Author: DW

An executive at a major US healthcare company has been shot dead in Manhattan.Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the chest on Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.He was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance unit.UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The company cancelled the remainder of an investor event in Manhattan that had just started.”We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” UnitedHealth chief executive Andrew Witty said.There…

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday trimmed its economic growth forecasts for Germany and France. The Paris-based economic body, which advises industrialized nations on policy matters, now expects the German economy to grow by 0.7% next year, down from a previous forecast of 1.1%. France also saw a cut of 0.3 percentage points in its projected growth, with the OECD now estimating the French economy to expand by 0.9%. What did OECD say about the German economy? Germany and France, the top two EU economies, have been struggling with a raft of challenges over the past year, including political…

This year’s Turner Prize has been awarded to artist Jasleen Kaur. At 38, Kaur was the youngest person on the shortlist for the 2024 edition of the prestigious art award. The other artists in the running were Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas. Kaur was honored for her exhibition titled “Alter Altar,” featuring sculptures and soundscapes that reflect her background growing in an Indian Sikh family in Glasgow. The artist incorporates everyday objects in her work, and this exhibition included a red Ford Escort covered in a huge white lace doily, an acrylic “sky” hung with ordinary items, a large…

Years after winning gold medals at the  Paralympics and various World Championship titles, Heinrich Popow believes the future for disabled people is brighter than it has ever been, thanks in part to the success and growing popularity of the Paralympics. But there is one particular societal issue the lower leg amputee would like to see change: Adults should view people with disabilities through the same eyes and curiosity as children.  “The biggest change I would love to see is to break the barriers of having this, we call it in German, Berührungsangst, being afraid to come too close,” Popow told DW. “The way that kids…

Article 5 is the cornerstone of the NATO military alliance. It calls on all members to assist any other NATO countries under attack. Exactly how a member decides to aid allies, however, is up to them. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion outgoing US President Joe Biden has repeatedly vowed, “We will defend every inch of Ukraine.” Now Kyiv would like to slip under that umbrella of protection permanently. NATO has repeatedly said that this will be the case, without, however, setting a date. At some point, some observers think, Ukraine should be rewarded with NATO membership for its years-long defensive battle against…

President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers on Tuesday formally urged a New York state judge to drop the criminal case where he was convicted on 34 counts related to hush money paid to a former pornographic film actress in May this year.  Trump’s lawyers argued that having the case and sentencing hanging over him after he takes office in the US on January 20 would impede his ability to govern and “disrupt his transition efforts.” “Local elected officials such as D.A Bragg have no valid basis to cause such disruptions,” defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Boye wrote in a court filing in…

The president of South Korea has declared “emergency martial law”, accusing the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament and sympathising with North Korea.Yoon Suk Yeol announced he was taking the step, which enacts temporary rule by the military, during a late night televised briefing on Tuesday, saying it was critical for defending the country’s constitutional order. “I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,”…

In April 2024, hundreds of police officers raided homes and offices in 11 countries and arrested several individuals linked to JuicyFields, a company initially based in Berlin. JuicyFields had promised huge returns to those willing to invest in medical cannabis through its website. Almost 200.000 people did so and became victims of a scam. Prosecutors estimate the damage to be around €645 million ($678 million). DW’s Cannabis Cowboys podcast was early to investigate the scam and has received numerous awards since the final episode was published in March 2023. A network of investigative journalists in several European countries has now further investigated the…

Most people in Germany associate the feast of Saint Nicholas with a harmless tradition: Children leave their cleaned shoes next to the front door on the night of December 5, and the next morning, they expect to find their footwear filled with small presents and treats brought by Nikolaus. There are, however, regions in Germany, such as in Bavaria, where the Father Christmas-like character has a dark sidekick, the Krampus. The hairy devil has different names according to region, and is part of folkloric festivities involving terrifying costumes and processions. The Krampus is a mythical figure in Austria and other parts…

A breakup or the loss of a loved one can feel like you’re in withdrawal. Their absence can feel like yearning, physical pain — like an addiction no longer fed. And it’s that feeling of addiction that has got neuroscientists interested in a realm once dominated by philosophy and poetry. Neuroscientists are now providing answers to what love looks like in the brain. They’re finding that love activates brain systems of reward and addiction — the same systems involved in cocaine use or video game addiction. Research published in the journal Cerebral Cortex looked at six different types of love, including romantic partners, friends, strangers,…