Author: DW

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.”…

Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles at Ukraine early Saturday with the goal of targeting energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.   “This night, 34 Russian missiles targeted Ukraine. We managed to intercept a portion of them,” Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social platform X, while reiterating his call to receive more air defense systems from allies.   Ukrainian private energy firm DTEK said four of its thermal power plants had been damaged from the assault.   “The enemy against massively shelled the Ukrainian energy facilities,” DTEK said. “At this very moment, energy workers are trying to eliminate the consequences of the…

When will the Rafah offensive begin? Discussions about a possible military offensive on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, have been going on in Israel since early February. According to Israeli media reports from late April, troops have now finished their preparations for the ground offensive. All that remains is for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give the word. Netanyahu recently announced the operation could begin “in the coming days” and that army officials estimated about six weeks of “continuous fighting” would be necessary. Aid groups are issuing warning after warning about the risk of famine in GazaImage: -/AFP/Getty Images However,…

A memorial is set to be built for Muslim soldiers who fought and died alongside British and Allied forces in both World Wars.Set to be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire, the 13.2m minaret-shaped structure is to be constructed with brick and terracotta sourced from different parts of the UK and inscribed with the stories of Muslim soldiers who fought for the crown. Architect Benny O’Looney, who designed the memorial, told Sky News he was inspired by travels to the Indian subcontinent. Image: Architect Benny O’Looney He said: “The idea is, as you approach the memorial, it…

A pocket watch that belonged to the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic sold for £1,175 million (€1,38 million, $1,46 million) at auction Saturday, smashing a pre-sale estimate. Henry Aldridge & Son, the auction house that sold the watch, had predicted it would sell for between £100,000 and £150,000. The auction for John Jacob Astor IV’s 14-carat gold Waltham pocket watch had a starting bid of £60,000. It was sold to an American buyer. The watch, engraved with the initials JJA, was found with Astor’s body when it was recovered several days after the Titanic sank in April 1912. He was also found…

Myanmar is now four years into a civil war that shows no sign of abating. Following an October 2023 offensive in the north-eastern state Shan, the military junta, known as the State Administrative Council (SAC), lost control over swathes of territory on the border with China. In early April the border town Myawaddy, an important transit point for the flow of goods between Thailand and Myanmar, fell under the control of the Karen people, an ethnic minority group that has been battling the central government for decades. As of late April, Myawaddy was back under SAC control. The situation remains…