Author: DW

Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian tourists who moved to Sri Lanka amid the war in Ukraine could be forced to leave after a “whites only” party was allegedly advertised at a Russian-run nightclub.A poster for a “White Party” last weekend at the Sarayka Lounge, in the popular resort town of Unawatuna, specified a white dress code, as is normal for such events. However, the poster, which was shared online widely, also included a line saying “Face Control: White,” prompting outrage from people who interpreted it as meaning none-white people would not be allowed in.Shortly after the anger erupted in the…

They are quirky characters in quirky stories, depicted with an affectionate detachment. They’re stories about love, loss and abandonment — and a lot about sex. There is smoking and drinking; when music is played, it’s rock or jazz. And that’s no coincidence: Haruki Murakami loves music, and the Japanese editions of some of his novels have the same titles as famous songs. No such thing as bad publicity Murakami published his first novel in the late 1970s, but international recognition came later. In Germany, that happened in June 2000, when the panel of a weekly TV talk show where literature critics…

Iran is set to hold a parliamentary election on March 1, with over 61 million of its citizens eligible to vote. They are also asked to decide who will sit on the Council of Experts, a body which chooses the country’s supreme leader, currently held by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian media says some 15,200 candidates are competing for the 290 parliamentary seats. “Most of the candidates, particularly in small constituencies, are doctors, engineers, civil servants, and teachers who are not affiliated with any political group,” journalist Maziar Khosravi told AFP, a French news agency. By allowing such candidates to run,…

Like nearly every growing youngster, Temu is having growing pains. But the list of grievances against the ultra-low-cost online shopping platform with roots in China is very long. At first Western experts were worried about the data mining the company could do on users. To calm accusations of Chinese government interference, Temu’s owner PDD Holdings moved its legal domicile to Ireland, and Temu itself relocated to Boston. Now new problems are taking the front row. Currently, it is hard to escape the company’s constant advertising. They hit this year’s Superbowl with another “shop like a billionaire” ad that played numerous times.…

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were due to hold peace talks in Berlin on Wednesday, five months after thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Germany is hosting the meeting to resolve a conflict between the Caucasus neighbors that has lasted for decades. Why is the meeting taking place now? The meeting of Armenia’s Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan’s Jeyhun Bayramov follows a surprise direct meeting between the leaders of both countries on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. The two countries had issued a joint statement in December saying they wanted to reach…

One of the longest-serving death row inmates in the US is set to be put to death on Wednesday – more than 40 years after he was sentenced.Serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech, 73, who has been convicted of five murders and is suspected of several more, is expected to be executed at 10am local time (5pm UK time) in a maximum-security Idaho prison. Supporters say he has changed and ask for his sentence to be converted to life in prison, arguing he has become kind and supportive while behind bars.While prosecuting lawyer Jill Longhurst admits he can be polite and…

Andrea, a woman living in Berlin, was dating a supportive, kind and creative guy named Ben. She felt they were intellectually compatible and communicated well. But there was a problem from the very start: he wanted less sex than she did. At first, she thought this just meant he wasn’t interested in her. But he insisted he was — sex was just lower on his list of priorities. “In terms of our connection as humans, there was not much to work on,” she said. But she still felt lonely in the relationship, like something was missing. DW has changed their names to…

Tuvalu’s newly elected government has reiterated its allegiance to Taiwan, resting speculations that the South Pacific island nation is ready to switch its diplomatic ties in favor of China. Tuvalu, Taiwan have ‘lasting special relationship’ “The new government wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the long-term and lasting special relationship between Tuvalu and the Republic of China, Taiwan,” Prime Minister Feleti Teo’s government said in a statement of priorities. Earlier, during recent elections, senior politician Seve Paeniu hinted that Tuvalu’s new government could turn its diplomatic inclination towards China. The elections in Tuvalu held last month were therefore watched closely by…

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, is set to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday. Members of Parliament are gathering to honor Navalny’s life. European lawmakers are later expected to debate Navalny’s death and condemn the Russian regime and President Vladimir Putin, a statement read. They will discuss the dangerous situation facing opposition figures, journalists and human rights defenders in Russia. A resolution will be put to vote on Thursday. Navalny’s funeral will take place on Friday in Moscow, his spokesperson said.  Yulia Navalnaya steps to political front to oppose KremlinTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and…

Joe Biden has won Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary – but has been hit by a significant protest vote from those angry at his support for Israel’s military action in Gaza.With most of the counting complete, the US president easily defeated his rival candidates by securing more than 80% of the vote. However, nearly 14% of voters – almost 100,000 – backed “uncommitted”.It follows a campaign which urged Democrats to vote for the “none of the above” category to express their opposition to Mr Biden’s support for Israel’s “genocidal” actions towards Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.Israel strongly denies accusations of genocide…