Author: DW

A massive rock wall towers over a small plateau in France’s southern Haute-Provence region. At its base, a few stones sit in the grass, looking as if they’ve fallen there by chance. Beneath them rest the ashes of a young man — it was his favorite spot — where his family have chosen to have him rest in peace. In Germany, that wouldn’t be possible. German law generally requires that the dead be buried in an approved cemetery, a burial forest or a designated section of the sea. Keeping an urn in your backyard is also not permitted. Nor is…

For Matthias Rüth, there’s no question of pivoting his business away from China — despite growing government warnings about the risks of being too invested in the country. As the managing director of Frankfurt-based rare earths and commodity trading firm Tradium, China remains fundamental to the business, given the country’s almost complete dominance of the increasingly vital rare earths sector. “With China covering, for instance, more than 95% of the rare earth market, you cannot replace this in a short time,” he told DW. “These are long-standing and reliable trading relationships, and the material and processes are proven.” For Rüth and so…

It’s the stuff of a science fiction movie: a planet in the stages of formation collides with another. The massive impact causes both worlds to break apart, sending hot space rock flying. But it’s not sci-fi, it’s the story of Earth. Space scientists are largely agreed that about 4.5 billion years ago, Earth, then a hot ball of molten iron and other elements, was hit by another Mars-sized protoplanet. This hypothetical world is called Theia, named for a titaness of Greek mythology. Theia was completely destroyed by this impact, but likely lives on beneath our feet, as fragments from this doomed world fused with the…

Like dozens of national football teams, Spain will be hoping to secure its place at the 2026 World Cup in the current international window. But, for more than 50,000 fans in the San Mames stadium in the northern city of Bilbao on Saturday, the focus of attention was squarely on two teams who won’t be there: the Palestine and Basque Country national football teams. The streets of Bilbao were packed with Palestinian flags, with supporters of both clubs united by a shared cause. Money raised from the match went to Doctors Without Borders , and the entertainment before the players crossed the…

After two acts of sabotage targeting Poland’s rail network, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski didn’t mince words about the situation. “That wasn’t like prior acts of sabotage — it was state terrorism — because its clear aim was human casualties,” said Sikorski in Poland’s parliament on Wednesday. Poland’s Interior Ministry has reported that several people possibly involved in the attacks have been arrested and await questioning. “A foreign nation sent well-prepared saboteurs who failed in their mission only through some miracle,” Sikorski added. He then accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence service of recruiting mercenaries to “do the dirty work.” Shortly thereafter,…

A new peace proposal for Ukraine drafted by President Donald Trump’s administration suggests significant concessions by Kyiv.

Photos of empty cinemas have been circulating online in recent weeks — a form of protest staged by Zhu Rikun, curator of the New York–based IndieChina Film Festival, against what he called the Chinese government’s crackdown on independent films. The festival was canceled on November 6, just days before it was due to start, due to pressure from the Chinese government. “I didn’t notice any warning signs… In the festival statement, I even expressed hope that the festival could soon return to China. I didn’t want it to become an event in exile,” Zhu told DW.Photos of empty chairs were used as…

China has again overtaken the US to become Germany’s top trading partner, thanks to a rise in imports to Germany in the first three quarters of 2025.  This comes amid tariff tensions with both countries, albeit with Donald Trump’s trade policies probably getting the most attention, and as German exports to both the core markets falter. Car sales suffered in particular. What were the core figures?  The government’s statistics office, Destatis, published corrected data on Wednesday showing a total trade volume with China of €185.9 billion (roughly $215 billion) between January and September. That’s an increase of 0.6% compared to…

What is next for Germany? On December 5, the draw for the World Cup group stage will be made. Thirty-four of the 48 teams (up from 32 in Qatar) have qualified for the World Cup, as of November 18. A total of seven European nations have secured their spot, including Germany. Norway return for the first time since 1998, while Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde will all make their debuts. After Germany’s win against Slovakia, they are set to move into ninth in the world rankings, most likely putting them into Pot 1 for the draw. This would almost certainly mean they will avoid facing another…

11/20/2025November 20, 2025Ukrainian lawmaker tells DW reported peace plan sounds ‘like surrender’Reports of a possible peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine sound “like surrender,” Oleksiy Goncharenko of Ukraine’s opposition European Solidarity party told DW. The lawmaker dismissed reports of a plan allegedly negotiated between the United States and Russia that would require Kyiv to cede land controlled by Russian forces and cut its military size by more than half, calling it disinformation by Moscow. “The main guarantee for Ukraine, as for any other country, [is] its own armed forces,” he said. “That’s exactly what Russia wants — to…