Author: DW

When Chinese fast-fashion online retailer Shein opened its first boutique last week, there were both protests and a crowd of shoppers. The brick-and-mortar shop inside the BHV Marais department store in central Paris hit a nerve and not just because it is in the home of haute couture. It was a love-hate response to the company seen in many other areas. Ultracheap and still duty-free Shein, which is often put in the same category as the Temu online platform that allows manufacturers to sell much more than just fashion directly to consumers, has been criticized for things like counterfeits, aggressive marketing,…

Russian star gymnast Angelina Melnikova will no longer compete for TSV Tittmoning-Chemnitz, a gymnastics club in eastern Germany, at the season-ending Bundesliga finals as previously planned, the club’s coach told DW. Melnikova, 25, signed on with Chemnitz earlier this month, but her debut in the penultimate Bundesliga competition of the season on November 15 in Esslingen, a German town near Stuttgart, attracted controversy because of her links to Russian President Vladimir Putin and her support for the war in Ukraine. That appears to violate the International Gymnastics Federation (the FIG) neutrality rules. In his opening remarks at the Esslingen competition,…

Pakistan carried out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan that killed at least 10 civilians, including nine children, the Taliban said on Tuesday. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X that Pakistani forces “bombed the house of a local civilian” in Khost province late Monday, killing a woman and nine children. He said further strikes hit Kunar and Paktika provinces, wounding four civilians. Pakistan authorities have not commented on the strikes. Suicide bombing in Peshawar killed 3 The strikes came a day after suicide bombers targeted a security compound in Pakistan’s Peshawar city, killing at least three officers and leaving at least 11 others…

A panel of four Supreme Court judges unanimously upheld on Monday a decision to incarcerate Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, after he was arrested over the weekend when he tampered with his ankle monitor. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro’s detention on Saturday, citing fears he might try to escape custody if allowed to stay on house arrest, where he has been awaiting an appeal against his 27-year prison sentence for plotting a failed coup. On Monday, Justices Flavio Dino, Cristiano Zanin and Carmen Lucia upheld de Moraes’ order.Brazil’s ex-president Bolsonaro taken into custodyTo view this video please enable JavaScript,…

With his angular features and ice-blue eyes, German actor Udo Kier’s face was unmistakable. In over 200 films, he played everything from Adolf Hitler to monsters and vampires. With a repertoire ranging from high-end pulp to art house films and blockbusters, he frequently starred alongside Hollywood greats. Kier enjoyed widespread acclaim for his leading role in the 2021 film “Swan Song,” in which he played Pat, a gay hairdresser living in a nursing home who gives his all for one last important job. Friendship with Lars von Trier Kier had a close working relationship with Danish director Lars von Trier. They…

Large language models like ChatGPT infringe on German authors’ rights laws if they use song lyrics in their responses without having paid license fees for them, a Munich court ruled on Tuesday.  Judge Elke Schwager at the Munich District Court I said that OpenAI, the US company that owns ChatGPT, would be charged damages for the unauthorized usage. She did not specify a sum.  The claimant and a German journalists’ trade union both claimed the case could have far-reaching implications for AI or large language models and intellectual property and copyright laws. The verdict can be appealed. “We do not agree with the verdict and…

Chemical poisoning — not foodborne disease — is now being investigated as the probable cause of the deaths of a German-Turkish family in Istanbul last week. It has again brought the role of phosphine-producing pesticides into focus, and follows several similar incidents in Turkey and around the world. Local newspaper Cumhuriyet has now reported the initial findings from forensic analyses performed on samples taken from the bodies of the mother and her two children who died between 13 and 14 November. The father and husband of the deceased passed away on 17 November. Excerpts from the initial report said “primarily, it is believed that they…

A star Russian athlete will compete in Germany’s gymnastics Bundesliga, despite being designated as a “champion of terror” by Ukraine. 2020 Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova, one of the world’s best gymnasts, has signed for TSV Tittmoning-Chemnitz for the last two rounds of the Bundesliga season. However, the move is controversial, with the 25-year-old accused of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin and backing his war in Ukraine, having also dabbled in politics with the ruling United Russia party. Other Bundesliga clubs have queried the wisdom of bringing Melnikova in to help Chemnitz’s title push. “There were only sporting reasons,” club coach…

Skip next section Ex-South African president’s daughter probed for recruiting men for Ukraine War11/24/2025November 24, 2025Ex-South African president’s daughter probed for recruiting men for Ukraine WarSouth African police are investigating allegations that a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma helped recruit men to fight in Ukraine. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who is also a Parliamentarian for her father’s MK party, was named in an affidavit filed by her stepsister.  The document claims she and two others recruited a group of South Africans under false pretenses.  The men have asked the South African government to help them get home from Ukraine’s Donbas region.…

South African police on Sunday confirmed they are investigating claims that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, and two others conned 17 men into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Another of Zuma’s daughters, Nkosazana Bongamini Zuma-Mncube, accused her stepsister of sending the men to Russia before they were ordered to the front lines. “These men were lured to Russia under false pretenses and handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight in the Ukraine war without their knowledge or consent. Among these 17 men are eight of my family members,” Zuma-Mncube said in a public statement. Earlier this…