Author: DW

The man accused of a string of sex crimes has been put on trial simply because he is also a suspect for the unrelated disappearance of Madeleine McCann, his lawyer has told a judge.Christian B, as he is known under German privacy laws, is the victim of prejudiced prosecutors and an amateurish police investigation, the court heard.Defence lawyer Friedrich Fulscher said: “This story will teach us what terrible consequences it can have when the investigating officers of the public prosecutor’s office lose the necessary emotional distance from a case and this attitude is combined disastrously with amateur investigations by a…

The past few months, he has jetted about the world a great deal. In September, he was in the US. In August he DJed in Brazil, and shortly afterward, he flew to Berlin. He has also just issued a new track: “Cyber Fever” celebrates a “magical world,” as a computer voice announces. More colorful, more beautiful, more cheerful than reality. When Artifex — Yarin Illovich’s stage name — performs as DJ, he dances on the stage, animates the crowd, jumps high to his beats. If you didn’t know what he experienced a year ago, these party scenes wouldn’t give you any indication. But…

Picture the scene: An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth. It’s the size of the Eiffel Tower, shaped like a peanut and potentially hazardous — sounds scary, right? And it’s not even made up. But the asteroid in question — named 2024 ON — has already zipped past Earth. No, it didn’t miss us — it was never going to hit. Since its discovery in July 2024, media and other content creators made headlines of the asteroid’s particulars: It was 370 meters (1,240 feet) in diameter, traveling at around 40,000 kilometers per hour (24,000 miles per hour), considered “potentially hazardous” by space authorities and heading…

The European Union’s top court ruled on Friday that some of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rules are in direct conflict with the union’s legislation. The ruling was handed down after former French international Lassana Diarra legally challenged FIFA’s rules regarding a 2014 dispute with a Russian club. Citing legislation relating to freedom of movement, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) said in a statement: “The rules in question are such as to impede the free movement of professional footballers wishing to develop their activity by going to work for a new club.” What led…

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said Saturday they had begun a vaccination campaign against mpox — a virus that causes painful rashes and flu-like symptoms and in some cases can be deadly. The central African nation is the epicenter of a mpox outbreak that has spread to 16 neighboring countries. Since the start of the year, Africa has recorded 988 deaths — 70% of which have been children under five — out of more than 34,000 cases, according to the World Health Organization.EU sends first load of mpox vaccines to CongoTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web…

Police in Berlin said 500 officers were in action on Saturday amid a series of rival protests in the German capital, some showing support for Israel and others for Palestinians or Lebanese people. Several participants at a demonstration in front of Humboldt University in the city center carried Israeli flags and signs and placards showing their support for Israel.Berlin police were on hand at demonstrations around the cityImage: Christian Mang/REUTERS Nearby, a series of empty chairs bearing the photographs of people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 and still in captivity was on display, with the caption “kidnapped” written…

Portugal has suddenly and unexpectedly ended the practice of allowing illegally arrived migrant workers to stay in the country while applying for a work permit. According to Deputy Minister Rui Armindo Freitas, who is in charge of immigration policy, this change is simply an alignment with European regulations. But representatives of non-governmental organizations see it as a concession to right-wing populists who rally against immigrants. They argue that it mostly highlights the disorganized state of Portugal’s immigration policy — at least until now.Portugal: Exploited Asian fruit pickersTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that…

A child has died from rabies after waking up to a bat in their bedroom, according to a Canadian health official.The case in Brant County, southern Ontario, was confirmed a month ago, with the resident receiving hospital treatment. It is the first case involving a human in Brant County – which is roughly 200km southwest of Toronto – and the first domestically-acquired case of human rabies in Ontario since 1967.This week, Dr Malcolm Lock, acting medical officer of health at the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, which covers a part of southern Ontario, revealed the patient was a child.”Unfortunately, the case that…

Rwanda is on alert after new cases of sickness caused by Marburg virus – one of the deadliest pathogens known – were reported in late September. While outbreaks of the viral disease it causes are rare and usually confined to sub-Saharan Africa, four concerning incidences have occurred since 2021. The most recent Rwandan outbreak has seen at least 36 cases of Marburg virus disease (MRV), with more than 400 people currently being monitored for symptoms. Like many diseases, MRV’s name derives from when the disease was first reported in western countries, tracing back to lab outbreaks in Germany and the…

France’s newly appointed Prime Minister Michel Barnier is facing the mammoth task of getting the 2025 budget through a parliament where he doesn’t have a majority. And the pressure is mounting, as this year’s budget deficit will now exceed 6% of the country’s economic output — as opposed to the initially predicted 4.4%. The topic was at the center of Barnier’s general policy speech in the National Assembly on October 1. “A sword of Damocles is hanging over us. It could push us to the brink of the abyss,” he told lawmakers. President Emmanuel Macron appointed Barnier after months of hesitation following early July’s…