Author: DW

Researchers have solved a long-standing mystery about the origins of Uralic languages. They were known to go back thousands of years, but who spoke them originally?  To find out, researchers combined genetic and archeological data to trace the ancestral origins of the people who now speak Uralic languages. Their study, published in Nature, describes how they found a ‘genetic tracer dye’ for the spread of Uralic-speaking populations across Eurasia between 11,000 and 4,000 years ago. This shows how Uralic people migrated from Siberia as far as the Baltic sea and East Asia, bringing with them technological advancements and the Uralic…

What to know about this year’s route This year’s Tour begins on July 5 with a flat stage of 185 kilometers (115 miles), starting with the Grand Depart in the northern French city of Lille. The 21st and final stage will be on July 27 – after a total of 3,339 kilometers –  on the Champs Elysees in Paris. What’s new is that professionals will have to cross Montmartre, the striking hill in the north of the city, three times during the finale. However, that’s no problem compared to the climbs they’ll already have under their belts at that stage: riders…

Michael Spagat, a researcher of war and armed conflict at the University of London, has led a new study analyzing war-related deaths in Gaza. It estimates that more than 80,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and January 5, 2025. “Ultimately, the most important thing is to memorialize the victims one by one,” the expert told DW. He said the Gazan Ministry of Health is ensuring every casualty is recorded on lists, and added that he considers these records to be “pretty accurate.” Gaza’s ministries are administrered by the ruling authority Hamas, which the European Union…

After pressuring fellow members of his Republican party for months, Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” has passed both houses of US Congress and now only needs to be sent to his desk to be signed into law. The bill represents a critical legislative milestone and a political victory for the US president. Much of his second term has so far been marked by executive orders, which are presidential instructions with the force of laws but don’t need the approval of Congress. But having this major spending and tax bill passed by Congress will finance a huge chunk of his presidential campaign promises. …

Leaders of the world’s fast-growing BRICS economies gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this weekend, promising to strengthen trade and technology exchange within the bloc in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s tariff threat. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host the three-day talks, attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang among others. The Kremlin has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes over the war in Ukraine, will not be appearing. DW recaps the history of BRICS and the…

“Blackpink in your area”: This tag line sending many K-pop fans wild with excitement. Blackpink is more than a girl group — they’re a real movement, a lifestyle, a cultural phenomenon. Since their debut in 2016, the South Korean girl group Blackpink has risen to become one of the top pop exports worldwide — and they are not just traveling the globe as musicians. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa take on alternating roles as fashion icons, brand ambassadors and influencers, too. Their “Deadline World Tour,” which will whisk them across the globe on the big stage, is kicking off on July…

Norway came back from a goal down to beat hosts Switzerland 2-1 in their opening match of the Women’s Euro 2025 football tournament on Wednesday night. Switzerland, who had started brightly in front of a energetic St. Jakob-Park crowd, had led at half-time through Nadine Riesen’s 28th minute strike which went in off the post. But Norway, World Cup winners in 1995, scored twice in five minutes to deny the Swiss a fairytale start in their home tournament. Norwegian star striker Ada Hegerberg headed in from a corner after 54 minutes, before a Julia Stierli own goal five minutes later completed the turn…

The European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen will face a European Parliament no-confidence vote next week. Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed parliamentary group leaders of the development Wednesday evening. European lawmakers will debate the motion on Monday, with a vote scheduled for three days later. Although the vote is largely symbolic, as most parties oppose the motion, it underscores growing frustration in Brussels following a series of contentious decisions. If the motion were to pass, the Commission would be required to resign as a whole, including its president and all 26 EU commissioners. COVID vaccines at center of…

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked US President Donald Trump’s asylum ban at the US-Mexico border. US District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by declaring illegal immigration an emergency and bypassing existing legal processes.  However, he stayed the ruling for two weeks to give the government time to appeal. Trump exceeded his authority, judge finds As part of his immigration crackdown, Trump declared that the situation at the southern border constituted an invasion of the United States. He signed a proclamation on the day of his inauguration, saying he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and…

The war between Iran and Israel in the Middle East has led to complications for airlines seeking to avoid the airspace while also complying with an ongoing Russian airspace ban. Although Iran’s airspace has partially reopened following a ceasefire, data from flight tracking website flightradar24 shows that Western airlines are still largely avoiding flying over the country. Most are choosing routes skirting the country’s western border, through Iraqi airspace, or over the Arabian peninsula. With Russia having barred Western planes from its skies since the beginning of its war against Ukraine in early 2022, it’s the latest example of how an era of…