddish-orange tint. Storms that carry dust from the Sahara into European capitals are common and have been happening for years. Here’s what you should know about how they form, how they move and whether they present a risk. The dust storm that hit Athens on April 23, 2024, gave the city a red tintImage: Costas Baltas/Andalou/picture alliance How does a dust storm develop in the Sahara? Dust storms…