Author: DW

Dachshunds could face a breeding ban in Germany after a draft law looked to prohibit the spread of various canine characteristics, the country’s kennel club has warned.The latest draft of the Animal Protection Act aims to clamp down on torture breeding – the reproduction of dogs with traits that cause “pain, suffering or damage”. As part of the proposal, it lists a number of “symptoms” that should not be reproduced, including hairlessness, reduced life expectancy, abnormalities of the skeletal system and teeth malformations.Germany’s Kennel Club (VDH) has warned that this could affect the dachshund – and a number of other…

Whether it’s physical or psychological, bullying and other forms of peer violence among young people are nothing new. In fact, overall trends are stable. But a study of 44 countries in Europe, central Asia and Canada indicates an increase in cyberbullying since 2018. The “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” (HBSC) study was published March 27, 2024, by WHO/Europe (World Health Organization). It identifies “the increasing digitalization of young people’s interactions” as a main cause of cyberbullying. In a same-day media release, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said the report was “a wake-up call.” “With young people spending up to six hours…

Chinese state media reported on Tuesday that a court in the central Chinese province of Hubei handed former Chinese Football Association (CFA) President Chen Xuyuan a life sentence after having found him guilty of helping fix matches and using his various positions to commit financial crimes. The court found that between 2010 and 2023 Chen had accepted bribes and valuables worth more than 81 million yuan (€10.3 million, $11.2 million). The official Xinhua news agency reported that all of Chen’s personal property would be confiscated, and his illegal gains would be recovered and submitted to China’s state treasury. Other high-ranking…

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with US business representatives in Beijing. “On the morning of March 27, President Xi Jinping met with representatives from the US business community… at the Great Hall of the People,” state broadcaster CCTV said, referring to the building that houses China’s legislature. CCTV said that representatives from academia also attended. It did not name who was at the meeting. Apple’s Tim Cook: China ‘opening up’ The meeting comes a few days after the China Development Forum in Beijing, which was attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook and other top executives. “I think China’s…

Cocoa prices have surged to unprecedented heights in recent months, shattering records as the commodity’s value skyrockets. On Tuesday, the cocoa prices hit $10,000 (€9,235) per metric ton, making it more expensive than copper, which is currently trading at around $8,700 per ton. The latest cocoa price is in stark contrast to a year ago when prices for the commodity languished below $3,000. The cocoa market’s dynamics reveal some troubling aspects, as the current boom benefits only some of the stakeholders in the business. Cocoa farmers, for example, have been finding themselves trapped in poverty for years, unable to survive on their labor…

“Are you Tajik? If you are, cancel the ride.” This was what many taxi drivers in Russia have heard from potential customers following last Friday’s attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. The attack claimed the lives of at least 139 people — either shot at point-blank range or suffocated by the smoke when the attackers set the concert hall on fire. This week, the Basmanny District Court in Moscow arrested 11 people — seven of them of Tajik origin — who are suspected of committing or of being complicit in the biggest such attack Russia has witnessed in past decades. While…

At least five people have been killed after a bus crash on a motorway near the German city of Leipzig, police have said.The accident took place on the A9 motorway this morning and it was closed in both directions. There were “numerous casualties”, police added.The bus was overturned on the busy motorway that connects Berlin to Munich, although “the exact circumstances of the accident are not yet known”, said Flixbus, the vehicle’s operator. Image: Pic: Jan Woitas/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Image: Pic: AP Rescue helicopters and ambulances also attended the scene. Some 53 passengers and two drivers were on board the bus which…

The British Museum sued a former curator on Tuesday, alleging that he stole hundreds of artifacts from its collections and offered them for sale online. Peter Higgs was fired last year in July after the museum discovered that more than 1,800 artifacts were stolen or missing. The museum, one of the most well-funded and famous galleries in the world, found itself at the eye of a storm after gold jewelry and semi-precious stones dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. were declared stolen or missing early last year. The director of the museum also resigned last year, saying…

Two minutes after Maximilian Mittelstädt scored his first ever Germany goal, Robert Andrich had no problem getting in Memphis Depay’s face. Later, it was Antonio Rüdiger challenging Wout Weghorst. Days before, it had been Toni Kroos crunching his Real Madrid team Aurelien Tchouameni and Andrich, again, riling up Kylian Mbappe. “Something has definitely come into being that wasn’t there before,” said Kroos. “You can see it in the small things, the tackles, the reaction between us,” said Thomas Müller. Both France and the Netherlands were beaten and over the course of seven days, the conversation around this team has changed. Germany’s brilliance…

Brazil and France on Tuesday announced a program to protect the Amazon rainforest involving €1 billion ($1.08 billion) in funds over the next four years. The announcement came as French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Brazilian city of Belem to speak with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Belem lies at the mouth of the Amazon River in the northern Brazilian state of Para. The city will be the host of the COP30 climate summit in 2025. What do we know about the plan? The investment plan aims to raise “€1 billion of public and private investment over the next…