Author: DW

The Berlinale is renowned as a film festival that tackles political issues and advocates for humanitarian values. Debates and protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war were inevitably expected to be part of this year’s event. While a few “Free Gaza” signs were spotted on the red carpet, the opening gala on February 15 was held without disruption. Then on Sunday, rather unexpectedly, some 50 pro-Palestinian supporters staged a protest at the European Film Market, according to reports by Deadline.com. The film market has close links with the festival, but unlike the Berlin International Film Festival’s many red carpet premieres, the business platform is restricted to film industry professionals and is therefore not…

The trial of four senior Egyptian security officials accused of the kidnap, torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in 2016 gets underway in Rome on Tuesday. The opening hearing marks the second time the four security officers will go on trial in absentia. The first trial was halted in 2021 after it was argued there was no certainty the men had been officially notified that they were charged with Regeni’s death. The four defendants have been identified as senior officers in Egypt’s domestic security agency. What do we know about Regeni’s death? Regeni, who was 28 at the time…

Sam Altman caused more than a stir in early February when he called for a $5 to 7 trillion (€4.65 to 6.5 trillion) global investment to produce more powerful chips for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. Many industry analysts were left open-mouthed at the figure cited by the Open AI chief executive, which is equivalent to almost a quarter of the US federal budget.  Altman wants to solve some of the major issues faced by the AI sector, which includes a major shortage of chips and semiconductors needed to power large language models like his firm’s ChatGPT, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.…

Russian authorities in the Ural mountain city of Yekaterinburg have arrested a US-Russian dual national on treason charges, the state-owned TASS media outlet said Tuesday. What do we know so far? “The Federal Security Service (FSB) in Yekaterinburg suppressed the illegal activities of a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who has dual citizenship of Russia and the United States,” TASS reported.  The news agency did not provide information regarding the name of the woman, but said she was “involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state.” The crime of treason carries a hefty punishment of up to 20 years in jail in…

Traffic cameras appear to have captured a Russian convoy transporting Alexei Navalny’s body from prison to a morgue.Russian media outlet Mediazona released the camera footage filmed overnight on the 16-17 February – the same day as Navalny’s death. Both cameras show the same convoy crossing the Ob River south of Labytnangi, which is the only road between the Kharp prison and the Salekhard morgue, where it’s reported the politician’s body is being held.Russia-Ukraine latest: Follow live updatesMr Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, and his lawyers had been denied entry to the morgue. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday Ukrainian troops on the front line face “extremely difficult” conditions due to delays in receiving promised Western military aid. Days after Russian forces seized the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, further tightening their grip on the region, Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Ukrainian troops, as Russia’s war of aggression nears its second anniversary. Zelenskyy, military officials point to front-line difficulties “The situation is extremely difficult in several parts of the front line, where Russian troops have concentrated maximum reserves,” Zelenskyy said after visiting soldiers in the northeastern Kharkiv region. He said that Russian forces…

The US has drafted a new UN Security Council resolution that calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza – and opposes Israel’s plans to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah.According to Reuters, Washington also plans to veto a rival, Algeria-drafted resolution that demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire – amid concerns it could jeopardise talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar. Until now, American officials have been averse to use the word “ceasefire” at the UN, but the new text reflects the language used by President Joe Biden in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Image: David Cameron…

An infamous cybercrime gang that holds victims’ data to ransom has been disrupted by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and a coalition of international police agencies. A post on Lockbit’s extortion website on Monday said: “This site is now under the control of the National Crime Agency of the UK, working in close cooperation with the FBI and the international law enforcement task force, ‘Operation Cronos’.” Europol and other international police organisations from France, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany all aided in the rare law enforcement operation.An NCA spokesperson confirmed that the agency had disrupted the…

A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last year has reportedly been found dead in an underground car park in Spain. Maxim Kuzminov’s body was found with gunshot wounds on 13 February in the town of Villajoyosa, near Alicante in southern Spain. Spanish media reported that investigators were searching for two suspects who had fled in a vehicle that was later found burnt out in a nearby town.Russia-Ukraine latest: Follow live updatesDuring a flight between two Russian air bases last August, Mr Kuzminov instead landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine with his Mi-8 helicopter as part of a secret operation. Ukraine’s GUR military…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday Ukrainian troops on the frontline face “extremely difficult” conditions due to delays in receiving promised Western military aid. Days after Russian forces seized the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, further tightening their grip on the region, Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Ukrainian troops, as Russia’s war of aggression nears its third anniversary. Zelenskyy, military officials point to frontline difficulties. “The situation is extremely difficult in several parts of the front line, where Russian troops have concentrated maximum reserves,” Zelenskyy said after visiting soldiers in the northeastern Kharkiv region. He said that Russian forces were “taking…