Author: DW

The Palace of Peace, an ornate red-brick building in The Hague that houses the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is a long way from the bombed-out streets of Gaza or the Israeli Kibbutzim laid to waste on October 7. But on Thursday and Friday, its Great Hall of Justice was transported to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Legal teams from Israel and South Africa painted competing pictures of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza for the consideration of the UN top court’s judges, not to mention the rest of the world. In one, South Africa accused Israel of carrying out…

A passenger plane has returned to its departure airport in Japan after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft mid-air.All Nippon Airways Flight 1182 was on a domestic journey heading to Toyama airport but then headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport. The crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, a spokesperson for the Japanese airline said.”The crack was not something that affected the flight’s control or pressurisation,” the spokesperson said.No injuries were reported among 59 passengers and six crew, the spokesperson added. Boeing has come under…

A few words that Nia Künzer said as she was unveiled as the first sporting director of the German women’s national team at the German Football Association’s (DFB) Frankfurt headquarters on Thursday will have been music to the fans’ ears. “We have a high-quality squad of well-trained players who are capable of competing at the highest level,” the former national team defender said. “The quality is there.” While this also would have been true last summer, Künzer noted that the team that failed to advance to the knockout phase of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand displayed an…

Authorities issued an emergency warning over fires in the state of Western Australia on Saturday, with residents urged to evacuate. A bushfire burned relentlessly in the shire of Chittering, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) north of Western Australia’s capital, Perth. Over 40 bushfires were raging in the state altogether. What did officials say about the fire? Australia’s Fire and Emergency Department urged residents of the parts of Chittering affected by the fire to “act immediately to survive,” warning of a “threat to lives and homes.” “If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place,” the department said, urging…

With several kilometers of white sand and turquoise waters, Ngapali Beach, in the south of Myanmar’s Rakhine state, is your archetypal tropical idyll. At least, that is what it should be. The country’s premier beach resort, once known for drawing an international crowd of holidaymakers, is currently experiencing tough times, with deserted beaches and businesses struggling to stay afloat. The situation here has deteriorated in the past few weeks, nearly three years after a military coup overthrew the elected government, reigniting Myanmar’s multifaceted civil war. In October, the Arakan Army, the armed wing of the Rakhine independence movement, conducted a…

Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have made history.This is the first time in Taiwan’s nearly 30-year-old democracy that the same party has won three consecutive terms. And it’s absolutely significant they have done so while constantly standing on a platform of standing up to China.Indeed, Mr Lai has consistently characterised this campaign as a choice between “democracy and autocracy”. Image: Lai Ching-te casts his vote in Taiwan Even at the polls today while casting his ballot, he made sure to emphasise that Taiwan’s democratic process has been “hard-won” and “should be cherished”. It is a message that…

The Americans landed people on the moon in 1969 with less computing power than our contemporary phones. So, why do we find it so hard to land on the moon today? Heard that before? We have. It’s become one of those irritating cliches that contain an element of truth. It’s also a question that deserves an answer, with Russia, India, the United States, China, Japan and Israel all racing to get to the moon again — sometimes within a week of each other. The US and China want to send humans to the moon Missions to the moon have varied goals, but the main one…

Despite being an old soccer tournament — held for the first time 67 years ago — the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is still one of the most difficult competitions to predict. In 37 editions, 15 countries have lifted the trophy. Virtually every continental powerhouse has at least won it once and some smaller countries have also been able to go all the way, like Zambia in 2012. In recent years, AFCON has favored big teams like Algeria or Senegal. However, history has shown that anything can happen during the tournament. Just ask Didier Drogba, considered by many to be one…

Skip next section Russia attacks Ukrainian ammunition and drone facilities 01/13/2024January 13, 2024Russia attacks Ukrainian ammunition and drone facilities Moscow announced a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian facilities producing ammunition and drones, saying it destroyed all its targets. “This morning the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group strike… against facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex,” the Defense Ministry said in a daily briefing. Targeted facilities included places producing shells, gunpowder and unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry said. https://p.dw.com/p/4bCZeSkip next section Ukraine reports overnight Russian drone barrage01/13/2024January 13, 2024Ukraine reports overnight Russian drone barrageUkraine has come under…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday approved the first US-listed exchange traded funds (ETFs) to track bitcoin. The long-awaited move cleared the way for 11 ETFs to list on leading exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange. The regulators made it clear the decision “did not approve or endorse bitcoin.” An ETF would provide a way to invest in bitcoin without having to buy the cryptocurrency outright. Less than 24 hours before the approval, the SEC described as “unauthorized” a social media statement announcing the ETFs approval. The price of bitcoin briefly spiked Tuesday after the announcement. What does the SEC…