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Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue marks 90
Brazil’s iconic Cristo Redentor statue was inaugurated in 1931 at the top of Corcovado hill above Rio de Janeiro. It’s certainly the most famous statue of Christ in the world — but not the largest. SOURCE: DW News
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Golden Dawn is down, but far right rises again in Greece
The images from a vocational school in Stavroupoli, a suburb of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, were shocking. On September 27, hooded youths dressed in black used crowbars, knives and stones against peers who had distributed leaflets criticizing the right-wing government’s education policies. The attackers later gave the Nazi salute in the schoolyard. The attack was the first in a series…
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Historians wanted Macron to call Paris massacre state crime
On October 17, 1961, supporters of the Algerian independence movement protested a curfew imposed by the Prefecture of Police on Paris and its suburbs that singled out “Algerian Muslim workers,” “French Muslims” and “French Muslims of Algeria.” When police reacted with brutality, the protest ended in carnage. “The police created a bloodbath, using everything they could get their hands on,…
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Fact check: How one man was wrongly accused in Kongsberg attack
Whenever an act of terrorism or mass murder takes place, there is a race on social media to be the first to publish information about both attack and attacker. However, these initial reports are often mere speculation. They may also be completely false. This is what happened following the recent attack in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg. When a man…
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Why Saudi-Iran relations are thawing — for now
So far this year, regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have met more times than in the previous five years altogether. The four meetings in Baghdad, and one on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, indicate continuity in the warming of bilateral relations that had been frozen since 2016. Back then, protesters had attacked Saudi diplomatic…
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Is the EU doing enough to protect journalists?
When Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered on October 16, 2017 in a car bomb attack people were shocked, not only across Europe but around the world. But the Maltese reporter who was renowned for her investigations into corruption and money laundering wasn’t the only one. In the four years since her death, other colleagues including Jan Kuciak from Slovakia, Giorgos…
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A roundup of countries that permit recreational cannabis
Marijuana may be an issue of easy agreement in the ongoing coalition talks between Germany’s leading parties. Despite numerous points of contention, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens can find themselves aligned when it comes to cannabis legalization. The FDP emphasizes the revenue that the state could earn from taxing prerolled joints, cannabis flower and…
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COVID: Pandemic anxiety on the rise in India
The coronavirus health crisis and the restrictions imposed on public life to combat the spread of the virus have had a terrible effect on people’s mental health and well-being in India. A range of factors, including restrictions on social contact, lockdowns, economic insecurity and school and business closures, have contributed to a steep rise in cases of depression and anxiety.…
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Pakistan: New religious body draws ire from rights activists
The Pakistani government has signed an ordinance for the establishment of the religious body — Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority (RAA), triggering fears it would further empower the country’s influential clerics and undermine the rights of women and religious minorities. President Arif Alvi on Thursday issued the ordinance related to the establishment of the RAA. The body will be comprised of a chairman…
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How Japan keeps its elderly employed and active
A sprightly and energetic 68-year-old, Atsuko Kasa says she has absolutely no intention of slowing down. She plans to continue to work at the “Silver Jinzai Center” close to her home in the Japanese city of Yokohama for as long as she possibly can. She is much too young to retire, she jokes, and wants to help others. Kasa, who…
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Confronting France’s colonial past: Harkis eye reparations
When Algerian-born Serge Carel joined the army of colonial power France during the Algerian war of independence in 1957, he felt incredibly proud. “My whole family was working with the French — we’ve always loved France,” Carel told DW, while sitting in an armchair in his home 50 kilometers south of Paris. Joining the Algerian National Liberation Front, known as…
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Pakistan struggles to balance ties between Washington and Beijing
Pakistan-US relations have remained strained since the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in mid-August. Over the years, Washington has criticized Islamabad for supporting the Taliban. Since US President Joe Biden came into the White House, he has not engaged with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. Some analysts claim Pakistan now has its eyes set on Beijing instead. Islamabad has repeatedly…
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India: Why violence keeps flaring up at the Assam-Mizoram border
Police forces of two northeastern Indian states clashed at a contentious border area on July 26. The clashes between Assam and Mizoram police left six Assamese policemen dead and more than 70 people injured, prompting widespread anger among the Assamese people. In response, some Assamese residents blocked trucks transporting essential supplies, including medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, from entering Mizoram.…
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The woman in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel
Antje Pittelkau is in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel. The 54-year-old police officer was born in Freiburg, Germany. She worked in Berlin for several years, served for four years in Afghanistan and arrived in Niger in 2018 on the EUCAP mission. The EUCAP mission supports security in Niger. It is part of the EU’s Common Security and…
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How Zanzibar cares for its stray cats
Zanzibar’s Stone Town is overpopulated by cats. There are hundreds of them on the streets. Some people feed them at the Forodhani Gardens. Cats are unprotected her, some are injured, others are simply lost. Young volunteers provide veterinary care and try to find them homes. The cats are also creating jobs. Some young people capture the animals and use cages…
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Desperate migrants trapped between Belarus, Poland amid geopolitical row
Neda and her husband Abozar sit under a tree in a remote field in Poland freezing, starving and losing hope. “I tumbled six days ago and fell down,” Neda tells DW. “I bled and now I am no longer pregnant.” The Iranian couple left the Belarusian capital of Minsk 10 days ago and say they have now been pushed back…
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Antisemitism still common in the EU: study
Rabbi Slomo Koves was preparing to speak about Jewish life at a high school in a small, industrial town in Hungary when suddenly the headmaster had concerns. “The head of the school told me that he wanted me to be careful because most of the kids are first-time voters — and most of them will vote for the extreme-right Jobbik…
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Ethiopia: War in Tigray continues as government stays silent
An air and ground offensive in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is intensifying according to Tigrayan forces, with the Ethiopian government pressing a fresh attack . The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) says the fighting began with air strikes launched by the federal government last week. However, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not acknowledged the offensive. The office…
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Chinese war blockbuster fuels anger in South Korea
Across China, war epic “The Battle at Lake Changjin” is filling cinemas and shattering box office records. The film, set in the Korean Peninsula and deals with the bloody 1950-53 Korean War, is on course to be the biggest grossing movie in the world this year. The movie has been met with fierce criticism in South Korea, raising the possiblility…
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Pandemic, climate change and conflict fuel sharp rise in global hunger
World hunger was set to end by 2030 — that was a goal set by United Nations in 2015. After years of progress reducing numbers of undernourished people since 1960, reaching zero hunger by 2030 sounded like an attainable target for the international community. But now, “the fight against hunger is dangerously off track,” the latest Global Hunger Index indicates.…
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Inside the EU’s offer to scrap most Northern Ireland checks
The European Union says its new proposals to solve the post-Brexit Northern Ireland conundrum go far beyond tinkering around the edges: halving customs paperwork on goods entering Northern Ireland from the British mainland and scrapping the majority of checks on food. EU officials are already in London to discuss their suggested changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, but, with big…
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AfricaLink on Air – 13 October 2021
Rwanda education sector in shock after 60,000 students fail+++Ethiopian offensive in two northern regions intensifies+++Guinea’s military ruler, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, force some 42 military generals to early retirement+++Nigeria approves electronic transfer of election results+++Elderly fend off sexual predators through learning Karate SOURCE: DW News
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Benin: An Afro-descendant in the land of her ancestors
“I was absolutely told through my research, through what I’ve talked to people about that you definitely have to come and visit Ouidah. And so coming here into the Sacred Forest has been eye-opening. Getting to see the rituals, getting to understand a lot more about the religion of Vodun, it also helps me as a tourist and a visitor…
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What is the future of Indian investment in Afghanistan?
New Delhi spent billions of dollars on infrastructure and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan after the United States toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. From building highways to transporting food and building schools, India “invested time, money and effort” into rebuilding Afghanistan, according to an Indian business expert. The expert, who asked not to be named, said Indian projects in Afghanistan…
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COVID: Will European tourists return to Southeast Asia?
It’s little wonder Southeast Asia is now in a rush to welcome back tourists: in 2019, the sector was worth $393billion (€340 billion) for the regional economy. For countries like Cambodia and Thailand, tourism accounted for around a third and a fifth of their entire GDP, respectively. But the COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard. The region welcomed 143 million tourists…
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Scandal-hit Austria: New chancellor, same policies
After being engulfed in political drama over the last few days, Austria has a new head of government; however, apparently, a reluctant one. Alexander Schallenberg, who has taken over from Sebastian Kurz, describes himself as being “chancellor against his will.” At his inauguration in the chancellery on Vienna’s Ballhausplatz, the former foreign minister said the post was an honor that…
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AfricaLink on Air – 12 October 2021
International court backs Somalia in sea dispute with Kenya++ EU places temporary visa restrictions on Gambians++Turkey: Social media under increased threat from government SOURCE: DW News
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India’s main opposition attempts overhaul amid leadership crises
The Indian National Congress, often referred to as the “grand old party of India,” is set to have a high-level meeting on Saturday. The agenda is clear: to find a new chief to invigorate the country’s main opposition party. The Congress — which held power for more than 50 of independent India’s 74 years — secured less than 10% of…
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An inquiry exposed sexual abuse within French Catholic Church — now what?
Editor’s note: The following article contains graphic details of sexual assault and child abuse. “The father took me to his tent and closed it,” said the victim. “He kissed me on the lips, with his tongue. It was disgusting. He caressed me. I was petrified,” the victim continued. “He taught me words I didn’t know — like masturbation and fellatio.…
