World

On the afternoon of October 14, 2016, four masked gunmen stormed the Manila home of Paquito Mejos, a 53-year-old father of five who worked as an electrician on construction sites. An occasional user of shabu, a methamphetamine, Mejos had turned himself in to local authorities two days earlier after learning he was on a "watch list" of drug suspects. (…) Two gunshots rang out. Police investigators arrived moments later and were assisted by the gunmen. In their report, the police referred to Mejos as "a suspected drug pusher" who "pointed his gun [at the police] but the police officers were able to shoot him first hitting him on the body causing his instantaneous death." They said a shabu packet was found along with a handgun. "But Paquito never had a gun," said his relative. "And he did not...

US President Donald Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, touting increased economic output and reduced immigration numbers, and praising National Guard deployments and the US men's ice hockey team. In a record-long speech focused largely on domestic issues, Trump told Congress that "our nation is back" with an economy "roaring like never before." He claimed that "American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day" and that "natural gas production is at an all-time high because I kept my promise to drill, baby, drill," applauded at regular intervals by Republican lawmakers. On immigration, Trump boasted that the United States now has "the strongest and most secure border in American history," claiming that, previously, "millions and millions of ...

On September 11, 2025, Albanian actor Anila Bisha was sitting at home with her family, watching the live presentation of the country's new cabinet by Edi Rama, prime minister of Albania. What followed took her completely by surprise: She saw herself appointed minister — not as a flesh-and-blood politician, but as an avatar. "Diella," whom Rama introduced as the world's first virtual minister, had Bisha's face and voice. For the government, it was a bold display of technological innovation. For Bisha, an actor with a stage and screen career spanning almost 40 years, it was something else entirely. "I laughed about it with my family at first," she told DW. "I did not understand the consequences that would follow." What was presented as a symbol of digital modernity soon revealed a more ...

Last week at a Jakarta economic forum, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto revived a familiar Southeast Asian argument that only a strong state can uproot corruption, framing tougher executive power as a practical tool against graft. "Some groups keep complaining, saying things like 'Prabowo is authoritarian'," he told attendees at the 2026 Indonesia Economic Outlook forum. "But if you ask the people, perhaps a little bit of authoritarianism is needed to fight those corrupt people… Corruption is still widespread. We must eradicate corruption from the soil of Indonesia," he added. His remarks followed the publication of Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index on February 10, in which Indonesia came 109th out of 182 countries, sliding down 10 places from the pre...

Last week at a Jakarta economic forum, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto revived a familiar Southeast Asian argument that only a strong state can uproot corruption, framing tougher executive power as a practical tool against graft. "Some groups keep complaining, saying things like 'Prabowo is authoritarian'," he told attendees at the 2026 Indonesia Economic Outlook forum. "But if you ask the people, perhaps a little bit of authoritarianism is needed to fight those corrupt people… Corruption is still widespread. We must eradicate corruption from the soil of Indonesia," he added. His remarks followed the publication of Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index on February 10, in which Indonesia came 109th out of 182 countries, sliding down 10 places from the pre...

Amina Suleman left her village in Maradun, Zamfara state, in northwestern Nigeria, fleeing Islamist militants. "They killed many of us, and looted our properties and animals. They burnt everything including our food," she told DW. The attacks happened seven years ago, but the security situation still hasn't improved. Government forces are fighting jihadi militias and bandits to stamp out kidnappings and extortion. Nigerian hunger crisis grows  Suleman lives with her seven children in an abandoned building near Sokoto. "Our children have to go out to beg for us to eat. We don't have any source of food apart from begging. When they get a little money, we use it to buy garri," she said, referring to the cassava-based snack.  Before, they ate whatever they grew in their fields. Now it is...

EU lawmakers decided Monday to delay the approval of the bloc's trade deal with the US due to uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff policy. It comes after Trump imposed a new blanket 15% duty in response to a ruling in the US Supreme Court last week that struck down many of his previous worldwide tariffs. The European Parliament's trade committee planned to vote on Tuesday to remove import duties on US industrial goods — a key part of the EU-US trade deal. But that vote has now been postponed. European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said Brussels could not take further decisions until it had clarity from Washington. "We look forward to our American counterparts explaining to us precisely what is happening," Gill told reporters in Brussels.Trump to raise import tariff to 15% ...

British police on Monday arrested the former UK ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, in a misconduct probe related to his ties to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. London's Metropolitan Police said "officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office." He was taken to a London police station for questioning and then later released. "A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation," the Metropolitan police said in a statement. Police did not name the former ambassador in the statement but the suspect had been previously identified as Mandelson, who was filmed being led by police officers from his London home to an unmarked car. Mandelson ...

The European Commission on Sunday demanded that the United States respect the terms of a trade deal reached last July. The call from Brussels comes after US President Donald Trump said he was raising a global 10% tariff to 15% in response to the US Supreme Court blocking many of his emergency tariffs. The court decision has cast uncertainty over the ratification of the deal, which had been put on hold and was to be approved by the European Parliament on Tuesday. What did the EU Commission say about the terms of the US trade deal? The Commission called for Washington to provide "full clarity" on the measures it plans to implement following the Supreme Court ruling. "EU companies and exporters must have fair treatment, predictability and legal certainty," the Commission said. "The curr...