Author: DW

From key dates to rising football stars and changes, DW has the latest on the new Bundesliga season.

A man suspected of manufacturing €11 million ($12 million) worth of counterfeit Euro banknotes was arrested in Naples, Italy, last week, European police body Europol announced on Monday. Europol said the unnamed man had already sold €8 million worth of fake notes across Europe, many in France, and had another €3 million ready for dispatching from his “bunker-like printing laboratory.” They said they believed the forger to be responsible “over 27% of all faked euro banknotes discovered and taken out of circulation in 2023 alone.” When Italian Carabinieri officers raided the “sophisticated print shop,” which Europol said was concealed behind a…

Germany captain Ilkay Gündogan announced his retirement from international football on Monday. The 33-year-old midfielder is ending his international career after earning 82 caps for his country. “After a few weeks of reflection,” Gündogan posted on X, “I have come to the decision that it is time to end my national team career.” Gündogan reflects on 82 caps with ‘great pride’ Gundogan made his debut for the German national team against Belgium in October 2011, but he missed their 2014 World Cup victory due to a back injury.  “I can look back with great pride on 82 caps for my home country — a…

The post-COVID era has been punishing for global trade. Lockdowns and factory closures sparked supply chain delays around the world and helped fuel decades-high inflation. The Suez Canal was closed for a week in 2021 after a container ship got stuck. Attacks on shipping by Yemen-based Houthis and Iran over the past 10 months have forced a rerouting of container vessels from the Red Sea via Africa And now China’s military standoffs in the South China Sea could also impact the smooth flow of trade. How important is the South China Sea for world trade? Making up part of the western Pacific Ocean, the South China…

The Scottish government has announced it will no longer hold meetings with Israeli ambassadors until “real progress has been made towards peace” in the Gaza conflict.The move comes after the SNP administration faced criticism over a meeting earlier this month between External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson and Daniela Grudsky, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK. In a statement on Monday, Mr Robertson apologised that the meeting was not “strictly limited” to talks about a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.He claimed the meeting with the new ambassador was made at Israel’s request, which gave the Scottish government an opportunity to express…

A new type of mpox called “clade 1b” appears to be deadlier and able to spread from person to person more easily than previous forms. Mortality rates are as high as 10% of infections.  Mpox, formally known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Clade 1b mpox was first detected in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in central Africa, where it started spreading in September 2023. Infections have since been reported in Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Rwanda. New cases in Uganda and Kenya in early August 2024 were also linked to clade 1b. The World Health Organization on…

“Tonight Africa won regardless,” said a victorious Dricus du Plessis after submitting Israel Adesanya to retain his middleweight title at UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 305 in Perth, Australia, on Sunday. In its 31-year history, UFC has become one of the most popular sporting tickets in town. But the build-up to this contest highlighted a part of the world that has largely been ignored in its rise. Former champion Adesanya left Nigeria at the age of 10 to move to New Zealand but feels he represents both nations. That was questioned by du Plessis, of South Africa, in a fraught buildup. “Did those belts ever…

The Central Bank of Libya on Sunday said it was suspending operations after one of its employees was abducted. The bank said that its head of information technology Musab Msallem “was kidnapped by an unidentified group from his house this morning” in the capital, Tripoli. Libya has seen rising tensions between different armed factions in recent weeks. What else did Libya’s Central Bank say? The Central Bank said it would “not resume operations” until Msallem was released. It said that other executives were also “threatened with abduction.” In its statement, the bank denounced what it called “unlawful parties” that “threaten the…

Chinese and Philippine ships collided on Monday during a confrontation near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, Chinese state media said. The Second Thomas Shoal has been the site of repeated altercations between Beijing and Manila. What did China say about the collision? Beijing accused one of the Philippine vessels of “deliberately” colliding with a Chinese ship. “Despite multiple warnings from the Chinese side, the Philippine vessel 4410 deliberately collided with China’s 21551 vessel,” state broadcaster CCTV said, citing Chinese coast guard spokesperson Geng Yu. “Philippine Coast Guard vessels… illegally entered the waters near the Xianbin Reef in the Nansha…

Frenetic shuttle diplomacy is under way to end the war in Gaza and avert an Iranian and Hezbollah attack on Israel.But there remains a wide gap between Hamas and Israel on the face of it. Hamas wants Israel’s military out of Gaza and not coming back before it gives up the Israeli hostages it has held since 7 October. Image: Palestinians at the site of an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Saturday. Pic: Reuters Israel wants guarantees that if it does, Hamas cannot then regroup, get strong again and carry out another such attack as its leaders have repeatedly…