Author: DW

Maryna Lyushyna was planning to give a chocolate-themed cooking class on February 24, 2022. The actress and mother of two had prepared everything the night before, and was looking forward to greeting the children who were supposed to be coming to her youth theater in Konotop in northern Ukraine for the event. But that night, she had trouble sleeping. When she heard some noise, she thought it must be the tram. “At 7 in the morning, a friend called me and said: ‘Turn on the TV, the war has begun!” Konotop is around 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from the border…

Dozens of French farmers on Saturday forced open an entrance gate to an agricultural show in Paris as part of their protests against European Union green policies and other measures that they say are hitting their bottom line. Clashes broke out with riot police who were trying to restrain the farmers. Many of them shouted and booed, calling for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters news agency reported that at least one person was arrested at the fair, which runs for nine days and attracts around 600,000 visitors. Macron was attending the Salon International de l’Agriculture (International Agricultural Show) to hold…

Any move to introduce conscription by Britain and other NATO allies would make a difference to Europe’s defences against Russia, Latvia’s foreign minister has said.Krisjanis Karins said the larger the country, the bigger the difference. Asked whether he was advocating such a step, the top diplomat told Sky News that he is “happily sharing” with colleagues the experience of his own nation, which reinstated mandatory military service last year in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The war is now entering its third year.”We think it’s a very good idea for us,” the foreign minister said, speaking on the…

At the Cesar Awards in Paris on Friday, French actress Judith Godreche denounced the French film industry’s “level of impunity, denial and privilege” in dealing with allegations of rampant sexual abuse.  A leading figure in France’s #MeToo movement, Godreche had been invited to speak at France’s version of the Oscars, after actresses alleged they were teenage victims of sexual abuse by directors.  Godreche has accused directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her while she was a teenager.  “Why accept that this art that we love so much, this art that binds us together, is used as a cover for…

It’s undoubtedly late in the game but supporters of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hope it’s not too late to block the outgoing Dutch prime minister’swell-paved path to the helm at NATO. The process of selecting a new NATO chief has traditionally been done away from the public eye, with consensus reached in discussion behind closed doors in various capital cities. Openly elevating one’s ambitions to become secretary general would be unseemly, even as candidates work behind the scenes to build the required support. Despite all this secrecy, it’s long been clear that Rutte is considered the”safe choice” by the majority…

For five years, Hanaa A., her children and grandchildren have been living in a refugee camp in Maarat Misrin, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Idlib, a city in northern Syria. The refugee camp is built on unpaved ground that gets so muddy in winter that people almost get stuck when walking. In summer, on the other hand, the tents get so hot that you can hardly bear being inside, residents told DW. Hanaa A. and her 14 family members live in cramped tents and have no access to running water. “Our situation is bad. The tents are not water-tight, and the washing facilities…

The second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine comes as America prepares for a crucial election and while funding for a Ukrainian victory remains blocked in a divided Congress.As our own frontline eyewitness reporting shows, Vladimir Putin has the upper hand. Western leaders have repeatedly warned that Putin won’t stop at Ukraine given the chance. We are reminded that even on the eve of his invasion two years ago, Putin insisted he would not move into Ukraine.Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin ‘may achieve war goal’So what might happen in the months and years ahead? Here are two scenarios. Far-fetched? It depends…

At least 15 people died and another 44 were injured in a blaze at a residential building in east China’s Nanjing city, local authorities said on Saturday. A preliminary investigation showed the fire, which broke out early on Friday, started on the building’s first floor where electric bikes had been placed, officials said in a press conference. Of the 44 injured, one was critical, while the others were seriously hurt, officials said. At around 4:39 a.m. on Friday (20:39 GMT Thursday), the local fire department received an alarm about the fire in the Yuhuatai District, Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua…

A court in Tunisia sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison on Friday after he was found guilty in absentia of seeking to “provoke disorder.” Marzouki, who was Tunisia’s first democratically elected head of state after the country’s 2011 Arab Spring  revolution, lives in France and was not present at the hearing. A spokesperson for the court said the verdict was based on statements by Marzouki that included incitement in a speech he gave in Paris. Who is Moncef Marzouki? Marzouki was previously sentenced to four years in absentia in 2021 after he called for France to end…

Alexei Navalny’s mother has said she was given an ultimatum to agree to a secret funeral within three hours or else her son would be buried at prison.Lyudmila Navalnaya said she refused to negotiate with investigators because “they do not have the authority to decide how and where she should bury her son”, according to a Navalny spokeswoman. Ms Navalnaya wants “compliance with the law” and authorities are “obliged to hand over the body within two days of establishing the cause of death”, said Kira Yarmysh.”According to the medical documents she signed, these two days expire tomorrow,” added the spokeswoman.”She…