Author: DW

Russia could attack NATO within five years, the German defence minister has warned, as the alliance prepares to launch its biggest military exercises in decades amid increasing global uncertainty.Boris Pistorius told German news outlet, Der Tagesspiegel: “Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible. “We hear threats from the Kremlin almost every day, so we have to take into account that [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, might even attack a NATO country one day.”‘Prepare for war, NATO chief warns’: Ukraine latest Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:42 Drone…

A study of Escherichia coli and salmonella enterica samples from 10 commercial chicken farms and slaughterhouses in China has found that the bacteria can evolve genetically to develop antimicrobial resistance — by sharing genetic information, known as mobile genetic elements. “Bacteria are known to share genetic information using mobile genetic elements. However, the extent to which bacteria do this across species is not fully understood, as most research studies focus on a single bacterial species,” said Tania Dottorini, a co-author of the study, in an email to DW. The two “species” in this case were the bacteria E. coli and S. enterica.…

“I don’t know if the angels in heaven play sport, but if they do they’ll have heard a new, somewhat Bavarian-tinged voice in recent days saying: ‘Go out there and play football.'” The words of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Franz Beckenbauer’s memorial service in Bayern Munich’s stadium were as heartfelt as the occasion in which thousands from the world of football and sport turned up to remember Germany’s most famous and decorated footballer. Steinmeier’s reference to Beckenbauer’sfamous quote to the Germany team ahead of the 1990 World Cup final was one of many poignant moments on an emotional day for fans…

South Africa has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the UN’s 1948 Genocide Convention in Israel’s current war against Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli military launched a massive operation against Hamas after the militant Islamist group carried out a series of terror attacks on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and saw 240 taken hostage. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Germany, and the United States, among other nations. Over the coming weeks, the court will have to decide whether to issue the provisional measures requested by…

Namibian President Hage Geingob was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the month and will undergo treatment, his office said Friday. The presdincy did not provide details about his condition, but stated that he would continue to perform his duties. “As part of regular annual medical examinations, the Presidency informed the Namibian public that the head of state was due for a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy on 8 January 2024, which were followed up with a biopsy, of which the results revealed cancerous cells,” the presidency statement said. “On the advice of the medical team, President Geingob will undertake appropriate medical treatment to deal with the cancerous…

An online predator who blackmailed dozens of women around the world into performing sexual and degrading acts, including child abuse, has been jailed for 24 years.Anthony Burns, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, used multiple online identities when engaging with the women on the internet.On one occasion he posed as the head of a model agency searching for clients, while on another he pretended to be an officer with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).Once the 39-year-old had gained the trust of his victims he would move the conversation over to WhatsApp.The women were ordered to film themselves carrying out sexual…

A mere four months after Japan’s first attempt to land on the moon ended in failure, the country quickly set its hopes on a second attempt. It launched SLIM — the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon — in September 2023. The spacecraft is better known as Moon Sniper because it was designed as a “pinpoint” lander. Controllers on Earth wanted to use new technology to land this and future spacecraft at precise locations.  Japan appeared to become the fifth nation ever to have landed a spacecraft on the lunar surface January 19/20, 2024.  No mean feat — it’s tough to land on the…

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has lent its support to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova after the pair of tennis legends shared their concerns at the anticipated WTA Championships being held in Saudi Arabia. Evert and Navratilova wrote an open letter to WTA chief Steve Simon and other board members that was obtained and released by US sports magazine “Sports Illustrated” on January 17, 2024. In it, the serial Grand Slam winners say hosting the finals in Saudi Arabia “would represent a significant step backwards” and is “entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis and the WTA itself.”…

For 34 years, the first foreign trip of the year has always taken the Chinese foreign minister to Africa. This week, Wang Yi visited Egypt, Tunisia, Togo and Ivory Coast before traveling on to South America. In addition to the crisis in the Middle East, his agenda included economic cooperation and civil society exchange. Africa is playing an increasingly important role for China, which is hungry for energy and raw materials. After World War II, communist China cultivated intensive cooperation with African countries. Beijing fraternized and positioned itself as a spokesperson for these underdeveloped countries, which later would become part…

The Aachen International Charlemagne Prize 2024 goes to the President of the European Rabbinical Conference Pinchas Goldschmidt and the Jewish communities in Europe, the board of directors of the prize announced on Friday. According to the statement, the aim of the award is to broadcast the message that Jewish life is a natural part of Europe, and that there is no place for antisemitism in Europe. “Jewish life is an essential part of Europe’s past, its present and its future,” the board said, adding that Goldschmidt has always advocated that people of different religious and cultural backgrounds should find their…