عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Middle East War ‘Benefits No One and Harms Many’, Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bardufoss in connection with Cold response 2026, in Bardufoss, Norway, 13 March 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bardufoss in connection with Cold response 2026, in Bardufoss, Norway, 13 March 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Middle East War ‘Benefits No One and Harms Many’, Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bardufoss in connection with Cold response 2026, in Bardufoss, Norway, 13 March 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bardufoss in connection with Cold response 2026, in Bardufoss, Norway, 13 March 2026. (EPA)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that the Middle East war must end "as soon as possible" as the conflict "benefits no-one and harms many economically, including us".

Asked whether Europeans should make direct contact with Iran to ask for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened, Merz said: "We are making every effort to end this war... all diplomatic channels are being used."

Speaking at a press conference in Norway alongside his Norwegian and Canadian counterparts Jonas Gahr Store and Mark Carney, Merz stressed that Germany shared the "important goals of the United States and Israel".

"Iran must not threaten Israel and other neighbors," Merz said, adding that Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs must end and that the country "must stop supporting terrorism at home and beyond".

However, Merz added that "with each day of war, more questions arise than answers" and that "a convincing plan is needed" on conducting the war.

"We are witnessing a dangerous escalation. Iran is indiscriminately attacking states in the region, including close partners and allies of our own country, Germany," the chancellor said.

"The Strait of Hormuz has become impassable. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms.

"We have no interest in an endless war," Merz added. "We need a perspective for a peaceful order now."

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Danish Refugee Council Warns 4 Million More Face Displacement as Aid Drops

Some of the Sudanese civilian refugees and human rights activists hold placards with the wordings, 'KeepEyesOnSudan' outside a bus branded during a commemorative gathering dubbed 'Under the Neema (Tree)' to mark the third anniversary since the war in Sudan started, organized by the Amnesty International at the Freedom Corner in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 April 2026. EPA/DANIEL IRUNGU
Some of the Sudanese civilian refugees and human rights activists hold placards with the wordings, 'KeepEyesOnSudan' outside a bus branded during a commemorative gathering dubbed 'Under the Neema (Tree)' to mark the third anniversary since the war in Sudan started, organized by the Amnesty International at the Freedom Corner in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 April 2026. EPA/DANIEL IRUNGU
TT
TT

Danish Refugee Council Warns 4 Million More Face Displacement as Aid Drops

Some of the Sudanese civilian refugees and human rights activists hold placards with the wordings, 'KeepEyesOnSudan' outside a bus branded during a commemorative gathering dubbed 'Under the Neema (Tree)' to mark the third anniversary since the war in Sudan started, organized by the Amnesty International at the Freedom Corner in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 April 2026. EPA/DANIEL IRUNGU
Some of the Sudanese civilian refugees and human rights activists hold placards with the wordings, 'KeepEyesOnSudan' outside a bus branded during a commemorative gathering dubbed 'Under the Neema (Tree)' to mark the third anniversary since the war in Sudan started, organized by the Amnesty International at the Freedom Corner in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 April 2026. EPA/DANIEL IRUNGU

Over 4 million people are set to be newly displaced around the world by the end of next year as donors step back from providing life-saving aid, the Danish Refugee Council said on Thursday.

There are already some 117 million people forcibly displaced worldwide as the number of conflicts has surged to around 130 - double ⁠the number reported ⁠earlier this century, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

"For families fleeing war with nothing but the clothes on their backs, there is little ⁠hope: the international safety net that once existed has gaping holes as humanitarian assistance shrinks," Reuters quoted Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the DRC, as saying.

Sudan - where a war entered its fourth year this week and 13.5 million people are already displaced - will see the largest jump with an additional 670,000 people ⁠fleeing ⁠this year and next, the DRC said.

UN agencies are warning that they may have to cut off vital supplies of water and food to them in neighboring Chad because of a lack of funding.

The DRC's findings, supported by IBM, were based on key indicators on security, environment and other factors across 27 countries.

World

US Democrats File Impeachment Articles Against Pentagon Chief

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomes Minister of Defense for Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to the Pentagon, Monday, April 13, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomes Minister of Defense for Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to the Pentagon, Monday, April 13, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
TT
TT

US Democrats File Impeachment Articles Against Pentagon Chief

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomes Minister of Defense for Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to the Pentagon, Monday, April 13, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomes Minister of Defense for Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to the Pentagon, Monday, April 13, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

US House Democrats introduced six articles of impeachment against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing him of "high crimes and misdemeanors" including waging war on Iran without congressional approval.

The impeachment resolution is led by Yassamin Ansari, a Democratic Congresswoman from Arizona, and has slim chances of passing due to the Republican majority in the House.

Impeachment is the process by which the US House of Representatives brings charges against a government official for alleged wrongdoing, with removal from office only possible if the Senate convicts after a trial.

"I've introduced Articles of Impeachment against Pete Hegseth for violating his oath, endangering US servicemembers, and committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a girls' school in Minab, Iran," Ansari wrote on X.

"Only Congress can declare war; his actions demand immediate removal."

The War in the Middle East has sent oil prices soaring and dented Trump's approval ratings ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.

The first impeachment article alleged that Hegseth started the conflict with Iran "without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization by the Congress," and "knowingly exposing members of the Armed Forces of the United States to substantial and foreseeable risk of injury or death."

Another article held Hegseth responsible for the strike on an Iranian primary school on February 28 -- the day the United States and Israel began bombing Iran -- which killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers, AFP said.

The New York Times has reported that the preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake.

Hegseth has "authorized, condoned, or failed to prevent the use of military force in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict," such as the strike on the school, the document read.

The Democrats also criticized Hegseth for so-called "double tap" strikes -- hitting targets twice -- against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Carribean.

They said the double tap strikes were illegal and undermined rules of engagement designed to protect non-combatants.

Other allegations included "negligence and reckless handling" of sensitive military information, as well as obstructing congressional oversight, referring to Hegsteth's use of commercial messaging app Signal to discuss strikes on Yemen.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told news outlet Axios "this is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents' objectives in Iran."

World

Bus Accident Kills 14 in Ecuador

Vehicles cross the Rumichaca International Bridge, the border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, in Tulcan, Ecuador, 10 April 2026. EPA/Xavier Montalvo
Vehicles cross the Rumichaca International Bridge, the border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, in Tulcan, Ecuador, 10 April 2026. EPA/Xavier Montalvo
TT
TT

Bus Accident Kills 14 in Ecuador

Vehicles cross the Rumichaca International Bridge, the border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, in Tulcan, Ecuador, 10 April 2026. EPA/Xavier Montalvo
Vehicles cross the Rumichaca International Bridge, the border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, in Tulcan, Ecuador, 10 April 2026. EPA/Xavier Montalvo

A bus veered off the road and plunged into a ravine in southern Ecuador Wednesday, killing 14 people and injuring at least 29, emergency officials said.

The accident happened in the Molleturo area in the Andean province of Azuay, whose capital Cuenca is Ecuador's third most populous city, AFP reported.

"At this time, the number of people who have died on the Cuenca-Molleturo highway has risen to 14, and the number of injured to 29," Ecuador's emergency service ECU911 wrote on X late Wednesday.

"Personnel from the coordinated agencies are at the scene searching for more people who may have lost their lives," it added, without specifying the number of passengers on the bus.

Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in the South American country, where more than 2,000 people died in road accidents last year, compared to a record 2,373 deaths in 2023, according to official figures.