Amnesty International paints a grim picture for human rights

Jens Thurau

DW

04/23/2026

In its 2025/2026 report, the human rights watchdog Amnesty International calls out the "predatory behavior of the powerful" and calls for action to defend the global order.

Leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are harshly critcized in the Amnesty International report

Image: Jim Watson/AFP

The conclusion drawn by the human rights organization Amnesty International in its report on last year is bleak: Human rights violations are on the rise worldwide, at the hands of both states and non-state actors. And in the majority of cases, those responsible go unpunished.

The "Amnesty Report 2025," which was just released in various locations worldwide, states that the year 2025 was marked by many powerful people acting like "predators."

Amnesty specifically denounces political leaders whose actions dominated headlines worldwide last year: "Political leaders like Trump, Putin and Netanyahu, among many others, carried out their conquests for economic and political domination through destruction, suppression and violence on a massive scale."

German president: Iran war violates international law 05:15

'Violating international law will not free Iran'

According to Julia Duchrow, secretary general of Amnesty International in Germany, the war in Iran is currently the most pressing issue. But she emphasizes that Amnesty has documented human rights violations in some 140 countries.

"In Iran, people face a double threat: first, from the attacks by the US and Israel in violation of international law — including against the civilian population and infrastructure — and second, from repression by their own government, which has already led to many thousands of deaths," Duchrow told DW.

And yet, according to Duchrow, the regime in Tehran can only be replaced if international law is also respected: "The unlawful attacks have not led to an improvement in the situation. We now fear even more intense attacks by the Iranian leadership against its own people."

Israeli ambassador sees Iran as an existential threat

Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, sees things quite differently. "The mullahs and ayattollahs," he told DW this week, had a "policy to annihilate the state of Israel. The ideology is deadly. We saw that ideology with Hamas, we saw that ideology with Hezbollah, and Iran."

But it is not only the US, Russia and Israel that have abandoned the old world order, according to Amnesty. Many other states are also increasingly moving away from a system of politics based on firm international rules, according to Amnesty's annual report: "A world order that emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust and the unspeakable destruction wrought by two world wars, and which had been steadily built up over the past 80 years — with great effort, though unfortunately not sufficiently stable." The nations that remain committed to democracy, the rule of law and international stability often seem helpless and increasingly reliant on appeasement, Amnesty argued.

UN probe finds Israel committed acts of genocide in Gaza  01:36

Is there really nothing left of old world values? Quite the contrary, according to Amnesty. The report praises the "masterful work" of diplomats and activists who have been striving for a more peaceful world since 1945: "The 1948 adoptions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Genocide Convention, and the many other normative instruments debated and adopted over the subsequent 80 years, are no illusion."

The report says that those who are now loudly lamenting the end of the rules-based world are, for the most part, only interested in its demise: "Make no mistake: reports of the death of the international rule-based order are greatly exaggerated."

Amnesty International singles out two governments in particular: those of the United States and Israel. With regard to the United States under President Donald Trump, the report states that in January 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined a vision for a new order — a Western alliance of Christian civilizations — that ignored important historical facts. The report does not mince words: "The words cannot hide the facts: this is a history too of domination, colonialism, slavery and genocide."

The remarks on Israel's actions against its neighboring states in the Middle East conflict are also stark: "For millions of people, international safeguards have failed, as in the case of Palestinians who are subjected to genocide, apartheid and occupation by the Israeli government." And addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report states: "Russia continues to commit crimes against humanity in Ukraine."

Why prosecuting Russian war crimes in Ukraine is difficult  06:49

Hope for the engagement of civil society

All of this points to a trend that seems likely to continue unabated and spawn new conflicts. However, at least in the case of the war waged by the US and Israel against Iran, the annual report notes that some EU member states clearly distanced themselves from the conflict: "In early 2026, some European states appeared to take fuller measure of the risks, refusing to join the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and committing to protect strategic security."

And Julia Duchrow, too, still finds enough examples to give us hope in a world that seems to be falling apart: "In Iran, people took to the streets even though they knew their lives were in danger. In Hungary, Viktor Orban's inhumane policies have just been voted out of office. And people continue to be released from detention, such as Maria Kolesnikova in Belarus, for whom we have advocated." Maria Kolesnikova, a well-known Belarusian musician and civil rights activist, was finally released from detention in December 2025 after five years.

This article was originally published in German.

This article was updated on April 23, 2026 to include a comment by Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to Germany.

Jens Thurau is a senior political correspondent covering Germany's environment and climate policies.

Libya oscillates between cooperation and illusion

Kersten Knipp

DW

24/04/2026 

For the first time, representatives from both sides of Libya's political divide are participating in Flintlock, a multinational military exercise under US leadership. Is this a tentative sign of hope for reunification?

The US-led military exercise Flintlock 2026 kicked off in Sirte, Libya with Libyan special forces training together for the first time

Image: Special Operations Command Africa

Soldiers from around 30 nations are training to fight terrorism, practicing international cooperation and seeking to strengthen the region's fragile stability in Flintlock, a joint military exercise under US leadership. The training takes place in Libya and Ivory Coast through the end of April.

For Libya, which has been split into east and west administrations following years of civil war, it is particularly significant that representatives from both parts of the country are participating in the exercise for the first time.

'Visible rapprochement'

"All things considered, this is a truly remarkable political signal," Hager Ali, a political scientist at the German think tank GIGA Institute in Hamburg, told DW. Flintlock is part of an established US-led military exercise format; however, the location and participants make a difference this time, she said.

"The fact that the exercise is taking place in Libya for the first time and that both rival camps are represented is certainly a special feature," she added, noting that it is evidently part of the longer-term efforts to reunite the armed forces that have been fragmented since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011.

Michael Bauer, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) office in Tunis, agrees. "The publicly staged handshake between the two rival camps represents a rare, visible sign of rapprochement," he said. This demonstrates that cooperation is possible, at least at the operational level — albeit still under external mediation, particularly by the US, he told DW.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libya's commander of the east, General Khalifa Haftar, have a shared interest in Libya's resourcesImage: Gavriil Grigorov/SNA/IMAGO
Dysfunctional state

This cautious rapprochement under American pressure involves a country that still barely functions as a state. "The country lacks a unified, functional government structure with a clear delineation between the executive, legislative and judicial branches," the recently published Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2026 states.

In other words, political and economic power is divided between rival governments, armed groups and other regional actors, resulting in a fragmented political environment that hinders the establishment of effective democratic rule.

Libya has been divided since 2014 between two rival governments. In the west, the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli. In the east, the Government of National Stability in Tobruk is backed by General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.

Against this backdrop, any form of cooperation is remarkable — and the military exercise is not the only example. Recently, for the first time in many years, a joint national budget was adopted. North Africa expert Bauer views this as a "tangible sign of institutional rapprochement," but warns against unrealistic expectations.

Hager Ali, too, considers this to be only one possible step in a longer process. "The joint budget could help rebalance economic power structures — particularly vis-à-vis influential actors such as General Khalifa Haftar, who rules the eastern part of the country and whose network is deeply embedded in Libya's economic structures," she said, adding that at least, it represents an attempt to centralize political and economic leverage more strongly.

Other factors at play

Both analysts emphasize that the motives behind theUS-led military exercise extend far beyond Libya. The focus is on counterterrorism across the entire Sahel region, the increasing spread of weapons there — for example as a result of the war in Sudan — and efforts to push back Russian influence. Hager Ali points in particular to Moscow's presence in eastern Libya, noting that "the US in particular is clearly seeking to counter this more strongly."

Libya is increasingly become a stage for international strategic competition due to its geographical location in North Africa and oil resources.

"Libya's oil production, stable for now under informal arrangements but structurally fragile, matters more than usual," the Washington-based think tank Middle East Institute (MEI) recently stated.

This could present an opportunity for Libya, however, domestic political dynamics remain unpredictable, and key questions regarding the distribution of power and resources continue to be disputed among rival centers of power. "Succession in Libya is unlikely to be resolved solely through formal legal mechanisms," the MEI analysis says. Isolated signs of cooperation are unlikely to make much of a difference in addressing this structural problem.

Libya's location along the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa, and its vast oil and gold ressources, are considered strategically attractive for foreign countries

Image: Hussein Malla/AP Photo/picture alliance

Economic tensions

"Libya's current fiscal path is unsustainable. Persistently large fiscal deficits are intensifying pressures on the exchange rate, international reserves and inflation," the International Monetary Fund assessed in a recent study. High public spending, inflation, and currency pressures are placing pressure on the population and exacerbating social tensions. Reforms have long been considered urgently necessary but remain politically difficult to implement.

Despite the recent signs of cooperation, North Africa analyst Michael Bauer sees likttle chance in the near future of substantial progress between the conflicting parties and their leaders. "The division gives them access to resources and ensures their influence," he told DW. "The tentative attempts at cooperation have so far been little more than collaboration deemed useful by both sides," the Libya expert added.

For Libyans, this means that cooperation on military exercises and the national budget could indeed be a first step. However, as long as the key political actors continue to profit from Libya's division and maintain their power structures, a strong and united Libya is likely to remain an illusion.

This article was first published in German.

Kersten Knipp Political editor 

Amid fuel crisis, a bold move to leave oil and gas behind

Tim Schauenberg

DW

 24/04/2026 

At an unprecedented meeting in Colombia, delegates from more than 50 countries want to chart a practical path to wean the world off fossil fuels. Can they succeed where the UN climate talks have failed?

Representatives from more than 50 countries are meeting in Colombia to make a plan on transitioning away from fossil fuels

Image: Roberto Pfeil/dpa/picture alliance

Cristian Retamal, Chile's former negotiator at the annual UN climate talks, hopes this week's conference in Colombia will lead to the start of a new global political movement.

Retamal is in Colombia's northern coastal city of Santa Marta, where representatives from more than 50 countries are meeting for the first-ever conference on transitioning away from the fossil fuels that are heating the planet.

They aim to come up with a practical, equitable plan to help the world reduce its dependence on coal, oil and natural gas, and identify which legal, economic and social measures are needed to do so.

The conference, taking place from April 24 to 29, was created amid frustration at last year’s UN climate conference. Despite support from a broad coalition of more than 80 countries, the talks failed to nail a binding mandate to phase out fossil fuels, due to a veto led by petrostates like Russia and Saudi Arabia.

COP30 deal sealed without fossil fuel plan 04:35

Retamal said broad international interest from all levels showed that the world recognized the need to end the fossil fuel era, despite the impasse at COP.

"In the '90s, climate became an issue at the UN level because a few countries decided to start working on that and pushing for the UN system to address the issue," Retamal told DW. He believes the Colombia talks could be a similar catalyst.

Major fossil fuel nations taking part

Colombian Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres, whose country is co-hosting with the Netherlands, has said participants at the unprecedented meeting are not just countries on the front lines of climate change, like Pacific Island developing states.

Major fossil fuel producing nations like Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Norway are also taking part. Germany, France and a few other EU member nations are also sending delegates, along with the European Commission.

The effects of climate change include more extreme weather around the world, including a major flood in Indonesia in December 2025

Image: Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP

The world's biggest coal, oil and gas producers, such as the US, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia, won't be there. But that hasn't stopped major environmental organizations like Greenpeace and the WWF from calling it a "historic" meeting of a new "coalition of the willing."

An end to fossil fuel subsidies?

"It is implementation time, no more discussions on ambitions," a spokesperson for Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, the Dutch minister of climate and green growth, told DW.

"We will start concrete work with a group of countries with shared views on what a transition away from fossil fuels looks like and what is required: decrease supply and demand," he added. Part of that shift would include a plan to "phase out fossil fuel subsidies."

Renewable energy has seen record growth in recent years. Led by solar power, especially in China and India, clean energy sources exceeded global demand for electricity in 2025, according to the latest analysis from energy think tank Ember.

The share of renewables, including solar, wind, hydropower and other clean energies, made up more than one-third of the world's electricity mix for the first time last year.

But a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuel power, and associated greenhouse gas emissions, is still some years off. Fossil fuels are being subsidized to the tune of around $920 billion (€782 billion) every year, making oil, gas and coal appear better value than they actually are.

Iran war exposes overreliance on fossil fuels

The burning of fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming, which is causing longer heat waves and droughts, stronger storms and flooding worldwide. These consequences are becoming more extreme and costly, with lasting consequences for people and economies.

The surge in oil and gas prices and supply shortages triggered by the Iran war has highlighted the vulnerability of countries that are reliant on fossil fuels, or the revenue generated by their sale.

"Transitioning away from fossil fuels reduces exposure to both external dependencies and to toxic pollution, enables more stable development and strengthens self-determination and democracy," said Lili Fuhr, director of the Fossil Economy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law.

For years, energy experts have warned of relying too heavily on coal, oil and gas to power the global economy. Retamal said while the conference in Santa Marta wasn't organized in the context of the current energy crisis, it did give delegates a good reason to "seriously discuss […] how to transition away from fossil fuels."

No 'magic wand' to end fossil fuels reliance

Despite the optimism, the talks won't act as "a magic wand" to clear away all the problems and obstacles that have built up over the decades, said Madeleine Wörner, a climate and energy expert at the German aid organization Misereor.

Retamal agreed, saying it will likely take several years before countries can agree to a binding road map or treaty. Delegates won't just be discussing how to phase out fossil fuels, but also the many legal and trade issues that go along with such a monumental transition.

Wörner pointed out that major corporations, for example, could decide to claim compensation for lost profits under investor-state dispute settlement clauses, if their fossil fuel facilities are shut down earlier than planned. Such a far-reaching decision wouldn't just mean potential costs, she added, but could also lead to bilateral disputes.

Millions of people around the world also depend on the fossil fuel industry for their livelihoods. An eventual phaseout would also have to ensure that these people aren't left behind.

Germany not sending top-level politician

Co-hosts Colombia and the Netherlands are both sending their climate ministers to the talks, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro is also expected. Jochen Flasbarth, the secretary of state for the environment, will make the trip for Germany.

"It's a shame that the German government isn't represented at the highest level," said Wörner. Germany's coalition government hasn't presented a united front on climate policy, she said, meaning Germany likely won't play a major role in shaping the discussion in Santa Marta.

The conference is being framed as a dialogue, not a negotiation. Starting Friday, a wide spectrum of civil society groups, academics and representatives from the private sector will talk about potential solutions. Political representatives will join the talks for the final two days.

By then, it should be clearer what this new movement will actually be able to achieve.

This article was originally written in German.


Tim Schauenberg One of DW's climate reporters, Tim Schauenberg is based in Brussels and Münster.

Everest ice block obstructs large group of spring climbers

Mark Hallam

DW with AFP, AP

 24/04/2026 

A chunk of ice suspended above the Khumbu Icefall near Base Camp on Mount Everest means it's not safe either for climbers or the specialist "icefall doctors" who typically clear away smaller obstructions.

In all, 410 climbers had been approved to scale the world's highest peak, as the typical spring window opens

Image: Purnima Shrestha/REUTERS

A dangerous chunk of glacial ice, or serac, not far above Mount Everest's Base Camp is blocking the climbing route to the summit and shortening the already-brief window for climbers in the busiest spring season.

Nepal's government has issued 410 permits for tourist climbers his season, with mountaineering a major revenue stream for the small country that's home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks.

What's causing the delay and why can't it be cleared?

A team of the so-called "icefall doctors," specialist climbers who clear the path of more minor ice obstructions for the less experienced mountaineers, began fixing ropes and ladders on Mount Everest last month to prepare for the spring climbing season.

But the large serac above the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, at an altitude of more than 5,300 meters (roughly 17,400 feet), could collapse without warning and unleash a deadly avalanche.

"This is not something you can fix or move," said Himal Gautam, spokesperson for the Department of Tourism. "It's natural. We can only wait and assess."

Even in normal conditions, the Khumbu Icefall is regarded as one of the most dangerous sections on the South Col route to Everest's summit

Image: Purnima Shrestha/REUTERS

Icefall doctor Dawa Jangbu Sherpa told the AFP news agency that the team "expect that it will clear in a few days."

The Khumbu Icefall, a constantly shifting maze of crevasses and ice blocks, is located just above Mount Everest Base Camp and is seen as one of the most dangerous parts of the South Col ascent even under normal circumstances.

Himal Gautam said that a team of experts would head to the site to monitor and "devise an alternative plan if needed."

"We are trying to ensure that there are no delays, even drop supplies by a helicopter, so that routes can be prepared on schedule," he said.

A remote tent village of around 1,000 people — foreign climbers and support staff — has built up at safer altitudes on the 8,849-meter mountain, waiting to make for the summit.

Crowded climbs amid mountaineering boom

The spring season, the busier of the two with warmer temperatures than the autumn window between September and November, typically concludes by the end of May.

Acclimatization and base camp preparations take place from March to late April, while sherpas clear the path, and the summit window tends to be in May.

Monsoon risks make the summer months unsafe for almost all climbing activity, despite the comparatively clement temperatures.

Climbing has become big business in the Himalayas, and particularly on Everest, since Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary became the first confirmed duo to reach the summit of the world's highest peak in 1953.

Tibet: Rescued hiker recalls being stranded on Mount Everest 02:11

The 410 permits this spring season are close to the all-time record of 479 set in 2023.

Congested climbing routes, even mountain traffic jams as groups get in each other's way have become common on the mountain, as have other signs of overcrowding like litter and detritus.

The shorter the time period teams have to try to scale the vast mountain, the more such risks are amplified.

Autumn summits in 2019 were also thwarted by a serac

The caution dealing with the vast glacial ice blocks can be traced in no small part back to 2014, when 16 Nepali guides were killed by an avalanche as a chunk of the same glacier sheared off.

It was one of the deadliest accidents in Everest's climbing history.


Edited by: Sean Sinico

Mark Hallam News and current affairs writer and editor with DW since 2006.

MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M IS FASCISM

Warner Bros shareholders greenlight sale to Paramount

Muna Turki 

DW with Reuters and AP

 24/04/2026 

The deal would combine two major Hollywood studios and bring CBS and CNN under one roof, tightening an already concentrated media landscape, critics say.

The merger would bring together two of Hollywood’s remaining five legacy studios

.Image: Daniel Cole/REUTERS

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve the sale of the company to Paramount.

The deal could reshape Hollywood and the American media landscape, which critics say is already dominated by just a few powerful players.

The European Commission and several US states, including California, are reviewing the merger.

Executives at Paramount say the deal will benefit consumers.

What does Warner Bros shareholders' approval mean?

In a preliminary vote count, the Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the previously announced accusition by Paramount. The deal values the company at nearly $111 billion, including debt.

The transaction is not final, as it still requires regulatory approval and could face legal challenges.

The merger has been under political scrutiny in the United States. Last week, Democratic senators held a "spotlight" hearing on the deal, raising antitrust concerns about the combined company’s market power.

In Europe, the deal is expected to face fewer regulatory hurdles. The combined company would hold less than 20% market share across European Union markets, reducing antitrust concerns for the European Commission.

The deal follows an unsolicited bid by Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery, despite an existing agreement with Netflix. The competing offers triggered a bidding battle that ended with Netflix withdrawing.

Merger tightens media market, critics warn

The merger combines two major streaming platforms, Paramount+ and HBO Max, as well as the two major Hollywood studios. It brings two of the biggest names in US television news, CBS and CNN, under the same company.

Critics of US President Donald Trump fear that CNN, which has frequently reported critically on his administration, could lose its editorial independence under the umbrella of Paramount. Paramount owner David Ellison is described as a Trump ally.

Opposition to the merger has also come from within the movie industry. An open letter signed by hundreds of Hollywood figures earlier in April warned that the deal would "further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a time when our industries and audiences can least afford it."

Paramount executives have rejected those concerns, saying the merger would benefit consumers, particularly if Paramount+ and HBO Max are combined into a single streaming service.

The deal could also draw additional scrutiny because it includes financing from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, raising potential national security concerns.

Warner Bros expects the deal to close later in 2026.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

LESE MAJESTE LAW

Thai opposition faces trial over royal defamation law

Shakeel Sobhan 

DW with AFP, Reuters

 23/04/2026 

Forty-four lawmakers could be banned from office for seeking to change Thailand's strict lese-majeste law, which criminalizes criticism of the monarchy. Critics say it has been used to silence opponents.

Thailand's strict century-old lese-majeste law criminalizes criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family with prison terms of up to 15 years per offence

 FILE PHOTO: July 28, 2025

Image: Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Thailand's Supreme Court said on Friday it had accepted a petition accusing 44 current and former opposition lawmakers of ethics violations over a 2021 attempt to amend the country's law protecting the monarchy from criticism.

Those facing trial, starting on June 30, include members of the progressive People's Party and its predecessor, the Move Forward Party.

If found guilty, the lawmakers could face lifetime bans from holding office.

The court said it would not suspend the 10 serving lawmakers named in the case, including People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul.

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut leads the People's Party and is among those to face charges

Image: Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo/picture alliance

What is Thailand's lese-majeste law?

Thailand's strict century-old lese-majeste law, known as Section 112, criminalizes criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family.

It carries prison terms of up to 15 years per offence for criticism of the monarchy.

Thai monarchs are still held in extremely high regard by many across the country.

Critics say it has been used to silence political opponents.

Thailand's liberal opposition after Move Forward was blocked from forming a government despite winning the 2023 election, then dissolved in 2024 over its campaign to amend the law, which bans any criticism of the royal family

The party was accused of undermining Thailand's system of governance, in which the king is head of state.

In August 2025, a court in Thailand cleared former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of breaching the lese-majeste law charges that had left him facing possible prison time.

Conservatives pull off election comeback in Thailand  01:44

Shakeel Sobhan Covering politics, social, and environmental issues in India.

Ex-Philippine president Duterte to stand trial at ICC over deadly ‘war on drugs’

The International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, paving the way for a landmark trial. Duterte is accused of murder and attempted murder linked to his anti-drugs campaign, in a major test for the court amid mounting political pressure.


Issued on: 23/04/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

A poster of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte held by a relative of victims of his anti-drug war crackdown on April 22, 2026. © Aaron Favila, AP

Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his so-called "war on drugs".

Pre-trial judges "unanimously confirmed all the charges ... against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial," the ICC said in a statement.

Duterte will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court faces the most difficult time in its 24-year history, with the United States sanctioning key judges and officials after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israel's leader over the Gaza war.

It is unclear whether the 81-year-old Duterte will attend his trial.

His defence team says he is too weak mentally to follow proceedings and he did not appear at a week of hearings to assess the validity of the charges.

Philippines: Ten years after Duterte's war on drugs, families fight for justice

The only time he has been seen since his arrest was an initial appearance via video, where he seemed confused and tired, his speech barely audible.

The pre-trial judges concluded there were "substantial grounds to believe that Duterte is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder", the ICC statement said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Japan scraps a ban on lethal weapons exports in a change of its postwar pacifist policy

Issued on: 21/04/2026
FRANCE24

Japan on Tuesday scrapped a ban on lethal weapons exports, a major change in its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to build up its arms industry amid worries over Chinese and North Korean aggression. FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago reports.

Video by: Luke SHRAGO

EU 'must' shift to renewables to end fossil fuel 'blackmail from war-driving authoritarian regimes'

Issued on: 23/04/2026 - FRANCE24
Play (12:12 min)From the show

François Picard is pleased to welcome Hannah Neumann, German MEP, Greens/EFA and Chair of the EU Parliament's Delegation for Iran. She offers analysis on the growing geopolitical instability surrounding Iran, energy security, and the EU’s strategic position in an increasingly fragmented global order. According to Neumann, the central issue is not merely the volatility of negotiations, but their lack of clarity and coherence. From her vantage point, "the main problem is that they don't even have a clear focus on what they are negotiating about".

Neumann argues that current diplomatic efforts suffer from an absence of defined objectives, concerning nuclear policy, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, or broader regime-related questions. At the same time, she sheds light on a critical blind spot: the systematic exclusion of Iranian civil society from international discourse, exacerbated by digital repression.

Meanwhile, she places Europe’s vulnerability within its structural dependence on fossil fuels, which exposes it to geopolitical coercion. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine "show how interconnected these different conflicts are and how absurd the situation is".

Case in point: As the EU has reached a solution with Hungary to offer a €90 billion lifeline to Ukraine, the oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline also "supports the Russian war economy". She contends that true political autonomy for the European Union can only emerge through a decisive transition to renewable energy. In the meantime, "these war-driving authoritarian regimes can basically blackmail us with their fossil energy".


OUR GUEST  Hannah NEUMANN German MEP, Group of the Greens/EFA

BY: François PICARD

Ilayda HABIP

VIDEO BY: François PICARD

Prize-winning book 'Houris' brings prison term for French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud


French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud says he has been sentenced in Algeria to three years in prison and fined over his award-winning novel “Houris,” which revisits the country’s civil war. The ruling reflects the mounting pressure on authors confronting Algeria’s violent past and raises fresh concerns over freedom of expression.


Issued on: 22/04/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud attends a press conference at the Gallimard publishing house in Paris on December 11, 2024. © AFP, Geoffroy van der Hassel

French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud said Wednesday that he has been sentenced to three years in prison in Algeria for his book “Houris,” a recipient of France’s most prestigious literary award.

The writer, who lives in France, announced on X that the verdict was delivered on Tuesday. He said he was also fined 5 million Algerian dinars ($38,000).

“Houris” (Virgins, in English) focuses on the victims of what Algerians call the “black decade,” when tens of thousands of people were killed as the army fought an Islamist insurgency. The conflict erupted in 1991 after Islamists won a first round of legislative elections, prompting the military-backed government to cancel the second round of voting.

WATCH MORE  2024 Prix Goncourt awarded to Kamel Daoud for his novel 'Houris'

It was awarded the Goncourt Prize, France's top literary award, in 2024.

Daoud said he was convicted under what is known as the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, a text adopted by referendum in 2005 that offered widespread pardons to both armed Islamists and security forces.

“The text punishes any public mention of the civil war,” Daoud said. “Ten years of war, nearly 200,000 dead according to estimates, thousands of terrorists granted amnesty … and only one guilty party: a writer.”

In addition to the legal action brought by the court in the Algerian city of Oran, Daoud is the target of two international arrest warrants issued by Algeria in May 2025 and is also under threat of being stripped of his Algerian nationality.

Another French-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, has faced similar problems.

READ MORE  'Insult to injury': What’s behind the rising tensions between France and Algeria?

The author – whose works have been critical of Islam, colonialism and contemporary Algerian leaders – was convicted of undermining national unity and insulting public institutions and was sentenced to five years in prison under Algeria’s anti-terrorism laws.

He was granted a humanitarian pardon in Algeria after an appeal by Germany's president, and returned to France last year after serving a year in prison.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)