Author: DW

Air travel is widely regarded as the safest way to cover long distances. Statistically, the drive to the airport poses a greater risk to travelers than the flight itself. But when there is a plane crash — such as that of Air India Flight 171 last week (June 12) — statistics offer little comfort. It killed 270 people, including 241 of the 242 people on board.The Air India crash is the first total loss of a Boeing 787-8 aircraftImage: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP As tragic as such accidents are, their consequences also extend into the economic realm. Alongside efficiency and environmental compatibility, operational safety remains…

 “Being gay and demanding my place at the Jewish table gave me the permission to talk back to Judaism over homophobia and racism, over Gaza and over misogyny,” says Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie.  The Israel-born social activist and New York City community leader has been hailed as a “maverick spiritual leader” by The Times of Israel and “one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world” by the Jewish Week. He is portrayed in the documentary “Sabbath Queen.” Lau-Lavie and director Sandi DuBowski were in Berlin to attend film screenings at the Doxumentale film festival, which runs until June 22.Amichai Lau-Lavie and Sandi DuBowski in…

A year out from the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, host city Los Angeles is engulfed in protests related to the deportation of Mexicans and other minorities. Meanwhile, an ever-shifting trade war threatens relations between the three hosts and a travel ban will likely prevent some fans from attending. While the whims of US President Donald Trump make predictions perilous, fans, players and national teams must already start to make plans for one of sport’s biggest events, one secured in Trump’s first term when relations between the three countries were much more harmonious. The ongoing protests…

US President Donald Trump on Sunday directed immigration officials to prioritize deportations in cities run by Democrats, amid growing resistance in Los Angeles and other major US cities. He called on officials to “do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. The post read: “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.” “These, and other such…

A man suspected of killing a lawmaker in Minnesota and wounding another was taken into custody Sunday evening, police officials said. This concludes the nearly two-day manhunt that put the midwestern state on edge.  US law enforcement officers confirmed the arrest to Associated Press on the condition of annonymity. Meanwhile American news channel ABC News reported the same, citing several sources. The channel further said the man was arrested near his farm near Green Isle, Minnesota. The state’s governor was expected to give a press briefing at 11:30 pm local time (3:30 GMT). A man, posing as a police officer, shot and killed former…

The real estate agent Juan Sanchez, who didn’t want his real name published in this article, pushes open the frosted glass door of an apartment that used to be a shop. Visitors step directly into the kitchen from the streets of Spain’s capital. The ceilings are very high. “You could easily add a mezzanine here,” Sanchez says, and explains that the two bedrooms advertised are in the basement, and rather tiny. One of them doesn’t even have a window. However, the space could be “easily rented out to students” for €1,300 ($1,484) if the prospective buyer is willing to ignore what he…

“QueerPassion,” by author, director and dramaturge Thomas Höft, opens with a reference to the June 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting targeting the LGBTQ+ community, in which 49 people died and 53 were injured. It is one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history. Played by the Art House 17 orchestra on period instruments, Höft’s work uses as its musical basis  Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous St. John Passion, based on the Gospel story of the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. In his libretto, however, Höft describes the stories of queer people who are discriminated against or murdered. “I asked myself, where do…

On June 14, the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in a new, vastly expanded format. Why has this new Club World Cup been created? “It will be like a World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in late 2022 when he announced his plans for this expanded Club World Cup with 32 teams. Until now, only the six winners of the continental club championships and a club from the host country had taken part. Infantino’s main goal for the new format is that it will generate increased revenue. The “new” Club World Cup is to be held every four…

Ukraine and Russia conducted another prisoner of war exchange on Saturday, the fourth such exchange in a week. Earlier in June, both countries reached an agreement in Istanbul that included a series of swaps. “We continue bringing our people home from Russian captivity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post. “Many of the guys who returned to Ukraine today had been held captive since 2022,” he added, without mentioning the number of prisoners. Russia’s Defense Ministry also did not say how many prisoners of war were involved in the swap with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners…

Gunmen killed at least 100 people in the Yelewata village in Nigeria’s Benue state late Friday, Amnesty International Nigeria said. “Many people are still missing…dozens injured and left without adequate medical care. Many families were locked up and burnt inside their bedrooms,” the human rights organization said in a social media post. Police spokesperson Udeme Edet from Benue confirmed the attack but did not specify the death toll. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack.  Governor of Benue state Hyacinth Alia sent a delegation to Yelewata to provide support to the relatives of the victims. Visuals circulated…