Author: DW

Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II.Thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament. King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s oldest monarchy. Image: Queen Margrethe II Image: Queen Margrethe II. Pic: AP The former crown prince, 55, will be formally proclaimed king by the prime minister on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in the heart of the Danish capital.Unlike in the UK, there is no coronation…

Few would have expected Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen to be challenging for the Bundesliga title and yet here they are, with a very real chance of winning it all. But how does a team handle being in an unexpected title race? Robert Huth played an integral part of Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League victory in 2016. For the German, the key was balancing his natural human desire to imagine the future and the discipline to return to the situation at hand. “I think it’s important that you allow yourself to go to that sort of place, you know, like envision yourself lifting…

Skip next section UK intelligence says healthcare in Russia impacted by war01/14/2024January 14, 2024UK intelligence says healthcare in Russia impacted by warThe United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) said the impact of the war is likely to impact healthcare for ordinary Russians.  In its latest intelligence update published on Sunday, the ministry cites Russian media reports about a shortage of medical products, including some antibiotics, and difficulties accessing hospital services.  “The war is likely to be significantly contributing to this situation as hospitals are treating wounded personnel,” the update stated. “The government is also being forced to reduce the civilian…

The rich and powerful of the world are descending on the idyllic Swiss resort town of Davos for the meeting of the World Economic Forum. The annual event is taking place at a time when the world is witnessing devastating wars in Gaza and Ukraine, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) that are causing as much excitement as worry, a catastrophic debt crisis amid an economic slowdown, and a deterioration in the health of the planet.   Over 2,800 participants are slated to attend the 5-day event starting Monday, January 15, including more than 60 heads of state and government. The theme of…

A Palestinian karate champion who was critically injured in a missile strike in Gaza last month has died in hospital.Nagham Abu Samrah lost a leg in the attack on 17 December, which also killed her sister.The 24-year-old had been in a coma ever since.She died in al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al Balah. She was supposed to have been evacuated to Egypt for specialist treatment, but never received permission to cross the border.Follow live: World marks 100 days of warHer death comes as the devastating Israel-Hamas war marked its 100th day.Speaking to Sky News last month from his daughter’s…

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu asserted his country’s independence amid fraying relations with India, as the island nation seeks closer ties with Beijing. “We may be small but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us,” President Muizzu told the media after returning from  a visit to China on Saturday, in an apparent reference to the recent diplomatic row between the Maldives and its neighbor, India.  “We are not a country that is in the backyard of another country.” he said. What caused the rift with India? The Maldives has a population of around 520,000 and includes a total of 1,192 islands off India’s southern coast,…

Crises in Africa are being overlooked, with news about humanitarian emergencies on the continent buried beneath the weight of media attention focused elsewhere, Care International’s 2023 report concludes. That means issues such as hunger in Angola, chronic malnutrition in Burundi and high child mortality in the Central African Republic are disappearing from public view, the authors concluded. Analyst Fredson Guilengue from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Johannesburg sees reasons for the low interest in Africa’s plight in the escalation of the two conflicts in the West. “The first is the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war. It is getting a lot of attention worldwide, especially on the European continent, because the war is returning to Europe,”…

The winner of Taiwan’s presidential election says voters have shown the world “how much we cherish democracy” after his party, which champions autonomy from China, secured a third term.Lai Ching-te, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is set to replace Tsai Ing-wen, who has served the limit of two terms. It is the first time a party has won a third term under Taiwan’s current electoral system.Voters cast their ballots in the presidential and parliamentary election on Saturday after a campaign overshadowed by tensions with China, which claims the territory as its own.China, which has been ramping up…

Polish former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Wednesday that he would be starting a hunger strike in prison, a day after he was arrested despite having taken refuge with political ally and President Andrzej Duda in the presidential palace in Warsaw.  Kaminski is a senior politician with Poland’s largest political party, PiS, which lost control of government in recent elections but still holds the presidency.  “I declare that I treat my conviction… as an act of political revenge,” Kaminski said in the statement, read by his former deputy, Blazej Pobozy, at a press conference. “As a political prisoner, I started…

The monarchies of Denmark and Britain do things very differently.Copenhagen’s royal handover seems a far cry from the coronation of the King. But both monarchies face similar existential questions. Denmark’s solution though, isn’t something Britain wants to contemplate, for now.On her 21st birthday the late Queen said: “I declare that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” These solemnly spoken words were a promise she meant and kept.When her son gave his first public address as King, he repeated her rhetoric. “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today,”…