Author: DW

Psychological warfare has often involved touting technological superiority while suggesting that opponents are powerless against it. That might be the right context in which to view a new study about an advanced artificial intelligence-driven anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system out of China that can reportedly detect 95% of even the stealthiest submarines. Last week, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post outlined the study, published in August by the trade journal Electronics Optics & Control. It announced that the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute had created an AI system that can simultaneously evaluate measurement data from various sources. From sonar buoys…

The former director of the FBI, James Comey was on Thursday criminally charged on for making false statements and obstruction of justice. Trump lauds Comey indictment US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan announced the charges, and said Comey could face up to five years behind bars if convicted.  US President Donald Trump hailed the indictment on his Truth Social platform, claiming Comey “is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”   US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the indictment “reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions…

Over the past year, a curious trend has been making the rounds on TikTok: Young (and mainly Western) people are proposing marriage to like-minded individuals seeking companionship and stability as well as shared financial burdens and benefits. Love and/or sex? Not necessary.  The term “lavender marriage” resurfaced from obscurity, sparking conversations about the origins of such marriages of convenience, and whether this once covert survival tactic could be repurposed for an era seeing shifting relationship norms. A heteronormative front The phrase “lavender marriage” mainly gained traction in early 20th-century Hollywood, where image was paramount and being openly queer could have ended careers.…

The pressures of the war in Ukraine are starting to bite for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policymakers in the Kremlin, with Moscow planning tax hikes and spending cuts to deal with its growing budget deficit. The draft budget for 2026 is expected to be submitted to parliament on September 29. Only minor changes are likely from that point, with Putin having agreed the main details by then. On Wednesday (September 25), the government announced plans to raise value added tax to 22% from 20% in a bid to curb the deficit, reneging on a pledge Putin previously made not…

Looking at Google Maps, it may seem as if every last corner of the planet has already been subjected to topographical surveys. But what lies beneath the ocean surface remains largely hidden from the view of orbiting satellites. That’s because radar signals can’t penetrate water. So while commercial satellites provide a resolution of about 30 centimeters per pixel of the Earth’s surface, ocean images are much rougher, with a resolution of around just 5 to 8 kilometers (3-5 miles) per pixel. Only about 20% of the ocean floor has been surveyed so far with echo sounding. But Seabed 2030, a joint project between the United…

The airport in the northern Danish city of Aalborg was closed on Wednesday, after drones were observed over its airspace, an airport spokesperson said. “Drones have been spotted near Aalborg Airport and the airspace has been closed,” Police said on X. “The police are on site and investigating further.” What do we know so far? Eurocontrol, the agency that oversees European air traffic control, said arrivals and departures at Aalborg airport would be at a “zero rate” until 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT/UTC) on Thursday. No information was provided on how many drones had been observed. The closure of the small airport…

With 35 goals and 16 assists, Champions League winner Ousmane Dembele was the overwhelming favorite going into Monday evening’s award ceremony in Paris. The 28-year-old played a key role in his club’s historic treble season, including delivering two assists in Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 trouncing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich last May. “I didn’t want to cry, but as soon as I started talking about my family, about the people who have been there for me, it came up and I couldn’t hold it back,” Dembele told Reuters afterwards. The former Dortmund player was able to attend the awards ceremony in Paris even…

There was very little the Gulf state of Qatar could have done against the ballistic missiles Israel fired at it around two weeks ago. According to media reports, around 10 Israeli fighter planes flew over the Red Sea on September 9 — making sure they were not in any other country’s airspace — before firing missiles in what’s known as an “over the horizon” attack. This way, ballistic missiles travel into the earth’s upper atmosphere or even outer space before coming back down again. The eventual target of the Israeli missiles were members of the militant Hamas group, meeting to…

In 1990, the East Side Gallery was created on what today is the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall as some 118 artists from 21 countries created murals celebrating the fall of the divide. Moscow artist Dmitry Vrubel was there to paint “Brotherly Kiss,” an image of former Soviet Union leader Leonid Breschnew and East German regime head Erich Honecker in passionate embrace — which remains one of the gallery’s most iconic works. Along with the art, a counterculture flourished on the bank of the Spree River behind the former Wall as hundreds of people set up homes and creative spaces in…

On a field in northern Albania, farmers are working between rows of yellow mustard plants, bringing in their harvest: nickel. What’s planted here is one of about 700 hyperaccumulating species — plants that accumulate high amounts of metals from the ground, such as nickel, zinc, copper, even gold and rare earth elements. They evolved to store these metals in their shoots, leaves or sap. It’s their little toxic trick, a defense against predators and pathogens. For the plants themselves, the metals are harmless. Nature’s trick: some species are able to store metals to fight against predators and pathogensImage: Antony van…