World News
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Egypt: New ruling on hymen repair stirs up controversy
During a recent live Facebook broadcast in Arabic, Dr Ahmed Mamdouh, director of the Sharia Research Department of Egypt’s highest religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, said that “in some cases, patching is required and legitimate for a girl who has been raped or deceived and wants to repent and turn a new page.” This new fatwa — the name given…
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DW correspondents able to leave Afghanistan
Just over a week after international coalition forces pulled out of Afghanistan, DW’s correspondents and their families have managed to leave the country via Pakistan. DW had asked all employees in Afghanistan to go to Kabul as soon as possible when it became clear that the Taliban would take control over the country. The situation for journalists in Afghanistan had…
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Vietnam to trial sandbox re-opening to foreign tourists on Phu Quoc island
Vietnam will trial a sandbox project on Phu Quoc, re-opening the island to vaccinated foreign tourists by the end of the year. The plan has been confirmed by the Vietnamese PM, Pham Minh Chinh, according to a TTR Weekly report. The government hopes to attract 2 – 3 million foreign tourists through the Phu Quoc sandbox, although officials have not…
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How much is gold worth to these young miners in Ghana?
Osino is a community rich in gold. Mining moves the economy for years here. But illegal mining in eastern Ghana causes concern.”Galamsey” is done on a small scale and without a license. Young men are arrested, and their tools are destroyed. Miners dump waste into the water sources. There is no recovery of the exploited land. Traditional leaders worry about…
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Afghan families flee to Pakistan over Taliban forced marriage fears
Khalid Shinwari, 25, has taken a sigh of relief after managing to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and reaching Pakistan in recent days. A father of three, Shinwari’s family first moved to Pakistan during the Afghan civil war of the 1990s that brought the Taliban to power. “My father then thought that Pakistan would be a safe place to come to, given…
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NUG announces defensive war to battle Myanmar coup forces
In Myanmar, the National Unity Government made up of deposed former leaders announced a defensive war in the name of the Burmese people, but other countries are urging peace to allow humanitarian efforts to continue. The NUG formed a shadow government to represent the people of Myanmar in the wake of the February military junta that took over claiming election…
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The comeback of Gambia’s dictator
Human rights groups in the Gambia have decried the possible return of former President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the Gambia from 1994 until he was forced into exile after refusing to accept defeat in the 2016 elections. Jammeh is accused of human rights violations and killings of political opponents during his 22-year reign. Ahead of upcoming presidential elections in December,…
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Bicycling picks up speed among youth in Kashmir
A growing number of Kashmiris are taking up bicycling in the restive mountainous region, both to stay fit and fight environmental pollution. SOURCE: DW News
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Europe’s medicine regulator adds extremely rare autoimmune disorder as possible side effect of AstraZeneca
An extremely rare autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome, has been added as a possible side effect of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The side-effect was noted by Europe’s medicine regulator. The European Medicines Agency says a causal relationship between the syndrome and AstraZeneca is “at least a reasonable possibility”. They made their assessment based on 833 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome being reported…
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El Salvador: first country worldwide to make bitcoin legal tender
Cryptocurrency has been making inroads at gaining more and more mainstream acceptance, but this week marked a new major milestone. El Salvador just became the first country worldwide to accept bitcoin as legal tender, on Monday purchasing 400 bitcoins at a price of US $21 million. The announcement caused such a swell of interest, the country’s cyber wallet system was…
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Gambia: Rights groups decry Jammeh’s possible return
Human rights groups in the Gambia have decried the possible return of former president Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the Gambia from 1994 until he was forced into exile after refusing to accept defeat in 2016 elections. Jammeh is accused of gross human rights violations and killings of political opponents during his 22-year reign. Ahead of upcoming presidential elections in December,…
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Opinion: Jair Bolsonaro tests Brazil’s democracy
Jair Bolsonaro stopped governing a while back. In three years, his government has inaugurated a few local infrastructure projects and liberalized gun laws, which has led to a sharp increase in arms sales in a country that is already notoriously violent. Apart from that, Brazil’s president has promoted the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest and mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic…
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Can the Taliban govern Afghanistan?
The Taliban leadership took a long time to announce their interim government — three weeks after taking control of Kabul. Analysts say the fight for Panjshir province kept them busy all this while, and once the last resistance stronghold fell to the group, their spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, unveiled the caretaker government on Tuesday. Even though it is just a caretaker…
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Iran: The girls choosing education over tradition
Reporter: Dominika Nooripur / Presenter: Ineke Mules SOURCE: DW News
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Getting Middle East start-ups off the ground
Reporter: Tilo Spanhel / Presenter: Sam Baker SOURCE: DW News
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World in Progress: Change sweeps the East
From the Middle East to Central Asia, new societal trends are emerging that are challenging long-held norms. In Iran, women and girls are banking on education as the key to progress. Young entrepreneurs in Egypt are reaping the rewards of start-ups. Meanwhile in Turkey, Afghan refugees are stuck in a state of limbo. SOURCE: DW News
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45 Thais working in Malaysia deported to Songkhla
45 Thais that were working in Malaysia have been arrested for illegal entry. Following their arrests, they were deported back to Thailand. 1 of the workers had Covid. The Thai citizens returned earlier this week to the southern Thai province of Songkhla, which borders Malaysia. Most of the returned citizens are now in quarantine at the Siam Thana Hotel until…
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Major earthquake near Acapulco, Mexico kills 1
A major earthquake shook the southwestern Mexican beach town Acapulco, yesterday. The earthquake has killed at least 1 person after a post fell on him. There were also rockfalls that damaged buildings, and power outages across several states as a result of the earthquake, says local officials. The earthquake, or temblor, had a magnitude of 7.0, which Michigan Tech estimates…
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Fire kills 41, injures dozens more at Indonesian prison
At least 41 people have been killed and over 70 others have been injured after a fire ripped through an Indonesian prison on western Java, today. The fire at the Tangerang Penitentiary tore through the prison in the early morning hours. Most inmates were asleep at the time. Police speculate that the fire could have been caused by an electrical…
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Survey shows most Singaporeans reluctant to travel internationally for now
A survey carried out by online travel agency, Booking.com, shows that 63% of Singaporeans are not planning to travel abroad for now. While Singapore is on the “green list” for most countries, the survey shows that most Singaporeans remain cautious about overseas travel. In general, over a year and a half since the start of the pandemic, travel in the…
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Why Afghan asylum-seekers are protesting in India
Many Afghan migrants and asylum-seekers, especially single mothers and their children, have been camping outside the office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi for more than a week. They’re demanding recognition as refugees and better economic security for their children. Many of them arrived in India several years ago but are struggling to make…
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Belarus: Germany, EU slam Kolesnikova verdict
The news from Minsk did not come as much of a surprise: A court in the Belarusian capital on Monday sentenced the well-known Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova to 11 years in prison. Her colleague in the Belarusian opposition’s Coordination Council, the lawyer Maxim Znak, was handed a 10-year jail sentence. Kolesnikova became one of the most prominent faces of…
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Vietnamese man gets 5 years in jail for spreading Covid
A man in Vietnam has received a 5 year jail sentence for breaking home quarantine rules and spreading Covid. 28 year old Le Van Tri has been convicted of “spreading dangerous infectious diseases to other people” after he went to his home province in Ca Mau from Ho Chi Minh City in July, says the Vietnam News Agency. Le Van…
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Singaporean who repeatedly refused to wear a face mask jailed for 16 weeks
A Singaporean woman who repeatedly refused to wear a face mask in public spaces has been sentenced to a 16-week jail term. According to a Coconuts report, 54 year old Phoon Chiu Yoke has pleaded guilty to 9 counts of breaching Covid-19 regulations. The woman achieved notoriety when a video of her refusing to wear a mask at the Marina…
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Guinea’s future uncertain as coup leaders tighten grip on power
The morning after the coup, the capital woke up on Monday to a new reality which has left Guineans with mixed feelings. “There is a great sense of uncertainty,” said DW’s correspondent in Conakry, Bangaly Conde. “Today we saw an image of Guinea we are not used to see. We are very disappointed with the army,” one Guinean told DW.…
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India’s ambitious palm oil push triggers biodiversity fears
The Indian government introduced a new plan in August to boost the production of palm oil. India is one of the largest consumers of palm oil, which is used in almost everything from soaps to chips. But the country still imports most of its palm oil. India also produces a range of other vegetable oils, like mustard and soybean, but…
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Singapore approves Boeing 737 MAX for return to service
Singapore’s aviation regulator announced today it will approve the return to service for the Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft had been grounded for 2 years following 2 fatal crashes. The approval is owed to operators, such as Singapore Airlines complying with airworthiness directives and extra flight crew training requirements, says the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. The city state’s approval…
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Battling through Ghana’s lean season
The World Food Programme reports hunger has increased by 30% higher since year than last year and it is the highest level in a decade. But one man’s initiative is helping those struggling. Nanleeb Konlan farms large plantations of grains,which he distributes for free to poorer communities in the lean season. SOURCE: DW News
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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…
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Japan to donate 300,000 more AstraZeneca vaccines next week
The Japanese embassy in Bangkok made an announcement today that their government will again donate AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand. Japan donated 1.05 million AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand at the beginning of July and have declared that another shipment of 300,000 vaccines will be forthcoming. The second shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan is slated to arrive on September 8, this…
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