Author: DW

The science at a glance: Adopting a healthy diet may reduce chronic pain. The “Western diet” may contribute to pain. A diet high in processed foods and low in natural produce can exacerbate chronic pain. Supplements like grape seed extract and cocoa show promise in reducing pain. Could a healthy diet help reduce chronic pain? Broths, stews, soups, and curries are said to have healing properties in many cuisines around the world. “Let food be thy medicine,” as the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote in the 4th century BC. Modern science gives some credence to these old traditions, supporting the ability of healthy food…

Despite their strong Nations League performance, Germany are left in the awkward position of not yet knowing their exact 2026 World Cup qualifying path — even after Friday’s draw. After finishing top of their Nations League group, Germany will face Italy in the quarterfinals in March 2025. The outcome of that game will affect which World Cup qualifying group Germany ends up in. If Germany win their quarterfinal against Italy, they will be in Group A with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, and will start their campaign in September. Germany haven’t played Slovakia since Euro 2016. They also played Northern Ireland in that tournament, but beat them more recently…

South Korea’s Constitutional Court said on Monday that it was holding its first meeting on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment case that same day, with all six of its judges participating. After parliament voted for the investigation on Saturday, it falls to the court to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.  Yoon is being investigated following his short-lived attempted imposition of martial law on December 3. Lawmakers voted this down within a matter of hours, even as military personnel tried to enter the National Assembly.  Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended pending the verdict. The court has up to six…

Broadly positive Chinese economic data for November released on Monday also showed slower-than-expected growth of 3.3% in retail sales, much slower than in October and well adrift of the 4.6% forecast.  The slowdown came as a surprise because Beijing has been working to boost stimulus programs and encourage consumption, as it braces for possible headwinds as Donald Trump returns for a second term as US president, threatening increased tariffs.  China had implemented major online shopping promotions and government-subsidized trade-in programs boosting sales in things like cars, which were expected to buoy growth. Markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong dipped as the news was…

The burden of heat-related death could shift from the elderly to young people by century’s end, according to a new study. In a future scenario that sees average global temperatures go at least 2.8 degrees Celsius (5 Fahrenheit) beyond pre-industrial levels by 2100, people under 35 would likely suffer the effects of a warming world more than older adults. The analysis, published in the journal Science Advances, inspected mortality data from Mexico. The data enabled the researchers to take age and dates of death, compare it with environmental conditions and calculate how often humid heat exposure resulted in premature death. Scientists have long thought that…

For migrants heading to northwestern Europe on the Balkan route, Croatia is the first EU member state they encounter. Most enter the country via Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia. Croatia has been part of the Schengen Area — a group of 29 European countries that have abolished border controls between them — since January 2023. “A total of 26,534 illegal border crossings were recorded in the first 10 months of this year,” the press office of Croatia’s Interior Ministry told DW, adding that most of these migrants were citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey, the Russian Federation and Egypt. Migrants now less ‘visible’ in Croatia…

Bloodthirsty terrorists or Syria’s best hope? Syrians are divided about the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that resulted in the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad last week. “They are also sons of the country,” Ghaith Mahmoud, 36, who fought against the Syrian government forces but has lived in Germany since 2016, told DW. “I don’t know if they can run the country. But I do know that all the young men who fought as part of these groups now only want to go home.” Other ex-pats are less understanding and are wary of trusting HTS, which is…

The head of NATO has warned the alliance is not ready for the threats it will face from Russia in the coming years and that it is time to shift to a wartime mindset.Mark Rutte, the secretary general of the organisation, said NATO members had spent more than 3% of GDP on defence during the Cold War and argued future spending would have to be much higher than the alliance’s current target of 2%. “Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,” Mr Rutte said during a speech in Brussels.”We are not ready for what is coming…

On a cold December evening, scores of Christmas market revelers, bundled up in coats, scarves and hats, are crowding around a stall that reflects Cologne’s landmark cathedral in its glass panels. A sweet aroma fills the air and people are speaking German, French, English and Dutch. Behind the counter, cashews and dried fruits are piled high. Most visitors’ eyes, however, are drawn to the centerpiece of the display: stacks of handcrafted milk chocolate bars that have been hand-painted green and are known as “Dubai chocolate.” Initially a social media phenomenon, the crunchy delicacy has now made its way to traditional German Christmas markets like the one…

Throughout his life, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a pop star of science. He had his “Annus mirabilis” (Latin for “miracle year”) in 1905 when, at age 26, he’d published several groundbreaking works. One of these, the special theory of relativity, made him world-famous. Just 12 years later, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. But where did he find the strength, inspiration and time to achieve all this? “Making Science, Love and Coffee”: This could have very well been Einstein’s motto posits Jürgen Renn, science historian and professor at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Jena. In 2005, Renn co-published “Am…