Uncategorized

Merz in China: German chancellor, Xi seek more cooperation

Skip next section Closing summary: Takeaways from Merz's trip to China February 26, 2026 Closing summary: Takeaways from Merz's trip to China Friedrich Merz tours Siemens Energy facility (German manufacturer that works on energy technology) in HangzhouImage: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Thursday completed his inaugural trip to China with a host of business

The DIY solar hack arriving in US homes

DIY solar systems have boomed in Germany and across Europe in recent years, with solar panels showing up on balconies and in backyards.  Now, with energy costs rising and the price of wind and solar power plummeting worldwide, Americans are also looking to generate their own electricity and save money —  despite Donald Trump's anti-renewables

New head of German Catholics pledges reform

The new chairman of the Catholic German Bishops Conference, Heiner Wilmer, is four days older than his predecessor, Georg Bätzing: almost 65 years old. This is not what one would call a generational handover. But Bishop Wilmer of Hildesheim, a town in northern Germany known for its historic churches, is different from most of the 55 German

Can sustainable travel survive mass tourism?

Travel can sometimes place us in a moral dilemma. A sense of unease may arise from everyday realities — the carbon emissions caused by flying, for example, or the broader consequences of modern mass tourism. Is this simply something to accept? Should we simply stop traveling or are there better ways to do it? For Wolfgang

Football: Afghanistan women again set to fight for future

Three years ago, a team of exiled Afghan women looked on with frustration as the Women's World Cup took place in the Australian cities where they lived. The displaced players have come a long way since then, but the Women's Asian Cup, which starts in Australia on March 1, is both an inspiration and a reminder of the

Louvre Museum’s director resigns after October jewel heist

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the Louvre Museum's director, Laurence des Cars, who had been under fire since thieves stole a stash of priceless jewelry from the museum  in a brazen daytime heist last year. But the iconic museum has also been in the spotlight for a series of other negative headlines, including

How two directors fought back after their film was stolen

It sounds like the plot of a screenplay, but it happened to two Berlin film students in real life.  Moritz Henneberg and Julius Drost had created an animated short film for their final project at university. "Butty" tells the tale of a household robot that gets kicked out when it can 't  do its job properly. When t he two

Clashes spark safety concerns for World Cup in Mexico

Although none of Germany's group-stage matches at next summer's World Cup are to be played in Mexico, government officials in Berlin are already thinking about the impact the recent clashes between security forces and suspected members of a drug cartel could have on the men's national team. "FIFA must work with the governments of Canada

Hungary, Slovakia clash with Ukraine over oil pipeline

Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine are in the midst of an spat over a key pipeline that supplies Russian crude to Central Europe.    Shipments through the Druzhba pipeline have stalled since the end of January. While Ukraine blames a Russian drone strike for the disruption, Hungary and Slovakia slam Kyiv for the prolonged outage. What to

How Ukraine’s war effort against Russia has evolved

Soldiers spend weeks or even months in a cramped shelter in a so-called "kill zone," a stretch as long as 20 kilometers (12 miles) that is largely controlled by enemy drones. There is no way to reach a position by vehicle or evacuate the wounded. Ammunition and food supplies are constantly interrupted. All of this has become
back to top