Author: DW

Fighting between Myanmar’s junta and the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state has intensified. Casualties have also been recorded in Bangladesh, with two people killed by an errant mortar round this month and several injured by gunshots from across the border. Rebel fighters have recently taken control of the Myanmar border region, and are seeking to oust junta forces from elsewhere in the state. This comes as a heavy blow for the Myanmar’s ruling junta, which seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi to find itself embroiled in a wide-scale civil war.…

Intense fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels is exacerbating the security crisis in eastern DR Congo. More than 100,000 civilians have been forced to flee in recent days as the M23 rebel fighters advance towards North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, bordering Rwanda and Uganda. The Congolese army and M23 have been fighting for control of Goma and the surrounding area for many years. In November 2012, M23 briefly seized Goma — a strategic city with approximately 1 million people — but the rebels later withdrew from Goma after an agreement with the government brokered by Uganda. The M23 (March 23 Movement) is among over 200 armed rebel groups in the mineral-rich eastern…

A large fire has engulfed two residential buildings in Valencia in eastern Spain – with people seen trapped on balconies waiting to be rescued.Officials said at least 13 people, including six firefighters, had suffered burns, fractures and smoke inhalation. There have so far been no reports of any deaths.The blaze started early on Thursday evening and spread from a block of flats to a smaller building next door, said Spanish news agency Efe. Image: Pic: AP Image: Firefighters rescue two people from a balcony. Pic: AP X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other…

Three days after her husband’s death, Yulia Navalnaya announced publicly that she would continue his work and take over the management of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). She also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing Alexei Navalny, and announced that an investigation into the exact details was underway. “We know exactly why Putin killed Alexei three days ago,” she said in a video address. “We will tell you about it soon. We will definitely find out who exactly and how exactly committed this crime. We will tell you their names and show you their faces.” Observers interpreted Navalnaya’s address as…

At least 13 people were injured after a fire tore through a block of apartments in Valencia, Spain, on Thursday. Among the injured were a minor and six firefighters. Residents could be seen trapped on their balconies, waiting to be rescued. The fire broke out on the fourth floor and spread rapidly through the building, a first responder said. Authorities said 22 firefighting units and five ambulances responded to the incident, while local media reported that a field hospital was also set up at the scene. “Please stay away from the area of the fire to let the emergency services do their work,”…

The defence secretary has said the government will take a “very close look” after Sky News found UK exports are almost certainly helping Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.Drone equipment and heavy machinery are among items being sent to countries including Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan, from where they are understood to be forwarded to Russia. Sky’s economics and data editor Ed Conway said it was undermining the official UK sanctions regime and bolstering Vladimir Putin’s war machine.Ukraine-Russia war latest: Navalny’s mother says she has seen her son’s body Image: Mr Shapps says the government will investigate the apparent circumventing of sanctions…

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is in a strong position to become the next leader of NATO after he recieved the backing of the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany on Thursday. “With his immense experience, his great expertise in security policy and his strong diplomatic skills, he is an outstanding candidate,” German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said, adding that Rutte had the support of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. US President Joe Biden also “strongly” endorsed the Dutch prime minister, according to a US official.  “PM Rutte has a deep understanding of the importance of the alliance, is a natural leader and…

A new European Union body designed to clamp down on money laundering and schemes to circumvent sanctions will be based in the German city of Frankfurt, the Belgian presidency of the EU announced on Thursday. Nine cities — Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Riga, Rome, Vienna, and Vilnius — were in the running to be the host city for the bloc’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA). The European Parliament and the European Council agreed the agency should be based in the German financial capital, which is also home to the European Central Bank. The agency, tasked with combatting money laundering and terrorist financing,…

Not many people can say they’ve been to North Korea, but this month’s private Russian tour offered a glimpse into a secretive country largely shut off from the rest of the world.  A group of around 100 Russians were among the first to visit the country since the pandemic on a four-day trip and the North Koreans put on a show – from a flight on the country’s only airline, to empty ski resorts and accordion performances. But the images and videos from the tourists paint a picture of what it’s like inside North Korea that contradicts the official version.…

02/22/2024February 22, 2024UN says impact of Russia’s war to be ‘felt for generations’UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says Russia’s war in Ukraine has inflicted a terrible human cost, causing huge suffering for millions. Speaking ahead of the second anniversary of the invasion on February 24, 2022, Türk said the damage caused by the war would be felt for decades. He also repeated his call for Moscow to immediately end the conflict. “The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has exacted a horrific human cost, inflicting immense suffering on millions of civilians,” Türk said. The rights…