Author: DW

Lisbon is not planning to pay reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery and colonialism, Portugal’s government said on Saturday. The statement comes in response to remarks by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who said Portugal could find ways to compensate its former colonies. What did Portugal’s government say about reparations to its former colonies? Portugal said in a statement that it seeks to “deepen mutual relations, respect for historical truth and increasingly intense and close cooperation, based on reconciliation of brotherly peoples.” It stressed that it had not launched any “process or program of specific actions” for paying reparations. The statement said that…

Britain plans to equip its armed forces with a homegrown hypersonic cruise missile by the end of the decade, according to a report.Military chiefs are under pressure to catch up with China, Russia and the US by developing a weapon capable of flying at speeds higher than Mach 5 – five times the speed of sound, according to The Sunday Telegraph. The Ministry of Defence wants the missile to be designed and built in the UK and to enter service by 2030.Plans are at an early stage, the newspaper reported, although there is no decision on whether the missile will…

Russian journalist Konstantin Gabov has been arrested over accusations of “extremism,” the press service for Moscow courts said on Saturday. The accusations are linked to YouTube videos published on the channel that was once run by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February but the YouTube channel is still active and managed by his aides and allies. Navalny’s movement is designated by Russian authorities as an “extremist” group, meaning his staff and supporters can face prosecution. What do we know about the charges against Gabov? Gabov worked for the Russian broadcasters Moskva 24 and MIR, according…

Dozens of tornadoes have hit the US Midwest, with authorities on Saturday warning of more storms. The CNN broadcaster reported that at least 60 tornadoes and cyclones were reported across five different states on Friday. The National Weather Service said it expects more bad weather later on Saturday, which may include “very large hail, damaging winds, and multiple strong tornadoes.” It said that it was still evaluating the number and strength of the tornadoes. Omaha police lieutenant Neal Bonacci said that the fire department had completed its search of damaged homes and structures.Spring tornadoes rip through US MidwestTo view this…

The United Nations has expressed increasing concern over a potential imminent attack on al Fashir, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan.It comes as residents describe the city as “seriously suffocated” and besieged by Sudanese paramilitary forces known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A spokesperson for the office of UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said in a statement that “an attack on the city would have devastating consequences for the civilian population”.”The escalation of tensions is an area already on the brink of famine,” with the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) appearing to be “positioning themselves”.The last of Darfur’s…

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet on Saturday said 20 soldiers were killed in an ammunition blast at a military base in Kampong Speu province, west of the capital Phnom Penh. “I am deeply shocked to receive the news of the ammunition explosion incident,” Hun Manet said in a statement on Facebook and expressed his “deepest condolences” to the families of those killed. Cambodia’s military said a “warehouse ammunition explosion” had destroyed a truck fully loaded with weaponry. Four buildings have been destroyed. The exact cause of the blast remains unclear. Pictures circulating on social media showed damaged buildings, including houses with…

Supporters of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday gathered in their thousands urging him not to step down from office. On Wednesday the Socialist premier said that he was considering the possibility of resigning after a court opened a fraud investigation into his wife. He said he would suspend all public duties until he announces his decision on Monday. “I need to stop and think whether I should continue to head the government or whether I should give up this honour,” he wrote in a four-page letter posted on X, formerly Twitter.Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would suspend all…

A tourist has been fined NOK 12,500 Norwegian Kroner (£900) for approaching a walrus in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.The authorities said the man went out onto an ice floe on Wednesday and “disturbed a walrus that was lying on the ice”. They said members of the public saw him approach the mammal and reported him to the local governor, and that “parts of the incident were also observed by the governor’s employees”.There is a law in Svalbard which stipulates people must conduct themselves in a way which does not lead to unnecessary disturbance of wildlife.The tourist was subsequently brought…

Reliable, cheap and low carbon — since coming into use over a hundred years ago, hydropower has become a vital clean energy source, today providing more electricity than all other renewables combined. But recent power shortages in Ecuador and Colombia have highlighted its vulnerability in the face of climate change.  A drought fueled by the El Nino weather phenomenon has reduced reservoir water levels in hydropower plants, which both countries rely on for most of their electricity. This has led Ecuador to declare a state of emergency and institute power cuts. In neighboring Colombia, water has been rationed in the…

The Olympic flame sailed from the Greek port of Piraeus for France on Saturday aboard a three-masted ship as it slowly makes its way to the French capital ahead of the Games opening ceremony on July 26. As is traditional, the flame was lit in ancient Olympia. It was then carried through Greece by relay for 11 days. It was handed to the Paris Games organizers on Friday in a ceremony at Athens’ Panathenaic stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. Well-known Greek singer Nana Mouskouri sang the French and Greek anthems at the ceremony. At another brief…