World

The White House directed several agencies to divulge files that have to do with so-called Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) and other unexplained phenomenon. The Pentagon on Friday led the way by releasing a trove of documents. The director of national intelligence, the Energy Department, NASA and the FBI, were also tasked with publicly sharing the information, which the White House has compiled in a newly unveiled website. The UFO release could stir speculation among those who believe in the existence of intelligent life outside of Earth. The release follows previous releases on contentious issues in the US that have long drawn conspiracy theorists, such as the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. "These files, hidden behind ...

Samina Bibi, a 34-year-old mother of three, lives in a modest house on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, the fourth-most populous city in Pakistan.  One early morning this week, she received a message from her husband saying that his salary would be delayed again. She says she had to fight back tears. Bibi's husband has been living in Saudi Arabia for the past decade. He works for a Riyadh-based construction company. "He says the company is facing issues due to regional conflict," she said, referring to the Iran war. "I just think, what about us relying solely on his 80,000 rupees (€245, $288) per month?"  For Samina, the delay in remittance is not merely an inconvenience, but a disruption that ripples through every part of her life. She says the Middle East crisis is directly affecting th...

Colombian pop superstar Shakira has shared a minute-long clip of a new song, writing on social media: "From Maracana Stadium, here is 'Dai Dai,' the FIFA World Cup Official Song 2026." In the video clip, she appears on the field of Brazil's iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, where Shakira drew a vast crowd for a free concert last weekend. Holding the "Trionda," the official World Cup match ball, she sings one verse in English with Nigerian artist and Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, harmonizing with her. "Knew from the day you were bornHere in this place, you belongYou've been this brave all alongWhat broke you once made you strong." Shakira is joined by dancers dressed in the colors of national teams taking part in the soccer tournament. The chorus repeats "Dai, dai, we go, dal...

He wears more festive, traditional vestments than his predecessor. And unlike Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV is once again residing in the Apostolic Palace high above St. Peter's Square. From time to time, he also retreats to the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo — something Francis never did. In outward matters, Robert Prevost — the cardinal whom the conclave elected on May 8, 2025, as head of the Catholic Church and who took the name Leo XIV — differs in many ways from his predecessor. Yet when it comes to his programmatic, theological and ecclesial orientation, much remains uncertain. So far, there is no encyclical, no major doctrinal document from Leo's pen, as Augsburg church historian Jörg Ernesti noted in conversation with DW. As a result, it remains "open where this pope's th...

An Australian man accused of killing 15 people in an antisemitic mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach will face a slew of additional charges, court officials said on Wednesday. Naveed A. was accused of opening fire, along with his father, at families celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah last December. The 24-year-old was shot and wounded, while his 50-year-old father was killed as police responded to the massacre. What are the fresh charges in Bondi Beach shooting? Naveed A. is already charged with 59 counts, which include attempted murder and committing a terrorist act. Court records released on Wednesday showed that he is now facing 19 extra charges — including 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder, wounding with intent to murder, and six of discharging a firearm with i...

The Iran war and resulting blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have focused minds on international shipping. Russian officials are promoting the Northern Sea Route (NSR), an Arctic sea lane running along their country's northern coast. President Vladimir Putin said in April the route's importance as "the most safe, reliable and efficient path is becoming ever more obvious." It is the shortest maritime route between Asia and Europe. But it's frozen for much of the year, and comes with significant political considerations. DW asked an environmental foundation which has studied the route — how realistic is this vision of the NSR as a new major shipping passage? Northern shipping route less popular because of Russia's war in Ukraine Shipping goods along the Northern Sea Route can reduce travel...

"Backsliding," "pressure," "political influence over editorial policy" — this is how numerous international reports describe the state of the media in Serbia. Year after year, the international diagnosis of the health of Serbia's media landscape remains the same: While the space for professional independent media is shrinking, the government's propaganda tools are becoming more developed and sophisticated. "The main goal of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) after coming to power in 2012 was to place the entire media landscape under firm control. And they did this very systematically," journalist and media analyst Nedim Sejdinovic told DW. The model, he said, was simple: Media outlets willing to cooperate with the authorities received financial and institutional support, while those th...

A North Korean women's soccer club will visit South Korea for a face-off between the rival neighbors, making it the first sports team since 2018 to play on the South's soil, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said on Monday. North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC is set to play against the South Korean Suwon FC ​Women ‌on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions ⁠League. What do we know about the rare game? Pyongyang has sent ​a list of a delegation of 27 players ⁠and ​12 staff ​who would visit ​South Korea ‌for the semi-final ​of ⁠Asia's top-tier women's football club competition, ​the ministry said. It did not give further details on the exact date of the team's arrival, but the French AFP news agency reported they would arrive on May 17. The...

Ukraine plans to raise military wages, improve contracts and implement a phased discharge system for long-serving personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday. The reforms, set to begin in June, aim to address acute manpower shortages after more than four years of full-scale war with Russia. What reforms did Zelenskyy announce? In a Telegram message, Zelenskyy said the first reforms must be delivered in June, starting with enhanced financial support for soldiers, sergeants and commanders. Infantry troops will see their monthly salaries increased to 250,000 to 400,000 hryvnias ($5,700 to $9,000, €4,850 to €7,670), up from a current maximum of around 170,000 hryvnias for those deployed at the front or behind enemy lines for 30 days. Non-combat personnel will receive a ri...

The Trump administration is trying to force Iran into concessions by cutting off its oil exports. Will it prevail? A ceasefire has been in place between the US and Iran after weeks of fighting, with Washington now seeking ways out of the conflict with Iran. Two options are on the table. The US could extend its naval blockade of Iranian ports, or launch a new wave of attacks to pressure the Iranian regime to give in."The US often combines strategic messaging and deliberate ambiguity to give it room for maneuver," says Iran expert Fatemeh Aman, who previously worked for Washington D.C.'s Middle East Institute and the Atlantic Council.Indeed, the Wall Street Journal reports that US President Donald Trump is preparing a long-term blockade of Iran. The outlet, citing government sources, says th...