Author: DW

It is a milestone, but it also has a bit of an aftertaste – due to Saudi Arabia’s involvement. Professional women’s tennis players are now eligible for paid maternity leave for up to 12 months. Those who have a child through surrogacy, adoption or the pregnancy of a partner is entitled to two months’ maternity leave. In addition, allowances for fertility treatment are possible. The program announced by the World Tennis Association (WTA) applies retroactively from January 1 to more than 320 female players. It is “the first time in women’s sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed…

The Ukrainian position in Kursk has deteriorated sharply in recent days, according to open-source mapsImage: Evgeny Biyatov/IMAGOThe suspension of US intelligence sharing with Kyiv has left Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region nearly surrounded as Russian forces advance, essentially cutting them off from supply lines Ukraine had launched a shock incursion into Kursk last summer, however, the Ukrainian position in Kursk has deteriorated sharply in recent days, according to open-source maps. Russian troops have regained control of key areas, closing in on Ukrainian forces and threatening to encircle them completely. Open-source mapping from Deep State, a Ukrainian military blog, revealed…

Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Friday called on all sides of the ongoing battle in Syria to avoid a “spiral of violence” after more than 200 people died in two days of fighting between government forces and gunmen loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. Fighters backing Syria’s new authorities attacked villages along the coastal region, a longtime bastion of support for Assad, killing men in retaliation for attacks on government security forces by Assad loyalists, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). “We are shocked by the numerous victims in the western regions of Syria. We call on all sides to seek for peaceful…

A former Olympic snowboarder accused of running an international drug smuggling network behind four murders has been added to the FBI’s list of 10 most wanted fugitives.A $10m (£7.7m) reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of Ryan Wedding, 43, who competed for Canada in the giant slalom at the 2002 winter games. Wedding – whose aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant” and “Public Enemy”- is accused of running a network that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other US locations.He is also suspected of orchestrating four…

An explosion at an auto parts factory on Thursday in the Japanese city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, has killed one person and left two injured. The plant produces auto parts and supplies for Toyota Motor Corporation. What do we know about the blast? A fire department official said the blast stemmed from a dust collector inside the Fujioka plant. Japan’s Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting and Nagoya Broadcasting Network reported that the local fire department received an emergency call stating that “a dust collector exploded” and that the “rooftop came off.” The management of Toyota Motor and Chuo Spring acknowledged the explosion but…

It all kicks off on 11:11 am on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Weiberfastnacht (Women’s Carnival Day). In Germany’s Rhineland region — among other places — thousands of people wearing colorful costumes join several days of street celebrations. In Cologne, the motto this year is “FasteLOVEnd – wenn Dräum widder blöhe” (Carnival — when dreams bloom again). The slogan has a bit the feel of the flower power era of the 60s and 70s, a time when people turned to a carefree “peace and love” attitude in reaction to global crises. “In difficult times, carnival provides comfort, joy, community and also a little hope,” explains Christoph Kuckelkorn,…

If you’d had the feeling that you see fewer butterflies than you used to, you’re probably right.  A new study published in the journal Science has revealed that butterfly populations in the US have plummeted in the last decade.  Researchers analyzed 12.6 million records of butterflies based on over 76,000 surveys conducted all over the US. Between 2000 and 2020, total butterfly numbers fell by 22% across the 554 species counted.  The US-based research follows global trends in butterfly population losses in recent years.  “Comparable declines are being recorded in all European nations where rigorous monitoring has occurred. Similar losses…

Other than Jude Bellingham, there are perhaps no two more exciting attacking midfielders in football at the moment than Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Both are German. Both are younger than 22. Both are valued at €140 million ($150) and both are seen as potential Ballon d’Or winners. Now, the two face each other in Europe’s premier club competition. Their meeting is a uniquely special moment for German football. Bayern dominated the Bundesliga champions in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash, with an easy 3-0 win on Wednesday – with Musiala’s goal bookended by two from Harry Kane. This leaves…

It’s been more than three months since parliamentary elections were held in the eastern European nation of Georgia. According to the country’s authorities, the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012, won the vote. This meant it would get 89 of the 150 seats in the country’s parliament. However, as a number of international organizations have pointed out, there were serious problems with Georgia’s most recent elections. Having sent election observers to watch the ballot, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, concluded there were “serious concerns” about “the independence of institutions involved in the…

Bitcoin is often touted as an alternative to the US dollar, the world’s reserve currency, as only a limited number of coins will ever be produced. Proponents argue that bitcoin’s fixed supply makes it an inflation-proof value store outside the global financial system. Bitcoin is often compared to gold for a similar reason. While central banks worldwide keep large reserves of the dollar and gold, until now, only one country — El Salvador — has created a strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies, although several governments do hold them, mostly seized from criminal activities or to circumvent international sanctions. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order…