Israel-Gaza war: Ceasefire talks intensify in Cairo
By Anna Foster & Andre Rhoden-Paul, Jerusalem and London
Efforts have intensified to secure a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with talks resuming in Cairo on Saturday.
Hamas said its delegation was travelling in a "positive spirit" after studying the latest truce proposal.
"We are determined to secure an agreement in a way that fulfils Palestinians' demands," it said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said "taking the ceasefire should be a no-brainer" for the militant group.
India opposition social media chief arrested over doctored video
Congress party’s Arun Reddy held over fake video of interior minister Amit Shah
Indian police have said they have arrested the social media chief of the country’s main opposition party over a doctored video widely shared during the ongoing national election.
Arun Reddy of the Congress party was detained late on Friday in connection with the edited footage, which falsely shows India’s powerful interior minister, Amit Shah, vowing in a campaign speech to end affirmative action policies for millions of poor and low-caste Indians.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed confirmed Reddy’s arrest but denied he was responsible for creating or publishing the clip. “He is not involved in any doctored video. We are supporting him,” she said.
Why managing Africa's natural disasters is taking on urgency
Africa is particularly vulnerable to suffering natural disasters, such as floods, severe storms and droughts. These are not only crippling economies and people's livelihoods but also costing lives across the continent.
After the worst drought in decades, East Africa is now being pounded by heavy rains. At least 180 people have died in floods and landslides in Kenya since the rainy season began in mid-March, with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes.
"The flooding in Kenya is absolutely out of control," reporter Andrew Wasike told DW's Africalink program. "The rains just won't stop. Whole villages across Kenya have just disappeared. And the worst part? Roads are gone, bridges are completely washed out, people are cut off. It's heartbreaking, and the forecast says this rain isn't going to let up anytime soon."
Rap music in Iran: 'Crossing the red line into politics makes you a target'
Dozens of rappers have been arrested in Iran since the rise of hip-hop in the country in the early 2000s. But the death sentence pronounced on April 24 against the rapper Toomaj Salehi marks a turning point in the Iranian regime’s intolerance of artists with a political message. Exiled rap artists Justina and Ghogha told FRANCE 24 of their admiration for Salehi, "who scares the powers that be".
The last time Justina spoke to Toomaj Salehi was in November 2023. The dissident rapper had just been released on bail after spending more than a year in prison.
"It was brief, I just wanted to check on him, but I didn't want him to get into trouble for having been in contact with me. So we didn't talk much," recalled Iranian rap artist Justina, who lives in exile in Sweden.
Less than two weeks later, after making a video where he denounced his detention conditions, Salehi was arrested again. In the footage, the emaciated but determined rapper directly faced the camera and recounted how his hands and legs were broken. "They hit me in the face. I tried to protect myself with my hands, but they broke my fingers," he said of his torturers.
Minamata victims ‘silenced’ during meeting with minister Ito
By KENJI IMAMURA/ Staff Writer
May 4, 2024 at 19:00 JST
A meeting between sufferers of Minamata disease and the environment minister ended in uproar because government underlings switched off the microphone when participants exceeded their allotted speaking time.
The May 1 meeting with Environment Minister Shintaro Ito was arranged so victims of the neurological disease could voice their concerns. It was held after an annual memorial ceremony for those who died from the disease caused by industrial wastewater containing methylmercury discharged into the sea off Minamata.
In Texas, pro-Palestine university protesters clash with state leaders
Texas, one of the most conservative US states, has implemented laws limiting the ability to protest against Israel.
“It didn’t feel real.” That’s how Alishba Javaid, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, describes the moment when she saw roughly 30 state troopers walk onto the campus lawn.
Javaid and hundreds of her classmates had gathered on the grass, in the shadow of the campus’s 94-metre limestone tower, as part of a walkout against Israel’s war in Gaza.
They were hoping that their school would divest from manufacturers supplying weapons to Israel. Instead, law enforcement started to appear in increasing numbers.
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