Author: DW

A Philippine ship lightly collided with a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea on Monday, the Chinese coast guard said. The incident occurred in waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea. Parts of the region are disputed by Taiwan, the Philippines and several other Southeast Asian countries. Trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade pass through the South China Sea each year and oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under its seabed. What did the Chinese coast guard say about the collision? The Chinese coast…

Suppliers of cannabis seeds, gardening equipment, fertilizers and grow lamps will benefit from Germany’s decision to legalize cannabis, Dirk Heitepriem of the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) told DW. Germany partially legalized cannabis in April, relaxing rules to allow adults to cultivate up to three cannabis plants for personal use. Those unable or unwilling to grow plants but looking to legally source the drug can join cannabis social clubs as of July 1. These nonprofit cooperatives may cultivate and distribute cannabis to members under strict conditions. Compo, a German horticultural supplier, is one of the companies already seeing business picking up…

The world’s nine nuclear-armed states spent altogether $91.4 billion (€85.4 billion) on their arsenals in 2023, a $10.7 billion increase on the year before, according to a report by the Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Global spending on nuclear weapons was equivalent to $2,898 per second. The United States was responsible for the vast majority — 80% — of the increase in spending. Washington invested $51.5 billion in modernizing its nuclear arsenal, more than all other nuclear-armed countries put together.   Spending up, number of warheads down Spending in 2023 by the nuclear-armed states jumped more than 33% from the $68.2 billion spent…

An oil spill has blackened parts of Singapore’s southern shores, forcing popular beaches to close.Netherlands-flagged dredger boat Vox Maxima struck Singaporean fuel supply ship Marine Honor on Friday, after a sudden loss in engine and steering control. The collision ruptured one of Marine Honor’s cargo tanks, according to authorities, which caused low-sulphur oil to leak into the sea.While the spill has been contained, tides have washed the oil – which has been treated with dispersants – further along the shore, including to the resort island of Sentosa. Image: Workers dispose of contaminated sand at Tanjong Beach in Sentosa, Singapore. Pic:…

Lamine Yamal breaks records as easily as he dismantles defenses. On Saturday, at 16 years and 338 days old, he became the youngest player in European Championship history. He was already the youngest to play for Barcelona, and for Spain. The youngest goal scorer in the history of La Liga, the Spanish Cup and his national team. The word prodigy barely does him justice. “A talent that only the chosen ones have,” summarized his coach Luis de la Fuente in the buildup. “It’s like he has been touched by the wand of God. Very few have that quality, that incredible ability. They’re…

Tucked high in the Swiss mountains, the Bürgenstock resort is no stranger to making history. It has hosted movie stars and power brokers throughout the 20th century, and in 2002, the Sudanese government and rebels brokered a cease-fire deal here. But as leaders, ministers and envoys of more than 90 nations descended on the mountaintop venue for first-of-their-kind talks on bringing peace to Ukraine, the goals were more modest. Russia was not invited and showed no interest in attending, prompting its ally China to boycott the talks. Swiss hosts said they hoped only to lay some groundwork for future negotiations, inching forward…

What was considered almost unthinkable years ago is now being reflected in the job market for military aircraft maintenance. There’s such a need for military aircraft maintenance experts that companies like Lufthansa Technik (LHT) are going to great lengths to train and retrain employees from outside the industry. These new experts often come from suppliers whose jobs have become obsolete due to the switch to electric vehicles. “Lufthansa Technik, for example, is recruiting mechatronics engineers from the automotive sector in its search for specialists,” aviation expert Heinrich Grossbongardt told DW. “They have a good education and are being retrained as…

A leading rebel commander was among those killed in the besieged north Darfur city of El Fasher, the latest flashpoint in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, the army said on Friday. In a social media statement, the Sudanese army said Ali Yagoub Gibril, a commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who was under US sanctions, was among hundreds killed and injured in confrontations between the rebels and the army. The announcement closely followed a United Nations Security Council resolution passed on Thursday. It called on Sudan’s RSF to halt the siege of El Fasher, a city of 1.8 million people,…

Pope Francis has issued a warning about AI as he became the first pontiff to address the G7 summit of world leaders.A hush fell as he entered the room in his wheelchair – and he greeted each of the leaders in turn, including President Biden, President Zelenskyy and Rishi Sunak. His countryman, Argentinian President Javier Milei, gave him an especially warm welcome, while there was a hug from Jordan’s King Abdullah and a whispered exchange with President Biden.The Pope told leaders artificial intelligence offered “epochal transformation” that included “exponential” advances in scientific research.However, he warned it must be closely monitored…

When asked why he wears such small shinpads, Florian Wirtz smiled and said: “I always try to make sure I don’t get caught by too many [players].” In the 2023-24 season, only one team has caught Bayer Leverkusen or Wirtz. The Bundesliga club’s record-breaking run came to an end after 51 games without defeat, Atalanta beating them in the Europa League final to spoil an otherwise perfect, double-winning season. Although Leverkusen’s success is a result of a collective effort, it’s clear how decisive Wirtz’s contributions have been this season. His audacious chip against Qarabag sparked Leverkusen’s comeback in the Europa…