Author: DW

A high number of high-speed Intercity Express trains were canceled between Frankfurt and Stuttgart on Monday after metal thieves vandalized key infrastructure. Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said the theft of metal was discovered on Monday morning between Mannheim Central Station and the nearby town of Lampertheim. The rail network would likely not be restored until the evening, Deutsche Bahn said. Further details were not immediately available. What trains are canceled? Deutsche Bahn said all ICE trains operating on the Berlin-Frankfurt-Stuttgart route would be canceled between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Some ICE trains traveling from the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia to Munich  in…

The world in 2024 will be characterized by a “downward trend in world politics, marked by an increase in geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty,” Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), wrote in the conference’s new security report, released on Monday ahead of this week’s high-profile gathering in Bavaria. From February 16 to 18, military personnel, security experts and high-ranking politicians from all over the world will once again meet in Munich, southern Germany, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expected to attend. In a Munich Security Index survey published ahead of last year’s conference, Russia’s war on…

A woman wearing a trench coat was shot dead by two off-duty police officers after she opened fire inside a Texas church run by celebrity priest Joel Osteen.Worshippers at the Lakewood megachurch in Houston ran to find safety after the women began firing a long gun shortly before a 2pm Spanish-language service on Sunday. Two people were injured in the shooting, including a five-year-old boy, who remains in a critical condition, and a 57-year-old man, who is in a stable condition and being treated for a hip injury.The woman was shot by two officers from the Houston Police Department and…

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on Sunday and admitted to critical care for an emergent bladder issue, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said. “Tonight, after a series of tests and evaluations, the Secretary was admitted into the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for supportive care and close monitoring,” the statement read. In a statement earlier, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. local time. According to Ryder, Austin later transferred the duties of his office to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. “The…

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on Sunday, following symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue,” Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. local time. According to Ryder, Austin later transferred the duties of his office to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. “The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been notified. Additionally, White House and Congressional notifications have occurred,” Ryder said. “At this time, the Secretary is retaining the functions and duties of his…

Two Israeli hostages have been rescued from captivity during a raid by special forces in Rafah in Southern Gaza, the Israeli military has said.The army named them as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, both taken from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the 7 October Hamas attacks. They were rescued from a residential building in a raid that also killed at least seven people, according to Palestinian officials.Middle East latest: Follow live updatesWitnesses reported at least 17 airstrikes, flares and Apache helicopter fire. Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said the operation was based on “precise intelligence”, and…

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl — the biggest sporting event in the United States — in Las Vegas on Sunday, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22.  This marks their second consecutive Super Bowl title and the third title in five years. The Chiefs are now the NFL’s first repeat champions since the New England Patriots in February 2005.  At halftime, the 49ers led the Chiefs 10-3. In the third quarter, however, the Chiefs managed to overtake the 49ers, 13-10. The highly anticipated game went into overtime after Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker’s 29-yard field goal in the last seconds tied the scores at 19-19. The Super…

It is clearly bad for NATO security that the potential next president of the United States has said he would encourage attacks on allies that fail to meet a core defence spending target.But it is surely as much – or even greater – a challenge for the alliance that two-thirds of its 31 member states still have not increased the amount of national income dedicated to defence to a minimum of 2% (and experts deem that level to be woefully inadequate). This is despite Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran-linked conflict in the Middle East and the risk posed by an…

Las Vegas is hosting the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the United States, on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers and a halftime show headlined by Usher. As of halftime, the 49ers are leading the Chiefs 10-3. In the third quarter, however, the Chiefs managed to overtake the 49ers, 13-10.   The game later went into overtime, with both teams at 19. The neon-lit gambling capital in Nevada is buzzing in anticipation for the NFL championship game, surpassing the usual level of hype. Pop star Taylor Swift arrived at the Allegiant Stadium, where…

Las Vegas is hosting the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the United States, on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers and a halftime show headlined by Usher. As of halftime, the 49ers are leading the Chiefs 10-3. In the third quarter, however, the Chiefs managed to overtake the 49ers, 13-10.   The neon-lit gambling capital in Nevada is buzzing in anticipation for the NFL championship game, surpassing the usual level of hype. Pop star Taylor Swift arrived at the Allegiant Stadium, where she was later seen cheering on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end…