Can far-right Alternative for Germany govern after first state election win?

The far-right Alternative for Germany party has won its first ever state election in the eastern state of Thuringia. It's the biggest electoral victory for the German far-right since the Second World War. Exit polls put the far-right AfD far ahead of its rivals in Thuringia and on course for major gains in Saxony. The votes in the two German states are seen as barometers for the federal elections next year. All other mainstream political parties in Germany have previously maintained that they wouldn't form a government with the AfD, but Thuringia AfD leader Bjorn Höcke has said that with his party in first place, it should be up to him to try and form a coalition.

Which coalitions could form a new French government? | DW News

French President Emmanuel Macron has begun talks with key figures from several political parties to form a new government, including a new prime minister. Inconclusive parliamentary elections nearly two months ago dealt a blow to Macron's centrist alliance. He met with leaders from the left, centrists and conservatives on Friday and is due to hold talks with the far-right on Monday. The leftist New Popular Front coalition won the most seats but fell far short of a majority. Macron's own term ends in 2027, but he could see his power limited by a future government.

UK PM Starmer: 'Standing army' set to be deployed against far-right rioters

Police in Britain say they have arrested almost 400 people in connection with days of unrest aimed at migrants and the UK's Muslim community. On July 29th, a 17-year-old male killed three girls at a dance class in the city of Southport. Violence erupted soon after the killings. British police say online disinformation which falsely identified the 17-year-old as an asylum-seeker, played a part in fueling the riots. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to bring the full force of the law to bear on people who took part in what he called an act of "far right thuggery." According to British media, the 17-year-old's parents are from Rwanda.

Israel launches retaliatory attacks against Hezbollah

Fears are growing of an escalation in the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border, following Saturday's deadly rocket strike on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. At least 12 children and teenagers were killed and dozens wounded in the incident, after rockets hit a football field in an Arab-Druze community. The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight.

How Ukrainian doctors keep chronically sick kids alive after Russia bombed their hospital

A Russian rocket attack on Ukraine's largest children’s hospital last week destroyed most of the complex, killing at least two people and injuring dozens more. The strike last week also put sick children into greater danger and interrupted vital treatment.

French parties unite to keep far-right from power but is it too little

Over 200 opponents of France's National Rally (RN) party on Tuesday withdrew as candidates from next Sunday's second round of voting as they seek a so-called "republican front" against the far-right. President Emmanuel Macron's centrists and the broad New Popular Front left-wing grouping hope to stop the far-right from taking power in the lower house of parliament after it won roughly 33 percent of the vote at the first round last Sunday.

Israeli strike kills senior Hamas ally in Lebanon | DW News

Israel released images which it says show Saturday's strike that killed a senior Hamas ally in eastern Lebanon, near the country's border with Syria. The Israeli military said he was targeted for his involvement in terrorist activities against Israel. This amid growing fears of an all-out war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Israel says over 300,000 flee Rafah, UN calls for investigation into Gaza mass graves

The Israeli military says more than 300,000 people in Rafah have already fled the area as fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants intensifies in the southern region, which borders Egypt. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is calling for an independent investigation into reports of mass graves found near hospitals raided by Israel in Gaza. There are "competing narratives" about hundreds of unidentified bodies discovered at Gaza hospitals over the past weeks, UN officials say.

Ukraine reports Russian ground invasion on Kharkiv

German train drivers start historic six-day strike | DW News

German train drivers have begun their longest-ever strike, piling on travel misery for thousands of passengers. Economic experts warn the dispute over pay and working hours could cost the economy up to a billion euros.

Mounting evidence paints clearer picture of sexual violence during Hamas terror attacks

Investigators say there's mounting evidence that Hamas militants committed 'widespread' sexual crimes against Israeli women and men during the October 7 terror attacks. Many in Israel have accused the UN and international media of ignoring the issue.

Indonesia refutes claim that Hamas misuses Indonesian Hospital for terror infrastructure

The Indonesian government has denied an Israeli claim that a hospital in Gaza built using Indonesian funds, sits on a site where Hamas has built underground tunnels. The Israeli military claimed Hamas had built the Indonesian Hospital quote 'on top of their terror infrastructures' and that Hamas had used a nearby area to launch rockets into Israel.
 

Cimate change in Florida

The coastal waters off Florida's dream beaches are becoming a nightmare: Temperatures have topped 37 degrees Celsius, killing corals. The extremely high water temperatures are a consequence of both climate change and the weather phenomenon known as El Niño. They are devastating one of the most species-rich habitats on earth, bleaching the coral reefs off Florida. Some fear the corals will not survive. Ines Pohl accompanies activists while they fight for the survival of this fragile ecosystem.

Ekaterina Schulmann: 'They usually poison people, but sometimes they blow them up'

 

The Kremlin has categorically denied rumors of its involvement in the plane crash in which Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the accusations as 'an absolute lie'.

UN: Era of global boiling has begun

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued another stark warning on climate change, saying the era of 'global boiling' has begun. The UN's World Meterological Organization is predicting this month will be the hottest in human history. Mr Guterres has described the current intense heat in the northern hemishpere as a 'cruel summer.'

Shipwreck in the Mediterranean: Many questions remain unanswered

Last week saw the worst shipwreck in the Mediterranean this year, with some accounts saying as many as 750 people were crammed onto the small boat which sank off the coast of Greece. Nine men have been charged over the wreck, which has had a tragic human cost.

Former US Special Representative for Ukraine: "NATO is doing exactly the right thing"

 NATO is starting its biggest-ever air drills. They involve thousands of troops and aircraft from 25 countries. Known as Operation Air Defender, most of the drills are being staged in the skies over Germany. The head of the country's air force says the exercise is aimed at demonstrating NATO's defense capabilities. The Luftwaffe air base in the northern state of Lower Saxony is serving as the central logistics hub for the manoeuvers.

India's PM Modi visits site of worst train crash in decades | DW News

 

Authorities in India say at least 288 people have been killed in a railway accident in the east of the country. Hundreds more were injured in what's being called the worst train accident in decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site a short time ago - and said that he was 'distressed' by the devastation. His government has promised all possible assistance.

How America's left prepares for escalating violence | DW News

 

There are fears that a polarizing election will further inflame the culture war in the US. This week the Department of Homeland Security warned of a rise in right-wing terrorism -- the potential targets including the LGBTQ community as well as racial and ethnic minorities. While the debate over gun controls remains deadlocked in Washington, some say the best protection for “vulnerable groups" is to give them guns as well.

Why French farmers are fighting each other over water

 

The French government is building gigantic basins to supply large farms with water for the summer. Local residents are protesting, saying the measures will hurt small landowners and communities.