Author: DW

Less than two years ago, it was valued at $22bn and was one of the most familiar brand names on the planet, thanks to a shirt sponsorship deal with India’s cricket team.Today, though, Byju’s is fighting for its life. Money latest: What happens when you go bankrupt?A number of shareholders have written down the value of their stake in the business to almost zero and the company, which still has 14,000 employees, is now facing insolvency proceedings.Where did India’s once most valuable start-up and first ‘unicorn’ come from? Byju’s, based in Bangalore, was for a time India’s most valuable start-up…

Former Kosovo rebel commander Pjeter Shala was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 years in prison by judges in The Hague. He was convicted of war crimes committed while he fought for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during a 1998-99 uprising against Serbian troops. The decision came from an EU-backed court in the Dutch city that is considered part of Kosovo’s judicial system but focuses on crimes committed from the beginning of 1998 to the end of 2000. What was Shala convicted of? Shala, known by the nickname “Wolf,” was a local military leader in western Kosovo during a conflict when ethnic…

By 2050, the annual nickel supply will have to increase by 208%, and annual copper supply by 156% relative to 2020 production levels, if global net-zero emissions goals are to be achieved, according to a recent report produced by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. At least another 15 minerals and metals must be extracted at similar rates to achieve climate targets, it added. This will be a monumental task. Some analysts reckon it simply isn’t possible. Others question whether satisfying the growing demand for these critical minerals can be done sustainably.  Speaking in April, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said:…

At least six people have been found dead at a hotel in Bangkok.The bodies of the six people – all Vietnamese nationals – were discovered in Thailand’s capital on Tuesday. An initial report that there had been a shooting was dismissed by a local police official.”There is no sign of a shooting,” the official said.Thailand’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into the incident. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app.…

Enthusiasm for learning German has skyrocketed in Vietnam, especially after social life in the country got back to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, says Arik Jahn, head of the language department at the Goethe-Institut in Ho Chi Minh City.   The number of German-language exams being taken at the economic hub’s Goethe-Institut has increased by more than 150% since 2019, and the number could soon triple. Across Southeast Asia, interest in the German language is on the rise as the German government taps increasing numbers of the region’s qualified workers to fix its labor shortages in certain sectors. By one estimate, Germany needs about…

Until a few months ago, Kaja Kallas, who resigned as Estonia’s prime minister on Monday, was a lead candidate in the race to replace Jens Stoltenberg as secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but her reputation as a Russia hawk scuttled her chances.  Influential NATO member states, many from the European Union, agreed that, with the war in Ukraine, it was no longer possible to keep eastern member states on the fringe of the Brussels hierarchy. However, there were concerns that handing the top security job to a Baltic leader was too strong a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Moreover, the possibility of a…

The head coach of England’s national men’s football team, Gareth Southgate, has resigned following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. “It’s time for change, and for a new chapter,” he said in statement. “Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my final game as England manager.” Southgate, 53, took on the job in 2016 and led England to the 2018 World Cup semifinal and two European Championship finals. “As a proud Englishman, it has been the honor of my life to play for England and to manage England,” Southgate said. “It has meant everything to me, and I have given…

The remote valley in Tenerife where the body of Jay Slater were discovered is being searched again by rescue teams.One of the dog search teams has been working close to where mountain rescuers made the discovery and where some of the 19-year-old’s possessions and clothing were found.They are continuing their work to ensure that nothing is missed in the thick undergrowth that covers the remote area near the village of Masca.The valley being searched is about a mile from where Mr Slater was last seen and close to where his mobile phone was last traced. Image: Jay Slater went missing…

Ramses II is documented as having been quite vain. But you can afford to be vain when you’re a pharaoh, the ruler and protector of Egypt, the intermediary between humans and the gods. After he died, Ramses II was embalmed and preserved for eternity — but that’s not the only reason his legacy was seared into the memory of future generations. “Ramses was a great king who was a warrior. He made many battles and was the first one to have a peace treaty,” explains Zahi Hawass, a renowned archaeologist and former antiquities minister of Egypt. “And he’s a builder —…

At least 40 people had been killed and hundreds injured in eastern Afghanistan as of Tuesday, local officials said as heavy rains continued to pelt the region.  Saifullah Khalid, head of Nangarhar province’s disaster management authority, said that 350 people were wounded and some 400 homes had also been demolished by the torrent. Many of the injured were brought to the regional hospital in Nangarhar from Jalalabad, the capital of the province which was suffering from electricity blackouts and impassable roads due to the storms. The latest tragedy comes after flash floods in May killed hundreds of people and destroyed huge areas of…