Author: DW

Storytelling is about changing minds, and film is no different. Since the first moving pictures in the 1890s, filmmakers have used the tricks of cinema to shift people’s perceptions and moral compasses. Now, scientists in the United States have measured how watching a film changes people’s ability to understand emotions and their moral positions on the criminal justice system. The new study, published October 21 in the journal PNAS, found that watching a docudrama about efforts to free a wrongly convicted man on death row increased empathy towards incarcerated people and support for reforms to the US criminal justice system. “[Our study] suggests the film made…

In the blue corner, appearing at the Democratic National Convention (via video message), basketball star Steph Curry. In the red corner, appearing at the Republican National Convention, UFC boss Dana White. If the line between US politics and sports blurred over the past decade, it has dissolved in the buildup to the 2024 US election. Athletes from a range of sports and backgrounds have become increasingly politicized in recent years, whether by endorsing a candidate, protesting or simply advocating that people exercise their right to vote. But will any of it make a meaningful difference come November 5? Betina Wilkinson,…

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday likened the European Union to the former Soviet Union and called on Hungarians to “resist” Brussels as they did Moscow in 1956. Orban, who is closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin than any other European leader, drew the comparison in a speech marking the 1956 Hungarian Uprising against Soviet occupation, which was brutally put down by Russian troops. Around 3,000 people were killed and 20,000 injured. Hungary: What did Viktor Orban say about the EU? “For us, the lesson of 1956 is that we must fight for only one thing: for Hungary…

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will arrive in New Delhi late on Thursday to co-chair — along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) between India and Germany. There is anticipation that this year’s IGC could herald a new era in Indo-German ties as it comes on the heels of Germany adopting the “Focus on India” paper last week. “The German government wants to raise the strategic partnership that has underpinned our relationship with India since 2000 to a new level. The first steps towards implementation are to be agreed at the next Indo-German intergovernmental consultations,” Germany’s Foreign…

Listen to our podcast episode about the history of the lawn and answer the following question:   What’s your lawn vibe?   Sun King, all the way Downton Abbey demure Cookie cutter suburban Pink flamingos for days Flowery mead   The deadline to participate is November 6th, 2024. Our conditions of participation apply. We’ll post the poll results on YouTube and send one lucky winner DW goodies, like a softshell jacket, a bag, a cup, a notebook and a cap. 

The disappearance of an eight-year-old boy who police suspect may have been murdered two years ago has left Ireland “utterly heartbroken”, the Irish prime minister has said.Simon Harris made the comment as police investigating the disappearance of Kyran Durnin began excavating a section of wasteland behind the boy’s former family home in Dundalk, County Louth. A digger was working on the land after the police search of the terraced house entered its second day.Police opened a murder investigation last week after Kyran was reported missing along with his mother on 30 August.He was also reported to have been seen two…

Storytelling is about changing minds. Film is no different — since the first moving pictures in the 1890s, filmmakers have used the tricks of cinema to shift people’s perceptions and moral compasses. Now, scientists in the US have measured how watching a film changes people’s ability to understand emotions, as well as their moral positions on the criminal justice system. The new study, published October 21 in the journal PNAS, found that watching a docudrama about efforts to free a wrongly convicted man on death row increases empathy towards incarcerated people. Watching the film also increased support for reforms to the…

What is the open letter about? One hundred and six professional female footballers from 24 countries are calling for an end to FIFA’s sponsorship deal with Saudi oil company Aramco. The open letter, which is addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, describes FIFA’s deal with Aramco as a “middle finger to women’s football.” The letter adds that “FIFA’s announcement of Saudi Aramco as its ‘major’ partner has set us so far back that it’s hard to fully take in.” In addition to Aramco’s negative impact on climate change, the letter also highlights the difficult situation of the LGBTQ+ community in…

Gangs in Haiti have stepped up violence and stretched operations outside the capital despite the deployment of a multinational force to bolster the struggling Caribbean nation’s police, the top United Nations official in the country warned on Tuesday. “The situation in Haiti has regrettably worsened,” Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN secretary-general’s special representative to Haiti, told the UN Security Council. Salvador said that more than 700,000 people are now displaced in the conflict-stricken country — which is a 22% rise over the last three months. She added that people across Haiti continue to suffer as gangs ramp up and expand their activities,…

One person has died and dozens have fallen sick from E. coli food poisoning linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in several US states, federal health authorities said on Tuesday. The outbreak — which began in September — has spread across 10 western states with at least 49 infections being reported, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. “Epidemiologic data show that Quarter Pounder hamburgers served at McDonald’s are contaminated with E. coli and are making people sick,” the CDC said. The highest number of cases are concentrated in Colorado and Nebraska. Other affected states include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana,…