Author: DW

France is organizing government-chartered flights from Haiti to help its nationals seeking to leave the Caribbean country, the French foreign ministry said on Sunday. Haiti has been gripped by gang violence since February when armed groups raided a prison and released thousands of inmates amid demands for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. “France’s embassy in Port-au-Prince remains open and is still working despite the degraded conditions,” the ministry told the news agency AFP in a statement. The ministry added that staff are “completely mobilized to support the French community on the ground.” More than 1,000 French nationals are registered with the French…

Ukraine has hit two Russian ships at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, hampering Vladimir Putin’s hold over the Black Sea, the UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed.The two large landing ships were struck by missiles early on Sunday, the Ukrainian military said.They also damaged a communication centre and Russian navy infrastructure.Russia-Ukraine latest:Concert hall suspects dragged into Moscow HQMr Shapps hailed it as a “historic moment for Ukraine” and a “further shift in Black Sea dynamics”.”The destruction of these key Russian vessels marks a significant milestone,” he said.”In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in…

A driver competing in a Hungarian motorsport rally on Sunday afternoon skidded off the road and crashed into a group of spectators, killing four and injuring at least seven, authorities have confirmed. The event organizers, the Arrabona Rally Club, said the race was immediately halted as eight ambulances and four rescue helicopters were dispatched to treat the injured. Local police said it was unclear why the vehicle, which was competing in the two-day Esztergom Nyerges Rally, veered off course between the towns of Labatlan and Bajot, north of Budapest near the Slovakian border. They said an investigation is underway and…

Germany’s Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said on Sunday that he’s “always happy to talk” with German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf about the decision to switch from Adidas to Nike as the national team kit manufacturer. The heads of the German football association previously said the US-based Nike will take over from Adidas, a German company, in 2027. The move has ruffled feathers in Germany and prompted protests from high-level politicians. On Friday, Habeck praised the 70-year relationship between DFB and Adidas as “a piece of German identity.” The economy minister said he “would have liked a bit more local patriotism.”Habeck has…

Hundreds of waiters raced through the streets of Paris on Sunday, bidding to become champion garcon in the Course des Cafes (cafe race). To prove their prowess as industry professionals, competitors had to race while carrying a tray with a croissant, espresso and glass of water. If a crumb or drop were spilt, they would be disqualified.The race began looping around the Paris City Hall, before crossing part of the Marais, the historic district in the French capitalImage: Berzane Nasser/ABACA/IMAGO Men’s winner Samy Lamrous and speedy waitress Pauline van Wymeersch won their respective events, both held across two kilometers (1.24 miles) in the…

Simon Harris is set to become the next prime minister of Ireland – following the shock resignation of Leo Varadkar.Mr Harris, Ireland’s further education minister, was the only candidate to put his name forward in the Fine Gael leadership contest. The party confirmed he would take over as leader on Sunday.”Simon Harris is ideally placed to lead this party forward and everybody in this room should get 100% behind him,” minister Simon Coveney said at the announcement.It paves the way for the 37-year-old to become the country’s youngest premier. “It’s the absolute honour of my life… to accept the leadership…

The announcement in January 2024 that Princess Catherine — or Kate, as she is known to her fans — had to undergo serious abdominal surgery sparked great concern among followers of the royal family. To recover from the operation, she retreated to her house in Windsor — and remained silent. The rumor mill quickly started churning. Various clues and photos were used to feed all sorts of assumptions. Then in March, Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s official London residence, released a photo of a healthy, smiling Kate with her three children, to mark Mother’s Day. But news agencies flagged the photo after…

It very nearly didn’t come off. Ahead of this week’s European Union summit in Brussels, the European Commission recommended that the 27 member states approve the opening of formal EU membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision came with some last-minute drama on Wednesday, when the parliament of the traditionally enlargement-cautious Netherlands narrowly voted down a resolution opposing talks with the small Balkan state. That meant that caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was able to vote in favor of the move, along with the other 26 EU leaders, on Thursday. This was a necessary hurdle to clear, since all enlargement…

Voters in Senegal headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, after the conclusion of incumbent President Macky Sall’s second term. Sall is not competing in this race, which is taking place despite his unsuccessful attempts to postpone the vote until December. His ruling coalition has endorsed former prime minister Amadou Ba. Meanwhile, popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, disqualified from the race due to a defamation conviction, is backing former tax inspector Bassirou Diomaye Faye.Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was disqualified from running and has backed anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye FayeImage: Muhamadou Bittaye/AFP Should none of the 19 candidates running…

Russia is holding a day of national mourning following Friday’s concert hall massacre near Moscow, as relatives of the missing face an anxious wait to see if their loved ones survived the gun rampage.Public events have been cancelled and flags are being flown at half-mast following the deadliest attack on the country’s soil in two decades. Across the capital, billboards carried a picture of a single candle, the date of the assault and the words “We mourn”.Politics live: Chancellor says Russia creating ‘smokescreen of propaganda’ after Moscow attackThousands of flowers have also been left at a makeshift memorial near the…