Author: DW

“Scientia potestas est — Knowledge is power!” That phrase was coined by English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon at the end of the 16th century, when England was one of the world’s leading empires, both in terms of science and power politics. It was Bacon’s aim to point out to his contemporaries that knowledge is of strategic use — a motto that’s still valid today. The global research landscape is currently facing a turning point: According to a new survey published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS) periodical, Chinese scientists had already taken the leading role in…

Cologne’s 19-year-old shooting star, Said El Mala was a surprise addition to Germany’s final World Cup qualifying squad, as head coach Julian Nagelsmann has picked his last squad of 2025 for his team’s final two World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia. El Mala has played just nine Bundesliga games, remarkably only starting in two of those games, but four goals and two assists were enough to convince Nagelsmann he was worth taking a closer look at. The Krefeld-born winger, who was signed by Cologne in the summer of 2024 but spent last season on loan at third division city rivals Viktoria, has been a…

British police deployed around 700 officers in the city of Birmingham on Thursday ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa League football match against Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.  Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are not attending the game, but nevertheless police anticipate protests in support of both Palestinians and Israelis following a contentious and uncertain few weeks in the build-up to the game as the supporter situation was settled.  West Midlands police said there would be a large police presence in the center of Birmingham, Britain’s second-largest city and home to a large Muslim population, and around the stadium, which is located…

The United Nations Security Council removed sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday, days before he was due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House. “The council is sending a strong political signal that recognizes Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said after Thursday’s vote, referring to the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar Assad late last year. The resolution, drafted by the US, also lifted sanctions on Syrian Interiror Minister Anas Khattab. Of the 15 UNSC members, 14 countries voted in favor of the resolution…

In March 1938, paramilitary groups in leather boots and brown uniforms marched through the streets of Vienna. Part of Adolf Hitler’s Sturmabteilung (SA), they were celebrating Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria. As two SA members hung a sign that read “I am a Jewish pig” around an old woman’s neck, a man pushed through the crowd to help her. A fistfight ensued but the man was lucky to have survived. Resisting the Nazis was dangerous then, and he landed in prison.  But he didn’t stay long behind bars because of his name. After all, Albert Göring was the brother of Hermann Göring, Supreme Commander of the…

The European Commission has announced investigations into German stock market company Deutsche Börse and Nasdaq in the US, on suspicion of illegal derivatives trading practices.  “We are investigating whether Deutsche Börse and Nasdaq may have colluded to avoid competing for the listing, trading and clearing of certain financial derivatives,” European Commissioner Teresa Ribera, responsible for enforcing competition rules, said on Thursday. This follows unannounced inspections by Commission investigators in September 2024 at Deutsche Börse and Nasdaq offices. The Commission also said in a press release that it was concerned the two companies may have allocated demand, coordinated prices and exchanged commercially…

Being able to see how the brain grows, changes and sometimes malfunctions at the cellular level could help scientists improve their understanding of the many neurological disorders that reduce quality of life for a third of the world’s people. “Much like a detailed GPS for the brain’s complex landscape, brain atlases serve as essential reference tools,” said Katrin Amunts, a neuroscientist at the Jülich Research Center in Germany, who oversaw Europe’s major human brain mapping project, EBRAINS. Published in the journal Nature, a new set of brain atlases hopes to build on the EBRAINS project. It details how the brain develops in humans…

“After 25 minutes, I looked up and thought to myself, I’m about to faint.” Joshua Kimmich’s description of Bayern Munich’s win against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday is not only a testament to the intensity of the first half, but also to the furious manner in which the Bundesliga side have started the 2025-26 season. In short, this is the best ever start to a season in Europe’s top five leagues. When Bayern reached 14 straight wins, they broke the 33-year record set by Italian side AC Milan back in the 1992-93 season. And now, by beating the current Champions League holders in the…

India’s Bihar state is set to start its election on Thursday, with more than 74 million voters eligible to take part in the two-stage poll. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with their allies Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), are confident about forming the next government after being in power for nearly two decades. The ruling party in Bihar has another way to appeal to voters — they can draw on the popularity of BJP leader Narendra Modi, the head of India’s national government. “Our party is a 24/7 formidable election machine. A win will just reinforce Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s central…

The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has risen to well over 100, while dozens of others are missing, prompting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of emergency on Thursday. Kalmaegi barreled into central Philippines on Tuesday, bringing torrential rains and gale-force winds. Most of the deaths have come on the island of Cebu, which saw the worst flash floods in recent memory in the province. Floodwaters swept away shanties, vehicles, and even shipping containers.  The rapidly rising water forced residents to climb onto the roofs of their homes, the Philippine Red Cross said.The flash floods swept away…