Latest in World Highlight
Latest in World
Russia’s President Putin meets Saudi defence minister to discuss political solution in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two discussed a political solution in Syria, where Moscow has carried out airstrikes since late September.
Egypt condemns mass bombings in Ankara
Bombings of a protest in Turkey left at least 100 dead
Putin’s proxy war
President Putin turned 63 this week, but, as he savored his birthday cake, did the thought occur to him that he might have bitten off more than he could chew with his Syria strategy? Fiona Clark in Moscow investigates. Shortly after Russian warships fired 26 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea into Syria, some 1,500 …
NASA spacecraft finds blue sky, frozen water on Pluto
Pluto’s atmosphere appears to be a hazy shade of blue, at least according to data returned from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. The probe also found that there were numerous regions of water ice. Data released from NASA’s New Horizons on Thursday probe showed that the distant dwarf planet has a blue atmospheric haze. The space …
Missile fired at Yemen hotel used by government officials
Unidentified assailants have attacked a hotel used by Yemeni government officials. Despite a number of casualties, the prime minister was not hurt. Yemen’s internationally recognised government recently reclaimed the city of Aden. Unidentified attackers fired at the al-Qasr hotel in Aden on Tuesday, causing a number of casualties, according to residents. The attack left “dead …
Tricky talks with Erdogan in Brussels
The EU is turning to Turkey for help with the refugee crisis. The political price is likely to be high, though, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the opportunity for his own ends. Barbara Wesel reports. The EU wants “an agreement of mutual trust, which is necessary given the central role Turkey plays …
Car bombs kill dozens across Iraq
Three Iraqi towns have been targeted by deadly bomb blasts, including one in the relatively quiet Basra region, according to officials. The government is struggling to provide security as the fight against IS continues. At least 56 people were killed in three separate car bombings on Monday, targeting busy areas in the towns of al-Khales …
Putin’s new war, old foes
As Russia embarks on an anti-“Islamic State” bombing campaign in Syria, President Vladimir Putin seems to be reverting to tried and true tactics. Fiona Clark reports from Moscow
Palestinian man kills 2 in Jerusalem attack
A Palestinian man has killed two Israelis in Jerusalem and wounded two others. The attacker was himself shot dead by police. The attack happened on Saturday in Jerusalem’s Old City. A Palestinian man attacked an Israeli family, fatally stabbing the father and another man, while wounding a mother and child. A police spokeswoman said the …
Kunduz hospital bombing could amount to war crime: UN
The United Nations has condemned the bombing of a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, saying it could amount to a war crime. The airstrike at a Doctors Without Borders facility killed at least 19 staff and patients. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders – or MSF – said “12 staff members and at least seven patients, …
Obama criticizes Russia attacks in Syria and warns of ‘recipe for disaster’
The US president has rejected Russia’s military action in Syria as a dead-end strategy. President Barack Obama said Moscow risked becoming ‘stuck in a quagmire’ and strengthening so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS). In his most extensive comments on Syria since Russia began its airstrikes on Monday, Barack Obama accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of failing to …
Refugee crisis puts Athens on the brink
The flow of refugees through Greece is greater than ever, but bad weather and border closures threaten to strand thousands and stretch coping mechanisms beyond control. Pavlos Zafiropoulos reports from Athens. “The road was like a river. I saw babies ready to be swept away,” Maria Galinou of the Greek branch of the Salvation Army …
Merkel skeptical of Turkey’s ‘safe zone’ proposal
German Chancellor Merkel has said that Turkey’s proposal for a “safe zone” in northern Syria may risk the lives of refugees housed there. Her statement comes as Germany struggles to cope with the migrant influx.
Nerves are on edge along Balkan refugee route
The refugee crisis has put a strain on already difficult relations between Balkan countries. Borders are being shut and fences built. To make matters worse, Croatian parliamentary elections are coming up this fall. In the past few days, the acrimonious exchange of words has been reminiscent of the Yugoslav War era. Croatian Prime Minister Zoran …
Ghani announces successes in Afghan fight for Kunduz
Early Tuesday, US military planes struck Taliban positions on the outskirts of Kunduz, a NATO spokesman said.
Turkey kills dozens of Kurdish rebels in border raid
Erdogan insisted that the cross-border raids into Iraqi territory would continue, adding that “this is their (the PKK’s) last struggle”.
Putin and Obama spar ahead of UN talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a UN resolution to consolidate the international fight against terrorism. Putin and US President Barack Obama offered competing views on Syria at the UN ahead of talks. Ahead of a meeting between the two men on Monday, both addressed the UN General Assembly. Putin and Obama appeared to differ …
Opinion: No end to EU turmoil
The migration problem in the European Union threatens to become the bloc’s greatest crisis since the EU’s foundation over 60 years ago. No solution is in sight, even after the special summit, writes DW’s Robert Schwartz. “Another victory like that, and we have lost,” may be what many European politicians thought after EU interior ministers …
Hollande: ‘More anti-IS airstrikes soon’
French President Francois Hollande has said more French airstrikes against “Islamic State” targets could take place “in the coming weeks.” The announcement comes amid increased efforts to confront the militant group. At least six French jet fighters targeted and destroyed an “Islamic State” training camp near the Syrian town of Deir Ezzor, French President Francois …
Leaders miss the chance of a lifetime
Over the past three days, after years of build-up, world leaders have been getting down to the business of setting some of the most important priorities for the next 15 years. At stake is $2.5tr in development aid, and countless trillions in national budgets. Unfortunately, because of politicking and a desire to please everyone, this …
Paris holds first car-free day to cut smog in lead-up to historic climate conference
Paris is trying out a car-free day in a bid to cut down on air pollution. The experiment comes two months before the French capital hosts a landmark United Nations summit on climate change. The center of Paris has turned into a pedestrian oasis for a day as the city tries out a ban on …
Facebook’s Zuckerberg promises Merkel action on hate speech
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received assurances from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that the company will combat racist comments on the Internet. They met on the sidelines of a UN development summit. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday promised German Chancellor Angela Merkel that his company would work on measures to combat racist and hateful …
Saudi Arabia rebuffs Iran’s accusations over hajj stampede
Saudi officials have dismissed Iran’s criticism of the deadly hajj stampede, in which several hundred Muslim pilgrims died. Previously, Iran vowed international legal action against its regional rivals. The Iranians “should know better than to play politics with a tragedy”, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters on Saturday. Riyadh has ordered an investigation into …
Syria rebels agree truce with Hezbollah in key areas
The Shi’a Hezbollah movement, allied to the regime in Syria, has confirmed a six-month truce deal with Sunni rebels in three Syrian towns. The deal entails the transfer of thousands of civilians across the front-lines. Iran played a key role as a mediator during the UN-backed talks, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday. Under the …
Merkel addresses refugee crisis at UN
World leaders have adopted a set of development goals to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030
Pope addresses the UN, prays at 9/11 memorial
In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Pope Francis has called for the United Nations (UN) to promote “greater equity” among nations and limit the abuse of power
Russia starts drone surveillance missions in Syria
Russia has begun drone surveillance missions in Syria, US defence officials said Monday. The move marks Moscow’s first military air operations there since undertaking a rapid buildup at a Syrian air base. US officials said the drone operations appear to based out of the air base near the western port city of Latakia, where last …
UN: Not enough money for refugees in Iraq
More than three million Iraqis are on the run in their own country. The United Nations are sounding the alarm bells. The refugee situation is getting increasingly desperate due to a shortage of funding. Now, more than a year after “Islamic State” (IS) gained a foothold in Iraq, UN representative Dominik Bartsch is painting a …
Burkina Faso’s coup takes a new twist
Burkina Faso’s military warned that its forces were converging on the capital with the goal of disarming the junta behind the coup from Thursday (17.08.2015). On Monday (21.09.2015), Burkina Faso’s army chiefs ordered coup soldiers to lay down their weapons as troops headed to the capital Ouagadougou from the provinces. They aim to remove the …
Tsipras: A second chance
Left-wing party leader Alexis Tsipras’ victory in Greece’s general elections was surprisingly clear. He has announced that he will continue to govern with right-wing populists ANEL as his coalition partner. Before midnight, the ex-prime minister – and now premier-elect – appeared in front of his supporters in the center of Athens to : Despite empty …