Author: DW

Hong Kong’s parliament has unanimously passed a new security law which grants the government more power to quash dissent.The new legislation threatens sentences of up to life in prison for offences including treason and insurrection, as well as stringent penalties for other offences such as sabotage, external interference and theft of state secrets. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, which is packed with Beijing loyalists, says the new law aims to protect national security.However, the move is widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown following large-scale 2019 street protests that challenged China’s rule over the semi-autonomous territory.Critics fear…

Just when communities were starting to understand the lethal effects of fentanyl and oxycodone abuse, yet another painkiller opioid has emerged from the pharmaceutical archives as a deadly street drug. Commonly known as nitazenes, 2-Benzyl Benzimidazole opioids are said to be up to 500 times more potent than heroin, making people more prone to addiction. Drug and health agencies in the UK, elsewhere in Europe, and the US are reporting a rise in the number of overdoses and fatalities linked to nitazenes. There are indications that while authorities clamp down on fentanyl, and heroin cultivation in Afghanistan slows under the Taliban, nitazenes…

German authorities in the city of Potsdam on Tuesday said they had obtained an entry ban against an “EU citizen.” What do we know so far?   Several German news outlets reported that the ban was imposed on Austrian far-right activist Martin Sellner, with Sellner also confirming the news on his X account. Sellner said in his social media post that he was no longer allowed to enter German territory for three years, otherwise he will pushed back and punished.   The 35-year-old holds hardline views on migration, and has also expressed racist and antisemitic beliefs. Sellner was reportedly the key speaker at…

Bricklayer Rafiq Masih and his four children have been living in fear since August 2021, when his wife was taken away by police in Islamabad, for allegedlycommitting blasphemy. Having lived in the Pakistani capital for many years, the Christian minority family had to move to the adjoining Rawalpindi city to live a low-profile life for their own safety. Shagufta Kiran, 48, a nurse, was moved into detention on the charge of making derogatory remarks about Islam in a WhatsApp group. “During a discussion, some Muslim members of the WhatsApp group found Shagufta’s words about the teachings of Islam blasphemous, made screenshots and…

Ethiopia’s biggest bank is trying to recover millions after a technical glitch allowed customers to withdraw more money than they had in their accounts.The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia lost more than 2.4 billion Ethiopian birr (approximately £32m), local media reports suggested. The bank has not said how much was withdrawn but its CEO, Abe Sano, told reporters half a million transactions were made during the glitch.News of the technical issue was spread on social media by university students, who withdrew much of the money, he said.The bank will not press charges against students who took out cash that did not…

EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, Belarus, the situation in the Middle East and other current affairs. The meeting was led by the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who earlier on Monday had an informal discussion via video conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “A solid compromise has been agreed at the working level and I hope that this will be continued until full adoption soon, but the political agreement is there,” Borrell told reporters afterwards. EU sanctions Israeli settlers for first time The bloc agreed to impose further sanctions on…

Campaigning is in full swing in Senegal with rallies, motorcades and door-to-door canvassing just days before the presidential elections, which are scheduled for Sunday, March 24. This year though, because of delays to the polls, which originally were scheduled for February, presidential candidates were given a shorter campaign period than normal. The 19 candidates have just over two weeks in total to convince the West African nation’s more than 7 million registered voters to choose them. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, one of the election frontrunners, has even less time: He had been held in prison since April 2023 and was only freed as part…

Extreme weather events were “off the charts” in 2023, according to a new report aiming to send a “red alert” to the world about the need for action on climate change.Global temperatures broke records “by a clear margin” last year, United Nations climate scientists have said. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in its annual report that the air and ocean were the warmest yet in modern times in 2023, with records shattered for both the rise in sea level and the retreat of glaciers and Antarctic ice.Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused “misery and mayhem,…

Christian Streich has long been a coach who follows his own path. And the long-serving Freiburg boss lived up to that reputation when he became one of relatively few prominent figures active in football to publicly question the morality of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquiring a controlling interest in Newcastle United. “There are always things happening in football that have exceeded all limits. In this case it is  unbelievable who is part of this consortium,” Streich said ahead of his high-flying side’s home match with RB Leipzig this weekend. The Premier League last week approved the PIF’s takeover bid after receiving…

Skip next section Russia says it captured Orlivka03/19/2024March 19, 2024Russia says it captured OrlivkaRussia’s Defense Ministry says its forces have captured the village of Orlivka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. It lies 9.5 kilometers (5.9 miles) northwest of Avdiivka. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city last month. Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Kyiv’s forces had repelled nine Russian attacks around Orlivka. https://p.dw.com/p/4dtXvSkip next section Ukraine requires drones for battlefield advantage, says Syrskyi03/19/2024March 19, 2024Ukraine requires drones for battlefield advantage, says SyrskyiUkraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says that the development of drones is key to giving Kyiv…