Author: DW

In the two and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, questions around Russian oil and gas coming into the EU have never been far from the headlines. The latest development concerns Ukraine’s decision to put Russian oil company Lukoil on a sanctions list, forcing it to stop delivering pipeline crude oil — via Ukrainian territory — to the few EU countries still receiving it. What’s going on with Lukoil and who is affected? In late June, Ukraine hardened existing sanctions against Lukoil, effectively preventing the company from using Ukraine as a transit country through which to deliver…

James Baldwin was born in the New York district of Harlem in 1924, when the world was already deeply racist. Poverty was rampant and there was police violence. Baldwin grew up with eight siblings. His stepfather was a strict Baptist preacher who greatly influenced him and he initially became a preacher himself. But Baldwin did not want to accept the boundaries imposed upon him by society. He had a dream, and that was to write. First, he published reviews, followed by essays and short stories. New York, even the whole of the US, became too constricted for him. He felt oppressed both…

Being bald has a bad reputation. Upon winning an Emmy in 1993 for his work on the US sitcom Seinfeld, comedian Larry David said: “This is, erm, all very well and good, but I’m still bald.” David has big lessons for bald men trying to compensate for their hair loss rather than embracing it. In 2000,  David wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine titled: “Kiss my head.” “I’m a bald man who’s out there. No toupees, no transplants, no hats, no beards… How could anyone have respect for bald men if we go to such ridiculous lengths? That’s why hair…

At least 166 people have been killed and more than 200 others are missing after landslides in southern India.Officials said heavy rain in Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, led to torrents of mud, water and rock which buried or swept people away to their deaths as they slept.It is the worst disaster in the state since deadly floods in 2018 and is likely linked to the changing conditions of the Arabian Sea which is “warming at a higher rate compared to other regions”, climate scientists warned. Image: Pic: Reuters Authorities said nearly 1,000 people had been rescued…

The men’s Olympic triathlon planned for Tuesday was postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris’ Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place. The event was postponed to Wednesday, directly after the women’s event went ahead after water tests showed lower levels of bacteria. Questions remain about the women’s and men’s 10-kilometer (6.21-mile) marathon swimming races, which are due to be held in the Seine on August 8 and 9. Water contamination in the Seine has been a controversial topic in recent weeks. A triathlon training session being held in the Seine was…

When it comes to Richard Wagner, one thing has long been clear: He wanted to be in control. The man who invented the idea of “Gesamtkunstwerk,” a total synthesis of music, text, drama, scenery and architecture that made him and his operas world-famous, built a festival theater in 1876 to showcase his own operas — and no one else’s. His operas, with their reoccurring leitmotifs, or musical themes, deeply moved audiences, and continue to do so today. Some 60,000 fans still travel every year to what is known as the Bayreuth Festival.  King Ludwig II of Bavaria helped finance Wagner’s self-designed festival…

First Olga Kharlan sank to her knees. Then she kissed the ground where she had just claimed an Olympic bronze medal, in acknowledgement of how it has served her over the years. “I’m just thankful to the piste (the strip on which fencers compete) that I made it,” Kharlan laughed when DW asked what was going through her mind at that moment. It’s her fifth Olympic medal. But none have been as significant or consequential as this one, with Russia’s war continuing to ravage Ukraine. “It’s really special for me,” Kharlan said after her win on Monday. “It’s special because it’s for…

Local authorities in the northern Italian Alps killed a mother bear deemed “dangerous” on Tuesday, citing an attack on a French tourist earlier in July and other encounters with humans.  Animal rights groups protested the move, as did an Italian government minister.  The bear, known as KJ1, had three cubs. The International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) said they would struggle to survive on their own. KJ1 attacked a hiker, injuring his arm and leg, but the man was able to escapeImage: Il Dolomiti/ROPI/picture alliance What happened to the bear?  The head of the provincial authority in Trento, Maurizio Fugatti, gave…

Imagine this: You want to buy the latest vacuum cleaner, you go to your favorite online store and begin to scroll through your mobile. Then, you see a product that claims it is powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which makes it sound super high tech and smart. But really, it just has a simple sensor button to make sure it doesn’t bump into furniture. Nothing special or groundbreaking. That’s AI washing. It means making products sound way cooler or smarter by claiming they have AI when they are just doing regular stuff. Why is AI washing a problem? First of all, real AI innovation can…

Landslides in southern India’s Kerala state have killed at least 151 people, authorities said on Wednesday, as heavy rains hampered rescue efforts. The number is casualties is expected to rise. More than 128 people were injured and around 187 are unaccounted for, state officials said. The landslides on Tuesday, triggered by torrential monsoon rains, struck the Wayanad district, flattening houses and uprooting trees. Most of the victims were tea estate workers and their families who lived in small houses or makeshift shelters. They were caught unaware by the disaster that occurred in the early morning. Blocked roads and unstable terrain are hindering efforts,…