Author: DW

Tensions were again evident in Germany’s ruling coalition on Monday as the long-running dispute on sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine was extended and amplified by Russia intercepting and releasing a conversation on the matter between senior German military officials.  Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat (SPD) member, has ruled out the delivery at least for now, saying that the missiles’ range is too long and that Germany could be directly or indirectly drawn into the war if it tries to provide them. However, the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) support the idea, and are staging a series of votes in the Bundestag parliament…

Three Palestinians have been arrested on terrorism charges in Italy.Italian police have accused the men of planning attacks in an unspecified country.They said the men were living in L’Aquila, a city about 75 miles northeast of Rome, and had allegedly set up a cell linked to the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.The group, a coalition of armed militants once linked to the Palestinian Fatah movement, is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the EU and the US.Police said the three men had been charged with criminal conspiracy for terrorism purposes or subversion of the democratic order, which carries jail terms of…

The leader of Portugal’s center-right Democratic Alliance (AD), Luis Montenegro, claimed victory in Sunday’s closely contested parliamentary election. “It seems inescapable that the AD won the elections and that the Socialists lost,” he said in an address in Lisbon shortly after midnight. Montenegro said he expected President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to formally invite AD to form a government. Portugal election: Center-right wins narrow victoryTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, the official results, which were nearly complete early Monday, showed that the DA was still short of…

The UK government has warned against all travel to Haiti as intense fighting and gang violence continues to spiral in the Caribbean nation.It follows US secretary of state Antony Blinken heading to Jamaica in an attempt to solve the crisis, which threatens to bring down Haiti’s government. Attacks by powerful gangs on key government targets began on 29 February across Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, with gunmen having burned police stations, closed the main international airports and raided the country’s two biggest prisons, releasing 4,000 inmates. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:38 Protests continue in Haiti There…

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) warned on Monday that Europe could suffer “catastrophic” consequences of  climate change if it fails to take urgent action. In its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks, the EEA listed 36 threats related to climate in Europe, 21 of which demand immediate action, while eight were described as “particularly urgent.” The dangers include fires, water shortages and their effects on agricultural production, while low-lying coastal regions face threats of flooding, erosion and saltwater intrusion, the report said. Why should Europe worry? Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global rate, the EEA said. Even if…

Fears are on the rise over a looming military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The People’s Republic of China wants reunification with self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a Chinese province, even by force, if necessary. Presenting his government’s work report to the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed Beijing’s firm resolve to “resolutely advance the cause of China’s reunification.” This is part of the government’s “overall strategy,” he emphasized. The statement itself is not new, but the word “peaceful” — a term that was present in the declarations of previous years — was missing before “reunification.”…

It should be one of the great moments in the Islamic calendar. When a month of prayer, fasting and ultimately celebration begins. But Ramadan has started this year in an atmosphere of resentment, fear and anger for Palestinian Muslims, thanks to the war in Gaza.Outside Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third most holy shrine, there was tension during Tarawih prayers that launch the holy month. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised freedom of worship opposed by his far-right extremist national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who had wanted restrictions imposed on worshippers.We witnessed police pick and choose who was…

When there are disputes in sport, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) often decides. But how does it work? Source link

Skip next section Sweden’s NATO membership shows Putin ‘failed’ — Stoltenberg03/11/2024March 11, 2024Sweden’s NATO membership shows Putin ‘failed’ — StoltenbergThe flag of Sweden has been raised at NATO’sheadquarters in Brussels, symbolizing the country’s entry into the military alliance. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that Stockholm’s accession showed Russian President Vladimir Putin had “failed” in his strategy in Ukraine. He said that not only were Sweden and Finland now members of the alliance due to the war in Ukraine, but also that “Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before.” Putin cited the threat of Kyiv joining NATO in justifying…

Japan on Monday marked the anniversary of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed three of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Shortly after the magnitude-9 earthquake struck on March 11, a series of tsunamis inundated four of the reactor buildings and set off a chain reaction in three reactors that resulted in the release of significant amounts of radioactivity into the environment. Tens of thousands of locals were quickly evacuated and, over the following years, the reactors were stabilized. The challenge in recent years has been to gather the large amounts of nuclear fuel…