Author: DW

Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation of Rafah, the southern Gaza city on the border with Egypt where an estimated 1.4 million people have been driven by Israel’s military offensive.The order from the Israeli prime minister comes ahead of an expected ground offensive in the area, where Palestinian refugees, unable to leave the territory, are living in makeshift tent camps or overflowing UN-run shelters with severe shortages of food and medicine. Follow Middle East latestA statement from Mr Netanyahu’s office said: “It is impossible to achieve the war objective of eliminating Hamas and leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah.”On the…

Ireland’s women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with the Israel players at their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga on Thursday. Prior to the game, the Israeli Basketball Association published an interview with player Dor Saar in which she made allegations about antisemitism in the Ireland team. “It’s known that they are quite antisemitic, and it’s no secret,” said Saar. “Maybe that’s why a strong game is expected.” Basketball Ireland reacted with a statement prior to the match, calling the comments “inflammatory and wholly inaccurate.” The organization said the team would not participate in “traditional pre-match arrangements,” such as the exchange of gifts or…

Tensions have been mounting between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important trade routes. The yearslong dispute centers around Second Thomas Shoal, called Ayungin Shoal by the Philippines, which is part of a group of islets and shoals called the Spratly Islands. Second Thomas Shoal is in an area militarily occupied by the Philippines but claimed by several countries, including China. In 1999, the Philippines purposely ran aground a World War II warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef — leaving it manned with a handful of marines to reinforce its claim…

The United Nations’ children’s agency UNICEF warned on Friday of the risk of malnutrition looming over war-torn Sudan’s children, amid a shortage of aid reaching the country. James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told a press conference in Geneva that tens of thousands of malnourished children could die this year. Sudan’s military, uner the leadership of General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has been embroiled in a vicious, 10-month fight for power with its paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are led by Burhan’s number two, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. What did UNICEF say? Elder said that over 700,000 children are likely to suffer “from…

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi has been named as the new chief of Ukraine’s army. The 58-year-old was promoted by Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he removed General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi from the post after months of friction between the pair. Mr Syrskyi has played a key role in some of Ukraine’s biggest victories – but has also faced criticism for some of his tactics.Here’s what you need to know about Ukraine’s new army chief.Follow latest: Putin gives ‘annoying’ half-hour lecture From Soviet Union to UkraineMr Syrskyi was born in July 1965 in what is now Russia’s Vladimir region, which was then part of the…

When the Kansas City Chiefs take to the field to defend their Super Bowl title against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday, pop megastar Taylor Swift is planning to be in the stands to cheer on her partner, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Since it became known that the two are a couple, there has been a lot of hype about Swift and her visits to Chiefs games. She could be battling jetlag by the time she gets to the Super Bowl, as she is giving a concert in Tokyo on Saturday night. Their very public love affair has…

A blockade by Germany’s business-focused Free Democrats, part of the country’s governing coalition, has halted the adoption of a proposed EU law that would require large companies to assess whether their supply chains use forced labor or cause environmental damage. The Belgian EU presidency postponed the vote, which had been scheduled for Friday, at the last minute. A “qualified majority” of 15 EU countries representing 65% of the EU population is needed for the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) to proceed to a final vote in the European Parliament, where lawmakers are expected to support it. On Friday, it was not…

This Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is an annual celebration of the first lunar cycle of the new year. It’s a weeklong national holiday in China, and this year it starts on January 10. This is the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac, and it’s a symbol of “luck, wisdom and success.” But the optimism these words inspire has been overshadowed by the current state of the Chinese economy, with many experts projecting a downturn. In the run-up to the holiday, media reports highlighted a drop in demand for pork…

Can Joe Biden be replaced as the Democrats’ presumptive candidate for November’s US presidential election?Murmurs around his ability to defeat Republican Donald Trump, 77, in a rematch have only grown louder after a special counsel investigation said President Biden portrayed himself as an “elderly man with a poor memory”. But with America heading towards the 2024 election, and Mr Biden, 81, dominating the race for the Democratic Party nomination, what happens if he decides to withdraw – or others try to make that choice for him?Despite weak poll numbers and questions, including from some Democrats, about his age, Mr Biden…

Ireland’s women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with the Israel players at their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga on Thursday. Prior to the game, the Israeli Basketball Association published an interview with player Dor Saar in which she made allegations about antisemitism in the Ireland team. “It’s known that they are quite antisemitic, and it’s no secret,” Saar said. “Maybe that’s why a strong game is expected.” Basketball Ireland reacted with a statement prior to the match, calling the comments “inflammatory and wholly inaccurate” and indicated that the team would not participate in “traditional pre-match arrangements,” such as the exchange of gifts…