Author: DW

Baleen whales have long been thought to sing to each other in a way scientists couldn’t identify – but new research has uncovered how the world’s largest mammals communicate.The species – which includes humpbacks and blue whales – use low-frequency sounds of up to 300Hz to speak underwater, which are absorbed less rapidly in the ocean. Scientists have now found that the mammals have unique structures in their larynx which lets them to speak, direct themselves and find mates.For their study, researchers from the University of Southern Denmark analysed the voice boxes of sei whales and humpback whales, and were…

Three consecutive defeats proved too much for those responsible at Bayern Munich, especially the manner in which they came about.  Following last weekend’s defeat at Bochum in the Bundesliga, the gap to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen was stretched to eight points.  The German record titleholders have already been eliminated from the German Cup back in November and are facing the threat of early exit in the Champions League after losing the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Lazio.  Although three months remain in the league season, the club decided to pull the ripcord and have begun taking steps for…

Each year, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban gives speeches that are eagerly awaited by his supporters. Every February, Orban takes stock of the previous year and announces the kick-off of the new political season. The occasion is usually marked by a triumphant tone on past achievements and combative pronouncements of new iniatives. This year was different. The hotly anticipated event was overshadowed by scandal. President Katalin Novak resigned earlier in February after pardoning a man who had helped to cover up child abuse. As a result, Orban started his address with the following sentence: “The year 2024 could not have started…

Sam Altman caused more than a stir in early February when he called for a $5 to 7 trillion (€4.65 to 6.5 trillion) global investment to produce more powerful chips for the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. Many industry analysts were left open-mouthed at the figure cited by the OpenAI chief executive, which is equivalent to almost a quarter of the US federal budget.  Altman wants to solve some of the major issues faced by the AI sector, which includes a major shortage of chips and semiconductors needed to power large language models like his firm’s ChatGPT, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month. The…

Since last year, Chinese-owned TikTok and other large internet platforms have been obliged to comply with the European’s Union’s (EU) Digital Service Act (DSA). Compared to similar regulations around the globe, requirements laid out in the DSA are relatively stringent. Two months ago, the European Commission, which provides oversight, expressed doubt that TikTok was adhering to regulations. It launched preliminary investigations and requested a statement from the platform. According to the European Commission, the statement was unsatisfactory. On February 19, Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market, announced on X, formerly Twitter, that his office had opened a formal investigation into TikTok. Should…

British companies are exporting hundreds of millions of pounds of equipment and machinery which almost certainly ends up in Russia, undermining the official sanctions regime and bolstering Vladimir Putin’s war machine, according to data analysis from Sky News.The items – which include drone equipment, optical supplies and heavy machinery – are being sent to countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and others, from where they are understood to be forwarded on to Russia. Ukraine war latest: Russia hits out at UK after prison bosses sanctioned over Navalny deathThe numbers show that despite the sharp fall…

As mass demonstrations took place across Germany in protest against the rising far right, many football clubs rallied fans to take to the streets. Alemannia Aachen, a club in the fourth division of German football, responded differently. “We’re obviously against all forms of hate, incitement and extremism,” their social media post read. The club would not participate in any demonstrations that “divide society,” it said. The club later apologized for the “questionably phrased” post and promised to conduct an internal investigation. But that didn’t stop right-wing social media accounts celebrating the statement, including those of the far-right, populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Aachen later distanced itself from the party and rejected any…

“Our mother tongue unites us people from the Luo community,” said Isaac Oguto, who comes from Kenya’s Nyanza region in which Lake Victoria is located. Around 4 million people speak Luo in the East African nation, mainly in the west. Other Luo speakers live in Uganda and Tanzania. Luo, also known as Dholuo, is one of the most widely spoken of Kenya’s 42 Indigenous languages — although some estimates put the number as high as 60 or 70. All of the country’s Indigenous languages are minority languages. The largest, Kikuya, is only spoken by 17% of Kenyans, while others, such as…

Since the 21st of December 2023, the half a million inhabitants of the southern French city of Montpellier and its surroundings no longer have to pay for public transport. Many of them are pleased with the measure – but there are caveats. Thirty-one-year-old Rayene Chabbi is relieved she no longer has to pay for the bus and the tram she takes to work on weekdays, like on a recent Monday morning. In the past, she’d often drive her parents’ car the seven kilometers (four miles) to the office. “Free public transport is a really good idea – especially for people like…

The UK on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting six people at the helm of the Russian Arctic penal colony where late opposition leader Alexei Navalny died.  UK says it will hold those behind Navalny’s treatment ‘accountable’  “It’s clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him… no one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said. “Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion — we will hold them accountable,” the statement added.    The individuals targeted by the punitive measures include Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin,…