Author: DW

Fifteen drones fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been shot down by the American military and its allies this morning, authorities say.US Central Command, also known as Centcom, said it had responded to a “large-scale” attack early on Saturday. The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) presented “an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US navy and coalition ships in the region,” Centcom posted on X.It said its navy ships and aircraft, along with “multiple coalition navy ships and aircraft”, shot down 15 UAVs. X This content is provided by X, which may be…

The wife of a dual Russian-British citizen locked up in Siberia has told Sky News the UK government could have spoken out more about his detention.Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested near his Moscow home in April 2022, was convicted of treason by a court in the Russian capital in April 2023. The political activist and prominent opposition figure, who claims he has twice survived poisonings which he blamed on the country’s authorities, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.The charges stemmed from a speech he gave in March 2022 to the House of Representatives in Arizona, where he…

Skip next section Sikorski says NATO troops in Ukraine ‘not unthinkable’03/09/2024March 9, 2024Sikorski says NATO troops in Ukraine ‘not unthinkable’Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has reacted positively to French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments that Western troops could deploy in Ukraine. “The presence of NATO forces in Ukraine is not unthinkable,” Sikorski wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday evening, more than a week after the French leader’s remarks at a meeting of European leaders caused a stir. “I appreciate French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative because it is about Putin being afraid, not us being afraid of Putin,” he added.  Last…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said municipal elections in March would be his last. Erdogan has been in power since 2003. “I am working non-stop. We’re running around breathlessly because, for me, it’s a final,” he said at a meeting for the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA). “With the authority that the law confers on me, this election is my last election.” He said that he believed his conservative Justice and Development (AKP) party would stay in power after he leaves office, calling upcoming local elections “a blessing for the brothers who come after me.” “There will be a transfer of confidence,”…

<a href='https://www.skysports.com/f1/live-blog/12433/13089065/saudi-arabian-gp-live-f1-updates-and-video-highlights-from-practice-qualifying-and-race-in-jeddah'>Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Live updates and highlights from F1 race in Jeddah</a> Source link

Mykyta Horban chokes up. “Give me a moment,” he says, taking a long pause. “I’m sorry. It’s still very hard.” He proceeds to talk about what he experienced as a prisoner in a Russian-run jail. His gaze is empty, fixed at the ceiling and floor of a conference room in the European Parliament in Brussels. A Lithuanian member of the European Parliament, Petras Austrevicius, has invited Horban and other victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Belgium to share their accounts. “Two years ago, Russians came to our village in Ukraine. They took me and my father as prisoners, interrogated us,…

Dirk Rehahn isn’t popping the champagne corks just yet. “I still don’t quite dare celebrate,” the entrepreneur says. He already has good reason to, though: Traffic to his two websites has increased massively since February 23. That was the day the German parliament passed the government’s draft law “on the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption purposes.” It stipulates that all adults will be allowed to grow three cannabis plants at home and keep up to 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of cannabis there, and may also carry up to 25 grams on their person. The law was scheduled…

Pakistan’s lawmakers on Saturday elected Asif Ali Zardari as president of the country for the second time. Zardari is the widower of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He previously held the post from 2008 to 2013. Zardari received 411 votes from national and provincial legislators. His opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who has the backing of the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, had 181 votes. The presidency is a largely ceremonial role in Pakistan, but Zardari is known as a conciliator. He could help the ruling coalition partners reach a consensus to put the shattered economy on a path…

The Irish government been defeated in the twin referendums on changing the country’s constitution, prime minister Leo Varadkar has conceded.Mr Varadkar, who said he wanted to remove “very old-fashioned language” in his country’s constitution, said it was clear the amendments were “defeated comprehensively on a respectable turnout”. “It was our responsibility to convince the majority of people to vote ‘yes’ and we clearly failed to do so,” he said.Earlier, transport minister Eamon Ryan said the government “didn’t convince the public of the argument for a ‘yes, yes’ vote”.Mr Ryan said: “You have to respect the voice of the people. It’s…

Italy plans to stop sending out speed camera photos out of privacy concerns, the Italian Transport Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said drivers caught speeding would only be sent fine notices to their homes. Authorities will only use images taken by speed cameras if a driver lodges a formal objection to a fine. The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that the decree has been approved by Italy’s data protection authorities. The newspaper said there had been various reports of people’s relationships, marriages or business deals failing after speed camera photos revealed that someone not expected to be traveling with them was in…