Author: DW

It is one year to the day since Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was detained by the FSB, dragged out of a restaurant in Ekaterinburg with a bag over his head and brought to Moscow’s Lefortovo jail.He is accused of spying for the US though Russia has produced no evidence. He and the US government vehemently deny the allegations. So far despite a year punctuated by brief and fruitless court appearances which have seen his detention extended and his lawyers’ appeals against those extensions thrown out, there has been no hint of his case coming…

Polish authorities said on Thursday that they had carried out searches in connection with a suspected Russian spy network in Poland, following intelligence provided by the Czech Republic. “Actions aimed at organizing pro-Russian initiatives and media campaigns in EU countries have been documented,” Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) said in a statement. The operation was carried out with support and coordination from other European partners, especially the Czech Republic which said on Wednesday it had busted a Moscow-financed network. What was the goal of the Russian spy network? ABW spokesperson Jack Dobzynski said that the network’s “goal was to implement the Kremlin’s…

The United Nations’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on Thursday ordered Israel to take all measures to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, including opening more land crossings to allow desperately needed aid into the Palestinian territory. “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but…famine is setting in,” the Hague-based court said. The new measures were requested as part of an ongoing case brought by South Africa, which asked the ICJ to consider whether Israel is committing genocide in its military campaign launched in Gaza after the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas militants. The…

When technology entrepreneur Artur Sychov’s father was diagnosed with cancer, he was forced to accept a day may soon come when he wouldn’t be able to speak to him again.The 38-year-old knew he would give anything to have another father-son conversation after his dad’s death. So, using artificial intelligence, he got to work on a way that could make it happen for others in his position.Artur has created a virtual reality tool called “live forever mode”. It features digital avatars who can simulate a person’s voice, mannerisms and movements after just 30 minutes of the user being observed.The goal is…

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been disqualified from running in the country’s general elections in May. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Thursday he was one of eight candidates who faced official objections. “In the case of former president Zuma, yes, we did receive an objection, which has been upheld,” IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said at a media briefing. The IEC disqualified him over his 2021 conviction and jailing for contempt of court. Increasing tensions in the run-up to the polls Zuma, who led the country from 2009 to 2018 until his removal amid wide-ranging allegations of…

France’s lower house of parliament or National Assembly approved a bill on Thursday that aims to ban any discrimination based on hair and hairstyle. Olivier Serva, a Black member of parliament from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, who drafted the bill, said it would help victims of such discrimination and make their voices heard. Hair discrimination creates suffering, French lawmaker says “There is a lot of suffering (based on hair discrimination) and we need to take this into account,” Serva told Reuters.Why these German women of color are promoting natural hairTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that…

In a unanimous decision, the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take “all the necessary and effective action” to prevent a further deterioration of the “catastrophic living conditions of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”. Piling even more pressure on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the justices observed that “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine… but that famine is setting in”, as they called for urgent action to prevent mass starvation. The court told Israel to increase the number of land crossing points into Gaza and work with the United Nations to…

A bus carrying worshippers from Botswana has plunged off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people on board. An 8-year-old girl is thought to be the sole survivor and was airlifted to Johannesburg for treatment. “It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire,” South Africa’s transport ministry said. The bus was headed to an Easter weekend church service in Moria when it veered off the road between the towns of Marken and Mokopane in the northern province…

Maryland Governor Wes Moore asked for $60 million (€55.6 million) in emergency federal funding on Thursday in response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. “Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship,” Moore said. The Democratic governor said the emergency funding was needed to “lay the foundation for a rapid recovery.” ‘Long road ahead’ for Baltimore’s port The Baltimore bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early hours of Tuesday when it was hit by a large container ship. Six people, who had…

A bus crash in South Africa has killed 45 people. The bus had a total of 46 people on board, including the driver. Only one child, an eight-year-old, survived the accident and is being treated in hospital. In a statement, the transport ministry said the driver lost control, and the bus fell onto a rocky surface, some 50m under a bridge and caught fire, near Mamatlakala in the northeast province of Limpopo.The passenger bus was transporting people from Botswana, who were reportedly travelling to Moria in Limpopo for an Easter weekend church service.Rescue operations continued until the late hours of…