World News

In short:

Russia has become the first country to formally recognise the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021.

Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry called Russia's official recognition a historic step.

The Taliban has sought international recognition while also enforcing its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Kabul, a city of over six million people, could become the first modern city to run out of water in the next five years, a new report has warned.

Groundwater levels in the Afghan capital have dropped drastically due to over-extraction and the effects of climate change, according to a report published by nonprofit Mercy Corps.

Welcome to America's two party system, which allows for two wannabe autocratic dictators to run in the next election, knowing full well the Democratic party is in tatters.

"Many say Cape Verde is a beacon for other African countries," says long-serving Cape Verdean politician Gualberto do Rosario.

"I don't believe in such comparisons. Undoubtedly, Cape Verde scores better than many other African countries in various indices," the former prime minister (in 2000 and 2001) and chairman of the current ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD) tells DW. "But I think there is still much to do, and we should continue working to advance the country.

Development indices above average

Cape Verde has scored well on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with figures above average compared to African nations. These 17 global goals — including poverty reduction, education, and health — are worldwide targets for 2030.

But according to Do Rosario, comparisons with African mainland countries are only partly meaningful. He points to Cape Verde's history and geography: "Our islands were uninhabited and were only settled by European and African immigrants starting in the 1460s. That makes our development unique."

For him, Cape Verde's long fight against poverty and drought has shaped the islanders' will to survive and helped them progress even under difficult conditions.

Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin.

The Netherlands' military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become "standardized and commonplace" in Ukraine.

According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot.

For the first time in over a century, Parisians and tourists will be able to take a refreshing dip in the River Seine. The long-polluted waterway is finally opening up as a summertime swim spot following a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.

Three new swimming sites on the Paris riverbank will open on Saturday — one close to Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.

Swimming in the Seine has been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. Taking a dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons.

Hamas said it is “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations” for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian militant group said in a statement late Friday that it had given a “positive response” to a U.S.-brokered proposal for a 60-day ceasefire. If successful, a truce deal would pause the war between Hamas and Israel that has devastated Gaza and escalated tensions in the wider Middle East since October 2023.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that there could be a ceasefire deal next week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington on Monday, where he is expected to discuss the terms of the ceasefire deal with Trump.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/32737565
By Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra

from +972 Magazine Sunday Recap newsletter [published in Israel] 6/29/2025

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