Author: DW

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was formed in 1979 following the Iranian revolution to protect the Islamic regime.It has evolved over the decades into a political and economic force, as well as a military one. The Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s saw the IGRC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) develop into a more structured fighting force and with more than 190,000 members, it rivals Iran’s regular armed forces.The IRGC has an air force, navy, ground troops, cyber command and the feared Basij paramilitary force which is tasked with domestic security.Middle East latest: UN watchdog ‘concerned’ Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities The UK…

A fire tore through Copenhagen’s 17th-century old Stock Exchange, one of Danish capital’s most iconic buildings, on Tuesday. The blaze engulfed its iconic 54-meter spire that collapsed onto the roof, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown.  According to city police, several streets and the area around the building have been cordoned off. Police asked people to avoid driving in the inner part of the city. Footage showed people rescuing large paintings from the burning building. Thick smoke and towering flames billowed from the structure.The fire engulfed the building’s iconic spireImage: Ida Marie Odgaard/Scanpix/REUTERS Danish Culture…

A bus throws up dust as it rumbles away from the sprawling expanse of the refugee camp at Gado-Badzere in eastern Cameroon. It’s heading to the war-ravaged Central African Republic (CAR) just some 30 km (19 miles). Inside the bus is a group of nearly 300 refugees who have chosen to return to their homeland. Secondary school student Abdel Aziz is among those being voluntarily repatriated. He and his mother fled fighting the fighting in CAR five years ago; Aziz’s father is believed dead. Despite the country’s turmoil, 16-year-old Aziz is determined to return home. He wants to continue his…

A fire has broken out at one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings. Emergency crews were seen rushing to the Old Stock Exchange, with thick smoke billowing into the sky. The fire engulfed the building’s iconic spire, which collapsed into the roof. X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.…

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly raised concerns about the war in Ukraine and the threats it poses to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), and the risks it sees for the people who live in the area. In April 2024 — more than two years since took control of the ZNPP — IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said his agency had been able to confirm three attacks against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since the start of the month.”These reckless attacks must cease immediately,” Grossi told the United Nations’ Security Council. “Though, fortunately, they have not led to a radiological incident…

04/16/2024April 16, 2024US House leader sets date for separate votes on aid for Ukraine and IsraelThe US House of Representatives will vote this week on separate aid bills for Israel and Ukraine, Speaker Mike Johnson said late on Monday. The announcement comes after Johnson stalled a vote for months on the US Senate’s combined $95 billion (€89.52 billion) package passed in February, which included funds to help Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion. “We know that the world is watching us to see how we react,” Johnson said. “They’re watching to see if America will stand up for its…

China’s economy grew far more than expected in the first quarter of 2024, according to official data released on Tuesday. From January to March, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.3% — significantly more than the 4.8% growth forecasted by analysts polled by Bloomberg. “The national economy continued the good momentum of a rebound,” China’s National Bureau of Statistics said. What’s behind China’s growth? Beijing has once again used infrastructure projects to help lift the economy as consumer confidence remains tepid. “Consumption and housing investment was the main drag, while manufacturing and infrastructure were the main engines,” Dan Wang,…

Israel has said there will be a response to Iran’s drone and missile barrage over the weekend, as the UK and US urge Tel Aviv to not strike back amid concerns of a wider conflict erupting in the Middle East.Israel’s military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said it is still considering its steps after Iran launched an attack with hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. But he said the Iranian attack on Saturday “will be met with a response”.Follow live updates after Iran’s attack on IsraelThe attack – which saw the US, UK, France and Jordan help Tel…

Thousands of Georgians took to the streets of Tbilisi on Monday to protest against a so-called “foreign agents” bill. Critics say the bill is styled after similar legislation in Russia that has been used to crack down on dissent. Protesters chanted “Russians! Russians!” at police officers who surrounded Georgia’s parliament. “Georgia won’t be admitted into the EU with such anti-democratic laws, that’s why we will not let them pass it,” one protester, Giorgi Lashkhi, told the AFP news agency.The protesters chanted pro-EU slogansImage: Davit Kachkachishvili/Anadolu/picture alliance At least 14 protesters were detained for public order violations, according to Georgia’s Interior…

The owners of a US funeral home have been accused of spending nearly $900,000 (£723,000) in pandemic relief funds on things such as holidays, cosmetic surgery, jewellery and cryptocurrency.Jon and Carie Hallford, owners of Return To Nature Funeral Home in Colorado, already face more than 200 criminal charges connected to last year’s discovery of 190 decaying bodies in a bug-infested storage building. Those charges include corpse abuse, money laundering, theft and forgery, including allegations they gave families dry concrete instead of cremated ashes, collected money for burials and cremations they never provided, and buried the wrong body on two occasions.Now…