Author: DW

Germany’s economy shrank by 0.3% in 2023, the federal statistics agency Destatis said on Monday. The announcement comes after months of persistent inflation as well as sluggish demand both locally and globally. “Overall economic development faltered in Germany in 2023 in an environment that continues to be marked by multiple crises,” Destatis head Ruth Brand said in Berlin. Some sectors that have struggled include the automotive industry and the construction industry. Germany avoids recession after figures revised In preliminary figures, Destatis also calculated that Germany saw a 0.3% drop in gross domestic product (GDP) in the forth quarter of 2023.…

The mountains in and around Davos, Switzerland are covered in snow. The temperature outside is minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).   Gerald Abila arrived here just a few hours ago. He arrived with a suitcase packed with three sweaters and warm underwear. He was told it can get very cold at the World Economic Forum (WEF).  Now, the lawyer from Uganda is sitting in a hotel and talking about his goal. He wants to make the legal system open to everyone in his country and beyond.  “Many people in my country don’t even know that the law exists or that…

The South Pacific nation of Nauru announced Monday it was switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, saying it would no longer consider the self-governing island “as a separate country” but “rather as an inalienable part of China’s territory.”  Taiwan cut ties in return to “safeguard our national dignity”, and accused Beijing of buying Nauru off.  “We demand that Nauru immediately close its embassy in Taiwan,” Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang said.  Taiwan’s 12 remaining diplomatic allies include the Vatican, Guatemala and Paraguay, plus Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. Taiwan says economic assistance…

The UK will send 20,000 troops to one of NATO’s biggest military drills since the Cold War as the alliance practices repelling an invasion by Russian forces, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to announce today.Army, navy and RAF personnel will be deployed to the 31-nation Steadfast Defender exercise in a bid to provide “vital reassurance against the menace” of Vladimir Putin, Mr Shapps will say in a speech. The defence secretary will also warn the West stands at a “crossroads” as he unveils the UK’s contribution to the war games in an address at Lancaster House.Mr Shapps will set…

Jadon Sancho is back at Borussia Dortmund, joining the Bundesliga side on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season as he looks to kick-start a stalling career. “When I walked into the changing room today, it felt like coming home,” Sancho said after signing a six-month loan deal in Dortmund on Thursday — a deal that does not include an option for BVB to buy him back permanently. “I know the club inside out, I’ve always been very close to the fans here and I’ve never lost contact with the people in charge. I can’t wait to see my…

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Sunday that more than 21 people had died in a landslide at a mine in the northern part of the country. “It is with great sadness I received the reports of the deaths of more than 21 people following a landslide at Ng’alita mine in Bariadi district, Simiyu region,” Hassan said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “These fellow Tanzanians were small miners in the area, trying to earn a living for themselves, their families and contributing to the development of our nation,” she added. The president said the defense force was…

A volcano has erupted in southwestern Iceland, sending lava flowing towards a fishing village that had to be evacuated overnight.The semi-molten rock has come within 500m of the town of Grindavik – which also had to be evacuated in November before a massive eruption from the same peninsula. In the weeks since, defensive walls were constructed around the volcano in the hope of directing magma away from the community of around 3,800 people.But the barriers of earth and rock that were built north of Grindavik have been breached and lava is on the move towards the town, the Icelandic Meteorological…

Indonesia enter the Asian Cup with a number of players born outside the country. While local fans welcome the improvement, there are concerns that naturalizing players born overseas is seen as a shortcut to success. Source link

Polish police on Tuesday entered the country’s presidential palace and arrested two politicians convicted of abuse of power. Former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his former state secretary, Maciej Wasik, were in the palace of President Andrzej Duda, an ally of their conservative Law and Justice party (PiS).  Earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the right-wing president of obstructing their imprisonment. “Mr President, my heartfelt appeal for the good of the Polish state: you must put an end to this spectacle. It will lead us into a very dangerous situation,” Tusk said in Warsaw.Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of…

The results of Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections came out as bad news to Beijing and will likely keep both sides in a continuous icy relationship, experts told DW. On Saturday night, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hailed its success in securing a third presidency in a row. That broke a record as no political party had stayed in power for more than two terms since the island elected its first leader in 1996. William Lai Ching-te, the president elect whose tenure does not officially start until May 20, said in his victory speech that Taiwan has chosen to “stand on the side…