Author: DW

In Yemen, opinions are divided: In just over a week, the Houthi rebel group, which controls much of the country after a nine-year civil war, will be designated a terrorist organization by the US government. The  designation comes in response to Houthi attacks on maritime traffic passing Yemen’s coastline. The Houthis themselves say they started attacking passing cargo ships to protest Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza and that they won’t stop until there is a ceasefire. The US says the Houthi attacks “fit the textbook definition of terrorism.” This most recent development leaves locals in Yemen conflicted. Polls regularly show…

Several high-ranking NATO military officials recently warned, within days of each other, that the alliance needs to prepare itself for conflict with Russia. “We have to realize it’s not a given that we are in peace,” Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, warned at a press conference following a two-day meeting at the end of January. Against the backdrop of Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine, launched two years ago this month, the Oslo daily newspaper Dagbladet reported that General Eirik Kristoffersen, the head of the Norwegian armed forces, said there was now a “window of perhaps two…

Employees accused of taking part in the Hamas-led 7 October attack on Israel “betrayed” the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, the group’s Gaza chief has told Sky News.The UK and US are among 16 countries that have suspended funding to the UN’s relief agency in Gaza (UNRWA) following Israeli accusations that 12 employees were involved in the assault. Speaking to The World with Yalda Hakim, Tom White said he was shocked by the allegations, which led to the staff being immediately fired.Middle East latest as Hamas submits response to proposed ceasefire”We are very clear with our staff and it’s in…

Some 347 million children in South Asia are facing severe water shortages due to climate change, according to a UN report published on Monday. The figure represents over half the number of children living in the region. South Asia, comprising eight countries, is home to more than a quarter of the world’s children and is increasingly affected by climate change-related disasters such as floods and droughts. What the UN said about children and water scarcity The report revealed that 55% of children in South Asia are affected by water scarcity — the highest rate worldwide. “Climate change is disrupting weather patterns…

The European Commission on Tuesday recommended a 90% net greenhouse gas emissions cut by 2040 on Tuesday, in a session that kicked off the political debate on the aim. The 2040 target should be on track with the bloc’s plans to have net zero emissions by 2050. However, the session comes at a time when the bloc is faced with angry farmers staging disruptive protests that criticize, among other things, what they say are overly ambitious EU climate goals. It also comes as the EU braces for elections over the summer, where the far-right, which has been capitalizing on the farmers’ protests,…

President Macky Sall’s postponement of Senegal’s February 25 presidential election has sparked protests and put a spotlight on the state of the country’s democracy. Lawmakers on Monday voted to endorse the delayed election announced by the outgoing president. Straying from an earlier proposed bill that set August 15 as the country’s delayed election date, lawmakers on Monday voted to hold the vote on December 15 instead, causing even more public outrage. Sall said the poll had to be delayed to prevent potential electoral disputes that could erupt afterward.  His decision, however, has plunged Senegal into an unprecedented constitutional chaos.Should Macky Sall be commended for not…

An Aberdeenshire grandfather who was facing jail in Dubai following a row over a noisy New Year’s Eve party has been allowed to leave the country.Ian Mackellar, 75, had been visiting his daughter and granddaughter when he found himself arrested after complaining to neighbours over their New Year’s Eve party ruckus. Mr Mackellar was charged with trespassing and verbal assault and was blocked from leaving the United Arab Emirates.Under Dubai’s laws, Mr Mackellar could have been facing time behind bars.He has been spared a prison sentence and was instead fined £650. Detained in Dubai, which supports people caught up in…

Sometimes new discoveries take a long, long time to surface. Paleontologists first saw the bones of the new pterosaur Ceoptera evansae in 2006, during a field trip to the southwest coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. They have since spent years carefully preparing the fossils, which remain almost entirely embedded in rock — “in matrix,” as the scientists say — for analysis. The find is only a partial skeleton, consisting of shoulders, wings, legs and backbone, but the scientists have said the bones belong to a single pterosaur. The pterosaurs are thought to have been related to both dinosaurs and…

India’s Hindi film industry, Bollywood, is based out of the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. The name Bollywood is a compound of the words Bombay, the old name for the city of Mumbai, and Hollywood, the glitzy US blockbuster movie industry. The name Bollywood was coined in the 1970s to make one of the world’s most successful industries more palatable to Western audiences. But, is it possible to compare Bollywood to Hollywood, particularly when it comes to women working in the movies? The short answer is “no,” according to Priyanka Singh, a lecturer in film studies who specializes in women’s authorship and…

President Macky Sall’s postponement of the February 25 presidential election has sparked protests and put the spotlight on Senegal’s democracy. Lawmakers on Monday voted to endorse the delayed election announced by the outgoing president Macky Sall. From an earlier proposed bill that had set the election date of August 15, the lawmakers voted to have the election held rather on December 15, amid public outrage. Sall said the poll had to be delayed to prevent potential electoral dispute that could erupt afterward.  His decision, though, now plunges Senegal into unprecedented constitutional chaos.Should Macky Sall be commended for not breaking the…