Diplomacy and International Relations

South Africa condemns xenophobic violence when it erupts, but critics say prevention is weak, arrests are limited and political rhetoric sometimes fuels tensions instead of easing them.

Tehran is betting that its sanctions‑hardened economy can outlast the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Washington, meanwhile, is contending with elevated oil prices, renewed inflation pressure and rising global recession risks.

The UAE and Israel are getting closer, while Saudi Arabia is enhancing cooperation with Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. The new alliances represent a rift in the Gulf, as approaches to the Iran war and the region diverge.

Foreign ministers from the US, India, Japan and Australia — collectively known as the Quad — need to put past differences behind them if the alliance is to remain an effective means of countering China.

Saudi Arabia has been directly hit by missiles and drones during the Iran war, but the country is hosting the all-important Muslim pilgrimage anyway.

Latvia’s military said NATO planes responded to at least one drone flying in its airspace. It’s the latest in a string of such incidents in the Baltic, one of which eventually toppled Latvia’s government.

A Chinese cybersecurity expert has revealed to DW details of China’s new high-tech policing. From ski resort facial recognition to seats on a train, the system can track anyone and compile a "holistic profile."

A Turkish court has allowed DW reporter Alican Uludag to leave detention as his contentious trial opens. He is accused of having "insulted" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which in Turkey can carry a jail sentence.

The first gathering of Sudeten Germans in Czechia since World War II is set to go ahead this weekend despite a political backlash that has exposed tensions over one of Central Europe’s most painful historical legacies.

DW correspondent Alican Uludag has been in custody in Turkey for three months, in part on charges of "insulting the president." He is set to appear in court for the first time on Thursday, though only via video link.