Author: DW

An Israel Defence Forces checkpoint waves our car down, and our passports and IDs are checked by soldiers – we’re then told to pull up behind other cars before a signal is given to follow.The convoy moves off down a road I’ve travelled so many times that I can’t remember how many.We’re taken to the Erez Crossing point, a transit hub between Israel and Gaza.It’s a place where every day for years thousands of Palestinian workers would queue in line to pass across the border; their paperwork, identity, and travel permits, checked and rechecked by soldiers.Like the Palestinians, all foreign…

The US writer Paul Auster, known for acclaimed novels such as 4 3 2 1 and The New York Trilogy, has died at the age of 77.Auster’s death was confirmed on Wednesday by his representatives, the Carol Mann Agency, which has not given further details, though he was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. An author of more than 30 books, his work was translated into dozens of languages and admired overseas – so much so that he was named a chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 1991.He was also shortlisted for the Booker…

Designer dog breeds with curly coats are at higher risk of becoming infested by ticks, according to new research by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).New designer cross breeds – including cavapoo, cockapoo, goldendoodle and cavachons – are all at higher risk of tick infestation because of their poodle heritage. The study scored standard poodles as the breed the second-most at risk of tick infestation.Ticks are a common parasite in dogs, with 2% – one in every 50 dogs – diagnosed with at least one tick infestation over the five-year study period.Cavapoos – a cross between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn criticism recently for invoking anti-Muslim rhetoric in mobilizing Hindu voters with India in the throes of a general election. At a huge election rally late last month in Banswara, a city in the western state of Rajasthan late last month, Modi delivered a polarizing speech in more ways than one, targeting the main opposition party Congress. Modi claimed that, if they came to power, the opposition would distribute India’s wealth among “infiltrators” — provocative remarks widely seen as intended to shore up support from the party’s majority Hindu voter base. Hindu-Muslim tension as a campaign tool “When they (Congress)…

The murder trial of a former senior politician in Kazakhstan who has been accused of beating his wife to death has attracted the attention of the nation, sparking calls for new legislation tackling domestic violence. Shocking footage showing businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economy minister, beating his wife at a family restaurant has been streamed online from the court.The case has touched a nerve among the public as tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for new laws to hold those guilty of abuse to account.Why is the case so high profile? The trial of Bishimbayev, 44, is the…

A section of a highway collapsed in southern China leaving at least 24 people dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday. In total, 18 vehicles were reportedly trapped in the collapse and rescue workers took dozens of people to the hospital. What we know so far The 17.9-meter-long (58.7-foot) section of a road collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, according to authorities in Meizhou City. Witnesses who had driven past the section of the road just before it collapsed told local media they heard a loud noise and that a hole several meters wide opened up…

A two-week lull in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has ended with the resumption of missile strikes targeting Red Sea ships linked to Israel, the US or nations supporting the international anti-Houthi naval coalition in those waters. The attacks, which the Houthis have been carrying out since November 2023, are a bid to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. However, while the Iran-backed group has not actually managed to influence the course of the war between Israel and Hamas, its ongoing attacks have increased the group’s own popularity to an unprecedented level. And now, some five months into the attacks, the Houthis are starting to leverage this power boost across Yemen. The US-led international…

At least 24 people have died after a section of a road collapsed in southern China, according to officials.Rescuers are at the scene in Guangdong province after a 60-ft stretch of the road in the city of Meizhou disappeared into a hole. Officials have not confirmed the cause of the collapse, but the mountainous area has experienced heavy rain and storms in recent days.The authorities said 20 cars had fallen into a large opening in the road at about 2am on Wednesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.State broadcaster CCTV reported 30 people had been taken to hospital. Aerial pictures show…

Police began dismantling about 200 tents housing asylum-seekers in Ireland’s capital, Dublin, early Wednesday. The government said police and other authorities were removing the migrants from the tents on Mount Street in the center of the capital and moving them to shelters. Buses were on standby to take the people away. People will not be allowed to return to the camp once it is cleared, Prime Minister Simon Harrishad said on Tuesday. “Once we clear Mount Street and provide people with a safer setting and access to sanitation, we need to make sure that the laws of the land are applied…

Efforts in Indonesia began to evacuate about 12,000 residents from their homes on Wednesday following the eruption of the Ruang volcano. The volcano erupted on Tuesday, spewing lava and rocks, with the authorities raising the alert level to the highest possible and warning of potential pyroclastic flows, deadly ash surges and the possibility of a tsunami. Mount Ruang, which is situated in the Sangihe Islands arc of the North Sulawesi province, has been increasingly active in recent weeks.  The eruption also led to a power outage on neighboring Tagulandang island. Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado was forced to shut down,…