Author: DW

A South African court on Tuesday overruled electoral authorities’ decision to bar former President Jacob Zuma from running in the country’s general elections next month. South Africans will on May 29 vote for a new parliament, which will in turn elect the president. What do we know about the decision? “The decision of the Electoral Commission… is set aside,” the Electoral Court wrote in its ruling seen by AFP news agency.  The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) decided last month to bar Zuma from running for a seat in Parliament on behalf of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK). The IEC disqualified Zuma over…

Thousands of people protested on Tuesday in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, against a plan to reintroduce a law that would allow the government to more easily monitor NGOs and the media. The ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it intends to bring back the bill. It had been abandoned last year following widespread protests. The law would require groups receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as an “organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The previous version of the law that was dropped in 2023 used the wording “agent of foreign influence.” Georgian Dream…

One of the most anticipated moments of the year has come and gone as a total solar eclipse swept across North America.As millions of spectators gazed at the phenomenon from the ground, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite captured the eclipse during an orbit. Astronauts from NASA witnessed the event from space as the International Space Station shared a clip that showed the shadow of the moon passing over the Earth.Read more:Best pictures and videos of the eclipse X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission…

The political landscape in Turkey experienced a significant shift as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered a historic defeat in local elections on March 31. The center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) celebrated a resounding victory that echoed throughout the nation, as it secured wins in 21 smaller municipalities and claimed victory in 14 major cities, including the crucial centers of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The victory has revived hopes among the opposition, which was deeply disappointed by Erdogan’s reelection victory in last year’s general election. The streets were filled with people celebrating and cheering for the first time in a…

The Supreme Court in the southwestern US state of Arizona ruled on Tuesday that the state can enforce an 1864 law banning most abortions. The law will open the door to prosecuting doctors who perform the procedures. What do we know about Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban? The long-dormant law predates Arizona’s statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest but would allow abortion in the case of danger to the mother’s life. The law carries a sentence of two to five years in prison for anyone assisting in an abortion. Arizona’s Supreme Court had reviewed a 2022 decision by…

An Iranian journalist has described the moment he was stabbed outside his home in what he believes was a state-sponsored attack.Pouria Zeraati, a 36-year-old presenter at London-based broadcaster Iran International, was attacked by three unknown assailants in Wimbledon on 29 March. In his first live interview, Mr Zeraati told Sky News’ The World With Yalda Hakim he “lost a lot of blood” in the stabbing. Image: Pouria Zeraati shared photo of himself from his hospital bed after being stabbed. Pic: X/ @pouriazeraati He said he was walking towards his car when a man approached and asked for £3 in cash.When…

The US Congress reconvened this week with all eyes on a potential vote for approving a long-delayed $60 billion (€55.3 billion) military aid package for Ukraine.  The foreign aid package, which altogether totals $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, was passed by the Democrat-controlled Senate in February, but has been stalled in the lower house of Congress, where Republicans hold a thin majority.  However, prior to the recess in March, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson hinted that the House would quickly take up voting on the foreign aid package proposal. Johnson faces opposition from hardline Republicans opposed to any further funding of Ukraine. Johnson…

The job advertisement intrigued a lot more people than it was meant to, possibly because it sounded like the start of an action movie. “Foreign Legion operator” wanted, it read. Must be under 50, highly disciplined, physically fit, with at least five years of military experience and able to deal with “high stress conditions.” Pay would start at around $2,000 a month but would increase once deployed outside of the United Arab Emirates, to Yemen or Somalia. The ad was first discovered by French industry publication, Intelligence Online, who said it had been circulated by former French special forces soldiers. Further investigation traced…

Simon Harris has become the youngest premier in Ireland’s history after meeting with President Michael D Higgins. Earlier, Ireland’s Dail, parliament’s lower house, voted to approve the 37-year-old as their next taoiseach by 88 votes to 69. Mr Harris’s appointment – which came after the shock resignation of Leo Varadkar last month – was confirmed during a ceremony with President Higgins at his official residence at Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin. Image: Simon Harris received the seal of office from President Higgins in Dublin. Pic: PA Mr Varadkar, 45, tendered his official resignation to the president on Monday evening after…

Skip next section UN confirms sharp rise in civilian deaths in Ukraine in March04/09/2024April 9, 2024UN confirms sharp rise in civilian deaths in Ukraine in MarchThe United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified that at least 604 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in March, a figure that amounts to a 20% increase from February. At least 57 children were killed or injured in March, twice as many as in February, the mission said.  Mines and explosive remnants of war killed and injured at least 28 civilians, including 7 agricultural workers, it added. The increase in…