Latest in World Highlight
Latest in World
Opinion: Every fire begins with just a spark
The recent tensions on the Korean border could escalate unintentionally. It is time for Beijing to mediate and take the initiative to resolve the crisis, says DW’s Alexander Freund. If you have not visited the Korean Peninsula, you cannot fully understand the absurdity of the inter-Korean border conflict. Soldiers on both sides of the border …
Media blackout in South Sudan after journalist killing
Media houses in Juba, South Sudan have decided to stage a media blackout for 24 hours in protest of the killing of journalist Peter Julius Moi
Faster results for HIV tests in Germany
Scared you might have HIV? In the past, you had to wait 12 weeks in Germany before getting an answer. Now, the wait has been reduced to six – which will further reduce infections. Other countries are faster. HIV tests are more sensitive today than they used to be. They can detect smaller amounts of …
Israeli air strike on Golan Heights village kills at least two
At least two people have been killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a car in a village in the Golan Heights. The attack came a day after Israel carried out strikes against Syrian army posts in the area. Syrian state television reported that five unarmed civilians had been killed in the strike by …
Why Putin is courting Bulgaria
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply attacked EU and NATO member Bulgaria for supporting Western sanctions against Russia – but now, his tone has noticeably softened. What’s changed? Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s statement in early July sounded almost apologetic: “It’s understandable that President Putin spoke very sharply with regard to Bulgaria. But we …
Hottest July ever, US scientists say
Amid fears about the speed of climate change, scientists say July was the warmest in 135 years. This year is likely to be the hottest year since records began, surpassing an already hot 2015. The world broke new heat records in July, becoming the hottest month in history, a US scientific agency revealed on Thursday. …
China’s greenhouse gases overestimated
The United Nations and other international bodies have overestimated China’s greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade or more. The difference is due to lower quality coal being burned. According to a study published by Nature magazine on Wednesday, organizations like the European Union’s Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) have overestimated China’s emissions …
Palestinian ends hunger strike as Israel lifts detention
Mohammad Allan has called off his 65-day hunger strike. The Islamist detainee, who awoke from a coma this week, made the announcement through his lawyer after Israel’s High Court lifted his detention.
Turbulence in Pentagon plans to expand drone flights
Trying to cope with a steadily growing battlefield as the “Islamic State” increases its sphere of influence, the US plans to drastically up its use of drones
Putin to attend 70th anniversary of UN General Assembly
Along with several other world leaders, Russia’s president will attend events to mark the UN General Assembly’s 70th anniversary. But there’s still no confirmation that he will give a speech. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend next month’s 70th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Putin’s appearance in a …
Islamic State ‘beheads’ archaeologist in Palmyra
The extremists have already destroyed famed archaeological sites in Iraq, and there were concerns they would demolish Palmyra’s 2,000-year-old Roman-era city at the town’s edge, one of the region’s most spectacular archaeological sites
Kurdish forces targeted in northeastern Syria: monitor
The target of the attack was the headquarters of the Asayish security agency set up by an autonomous Kurdish administration in northern Syria
Syrian refugees are here to stay
According to data released by the Turkish Interior Ministry, 1,905,984 Syrians are registered in 82 cities. The number of Syrians living in 25 camps set up in 10 cities is 262,134. These statistics clearly show that nearly 1.7 million Syrians are trying to survive outside the camps on their own.
Why Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa failed to make a comeback
After being toppled as president, Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to become Prime Minister. But the Sri Lankan leader’s comeback bid has ended in defeat, as early parliamentary poll results showed the ruling alliance made decisive gains. “My dream of becoming prime minister has faded away,” Rajapaksa was quoted by news agency AFP on 18 August, as …
Israel to deport comatose Palestinian hunger striker?
Israel has offered to release a comatose Palestinian if he is deported from the West Bank for four years. Muhammad Allaan fell into the coma during a hunger strike to protest his administrative detention without charge. Though Israel’s Supreme Court has delayed a decision on whether to release a hunger-striking Palestinian man currently in a …
Warring parties in Yemen leaving ‘trail of civilian death’: Amnesty
All sides fighting in Yemen’s civil war have shown a ‘ruthless disregard’ for civilian life, rights group Amnesty International says. It says their actions in killing innocent people could amount to war crimes. In the right group’s latest report on the fighting in Yemen, presented in London on Tuesday, Amnesty said that all sides involved …
Bangkok bomb ‘intended to destroy economy’
Officials said it was unclear whether the bombing was politically motivated
Early Neolithic mass grave reveals new evidence of a violent age in Central Europe
It’s an age often described as one of social unrest, leading to an “apocalyptic nightmare of violence, warfare, and cannibalism.” A Neolithic mass grave in Germany shows the idea may not be far wrong. To call this piece of Early Neolithic detective work “challenging” is an understatement. But Christian Meyer and his fellow researchers now …
Report: US telecom giant AT&T a key partner in NSA surveillance
Telecom giant AT&T reportedly played a “highly collaborative” part in helping the NSA to spy on Internet traffic. It’s the latest revelation from documents provided by the agency’s former contractor Edward Snowden. In new information gleaned from National Security Agency documents dating from between 2003 and 2013, jointly reviewed by “The New York Times” and …
Fight continues 10 years after Israel ‘left’ Gaza
When Israel’s army withdrew from Gaza in 2005, many hoped that peace would follow. Ten years on, some say the move was a mistake, while others are asking if the occupation, as defined by international law, ever ended. On August 15, 2005, emotional images of Israeli soldiers made their way around the world as the …
Fight continues 10 years after Israel ‘left’ Gaza
When Israel’s army withdrew from Gaza in 2005, many hoped that peace would follow. Ten years on, some say the move was a mistake, while others are asking if the occupation, as defined by international law, ever ended. On August 15, 2005, emotional images of Israeli soldiers made their way around the world as the …
Japan marks 70 years since its surrender ended World War Two
There were bows and “banzai” chants at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine as politicians, veterans, and nationalists paid their respects to the over two million Japanese who died in World War Two. Julian Ryall reports from Tokyo. On a table at a refreshment stand in the grounds of Yasukuni Shrine, Tadashi Shimomura set up two framed photographs. …
US blocks release of hunger-striking Guantanamo detainee
The US Justice Department has argued against the release of a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay who has been on hunger strike for more than eight years. The detainee has been held at the base in Cuba since 2002. Lawyers for Yemeni prisoner Tariq Ba Odah had issued a request for their client’s immediate release on …
‘Islamic State’ leader Al-Baghdadi raped US hostage: Mueller family
The leader of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” group repeatedly raped a United States aid worker who was being held hostage, the woman’s family has been told. Kayla Mueller’s death was reported in February. The parents of Kayla Mueller (pictured), an aid worker who was killed aged 26 while being held by “Islamic State,” told media …
‘Islamic State’ leader al-Baghdadi raped US hostage, Mueller family says
The leader of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” group repeatedly raped a United States aid worker who was being held hostage, the woman’s family has been told. Kayla Mueller’s death was reported in February. The parents of Kayla Mueller (pictured), an aid worker who was killed aged 26 while being held by “Islamic State,” told media …
Deadly clashes between Turkish army, PKK
Turkey’s army says at least three of its soldiers have been killed in an attack by PKK militants. Ankara is engaged in military campaigns against both the PKK and the “Islamic State” group. In a statement released Friday, Turkey’s army said militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had attacked troops deployed in the …
Turkish attacks expose fissures among Kurdish groups
The conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has deepened the rift between rival Kurdish groups. If Turkish attacks continue, the Kurds’ fight against the “Islamic State” could be affected. Hamina Hasan sadly packs up to leave the village of Zargali with the rest of her family. She has lost count but says …
Truce called between Syrian regime, insurgents
A monitoring group has said talks yield 48-hour ceasefire in northwest Syria along Lebanon border. A simultaneous ceasefire has been called to give relief to two loyalist villages in Idlib province. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a deal to halt attacks was reached late Tuesday by the Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham …
Like in another world – Spending a semester in North Korea
18-year old Alessandro Ford from Great Britain spent four months in North Korea’s capital city Pyongyang as part of his gap year. He talks to DW about his experiences in the isolated East Asian nation. From August to December last year, Alessandro Ford was enrolled as a student at the Kim Il-sung University in the …
Australia sets modest 2030 emissions target
Australia has announced targets for reducing carbon emissions over the next 15 years. But opposition politicians and environmentalists have lashed out at the cuts, saying they lag behind the world. Australian conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Tuesday that Australia – one of the world’s highest carbon emitters per capita – planned to reduce …