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Assad gives rare interview

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he won't step down before elections. On Saturday, rebels kidnapped the father of Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
France legalizes gay marriage

French President Francois Hollande has signed same-sex marriage into law after the country's Constitutional Council dismissed a legal challenge to stop it. It follows months of political debate and public protests.
Rallies for jailed Tymoshenko

Thousands of people have attended large rallies in Kyiv in opposition to Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, calling for the release of jailed former PM Yulia Tymoshenko. Some clashed with Yanukovych supporters.
North Korea fires missiles

South Korea’s defense ministry has said North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast. The alleged launches follow months of threats from Pyongyang of impending war with the US and Seoul.
Nigeria offensive intensifies

Nigeria's military has killed 10 and arrested 65 in an offensive to wrest territory from Islamists. On Friday, a military air raid on insurgent camps in northeast Nigeria killed at least 21.
Women lose in Afghanistan

Lawmakers in Afghanistan have blocked legislation proposing a minimum marriage age for girls, and women not being prosecuted for rapes committed against them. Some said such laws might encourage sex outside of marriage.
Merkel meets the pope

After meeting with Pope Francis, Angela Merkel has called for stronger market regulation. On Thursday, the pope had appealed for financial reform, saying the economic crisis had worsened conditions for millions.
Saudi woman climbs Everest

Raha Moharrak has become the first Saudi Arabian woman to climb Mount Everest. The 25-year-old university graduate reached the world's highest peak on Saturday morning.
Schalke in CL Quali

It was a wild final day of the 2012-13 Bundesliga season as the battle for the last European spots and the fight against relegation were both decided in the final minutes. The biggest winners on the day were Schalke.
Eurovision final begins

The Eurovision 2013 final has begun. As ever, voters and judges will have a wide choice of glitz and kitsch, as well as a song inspired by the Greek debt crisis and a gay marriage anthem featuring a lesbian kiss.

[39596616] Rehearsals - 58th Eurovision Song Contest
epa03704755 Finland's Krista Siegfrids (2-R) kisses a dancer as she performs the song 'Marry me' during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 58th annual Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena, in Malmo, Sweden, Sweden, 17 May 2013. The grand final will take place on 18 May. EPA/JESSICA GOW SWEDEN OUT +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

Eurovision final begins

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks at the Opera House in Damascus January 6, 2013 (Photo: REUTERS/ Sana)

Assad gives rare interview

Same-sex couple plastic figurines are displayed during a gay wedding fair (salon du mariage gay) in Paris April 27, 2013, four days after the French parliament approved a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY)

France legalizes gay marriage

Supporters of Ukrainian opposition parties hold a rally in Kiev May 18, 2013. Participants demanded the resignation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and the release of jailed opposition leader, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Rallies for jailed Tymoshenko

The North Korean flag flies outside their embassy in Beijing on December 12, 2012. North Korea successfully launched a long-range rocket on December 12, in defiance of UN sanctions threats over what Pyongyang's critics have condemned as a disguised ballistic missile test. North Korea said the three-stage rocket, which Pyongyang insists was solely aimed at placing a satellite in orbit, had achieved all its objectives. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea fires missiles

Nigeria offensive intensifies

An Afghan woman votes at a polling station for the parliamentary elections on September 18, 2010(Photo: Majid Saeedi/ Getty Images)

Women lose in Afghanistan

Pope Francis gestures as he speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a private audience at the Vatican (Photo: REUTERS/Gregorio Borgia/Pool)

Merkel meets the pope

Saudi woman climbs Everest

Schalke in CL Quali

Military

Drone use raises ethical questions in Germany

The drone 'Euro Hawk' stands on the airfield of the reconnaissance squadron 51 'Immelmann' in Jagel, Germany,. EPA/ANGELIKA WARMUTH

Unmanned weapons systems are fast becoming an indispensable aspect of modern warfare. But their use raises ethical questions which Germany has just begun to address.

Germany's NATO drone project hits EU snags

German government culls costly Euro Hawk drone project

Game of drones

Health

Rising EU obesity rings alarm bells in Brussels

An overweight woman sits on a beach on a dark English seashore
(Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Half of EU citizens are overweight. Among these people, serious obesity is on the rise. It's a heavy and expensive burden for national health care systems - and one the EU Commission hopes to stop.

Record number of obese Brits go under the knife

An overweight young woman Foto: Waltraud Grubitzsch dpa (zu dpa 0150 vom 10.06.2012) +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

A growing number of people in the UK increasingly need surgery because of life-threatening weight issues. Britain has the highest level of obesity in Western Europe, at great cost to the health system.

'Release Yulia!'

Ukraine's opposition calls for political change in a major rally.

Syria

Ignatieff: 'We have a duty to intervene in Syria'

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff speaks at a townhall discussion during a campaign stop in London, Ontario, March 31, 2011. AFP PHOTO / Goeff ROBINS (Photo credit should read GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images)

Political scientist and public intellectual Michael Ignatieff says the international community has a duty to intervene in Syria. He told DW that he sees signs of the emergence of new global security architecture.

Iraq, Afghanistan can serve as lessons for Syria

Erdogan and Obama want Assad's ouster

Young Global Leaders

Summit participant hanging flyers on the 'Tree of Hope' in Berlin Photo: Ole Spata/dpa +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

Sustainability summit

Young people from around the world gather in Berlin to discuss ways to save the planet.

Eurozone crisis

Das letzte Licht des Tages lässt die pyramidenförmige Spitze des Messeturms in Frankfurt am Main am 10.05.2013 aufleuchten. Links steht der Doppelturm der Deutschen Bank, in der rechten Bildhälfte die Helaba und die Commerzbank. Foto: Boris Roessler/dpa

Preventing a new crisis

The German parliament this week passed the most important in a new set of bank regulation laws.

Moving to Mitte

Efforts to attract immigrants have benefited Berlin's start-up scene.

South America

Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies in prison

Former Argentina's President Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla (ddp images/AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia)

Former Argentine strongman, Jorge Rafael Videla, died Friday in a Buenos Aires prison at the age of 87. During his rule, between 1975 and 1981, an estimated 30,000 people disappeared or were killed.

Asia

Japanese upturn

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is reforming Japan’s economy with nationalistic motives.

Africa

Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader in Zimbabwe. (AP Photo)

MDC woos voters

Zimbabwe PM Morgan Tsvangirai promises to win back foreign investors if elected president.

Deutsch Interaktiv

editors' choice

'Gatsby' speaks to Europeans' money woes

Saudi labs need help with the new SARS-like virus

Think before you tweet

Safe in the saddle - bicycles as art

Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Schalke claim Champions League spot

Schalke's 2-1 away win over rivals Freiburg was anything but dominant. But the result was all the mattered - and this one means that the Royal Blues will have the chance to qualify for club football's premier competition. Overachieving Freiburg meanwhile will play in the Europa League.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Frankfurt punch Europa League ticket

Eintracht Frankfurt came from two goals down against Wolfsburg to earn a 2-2 draw. The point was enough to ensure that the Eagles are back in European competition only one season after returning to the top flight of German football. Alexander Meier scores one of Frankfurt's goals from the spot.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Augsburg save their skins

A 3-1 home win over last-placed Fürth took Augsburg up to fifteenth in the table and ensured that they will be playing top-flight football next season. Augsburg looked as good as relegated after finishing the first half of the season with only 11 points, but the team never lost belief and narrowly escaped the drop for the second season in a row.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Hoffenheim with chance to stay up in playoff

Needing a win to avoid relegation, Hoffenheim trailed for much of their match in Dortmund. But then Dortmund's defense conceded a pair of late penalties. Midfielder Sejad Salihovic converted both spot kicks to give the Hoff an unlikely 2-1 win and send them into a playoff with the third-best team from division two, Kaiserslautern. The winner will play in division one next season.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Düsseldorf relegated to division two

Düsseldorf's 3-0 defeat by Hanover was one loss too many. The newly promoted team, which started so brightly in the 2012-13 season, came unglued as the campaign wore on and finished seventeenth in the table. Even more devastatingly, this was the only time Düsseldorf had been in the relegation zone all season.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Kiessling is 2012-13 top scorer

Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling scored the lone goal in his team's 1-0 win in Hamburg. His 25th goal of the season edged him past Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski and made him the Bundesliga's top goalgetter. Maybe that will finally get German coach Joachim Löw's attention.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Heynckes says Bye-bye Bundesliga

In his final match as a Bundesliga coach, Bayern's Jupp Henyckes walked away a winner. Although his team went behind by a pair of goals in Mönchengladbach, there was no way Munich's star ensemble was going to let Heynckes go out on a sour note. The end result was an entertaining 4-3 win against the team where Heynckes began his illustrious career.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Stuttgart look ahead to Cup final

Stuttgart under coach Bruno Labbadia earned a 2-2 home draw against Mainz. The match was largely irrelevant except as a test run for the hosts ahead of their German Cup final against Bayern Munich on June 1. Labbadia knows he'll need a much, much better performance from his team, if he's to hoist the trophy in Berlin.
Bundesliga Round 34 in Pictures

Nuremberg beat Bremen

In a match with nothing but pride on the line, hosts Nuremberg held off Werder Bremen 3-2. During the week, Bremen decided to part ways with coach Thomas Schaaf after 14 years, and Schaaf declined to accompany the team to Franconia for the match. He didn't miss much.