Author: DW

The nomination of former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the European Union’s top diplomat reverberated far and wide, and across the Mediterranean, Israel heaved a sigh of relief.  Israeli newspapers highlighted the country’s exasperation toward her predecessor, Josep Borrell, who was described as an “outspoken critic,” and hailed Kallas as an improvement from an Israeli perspective.  Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute, the Brussels-based office of the American Jewish Committee, said that Israelis felt Borrell was unfair in his criticism of their country.  “Israelis see him as anti-Israel and thus unsuitable to play a mediating role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” He told DW that,…

Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, took over as interim leader of Bangladesh last month after violent political unrest led to an unceremonious end to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. In an interview with DW, he addressed an array of issues, including the domestic political situation, Bangladesh’s relations with India and the influx of the Rohingya into the country. The 84-year-old leader, who holds the official position of chief adviser in the interim government, said former PM Hasina “destroyed almost all institutions” and “the economy was shattered.” “You do not know where to begin because everything has to…

If anyone was in doubt about the key issue in the US presidential election, the opening 15 minutes of last night’s debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris laid it bare. Amid discontent in the US over the state of the economy, both candidates dished out blame for inflation and outlined some of their core economic policies. Harris opened the debate by describing plans to “build up the middle class”, something she repeatedly returned to. She revisited pledges she has signaled in her campaign, such as aid and tax relief for home buyers, childcare and small businesses. Within seconds of speaking,…

An investigation has started into why a concrete bridge partially collapsed in eastern Germany.No one was injured when a section of the Carola Bridge fell into the Elbe River in Dresden, officials from the local fire department have said. However, there is concern more of the structure could collapse in the coming hours.The bridge forms part of a main route in the area, and its collapse has led to significant delays for travellers.The incident has also disrupted the city’s heating system. Police are treating the collapse as an accident, and there are no signs of foul play, according to German…

The Swedish tourism association, Visit Sweden, is confident that going on vacation in colder regions is a new trend that’s here to stay. “Gone are the days of tirelessly chasing the scorching sun and sweltering heat,” proclaims the association’s website. They claim a new vacation trend is developing, the so-called “coolcation” — a term that derives from the words “cool” and “vacation.” According to the Swedish tourism association, “this trend reflects travelers’ growing desire to visit destinations with moderate temperatures.” As climate change brings extreme heat to southern Europe, more and more people are opting for trips in destinations with…

“You may think it’s a long way down the road to the drug store,” wrote Douglas Adams in his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “but that’s just peanuts to space.” Space is big. We live on one tiny planet orbiting a star that’s tucked away in the far reaches of a galaxy — just one galaxy of around 2 trillion in the known universe. Space is really really big. Planet Earth is located in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way (called the Orion Arm) which lies about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the galaxy. We know…

Two months on from the transformational summer of Euro 2024, the rain and cooler temperatures of Amsterdam in September took a little of the shine off Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany team. If Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz toyed with the Hungarians on Saturday, they toiled on Tuesday night in the Netherlands. Germany’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands was a little wild for an international game in September. The draw is the result that leaves everyone content, but in a game that saw Germany concede inside the opening 120 seconds, lead at the break and then concede shortly after the restart, this…

US pop star Taylor Swift  endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday night in an Instagram post, in a boost to her campaign. The much awaited endorsement followed the first presidential debate between the sitting vice president and former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Swift signed her post “Childless Cat Lady” — a reference to rhetoric used by Trump’s running mate JD Vance to describe women who do not have kids.  “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she wrote in the post. “I am voting for Kamala Harris…

The Austrian teenager who was shot dead last week after firing a vintage rifle at German police in Munich is thought to have been influenced by Islamist extremism. But 18-year-old Emrah I., from a small town in the Salzburg region, hardly attended his local mosque, nor did he grow a beard or wear a long gown.  The only clue that might have predicted his behavior in Munich was in early 2023, when Austrian police, investigating complaints about a fight at his school, found videos from a computer game on his phone. In these, he had decorated scenes with anAl Qaeda flag. But after finding nothing…

Volkswagen’s warning last week of job cuts and potential production line closures in its home market for the first time in its 87-year history sent shockwaves through the country. The storm clouds for Germany’s largest carmaker have, however, been forming for several years, due to soaring production costs, a weaker domestic economy post COVID-19 and intense competition from China. VW’s faltering electric-vehicle (EV) strategy is adding to the company’s revenue woes. The automaker must make some €10 billion ($11.1 billion) in cost savings over the next three years, which could mean thousands of job losses and the likely shutdown of some of its 10 German assembly lines.VW mulls German job cuts, factory closures as sales…