Latest in World Highlight
Latest in World
Jenny Erpenbeck: What happens when you’re only seen as a refugee?
Jenny Erpenbeck spent a year meeting with refugees in Berlin. Her resulting novel is shortlisted for the German Book Prize. She explains why time is so crucial and what former East Germany has to do with refugees. DW: Ms. Erpenbeck, in your novel “Gehen, ging, gegangen” (Going, went, gone), you touch on a very timely …
Netanyahu meets Putin amid fears of Russian military build-up in Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Moscow’s weapon deliveries to Syria. The leaders focused on how to keep their armed forces out of each other’s way. At a meeting in Moscow on Monday, Netanyahu and Putin decided they would coordinate their military actions in Syria to avoid accidentally …
Bitcoin: ‘Islamic State’s online currency venture
Between Bitcoin and gold, the “Islamic State” is experimenting with currency, marking a new step in its state crafting ambitions. But will the latest move further embed it amid international efforts to uproot the group?
Russia takes advantage of Western reluctance in engage in Syria
Russia may soon bolster the Syrian army by deploying ground troops, allowing Moscow to expand its influence on the developments in the Syrian war. Western states are doing less and less to resist Russian policies.
EU relaxed about Greek elections
Six weeks after settling a third bailout package, Brussels’ attention to Greece has waned, even as Sunday’s vote looms. Everyone hopes that a new government will implement the aid program without any more conflicts. For about half a year, meetings of eurozone finance ministers took place under the spell of the “G-word.” Yet Greece was …
‘Clock’ incident reflects US suspicion of Islam
In Texas, a 14-year-old Muslim student was briefly arrested at his school after he plugged in a ticking box he later described as a clock. Muslim rights activists say this is part of a series of discriminatory events. An audience member at a Donald Trump rally in New Hampshire had a serious question for the …
UN nuclear chief heads to Iran for talks
The head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency is flying to Tehran for meetings following the landmark nuclear deal in July. Officials want to remove “ambiguities” over Iran’s past nuclear activities. The trip is part of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) planned investigation about a “possible military dimension” to Iran’s nuclear program. The …
Reiter: ‘Man could return to Moon in second half of next decade’
Former astronaut Thomas Reiter told DW why believes space travel is important and what’s ahead for the European Space Agency in the coming years. Two big goals: putting man back on the moon and onto Mars. DW: Why do you think events like the German Aerospace Day, which takes place in at the DLR in …
Apple enters refugee crisis with donations
Apple has enabled its customers to make a “financial donation” to aid refugees in Europe. CEO Tim Cook told employees the company will also make a donation in hopes of easing “the hardship so many are enduring.” American technology giant Apple enabled a function on its operating system’s App Store allowing iPhone and MacBook consumers …
US, Russian defense chiefs discuss ‘de-conflict’ in Syria
The US and Russia’s heads of defense have discussed ways to tackle the Syrian conflict amid a Russian military buildup in the country. The conversation follows Kremlin’s announcement that it could deploy troops to Syria. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter called Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday, the first step in “military-to-military” talks on …
With Google calling for donations, should global tech firms do more to help refugees?
As you tweet away, sharing images and thoughts about Europe’s refugee crisis, spare a thought for multinational tech firms, and ask yourself: what have they ever done? Let’s start by stating the obvious: Europe’s refugee crisis may be happening here, but its scale is international. Not only are refugees arriving in Europe from outside the …
Sweden could join NATO if Russia’s aggression persists
Moscow’s bellicose behavior in Ukraine and the Baltic region has triggered a debate about NATO membership in Sweden. While joining the alliance is unlikely anytime soon, Swedes are clearly reassessing their options. The sentiment of traditionally nonaligned Swedes toward applying for NATO membership has undergone a notable shift within the past few years amid worries …
What challenges do Afghan asylum seekers face in Germany?
More and more Afghans are arriving in Germany in pursuit of a better life as the security situation worsens back home. But what conditions do they face and how do their lives change? DW examines. After her father and uncles were killed in Afghanistan, then 11-year-old Nazifa Hussaini started life as a refugee with her …
Why China is internationalising its education system
China’s education landscape has become increasingly internationalized over the past decade owing to a plethora of factors. DW speaks to China experts at MERICS about the driving forces and implications of this trend.
US teen, falsely arrested over homemade clock, receives invite to White House
US President Barack Obama has invited a 14-year-old Muslim boy from Texas to the White House after he was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school. Police said it could have been mistaken for an explosive. The US president praised Ahmed Mohamed on Twitter late on Wednesday, after Ahmed’s story spread across the internet. …
Malaria deaths down 60%: WHO
A World Health Organization/UNICEF report claims more than 6 million lives have been saved from malaria over the past 15 years. Several countries are on the verge of eliminating the disease, health officials have said.
‘The nuclear deal will also benefit Jews in Iran’
US congressional opponents of the Iran nuclear deal have been unable to stop it from moving forward. What’s happening in Iran? DW spoke with Iranian parliamentarian Siamak Morsadegh. DW: Iran has not yet ratified the nuclear agreement negotiated with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). Only a few Iranian …
Jerusalem’s Temple Mount calmer after days of clashes
Relative calm has returned to Jerusalem’s contentious holy site after three days of clashes. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to take tougher actions against stone-throwing Palestinian protesters. Apart from a brief scuffle between Israeli security forces and members of the Waqf, a Jordanian organization that administers the Al-Aqsa mosque, Wednesday passed without any …
Moscow’s military move complicates Washington’s Syria conundrum
From the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Washington has been caught between a rock and hard place on how to respond. Russia’s latest military move in Syria has dimmed recent hopes for a diplomatic solution. In what appears to be a coordinated effort timed for the opening of the UN General Assembly, Russia and …
Heavy fatalities as rebels shell Aleppo; France and Russia mull military action
At least 38 people have been killed in a rebel bombardment of Aleppo, many of them children. As “Islamic State” presses an offensive in the north, France and Russia are considering military options
Speakers from US, Cuba, China, Russia, Iran line up for 70th UN General Assembly
The UN General Assembly has started. Cuba’s President Raul Castro is on the UN assembly list of speakers for the General Debate later this month, along with Pope Francis. The UN General Assembly opened its annual session on Tuesday, marking the organization’s 70th anniversary. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN faced a daunting task of …
EU interior ministers fail to agree on refugee deal
EU interior ministers were supposed to agree on a relocation scheme for refugees. But they split up without even coming to a common conclusion, postponing any decisions to October. Andrea Rönsberg reports from Brussels. In the end, Luxembourg’s minister for immigration and asylum was proven wrong. “I am convinced that we can muster the power, …
Russia building airstrip at airport in Syria’s Latakia: Monitor
A group monitoring the conflict in Syria says Russian forces are expanding a major airport in Latakia province. Russia has reiterated its support for the Syrian regime, but denies it is staging a military build-up
Tunisia protests corruption amnesty law
Hundreds of Tunisians have poured into Tunis’ streets to protest a controversial law offering amnesty to corrupt businessmen and politicians. The bill was introduced by the president over the summer.
Weapons and words: Russia has a strategy in Syria
The US fears that Russia may decide to use military force in Syria. At the same time, governments in Washington and Moscow have been finding common ground, at least in terms of their stance toward the Assad regime. It wouldn’t be the first time that Russia supplied Syria with weapons. The government in Moscow has …
Hungary calls for aid to Syria’s neighbors as EU grapples with refugee crisis
Hungary’s prime minister wants the EU to provide sizeable aid to countries neighboring Syria to help them cope with the influx of refugees. His country came under fire for what one politician called Nazi-like policies. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in aid should be delivered to Turkey, Lebanon and …
Nigeria: Corruption scares off companies
The Dutch company Brunel no longer wants to do business in Nigeria. It says the country is too corrupt. But Nigeria’s new President, Muhammadu Buhari, appears serious about cracking down on bribery and fraud. These words contain a lot of anger: “If it is impossible to do business without breaking the rules and putting our …
Bombing people to save them? Western states line up to intervene in Syria
France, Australia and the UK are considering joining a US-led coalition flying air strikes in Syria. They cite the refugee crisis as justification for military intervention, but can bombing put an end to the conflict?
Israeli nuclear whisteblower Vanunu under house arrest over TV interview
More than a decade since completing his 18-year jail-term for exposing details of Israel’s nuclear weapons, Mordechai Vanunu has been put under house arrest. His detention follows a TV interview regarding the disclosure
Canadians call on government to bring in more Syrian refugees
Canadian mayors, provincial premiers and federal opposition parties, as well as numerous faith groups and even a retired military general have all jumped head-first into the refugee crisis, with many calling for Canada to increase the numbers it takes in of people displaced by Syria’s four-and-a-half-year-old war