Author: DW

A nun has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of colluding with the mafia.Sister Anna Donelli, a volunteer in Milan’s San Vittore prison, is suspected of acting as a go-between with the criminal group and its jailed gang members. The 57-year-old was among 25 people detained as part of an investigation into the Ndrangheta mafia in the northern city of Brescia, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters news agency.Donelli is also well-known for her service in Milan’s rundown districts, and received the city’s annual “Golden Panettone” civic award earlier this year. Image: Donelli is known for…

When Prime Minister Michel Barnier unveiled his deficit-reduction plan in October, promising to bring down the public deficit from around 6% of GDP to 3% in 2029, it was seen as an attempt to steer the French economy into calmer waters.  But on Wednesday, France’s parliament rejected his proposal by voting to oust Barnier’s government, upending his hopes of avoiding an economic storm. For the first time in over 60 years, the National Assembly approved a no-confidence motion, proposed by the hard left and crucially backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen.Lawmakers were reacting to Barnier’s decision to link a vote on a part of the…

More than just a beautiful house of worship, Notre Dame is a French national treasure. So it was fitting that President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation the day after the fire that significantly damaged the cathedral on April 15, 2019. He promised that in just five years, the Gothic cathedral would be renovated and rebuilt “more beautiful than before.” Plenty of money poured into what was declared a national project and many bureaucratic hurdles were cleared. As a result, work took place right on schedule — at least officially. Notre Dame is set to reopen with a festive ceremony on December 8. President Macron is…

All forms of violence against women are on the rise in Germany, with a woman killed by a partner or former partner nearly every two days in the country. UN Women Germany is one of the 13 UN Women national committees worldwide, each an independent, non-profit non-governmental organization committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Their current campaign ‘Orange The World’ runs from the start of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 to December 10, International Human Rights Day. It is designed to raise awareness around violence against women in…

News that the civil war in Syria had flared up again came as no surprise to Turkish citizens. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his right-wing nationalist coalition partner Devlet Bahceli have talked about little else than the shift in power in the Middle East and what the possible negative consequences of that could be for Turkey for more than two months now. The suggestion has been that regional changes could be advantageous to Kurds in Syria who have controlled northeastern Rojava — also known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) — since the civil war began…

For the past week, tens of thousands of Georgians have been protesting against the country’s newly elected Moscow-friendly government and there’s end in sight. DW takes a closer look at the situation.

An executive at a major US healthcare company has been shot dead in Manhattan.Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the chest on Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.He was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance unit.UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The company cancelled the remainder of an investor event in Manhattan that had just started.”We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” UnitedHealth chief executive Andrew Witty said.There…

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday trimmed its economic growth forecasts for Germany and France. The Paris-based economic body, which advises industrialized nations on policy matters, now expects the German economy to grow by 0.7% next year, down from a previous forecast of 1.1%. France also saw a cut of 0.3 percentage points in its projected growth, with the OECD now estimating the French economy to expand by 0.9%. What did OECD say about the German economy? Germany and France, the top two EU economies, have been struggling with a raft of challenges over the past year, including political…

This year’s Turner Prize has been awarded to artist Jasleen Kaur. At 38, Kaur was the youngest person on the shortlist for the 2024 edition of the prestigious art award. The other artists in the running were Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas. Kaur was honored for her exhibition titled “Alter Altar,” featuring sculptures and soundscapes that reflect her background growing in an Indian Sikh family in Glasgow. The artist incorporates everyday objects in her work, and this exhibition included a red Ford Escort covered in a huge white lace doily, an acrylic “sky” hung with ordinary items, a large…

Years after winning gold medals at the  Paralympics and various World Championship titles, Heinrich Popow believes the future for disabled people is brighter than it has ever been, thanks in part to the success and growing popularity of the Paralympics. But there is one particular societal issue the lower leg amputee would like to see change: Adults should view people with disabilities through the same eyes and curiosity as children.  “The biggest change I would love to see is to break the barriers of having this, we call it in German, Berührungsangst, being afraid to come too close,” Popow told DW. “The way that kids…