Author: DW

As with any other year, 2024 saw its fair share of good and bad stories. But we pride ourselves at DW Science on bringing you a constructive take on developments, whether it’s in health and medicine, psychology or archeology. We’ve seen major leaps in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Here’s our nine most read stories, starting at the top: 1. ADHD: Did the condition help our ancestors survive? Commonly called a disorder, ADHD may have helped our ancestors find food and survive. DW reporter Hannah Fuchs found an innovative study that asked participants to pick…

The German gymnastics federation DTB has pledged to launch an investigation into physical and mental abuse allegations made by 24-year-old retired gymnast Tabea Alt. On Sunday, the DTB told Germany’s DPA news agency that it “had concrete information on potential wrongdoing from coaches at the federal training center in Stuttgart.” “The subject of the investigation will be possible misconduct by coaches as well as errors in the high performance sports system at national bases,” the federation said. What do we know about the allegations? Alt, who competed for Germany at the Summer Olympics in 2016 at the age of 18, levied the allegations…

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on Sunday won just under 50% of votes in the first round of presidential elections, according to official results. The result means that Milanovic is set to face off against conservative rival Dragan Primorac in an election run-off in two weeks. Croatia’s president commands the country’s armed forces and has a say in foreign policy, but most executive powers are in the hands of the prime minister elected by parliament.Milanovic won 49.11% of the vote to Primorac’s 19.37% in the first roundImage: Emica Elvedji/PIXSELL/picture alliance What were the results in the first round of voting? Milanovic…

A shark attack off Egypt’s Red Sea coast has left one tourist dead and another injured, authorities said on Sunday. “Two foreigners were attacked by a shark in the northern Marsa Alam area, which led to the injury of one and the death of the other,” the country’s environment ministry said in a statement. According to Italian media, both men were Italian nationals. What we know about the shark attack The attack occurred in deep water outside the designated swimming zone near the jetties in the popular resort town of Marsa Alam, Egypt’s environment ministry added. A 48-year-old man from…

Canada and Mexico are grappling with US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to place 25% tariffs on exports into their most important trade market, with both governments weighing their approaches. Trump said he would sign executive orders putting the tariffs in place on his first day back in office. He linked the issue to what he says is Mexico and Canada’s failure to prevent illegal migration and drug trafficking at US borders. Economists say tariffs would be very damaging for both Canada and Mexico, with the latter particularly vulnerable. “Mexico is really tied to the US economy, and any trade dispute…

Former Manchester City footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili has been sworn in as the president of Georgia.The outgoing pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili has insisted she is still the legitimate officer holder and does not recognise her opponent’s appointment. However, she said on Sunday morning that she will vacate her residence at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi.It comes in the wake of contested general election results, which were mired in allegations of corruption and fraud. “I will come out of here, come out to you and be with you,” Ms Zourabichvili told a crowd of supporters outside the palace. “This presidential residence was a…

Mariam and Shabnam Ruhin carefully prepare the football pitch in a district of Hamburg, in northern Germany. They have balls, small cones and colored jerseys with them and training is due to start in a few minutes. The two sisters founded the “Spielmacherinnen” (“playmakers”) project in 2021 and use it to support young girls who need help at school or are interested in playing football. “When we were children, we were interested in football,” Shabnam recalled in an interview with DW. However, it was difficult to find a team to join, the 33-year-old added. “That’s why we try to give girls the…

The first-ever African presidency of the G20 group will revolve around climate justice, state debt and minerals. But with international divisions, progress will be tough.

A plane carrying 181 people crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing at least 85 people, emergency officials said. “So far, two rescued and 85 dead,” the National Fire Agency said in a statement, with the rescue operation ongoing. The Jeju Air flight was returning from Bangkok, Thailand when an incident occurred during landing.  Emergency services and local news initially reported that the plane had a problem with its landing gear.  Later, the fire agency said the weather conditions were presumed to have caused the crash, alongside a bird strike. “The cause of the accident is presumed to be…

The charismatic former boss of Suzuki, who helped turn the Japanese compact vehicle specialist into a globally competitive enterprise, had died aged 94 after a battle with malignant lymphoma, the company said on Friday.  Osamu Suzuki became the company CEO in 1978 and was either chief executive, chairman or president until 2021, when — already in his 90s — he stepped down and took up an advisory role. The start of his tenure at the top coincided with some crucial milestones in Suzuki’s expansion beyond the Japanese car market, such as the launch of the small city car the Alto in 1979…