Author: DW

At times, when the author of “Hope” writes of sweeping away the courtly culture in the Curia and elsewhere, he sounds like a young Catholic revolutionary declaring war on tradition. He reminds us that the Catholic Church is not a court, not a place of nepotism, and certainly not the highest court of an absolute monarchy. But, of course, we are not talking about a revolutionary. The author of this book is 88 years old, lives in the Vatican, and is the leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, who has now been head of the Church for almost 12 years,…

Two 18-year-old women are in intensive care after a ski lift collapsed in Spain, according to local media.The incident on Saturday took place on a chair lift at the Astún ski resort, which is on the Spanish border with France, in the Pyrenees mountain range. The regional government said at least 30 people were injured, nine of them very seriously – though the ski resort later said around 15 people were injured and three were seriously injured.Regional media outlet el Diario has since reported that two 18-year-old women are being monitored in intensive care units, citing the regional government. Image:…

It’s that time of the year again. The quaint snow-covered Swiss town of Davos is welcoming global leaders for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. This year’s event comes on the heels of a super election year that saw incumbents in many countries being ousted or losing vote share as voters, reeling from high prices and bleak economic prospects, backed radical parties and candidates. The populist surge, as well as the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the alarming regularity of extreme weather events, and the unfolding artificial intelligence (AI) revolution are some of the…

Kim Janas leaves little doubt about her experiences as an elite gymnast in Germany. “From a human perspective, it was absolutely awful,” she told DW. Identified as a future star, Janas grew up training at the elite center in her hometown of Halle in eastern Germany. It was there that she soon discovered the dark side of her beloved sport. “When I was eight or nine, I was told I was too fat,” Janas said. “I was told that I had a medicine ball in my stomach that absolutely had to go, and that I was banned from eating my…

A man was seriously injured in a knife attack in central Tel Aviv on Saturday, police said. The Magen David Adom, Israel’s national ambulance service, said medical teams were providing treatment to a 30-year-old man “injured by stabbing.”  A passerby shot the attacker, according to Magen David Adom.  What do we know about the incident? Police did not identify the attacker but believe the stabbing was a terrorist act.  “Initial investigations reveal that a terrorist armed with a knife arrived at the restaurant area on Levontin Street and stabbed a civilian,” police said in a statement.  “An armed civilian nearby shot and…

Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Josip Dabro resigned on Saturday after a video surfaced of him firing a gun out of a moving car. Dabro was also agriculture minister in the Cabinet of conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. What do we know about the video? The video, seemingly taken at night, showed Dabro laughing while shooting a handgun out of an open window. In his resignation statement, the former minister urged the government to continue its work. “I am aware that these circumstances create an additional burden for the government and my party,” Dabro wrote. “My personal situation should not distract…

The family of US film director David Lynch on Thursday announced his death shortly before his 79th birthday. “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” a statement read on social media. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'” The cause of death is not yet known. Who was David Lynch? An acclaimed artist who turned his hand to film, television, painting and music, Lynch was…

Dozens of people have been injured, some seriously, in a ski lift accident in Spain.The incident took place on a chair lift at the Astún ski resort, which is on the Spanish border with France, in the Pyrenees mountain range.At least 30 people have been injured. Nine of those are very seriously injured and eight are seriously injured, according to the regional government.State TV channel TVE reported that around 80 people remain trapped on the chair lift.A witness told the broadcaster: “It’s like a cable has come off, the chairs have bounced and people have been thrown off.” Image: Pic:…

Denis Law, the legendary Manchester United striker and the only Scottish footballer to win the Ballon d’Or passed away at the age of 84, it was confirmed on Friday. “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle but finally he is now at peace,” read a statement from his family, released via United. “We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently. We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the…

When is Inauguration Day? The US presidential inauguration always takes place on January 20, a date that has been standard since the 1930s. The event only moves to the following day if the 20th is a Sunday, which has happened four times. In this case, the president-elect takes the oath on Sunday in private and repeats it publicly the next day. Each new presidential term has an inauguration to mark the start of another four-year term, even if the same president is continuing in office. Most recently, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had two inaugurations. Donald Trump,…