Author: DW

It’s been a nightmare two months for global shipping, with the Strait of Hormuz largely shut to commercial traffic and the threat of fresh attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Now, a third crisis is brewing — a resurgence in Somali piracy. Even before the latest escalations between the United States, Israel and Iran, around half the vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf were bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to earlier strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis. Faced with the threat of attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major shipping firms opted instead…

So far, three people have died, with several others taken ill, after a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne illness that has multiple strains of varying severity. With the ship now docked, passengers are being returned to their countries of residence. Each will face a slightly different process over the coming days and weeks, depending on their infection status and their country’s reactions to such outbreaks. A Dutch couple, who were the first to become ill and later died, had been visiting South America before departing on the ship from Argentina’ssouthernmost town, Ushuaia, in late March. Argentina’s…

The public broadcasters of three European countries, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia, on Monday, announced that they would boycott the 70th Eurovision Song Contest by not airing it. The song contest has been at the center of controversy with several countries calling on Eurovision’s organizers to exclude Israel following the Gaza war. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands announced last year they were going to boycott the 2026 song contest over Israel’s participation. Iceland and the Netherlands will broadcast the contest, that is set to run between Tuesday and Saturday, on television even though they aren’t taking part. Irish TV to air Father Ted instead of Eurovision “Instead of…

It’s been a nightmare two months for global shipping, with the Strait of Hormuz largely shut to commercial traffic and the threat of fresh attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Now, a third crisis is brewing — a resurgence in Somali piracy. Even before the latest escalations between the United States, Israel and Iran, around half the vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf were bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to earlier strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis. Faced with the threat of attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major shipping firms opted instead…

If one adjective could describe renowned British broadcaster, naturalist and author Sir David Attenborough, it would be “indefatigable.”  Though having physically slowed down with age, the now 100-year-old presenter’s passion for the natural world — and his enthusiasm in sharing it with viewers — has not waned.  He holds the Guinness World Record for “the longest career as a television presenter and naturalist.” From his on‑screen debut in “Animal Disguises” in 1953 to the recent Netflix documentary “A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough,” his broadcasting life has spanned more than 70 years. A history of making history He has accumulated a wide range of…

Demand would be, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in January, equivalent to “1,000 years of World Cups at once.” But with just a month to go until the start of the 2026 World Cup, tickets remain unsold for most matches, and it’s unclear if any games have actually sold out. “The way it looks to me, I would not be too concerned about the hype of the World Cup being sold out,” Gilad Zilberman, CEO of leading secondary market comparison site, SeatPick, told DW. “I think prices will drop,” he added. “That’s my gut feeling. I think FIFA is struggling.” While FIFA…

Exports from Germany had risen at a time when many feared they would be in retreat because of punishing US tariffs. Meanwhile, one of Germany’s biggest banks is set to cut jobs to fend off a takeover.

Hungary’s premier-in-waiting, Peter Magyar, is keen to secure a return to the European Union mainstream and is moving quickly to mend fences.  Part of that mission is a plan to have the country ready to join the euro by the end of the decade. Some, including the governor of the central bank, suggest that timeframe could be overly ambitious, given that outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban will hand over a sluggish economy and a fiscal mess.  But if euro accession is approached in the right way, Hungary could see significant benefits. Back to the European Union mainstream Meeting the requirements of euro adoption will be a daunting task for the incoming government. Magyar’s Tisza party has little room…

Mexico will end the school year more than a month early, the country’s education minister has announced, as it prepares to host the World Cup amid a scorching heat wave. Education Secretary Mario Delgado made the announcement in a social media post on Thursday, prompting a wave of criticism amid fears about the impact on education and concerns from parents who will need to find alternative childcare. On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to backtrack, saying the schedule was merely a proposal. But Delgado doubled down during an event in the northern state of Sonora. “We’re going to end the school year on June 5…

Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” is one of the most anticipated films among the 21 titles vying for the prestigious Palme d’Or this year.  The Polish filmmaker returns to Cannes after winning the festival’s best director award in 2018 with “Cold War.” The historical romantic drama set between Communist Poland and Paris went on to win the top European Film Awards and earn multiple Oscar nominations. Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’ also won the People’s Choice Award for Best European FilmImage: Britta Pedersen/dpa/picture alliancePawlikowski’s new film is another exploration of the early Cold War period. It’s framed as a road movie undertaken by Thomas Mann (played…