Author: DW

The tug-of-war over Sweden’s application to join NATO is over at last after 18 months. Hungary was the last NATO country to officially give its approval, which it finally did on Monday afternoon when an overwhelming majority of lawmakers in the country’s parliament voted in favor of Sweden joining the North Atlantic defense alliance. In a striking change of tune from recent months, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke of the Scandinavian country in glowing terms, calling Sweden an important partner and saying its accession to NATO would “strengthen Hungary’s security.” What Orban was trying to gloss over with his…

Joe Biden’s claim there could be an imminent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was “wishful thinking”, a spokesperson for the Palestinian group has told Sky News.The US president has said he hoped a ceasefire could be secured by the end of this weekend. Negotiators are working on a weeks-long ceasefire between the two sides that would see the release of hostages being held in Gaza by the militant group in return for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Israel-Hamas war: Get the latest updates Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:14 Biden ‘hopeful’ of a ceasefire in…

Farmers set fire to tires and blocked roads at a protest in Brussels on Monday. The protesters threw eggs, burned tires, set off fireworks and sprayed manure, while officers responded with water cannons and tear gas in the worst-affected areas. An estimated 900 tractors were parked around the European Union institutions’ headquarters as agricultural ministers met to discuss the sector. Police in riot gear patrolled barriers set up near the headquarters. Officers fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesting farmers, who threw eggs, burned tires and set off firecrackers. DW’s Rosie Birchard reports from Brussels farmers’ protestsTo view this…

Lufthansa ground staff are to go on strike for three days beginning Wednesday as a wage dispute between the German flag carrier airline and trade unions continues. The announcement by the trade union Verdi comes just seven days after the last one-day ground personnel strike on February 20. Since then, Lufthansa has made another “improved” offer, according to head of human resources Michael Niggemann, which included bringing forward the first of two wage increases from December to March this year and a quicker pay-out of a €3,000 inflation compensation bonus. But Verdi has again rejected the offer as “insufficient,” repeating its demands…

A former member of a disbanded militant group linked to robberies and attempted murder has been arrested in Germany after more than 30 years on the run.Daniela Klette, 65, offered no resistance as she was detained in a Berlin flat on Monday evening, said Friedo de Vries, head of the criminal investigation department in Lower Saxony. Klette was found alone and police also seized a pistol, two magazines and cartridges in the apartment block in the Kreuzberg district of the capital. Image: Police officers search a flat in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin. Pic: AP Ms de Vries also said…

“When we learned that the sanctions against our country, Niger, had been lifted, we were all happy, and all the people of Niger are delighted to hear this good news,” said Intinicar Alassane, a former advisor to deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. The ousting of democratically elected Bazoum by a military junta in July 2023 led to West African regional bloc ECOWAS imposing stringent sanctions against Niger in an effort to have Bazoum reinstated. The dismantling of all major sanctions includes reopening land and air borders between Niger and ECOWAS member states — as well as lifting the no-fly zone for commercial flights to and…

At the G20 summit held in New Delhi in September 2023, India announced an ambitious venture called the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). Backed by the US, EU and Middle Eastern leaders such as Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, IMEC is a proposed ship and rail corridor that would connect India to the Middle East and Europe. US President Joe Biden said the project would offer “endless opportunities.” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called it “the most direct connection to date between India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said IMEC would form the “basis of world…

There were uneasy reactions from European allies of Ukraine on Tuesday after French President Emmanuel Macron said it could not be ruled out that Western ground troops are sent to Ukraine to help it defend itself against the Russian invasion. His remarks came as Russian troops seem to be having growing successes on the battlefield, while Ukraine’s armed forces increasingly have to contend with shortages of munitions and weapons. What did Macron say? After a conference on Ukraine he hosted on Monday in Paris, Macron said that “everything that is necessary” had to be done to avoid a Russian victory,…

A tourist helicopter in Colombia crashed into a building moments after taking off – but all six people on board survived, according to reports. The aircraft was carrying two pilots and four passengers when the incident took place amid strong winds in Medellín, Colombia, on Monday night. Within seconds of being in the air, the helicopter began spinning out of control and plummeted back down towards the helipad on top of a building below.Pictures taken after the passengers were rescued show the wreckage of the helicopter wedged between the building and a communications antenna.What remained of the aircraft was safely…

Japan and North Korea are inching towards a meeting of their two leaders, with Kim Jong Un and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looking to achieve a breakthrough in a relationship that has been icy for decades. Kishida told Japan’s parliament earlier this month that he wants to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim, and is personally overseeing high-level discussions with Pyongyang. A meeting would be the first between the leaders of the two nations since former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi travelled to Pyongyang in May 2004 and convinced Kim Jong Il, the father of the present…