Author: DW

On the evening of Friday March 22, at around 8 p.m. local time, the Moscow concert venue Crocus City Hall became the scene of a bloody attack — the exact background of which is still the subject of speculation. At least 137 people were killed in the massacre, while many others are in critical condition. They were awaiting a concert by the Russian rock band Picnic, which was due to start at 9 p.m.  ‘Wash yourself with your own blood’  Russia has been in a state of shock ever since. While the whole world is expressing its sympathy, rumors and false information are making the rounds. Four Tajik suspects…

After an agonizing two weeks, over 100 kidnapped schoolchildren who were rescued in northern Nigeria on Sunday have been reunited with their families.  The mass kidnapping of 287 students in Kuriga, in the state of Kaduna, earlier this month was the first mass abduction in the West African country since 2021. The reported numbers for mass abductions in Nigeria are often lowered after people who went missing while fleeing attacks return home. Authorities said 137 students — 76 girls and 61 boys — had been rescued in the neighboring state of Zamfara. “In the early hours of March 24, 2024, the military working with local…

Pakistan has been in a state of grave economic turmoil in recent years. Political instability, corruption, mismanagement, the COVID-19 pandemic, a global energy crisis, and climate change-induced natural disasters have all taken a heavy toll on the economy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s newly formed government is seeking another bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tackle the acute balance-of-payments crisis. “We couldn’t survive without yet another IMF program,” Sharif told a meeting in Islamabad last week that was broadcast live. His comments came a day after the IMF agreed a provisional or staff-level agreement with Islamabad which, if approved by its…

On Monday morning – three days on from the horrors of the Crocus City Hall terror attack – people were still streaming to the site to lay flowers. The makeshift memorial stretched on and on, piles of carnations beside huge bouquets of roses, brightly coloured teddy bears wedged in among the flowers and the occasional photograph of one of the many victims. Around the corner of the huge Crocus City complex, the burnt-out remains of the concert hall stood black and ravaged against the sky.An Orthodox priest burnt incense and led a small crowd in prayers which they sang in…

As she turns 80, Diana Ross is showing the same tenacity she has demonstrated throughout her career, which has spanned well over 60 years.  The singer has always known life is a matter of sink or swim. Grit and determination has seen the soul queen go from the social housing estate in Detroit, where she grew up, to the stages of some of the biggest arenas in the world. “You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream,” Ross once said. “You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” Striving for perfection Born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross on March 26, 1944, in…

A winter of heavy storms and flooding, especially in late December, has washed away vast stretches of protective sand dunes and bathing beaches on Germany’s North Sea islands. Coastal areas on islands such as Sylt, Borkum and Norderney, which together attract millions of tourists, will need to be rebuilt before the summer holidays — an extensive and expensive procedure. In what’s known as beach nourishment, load after load of sand will be moved in to reconstruct depleted coasts. The state government in Lower Saxony, where Borkum and Norderney are located, has already said it will provide up to €700,000 (about $760,000) to literally shore…

In the aftermath of the German FA’s (DFB) decision to move on from long-standing German partner Adidas, it’s clear that finance was the overriding factor. The decision has made waves in Germany, with even politicians commenting. Economically speaking though, the deal is logical. Not only were Nike reportedly willingly to offer a lot more than Adidas for the deal, but the former’s profits dwarf that of its German rival. For 2023, Adidas registered a loss of €75 million ($82 million), whereas Nike’s profit was around €20 billion. The difference is undeniable, and even when Nike’s shares slumped at the start…

Almost six months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the UN Security Council on Monday passed a resolution calling for an “immediate cease-fire until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The resolution, which calls for the truce to lead to a “lasting, sustainable cease-fire,” passed with the votes of 14 Security Council while the United States abstained, marking a key shift in Washington’s stance. The resolution also demands the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, although this demand is not linked to the demand for a cease-fire during Ramadan, which ends on April…

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution that demands a ceasefire in Gaza for the rest of Ramadan.The Muslim holy month began on 10 March and is set to finish on 9 April – meaning the council is calling for a two-week ceasefire, though the draft said the pause in fighting should lead “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire”. The US abstained from the vote, with the 14 other council members – including Russia, China and the UK – voting in favour.The resolution also demanded the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages and “emphasises the urgent need to expand…

Skip next section ‘Counterproductive’ for Russia to blame Ukraine for Moscow attack — Macron03/25/2024March 25, 2024’Counterproductive’ for Russia to blame Ukraine for Moscow attack — MacronFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned Russia against any “exploitation” of Friday’s deadly concert hall attack in Moscow in which at least 137 people were killed. Macron said that it would be “cynical and counterproductive for Russia to use this context to try and turn it against Ukraine.” Macron said France had information that “ISIS-K,” an offshoot of the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) had carried out Friday’s attack.  “It was an entity of Islamic State…