Author: DW

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Stockholm on Monday to meet with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The Swedish government said the leaders would “discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies.” “At a dinner that evening, discussions will center on continued support to Ukraine,” the Swedish government added. Seeking common alliances Prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden joined NATO in March while Finland acceded to the military alliance last year. “We have long appreciated our neighbors, but at the same time underestimated the importance of concrete, operational…

A light plane has landed safely without landing gear after circling an Australian airport for almost three hours to burn off fuel.The pilot and two passengers walked away from the scene and did not need hospital treatment after the “textbook wheels-up landing”. The plane had just taken off from Newcastle Airport, near Sydney, for a 112-mile flight north to Port Macquarie when the pilot raised the alarm about “issues with the landing gear,” police superintendent Wayne Humphrey said.Peter Schott, 53, who first piloted a plane when he was aged 15, was praised by the passengers as “wonderful” for the way…

Heidelberg’s famous Church of the Holy Spirit, a 600-year-old edifice in the town’s historic city center, was the scene of an unusual religious service on Sunday, where some 1,200 congregants came together to pray and contemplate (and enjoy) a performance of US pop star Taylor Swift’s songs as part of a special liturgy. Staged under the name, “Anti-Hero — Taylor Swift Church Service,” organizers at the Protestant church said the event was conceived to attract younger people, as well as to focus on the profound religious convictions expressed in many of Swift’s songs. Swift — who was not at the…

Hamburg football side St. Pauli will play in the Bundesliga for the first time in 13 years next season after they secured promotion with a 3-1 victory over relegated VfL Osnabrück on Sunday. A day earlier, league leaders Holstein Kiel secured a tough 1-1 draw with third-placed Fortuna Düsseldorf. That ensured that it was no longer possible for Düsseldorf to overtake them following the last game of the season next weekend.  Being assured of either first or second in the second Bundesliga tier meant Kiel gained automatic promotion to Germany’s top division.  How did things go for St. Pauli? St. Pauli were, in any case, in a great…

Incumbent Gitanas Nauseda declared victory on Sunday in the first round of Lithuania’s presidential election after preliminary results showed that he had received the most votes. However, he failed to reach the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off against Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. According to the preliminary results, Nauseda was leading with 44% of the vote to Simonyte’s 20%. What was the campaign about? The campaign focused on security concerns in the Baltic states, with the main candidates agreeing that the country should increase defense spending to counter a perceived threat from neighboring Russia. Across the region, citizens are concerned that the Baltic states,…

In November 2016, Gwadar port symbolized stability, peace and prosperity for Pakistan — at least according to then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “This day is the dawn of a new era,” he told the opening ceremony crowd, which had gathered to witness a row of Chinese trucks arriving to load cargo onto the first-ever container ship to pass through the port. It was the official launch of the port’s operations, nearly a decade after its completion. The ceremony also marked the start of the prestigious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China’s global collection of infrastructure projects and trade networks known…

Tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets in Tbilisi – protesting against a proposed law threatening press and civic freedoms.The “foreign agents” bill has sparked a political crisis amid concerns it is modelled on laws used by Vladimir Putin to crack down on the media in Russia – and if passed, would make it harder for Georgia to join the EU. Sky’s international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn is in Tbilisi: Image: Pic: Reuters The Georgian security forces moved in shortly after dawn this morning. Phalanxes of masked men sweeping through streets and parks outside parliament.They kettled protesters…

Nemo Mettler was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Switzerland from Sweden after winning the Eurovision Song Contest contest on Sunday. Hundreds of fans waving flags and banners and chanting the 24-year-old’s name greeted Nemo as he flew into Zurich Airport. Nemo won Eurovision 2024 with the deeply personal song “The Code,” which encapsulated the performer’s journey to realizing their non-binary gender identity. How did fans meet Nemo? Fans who had gathered at Switzerland’s largest airport had to wait as the Swiss International Air Lines flight from Copenhagen arrived 45 minutes late. Cheers erupted as Nemo emerged, wearing a…

Thousands of people on Saturday took to the streets of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to protest a “foreign agent” bill critics argue will undermine the country’s civil society. The Reuters news agency cited witnesses as saying that around 50,000 protesters took part in the march. Red and white Georgian flags could be seen waving alongside the blue and yellow flags of the EU. The bill, which passed its second reading in parliament this month, has been called “the Russian law” by critics who liken it to legislation adopted by Moscow in 2012 and then tightened in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Georgia rocked by…

OTT outfits, whacky performances and plenty of glitter are the bread and butter of Eurovision – but this year the fizz and the fun has been taking a back seat as the show’s bosses battle to keep politics and personal drama from the stage.Just 25 countries are competing this year after Dutch act Joost Klein was axed hours before the show.Watched by hundreds of millions of viewers across the globe, the world’s largest live music contest is truly a spectacle to behold.Here are the biggest moments of the night so far in pictures. Image: Pic: AP Image: Pic: AP Image:…