Author: DW

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday. “This House and its members condemn his killing in the strongest possible terms… the world is owed justice,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola as she opened a session honoring Navalny’s life.  European lawmakers were later expected to debate Navalny’s death and condemn the Russian regime and President Vladimir Putin, according to an official statement. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were also set to later discuss the dangerous situation facing opposition figures, journalists and human rights defenders in Russia. A resolution will be put to vote…

For weeks, Amani* and her five children have been living in a tent in Rafah, the increasingly crowded city on Gaza’s southern border.”There is constant bombing and terror. My children are very afraid,” she says.”We are dying slowly and nobody cares, nobody feels for us. Our kids have no life. It’s not clean, there’s no food. Everything is difficult.”Across the border, in Egypt, her husband Mahmoud* has been desperately trying to arrange for them to be allowed out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing.He has not seen his wife or children for five months. Their youngest is just three years…

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his State of the Nation address on Thursday. Putin’s 19th such annual speech, which was nationally televised and even screened in some cinemas, came less than three weeks before a presidential election he is sure to win. During his address, he pledged funds to boost the economy and outlined plans to revitalize the country’s infrastructure over the next six years.Putin delivers nuclear warning in annual addressTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What did Putin say about the war? Putin began his speech with a series of references to…

The Gaza health ministry says more than 100 Palestinians waiting for an aid delivery were killed and hundreds of others injured in Gaza, blaming Israeli forces.The Israeli army has claimed at 4.40am the first aid truck in the humanitarian convoy made its way through a humanitarian corridor that the IDF said it was securing on Al Rashid Road, west of Gaza City. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli tanks were there to secure the area, but during the operation a mob “ambushed the aid convoy bringing it to a halt”, and that the IDF fired warning shots to “disperse the…

A helicopter crash in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway, has claimed the life of one person and left five others injured, police said Thursday. What we know The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, operated by charter company Bristow Norway AS, was on a search and rescue training assignment for state-owned oil and gas firm Equinor ASA when it came down late on Wednesday in the sea near Bergen.  Police said six crew members were all winched from the sea by a rescue team. However, one of the members was later declared dead in hospital.  The Bristow Group had earlier said that…

Four men charged with terrorist conspiracy and weapons offenses for their role in the deadly 2018 Strasbourg Christmas market attack went on trial Thursday. Cherif Chekatt killed five people and wounded 11 others when he opened fire on the open-air market in the northeastern French city. The 29-year-old was shot dead by police after a two-day manhunt. One of his four alleged accomplices faces terrorism charges and could face life in prison, The other three face criminal conspiracy charges for their role in supplying weapons and could face 10-years inprisonment if convicted.  A fifth accused did not appear for health reasons and would…

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins is “in excellent spirits” but will remain in hospital overnight after he reported feeling unwell.The 82-year-old was taken for tests in Dublin after being assessed by a doctor at his official residence in the capital. No immediate concerns were identified but he was taken to hospital for tests as a precaution on Thursday.His official residence said the initial results “have been positive”.Mr Higgins will remain in hospital overnight. “The president, who will remain in hospital overnight, is in excellent spirits and has thanked the medical staff for the care he has received,” his official…

The Federal Republic of Germany has been a vital part of the United States’ defense strategy in Europe ever since the end of World War II when US forces were part of a 10-year Allied occupation of the country. Though troop numbers have, of course, fallen significantly since those days, the US military still maintains a major presence in Germany, and over the intervening decades, US military communities have formed around a handful of German towns. The total number of US military personnel has also risen significantly in the past few years, from under 39,000 in 2019 to over 50,000 in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for financial aid and military supplies to counter Russian aggression at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Tirana, Albania, on Wednesday. The Ukrainian president accepted Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s invitation to join leaders from 10 countries in southeastern Europe at the summit in the Albanian capital. Discussions on Wednesday focused on the issue of support for Kyiv on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy floats idea of joint arms production Speaking at the summit, Zelenskyy called for the urgent dispatch of weapons to Ukraine to ensure “its survival.” “The more Putin…

The US defence secretary was asked in Congress today how many women and children had been killed by Israel since 7 October.”It is over 25,000,” Lloyd Austin said. The Pentagon later added: “We cannot independently verify these Gaza casualty figures.”But his number is actually a little higher than the women and children breakdown given by officials in Gaza.And the fact it was said by the American defence secretary is hugely significant. Middle East latest: US says ‘too many Palestinians died today’Intentionally or otherwise it adds pressure on Israel as ceasefire talks drag on and are repeatedly stalled.Throughout this conflict, doubt…