Author: DW

An almost century-long dispute in Germany is coming to an end.  The House of Hohenzollern — a German noble family to which the last German Emperor, Wilhelm II, also belonged — had long laid claim to various objects in German museums. They had also demanded millions in compensation for expropriated palaces and inventory. The whole thing went to court — until Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia, the great-great-grandson of the last German emperor, finally changed the aristocratic house’s strategy in 2023. He withdrew the compensation claims and thus cleared the way for out-of-court negotiations. The talks began in late 2024, resulting in the newly-reached agreement. Georg…

First came Solar Orbiter, the European Space Agency and NASA mission that revealed the sun’s poles for the first time in early June. Then came Proba-3, less than a week later. It’s another European mission, launched from India in December 2024, to observe the solar corona — the outer atmosphere of the sun. To do that, Proba-3 achieved yet another first. The mission consists of two spacecraft flying 150 meters (490 feet) apart. Together, they performed a millimeter-precision flying maneuver so that one cast a shadow over the other — creating an artificial solar eclipse. It allowed Proba-3 to block out…

Israeli defense industry exhibitions have been covered in black partition walls at the prestigious Paris Air Show, after reportedly failing to comply with a directive to remove offensive weapons from being displayed. Israel’s Defense Ministry posted up a statement on social media along with pictures, showing Israeli defense company stands sealed off with black walls, preventing anyone from seeing what lay behind the walls. Rafael, Elbit and IAI produce guided bombs and missiles, while Uvision and Aeronautics produce drones. Pictures posted up along with a statement by the Defense Ministry showed various weapons systems on display.France shuts down Israeli stands…

The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, with both sides firing missiles and drones at each other, has unsettled global energy markets.   Israeli attacks on Saturday targeted Iran’s energy infrastructure, including vital oil storage sites, refineries and power stations. Among the locations targeted was the massive South Pars gas field, which is part of the world’s largest reservoir of natural gas. It’s located off Iran’s southern Bushehr province and is the source of most of the gas produced in Iran. Iran shares control over the South Pars gas field with neighboring Qatar, which calls the reservoir under its control North Dome. The attack,…

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…