Author: DW

Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU) officially declared Prabowo Subianto the winner of February’s election, making the former general with ties to the Suharto dictatorship president-elect of the world’s third-largest democracy.  Subianto and running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of popular outgoing President Joko Widodo, won 58.6% of the vote, according to the KPU. Opponents Anies Baswedan, a former governor of Jakarta, and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, came in at 24.9% and 16.5%, respectively. Indonesia’s new president will be inaugurated on October 20, and a Cabinet will need to be appointed within two weeks. In his victory speech…

A prominent Haitian gang leader who escaped prison earlier this month has been shot dead by police – as political groups appear to be getting closer to finalising a transition council in the country.Ernst Julme, known as Ti Greg, was the head of Delmas 95 which is part of Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier’s alliance of gangs. Julme was shot by police in the Petion-Ville neighbourhood of the capital Port-au-Prince a day after Makandal, another gang leader, was killed in a suspected resurgence by a vigilante group called Bwa Kale, police and sources have told Reuters.The death of Julme marks a setback…

Skip next section EU planning tariff hikes on Russian, Belarusian produce03/21/2024March 21, 2024EU planning tariff hikes on Russian, Belarusian produceCommission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters of the plans at the closing press conference of the summit’s first day late on Thursday.  “We have prepared a proposal to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian imports of cereals, oilseed and derived products,” she said, adding there were “several good reasons for making this proposal.” “It will prevent Russian grain from de-stabilizing the EU market in these products. It will stop Russia from using the revenues from the export of these…

Several countries condemned on Thursday Venezuela’s arrest of two top aides of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.  Authorities on Wednesday arrested Henry Alviarez and Dignora Hernandez, the latest in a series of detentions targeting politicians, journalists and rights activists. Caracas says the arrests come in response to conspiracies and plots against Maduro, who is seeking a third term in office during the country’s coming presidential election in July. Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Canada condemned Alviarez and Hernandez’s arrests. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned against actions that would interfere with the election process. Who is Machado and why is she being…

Former football star Robinho has been arrested in Brazil, more than 10 years after he was first accused of raping a woman in Italy. The former Manchester City player will start his nine-year prison term after a court decision this week authorised the transfer of the sentence from Italy. In a statement, police said Robinho, 40, will undergo a medical examination and a custody hearing before being sent to prison.Earlier on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux denied Robinho a habeas corpus that would have allowed him to remain free until he no longer has appeals pending.The former footballer’s lawyers…

Kit McConnell, sports director of the International Olympic Committee, couldn’t have made his position much clearer. “The International Boxing Association will not be involved in any way if boxing is part of the LA28 Olympic Games,” he told a press conference held by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week. So far, boxing has yet to be included in the list of sports for the Los Angeles Games in four years’ time. “Unless we have a new boxing body working in partnership with the IOC, we will not be able to have boxing in the LA28 program,” McConnell stressed. The…

The European Union’s highest court upheld a previous decision to have two fingerprints on identity cards after it was challenged at a German court. The European Court of Justice (ECJ)  said the 2019 regulation was in line with fundamental rights to respect for private life and the protection of personal data.  But the underlying legal basis for the 2019 regulation, which is directly applicable in all member states, was faulty, the court said. A German court in the western city of Wiesbaden asked ECJ to review the validity of an EU regulation  calling for two fingerprints to be stored on an individual’s identity card after a…

North Korea has reportedly canceled a football World Cup qualifier game it was hosting with former colonizer Japan, after losing to its eastern neighbor on Thursday. Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The game was held in Tokyo. What did Pyongyang say? After the game, the head of Japan’s football association, Kozo Tashima, told Tokyo-based Kyodo news that Pyongyang canceled next Tuesday’s qualifier, which was scheduled to be held in the North Korean capital. North Korea was concerned by “a malignant infectious disease” in Japan, an apparent reference to rising…

Is today the moment the world’s top diplomatic body comes together in a collective call for a ceasefire in Gaza? Or will messy, discombobulating and cynical geopolitics get in the way? Will Russia vote for an American resolution?At 9am New York time (1pm UK time) the United Nations Security Council will vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Déjà vu? Yes. We’ve been here several times before. Resolutions over the past few months have used different constructions of the same sentences by different countries to find a form of word upon which all sides can…

During the international weeks against racism (March 11-24), the German football association (DFB) is launching a two-pronged strategy against racism and discrimination under the motto “Football time is the best time against racism.” Fans are encouraged to take part on social media, posting photos of themselves with crossed arms to symbolize the removal of racism from society, while a new pilot project delivering anti-racist measures to amateur clubs in the northeast of the country is also planned. The DFB is also offering anti-racism-themed corner flags to clubs that want them. “Everyone can do something to combat racism, not only the players,…