Author: DW

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s team and Venezuelan media report that Machado was arrested in Caracas on Thursday.  Sought for arrest and largely in hiding, she had made her first public appearance in months in Caracas, to lead a protest against President Nicolas Maduro being sworn in for a third term. The opposition said on social media that Machado was “violently intercepted on exiting the rally,” also claiming that shots had been fired at her motorcycle convoy. However, in a message on X later, Machado said that she was “in a safe place and with more determination than ever to continue…

California has been battling raging wildfires around Los Angeles, leaving several people dead and many injured. The danger is especially acute in the Pacific Palisades area, where more than 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate. There are also concerns about the fate of two German landmark buildings in the Palisades that hold great cultural significance: the Thomas Mann House and Villa Aurora. Villa Aurora, an elaborate Spanish-style villa from 1927 that was once an intellectual center for people who fled Nazi Germany, is especially at risk, as it is located in the immediate vicinity of the fires.”The images of…

As a debate intensifies in several European countries over Elon Musk’s attempts to influence domestic politics, a separate discussion is ongoing about the world’s richest person: His growing influence in the global satellites sector. The Italian government is currently in advanced negotiations with Musk’s SpaceX company for a €1.6 billion ($1.65 billion) deal to provide encrypted telecommunications services via its Starlink satellite internet provider. Italy’s government has confirmed that talks are ongoing. The talks have led to controversy, with opposition politicians accusing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of compromising national security. Namrata Goswami, an independent space policy scholar, thinks this type of deal will become…

What does Russia think of Donald Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland? Well, on the face of things, it is alarmed.”The Arctic is a zone of our national interests, our strategic interests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, sounding protective, when asked about the US president-elect’s recent remarks. His language echoes that frequently used by Russian President Vladimir Putin, when discussing NATO’s historical expansion eastward. “Zone of strategic influence” generally means “back off”.But Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to seize the world’s largest island, and it appears to have made Moscow nervous.”We are watching the rather dramatic…

Life takes its toll on our brains. Our brain cells pick up wear and tear over the years, causing our minds to become slower, forgetful and have slower movements. But it’s been unclear whether this deterioration is due to the passage of time or if it’s predetermined by genes. Now, a major suite of scientific reviews published in the journal Neuron has tried to answer those questions by taking stock of current understanding of brain aging, and how the risk of age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced.  It found that many physical and biological changes are responsible…

German mountaineer Jost Kobusch was on Mount Everest when an earthquake hit that killed more than 120 people and injured many others.

Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes said social media firms would need to comply with domestic laws and legislations in order to keep operating in Brazil. one day after media giant Meta announced abandoning its fact checking program. Brazil’s Supreme Court will not allow technology companies to exploit their use of hate speech for profit, Moraes said, adding that social media “will not become a lawless land” in the country. “They will only continue to operate if they respect Brazilian law, regardless of the bravado of irresponsible leaders of Big Tech,” the judge said. Moraes upholds social media checks Although Moraes did…

At least six people have died and several others were reported injured after a stampede broke out at the entry of a temple in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday evening. What do we know about the stampede? The stampede occurred during a 10-day annual festival at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in the city of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh state. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees the affairs at the temple, had arranged for ticket counters to issue tokens to devotees on the occasion of the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival. Thousands of devotees from across India had…

It welcomes over 500,000 visitors every year and is reputedly the most famous residence in the US after the White House. This is Graceland, the former home of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. The entertainment complex in Memphis, Tennessee, where Presley is buried, is a major enterprise. It regularly hosts certified auctions, fan club events, and, of course, birthday celebrations for the deceased star. This year is no exception. Presley, who passed away in 1977, would have turned 90 on January 8, and this will be marked by four days of events and concerts at Graceland. Also opening to the public is a new exhibition “90 for…

Norway has become the poster child for the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Last year, official government statistics showed that almost nine out of every 10 cars sold were electric.  In 2023 — the most recent year that data is available — the global EV adoption rate was just 18%, according to the International Energy Agency. The Nordic country has made a remarkable commitment to combating climate change, driven by strong government policies, robust infrastructure, and a supportive public. Norway aims for all passenger cars sold to be zero-emission vehicles by the end of this year, a decade ahead of the European…