Author: DW

 A nationwide general strike in Greece halted trains, ferries and taxis on Wednesday, stranding a number of workers and other people in the country. The one-day general strike was called in response to proposed changes to labor standards —  including a government plan to allow employers to extend working hours. No taxis in Athens nor trains will run for the duration of the 24-hour strike. Buses and the city’s subway, tram and trolley service are operating on a severely reduced schedule. Thousands of people, including teachers and seafarers, marched to parliament in Athens after the strike was organized by Greece’s largest…

The Trump administration has frozen some $26 billion (€22 billion) for projects in Democratic-leaning states on the first day of the federal government shutdown. The White House announced the freeze on Wednesday on roughly $18 billion in payments to build transit projects in New York, home to Congress’s two top Democrats. The freeze also includes almost $8 billion in green energy projects in 16 Democrat-run states, including California and Illinois. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate who is from New York, said Trump was targeting regular Americans for partisan aims. “He is using the American people as pawns,…

From her pioneering work in French surrealism to war photography, Lee Miller (1907-1977) is currently celebrated in an exhibition at the Tate Britain museum. The largest retrospective of the trailblazing photographer ever held in the UK, “Lee Miller” runs from October 2 to February 15, 2026. Lee Miller started modeling in the late 1920s, posing for legendary photographers such as Edward Steichen and George Huyningen-HueneImage: Martin Schutt/picture alliance/dpa The accidental model Born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1907, Elizabeth “Lee” Miller showed an early interest in the arts and Europe, moving to Paris at age 18 to study lighting, costume and design at a theater school. A year later, she…

Called the 3TG because they include tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold, this group of raw materials makes a huge difference for the auto industry of our times as it strives to transition to electric vehicles (EV). They are critically important for building suspension systems, wiring, lighting, and electronic displays. Durable, resistant to corrosion, and great for conducting electricity, 3TG minerals are currently high in demand from carmakers in Europe and elsewhere. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts some of the biggest deposits of such minerals in the world, and exploiting them could be a source of prosperity for the country in Central Africa.…

A FIFPRO report on the 2024-25 football season highlights concerns over the amount of football players in the men’s game are playing. Key findings cover several areas of concern, perhaps most notably continued calendar congestion and extreme heat. The 32-team Club World Cup put an enormous strain on the players, with some, such as Achraf Hakimi, having their seasons stretch over almost an entire year as a result. The report notes that Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all had their off-seasons and preseasons for the current campaign severely shortened because of the competition. Without improved safeguarding and better load…

“I can’t work 13 hours a day, and I don’t expect that from my employees,” says Anni, who owns a beauty salon by the name of “64” in Pagrati, central Athens. She doubts any of her clients would be satisfied with the work of an exhausted beautician either. That is why she wonders why Greek Labor Minister Niki Kerameos wants to create the legal foundation for a 13-hour workday. Kerameos has told reporters that this is merely about allowing exceptions on 37 days a year “in the interests of employees.” Greek labor unions, meanwhile, reject the minister’s plans and are trying…

President Donald Trump has only been in office again since January, but a lot has changed in those eight months. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the possibility of government shutdowns. This time, Democratic and Republican lawmakers did not approve a stopgap federal funding bill to keep the government running, with a last-minute measure failing in the US Senate on Tuesday night. That means the government has officially shut down as of 12:01 am Washington time (4:01 GMT). The shutdown is the first of Trump’s current presidency after his first term saw two government shutdowns, including the longest in US history from December…

“All communities and ages benefit from the wisdom of older persons,” said UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. “They have much to teach about navigating uncertainty, resolving conflict and building solidarity across generations.” Commenting on the United Nations International Day of Older Persons on October 1, a day that promotes a society for all ages, Guterres added that “older persons are powerful agents of change.” A look at some of the top-rating films and series of recent and past history demonstrate how older actors can have enduring appeal. Hit Netflix film set in a retirement village Based on the best-selling novel by Richard Osman, “The Thursday…

Hankavan is about an hour’s drive from Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, and is known for its campgrounds. Every summer, all kinds of programs draw students here. During the last week of August, more than 100 young people came for something new: learning about career paths in artificial intelligence (AI). A nonprofit called the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology organized the camp as part of its efforts to get young Armenians ready for tech jobs. On the last day of the program, Armenian tech professionals sat in circles with high school students from all over the country to share advice.At the…

Northern India, in particular the Delhi metropolitan region, is experiencing a significant spike in infections with the H3N2 strain of influenza this autumn. There are about 46 million people in the conurbation around the Indian capital, which extends across many neighboring towns and districts in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to a survey by the community-based social media platform LocalCircles, 69% of households in the area currently have at least one person with flu-like symptoms. Doctors say H3N2 is currently the predominant influenza variant in the region. “The increasing numbers make it clear that the virus is circulating…