Author: DW

Anish Kapoor can demand quite a lot from his audience. For some, gazing into dark whirlpools, into the blackest of black, may be unsettling, depending on one’s state of mind. Added to that is dark red wax, one of his favorite materials: It symbolizes flesh and blood. Associations that cut straight to the core. And yet, the artist seems cheerful and relaxed talking about his work. At times, however, it makes even him feel a little uneasy. Take, for example, the major exhibition of his work currently on view at the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, Germany. In an interview with ARD, he…

The European Parliament is expected to approve new rules to make it easier for farmers to grow crops, genetically edited using new genomic techniques (NGTs). The vote on NGTs is scheduled for June 17. If the EU gives the green light, it would mark a big policy shift. Brussels has maintained a cautious stance on genetically modified organisms since its regulation of GMOs began in the 1990s. From ‘Frankenfoods’ to CRISPR crops Thirty years ago, GMO agricultural products were often dubbed “Frankenstein foods” or “Frankenfoods.” Environmentalists and certain members of the media warned that GMOs could cause allergic reactions, lead to antibiotic resistance, and other long-term…

From obscure, veteran goalkeeper to global fame and an extra 6 million social media followers in 90 minutes, Vozinha’s story is the sort that has made the World Cup so special across the globe. The Cape Verde stopper excelled as his side drew 0-0 with European champions Spain on Monday. But the tears he shed after the game were not only joyful. “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he told reporters. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to…

Germany’s Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) Foundation is this month marking 25 years since it first paid compensation to the last survivors forced to work under the Nazi regime. But some have argued that those payments should have begun much sooner after the end of World War II in 1945, and should have been much larger. According to the EVZ, €4.4 billion ($5.1 billion) were paid to 1.66 million former forced laborers and their legal successors in around 100 countries between 2001 and 2007, when the final payments were made. Some 26 million people are believed to have been forced to work for the…

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed a framework agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Gulf that have reduced commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to a trickle for more than three months. The deal, scheduled to be signed on Friday in Switzerland, reopens the strait to shipping without tolls, lifts the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and allows Tehran to resume oil exports under limited sanctions relief. The framework also extends the current ceasefire for at least 60 days while launching broader talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Yet, unlike reopening a highway after a car wreck,…

Now that the 2026 World Cup has started, the show element of this tournament is hard to escape. Big stadiums, big screens, big food — this is America and there was no doubt about it in Houston. And Germany did their part by delivering a big scoreline. The 7-1 win over Curacao was a little short of their highest World Cup win (8-0 against Saudi Arabia in 2002), but matching the famous scoreline of that famous 2014 World Cup semifinal is a boost to a side that has endured rather than enjoyed recent editions of this tournament. After weeks of talk about the…

There is no remorse in Waldemar Klingelhöfer’s eyes. A picture from the “Einsatzgruppen trial” shows the SS-Sturmbannführer or “assault unit leader” staring calmly into the camera. His checkered shirt is buttoned all the way up; his brows are furrowed, but his face shows no emotion. Waldemar Klingelhöfer at the Einsatzgruppen trial in Nuremberg The photograph would have been taken during the Nuremberg trials in 1947 or 1948, just before Klingelhöfer was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity and membership in a criminal organization. From opera singer to killer for the Nazis  Before he joined Hitler’s killing forces, Klingelhöfer was an opera…

The United States and Iran announced on Sunday that they had struck a preliminary agreement to end their war, raising hopes for an end to the energy crisis that has gripped countries worldwide since the conflict began. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post hailing the US-Iran agreement. The deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz once both sides formally sign the accord on Friday. The narrow waterway is a crucial route for global energy trade, handling about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas in normal times.…

There are few records left for Manuel Neuer to break in his career, but his surprise return to the Germany team for the 2026 World Cup has seen him reach new milestones. By playing in goal during Germany’s 7-1 win over Curacao, Neuer has now played at five World Cups, equaling Lothar Matthäus’ German record. His appearance also made him the oldest ever German international, aged 40 years and 79 days, breaking a record previously held by Matthäus (39 years and 91 days). The game was also his 20th World Cup appearance, drawing him level with former French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as the goalkeeper with the most…

Are we alone in this universe? Amid all the unanswered questions related to alien life, Steven Spielberg has more than any other filmmaker shaped the vision that humanity’s first encounter with extraterrestrials could be a peaceful and profound experience — as opposed to a threatening invasion. Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) are iconic movies that fundamentally redefined the science fiction genre. Just like those films, “Disclosure Day” has been described by its lead star, Josh O’Connor, as “a film about hope and humanity and understanding,” fitting right into the filmmaker’s wondrous view on the phenomenon of extraterrestrial life. ‘Overwhelming circumstantial…