by Notker Oberhäuser

18 Mar 2019; DW: In March 2018, the Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte announced that he was annulling his country‘s ratification of the Rome Statute "with immediate effect" in response to "shameless attacks” on his person by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Rome Statute was the legal basis for the foundation of the ICC in 2002.

by AW Siddiqui

A mass shooting at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killed at least 49 people and injured dozens on Friday. A 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, who claimed responsibility, is in custody.

by Julia Vergin

15 Mar 2019; DW: Three weeks without a drop of alcohol. Three weeks where I felt fitter, more awake and more relaxed. What exactly happened to my body?

I get up at 5:30 and answer the questions of my energetic son before the kid heads off to school and I go to work. For three weeks this process was easier for me than ever before. Coincidentally, it was the three weeks where I wasn't drinking alcohol.

by Jon Shelton

14 Mar 2019; DW: An appeal has begun in the case of three Yemenis suing the German government for complicity in the death of family members killed in US drone strikes. Ramstein Air Base in Germany is integral to the US drone program.

by Christoph Strack.

NEW YORK (AP) — Somewhere in the Midwest, a restaurant is frying foods with oil made from gene-edited soybeans. That’s according to the company making the oil, which says it’s the first commercial use of a gene-edited food in the U.S.

Calyxt said it can’t reveal its first customer for competitive reasons, but CEO Jim Blome said the oil is “in use and being eaten.”

10 Mar 2019; DW: March 10 is an important date for the Tibetan struggle. On this date in 1959, tens of thousands of Tibetans blockaded the palace of their leader, the Dalai Lama, to protect him against perceived threats from the Chinese army.

KUWAIT CITY, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia supports all efforts of Kuwait and welcomes means to preserve the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said on Wednesday.

He made the remarks at a press conference held at Kuwait's Foreign Ministry. Lavrov said that his talks in Kuwait dealt with the developments in the Gulf region and the Russian proposal to guarantee the security and stability of the region and between the GCC countries and Iran.

By LISA MASCARO and LAURIE KELLMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — It wasn’t exactly a mic-drop moment. But when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi abruptly ended a conversation as a freshman lawmaker no longer seemed to be listening, it showed just how far the Democratic leader and the new majority have to go in getting used to each other.

A lot has changed in the 12 years since Pelosi last ran the House.

TRIPOLI, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Flights were resumed at the M'etiga international airport in the Libyan capital here on Wednesday, a few hours after the authorities closed it due to "infiltration" of unidentified drone.

Eight international flights took off from the airport following the reopening of the air hub, the airport's administration said in a statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority previously suspended work at the airport to "preserve air safety from drone infiltration."

This was the first time that the airport was closed due to unknown drone.

CARACAS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelans expect negotiation and dialogue instead of foreign intervention in the country's political standoff as the opposition leader Juan Guaido returned to Venezuela on Monday.

Guaido flew back to Caracas on Monday after more than a week abroad. He then attended a rally and called for massive protests on Saturday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under President Donald Trump, America’s trade deficit with China has so far worsened. That gap represents an unfulfilled Trump pledge just as talks between the world’s two largest economies may be nearing a potential deal to suspend their trade war.