World

As the country gears up for its first elections since 2020, human rights activists have said the conditions for a democratic vote do not exist in Belarus. The regime is doing its utmost to keep voters under its control.

Cooling inflation, sound economic growth and low unemployment over the past year should ordinarily be helping US President Joe Biden in what is shaping up to be a rematch with former President Donald Trump. But so far, this hasn't been reflected in the polls.

German bishops are concerned about right-wing extremism and have explicitly positioned themselves against the populist Alternative for Germany. An unusual move, as they are usually loath to comment on political parties.

Neither side has gained significant ground in the war started by Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. DW's Nick Connolly visited Ukrainian artillery units near Bakhmut, who are into their second winter on the front lines.

In wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is re-examinig compulsory military service. The defense minister has called for the draft's return. A 2023 poll showed broad support - also for including women.

German lawmakers approved a mandate for military participation in the EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides, aimed at providing safe passage for merchant vessels currently subject to attack from Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

As part of its plan to deter people from arriving illegally in Britain, the government is moving migrants on to disused military sites and barges like the grey, three-story Bibby Stockholm in Portland which can house around 500 people in more than 200 bedrooms.

Lina Soualem’s latest film looks back at four generations of Palestinian women, with her mother, actress Hiam Abbass, serving as a guide to their family history.

More and more aid programs for Syria's northwest are being reduced or discontinued. This exacerbates the situation of millions in the refugee camps.

The UN's rapporteur for freedom of expression has asked Philippine authorities to review the cases of journalists detained in the Southeast Asian country.

Two years after Russia's full-scale invasion began, around a fifth of Ukrainian territory remains under Russian occupation – a repressive regime where arbitrary detentions, beatings and torture are the norm.

Readers beware: Digital books save forests but also create toxic e-waste. Paper, meanwhile, is a renewable resource, though billions of hard copy books produce a high carbon footprint.