Author: DW

China’s choke hold on rare earths — the minerals essential for electronics, automotive and defense systems — gave it significant leverage over the United States during recent tariff talks in London. Controlling about 60% of global rare earth production and nearly 90% of refining, China tightened its grip in April by imposing export controls on seven rare earth elements and permanent magnets. The curbs, partly in response to sky-high tariffs on Chinese exports imposed by US President Donald Trump, exposed US vulnerabilities, as the country lacks domestic refining capacity. “The whole world economy relies on these magnets from China,” Jost Wübbeke, managing partner at the Berlin-based Sinolytics research house specializing in…

A double bass almost four meters tall in the orchestra; a Lithuanian accordionist who likes to play at lofty heights; a South African cellist who makes the audience sing: The Rheingau Music Festival presents special people in special places and has become one of the largest festivals in Europe, hosting classical but also jazz, pop and world music. “The spaces are an integral part of us,” said festival managing director Marsilius von Ingelheim of the setting. “We bring unique concert experiences to historical and modern locations in the region.” The wine-growing Rheingau region in the central German state of Hessen features…

Uranium was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist. It is a radioactive element found naturally in the environment in very small amounts — scientists call these trace amounts — in rock, soil, water systems, such as streams, on plants and as dust in the air. What does uranium look like? Uranium has the same silver-white-gray finish as other heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium or tungsten. And it, too, is very dense. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) calculates that a 10-centimeter (3.93 inch) cube of uranium weighs about 20 kilograms (44 pounds).  What is uranium used for?…

Kirsty Coventry made sporting history by being elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its General Assembly on March 20, 2025. On Monday (June 23, 2025) she officially took over from outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach.  “In this spirit of gratitude, confidence and joy, I hand over the keys of Olympic House to Mrs Kirsty Coventry, the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee,” Bach said as he handed over a key to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to Coventry. The Zimbabwean thus became the first woman and the first person from Africa to hold the top job at the…

Greenpeace on Monday became the latest group to protest the lavish wedding Amazon owner Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have planned in Venice. Members of the environmental organization and British group “Everyone Hates Elon” unfolded a giant banner in central St Mark’s Square with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.” It is the latest protest against this week’s multi-day event, expected to attract some 200 guests, including US President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Jenner,…

Early into the second week of the war between Israel and Iran, accessing information about the conflict has become more difficult in several ways. Last week, Iran first throttled internet speed and eventually shut down its internet. Iran’s government claimed Israeli drones were operating via SIM card internet connections and that the internet shutdown was necessary to limit Israel’s ability to wage cyber warfare. Consequently, websites, mobile apps and online messengers are inaccessible in Iran. That means news Iranians receive on the war, the death toll, destruction or this past weekend’s US strikes comes solely from Iran’s government and its state-led media. Iranian authorities…

China has called on the international community to work toward de-escalation of the Iran crisis, given the mounting risk of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Monday that China was working to prevent instability in the region caused by the Israel-Iran war from spilling over into the global economy. Iran’s parliament on Sunday backed closing the vital waterway, saying the move has come in response to the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the United States over the weekend. After the decision, a senior Iranian lawmaker, Esmaeil Kowsari, told reporters in…

“Hip-hop visionary, cultural icon and controversial genius YE will perform July 20, 2025 exclusively at the Rubicon Festival in Bratislava. It will be his only confirmed live performance in Europe in 2025 — and ever first show in Slovakia in history,” organizers confirmed on the event’s website on Monday. “Rubicon Festival is raising the bar for European festivals to a whole new level.” His participation in the festival has sparked anger. More than 3,000 people have already signed a petition asking the festival to cancel the performance of the rapper, who is formerly known as Kanye West. The authors of the petition point out that Ye has in…

A fake wedding at Disneyland Paris in France  triggered a police investigation on Sunday after the theme park’s staff suspected that the “bride” in the alleged ceremony was a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl. The Bizarre incident was first reported by the Le Parisien daily. The paper said a man had hired the park’s complex — which can be used for private events outside opening hours — for a total of 130,000 euros ($150,000) several weeks before. Hundreds of extras were brought in to play the role of guests. Mother claims wanted a ‘day worthy of a princess’ The staff were shocked to see the young girl, who was…

Ramping up Europe’s defense spending has been a major demand by US President Donald Trump and his administration since day one. This goal has become potentially acceptable to almost all NATO countries thanks to Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s persuasive power, particularly after Germany, the biggest European economy,  threw its weight behind it. Officials at NATO told DW that it’s about giving Trump a win but also “about rebalancing in the alliance,” as one senior diplomat put it, stressing that if that’s achieved, the summit would be a resounding success. Lessons from the G7 in Canada “Hopefully, Trump is not going to leave early like he…