Author: DW

Following the end of World War II in 1945, a defeated Germany was divided into four occupation zones, controlled by the Allied powers: the United States, France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. In 1949, two states emerged: the democratic Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in the West, and the socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the East, with the latter being under Soviet control. From that point on, Germany was divided. Citizens of East Germany were only allowed to travel to the West under strict conditions. The GDR’s borders were heavily guarded, and a massive wall was built around…

Flying is just not what it used to be. Long lines to go through security, cyberattacks on airport check-in systems, labor strikes, lost bags and cancellations. Now on top of all that, there is a global shortage of pilots and airlines are feeling the pinch.During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, pilot training was put on hold in many places as companies waited to see what the pandemic would do to the travel industry. Today, as air travel rebounds, there is a training backlog, and schools are struggling to get new pilots in the air.Job prospects for pilots are better than ever…

A vaccine administered to adolescent girls and boys has been so successful that herd immunity against a virus that causes cervical cancer is within reach, at least in the United States. However, sustaining community resistance to the human papillomavirus (HPV) will depend on whether the US can maintain high vaccination rates. HPV is the world’s most common sexually transmitted infection . Vaccines against certain strains of HPV, of which there are hundreds, have existed for almost two decades. Currently a “nine-valent” vaccine — protecting against nine strains of HPV that together account for 90% of cervical cancers — is licensed in the…

When the league stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League begins on October 7, it will do so without the game’s most expensive player. France midfielder, Grace Geyoro, signed for newly-promoted London City Lionesses (owned by wealthy businesswoman and serial football investor, Michelle Kang) in September for a fee of about €1.6 million ($1.9 million). Geyoro’s move was the fifth to break the world transfer record in 2025, with each player moving to either the NWSL in the USA or the WSL in England. “It is a very good sign,” women’s football agent Jasmina Covic told DW. “The record is being…

 A nationwide general strike in Greece halted trains, ferries and taxis on Wednesday, stranding a number of workers and other people in the country. The one-day general strike was called in response to proposed changes to labor standards —  including a government plan to allow employers to extend working hours. No taxis in Athens nor trains will run for the duration of the 24-hour strike. Buses and the city’s subway, tram and trolley service are operating on a severely reduced schedule. Thousands of people, including teachers and seafarers, marched to parliament in Athens after the strike was organized by Greece’s largest…

The Trump administration has frozen some $26 billion (€22 billion) for projects in Democratic-leaning states on the first day of the federal government shutdown. The White House announced the freeze on Wednesday on roughly $18 billion in payments to build transit projects in New York, home to Congress’s two top Democrats. The freeze also includes almost $8 billion in green energy projects in 16 Democrat-run states, including California and Illinois. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate who is from New York, said Trump was targeting regular Americans for partisan aims. “He is using the American people as pawns,…

From her pioneering work in French surrealism to war photography, Lee Miller (1907-1977) is currently celebrated in an exhibition at the Tate Britain museum. The largest retrospective of the trailblazing photographer ever held in the UK, “Lee Miller” runs from October 2 to February 15, 2026. Lee Miller started modeling in the late 1920s, posing for legendary photographers such as Edward Steichen and George Huyningen-HueneImage: Martin Schutt/picture alliance/dpa The accidental model Born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1907, Elizabeth “Lee” Miller showed an early interest in the arts and Europe, moving to Paris at age 18 to study lighting, costume and design at a theater school. A year later, she…

Called the 3TG because they include tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold, this group of raw materials makes a huge difference for the auto industry of our times as it strives to transition to electric vehicles (EV). They are critically important for building suspension systems, wiring, lighting, and electronic displays. Durable, resistant to corrosion, and great for conducting electricity, 3TG minerals are currently high in demand from carmakers in Europe and elsewhere. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts some of the biggest deposits of such minerals in the world, and exploiting them could be a source of prosperity for the country in Central Africa.…

A FIFPRO report on the 2024-25 football season highlights concerns over the amount of football players in the men’s game are playing. Key findings cover several areas of concern, perhaps most notably continued calendar congestion and extreme heat. The 32-team Club World Cup put an enormous strain on the players, with some, such as Achraf Hakimi, having their seasons stretch over almost an entire year as a result. The report notes that Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all had their off-seasons and preseasons for the current campaign severely shortened because of the competition. Without improved safeguarding and better load…

“I can’t work 13 hours a day, and I don’t expect that from my employees,” says Anni, who owns a beauty salon by the name of “64” in Pagrati, central Athens. She doubts any of her clients would be satisfied with the work of an exhausted beautician either. That is why she wonders why Greek Labor Minister Niki Kerameos wants to create the legal foundation for a 13-hour workday. Kerameos has told reporters that this is merely about allowing exceptions on 37 days a year “in the interests of employees.” Greek labor unions, meanwhile, reject the minister’s plans and are trying…