Author: DW

Six years ago, Stefan’s relationship underwent a fundamental change. Back then, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Stefan’s wife, Jessica, had a breakdown and has been struggling with depression ever since. For privacy reasons, the couple has asked to be referred to by pseudonyms.  Jessica was placed on sick leave and was unable to work for three years. She spent months in hospitals, underwent outpatient therapy and tried various medications. “After about three years, we came to the conclusion that things wouldn’t be the same as before,” said Stefan, a 44-year-old software developer. “That carefree, relaxed togetherness is no longer there.” Early warning signs…

A Somali referee set to become his country’s first to officiate a World Cup match has been denied entry into the US, ending his involvement in the football tournament. Omar Artan was turned away on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport and told to return to Istanbul, from where he had flown. He was named Africa’s best referee in 2025. United States Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry due to “vetting concerns” that made him “inadmissible.” Artan said he remained positive despite the circumstances and was focused on his next refereeing challenges. “I thank FIFA and…

A Tehran Revolutionary Court has fully upheld an in-absentia verdict against prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, which sentences him to one year in prison on the charge of engaging in propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as a two-year travel ban. Panahi is also prohibited from joining political and social groups and associations, Panahi’s lawyer Mostafa Nili told Iranian media outlet Emtedad on Sunday. The grounds cited for the verdict include making an “underground and problematic film against the establishment,” supporting political prisoners and backing popular protests against the government, including the “Woman, Life, Freedom” demonstrations. The initial court ruling against Panahi had been issued while…

German tennis number one Alexander Zverev defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a five-set thriller at the French Open on Sunday to win his first-ever Grand Slam. In his fourth major final, Zverev beat first-time finalist Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. The 29-year-old from Hamburg, currently ranked third in the world, had previously lost in the finals of the US Open (2020), the French Open (2024) and the Australian Open (2025), but finally secured a maiden Grand Slam in Paris. Zverev became the favorite for this year’s tournament at Roland Garros after top seed and world number one Jannik Sinner was eliminated in…

The Franco-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi, who became known worldwide through her graphic novel and film “Persepolis,” has died at the age of 56, according to news agency AFP. “Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” her family said in a statement sent to AFP. Ripa, a Swedish producer, actor and screenwriter, died on April 8, 2025. After her husband’s death, Satrapi founded the Mattias and Marjane Ripa-Satrapi Cinema Foundation to support foreign students wishing to come to Paris to study filmmaking, and she documented…

Walk into a bakery or a bookshop in Bavaria’s Chiemgau region, and you might spot a customer paying with what looks like play money — colorful banknotes printed with grasshoppers, ladybugs and other insects.  “An estimated 10 to 15% of customers pay this way,” one bookseller told DW. The locals call it the “Chiemgauer” — and it’s a currency they invented themselves.  Quirky as it sounds, it underpins a micro financial system that has been running for more than two decades — and has recently evolved into a tool for cutting carbon emissions in this picturesque corner of southeastern Germany.…

This article deals with the topic of depression and suicide. Reader discretion is advised. If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in this world, at this website: https://befrienders.org/ It’s Sunday morning, sometime between 5 and 6, when I suddenly jolt awake. Instantly, a thousand unfinished tasks crowd my mind. I jump out of bed and start moving. It has been this way for years. I take care of the laundry and the dog and make breakfast. I…

Germany made it nine wins out of nine with a 2-1 win over the USA in their last match before the World Cup. The win, secured by goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane, means they have won four successive friendlies, having also won their last six World Cup qualifiers. But Julian Nagelsmann knows tougher tests than this are not far away. Just as he had for his club, Arsenal, in the Champions League final, Havertz gave Germany an early lead, this time after just two minutes. The striker, who joined the squad later than anyone else after that final, headed…

Good news about the state of the planet might seem to be in short supply, but it’s out there. Each week, DW’s environment desk brings you what went right.

While Germany is trying to make major budget cuts, billions of euros are silently sitting in banks and other financial institutions, unused and unnoticed in so-called forgotten accounts. A 2021 report from the country’s Research Ministry estimated that up to €4.2 billion ($4.9 billion) was in such accounts. Other estimates are much higher, some as high as €9 billion. The banks themselves haven’t released any figures. As people get older, have multiple accounts or die, relatives and heirs have a hard time identifying accounts. Online banking, with no paperwork or printed statements, makes it more difficult because the information is locked up…