Author: DW

Northern Ireland’s first minister has urged the United States to bring the same critical approach to pursuing a ceasefire in the Middle East that it once brought to Northern Ireland.Michelle O’Neill and her power-sharing partner, Emma Little-Pengelly, the deputy first minister, are on a trade mission to Washington, where they will meet President Joe Biden at events marking St Patrick’s Day. Image: Michelle O’Neill. Pic: PA The first minister said: “When it comes to the Middle East, firstly, I will always recognise the constructive role that US administrations played in terms of the peace process.”I don’t believe we would have…

A former Stasi officer went on trial in Germany Thursday for shooting a Polish man who attempted to flee to West Berlin almost 50 years ago. The Stasi was the state security authority of communist former East Germany, known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The suspect could face a life sentence if convicted. What are the charges against the former Stasi officer? The 80-year-old defendant is accused of murdering Czeslaw Kukuczka at a border crossing in Berlin. At least 140 people were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989. Kukuczka was killed on March 9,…

In India, around 970 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots during the upcoming election . The vote will determine whether the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be elected a rare third consecutive term in power. People eligible to vote in the world’s most populous country include 497 million male, 471 million female and 48,044 third-gender electors, according to India’s Election Commission (EC), which is overseeing the gargantuan exercise in democracy. Largest festival of democracy More women than men have enrolled as new electors for the upcoming vote, said the poll panel, and over 20 million voters…

The most senior Jewish politician in the US has labelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and urged him to call an election.Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, who has long been a supporter of Israel, said on the Senate floor that Mr Netanyahu’s government “no longer fits the needs” of the country and that its people “are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past”. The top Democrat said in his 45-minute speech: “As a democracy, Israel has the right to choose its own leaders, and we should let the chips…

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has squarely rejected the idea of paying any ransom for the release over 280 schoolchildren, who were abducted last week. Tinubu specified that “not a dime” would be spent to meet the kidnappers’ demands since the payment of ransom was made illegal in Nigeria in 2022. Meanwhile, authorities may be running out of time to secure the release of the hostages in the north-western Kaduna State, as the kidnapping gangs have vowed to kill the captives if their demands are not met. The kidnappers are asking for the equivalent of over $620,000 for the release of the…

An expanded and more concrete migration and mobility partnership between the Philippines and Germany was one of the main talking points between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr when the two leaders met in Berlin on Tuesday. “The Philippines has a treasure of well-skilled workers,” Scholz said in a joint press conference. “This is also relevant for our health sector.” Scholz said that labor cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation is an important area for Germany, adding that he wants to make progress here in “a very concrete fashion.” The German chancellor said that a “very comprehensive…

In the early months of the Iraq war in 2003, around 88 British troops were deployed to the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant to provide round-the-clock security.What the soldiers didn’t know was that while on duty, they were being exposed to a carcinogenic chemical used to maintain the pipes in the plant. Ten ex-soldiers have now spoken out for the first time after suffering a range of health problems, including daily nosebleeds, a brain tumour and several diagnoses of cancer.Today on the Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Sky’s Michael Drummond about his report into why the former troops are still seeking…

“I am working nonstop, because this is a final for me. Under the mandate given by the law this is my last election.” These words, spoken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the upcoming local elections, caused a stir in the West. News agencies reported that the leader was saying his “farewell” and announcing his “withdrawal” from politics. In Turkey, on the other hand, Erdogan’s words drew ridicule. On social networks, commenters debated how many times he had already announced his departure — two, three or even four times already? Hakki Tas, a political scientist with the German Institute for Global and Area…

Former US President Donald Trump arrived at a federal court in Florida on Thursday for a criminal case that accuses him accuses him of illegally holding onto classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. Trump’s lawyers will ask the federal judge to dismiss the case during the hearing. The former president has pleaded not guilty to a 40-count indictment that accused him of retaining classified national security documents at his Palm Beach mansion after he left office in January 2021, and then obstructing US government efforts to retrieve the documents. If US District Judge Aileen Cannon — who was appointed to…

A high court in Japan has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.The current marriage law has previously been interpreted to restrict marriage to just between a man and a woman. While the Sapporo High Court doesn’t have the power to overturn current laws, it called for urgent government action to correct the lack of legislation allowing same-sex unions.The court, one of eight high courts in Tokyo, said that by not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as heterosexual couples, the law violates their fundamental rights.However, it is only a partial victory, as…