Author: DW

It would be fair to say Ivory Coast shouldn’t even be in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. But, two weeks after a shock 4-0 loss to Equatorial-Guinea that seemed to all but spell the end of their tournament, the Elephants (as they are nicknamed) are in their first AFCON final in nearly a decade. The hosts semifinal win over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) saw the same fans who destroyed buses outside the stadium in anger at the four-goal drubbing, celebrate with joy, determined to turn night into day in Ivory Coast. “They thought we were dead,” a fan said…

Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi has been removed from his position, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Thursday.  Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had appointed Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, to lead the army. “Starting today, a new management team will take over the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “I appointed Colonel-General Syrsky as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” What did Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi say? Since late last year, there have been increasing reports of a conflict between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy. According to media reports, the Ukrainian president had planned to replace the general as early…

In Brondo in southeastern DRC, having clean water is essential for survival. Despite enjoying rich rainfall for much of the year, the region lacks proper water treatment. For residents like Betty, access to satitation and treated water therefore is extremely limited. “We drink the unclean water. There are overflowing septic tanks and rainwater that brings the city’s garbage into the houses,” Betty told DW, as health experts issued renewed warnings about the surge in cholera cases there. The disease is spreading rapidly in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with neighboring countries keeping a watchful eye on their borders.Health authorities say poor waste water…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said the money German taxpayers currently spend on accommodating Ukrainian war refugees could be administered from Kyiv by his government. “It would be better if Germany supported Ukrainians by including this money in our budget, and Ukraine would distribute the money depending on where the person is staying,” Zelenskyy told the German broadcaster ARD on January 28. Zelenskyy said some Ukrainians living in Germany were receiving financial assistance from both governments. He added that some refugees had taken their savings with them from Ukraine, depriving the country not only of citizens but also their money for its…

The German navy frigate “Hessen” set sail on Thursday from the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven toward the Red Sea to join a planned European Union mission to protect ships from Houthi attacks.  The Yemen-based, Iran-backed rebels have repeatedly launched attacks against merchant ships sailing in the region, saying that their action was in support of the Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Hamas.  “Free sea trade routes are the basis of our industry and of our capability to defend ourselves,” the chief of the German navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, told reporters in Berlin. “The current situation in the…

Five US marines have been killed in a helicopter crash in California. The aircraft, a CH-53E Super Stallion, went down on Tuesday night during stormy weather in mountains outside San Diego. The helicopter was discovered on Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley, about 45 miles from the city, said the military. Image: A still image from a social media post of rescue crews assisting with search efforts. Pic: Reuters President Joe Biden said in a statement that he and First Lady Jill Biden were “heartbroken” to learn of the marines’ deaths.”Our service members represent the very best of…

There are generally two different types of scenarios that come to mind when the topic is faulty weather predictions. The first is perhaps the more mundane: Phone apps that tell you it won’t rain, but then it does. The other, however, is more problematic. It involves scenarios in which natural catastrophes occur in places where people haven’t received proper warning, causing deaths or injuries that could have been prevented. We live in an age featuring the most highly developed technology in history. So how do things still go wrong? Window of opportunity First of all, we need some context. For the few things they…

The German-French writer, sociologist, and political scientist Alfred Grosser has died at the age of 99. The appeasing language of diplomacy wasn’t his cup of tea — and yet Grosser was a great diplomat, especially when it came to Franco-German relations. Honesty and straightforwardness were among his essential qualities. At the start of interviews, he used to ask interviewees one question about their report: “How long will it end up being?” And when he was told that the interview would be cut to a 3-minute TV report or to a short article, he would smile mischievously and say: “Well, then we won’t…

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin shocked observers on Thursday by announcing that he intended to step down when his current term in office ends in 2027. “I have decided, let’s say around six months ago, that I’m not planning to run in 2027 anymore,” Ceferin told reporters shortly after the UEFA Congress in Paris had concluded. “The reason is that after some time every organization needs fresh blood, but mainly because I was away for my family for seven years now and I will be away for another three.” Championing the change His announcement came shortly after the council had approved…

A new conservative party set up in South Korea ahead of the general election in April has provoked debate about the future of the nation’s military by calling for women to complete compulsory military service if they want to subsequently take up careers in the police, fire brigade or the corrections service.  At present, all able-bodied Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in one of the branches of the nation’s armed forces, but all female members of the military are volunteers. That policy has been sustainable for the armed forces until now but — faced with a…