Author: DW

As Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visits Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says about 80% of Syrians living in Germany are expected to return home. Meanwhile, fears are mounting about inflation. DW has the latest.

On April 2, 2025, Donald Trump shocked the world by announcing “economic independence” for the US, imposing sweeping tariffs on every country in the world. The US Supreme Court has since ruled against the unprecedented move, but the US president seems keen to double down.  DW analyzed trade data on the origin of US imports over the past year to find out: What have Trump’s tariffs achieved? How is the rest of the world adjusting to this new economic order? And who, if anyone, is reaping the benefits?  April 2, 2025: White House announces ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs  Under the “Liberation Day” tariffs, the…

Air Canada’s CEO Michael Rousseau will retire later this year, the airline said on Monday, following criticism of his English-only message of condolence after the death of two pilots in a collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.  Canada’s largest airline, based in Montreal in French-speaking Quebec, said Rousseau told the board he would retire by the end of the third quarter.  The chairman of Air Canada’s board of directors, Vagn Sorenson, thanked Rousseau for his years of service as chief financial officer, deputy CEO and then CEO.  “We are grateful for the determined leadership he has provided not only in…

“I think I could do anything I want with it”: That’s what Donald Trump said about Cuba mid-March. Yet he is hardly the first US president with such expansionist desires, notes historian Michael Zeuske, a professor at the Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies at the University of Bonn. Zeuske says the US had already set its sights on the island as early as the mid-19th century.More than just classic cars and soft power: The US has long tried to exert direct control over CubaImage: Eric Kruszewski/Design Pics/picture alliance Cuba is not for sale Back then, Cuba was still a Spanish…

Throughout history, well-connected people and entities have always capitalized on crises. But the Iran war is taking profiteering to a whole new level, even as the US reportedly offers a 15-point plan to end the fighting. During the nearly monthlong conflict, allegations have been leveled at fuel retailers — who raised pump prices within hours of the first strikes — major oil companies, which stand to gain windfall margins from $100 (€86.24)-a-barrel crude, and marine insurers, who increased war-risk premiums by hundreds of percent after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. But one move trumps them all for sheer audacity. Iran,…

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) of the women’s national basketball association (WNBA) in the United States is a seismic moment in sports history. The deal, agreed in mid-March 2026 after 17 months of negotiations, reportedly includes a salary cap increase, significantly higher minimum salaries, revenue sharing and charter flights. It is considered a huge step in the right direction for player empowerment and league growth. More than that, though, it is the headline of a wider movement in women’s sports that is empowering players to push for better pay, conditions and a greater share of the revenue they help generate. “This…

When Lady Gaga entered the scene in the late 2000s, she sent shockwaves through the world of pop music. Provocation often seemed to be her main aim. Looking back, however, it was clearly all part of her strategy. Pop music and videos would never be the same. From NYC fixture to global superstar Born on March 28, 1986 in New York City as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, she grew up comfortably in Manhattan. She played piano and was already writing her own songs as a teenager. She loved the theater and musicals and making an impression through her extravagance. She…

Volkswagen (VW) is in talks with the Israeli defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems over a possible collaboration which would see production switch from cars to defense equipment at a key VW plant, according to a report in the Financial Times. The exclusive report in the newspaper, quoting people familiar with the plan, says the companies plan to convert Volkswagen’s struggling Osnabrück plant into a facility which makes components for the Israeli state-owned company’s Iron Dome air defense system. In response to queries from DW, a spokesperson for Volkswagen said “the production of weapons by Volkswagen AG remains ruled out…

Seven goals, 14 substitutions, no cards — there were a lot of storylines in Germany’s draw in Basel. With two and a half months left to the World Cup though, most of the focus is on who will make the squad. One man who doesn’t need to worry is Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old is one of the first names on the teamsheet let alone in the squad, and against Switzerland he delivered just the latest masterclass in his young career. Wirtz emerges as leader by example Jonathan Tah’s first-ever Germany goal came from a Wirtz cross. It was Wirtz who…

Skip next section Germany’s coal-fired plants could run longer due to Iran war03/27/2026March 27, 2026Germany’s coal-fired plants could run longer due to Iran warMerz said he wouldn’t gamble energy security ‘because we agreed on some deadlines years ago’Image: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/IMAGOAmid the ongoing energy crisis sparked by the war in the Middle East, Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned Germany’s plans to abandon coal as a source of power. “We may need to keep our coal plants online for longer,” he said at an event organized by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Frankfurt. Germany has used coal as its primary energy source…