Author: DW

Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin is on the verge of achieving something that seemed impossible just a few years ago; the man known as the “Great 8” appears set to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time National Hockey League (NHL) regular-season record of 894 goals scored. Whenever goal number 895 goes in, as is expected to happen in the remaining few games of the US-Canadian NHL campaign, Ovechkin will be celebrated as a hero ― not just by fans of his Washington Capitals, but by ice hockey fans all over North America and beyond. Presumably, there will be no shortage of congratulations, including from NHL top…

A small room in an inconspicuous building that belongs to the Light of the Gospel church in Dobropillya is almost full, mostly of older people. The walls are covered in paintings with Christian motifs by famous artists such as Rembrandt and Titian. It is Sunday and the service has begun. Volodymyr, the commander of a drone unit of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian army, arrived late and was not able to find a seat. He stands to listen to the sermon, which ends with words of peace. “I believe that we’ll get the whole of Ukraine back,” he…

France’s Ministry of Foreign Trade on Saturday said US interference in the diversity and inclusion policies of French firms is “unacceptable.” The ministry statement was in response to a letter sent by the US embassy in Paris to several French firms warning them against using diversity programs, a frequent target of the Trump administration. “American interference in the inclusion policies of French companies, along with threats of unjustified tariffs, is unacceptable,” the trade ministry statement said. “France and Europe will defend their companies, their consumers, but also their values,” it added. Copies of the US letter were first published in French media late on…

Last week in Brussels, two EU initiatives sparked significant controversy and heated discussions on social networks. First, the European Commission presented the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030, which aims to enable member states to invest more rapidly and significantly in their defense sectors. Second, the Commission introduced its strategy for a savings and investment union. This strategy is designed to create more incentives for investment, allowing Europe-wide funds to be established, making it easier for citizens to invest their money in various sectors, including environmental, digital technology and defense. “Households will have more and safer opportunities to invest in…

This will be the first natural disaster to happen after President Donald Trump shut down America’s international aid agency with potentially devastating consequences. The impact in the aftermath of this earthquake is likely to be severe. Trump’s decision to shut down the US Agency for International Development was already reported to have decimated US aid operations in Myanmar. Its global impact is hard to overstate. American aid had provided 40% of developmental aid worldwide. Yesterday, Trump promised Myanmar aid for the earthquake. In reality, his administration has fired most of the people most experienced at organising that help and shut…

More than a week since the arrest of popular Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and his subsequent suspension from office, hundreds of thousands have taken daily to the streets to demonstrate. Imamoglu, a prominent political rival of autocratic Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on supporters of his Republican People’s Party (CHP) to protest following his detention on corruption charges. The mayor is among tens of thousands of political prisoners in Turkey.  More than 1,900 people have been detained since the protests began, including several journalists — among them a photographer from French news agency, AFP, who was taken from his…

A drug used to treat a rare inherited disease has been found to make human blood toxic to malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It could provide another tool to reduce deadly insect populations. Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal on the planet — carrying diseases that kill more than one million people a year.   Scientists have found that a drug called nitisinone, which is used to treat people with a rare inherited disease called tyrosinemia, makes human blood toxic to mosquitoes. Although it doesn’t prevent the transmission of the malaria parasite Plasmodium, nitisinone is now being considered for further field tests as a chemical control to reduce…

A Spanish court on Friday overturned the conviction of former Brazilian and Barcelona star soccer player Dani Alves for sexual assault. He was sentenced to four years and six months in prison in February 2024 after being found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub. He was released from prison in March 2024 pending his appeal.  But the top court in Spain’s Catalonia region said the original ruling presented “inconsistencies and contradictions.” “Dani Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” Ines Guardiola, Alves’ lawyer, told RAC1 radio. What did the court ruling say? In its ruling…

Over the past year and a half, the world has watched the war in Gaza unfold. It is a conflict that has killed more than 50,000 people, according to the Palestinian territory’s health ministry, and almost all of the 2.3 million residents there have been displaced multiple times. Local Palestinian journalists are the only ones capable of providing crucial insight on what is happening in Gaza to the world. But the conflict, triggered by the attacks on Israel the Islamic militant group Hamas led on October 7, 2023, has made the small territory one of the most dangerous places in the…

Niger entrenched military rule for another five years this week when junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a 2023 military coup, was named president for the next five years. During his inauguration in the capital Niamey, attended by religious and military leaders, Tchiani boasted it was “a new beginning for a sovereign Niger.” Tchiani was sworn in under a new charter, which replaces the West African nation’s previous constitution. Depending on the security situation in Niger, which has been plagued by insurgencies and violence for over a decade, the five-year presidency may well be extended. Tchiani was also promoted to the country’s highest…