Author: DW

The US administration under Republican President Donald Trump has proposed billions in cuts to NASA’s budget, putting at risk major partnerships, and shifting the space agency’s priorities from the moon to Mars. Reacting to these cuts, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher emphasized “the importance of cooperation in space activities.” Ashbacher said ESA would assess the impact of the proposed NASA budget for the coming fiscal year, released on May 2, as questions remained about the “full repercussions” of the changes. The administration’s budget proposal for NASA includes cuts to the Artemis moon program As the US shifts its…

Israel’s security Cabinet has unanimously approved a plan to widen the military offensive in Gaza. Dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” it includes the “conquest of Gaza” and occupying the territory, an Israeli official said on Monday, without specifying how long the occupation would last. The Cabinet also approved the drafting of tens of thousands of reservists to carry out the operation.  From what details have emerged so far, the plan involves the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invading and seizing control of Gaza territory, forcibly displacing the civilian population to the south of Gaza, “dismantling” the militant group Hamas, releasing the remaining hostages held in Gaza, and establishing…

“We rescued 68 people from two unsuitable boats on the night of May 1st,” Marie Michel, a crew member of the sea rescue organization SOS Humanity, reported at a press conference marking the group’s tenth anniversary.  “Both boats were in the Libyan search and rescue zone at the time, but the Libyan rescue coordination center did not coordinate any of these rescues, but said that they are not responsible,” she added. In Michel’s view, this sums up how the European Union has successively outsourced responsibility for rescuing people from drowning in the Mediterranean to civilian organizations for more than ten years. According…

US President Donald Trump’s scrapping of a duty-free loophole has shattered Temu and Shein’s business model, choking their flood of cheap Chinese goods into the United States. In 2024, 1.36 billion shipments entered the US under the so-called de minimis rule, exempting goods valued under $800 (€704) from import tariffs. That figure marks a nine-fold increase from 153 million in 2015. Goods bought from Temu and Shein, who handled 30% of daily US low-value packages last year between them, will now be subject to a 30% tariff or flat fees of up to $50, plus the 145% tariff on imports from China levied by Trump last month. With…

The UK and India have struck an “ambitious” trade deal that will slash tariffs on products such as whisky and gin. The agreement will also see Indian tariffs cut on cosmetics and medical devices and will deliver a £4.8bn boost to the UK economy, according to the government. It is also expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5bn, UK GDP by £4.8bn and wages by £2.2bn each year in the long term.Politics latest: PM urged to rethink two major policiesThe news will be a welcome boost for the government following poor local election results, which saw Labour lose the Runcorn by-election…

Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan made history as the first male Bollywood star to walk the Met Gala 2025 red carpet on Monday. Wearing a  black ensemble custom-designed by Indian couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee, his look featured a silk shirt, trousers and a satin cummerbund. He accessorized his outfit with a striking cane topped with an 18k gold Bengal tiger encrusted with tourmalines, sapphires, old mine cut and brilliant cut diamonds, besides a crystal-studded “K” pendant and a diamond star brooch. The 59-year-old strutted his dandy at the event themed “Tailored for You,” in connection with the Costume Institute’s landmark new exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring…

As soon as the lights went out in Spain and Portugal, the speculating about the cause of the blackout began. Was it a cyberattack? Atmospheric interference? Aliens? Though the Spanish government is looking into the possibility of a cyberattack on the Spanish electricity grid, the head of the Spanish electricity transmission system operator Red Electrica (REE) , Eduardo Prieto, has ruled this out already. Extreme frequency fluctuation According to Prieto, two apparently separate incidents that happened within 1.5 seconds of each other in southwestern Spain threw the grid frequency off balance. He said that this caused the outage of power…

The Greek government on Monday launched “Kids Wallet,” a state-operated mobile application that allows parents to monitor their children’s screen time and verify their age on digital platforms and social networks. “We are giving parents a powerful tool to protect their children online,” said Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, presenting the new digital instrument in Athens. “This is an application that Greece — and Europe — needs to confirm children’s ages when they use social media,” Papastergiou added. “It will also serve as an identification tool for upcoming initiatives.” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his support for the initiative as…

Mining in Pataz in Peru’s north will be suspended for 30 days, the country’s President Dina Boluarte said on Monday. She made the announcement after the bodies of 13 security guards working at a gold mine were found by policein a mine tunnel on Sunday. The workers had been held captive for more than a week after being kidnapped. Peru’s government also plans to impose an overnight curfew and set up a military base in Pataz, located around 560 miles (900 kilometers) from the capital Lima. The 13 people found dead on Sunday were employees of a subcontractor of mining company Ponderosa, one of…

For more than three years, Western observers have puzzled over the true state of Russia’s economy. At times, it has appeared to buckle under the strain of sanctions — at others, it has shown unexpected strength. In 2023, Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 4.1%, and in 2024, by 4.3%. However, the momentum, largely fueled by the shift to a wartime economy, now appears to be fading. Many economists expect Russia’s growth to be cut in half, dropping to just 2%. For instance, Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy projects GDP growth of only 1.5% for 2025 and…