Author: DW

German consumer prices increased in January by 2.9% annually, down from 3.7% in December, according to preliminary data from federal statistics agency Destatis released on Wednesday. The data office said it is the lowest figure since June 2021, when the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.4%. Energy cost 2.8% less in January than a year earlier. The cost of food increased year-on-year by 3.8% in January, which is lower than the of 4.5% seen in December and 5.5% in November. Hopes for interest rate cuts  Although inflation in Europe’s largest economy has resumed its downward trajectory, it may not be enough for the…

The napkin 13-year-old Lionel Messi signed his first contract with FC Barcelona on will be auctioned with a starting price of £300,000 ($381,000 or €352,000), British auction house Bonhams said on Wednesday. The piece of memorabilia, which will be up for sale between March 18 and 27, has been carefully preserved in a safe by Horacio Gaggioli, Messi’s representative at the time. The napkin was signed in December 2000 when Carles Rexach, Barca’s then sporting director, agreed with Jorge Messi, Messi’s father, and Gaggioli, to recruit the Argentine teenager who went on to become the club’s all-time top scorer.Lionel Messi won four Champions Leagues during his…

A reservist who dealt with the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack says there was a “systematic genital mutilation” of women as multiple victims were shot in the crotch, breasts and head.Warning – contains graphic details of injuriesShari Mendes was part of an Israeli army reserve unit whose role was to identify and prepare female soldiers for burial.She told Sky News’ The World With Yalda Hakim she was at the Shura base on 8 October, where victims were brought the day after the attack that killed more than 1,200 people. Image: Israeli soldiers inspect a burnt car at the Nova…

A new study of data from the EU and UK indicate that deaths from colorectal cancer are decreasing. The research, published in the Annals of Oncology, follows long-term trends that the disease is claiming fewer lives than it did 30 years ago. According to the data, 6.2 million deaths from all cancers have been avoided in the EU since 1988 and 1.3 million death have been avoided in the UK. The study used population data from the World Health Organization to predict cancer-related deaths for 2024 from all forms of cancer. “The fall in mortality rates for colorectal cancers was 4.8% in men and 9.5%…

Colorfully costumed carnival goers mingle at a traditional brewery on the banks of the Rhine river in the city of Cologne in western Germany. Kölsch beer — the city’s native brew — is flowing freely. “Echte Fründe ston zesamme” (or “Real friends stand together”) blares from the loudspeakers. The popular carnival hit by Cologne band, Höhner, dates back to the 1980s. But it couldn’t be more fitting, especially here at the Kölsche Kippa Köpp carnival party. (Editor’s note: The name in Cologne dialect translates to “Cologne natives wearing the Jewish head covering, the kippah”).  “Some of us feel more like celebrating, others less,” Kippa Köpp…

There is no doubt in Sylvester Obinna’s mind about who should lead Nigeria to victory at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. “My favorite player is Victor Osimhen,” the 32-year-old said as he sits in the “Nigerian Village” in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city, watching the round-of-16 match between Morocco and South Africa. The Nigerian Village, located on the university campus in Abidjan was set up by a group of Nigerian immigrants for the AFCON. Sylvester is a die-hard supporter of the Super Eagles, the Nigerian national team – as are the majority of the 600 or so fans who have turned…

Robert Fico has not dwelt upon his recent remarkable return from the political wasteland to which he was banished after the 2018 murder of journalist Jan Kuciak ejected him from an eight-year stint as prime minister of Slovakia. Instead, in the 100 days since his Smer party regained power, the illiberal populist has sought to rapidly push through radical changes to the judicial system, with plans for other democratic pillars also being drawn up. His all-action performance has provoked protests and worry both at home and abroad.Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past three…

It sounds counterintuitive. Like many countries, Germany is struggling to find enough workers . Now, an experiment is kicking off where companies will ask employees to work one day less a week. In February, 45 companies and organizations in Europe’s largest economy will introduce a 4-day workweek for half a year. Employees will continue to receive their full salary. The initiative is led by the consulting firm Intraprenör in collaboration with the non-profit organization 4 Day Week Global (4DWG). Advocates argue that a 4-day workweek would increase worker productivity, and by consequence, help alleviate the country’s skilled labor shortage. Germany…

Water is a scarce resorce in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, where it is not unusual to see groups of youths gathered around water taps, jostling for turns to fill their buckets and jerrycans.  The struggle for clean water is oftentimes settled with the exchange of blows. Deforestation in the West African nation could contribute to water shortages, according to the Reuters news agency, which cited a recently-released UN report. The study called for close monitoring of forest coverage to protect the city’s main water sources, Reuters said. How does deforestation affect the water supply? Freetown is built on a forested peninsula,…

A woman attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour has praised the “heroic” neighbours who came to her aid.Lauren O’Neill was swimming close to the shore near her home in Elizabeth Bay when her leg was bitten by one of the creatures on Monday evening. The 29-year-old was helped by residents in the area – including a local vet who had just purchased a set of bandages, which she used to create a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.Surgeons worked through the night to save Ms O’Neill’s leg from amputation, according to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.She is expected to make a full…