Author: DW

A NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday showed “broad support” for signing off a historic hike in defense spending at a crunch summit later this month. This was their response to the growing threat from Russia and a “more dangerous world” in general, the military alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters. “I will propose an overall investment plan that would total 5% of gross domestic product in defense investment,” Rutte announced, following months of pressure from US President Donald Trump for allies to more than double the present target. Current NATO guidelines encourage states to spend 2% of their economic…

US President Donald Trump and his former adviser, Elon Musk are having a very public falling out. As Trump hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the White House, the US president expressed his “disappointment” with Musk over his public criticism of Trump’s tax and spending bill that is up for approval by the Senate.  Trump-Musk relationship unravels Trump said he didn’t know if his “great relationship” with Musk would remain the same after the billionaire slammed the bill on social media as “a disgusting abomination.” “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I…

The world exhaled when the United States and China unveiled a 90-day tariff truce last month, pausing the escalating trade war between the globe’s largest and second-largest economies, which had rattled businesses and investors. The deal, after tense negotiations in Geneva, slashed US tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30% and China’s retaliatory levies on US goods from 125% to 10%. Just three weeks later, however, US President Donald Trump reignited tensions, saying that China had “totally violated” the truce deal, without providing further details. Trump later said his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was “extremely hard to make a deal with.” China swiftly countered, asserting that Washington had imposed…

“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.” Wise statements like this can be found in the “Meditations” of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 C.E.). He had never intended these reflections for publication, having written them purely for himself, but they have become some of the most widely read writings after the Bible and the Quran. A bestseller, so to speak, which has been translated into numerous languages worldwide. Known today as a philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius ruled at a time marked by crises and catastrophes. He ascended to the…

What you need to know: Synthetic stimulants like cathinones continue to rise in Europe Researchers lack knowledge about the long-term health risks of synthetic drug use Cocaine remains Europe’s illicit drug of choice, and it’s moving from big cities to small towns Fentanyl and nitazene use are increasing, driven by a ban on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan   The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) monitored 1,000 new psychoactive substances at the end of 2024 and found that local drug users were increasingly consuming new forms of synthetic drugs.  This has been the dominant trend in Europe over the past 5-10 years. …

The evening started with a weather warning: a stubborn storm was approaching, delaying the start to the game and perhaps also delaying the goals. This was supposed to be Joshua Kimmich’s night. Not only did the Germany captain make his 100th appearance with the national team. He also assisted the first goal of the match and did so at his home stadium, Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.Germany captain Joshua Kimmich made his 100th appearence with the teamImage: Wunderl/Beautiful Sports/IMAGO But opponents Portugal had other plans and ended up stealing the show with a 2-1 away win to reach the Nations League final,…

The German chancellor will be meeting President Trump in Washington with Ukraine and tariffs on the agenda. Meanwhile, a massive evacuation effort took place in Cologne as three WWII bombs are defused. DW has more.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaaty has told his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis that the sovereignty of Saint Catherine’s Monastery is assured. Gerapetritis travelled to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Saint Catherine’s after an Egyptian court ruling sparked alarm among Orthodox Christian leaders over the fate of the historic monastery. Greek Orthodox patriarchates in Jerusalem, Istanbul and Athens feared that the land the monastery sits on could be confiscated by the state after the court last week rejected the monastery’s ownership claims to it. The court ruled that the monastery sits on public land but affirmed the monks’ right to use…

It’s like navigating a labyrinth — a journey hundreds of young entrepreneurs across Europe embark on each year in search of opportunity, innovation, funding, and success. They’re also looking for the country and city that offers the ideal conditions to launch a business. For an increasing number, that journey leads to Isar Valley, named after the river that runs through Munich, and which provided the informal nickname for the Bavarian capital’s technology and artificial intelligence (AI) scene, inspired by the Silicon Valley technology hub in California.Munich’s Technical University and its entrepreneurship center are essential for startup foundersImage: UnternehmerTUM Munich ranks 17th globally…

One of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Thomas Mann’s literary genius reflected a life spent wandering between diverse worlds, especially after escaping Germany in the early 1930s. Mann rose to global fame when in 1929 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature — primarily for for his great social novel, “Buddenbrooks” (1901), but also for his fiction masterpiece, “The Magic Mountain” (1924). But during and after the Nazi dictatorship from which he escaped, Mann wrote political essays and delivered radio speeches to his countrypeople about the German “catastrophe” that led to the Holocaust. These strident views were often…