Latest in World Highlight
Latest in World
US, Turkey plan for ‘IS’-free buffer zone along Syria-Turkey border
The US and Turkish government have agreed to create a strategic safe zone on the Syrian-Turkish border to combat "IS" militants. The move comes as Ankara makes a dramatic shift in its policy towards the terrorists. The plan foresees the creation of a buffer zone out of a 68-mile (109 kilometer) stretch of land still under IS control, a senior…
Quiet diplomacy with Ethiopia is not very effective, HRW says
After talks with US President Barack Obama, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has insisted the government's commitment to democracy is real. But the facts speak for themselves, says HRW's Leslie Lefkow. Ethiopia's prime minister defended his country's commitment to democracy. And, of course, his country has often been 'misrepresented' by your organization, among others. What do you make of the…
Turkish airstrikes ‘very damaging’ to Kurdish peace process
Turkish airstrikes against the PKK Kurdish minority have jeopardized a 2013 ceasefire with the group. EU lawmaker Kati Piri told DW the Turkish response has been "disproportionate." Martin Kuebler reports from Brussels. In the wake of last Monday's suicide attack in the town of Suruc, in which an "Islamic State" ("IS") militant killed 32 Turkish citizens, Ankara has stepped up…
Opinion: Erdogan on the warpath
Turkey is bombarding "IS" strongholds – but also those of the Kurdish PKK. That fact is endangering the peace process between Ankara and the Kurds, says Turkey correspondent Reinhard Baumgarten. The radicals are gaining the upper hand and the intra-Turkish peace process is hanging by a thread. Now everyone is waiting for a statement from Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader…
Shelling and gunfire reported in Yemen, despite truce
Violence has rumbled on in Yemen, even after a Saudi-announced "humanitarian" truce came into effect. Airstrikes by the Riyadh-led coalition appear to have stopped, but the rebels appeared unimpressed. Even before the truce deadline passed at 11.59 p.m. local time (1059 UTC) on Sunday, it had already been unclear to what extent it would be observed by either side. While…
Turkey launches second wave of airstrikes on PKK in Iraq
Turkish warplanes have bombed Kurdish camps in northern Iraq for a second night, threatening a fragile truce. The move comes as Ankara made a formal request to NATO for an extraordinary meeting. For a second night, Turkish warplanes bombarded Kurdish targets in northern Iraq. Turkey first conducted airstrikes on the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) insurgent camps on late Friday into…
In Tunisia, many young people heed the call of ‘IS’ and al Qaeda
More than 5,000 Tunisians are currently fighting for al Qaeda and the "Islamic State." Extremists have been especially successful at recruiting youth there. Sarah Mersch reports from Tunis. "He said he was going to spend the night at a friend's house. A day later we received a text message that he was in Syria." Iqbel Ben Rejeb's voice trembles as…
Nuclear deal will not stop Iranian support for Hezbollah, says Nasrallah
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said that the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 will not deter Iranian support for the Shiite group. Nasrallah said the group will continue to view the US as the "Great Satan." Iran will continue to support the Shiite militant group Hezbollah even in the wake of a nuclear deal between the Islamic republic…
Guantanamo: Where US terror prisoners occupy Cuban soil
Barack Obama would like to close the US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba before the end of his term. The Cubans would like to have the entire base back. And the US Congress is opposed to both ideas, Kersten Knipp writes. Oh the things that Cuba could offer! Pineapples, coconuts, oranges and bananas, as well as potatoes, lettuce and…
Opinion: On UK ‘Brexit,’ Obama is thinking US – not EU
The UK has to stay in the EU, Barack Obama says. Only then will it be able to continue to play a role on the international stage. More than anything, he has US interests in mind, Gero Schliess writes in Washington. Some observers may have rubbed their eyes in disbelief: For the longest time, the Americans had gone out of…
Report: Syria’s Assad grants amnesty to army deserters
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced a general amnesty for army deserters or those who have dodged conscription, state media report. The forgiveness will apply to thousands of men. The amnesty, the second in just over a year, gives military deserters who have fled the country two months to hand themselves in without incurring any legal penalty, while those still…
Turkish warplanes strike ‘Islamic State’ in Syria and Kurdish militants in Iraq
Turkey says its warplanes have struck "Islamic State" sites in Syria for a second straight night. Turkish jets also struck Kurdish PKK camps in Iraq. The twin strikes will complicate the US-led air campaign against IS. On Saturday, Turkey risked double-fronted warfare against "Islamic State" (IS) and Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, respectively. IS and the Kurdistan Workers' Party…
A reported rise in mental illness in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands there seems to have been a rapid rise in incidents involving "mentally confused" people. The reported number of such incidents rose from 53,000 in 2013 to 60,000 last year and the Dutch are asking why. A phone rings and community psychiatric nurse Theo Eberson speeds to his car. The police want him to assess the mental health…
Ethiopia: difficult terrain for Obama
Barack Obama has become the first sitting US president to visit Kenya. His next stop, Ethiopia, has a poor human rights record, but is strategically important for the US. This may temper Obama's criticism. In Addis Ababa, an Ethiopian prime minister will welcome a US president to his country for the first time in its history. Some Ethiopians view this…
Opinion: Nkurunziza’s victory puts Burundi at risk
In Burundi the Electoral Commission has announced that incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza has won Tuesday's elections, as expected. His victory puts the country's future at risk, says DW's Dirke Köpp. More than 80 people dead, countless injured, hundreds of arbitrary arrests and an atmosphere of oppression and violence which has caused more than 175,000 Burundians to flee their country. All…
Opinion: Turkey steps up fight against ‘Islamic State’
Turkey has belatedly entered the international battle against the "Islamic State." However, the country needs to fight more than IS in order to ensure peace and stability at home, DW's Seda Serdar writes. Following the July 20 attack on Suruc that killed 32 people, Turkish officials finally decided to take a strong military action against the "Islamic State" (IS). The…
The impact of China’s new crackdown on civil rights
In what seems to be a crackdown on public dissent, hundreds of Chinese rights lawyers have been detained or interrogated. While temporarily muzzled, the advocates' determination shouldn't be underestimated, say experts. They challenge their country's authorities over human rights violations, frequently reporting about harassment, detentions or abuse of power, and often refusing to back down when told to do so….
Russian football beauty queen stripped of title for neo-Nazi views
A beauty queen honored as "Miss Charming" by Russia's top football league has lost her title for allegedly supporting neo-Nazism. Racism in Russian football is a key issue ahead of the 2018 World Cup. The woman, Olga Kuzkova, 21, had her title withdrawn earlier this week after anti-racist activists found evidence in social media networks that she was spreading neo-Nazi…
‘The door remains open’ for Libyan negotiations: UN envoy Leon
Libyan peace agreement was not signed by GNC to date, still hailed as “very important step”
More security patrols to secure public facilities: Mehleb
Italian consulate attack sparks international concerns
Irish government seeks presidential pardon for Ibrahim Halawa’s release
Irish teenager detained in Egypt has entered another hunger strike, demanding return to Ireland
Turkey election results will reduce ongoing hostility with Egypt: Analyst
Ruling party threatened to form government after opposition parties took over 25% of seats
‘Islamic State’ declares first attack on the US
Police killed the two attackers during the operation
Shoukry in Addis Ababa for talks over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Al-Sisi’s message emphasised the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Russia concerned Ukraine military operation has ‘intensified’
Lavrov also said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s peace plan announced on Friday did not go far enough.
Rebels down Ukraine military plane, killing 49
The United States on Friday accused Russia of helping in the insurgency by sending tanks and rocket launchers to the pro-Moscow rebels, a charge denied by the Kremlin.
Worst rebel attack yet on Lugansk airport in east Ukraine
AFP- Pro-Russian rebels fighting Ukraine’s Western-backed government have launched their most serious attacks yet on Lugansk International Airport in the east of the country, a military source said Sunday. The assaults, which took place Saturday evening and Sunday morning in the immediate wake of the inauguration of Ukraine’s new President Petro Poroshenko, did not result …
Politics left behind as Mideast rivals head to Vatican
AFP – Israel’s government is boycotting its Palestinian counterpart with relations to a new low, and when their two presidents join Pope Francis in a Vatican prayer for peace on Sunday politics are likely to be absent. Israeli President Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas have been acquaintances for years and held peace …
Ukraine swears in new president amid glimmers of hope
Poroshenko took the oath of office in Kiev’s parliament one day after holding his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, since a dominant May 25 election victory handed him the mandate to try and save Ukraine from disintegration and economic collapse.
One arrested after Nigeria football pitch bombing: Military
AFP – Nigeria’s military on Monday said it had made an arrest in connection with the bombing of a football match that killed at least 40 people. “A key suspect in the terror bomb explosion that rocked Kabang community in Mubi, Adamawa state… has been arrested by troops who cordoned [off] the area in swift …