Author: DW

Teresa was 19 years old when she moved to India. There, the novice was confronted with misery, hunger and disease. She lived as a nun and teacher in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as a member of the Catholic Loreto Order, which was dedicated to educational and missionary work in India. Calcutta was overcrowded, the state welfare system was overwhelmed and the health care system was virtually nonexistent. After around 200 years of colonial rule, India faced enormous challenges shortly after gaining independence from Great Britain. The country was in turmoil, and thousands of people died in violent crises. The film “Mother” depicts the extent…

The steep cost of health care remains a thorny political issue in the United States. Disagreement over the extension of health care subsidies was at the center of the recent 43-day government shutdown. And President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have been severely hit by cost of living concerns, including on the soaring cost of health care. Trump has consistently promised to cut costs and this week was expected to announce details of a new plan regarding the possible extension of subsidies from the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. However, the announcement was postponed amid uncertainty over precisely what he…

It’s that time of year again, when children in countries that celebrate Christmas all over the world are dreaming of what awaits them in brightly wrapped packages — everything ranging from model cars to plastic building blocks, dolls and so much more. Yet the German Society for Endocrinology, a specialist society for researchers studying the effects of hormones, warns that many children’s toys contain endocrine disruptors, which can have a negative impact on metabolic processes, growth, brain development and fertility. Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are chemicals that, even in small quantities, can disrupt the way hormones function, and cause harmful effects. EDCs include plasticizers…

Argentina soccer superstar Lionel Messi arrived Saturday in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, as large crowds of jubilant fans gathered at the airport and lined the streets in the city to welcome him. Indian news agency ANI said the soccer player, considered the greatest of his generation, was escorted out of the airport via an alternative route because an overwhelming number of people turned out at the airport to catch a glimpse of him. Messi is visiting India as part of what’s billed as his “GOAT (greatest of all time) Tour” and is set to tour four cities in total: Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and…

Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the Jewish Christmas, but the festival has nothing to do with Jesus’ birth.  Instead it commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem around 200 BC, where the legend goes that the Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. In fact, the word Hanukkah means “rededication.” A nine-branched hanukkiah Image: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa/picture-alliance Under Greek rule, the Jews were not allowed to practice their religion for two centuries, until they reconquered Jerusalem in 164 BC. After cleansing the Second Temple and rebuilding its altar, they found a jar of oil that was enough…

Speculation over President Nicolas Maduro’s political future has intensified after US forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast. The incident on Wednesday underscored Washington’s longstanding interest in a nation that holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves — an interest shared, albeit for different reasons, by China. “Whoever comes to power, I can assure you, the first call will be Trump, but the second will be Xi Jinping,” said Parsifal D’Sola Alvarado, a specialist in China–Latin America relations. US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation in US pressure…

India was due to send its own spacecraft, crewed with its own astronauts, into orbit in 2022. But COVID-19 and a series of technical setbacks have consistently delayed the Gaganyaan mission’s progress. ISRO — the Indian Space Research Organization — has now certified its LMV3 launch rocket for human travel and is aiming to complete three uncrewed launches of the Gaganyaan spacecraft in 2026.  If things go to plan, three astronauts (or “Gaganyatris”) selected from air force pilots Prasanth Balakrishnan, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshui Shukla, will be strapped in for the maiden voyage. The earliest that launch could take place is…

As announced last Friday, the 14 Women’s Bundesliga clubs officially established their own league organization during a meeting in the German city of Frankfurt on Wednesday. Katharina Kiel of Eintracht Frankfurt was elected as the first president of the Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V. (Women’s Bundesliga Association). Veronica Sass of Bayern Munich and Florian Zeutschler will serve as vice presidents. The FBL’s stated purpose is to take the league’s marketing and professionalization to a new level and will reportedly be rolled out in 18 months time. “Today marks a historic moment for German women’s football. For the first time, all top-division clubs are joining…

Iceland has become the fifth county to announce it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after Israel’s participation in the competition was officially confirmed last week. Despite boycott threats from several broadcasters over Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza, Israel’s entry was cleared after members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) chose not to hold a vote on banning the country.   Following the EBU’s decision Spain, one of the so-called “Big Five” largest contributors to Eurovision, said it would boycott the 2026 event because of Israel’s participation. Eurovision host broadcasters in Ireland, the Netherlands,  Slovenia, and now Iceland, are also withdrawing from the…

Amid tariff disputes, the war in Ukraine and environmental problems, Europe is looking for a new direction for its economic strategy. A key question is what role environmentally friendly production, agriculture and the protection of natural resources should play in the future. Through its 2019 Green Deal, the EU has been working towards making its industries more efficient and climate-neutral by 2050. But the plan is facing increasing criticism and pressure. Not least from the conservative EPP group in the EU Parliament, which is seeking to gain majorities with the help of far-right parties. Several resolutions are currently being watered…