Author: DW

No matter who occupies the White House, Europe must become more independent and resilient. This is what Charles Michel, President of the European Council, cautioned in a July interview with DW during the fourth European Political Community (EPC) summit in the UK. Now, on the heels of the US presidential election, the EPC and its 47 member states are gathering in Budapest. The main questions for the summit are: How will Europe deal with the electoral victory of nationalist conservative Donald Trump? And how will a Republican administration affect support for Ukraine, NATO security guarantees, and efforts to ward off…

It’s official; Donald Trump will again be US president come January 2025. With results from two states pending according to the Associated Press (AP), whose standard DW follows, Trump has not just comfortably won the Electoral College, but also the popular vote. As of Wednesday evening local time in Washington, the Republican candidate and president-elect had more than 72 million votes, while his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris had fewer than 68 million votes. While some world leaders like India’s Narendra Modi and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu have excitedly congratulated Trump, the mood among many people in Western Europe is one of shock and incomprehension.…

The US dollar has surged as Donald Trump secured a return to the White House – but there are fears the British and world economies will suffer from the president-elect’s promises of new tariffs.Investors have returned to making “Trump trades” – when they bet on lower taxes and higher interest rates – on the belief he will increase tariffs on foreign imports to protect domestic industries. This will push up prices of imported goods and inflation – and increase borrowing and government debt in the US.A leading British thinktank said the UK’s already slow economic growth rate is likely to…

As the world wakes up after election day in the US, it is looking at another Donald Trump presidency. The Republicans have also taken control of the US Senate, which will make it easier for Trump to get his economic ideas passed into law. Though the president has a number of direct executive powers, the last hurdle will be control of the House of Representatives. Trump’s promise of big tariffs A Trump win would put a new, rough spin on the global economy. Many of his economic ideas are similar to his first time in power. This time though they are more refined and…

Here’s the naked truth: Generally, Germans are unfazed by bare bodies. Some of the country’s lakes, parks and beaches are sectioned off for naturists; those who prefer keeping their threads on are usually unruffled when sharing spaces with those who don’t. This nonchalance could be attributed to one of the country’s most iconic (and sometimes misunderstood) movements: Freikörperkultur (FKK), or free body culture.  As the Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur (DFK) —  the umbrella body representing the interests of organized supporters of FKK — celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we peel back the layers of this movement’s evolution in Germany and its role in…

The world’s first wooden satellite was launched into space on Tuesday in an attempt to prove that wood is a space-grade material. Designed by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan, LignoSat is made of honoki, a kind of magnolia tree that was traditionally used to make sword sheaths. The team aims to plant trees on the moon and Mars in 50 years. “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut who studies human space activities at Kyoto University. Testing wood in space The…

With just a few hand gestures, Salim Mehdaoui indicates what he wants from the children collected in the gym of an elementary school in Bonn. They gather in the middle of the room and form a circle. Some shift their weight nervously as they look wide-eyed at the coach and wait for their turn. Salim holds a football under his arm, and after he’s said every child’s name, he starts practice. “The kids are getting used to our rituals. Like the collective greetings and goodbyes,” said the coach to DW. Aside from sports, it’s also about the social togetherness of the…

A Swedish court has sentenced a far-right activist to four months in jail for inciting hatred against Muslims at two protests in 2022. Rasmus Paludan sparked protests around the world when he staged demonstrations against Islam in Malmo that saw him burn a copy of the Quran. The court said he made offensive remarks directed at Muslims, Arabs and Africans at these rallies. “It is permissible to publicly criticize, for example, Islam and even Muslims, but the contempt for a group of people must clearly not exceed the limits of a relevant and responsible discourse,” judge Nicklas Soderberg said in a statement…

The United States is made up of 50 states, but, when it comes to presidential elections, some states matter more than others.  Though “safe states” reliably vote for one party or the other, “swing states” are often a toss-up between the Democratic and Republican candidate and, with 10-19 Electoral College votes per state, they are particularly attractive to campaigns. As the US president and vice president aren’t elected directly by voters through the national popular vote, swing states are put under the polling microscope, host high-profile rallies, receive numerous visits from candidates and are inundated by party ads targeting undecided voters. This complex and…

The world’s first wooden satellite has been launched into space.The satellite, designed by Japanese researchers, was launched on Tuesday. Experts hope to test how timber can be used in the exploration of the moon and Mars.LignoSat will be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX mission before it’s released into Earth’s orbit.Takao Doi, an astronaut who studies human space activities at Kyoto University, said using renewable materials would allow humans to “build houses, live and work in space forever”. Aiming to plant trees and build houses from timber on the moon and Mars in 50 years, Mr…