Author: DW

As a newly democratic country, South Africa got off to a euphoric start with its first free elections in 1994. People queued up for hours to cast their votes, full of hope, optimism and joy. That positive spirit continued as Nelson Mandela was elected president after spending 27 years in prison. The African National Congress (ANC), Mandela’s political party and former anti-apartheid movement, came into power, ending not only white minority rule but centuries of colonialist mentality. It’s still in power today. Nelson Mandela — pictured here with his former wife, Winnie — was finally released from prison in 1990Image: epa/picture alliance/dpa However, looking back on the…

A British tourist is in intensive care after being attacked by a shark in Trinidad and Tobago.The incident has prompted the government of southeastern Caribbean nation to shut seven beaches and a marine park. The attack occurred at Turtle Beach along Great Courland Bay on Tobago with the closure including beaches along the northwestern coast of the islandA watersports manager at a beach hotel who saw the incident said the man was about waist deep in the water when the shark attacked. He told local media their backs were turned, and they did not see the shark approaching.”The other people…

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 have been left to face the devastating impact of its widespread destruction. In Tanzania alone, over 155 people have been killed and at least 200,000 affected by flood damage. Homes, infrastructure and crops have all been devastated. In neighboring Kenya, flash floods in Nairobi have resulted in at least 13 deaths, as the search for missing people continues. Uganda’s communities submerged In Uganda’s Mpigi District, located near the capital, Kampala, a typically peaceful river has turned aggressive. A crucial bridge has…

An emergency exit slide fell off a Delta Air Lines Boeing on Friday shortly after takeoff from New York. Delta said the Boeing 767 pilots felt a vibration in the plane, circled back, and landed safely at JFK airport. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the latest incident involving a Boeing aircraft.  Plane returned to JFK without further incident “As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” the airline said. There were 176 passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants on board the…

A wave of demonstrations have swept the Canary Islands as locals protested against a tourism model they say has plundered the environment, priced them out of housing and forced them into precarious work.The seven main Canary Islands are home to 2.2 million people – and welcomed almost 14 million international visitors in 2023, up 13% from the previous year. The protests were not aimed at individual tourists, activists say, but at the governments that have created a system that skews so much in favour of investors at the expense of local communities.The tourism industry accounts for 35% of gross domestic…

The United States government is planning a new multi-billion-dollar military aid package to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s ongoing invasion, the AP news agency reported citing US officials.  US news outlet Politico also reported that the government was preparing to sign off on a $6 billion (€ 5.6 billion) long-term military aid package.  This would be a second installment from the $61 billion military aid approved by the US Congress and signed into action by President Joe Biden this week.  The plan could become public as early as Friday.  The aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, two…

While Tunisia is a trusted ally in curbing migration to Europe, human rights observers don’t consider it a "safe" place for migrants given ongoing crackdowns by the increasingly repressive government. Source link

In the nation of ‘Cade Mile Failte’ (a hundred thousand welcomes), the residents of Coolock want to shut the door.They’ve set up an anti-immigrant camp in the north Dublin suburb, outside a disused factory earmarked to house asylum seekers. With green, white and orange, they’re staking claim to this ground, their protest tents bedecked with dozens of Irish flags.Car horns blast every four or five seconds, in response to a large poster reading: “Beep if you support Coolock.”Their other roadside banners state: “Community concern over 1,000 male migrants being housed in this building” and “Irish lives matter”. The camp is…

A drone attack at the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region has killed at least four people said to be foreigners according to a local official. “Four Yemeni workers were killed and the field was severely damaged,” the AFP news agency quoted Kurdistan regional government spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani as saying. Hawramani said there would be “power shortages” and called on the federal government in Baghdad “to find the perpetrators of this terrorist act.” AFP also cited Ramak Ramadan, the district chief of Chamchamal where the Khor Mor complex is located, as saying that the drone struck the site…

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday again urged European allies to ramp up their commitment towards strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. Speaking during a joint press conference in Berlin with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Scholz highlighted the importance of Patriot air defense batteries amid Russia’s continued drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s cities, towns and critical infrastructure. The Patriot guided missile system is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized Ukraine needs more air defense to fend off Russian attacks.  “I would like to take this opportunity once again to ask…