Semua Kabar

The charges against the Norwegian royal come after months of investigation involving a "double digit" number of alleged victims.

The eldest son ofNorway's crown princess was charged with multiple counts of rape, sexual assault and bodily harm, on Friday, after ten months of investigation.

Marius Borg Hoiby is the 28-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne — Crown Prince Haakon. He was arrested several times in 2024 amid allegations of rape and preliminary charges of bodily harm.

Hoiby has faced scrutiny since and has been at the center of an investigation involving a "double-digit" number of victims.

"I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number," Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski said at a news conference.

He added that the charges include one case of rape involving intercourse, two cases of rape without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm.

The attorney said the evidence had been gathered from sources including text-messages, police searches and witness testimonies.

In an email to The Associated Press, Defense attorney Petar Sekulic said Hoiby was "taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn't acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases — especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence."

The Crown princess' eldest son is her child from a different relationship before she was married to Crown Prince Haakon.

Hoiby grew up with the privelege of the other royals but does not hold a formal title or have a public role.

After the initial allegations of bodily harm last year, Hoiby admitted to acts of violence directed towards his partner under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. In a statement to the public, he spoke of psychological problems and long-term drug abuse.

The economy minister attended a meeting of EU states using nuclear energy, even though Germany shut down its last reactor in 2023. The environment minister was quick to insist Germany will stick to its nuclear phaseout.

It was only a relatively petty dispute over the organization of an EU event in Brussels. And yet, revealed how differentlyEconomy Minister Katherina Reiche— of the conservativeChristian Democratic Union (CDU)— and Environment Minister Carsten Schneider — of the center-leftSocial Democratic Party (SPD)— think about renewable energy, climate protection andnuclear power.

In mid-June, Reiche was looking for a way to spend the evening in Brussels after a long meeting with her EU counterparts. There were two options: a meeting with representatives from countries that want to continue to expand renewable energies, and a meeting with pro-nuclear states.

Twelve of the 27 EU states operate nuclear power plants, with France having the highest proportion — 55 reactors. Reiche ultimately attended the meeting of these countries, even though the government of former ChancellorAngela Merkelmoved to phase out nuclear energy after the 2011 nuclear disaster inFukushima, Japan. Germany's last power plant went off the grid in spring 2023.

The fact that Reiche nevertheless chose to attend the meeting with the nuclear countries angered her SPD colleague. Schneider is officially responsible for nuclear safety in Germany as the environment minister, including issues relating to the interim and final storage of nuclear waste.

"We have decided to phase out nuclear power. This has also been accepted by society," Schneider said.

Officially, Germany is focusing on transitioning torenewable energies, and a large proportion of its energy is now generated from wind or solar power. "There are no further commitments [to the nuclear industry], nor will there be any," said Schneider.

The disagreement between the Economy Ministry and the Environment Ministry on nuclear energy issues was already apparent. At the end of May, Reiche said in Brussels that she was "open to all technologies" when it came to energy production.

The specific trigger was a joint paper by the governments in Paris and Berlin, which stated that the energy policy in both countries would be implemented "based on climate neutrality, competitiveness and sovereignty." In other words, according to the wishes of German ChancellorFriedrich Merzand French PresidentEmmanuel Macron, all forms of energy are to be promoted in the EU as long as they are low-emission.

In France, this applies above all to the many nuclear power plants. In fact, nuclear power plants emit little or no greenhouse gases during operation and are therefore considered climate-friendly by their proponents.

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The dangers of the technology lie in controlling the nuclear chain reaction and the nuclear waste it produces, which remains radioactive for many thousands of years. According to the EU treaties, each member state has the right to choose its own energy mix.

There is also likely to be more disagreement between Reiche and Schneider on the issue of new gas-fired power plants.

Shortly after taking office, the CDU minister announced plans to build 20 new gas-fired power plants. The previous government had also announced new construction to compensate for the often-fluctuating supplies from solar and wind power — but not in such large numbers.

This is also a cause for concern for Schneider, who is responsible for meeting Germany's climate targets. In mid-May, the German government's expert council on climate issues warned that the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045 must be backed up by a truly concrete plan from the government.

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The economy and environment ministries have often clashed on issues of climate protection and energy policy. At the moment, the government's climate goals are being helped by the rather weak economy and the resulting lower production, especially in industry, according to the council.

A member of the panel, Marc Oliver Bettzüge, director of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne, told the newsmagazineDer Spiegel: "At this point in time, it is not clear how the federal government intends to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2045."

Building new gas-fired power plants is likely to make this plan even more difficult. Although gas-fired power plants emit less greenhouse gases than coal-fired ones, 20 new plants would jeopardize the climate targets.

This article was originally written in German.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.

Pakistan's meterological department has said there is a risk of severe rainfall and more flash floods up until Tuesday.

Flash floods inPakistan's northwest mountanious province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 11 people, including four children, the country's disaster management officials said.

"In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people — including four children and three women — while six others have been injured," the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a report released late Friday.

One person was killed in the Malakand district while the 10 others were killed in the Swat Valley, according to the report.

Local media reported that families had been swept away and that the flooding had damaged 56 houses along the Swat river.

Pakistan's local daily newspaperDawnreported that rescue operations were underway in several other districts with people trapped in the water.

Meanwhile the national meterological department warned ofheavy rainfall and a possibility of more flash floodsuntil Tuesday.

Pakistan is among the world's morevulnerable countriesto the effect ofclimate changewith anincreasing frequency of flash floodsand otherclimate-related eventsimpacting its 240 million inhabitants.

In May, some 24 people were killed in severe storms in Pakistan. In August 2022, a third of the country was flooded due to unprecedented monsoon rainfall withmore than 33 million people affected.Scientists from across the globe have since said that theclimate crisis was to blameand that rising global temperatures will only make monsoons more intense in future.

Pakistan's former climate change minister Sherry Rehman took to X, saying that the nation continued to "sleepwalk" on climate change and the threat it posed.

She pointed to regular alerts issued by the national disaster management agency and said that local authorities had failed to take them seriously.

"Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back burner,  or that crises will not multiply in scale and intensity," she wrote.

"These are not "natural disasters" which absolve all actors of responsibility, local, national and global. Super monsoons and flash floods are not the norm. They have been intensifying for decades," she added, urging the country to "wake up" the to the issue.

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Thousands gathered at a state funeral in Tehran for military commanders killed in recent Israeli strikes. Germany's interior minister has made a surprise visit to Israel. DW has more.

Below, you can read a roundup of developments on the status of the ceasefire in theIsrael-Iran warand thewider crisis in the Middle Easton Saturday, June 28:

Thousands of protesters rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to demandan end to the Gaza warand to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

It was the first rally by hostages' relatives since Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on June 24.

The regular weekly rally was suspended due to emergency restrictions duringthe war with Iran.

The Israel-Iran ceasefire raised hopes that it would lend momentum to end the Gaza conflict.

"The war with Iranended in an agreement. The war in Gaza must end the same way — with a deal that brings everyone home," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing hostage families, in a statement to mark the rally.

Police in the UK are reviewing footage of Glastonbury performances by Bob Vylan and Kneecap to assess whether any criminal offenses were committed during their on-stage remarks.

Irish hip-hop group Kneecap led chants of "F*** Keir Starmer" and condemned Israel in front of a large crowd at the music and performing arts festival.

The group has drawn attention in recent months for its pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel stance. One member faces a terrorism charge over allegedly displaying a flag in support ofHezbollahat a show in London last November. The band denied supporting Hezbollah.

"This situation can be quite stressful, but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are [facing]," O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyeh and black sunglasses, told thousands of cheering supporters, many waving Palestinian flags.

Before Kneecap took the stage, rap-punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants invoking death to the Israel Defense Forces.

The Israeli Embassy in Britain later said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival."

German Interior MinisterAlexander Dobrindtunexpectedly visited Israel late on Saturday, with plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

"Supporting Israel involves holding talks on the ground and getting an idea of the situation," Dobrindt said ahead of the trip.

"I want to show that we support Israel as our closest partner in the fight against terror."

The conservative politician also said he wants Germany to benefit from Israel's military experience.

"Israel is ahead of us, especially in cyber defense and civil protection," Dobrindt said. "We also need to adapt more to new threat situations."

"We will work closely with Israel on this," he added.

In addition to Netanyahu, Dobrindt is also set to meet with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday.

Mediators in Qatar, Washington and Cairo are trying to push Israel and Hamas towards a truce in the Gaza Strip, according to Majed al-Ansari, spokesman forQatar's foreign ministry.

Doha was "trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza," Ansari told AFP news agency.

"If we don't utilize this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again," the spokesman said.

The Qatari official said it was "not a far-fetched idea" that pressure from Washington could lead to a new truce in Gaza.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump saidattacking Iran caused "great progress" in negotiations regarding Gaza.

The two-monthGaza ceasefire that was agreed upon when Trump took office in Januarycollapsed in March. Israel has since intensified its military operations in Gaza.

At least 60 people across theGaza Stripwere killed by Israeli strikes starting late Friday and continuing into Saturday morning, health staff in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory say.

Among them were 12 people killed at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which serves as a shelter for the displaced, and eight more in their apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital.

Israel's offensive in Gazahas so far killed some 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in the figures it provides.

Gaza officials say more than half of the dead are women and children.

Israel launched its attacks in Gaza in response to raids by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Some 250 hostages were also taken.

Yemen's Iran-backedHouthi militiasaid on Saturday that it had launched a ballistic missile at what it called a "sensitive Israeli site" in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

The militia, which controls large parts of northern and western Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, said the attack was in response to Israel's continued military offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

In a statement released by the group's military spokesperson, it said the missile was fired out of "duty toward the oppressed Palestinian people and the heroic Mujahideen in Gaza."

Earlier, the Israeli military announced that air defenses had likely successfully intercepted a missile coming from Yemen.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Israel andRed Sea shipping routessince the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

US PresidentDonald Trumpsaid he would "absolutely" order morestrikes on Iranif intelligence indicated that Tehran was still capable of enriching uranium to nuclear-weapons grade.

Speaking at a press conference at the White House, Trump also said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "got beat to hell" in thewar involving Israel and the US, and that the timing of ending it was "great." He expressed anger after the Iranian leader claimed his country had scored a victory over the United States.

Regarding future inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, the US president said he supports inspectors from theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)or another respected source being able to inspect nuclear sites in Iran following the bombings by Israel and the US.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran may reject any request by the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, to visit the country's nuclear sites, calling the insistence by IAEA head Rafael Grossi to visit nuclear sites in Iran "meaningless, even malign in intent."

This comes after the Iranian parliament voted to suspend any cooperation with the IAEA over its failure to condemn the strikes carried out on various nuclear sites in Iran by Israel and the US.

The situation inGazahas taken on "horrific proportions," according to UN chief Antonio Guterres.

Food aid is scarce, and a lack of formula is putting the lives of newborns at risk.

And the situation in theoccupied West Bankis also increasingly fraught amid violence between Palestinians and Israel settlers.

DW has this video depicting the problems faced by residents of the twoPalestinian territories:

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UN Secretary-GeneralAntonio Guterreson Friday called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying the residents of Gaza were facing a humanitarian crisis of "horrific proportions."

Although he said the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran was a reason for hope, he condemned the fact that residents of Gaza are being killed at aid distribution points.

DW has this article detailing Guterres' appeal:Gaza: Aid plan should not be 'death sentence,' UN chief says

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said his country is in principle ready to resume nuclear talks with the US, though he called on US PresidentDonald Trumpto adopt a more conciliatory tone toward the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers," Araghchi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Good will begets good will, and respect begets respect."

Trump recently said new talks would be held with Tehran next week, but declined to give details.

Talks between Tehran and Washington on Iran's nuclear programover the past few months have not succeeded in bringing about a deal.

They were interrupted after Israeltargeted nuclear facilitiesacross Iran in 12 days of attacks from June 13, amid claims that Tehran is seeking to become a nuclear power.

The US also carried outstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22.

The US, Israel and several other Western countries have long feared that Iran might be developing arms under cover of a nuclear program that Tehran insists is for civilian purposes only.

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Thousands of people gathered in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday as an official funeral ceremony took place for the dozens of generals and others, including journalists and a nuclear scientist, killed inIsraeli strikes.

Among the some 60 people honored were Chief of Staff Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC's aerospace division.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the event, along with other senior government officials and military commanders.

Ali Shamkhani, the senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane after being targeted and wounded in the Israeli attacks, state TV showed.

In 12 days of attacks from June 13, Israel killed more than 30 high-ranking military officials, some in their homes.

Of the 60 people who were to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four were children and four were women.

Israel said its attacks on Iran aimed to stop Tehran becoming a nuclear threat to its security.

As a fragile ceasefire betweenIsrael and Irancontinues to hold, a funeral ceremony has been held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for dozens of senior military officials and others killed in recent Israeli strikes.

Iran's foreign minister has said his country is ready to resume talks on Tehran's nuclear program with the US if PresidentDonald Trump"puts aside his disrespectful and unacceptable tone" toward the Islamic Republic's supreme leader.

UN chiefAntonio Guterreshas meanwhile called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying the humanitarian crisis in theGaza Striphas reached "horrific proportions."

You can follow here for the latest news on the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, as well as news, videos and analyses from the wider Middle East region.

Moscow is increasingly attacking Ukrainian cities with Shahed drones flying at high altitude. Could interceptor drones provide a better and cheaper solution than traditional air defense?

Russian airstrikes on cities and towns across Ukraine are rapidly increasing in intensity. Between June 1 and June 20, Moscow launched 3,681 Shahed drones and fake drones, which serve to disorientate the Ukrainian air defense forces. A year ago, the average was at around 600 per month.

To counter these attacks,Ukraineis looking for unconventional solutions, such as the use of interceptor drones.

Since theRussian invasion of Ukrainein February 2022, and the ensuing war, Moscow has not onlyincreasedthe production of drones — it has also modernized them and changed deployment tactics.

Current drones can maneuver and fly at high altitudes, which is why they cannot be reached by Ukrainian mobile air defense forces with machine guns.

"Lately, the Russian Federation has been sending drones at an altitude of about 2 kilometers," Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force , told DW. "That's why it's becoming more and more difficult for our mobile units to intercept Shahed drones," he added.

"When drones fly lower, you can see them and shoot at them," he said. "First you detect them acoustically, then visually and with the help of thermal imaging cameras and sighting devices. Opening fire on them is only effective once a drone is flying at an altitude of up to 1 kilometer."

Experts have expressed alarm at Russia's latest tactics. "Russiais going to bomb our entire country with Shahed drones. They have significantly increased production and will continue to do so. If we don'tact immediately, our infrastructure, our production and our defense systems will be destroyed," military and communications expert Serhiy Beskrestnov warned on social media. In his view, Ukraine needs toramp up mass productionof interceptor drones and train drone pilots.

At the front, the use of interceptordronesis anything but new. The Ukrainian military has been using first-personview, or FPV, drones, equipped with cameras that provide the drone pilot with real-time images, for quite some time. These drones are used against various Russian drones, including surveillance and kamikaze models.

In order to destroy Shahed drones, which fly faster than many others, however, Ukraine needsspecial drones. "An Orlan, for example, flies at 100 to 140 kilometers per hour and Shahed drones can reach 200 to 300 kilometers per hour," Serhii Sternenko, head of the Sternenko Community Foundation which provides the Ukrainian military with FPV drones, told DW.

In such cases, drones with different characteristics were required for defense. "There are even Ukrainian-made ones. Our troops have already shot down Shaheds several times with such drones," said Sternenko.

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According to Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, his country is focusing on the rapid development of interceptor drones to alsodefend cities in the hinterland.

"In particular, we are working on interceptor drones to enhance protection against Shaheds," Zelenskyy said at the G7 summit in Canada on June 17, pointing out that Ukraine is collaborating with partners to secure more substantial funding.

Meanwhile, many Ukrainian manufacturers are already working on such drones. In particular, Wild Hornets, a nonprofit organization that focuses on theproduction of dronesfor the Ukrainian armed forces, has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to intercept Shahed and Gerbera drones with its Sting interceptor drone.

At the same time, the German startup Tytan Technologies is testing its owninterceptor drone with the Ukrainian military, and the Lviv-based company Besomar claims its drone can wait up to two hours in the air for a target.

At Kyiv's Dronarium Academy, future drone pilots are trained for aerial combat. They use special simulators for the Ukrainian armed force, and each FPV drone pilot needs about a month to learn to control a drone at high speed.

"We are forming new units to cover cities in the hinterland with air defense systems equipped with interceptor drones and we are also training drone pilots," said Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat.

"If all air defense groups had interceptor drones and we could use them to destroy enemy drones, we would already have something like 'Star Wars'," said Besomar co-founder Roman Shemechko.

"That would be effective, as you wouldn't be shooting at clouds anymore but instead pursuing a target to take it out. That's more effective than simply shooting at Shaheds flying at an altitude of 3 kilometers or wasting a missile," he added.

According to experts, interceptor drones are also a reasonable alternative given the cost of anti-aircraft missiles. According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, a branch of the Ukrainian army that specializes indrone warfare, the price of an anti-aircraft missile can be as high as $1 million (€85.4 million), while an interceptor drone costs around $5,000.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.

Local authorities said the soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in north-western Pakistan. The attack was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban.

At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide attack that was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, local government officials and police officers told AFP on Saturday.

The attack in north-westernPakistanalso left 29 people injured, including 10 army personnel and 19 civilians.

"A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy," said a local government official in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The convoy was attacked in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district, the army said in a statement.

"In this tragic and barbaric incident, three innocent civilians including two children and a woman also got severely injured," it said.

A police officer informed AFP that the explosion had also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a suicide bombing had killed at least 13 soldiers, while AP mentioned 8 casualties.

According to AP sources, the attack targeted a military vehicle in North Waziristan at around lunchtime.

The attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, which is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, AFP said.

Since theTalibanreturned to power in Kabul in 2021, violence has increased significantly in the Pakistani regions borderingAfghanistan.

Leather from cattle raised in deforested areas and on Indigenous land in the northern Brazilian state of Para is being turned into luxury items in Italy, according to an investigation.

Designer brands such as Coach, Fendi and Hugo Boss have been listed as buyers of raw materials sourced fromdestroyed forestsin Para, the northern Brazilian state set to host the UN Climate Conference, COP30, in November.

The allegations, which most companies have denied,are detailed in a report published by Earthsight, a UK-based nonprofit focused on environmental and injustice investigations. Their findings draw on thousands of records ofBrazilianleather exports, data on the cattle sector, court rulings and satellite imagery, as well as interviews and on-the-ground research.

"Consumers probably expect that when buying a luxury product, the high price tag guarantees some level of ethics and sustainability," Lara Shirra White, an Earthsight researcher, told DW. "They don't expect that the leather bag might be linked to deforestation andhuman rightsviolations."

The NGO warns of products made from the hides of cattle reared on farms embargoed for environmental violations, including some operating illegally within Para's Apyterewa Indigenous Territory, which was heavily deforested during the presidency ofJair Bolsonarofrom 2019 to 2022.

As part of its research, Earthsight investigated the business operations of Frigol, a Brazilian meatpacking company identified as one of the buyers of cattle raised on the territory.

The report says at least 17,000 animals were sold to Frigol between 2020 and 2023, which is "enough to produce 425 tons of leather."

Researchers linked some of those cattle to illegalfarmsbut said it's not possible to determine the exact number that left Apyterewa, in part because Frigol itself "does not trace most of its indirect suppliers."

The report says this gap in reporting leaves the company's "supply chain vulnerable to the widespread practice of 'cattle laundering,'" in which cows from illegal farms are transferred to legally registered properties before being sold.

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Paulo Barreto, senior researcher at the Brazilian conservation and sustainable development Institute of Man and Environment of the Amazon, Imazon, said control over indirect suppliers is either nonexistent or incomplete.

"As a result, cattle raised inillegally deforested areasend up entering the market as if they were legal. The lack of a transparent public system regarding the origin of the cattle makes control difficult."

Frigol, however, told DW via email that it does not purchase cattle fromIndigenous landsand monitors 100% of its direct suppliers.

"We are committed to working together with industry institutions, the production chain and public authorities to make progress," the company said in a statement. It added that it believes "only individual traceability of animals for socio-environmental purposes will make it possible to mitigate deforestation across all links of the cattle supply chain."

According to Earthsight's research, after the animals are slaughtered at Frigol's facilities, a percentage of cow skins are exported, in part by the Brazilian leather company Durlicouros, which shipped 14,700 tons of hide to Italy between 2020 and 2023. Some of that, the report found, went to the Italian tanneries Conceria Cristina and Faeda.

The research lists high-end names like Coach, Fendi, Chloé, Hugo Boss and Saint Laurent among Conceria Cristina's clients. Faeda, meanwhile, provides leather to brands such as Chanel, Balenciaga and Gucci, according to the investigation.

In response to a DW request for comment, Chanel cited deforestation as a "major concern" and said it no longer works with Faeda due to unmet traceability requirements: "92% of the calfskin we use is sourced from Europe, and we audit slaughterhouses and farms outside Europe to ensure they are not indeforestation zones."

The Kering Group, which owns Balenciaga, Gucci, and Saint Laurent, told DW that while the two Italian companies mentioned in the report are suppliers, "the leather they provide to any Kering house does not come from Brazil."

Based on Earthsight's findings, Hugo Boss issued a statement to say it had conducted a detailed review, and could "confirm that none of the leather" it is supplied with "is connected to any of the alleged parties in connection with the investigation."

LVMH, which owns Fendi and Louis Vuitton, said it has a system capable of tracing the origin of 98% of the leather used in its products and that it does not source this from South America. And Tapestry, which owns the Coach brand, wrote to DW saying that while the system for tracking raw materials in Brazil is "complex and imperfect," it is working to be "part of the solution to improve traceability and transparency."

Chloé, Conceria Cristina and Faeda had not responded to a DW request for comment at the time of publication.

Durlicouros told DW that it tracks its indirect suppliers and participates in discussions on state and national models for full traceability and compliance."In addition, all Durlicouros facilities are certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG), ensuring high standards of sustainability, traceability, and environmental responsibility, according to the purpose of each facility."

But Earthsight researcher Lara Shirra White said companies often use the certification to vouch for the ethics and sustainability of the leather they produce "instead of conducting meaningful due diligence themselves to ensure their supply chains are deforestation-free."

She said the problem with the LWG, founded in 2005, is that "it does not require traceability back to the farms," and can therefore not account forenvironmental and human rights abusesin the areas where the cattle are raised.

The LWG told DW it is enhancing its "due diligence requirements related to deforestation and land conversion," which will "include establishing a chain of custody system that would support more detailed traceability across the leather value chain."

There is some hope that the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) could make a contribution to change. Due to come into effect at the end of this year after a 12-month delay, it will ban the purchase of products originating from destroyed forest areas.

"We hope the law will be implemented on schedule, despite certain sectors of the industry still trying, in some way, to exclude leather from the scope of the legislation," Rafael Pieroni, a researcher at Earthsight, told DW.

However, he said the report also contains a message for the Brazilian government. "It should implement traceability and make all data public. Transparency is the best way to avoid all the illegalities we are exposing in our investigation," he said.

This article was originally written in Portuguese.

In one of the biggest cocaine busts in UK history, British authorities discovered 2.4 metric tons of the drug in a ship that arrived in London from Panama.

Britishauthorities announced on Saturday the seizure of 2.4 metric tons ofcocaineat London Gateway port, with the estimated value of 96 million pounds (€112 million or $132 million).

This is the sixth-largest seizure of cocaine since records began, according to Britain's Home Office, the UK's interior ministry.

The enormous haul of cocaine was found hidden under dozens of shipping containers on a vessel arriving from Panama.

The Home Office said that specialist officers detected the shipment earlier this month. With the port operator's help, they moved 37 large containers to access the stash.

Charlie Eastaugh, director of the UK Border Force Maritime, said the seizure was "just one example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security."

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"Our message to these criminals is clear — more than ever before, we are using intelligence and international law enforcement co-operation to disrupt and dismantle your operations."

According to Eastaugh, container ships are a primary means by which criminal organizations smuggle cocaine into the United Kingdom.

The UK government says that cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose 31% between 2022 and 2023. The National Crime Agency (NCA) reports that Britain is one of Europe's biggest cocaine markets.

Last February, British authorities seized 5.7 tons of cocaine at the port of Southampton in southern England. The NCA said officers believedthe drugs were bound for the German city of Hamburg"for onward delivery."

The German parliament is seeking to assess the political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Health Minister Jens Spahn is under attack over the possible misuse of public funds.

Jens Spahn, the former German health minister, faced scrutiny this week over the possible misuse of public funds in the large-scale procurement of face masks during theCOVID-19pandemic.

He had to answer to questions from the budget committee over why he ordered masks at a very high price and then failed to accept or pay for them. Germany's government could face payments of some €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) to health-product manufacturers if courts rule against it in the dozens of lawsuits that have been filed over the issue.

Spahn has defended his actions, though he admitted last year that he should have done things differently.

The heavily redacted version of a report commissioned by Spahn's successor,Karl Lauterbach, was presented to the budget committee of the Bundestag this week. It stated that Spahn's procurement decision was made "against the advice of his specialized departments."

The socialistLeft Partyhas called for Spahn to step down from his current role as parliamentary leader of the ruling conservative bloc ofChristian Democratic UnionandChristian Social Union(CDU/CSU), one of the most powerful positions in the Bundestag.

"Anyone who throws our tax money out of the window so carelessly should no longer be allowed to hold an important political office," said Left Party co-leader Ines Schwerdtner.

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Germany's governing parties — the CDU/CSU and the center-leftSocial Democrats (SPD)— have sought to establish an inquiry commission to investigate actions taken by the government during the pandemic, including lockdowns that had a major impact on the country's economy. The Left Party had already suggested such a commission last year.

"Firstly, lost trust should be regained through a serious review," read the party's motion put to the parliament. "Secondly, to gain insights and recommendations for action that will help us to deal with the pandemic in a more forward-looking, intelligent and effective way before and during a recurring pandemic situation."

Among the supporters of such a commission is Hendrik Streeck, who became known as one of Germany's leading virologists during the pandemic. He went on to win a Bundestag seat for the center-right CDU in Bonn in February this year.

The 47-year-old now sits on the parliamentary health committee and is also the federal commissioner for addiction and drug issues. Streeck considers it "absolutely necessary" to re-examine how the pandemic was handled, since it was the biggest health crisis sinceWorld War Two, he told DW.

Streeck is hoping to get answers to the question of how scientific advice reaches the government in a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. "This is an area of tension between science, politics and the public," the virologist said.

He also wants the new commission to take a critical look at the coordination between the federal and state levels of government. During the pandemic, the leaders of Germany's 16 states convened with the federal government to agree measures such as imposing complete lockdowns. Streeck doubts that this was the best framework, as it meant that the parliament was often relegated to a limited control function.

Trained nurse and Left Party Bundestag member Stella Merendino, also a member of the health committee, also wants a review as the basis for lessons to learned for the future. "I experienced the pandemic in a hospital emergency room," she told DW. "I saw people die alone, while we were not allowed to let them see their relatives."

The 31-year-old also saw hospital staff collapse from exhaustion and grief. "We worked through shifts without knowing whether we would stay healthy ourselves," she said. "There was no adequate protective equipment, no psychological support, hardly any recognition and, to this day, no systematic evaluation of what this meant for our staff."

Merendino also believes that many people were left alone during the pandemic to cope with their economic worries, childcare, and loneliness. "This has fueled anger and mistrust that continues to this day," she said. "We don't have to convince everyone, but we have to listen. And as politicians, we must have the courage to admit mistakes."

Above all, Merendino expects to ensure more support for people who are still suffering from the consequences of COVID-19. "I know nursing staff who are no longer able to work because of Long Covid. Many are fighting for recognition, for medical care, for financial security. And all this in a healthcare system that is already overburdened."

Meanwhile, Streeck believes that the commission should look beyond Germany's borders for its reappraisal. "More data, more analysis would help us to get a more accurate picture," he said.

He is convinced that this would help mitigate the divisions he still sees in society. Streeck says that three groups have formed: "Some who don't want to deal with it. The others who say: We were too lax, we did too little. And the third, who say: We went far too far." Everyone has to be taken seriously, says Streeck. "The best thing that can happen is to talk about it."

The review commission could be set up to start its work after the summer break, in September 2025.

This article was originally written in German.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA), a key partner of Cyril Ramaphosa's party in South Africa's ruling coalition, threatened "grave consequences" unless their demands are met. Previously, Ramaphosa fired a DA deputy minister.

South Africa's fragile coalition government is under mounting strain, as the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party, abruptly withdrew from PresidentCyril Ramaphosa's "National Dialogue" initiative on Saturday.

DA leader John Steenhuisen also announced that his party would withhold support for the budgets of departments led by ministers accused of corruption.

The move follows Ramaphosa's dismissal of Deputy Trade Minister Andrew Whitfield, a DA member, earlier this week over an unauthorized trip to the United States. The DA and Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) are the two largest parties in South Africa's coalition government.

DA head Steenhuisen issued an ultimatum to the president, demanding the removal of ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours and threatening "grave consequences" if the demands are not met.

That deadline passed on Saturday, with Steenhuisen accusing Ramaphosa of acting with "disrespect, arrogance, and double standards."

"The president's refusal to act against corruption within his own ranks risks confirming that his oft-repeated public commitment to clean governance is a sham," Steenhuisen said.

"Until he replaces words with action against corruption within his own ranks, the DA sees no further point in wasting our breath in endless talk shops with the ANC," he added.

South African news outletNetwerk24reported that Ramaphosa canceled his trip to a UN conference in Spain amid concerns the DA might exit the coalition.

But Steenhuisen confirmed the DA would remain in government and said the party had also decided, for now, not to table a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa.

Thecoalition governmentwas formed just over a year ago after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since Nelson Mandela led it to power in 1994.

The ANC and DA remain ideologically opposed and have clashed repeatedly over the past year.

Their disagreement over this year's budget led to months of delays, and they have alsosparred over policies aimed at addressing racial inequality, including the land expropriation act.

The sharp divisions now appear to threaten the future of the National Dialogue initiative, which was intended to tackle some of South Africa's most pressing challenges, including high unemployment and crime.