Author: DW

When a 21-year-old man from Walasmulla, Sri Lanka, signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to join the Russian army, he did not expect to be sent to fight on the frontline in Ukraine. He had heard about the possibility of joining the Russian armed forces from another Sri Lankan, who had told him that if he served for a year, he and his parents would receive Russian citizenship. “He told me you wouldn’t be sent to the front, and would only be used as a helper,” the young man told DW. He signed up in February and…

The family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer have described them as “incredible people and an inspiration to many” following their deaths in the sinking of a luxury yacht in Sicily.The Morgan Stanley International bank chairman, 70, and his wife were confirmed dead after five bodies were found by divers on Wednesday – taking the number of confirmed dead to six. “We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services and everyone who helped tirelessly in this rescue operation,” the family said in…

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern. The majority of cases have been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo but the disease has also spread to several countries in central and east Africa. Sweden recently recorded a case of a more dangerous variant of mpox, the first of that kind recorded outside Africa. The new variant has increased the need for vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere. At the time of writing, the country still does not have any doses of an…

US pop star Taylor Swift expressed the cancellation of her Vienna show over a suspected suicide attack filled her with “fear” and “guilt.” This is the first time Swift has commented since reports of the suspected attack emerged two weeks ago. What did the singer say? “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many had planned on coming to those shows,” the American singer said in a post on Instagram. “All of my energy had to go toward helping…

It’s been more than 125 years since the role of mosquitoes as the transmitters of malaria was discovered on 20 August 1897 by British physician Ronald Ross. Ross was awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work, which has helped educate people across the planet about the risks posed by the mosquito-borne diseases injected into the human bloodstream when the flying insects ‘bite’. The date of his discovery now serves as the annual World Mosquito Day. Over the course of the 20th century, other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes have been discovered on every continent except Antarctica. Taken together, these…

Manuel Neuer who was Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for more than a decade, announced on Wednesday that he was retiring from international football. The 38-year-old Bayern Munich star made 124 appearances for his country and was a key part of Germany’s last World Cup-winning side in Brazil in 2014. Neuer announced the decision in an Instagram post, in which he said that although he had been tempted to try to stick around for the 2026 World Cup in North America, he had reached the conclusion that “now is the right time to take this step.” The move comes almost seven weeks…

Divers have reportedly recovered five bodies — including that of UK software tycoon Mike Lynch — from the wreckage of the British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-meter-long (184-ft) superyacht that was carrying 22 people when it sank off Sicily, Italy, on Monday. The total number of dead and recovered from the yacht now stands at six, with one person still missing. The body of the onboard chef, Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, was discovered near the wreck hours after the disaster. Five bodies found in wreck of luxury yacht off SicilyTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5…

Tim Walz, a 60-year-old veteran and former geography teacher, has recently gained national prominence after being chosen as the vice-presidential running mate by Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 Democratic presidential campaign. Prior to this, Walz was not widely known outside the state of Minnesota, where he serves as governor. Walz has been a critic of former President Donald Trump, particularly regarding national security, healthcare, and social justice issues. However, his ascent to the national stage has also made him a target of misinformation, much of it perpetuated by Trump and his supporters. DW has investigated a few of…

Four bodies have been found by divers searching the wreck of the superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily.Two of the bodies have been recovered and brought to the surface, according to Sicilian authorities.The body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, has been recovered already, the Italian coastguard confirmed to Sky News on Tuesday. Today’s discoveries bring the total number of confirmed dead to five.British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter are among those who remain unaccounted for after the Bayesian went down as a result of being hit by a tornado on Monday morning. Please use Chrome…

The post-COVID era has been punishing for global trade. Lockdowns and factory closures sparked supply chain delays worldwide 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 Sea sits between…