Author: DW

Italian viewers appeared to be abuzz with anticipation — and some surprise — ahead of the broadcast of a two-part television series that portrays Angela Merkel as an Agatha Christie-style sleuth. The show features German actress Katharina Thalbach as the former chancellor, who has adopted the postpolitics persona of a modern-day Miss Marple. What do we know about the show? “Miss Merkel and the Murder in the Castle” airs the first of two episodes on the Italian television channel Rai2 on Friday evening. The series is not an Italian creation, but was made by a Hamburg-based film production company and first aired by…

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been in jail since last August and was convicted in some cases ahead of a national election in February. Khan, who served as premier from 2018 to 2022, was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote after falling out with the nation’s powerful military generals who had once backed him. He has since been entangled in more than 200 legal cases. Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party say the charges were politically motivated and aimed at thwarting his return to power. “The only reason for Imran Khan being in prison is his overwhelming…

The idea of China’s outstripping the United States to become the world’s largest economy has been a fixation for policymakers and economists for decades. What will happen, they argue, when the US — one of the most dynamic, productive economies — is usurped by an authoritarian regime with a three-quarters-of-a-billion-strong workforce? Predictions of when exactly China would steal the US’s crown have come thick and fast ever since the 2008/9 financial crisis, which hampered growth in the United States and Europe for many years. Before what became known as the Great Recession, China saw double-digit annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth for at least five years.…

Dozens of people are missing after two buses were swept into a swollen river in Nepal by a landslide amid torrential monsoon rain.The buses were swept off a road and into the Trishuli River near Simaltal, about 74 miles west of the capital Kathmandu, at around 3am.At least 62 people were missing, according to local district officials, while Rabi Lamichhane, the country’s home minister, told its parliament 51 passengers were unaccounted for and more than 500 rescue personnel have been assigned to the search operation.Three passengers were rescued and are receiving hospital treatment, government administrator Khima Nanada Bhusal said.They reportedly…

During the Third Reich, numerous attempts were made to assassinate the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. The most well-known was the one which took place on July 20, 1944 and was part of a plot called “Operation Valkyrie.” More than 200 people were involved, chiefly the German army officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. But along with him and his fellow military officers, civilian women were also involved, such as Erika von Tresckow, the wife of Henning von Tresckow, who had a major role in the plot. She supported the plans by delivering messages to coordinate military and civilian resistance groups as well as…

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son is set to marry on Friday, marking the culmination of a wedding extravaganza  that lasted nearly seven months and brought into focus the staggering wealth and influence of the richest man in Asia. Anant Ambani — the youngest son of the tycoon — got engaged to Radhika Merchant — the daughter of pharmaceutical magnate Viren Merchant — in December last year. The couple will wed in a Hindu ceremony at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai. Among the invitees expected to attend the event are: Former British Prime Ministers Boris…

Preliminary findings from the European Commission on Friday said tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) social media platform was in breach of EU digital content rules. “Today, the Commission has informed X of its preliminary view that it is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers,” the European Commission said in a statement. Preliminary findings In three key findgings highlighted by the Commission, EU regulators were unhappy with the X blue badge system that, under Musk’s ownership of X, has meant anyone can now obtain it with…

Nappy makers in Japan are switching focus to the rapidly expanding adult market after births dropped to a record low.In the face of an ageing population, companies are targeting resources at this growth area. The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth year running in 2023. Image: Pic: Reuters Japan’s population is forecast to plummet by about 30% to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates.Against this backdrop, the nappy business is changing direction. Read more on Sky News:Japanese T-shirts feature random Scottish place namesSpoon that…

The World Health Organization says cancer is a “major contributor to global mortality.” It projects that the global cancer burden will increase by about 77% by 2050. But at least some forms of cancer can be avoided. Destiny is in your hands: Don’t smoke Being diagnosed with cancer is a shock that hits you hard. And yet almost half of all cancer cases could be prevented. Smoking alone triggers about every fifth tumor. The toxic cigarette smoke does not only cause lung cancer but many other kinds of tumors as well. Smoking is the most frequent self-imposed cause for cancer, but…

Trains let Germany down Germany’s main train operator Deutsche Bahn has come in for huge criticism after the network failed to cope with the mass of extra people in the country for Euro 2024. Those inside Germany knew that train delays and cancellations had become a regular fact of life long before the tournament, but those outside Germany were shocked that the supposed punctual and efficient nation no longer had a train service to be proud of. The most galling episodes for Deutsche Bahn were when tournament director Phillip Lahm was late for a game due to the trains and the Netherlands had to take a…