- World News
Why is Gambia’s President Adama Barrow scared of his military?
Gambian President Adama Barrow wants Senegal to send over 600 troops to his country ahead December elections. This is in addition to the Senegalese forces already there as part of the ECOWAS peace mission deployed in 2017. DW’s Jane Nyingi spoke to Omar Walle in Banjul and first wanted to know if the Gambian army is capable of handling its…
- World News
AfricaLink on Air — 03 September 2021
The ban on open grazing in some parts of Nigeria continues to cause ripples, hindering its implementation+++ Gambia requests extra Senegalese troops ahead of elections +++ The futuristic city that singer Akon planned is still unbuilt +++ FIBA AfroBasket 2021 SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Moroccan elections will be about math, not change
The Moroccan elections take place next Wednesday and will be the first time that newly formulated electoral rules apply, including one particularly contentious one. In Morocco, rules on how elections are conducted are often amended before the event. Although the country’s King Mohammed VI holds the most power, Morocco has staged a national vote around every five years since 1993.…
- World News
Poland: ‘State of emergency’ worsens Afghan refugees’ plight
People look at the camera from afar, with heavily armed soldiers separating them and the photographer. Some of the people in the photos seem to be waving, but few are smiling. They do not look particularly serious, but they do seem desperate. These are rare pictures of the 32 Afghans who have been waiting at the border between Poland and…
- Sports News
Highlights of the Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Day 10
The Paralympics provide some of the best photographers from around the world with exciting events for them to capture in images stored on their digital devices. Here are some of the highlights from Day 10. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
COVID: Why is Europe donating so many vaccines to Vietnam?
Italy and Romania became the latest European countries to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam on August 25. In the weeks beforehand, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and France gave doses to Hanoi. DW estimates that EU states have so far donated or pledged to provide a combined total of 2.6 million inoculations to Vietnam, a key actor in Asian politics.…
- World News
EU escalates row with Gambia over expelled migrants
According to initial plans, the first batch of the over 2,000 ‘failed Gambian asylum seekers’ was expected to arrive in Banjul on September 1. But an official from Gambia’s Foreign Ministry responsible for diaspora affairs told local media that Gambia’s new position is not to accept requests for deportations. The Gambia has cited security concerns and the inability to reintegrate…
- World News
India to allow women to join top defense institutions
The Indian Supreme Court ruled last month that female students will now be allowed to train at one of the country’s elite military training institutions, the National Defence Academy (NDA). In another move aimed at creating gender balance in the armed forces, the Sainik Schools (soldier schools) will be opened to female students. These schools, while also teaching a standard…
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A Guide to Visiting Austria in 2021
Sponsored Can Travellers Visit Vienna from Thailand? A Guide to Visiting Austria in 2021 If you’re wondering whether visiting Austria from Thailand is currently possible, keep reading… It’s safe to say global travel has been difficult over the past 18 months. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many destinations have closed their borders to many international tourists. Austria, like most other…
- World News
Is the fall of Kabul the kick European defense needs?
“Afghanistan has shown that the deficiencies in our strategic autonomy comes with a price,” European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after an informal meeting of defense ministers on Thursday. “And that the only way forward is to combine our forces and strengthen not only our capacity, but also our will to act.” A day earlier, Borrell used sharper…
- World News
AfricaLink on Air — 02 September 2021
Anti-government sentiment in S.Sudan: Where does the youth stand? +++ Mozambique’s “tuna bonds” corruption trial +++ New coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa +++Do beauty standards reflect colonial attitudes +++ Controversy over TV rape demonstration in Ivory coast SOURCE: DW News
- Sports News
Paralympics Digest: ‘I definitely have my life back’
Syria’s Anas Al Khalifa made his Paralympic dream come true simply by competing for the refugee team at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Meanwhile, an Afghan athlete made her debut in the newly Paralympic sport of taekwondo. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
UAE’s new human rights institute: Real change or ‘image washing’?
The United Arab Emirates announced earlier this week that it would set up an independent national human rights organization. The new institution will open an office in Abu Dhabi and, according to the UAE’s state media, “aims to promote and protect human rights and freedoms” in accordance with the local and international laws and guidelines. The new organization — official…
- Sports News
World Cup Qualifying: Liechtenstein vs Germany — live blog
The Hansi Flick era for the German national team begins with a World Cup qualifier against minnows Liechtenstein. Flick has promised an “all-in” approach from his side. Follow all the build-up in DW’s live blog. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Young Ugandans develop anti-rape bracelet
SafeBangle Technologies in Kampala, Uganda have developed a prototype bracelet to report sexual and gender-based violence. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Afghanistan: Turkey moves into the spotlight
The United Nations’ statistics leave no room for doubt: The situation in Afghanistan is dire. UN experts estimate that more than 18 million people in Afghanistan need help: That’s more than half the entire population. Hamid Karzai International Airport in the capital, Kabul, is central to overcoming the country’s most urgent problems. At present, though, following the withdrawal of all…
- World News
Boxer Samuel Takyi becomes Ghanaian hero
20-year-old Samuel Takyi before ended Ghana’s 30-year wait for an Olympic medal. He’s called the “Golden Ring Warrior” and he trains in Accra. He was also rewarded by president Nana Akuffo-Addo. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Thailand’s ‘spirit houses’ believed to bring fortune and protection
Eagle-eyed visitors to Thailand may have noticed these miniature shrines set up in cities across the country. It is a common sight to see locals pausing on a busy Bangkok street to give these doll-house -like structures a deferential “wai” (a traditional form of greeting in Thailand). Some leave offerings at these ornate structures, ranging from candles, incense, flowers, food…
- World News
India: Schools reopening signals return to normalcy after COVID catastrophe
Many schools across India are opening this week for the first time in 18 months, as the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in the country seems to have subsided. As part of nationwide lockdown measures, most schools were closed in March 2018, and classes went online. As doors are reopened, students will be required to follow strict COVID protocols. “It…
- World News
Afghanistan: How can we help journalists under attack
As the Taliban has asserted power over Afghanistan in recent weeks, media there face new and daunting challenges. On September 1, international media outlets worldwide unite as the One Free Press Coalition to publish this special edition of the global monthly “10 Most Urgent” list — with a focus on how governments, international groups, and individuals can help journalists under…
- World News
Germany’s Afghanistan veterans struggle with mission’s fate
Jenni Bruns found the images of the Taliban’s invasion of Kabul hard to bear. “I’m not doing well at all,” the former soldier says on the phone. In 2010 she was deployed to Afghanistan. In an outpost in the north of the country, she worked to manage the treatment of water. While there she witnessed attacks by the Taliban and…
- World News
Afghanistan pullout chills US-German relations
After the Taliban took Kabul and desperate Afghans flooded the airport trying to escape the country, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dismay: “The developments are bitter, dramatic and terrible,” she said at a press conference on August 16. “It seems right now like it was all in vain.” For Germany, whose military has spent nearly 20 years in…
- World News
Will post-Afghanistan US foreign policy shift focus to Southeast Asia?
The calamity of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan over the past two weeks has drawn scathing rebukes of US foreign policy, while raising serious questions over how the US intends to project power in the future. In Southeast Asia, the US has been working to shore up regional alliances vis a vis China. Last week, US Vice President Kamala Harris…
- World News
The aftermath of Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida caused massive destruction in the US state of Louisiana, killing at least two people. Almost 400,000 people are without electricity in New Orleans alone and it could take months to repair the damage. SOURCE: DW News
- Sports News
Tokyo Paralympic Digest: Afghanistan’s Hossain Rasouli ‘super excited’ to compete
Sometimes sport is not as much about winning and losing as it is about simply competing. Afghan Paralympian Hossain Rasouli is a case in point. Meanwhile, Germany climbed up the table with 10 medals on Day 7. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Domestic opinion divided on Albania’s decision to host Afghan refugees headed to US
The Albanian coastline is teeming with domestic and foreign tourists wrapping up their summer holidays. But the coastal town of Durres is not only a holiday resort. It’s also a temporary home for hundreds of Afghan refugees. Space has been made available for them in a number of hotels. We would like to talk to the refugees, but are sent…
- World News
Why Qatar fosters close contact with the Taliban
Just a few days ago, US President Joe Biden picked up the phone to thank the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for the generous support in the ongoing evacuation from Afghanistan. Biden also thanked Qatar for facilitating intra-Afghan talks — even though they had failed even before the Taliban took power. Germany, meanwhile, criticized Qatar after the…
- Sports News
Vietnam looking to take Southeast Asia back to the World Cup
It has been over 80 years since a Southeast Asian nation appeared at the World Cup. Such a dismal record is partly explained by incompetence and corruption, but now Vietnam is in the final round of qualifying for 2022. SOURCE: DW News
- Sports News
Basketball in Mali: Slow progress in inquiry into sexual abuse
The coach of Mali’s successful under-19 women’s basketball team, Amadou Bamba, is accused of sexually abusing underage girls in his protection. But an official FIBA inquiry into the case has come to a standstill. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Art expo preserves Tanzania’s indigenous legends
The contemporary art expo has brought the legends and beliefs of the indigenous people of the Southern Highlands to life in order to preserve this rich, but slowly fading heritage. SOURCE: DW News