Author: DW

The DW documentary “Reclaiming History — Colonialism and the Genocide in Rwanda” is the first to examine the role played by German and Belgian colonialism in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Rwandan director Samuel Ishimwe, whose parents were murdered in the genocide, sets out in search of the origins of the “racial hatred” between Tutsi and Hutu. The 86-minute documentary will be broadcast on DW’s worldwide linear program and available for streaming on DW Documentaries’ YouTube channels starting April 5, 2024. Sowing the seeds of hatred “If we speak the same language, share the same culture, same country,…

Inflation in Germany dropped in March, Germany’s statistics agency Destatis said on Monday. Consumer prices fell to 2.2% year-on-year, compared to 2.5% in February. This is the lowest inflation figure since April 2021, when it was 2%. The annual inflation rate in January of this year was 2.9%. The weakening of inflation has been buoyed by a decrease in energy prices. Energy became 2.7% cheaper in March despite the expiry of the energy price cap at the beginning of the year and the increase in the carbon price to €45 (48.36) per ton of CO2. Could the ECB cut interest…

The biggest democratic exercise in human history takes place across India in April and May. Close to 1 billion people are eligible to vote in parliamentary elections at more than 1 million polling stations stretching from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking to extend his decade-long premiership, sounds bullish on one key issue: the economy. He and his ruling BJP party frequently talk about “Viksit Bharat 2047,” which translates as “Developed India 2047” — a pledge to make India a fully developed economy by its independence centenary. Yet there is a variety of views and…

At least 29 people have died after a fire broke out at a nightclub in Istanbul on Tuesday. Several others were seriously injured. The incident occurred at the Masquerade nightclub on the European side of the city. “The number of people who lost their lives in the fire… in Gayrettepe of Besiktas district has increased to 29,” governor Davut Gul’s office said in a statement. The nightclub was closed during the month of Ramadan and was undergoing renovations at the time of the incident. Investigation underway Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Authorities detained five people for questioning, including managers of…

Twenty five people have died and several are injured after a fire at a nightclub in Istanbul.The blaze broke out during renovation work at the venue in the Turkish city. It was extinguished and Davut Gul, the Governor of Istanbul, said an investigation was under way.The victims are thought to have been involved in the renovation work.At least eight people were injured with seven of them taken to hospital in a serious condition. Police detained five people for questioning, including managers of the club and one person in charge of the renovations, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.This breaking news story…

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) said on Tuesday that it had suspended its operations after seven of its employees were killed in what they said was a “targeted” Israeli air strike in central Gaza. Confirming initial reports from the Hamas-run Gaza media office late on Monday, the Spanish aid organization listed those killed as citizens of Australia, Poland and the United Kingdom, as well as a Palestinian and a dual US/Canadian citizen. The WCK said its staff were traveling in two armored cars clearly marked with the WCK logo and in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when they were hit leaving…

Ailing German department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof has filed for insolvency for the third time, this attempt though believed to be in a bid to break free of its struggling owner. A court in the western city of Essen announced the move on Tuesday, saying it opened the proceedings a day before. Lawyer Stefan Denkhaus is to continue as the insolvency administrator, taking over the management of the store’s chain business. What do we know about the sale of Karstadt? Denkhaus says he is planning to finalize the sale of the company to new investors within the current month. Talks for…

How did violence contribute to racist theories in the German colonies?   By the early 1900s, Germany’s colonial troops had broken resistance in mainland Tanzania, Cameroon, Togo and Namibia through unimaginable violence and terror. From 1905-1907, the Maji Maji uprising and subsequent scorched earth policy in Tanzania killed over 300,000 people. The first genocide of the 20th century in Namibia killed up to 80% of Ovaherero people and 50% of Nama people. Colonialism brought colonialists and intellectuals into constant contact with non-Europeans, and casual racism borne through subjugation took a sinister and scientific tone.  Why did Germany seek to legitimize its rule through racial…

Three 12-year-olds were injured in a school shooting incident in Finland early on Tuesday, Finnish police said, adding that the suspect, also a minor, was later arrested. “All those involved in the shooting incident are minors,” the police said. They were all 12 years old, the police later specified. What do we know about the shooting incident? The shooting occurred at the Viertola school in the city of Vantaa, north of the capital Helsinki. The school has some 800 students. “The immediate danger is over,” the Viertola school’s principal Sari Laasila told the Reuters news agency. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said…

Hundreds of police officers have reportedly been deployed to a remote hamlet in the French Alps where the remains of a two-year-old boy were discovered on Saturday, as forensic experts analyse soil from the area where his bones were found.French authorities are trying to determine how the boy, known only as Emile, died after his bones were discovered by a walker in a forested mountain area near Le Vernet in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Emile was last seen by two witnesses walking down the street near his grandparents’ house in the area on 8 July last year. His bones, including a skull, were…