Morocco: Living in a Tent Where Your House Once Was | DW News

Sep 15, 2023 | Picking up the pieces after last week's devastating earthquake in Morocco. Those whose homes were destroyed in the quake are now struggling to make do in makeshift shelters, wherever they can.

What an Arms Deal between Russia & North Korea Would Mean Geopolitically | DW News

Sep 12, 2023 | The United States has warned Kim Jong Un not to strike an arms deal with Vladimir Putin. The North Korean leader is travelling by armored train to eastern Russia for a meeting with the Russian president. He is expected to seek Russian economic aid and military technology in exchange for munitions which would support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Kim is being accompanied by senior military advisers on what is his first trip abroad in three years.

Why the Morocco Earthquake Was So Destructive and Deadly | DW News

Sep 10, 2023 | A powerful earthquake in Morocco has caused death and destruction. More than 2,000 people are now known to have died after the quake struck in the High Atlas Mountains, southwest of Marrakech. King Mohammed has called for three days of mourning as rescue attempts continue in the areas badly affected by the 6.8 magnitude quake, the biggest to hit the country in 120 years.

How Dangerous Is Being Queer in Russia? | DW News

May 17, 2023 | A clampdown on the LGBTQ community in Russia has reportedly intensified during the war in Ukraine. A new law was passed banning almost any queer-friendly information there, labeling it as “gay propaganda”. For LGBTQ activist Piotr Voskresensky, it's as if queer people were being deleted from society. Fearing for his freedom, he decided to leave the country.

Bavaria' s Deputy Leader Keeps Job despite Alleged Far-right Extremist Youth | DW News

Sep 4, 2023 | An antisemitism scandal has rocked Germany's biggest state, Bavaria. Its deputy leader Hubert Aiwanger has admitted to carrying an inflammatory leaflet as a teenager - but denied writing it. He's apologised for mistakes made in his youth - and has been allowed to keep his job.

France Refuses Junta's Demand to Pull Ambassador Out of Niger | DW News

Aug 27, 2023 | In Niger, a deadline is looming for the French ambassador to leave the country. The military junta has demanded the envoy leave by today. France has refused, saying it doesn't recognize the military-installed government.

Tens of thousands of people have rallied in the capital Niamey in support of the coup leaders. It's now one month since the democratically elected president was deposed. The junta has defied crippling international sanctions, and a threat by regional body ECOWAS to forcefully intervene.

Hawaii Officials Rush to Clean Up Toxic Fire Dust on Maui before It Spreads | DW News

Aug 19, 2023 | Hawaii's devastating wildfires have left at least 114 people dead. Thousands of buildings are burnt to the ground. And the head of Maui's emergency management agency has stepped down, citing health reasons.

Herman Andaya has faced criticism for not doing more to warn residents. A day earlier, he'd defended his decision not to activate the island's tsunami sirens, saying they might have sent people running inland, towards the approaching fires. Power failures also kept many residents from receiving mobile phone alerts.

German Russia Spy Accessed Highly Sensitive Data — Reports | DW News

Aug 11, 2023 | A German man arrested earlier this week for allegedly spying for Moscow had access to highly sensitive information, German media reported on Friday. The man was arrested in the city of Koblenz in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Prosecutors said that the suspect approached the Russian consulate in the city of Bonn in the neighboring state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and also the Russian embassy in Berlin.

Iranian Women Continue to Defy Dress Code Laws as Government Promises Crackdown | DW News

Aug 9, 2023 | Iran has stepped up the enforcement of headscarf rules for women. Many have been defying the dress code since the death of a woman in 'morality police' custody sparked mass protests. DW spoke to several women after the morality police returned to the streets.

Der Bericht auf Deutsch.

Ukraine "Peace Plan" Talks Kick Off in Saudi Arabia | DW News

Aug 5, 2023 | Officials from about 30 countries have been invited to participate in peace talks for Ukraine in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on August 5 and 6. They include three-fifths of the BRICS countries — Brazil, India and South Africa — as well as other nations in the Global South, such as Indonesia, Mexico, Zambia and Egypt. The governments of the United Kingdom and Poland, as well as representatives of the European Union have also confirmed their attendance. Russia has not been invited.

Talks begin in Saudi Arabia on how to end Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv seeks support of publicly neutral countries as China sends envoy and Moscow says it will ‘keep an eye’ on meeting »

After Multiple Drone Strikes: Russia Raises Conscription Age for 'Better Defense' | DW News

Jul 31, 2023 | Russia's defense ministry says it has thwarted an attack on Moscow by three Ukrainian drones. The strike damaged an office building several kilometres from the Kremlin. Another drone strike on a police station was reported overnight in the Russian border region of Briansk. Ukraine's president says the attacks show the war is returning to Russian territory.

For more on that we talk to DW's Dmity Ponyavin.

Moscow has remained tight-lipped about the impact the war is having on its troops. But independent experts have looked into it.

Moscow said it planned to beef up its military in 2023 from around 1 million to 1.5 million. According to independent data, there are an estimated 1.3 million. That figure includes active personnel, reservists and paramilitary forces.

In September of last year, President Putin announced the mobilization of 300,000 troops. Russia has said it doesn't need a mass mobilisation but last week's increase in the maximum age of conscription from 27 to 30 years of age.

Moscow has released no data on the number of troops it has deployed against Ukraine. Earlier this year, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed it stands at around 280,000. The UK's defense minister said this year that 97 percent of the Russian army is in Ukraine.

Moscow has publicly acknowledged the deaths of only 6,000 soldiers. Russian media outlets working with a data scientist from Germany’s Tübingen University put the number at close to 50,000. There's no data on the number of people who have deserted the Russian army, but human rights groups say there are more than one thousand court cases against alleged Russian deserters. Some rights groups claim the figure could be higher.

Recent moves by the government indicate Russia needs even more troops. Along with raising the recruit cut-off age to 30, Moscow has also made it harder to leave the country for people who have been drafted or who refuse to fight. The official reason: the country needs better defenses.

For more we talk to Marina Miron, a military analyst at King's College London.

Far-right AfD Expects Significant Gains in Upcoming Bavarian Election | DW News

Jul 28, 2023 | Germany’s biggest state Bavaria is bracing for its local elections. The traditionally conservative region is considered the wealthiest state of all in Germany. Still, the far right Alternative für Deutschland, as in the rest of Germany, is projected to reach a new record share of the vote in the upcoming elections. We went there to the Bavarian city of Straubing to find out why.

DW's political correspondent Benajmin Alvarez-Gruber tells us more on the significance of the AfD's rise in Germany. And we talk to our political correspondent Thomas Sparrow, who reports for us on the AfD's convention in Magdeburg.

Israel: Thousands of People Protesting against the Government's Planned Judicial Reforms | DW News

Jul 18, 2023 | Thousands of people in Israel are taking part in protests against the government's planned judicial reforms. In Tel Aviv, demonstrators are staging rallies at important sites across the city including the stock exchange, defense ministry, train stations and road junctions. It's all part of what's being described as a 'day of resistance' by organizers.

The action comes ahead of a parliamentary vote on a key part of the proposed reforms, which critics have said would 'dismantle democracy’. Our correspondent Rebecca Ritters is at the protests in Tel Aviv and gave us the latest from there.

At the same time, Israel's President Isaac Herzog is in Washington for talks with the Biden. The US-Israel relationship is being tested as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from Israel's closest ally. Netanyahu's government, formed with far-right and ultranationalist coalition partners, has drawn concern due to plans to weaken the Israeli Supreme Court and expand settlements in the Occupied West Bank.

In light of these concerns, Israeli President Herzog is visiting the US to address Congress and mark the 75th anniversary of Israel's founding. Herzog will also meet with President Biden at the White House, while Prime Minister Netanyahu has not been invited. DW’s Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl reports from Washington and New York city..

Public Order vs. Civil Rights: Is Liberal Britain Under Threat? | DW News

Jul 16, 2023 | Civil liberties and human rights - are they under threat in Britain? The United Kingdom sees itself as a champion of democracy. But new laws that criminalize some forms of protest and limit workers' right to strike are worrying human rights organizations. The right to asylum is also in the spotlight. What's happening to liberal Britain? How free and fair is Britain today?

"This Is Climate Change and We Just Have to Get Used to It Somehow” | DW News

Jul 14, 2023

Health alerts issued as blistering heat scorches southern Europe: Tourists collapse in Greece and Italy and worker killed near Milan amid heatwave worsened by carbon pollution »

Dutch PM Rutte Resigns after Coalition Splits over Migration | DW News

Jul 8, 2023 | Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced his resignation, after his governing coalition fell apart. The four parties failed to agree on measures to address immigration. Crisis talks between partners fell apart late Friday evening. Rutte is the Netherlands' longest-serving leader. His government will stay on in caretaker mode, until new elections later this year.

France: Are Riots Spiraling Out of Control after a Teenager Was Shot by a Police Officer? | DW News

Jun 30, 2023 | The office of French President Emmanuel Macron's says he will be holding another emergency government meeting later on Friday. It comes as riots have continued across the country for a third night. Despite restrictions imposed in some cities, protesters took to the streets again burning cars and vandalizing buildings. Nearly seven hundred people have been arrested. The unrest began after police shot a 17-year-old teenager at a traffic stop earlier this week. Prosecutors have opened a formal manslaughter investigation into the policeman accused of shooting.

Related.

Giant Rockslide Stops Shy of Burying Entire Swiss Village | DW News

Jun 17, 2023 | In Switzerland, caution and fate have averted a disaster. One month ago, the residents of the tiny Alpine village of Brienz were evacuated because of the risk of a devastating rockslide. The rocks have tumbled down the mountain as predicted, but have miraculously missed the community by a few meters.

Billionaire George Soros Hands Over Control of His Investment Empire to His Son | DW News

Jun 12, 2023 | George Soros is handing over control of his investment and philanthropic empire to his son Alexander. Mr Soros's 25-Billion-dollar business holdings include the nonprofit Open Society Foundations, which funnels around one and a half billion dollars a year to human rights and pro democracy causes. George Soros is 92 years old and has often been targetted by right-wing autocrats and governments for his backing of liberal causes. His son says he's more of a politician than his father and has pledged to broaden the foundation's priorities to include voting and abortion rights, as well as gender equity. For more on the Soros legacy and what this change at the top is likely to mean, we talk to Journalist and Author Emily Tamkin who joins us from the Austrian capital, Vienna. She's author of "The Influence of Soros," which looks at his life and how he became a favourite target of the right. Her most recent book Bad Jews looks at the history of Jewish American politics and identities.

Donald Trump Faces 37 Criminal Charges, US Justice Department Confirms | DW News

Jun 9, 2023 | The indictment charging former US President Donald Trump with misshandling classified documents has been unsealed. It's the first official confirmation from the Justice Department of a criminal case against Trump, who faces 37 criminal charges.

He is alleged to have ignored the department's demands to return documents, and even directed advisers to hide some of them. It's the first time a former president has been prosecuted for federal crimes. Trump could face 10 years in prison if found guilty.