Author: DW

The US government says it will pull AI startup Anthropic from Pentagon supply chains and rip up any agreements it has with it as the row between the two escalates sharply. US Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael strongly rebuked Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Thursday, calling him a “liar” with a “God-complex.” He said Amodei “wants nothing more than to try to personally control the US military and is ok putting our nation’s safety at risk.” The row follows a meeting earlier this week between Amodei and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, where — according to sources familiar with…

It could mark the “first advance to benefit people” who have been living with HIV for decades but are forced to treat it with complex, multi-pill regimens: a once a day pill that works just as well, according to the results of a new clinical trial. HIV — the human immunodeficiency virus — was once described as a “death sentence” for infected people, inhibiting their immune systems and putting them at risk of fatal infections or cancer.   While modern medicines have improved the lives of people with HIV, such that they can suppress the virus and not pass it on…

An emergency meeting Thursday morning of the organization that manages the Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, has left the future of the festival’s current head, Tricia Tuttle, open-ended, as the festival continues to reel from controversy related to the Israel-Hamas war.  The meeting had been called by State Minister for Culture Wolfram Weimer to discuss incidents at the recent Berlinale in which, among other things, artists expressed solidarity with Gaza and criticized festival and jury leadership for their approach to handling the conflict within the festival sphere.  Weimer’s office issued the following statement after the meeting:  “This morning, a meeting of the supervisory board of the KBB GmbH [the Berlinale management organization] took place in the Chancellery. Discussions between the festival director, Tricia…

Three years ago, a team of exiled Afghan women looked on with frustration as the Women’s World Cup took place in the Australian cities where they lived. The displaced players have come a long way since then, but the Women’s Asian Cup, which starts in Australia on March 1, is both an inspiration and a reminder of the many hurdles they must still clear to play international matches. “I couldn’t stop crying the entire time as it reminded me of a time that I was able to take that pride and play for my country [before the return of the Taliban in 2021],” defender…

Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer intends to dismiss Tricia Tuttle, head of the Berlin International Film Festival, German daily Bild reported on Wednesday, citing sources within the organization responsible for the Berlinale’s management, the “Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH” (KBB).   Bild reportedly obtained the confirmation from the Culture Ministry that Weimer is calling an extraordinary meeting of the KBB on Thursday, but no official announcement as to Tuttle’s dismissal has been made yet. According to Bild, Weimer and Tuttle agree that she could not remain at the helm of the renowned film festival, following the political backlash generated…

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s threat to cut AI group Anthropic from government supply chains, or possibly compel it to prioritize government orders, raises several serious questions. It’s the latest example of Washington’s strong-arm tactics in the corporate sector, while it also shows how control over AI models is becoming a new battleground. Hegseth has reportedly given Anthropic until Friday to give the US military full access to its applications, the latest escalation of an ongoing row between one of the world’s top AI startups and the US government. So far, Anthropic has refused to give Washington complete access to its…

Although none of Germany’s group-stage matches at next summer’s World Cup are to be played in Mexico, government officials in Berlin are already thinking about the impact the recent clashes between security forces and suspected members of a drug cartel could have on the men’s national team. “FIFA must work with the governments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico to ensure that fans are not endangered and that the host countries comply with safety regulations,” Christoph Ploss, the German government’s tourism coordinator, told the Handelsblatt newspaper. He also stressed that protecting German tourists was a “very high priority” for…

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the Louvre Museum’s director, Laurence des Cars. She’s been under fire ever since thieves stole a stash of priceless jewelry from the museum in a brazen daytime heist last year. But the iconic museum has also been in the spotlight for a spate of negative headlines since, including suspicion of large-scale ticket fraud that had been going on for 10 years. The museum has endured several floods that reportedly damaged a ceiling painting and books, and witnessed labor problems. Macron’s office says resignation of museum director ‘act of responsibility’ amid changes Macron’s office announced…

Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine are in the midst of an spat over a key pipeline that supplies Russian crude to Central Europe.    Shipments through the Druzhba pipeline have stalled since the end of January. While Ukraine blames a Russian drone strike for the disruption, Hungary and Slovakia slam Kyiv for the prolonged outage. What to know about the pipeline? The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline carries Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine and into Central Europe. Opened in 1964, it is one of the largest oil pipelines in the world, connecting West Siberian oil fields to major refineries in Europe. The pipeline…

NASA is moving a rocket set to send four astronauts into a flyby of the moon off the launchpad. Postponed by NASA several times since it was rolled into launch position in late January 2026, new issues have left the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket unable to take off again. The original launch window opened on February 6, 2026. The launch was first moved by a few days and then a month, into March. Now, Artemis II will not launch before April.  Hydrogen and helium issues Problems began almost immediately in February, with freezing cold weather delaying an essential “wet” rehearsal of the…