Author: DW

Are you a “night owl” or a “morning lark” — do you get up early to seize the day or stay up working late into the night? Whether you think it’s a preference, a habit, or just the way you are, it’s your “chronotype”. And a study suggests your chronotype can impact your general cognitive skills. The found night owls generally had higher cognitive scores than morning larks. The UK-based study, published July 11, 2024 in the journal BMJ Public Health, looked at data from more than 26,000 people, who had completed a number of cognitive tests. The aim was to find out how different aspects of sleep, including duration, patterns,…

Three days after the election, Emmanuel Macron had still not commented on the new balance of power in the country. There was silence at the Elysee. The French president was playing for time before appointing a new government. Though his prime minister, Gabriel Attal, resigned on Monday, he had decided to keep him in power until further notice. Observers doubted that France would have a new government before the Olympic Games came to an end in August. The new National Assembly, whose first session will be on July 18, is now dominated by three comparably large political camps. The broad…

Water pistols squirted at tourists, tape crisscrossing the doors of hotels, placards brandished at lunching holidaymakers.The images from an anti-tourism protest in Barcelona were stark – but do they tell the whole story? About 3,000 people took part in the demonstration in the Catalan capital on Saturday, led by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turistic (ABDT), which translates to Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth.Why did they take to the streets – and should tourists reconsider their trips?’Tourists go home’ The messages painted on cardboard placards were succinct: “Tourists go home”; “Tourists out”; “Barcelona is not Disneyland”. Image: Pic: AP…

Europe’s Jewish community faces a “rising tide of antisemitism,” and the conflict in the Middle East is eroding progress made fighting against it, according to a report released Thursday by the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of antisemitism. Even before Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israeli civilians and the ensuing war in Gaza, the report noted that 96% of European Jews reported experiencing antisemitic incidents. “Jews are more frightened than ever before,” said FRA Director Sirpa Rautio, adding that a “spillover effect of the conflict in the Middle East was eroding hard-fought-for progress” against anti-Jewish prejudice. The…

Sir Keir Starmer has told the Ukrainian president that British missiles can be used for defensive strikes against targets inside Russia.The announcement came as the new British prime minister met Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Washington DC on Wednesday. The decision over the Storm Shadow missiles, which has been welcomed by Ukraine, represents a hawkish shift in policy from the stance taken by the former Conservative government.Signalling the move, but declining to get into “operational arrangements”, John Healey, the new defence secretary, told Sky News that Britain “will do all we can to help Ukraine in their fight…

Taiwan’s defense ministry has reported a surge of Chinese military aircraft around the self-ruled island, a day after Beijing reportedly conducted military drills with an aircraft carrier in nearby waters. The ministry on Thursday said it had detected 66 Chinese military aircraft operating around Taiwan in the past 24 hours, making it a record high this year. “66 PLA aircraft and seven PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (2200 GMT Wednesday) today,” the defense ministry said in its statement. As per the ministry, 56 of the planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait,…

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday faced doubts about his reelection campaign from lawmakers from his Democratic Party. Late on Wednesday, Senator Peter Welch called on Biden to withdraw from the election, making him the first Democratic senator to do so. Biden is running for reelection in November, where he is likely to face off against former Republican President Donald Trump. The challenges come as 81-year-old Biden welcomes NATO leaders in Washington. What did Democrats say about Biden’s campaign? In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Welch pointed to Biden’s performance during a debate with Trump in which the…

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office on Wednesday banned the online newspaper The Moscow Times. The website was blocked in Russia for allegedly discrediting the country’s military shortly after the start of Kremlin-backed invasion of Ukraine. What do we know about the Moscow Times ban? The Prosecutor General’s Office classified the newspaper as an “undesirable organization,” saying it was undermining Russia’s leadership. The designation means that any cooperation with or payments to the outlet are now considered a criminal offense carrying sentences of up to five years in prison. “The work of the publishing house is aimed at discrediting the decisions…

News about Ethel Brooks’ success spread quickly within the Romani community in Europe: “Have you heard?” people would say, “We have a Romani woman professor in the US!” There are perhaps a handful of Romani professors in the world, and one of them is Ethel Brooks, the first in the United States. Any Romani person who makes it to the top is well known in the Romani community: Livia Jaroka, the first Romani woman in the European Parliament, for example, or Nizaqete Bislimi-Hoso, a successful lawyer in Germany or Esma Redzepova, who is often called the queen of Romani music.…

Ollie Watkins scored a last-minute winner as England secured a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands to lead his side to the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The substitute struck his first goal in a major tournament for England as he turned Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij in the box before hammering the ball into the far bottom corner. It is a second consecutive European Championship final for Gareth Southgate’s side, who came up short against Italy on penalties at Wembley in 2021. Winning goalscorer Wakins was in disbelief at full time, saying: “It’s unbelievable. I’ve…