Author: DW

There is increasing hope that a new hostage deal can be agreed between Israel and Hamas in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a week from now, but time is running out and divisions remain between the sides.Hamas has sent a delegation to Cairo to continue talks; Israel is yet to dispatch its own team and government sources have told Sky News that, among other things, they are still waiting for Hamas to provide information on the hostages they will release. There are other points of difference, notably over which Palestinian prisoners Israel will agree…

Moscow was waging an “information war” against Germany by intercepting and releasing a sensitive discussion among high-ranking Bundeswehr military officers concerning Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. Reacting to the leak for the first time on Sunday, Pistorius accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to sow disunity and create divisions within Germany. “It is about using this recording to destabilize and unsettle us,” the German minister said, adding that he “hoped that Putin will not succeed.” The head of Russian state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, released a 38-minute audio recording of four officers discussing the possibility of sending Taurus missiles…

Switzerland has voted in favor of increasing the retirement pension to include a 13th monthly payment in a referendum on Sunday. Provisional official results published by the government showed over 58% of voters backed the measure, with less than 42% against. The initiative also won in a majority of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, giving it the double majority needed to pass. Pensioners’ group AVIVO said the result was “a historic day for retirees.” What’s behind the move? The “Better living in retirement” proposal was put forward by trade unions to combat the rising cost of living. They called for pensioners to receive an additional…

At least three people have been killed and hundreds of inmates have fled after armed gangs stormed Haiti’s main prison.The raid on Saturday night comes as police struggle to control escalating violence in the Caribbean nation. Fewer than 100 of the facility’s 4,000 prisoners remained at the site in the capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday morning, according to human rights lawyer Arnel Remy.During the disorder, a group of detained Colombians shared a video on social media in which they pleaded for their lives.Former soldier Francisco Urib said in the 30-second clip: “Please, please help us. “They are massacring people indiscriminately inside…

Why wear one necklace when you can wear five? The more attention-grabbing, the better! And, if you’re going to wear glasses, they might as well be bold. These were words to live by for style icon and fashion and interior designer Iris Apfel, who died on March 1, aged 102, at her home in Florida. Her oversized round glasses became her trademark and her style was so iconic, emojis were made in her likeness. Even as a centenarian, Apfel never shied away from wearing extravagant clothes and eye-catching makeup. She colored her hair light grey and chose to wear bright…

US basketball star LeBron James on Saturday became the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points. This is the 21st NBA season for the 39-year-old, who is the oldest active player in the NBA. James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just over a year ago for the NBA’s all-time scoring mark. James scores 9 after left-handed layup On Saturday, he scored nine points for the Los Angeles Lakers in a home game against the Denver Nuggets.  James scored five points in the first quarter and then sank a layup 14 seconds into the second quarter. He then made a left-handed layup…

Adama Sawadogo, who lives in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, will probably never forget the last weekend in February. “The situation is not easy. Over the weekend, there were attacks all over the country and they happened at the same time. Both churches and mosques were targeted,” said Sawadogo, who volunteers to help displaced people in his country. According to the Catholic diocese of Dori, 15 people were killed that weekend during Sunday Mass in the village of Essakane in northeastern Burkina Faso. The Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina Faso reported that 14 worshippers, including an imam, were killed in a mosque…

The path to a ceasefire in Gaza is “straightforward and there’s a deal on the table”, a senior US official has said, as mediators return to Egypt hoping to reach an agreement before Ramadan begins in a week.The unidentified official was speaking to Reuters news agency ahead of the talks in Cairo, billed as the final hurdle to a six-week ceasefire. The US said a deal has already been “more or less accepted” by Israel and is waiting for approval by Hamas militants.”The path to a ceasefire right now literally at this hour is straightforward, and there’s a deal on…

In Germany, turning 16 comes with a lot of new privileges, such as the right to buy beer, to drive a scooter, or to buy a phone. But until now, young Germans were not allowed to vote, except at a few communal or state elections. That’s about to change this year. In the upcoming European Parliament election in June, following lengthy debates on lowering the federal voting age for EU elections, 16- and 17-year-olds will be allowed to cast their ballots for the first time. Young citizens of Belgium, Austria, Greece and Malta will also be eligible to vote this year.…

Malaysia’s transport minister, Anthony Loke, said Sunday he was trying to arrange a new search for the lost Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. “The government is steadfast in our resolve to locate MH370,” Loke told a remembrance event to mark the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of the jet.  “We really hope the search can find the plane and provide truth to the next-of-kin.” The Boeing 777 aircraft was en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, carrying 239 people, when it vanished from radar on March 8, 2014. Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane has never been found.Relatives of…