Author: DW

Over time, the general size of animals changes. That’s a normal part of evolution. Sometimes, environmental factors may cause a species to grow smaller; a century later, the animals’ descendants might get bigger again. Researchers have observed alternating periods of increase and decrease over thousands of years. When humans were introduced into the mix and began rearing certain species, the sizes of wild animals and domesticated ones still developed in roughly the same cycles. But that all changed in the Middle Ages, as scientists from the University of Montpellier in southern France have found out. Their study was published in the journal Proceedings…

Maria Jose Martinez-Patino believes World Athletics’ new genetic testing for women at elite level is “a setback of several decades”. The Spanish former hurdler, now a professor at Vigo University, was reacting to the introduction of a mandatory one-time genetic test for athletes competing in the female category at elite level to determine eligibility. “It takes me back to the 1950s and 1960s, when women practically had to go through a series of controls, had to undress in front of a panel of doctors,” she told DW. “I get the impression that we haven’t advanced from a scientific point of view. We’ve made practically…

The summer trade deal between the European Union and the Trump administration was supposed to mark a turning point in transatlantic relations after months of uncertainty. A 15% tariff cap wasn’t ideal, but EU leaders accepted it as the cost of keeping trade tensions with the United States at bay. That is, until US President Donald Trump reignited the dispute. He is now threatening fresh tariffs in retaliation for the EU’s digital services taxes and technology regulations, accusing the bloc of unfairly targeting US tech giants such as Google and Amazon. With the specter of new duties looming, the trade truce is again on shaky ground. In…

A massive landslide in western Sudan’s Darfur region has destroyed a village, leaving over 1000 people dead, a rebel group that controls the area said on Monday. Sudan village ‘completely leveled’ to the ground, one person survives The landslide occurred on Sunday in the village of Tarasin —  located in the Marra Mountains — after days of incessant rain, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army said. The rebel movement said that there was a lone survivor in the disaster-struck village. “Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand individuals, with only one survivor,” the…

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), the great composer of the Viennese Classical period, are the subject of the documentary film, “The Haydn Expedition,” which is being shown in the Hall 424 convert venue in Hamburg Harbor. The musicians in the film, headlined by Estonian conductor Paavo Jarvi, perform the second movement of Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76, No. 3. The quartet movement’s melody was the musical template for the German national anthem, which begins with the words “Unity, justice, and freedom” — symbolic of the democratic themes underlying the film. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (DKB) is seen by…

Scrapping public holidays is in vogue. In July, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou proposed eliminating Easter Monday and Victory in Europe Day (May 8) from France’s annual list of 11 public holidays. Outrage ensued, with political leaders from across the spectrum attacking the plan. Bayrou said the move would help France ease budgetary pressures. He is not the only one to have come up with such a proposal. Earlier this year, Slovakia cut one of its public holidays in an effort to improve its fiscal position, mirroring a move made by Denmark in 2023, when it removed a post-Easter holiday. Copenhagen’s reasoning was that…

German basketball star Dennis Schröder was subjected to racist abuse during his team’s 107-88 win over Lithuania at the 2025 EuroBasket championship. “You can insult me, do whatever you want, but monkey noises are not acceptable,” he told reporters after the Group B game in Tampere, Finland. “Racism simply does not belong in this sport.” What do we know about the racist incident? Schröder, 31, said he and members of Germany’s coaching staff had heard the noises coming from the Lithuanian fan block while the teams were leaving the court at half-time. “I wish the people who made the monkey noises…

When EU foreign ministers meet, their agenda often reads like a world atlas. There are dizzying lists of statements and actions to sign off on, and points to tackle about every corner of the globe — and much time is usually eaten up in negotiations to cajole 27 states into a unanimous position. But a couple of times a year, ministers put their heads together at “informal” talks — so-called not because they ditch the suits and show up in jeans, but because no official decisions can be taken. The idea? Leave space for reflections and discussions that fall through the cracks of daily business.EU foreign and defense ministers descended…

An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted eastern  Afghanistan near the Pakistan border late on Sunday. At least 250 people have died in the Kunar province, the Taliban-run Bakhtar state news agency said on Monday as it reported a much higher toll than what was initially reported. About 500 people are said to be injured, the agency added.  What do we know about the earthquake in Afghanistan? The quake’s epicenter was near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Jalalabad is about 119 kilometers (74 miles) away from the capital city, Kabul. The quake occurred at a depth of 8 kilometers…

The news spread quickly: Taylor Swift is engaged! Fans of the singer immediately took to social media to share their personal reactions. Thousands of posts showed people screaming with joy or with tears in their eyes. One TikTok video — later reported to have been a skit — showed an American professor canceling an exam because, he said, neither he nor his students could possibly focus after hearing the news. Certain themes recurred again and again, such as: “Why am I as excited as if it was my own engagement?” or “How am I meant to focus on work right now?”…