Author: DW

These are busy times for football in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The women’s team played in the African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time since 2012 while the men are currently top of their qualification group for the 2026 World Cup, putting them on course for a first appearance on the global stage since 1974. Off the pitch, there is also encouraging news. If a peace deal that was signed in June between the country and neighboring Rwanda holds, enduring violence could recede and citizens could have a fresh chance to play or watch sport. The eastern region of…

A wildfire in the Corbieres hills in southwestern France, inland from the Mediterranean coast, has already closed a major highway and left nine people injured, one critically, local officials said. The fire started in the town of Ribaute and has since spread over 11,000 hectares, the affected Aude department said on social media in an update early on Wednesday morning. Seven firefighters and two other people have been injured, “including one person in critical condition with severe burns,” Aude department said.  Another fire had since broken out some 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the original blaze. Camping grounds and one…

The Japanese city of Hiroshima held a silent prayer at 8:15 a.m. (2315 GMT) on Wednesday. That was the moment when US aircraft Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb called “Little Boy” over the Japanese city on August 6, 1945. Hundreds of officials, students and survivors laid flowers at the memorial cenotaph. The ruins of the Genbaku Dome, the only structure left standing in the area where the bomb exploded, were visible in the background — a stark reminder of the horrors that unfolded. Before dawn on Wednesday, survivors and their families came to pray at the peace memorial park as the…

Season 1 of the 2022 Netflix production, “Wednesday,” remains the streaming platform’s second most-successful series worldwide — second only to “Squid Game” (2021). And it’s the first among English-language series, ahead of this year’s British surprise hit, “Adolescence.” It’s no wonder the sequel is so highly anticipated.   What’s the story with ‘Wednesday’? Produced and directed by Tim Burton — famed for quirky gothic horror films like “Beetlejuice” (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) — “Wednesday” reinvents the cult horror comedy series, “The Addams Family,” giving it a stylish Gen-Z makeover. Played by Jenna Ortega, the title character Wednesday Addams is a mysterious teenage girl who never…

Matches at Euro 2025 in Switzerland have largely been sold out, with swelling crowds cheering on global stars they recognize from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. At first glance, women’s football has never been closer to men’s football. Beyond the ongoing battle for equal pay, there is however another glaring and striking difference between men’s and women’s international football in Europe. Most women’s teams are significantly whiter than their male counterparts. While fans, players and football institutions strive to make the women’s game inclusive, limited access to football in certain communities means Euro 2025 – at least on the pitch – doesn’t really reflect many…

Australia will upgrade its navy with 11 frigates from Japan, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday. “This is clearly the biggest defense-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia,” Marles said. The 10 billion Australian dollar ($6.5 billion or €5.6 billion) deal saw Mitsubishi Heavy Industries awarded the tender to supply Mogami-class warships, beating out Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Deal sees tightening of Australia-Japan partnership Japan is one of Australia’s most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region. “This decision was made based on what was the best capability for Australia,” Marles said. “We do have…

Once a year, on August 5, the small sleepy town of Knin in Northern Dalmatia becomes the heart of Croatia’spolitical life. The country’s political and military elite gather under the flag on the castle ruins above the town, and there are patriotic speeches with pathos galore. It’s the “Day of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving” and the “Day of Croatian Defenders,” commemorating the military operation “Oluja” (Storm) carried out from August 4 to 7, 1995. The raising of the oversized flag above Knin Fortress remains to this day a symbol of Croatian troops victory over Serbia during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.…

Starting August 1, Deutsche Bahn’s 280-kilometer (174-mile) route linking Berlin to Hamburg will be completely closed for at least nine months. With up to 30,000 passengers daily, it is the most heavily used direct connection in Germany’s long-distance rail transport. Around 230 regional, long-distance and freight trains travel daily on the tracks between Germany’s two largest cities. Starting Friday, the intercity passenger trains will have to take a 100-kilometer detour, while freight trains will be rerouted even further. In addition, 170 buses will be deployed daily to continue connecting the towns between Berlin and Hamburg that will be cut off from rail…

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot cycled to victory in the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the iconic race since the reestablishment of the women’s edition four years ago. After nine days of racing, the 33-year-old Olympic cross-country champion finished three minutes and 42 seconds ahead of Demi Vollering of the Netherlands and more than four minutes ahead of last year’s winner, Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland. “This stage was really difficult,” she said of the ninth and final stage in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie. “But I was determined to win here wearing the yellow jersey. It’s…

South Korea began dismantling loudspeakers broadcasting anti-North Korea messages along the border on Monday, according to the country’s defense ministry. The move is part of President Lee Jae-myung’s efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang. “Starting today, the military has begun removing the loudspeakers,” Lee Kyung-ho, spokesperson for the South’s defense ministry, told reporters. “It is a practical measure aimed at helping ease tensions with the North, provided that such actions do not compromise the military’s state of readiness.” He added that all loudspeakers are expected to be removed by the end of the week.North Korea’s new propagandaTo view this video please enable JavaScript,…