Author: DW

German politician and former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will seek a second term as chief of the European Commission, her center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party announced on Monday. CDU leader Friedrich Merz told a Berlin press conference von der Leyen was unanimously nominated. Her nomination is expected to become official when the CDU’s European umbrella, the center-right European People’s party (EPP), which is meeting in Bucharest in early March. What do we know about von der Leyen’s bid? The 65-year-old politician told CDU colleagues on Monday she looked forward to a joint campaign ahead of elections for the European…

An uncontrolled satellite is expected to hurtle through Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, almost 30 years after it was launched.The satellite, known as ERS-2, is expected to break up into pieces on reentry, the majority of which will burn up. Because the reentry is “natural” – in other words, not controlled by humans – it is impossible to predict exactly when and where it will happen, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).But as the time draws closer, the agency is able to say with greater accuracy what will happen.It released its latest forecast on Monday, predicting the satellite would reenter…

02/19/2024February 19, 2024Japan hosts Ukraine reconstruction meeting to showcase supportJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday vowed his nation’s long-term engagement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, calling it a future investment, as Japan hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal for talks. Support for Ukraine’s reconstruction is about “investing in the future,” Kishida said in his opening remarks at a conference in Tokyo, which Japan co-organized with the Ukrainian government and business organizations.  “The war in Ukraine is still going on at this very moment and the situation is not easy. The promotion of economic reconstruction, however, is not only an investment for the…

Japan is selling climate bonds — last week saw the government auction off 800 billion yen ($5.33 billion, €4.95 billion) in 10-year bonds, with the next tranche planned for later this month. And that is only the beginning. The authorities hope to sell sovereign bonds worth 20 trillion yen in total to fund the country’s green transition, which is often referred to in Japan as GX. The Asian country is the first and so far the only country in the world to offer sovereign bonds for funding the reforms targeted toward tackling climate change. These government-issued debt securities are being sold…

Nasser hospital – the main medical centre serving southern Gaza – is “not functional anymore”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has made similar comments. “It’s gone completely out of service,” said spokesperson Ashraf al Qidra. “There are only four medical teams – 25 staff – currently caring for patients inside the facility.”Israeli forces raided the hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday after saying it had information Hamas fighters were hiding there.Hostages may have been kept at the facility, while it is possible some captives’ bodies are there too, Israel added. Hamas has denied the accusations,…

What is the CONCACAF W Gold Cup? This is a brand new tournament which starts in the USA, with three venues in California (Los Angeles, Carson, San Diego) and one in Houston, Texas. It will seek to find the best women’s national team in the CONCACAF region, encompassing North and Central America and the Caribbean. As happens in the men’s version, which has existed for 33 years, South American countries are also invited to compete. The four South Americans in the inaugural tournament will be Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay. There was previously a tournament called the CONCACAF Women’s Gold…

A grand total of 1,776 days: That’s how long Julian Assange will have been detained in Britain’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison by Tuesday, when he faces what could be the final hearing in the tug-of-war over his extradition to the US. Before that, the 52-year-old founder of the whistleblowing platform Wikileaks had spent seven years under diplomatic asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. And if US prosecutors have their way, he will soon be facing another 175 years in prison. The hearing before the High Court in London will take up the question: Has Assange already exhausted all legal options…

It’s been two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine  and there’s one thing economists agree on: Russia’s economy has not collapsed. That was the outcome many predicted when the EU, the US and others imposed unprecedented sanctions following the invasion in February 2022. Now, debate over Russia’s economy in western capitals has a more sober tone. Few question its resilience anymore. Where there is disagreement is over how solid the foundations are behind the country’s currently strong numbers. The International Monetary Fund recently forecast that GDP (gross domestic product) would rise by 2.6% in Russia this year, a steep increase from its October…

European Union foreign ministers have given final approval to a naval mission to protect international shipping in the Red Sea area. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed Monday’s decision and posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter: “Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners. Beyond crisis response, it’s a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our European interests.” The EU-led mission, called Aspides — which is the ancient Greek word for shield — will involve sending three European warships and airborne early warning systems to…

The widow of Alexei Navalny has claimed her husband was poisoned with “some kind of novichok” and says she will “soon reveal details” on why he was killed.In a video statement on Monday, Yulia Navalnaya accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing her husband, and subsequently “hiding” his body to ensure traces of the nerve agent disappear. She vowed to name those involved in his death and said he was killed because Mr Putin “couldn’t break him”.Russia-Ukraine latest: Follow live updates Many world leaders have blamed Mr Putin and his government for Mr Navalny’s death, accusations that have been fiercely…